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Episode 7
The Past Is Not Finished Yet Camellia~
12am Sunday
"Talk rat, I don't have all night and the old man hates waiting."
A tall man, with neatly styled red hair and wearing an expensive tan suit with a lit cigarette in his right hand, disrespectfully addressed a Japanese man. They stood face to face alone in an empty parking lot far from the city. On the Japanese man's brown leather jacket was a shield that held the Japanese police insignia. Pulling down his black cap, he told the annoyed man the information the 'old man' desperately needed.
"Your side doesn't need to worry about Cristian's whereabouts. The investigators are at a loss because of your protection over him and my manipulation of the evidence."
The red haired man was pleased. "I'm sure that's not all of it. You better have something more useful."
"Of course, I always give you your money's worth. So, the investigators are now looking for the three surviving victims that were found in the church in Italy when the cult was busted…The victims…two teenagers and one child, at the time. The child is unstable and has been sent to a mental hospital in Italy. Getting his testimony would be extremely difficult…the other two disappeared from Italy shortly after. I tried to hold off the immigration information of them leaving the country, but that damn Tohdoh was able to acquire it before I could destroy it. Yesterday he issued a search team to find their whereabouts in Japan. It won't be long until we find them…That's all I have for today."
The red haired man took a puff of his cigarette and exhaled a cloud of white smoke that masked an amused smirk. He then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a large stack of cash and threw it at the 'rat'. The man quickly secured the money in his pocket and drove away in his black jeep. The red haired man entered a black car that had darkly tinted windows and was off. At that moment, his phone rang, and he picked up to hear a familiar voice.
"Sir Jerimiah, what gives me the honor to hear your voice?...You want me to go in your place?!...I mean of course, of course sir. I've done it many times now, this time shouldn't be any different."
He then proceeded to inform 'Jerimiah' of the information he learned. Jerimiah told him something that made his face light up in excitement. Jerimiah hung up, leaving him to gloat at the information.
"What perfect timing! I guess going to this stupid banquet won't be so bad…Our reunion has come so soon my sweet pure flower~"
Ashford Academy Girl's Dorm 4:30pm Sunday
Lelouch sat on C.C's desk chair, patiently waiting for her to get dressed so that he could do her makeup for the banquet. He wore a tuxedo, with a navy blue suede jacket and black pants, along with a gold bowtie. His hair was swept out of his face, making him look extremely dapper.
The door opened and he expected to see C.C's figure however, it was her roommate Nina returning from the science building with a multitude of textbooks. He instinctively moved to help her settle the books on her desk. He gave the timid girl a warm smile.
Soon a smirk, that he hid, crawled onto his face after recalling the sounds he heard from the room a few nights ago. 'Maybe she isn't as timid as we think she is…I wonder who was with her that night?' he thought as Nina settled at her desk to look over her research. As a nuclear engineering major she was extremely dedicated to her study, so it was strange to see that even she found time for a hot romance.
Finally, C.C returned from the bathroom fully dressed. She wore a form fitting sequined mermaid dress that transitioned from gold to blue and back to gold at the tail. The dress was off the shoulder and had a heart shaped neck cut. Her lime green hair was wrapped up in an elegant bun. For accessories, she decided to go with simple gold hanging earrings to not take attention away from the dress.
Lelouch took in every detail of her appearance to save in his memory forever. Nina complemented C.C whilst Lelouch continued to scan her waist, hips, arms and bare neck that the dress brilliantly highlighted. C.C snapped her fingers in front of him to bring him out of his trance.
"You're here to do my makeup not gawk at me Lelouch~"
Lelouch snapped out of his trance and got off of her desk chair so that she could sit instead. He grabbed his makeup tools and began to work on her face. For this evening's event, he went with light and natural makeup. This consisted of a light pink to almost nude lip, with light pink and brown eyeshadow followed by blinding highlights. He seductively whispered to her as he applied her eyeshadow "Are you testing me? If Nina wasn't here~"
'Two can play that game Lelouch~' she thought as she whispered her next words softly. "I have all night to test you~." They smirked at each other's playful attitude. As he put the last bit of lipstick on her lips, he leaned forward quickly and kissed her. She looked across her room to see if Nina was bothered, but the girl had in her headphones and was still completely enamored with her research.
"You failed already." she whispered as his cellphone rang, stopping him from kissing her once more.
Shirley's voice boomed from the phone as soon as he picked up.
"Hey Lulu! When are you coming to the dorms to pick us up? I'm ready right now and we don't want to be late okay!"
"Actually, I'm already at your dorms…Yes, I am currently in C.C's room."
Shirley grabbed her silver crystal purse and rushed upstairs from her suite to C.C's room. She burst through the door just as Lelouch was packing his makeup into his bag. Shirley wore a long a-line, halter top navy blue dress that had a small silver belt around her small waist. Her orange hair was curled and swept to her left shoulder. For accessories, she wore sapphire earrings.
"You are right on time Shirley." Lelouch commented as they waved goodbye to Nina and walked out of the dorms.
"You should have told me you were coming here early. I would have absolutely loved it if you did my makeup like when we were in high school."
"That was such a long time ago. I will definitely do your makeup some other time since you were such a great friend in helping me practice. Thanks to your help I can make my girlfriend look even more beautiful than she already was."
"Haha right…"
His answer sent a message to her that they were only friends. At the mention of C.C's name, he could see that she became anxious, instead of jealous like usual. It concerned him but he decided to not make a big deal of it.
As they reached the car, Lelouch opened the front door intending for C.C to enter, but Shirley quickly moved ahead of her and sat in the car. Lelouch was going to politely ask her to move but C.C stopped him and insisted on sitting in the back as it wasn't a big deal to her. He sighed. After giving her a peck on the lips, he headed to the driver's seat.
The ride was quiet, with only the radio being the source of noise. Every now and then, Shirley would glance in the rearview mirror that held C.C's reflection. 'The quiet girl…hardworking…scholarship student…is what I first thought of you but now I know that you are someone dangerous'. After staring for so long, she finally locked eyes with C.C's deadpan stare.
The information she gained from wandering around Lelouch's studio last night was fresh in her mind; driving her crazy. 'Who are you?' Shirley asked through her eyes, but C.C did not answer. Her gaze was redirected towards Lelouch who was focused on driving. 'You would stay with her even knowing the dangerous life she lives?...Maybe I am naïve in thinking that you are not hiding anything serious…in fact, what are you hiding Lelouch?' She pictured imaginary masks falling off of their faces, and them laughing at her; mocking her as she lived in their lies.
Who could she trust? Her thoughts continued to trouble her as they arrived at Lelouch's families' estate, where the banquet would be held.
The estate, that took them almost an hour to drive to, sat amongst lush green grass and beautiful evergreen trees. They drove along the cobblestone driveway and to a beautiful water fountain surrounded by white camellia flowers. The fountain stood beautifully in front of the large entrance doors of the white and grey stone mansion. Lelouch got out of the car and opened C.C's door, whilst a maid from the house opened Shirley's door. A valet attendant then took the car to be parked as they ascended the stairs to the front door.
This evenings guests were scattered around the house, conversing as classical music could be heard from the backyard. Amongst the guests they spotted Milly with her grandfather, Ruben Ashford (currently head director of the board of directors of Ashford University, as well as founder). She waved at them before heading outside with her grandfather and a man with lavender hair.
Before they could follow suit, they were greeted by Sayoko, the nanny that was employed to take care of Nunnally when they moved to Japan. She was with Nunnally, whose soft purple eyes lit up as soon as she saw her brother. He instinctively kneeled down to her wheelchair and enveloped her in a warm hug. The girls' bright eyes then took notice of the green haired girl who was entering their home for the first time.
"Are you my brother's girlfriend?" she asked without hesitation.
"Yes I am. Nice to meet you Nunnally."
"My brother has told me so much about you C.C." Nunnally confessed as C.C walked over and held her hand.
"Did he badmouth me?" she asked playfully, causing Nunnally to giggle.
"In fact, just the other day he couldn't stop talking about how much pizza you ate and that he has to make lunch for you every day. But don't worry, I know my bother's only worried about your health. We spent hours planning your meals-
"Nunnally, don't tell her everything." Lelouch whined as he playfully pinched Nunnally's cheeks."
"I'll tell you the rest later C.C~ So make sure to come back okay!" Nunnally linked her pinky with C.C. The warm gesture melted C.C's heart. She wondered how Lelouch's little sister could be this gentle. With a smile, she accepted Nunnally's request.
"I'm not allowed to attend the grownups' party, so I bid all of you farewell for tonight."
Shirley and C.C waved goodbye to Nunnally as Lelouch helped Sayoko carry her up the stairs. Lelouch lifted her out of her wheelchair and she held on tightly to him as he carried her up the grand staircase. He placed a kiss on her forehead as Sayoko set her wheelchair at the top of the stairs. Nunnally gave a final wave to the group as she headed off to her room with Sayoko.
The trio then headed outside the mansion where multiple white round tables were illuminated by the enchanting fairy lights above them. A mini stage was set up for the band that was playing the classical music they heard when they entered. The guests all looked extremely elegant in their gowns and tuxedos amongst the beautiful trees and flowers in the garden.
As she spotted her son, Marianne excused herself from a conversation with Ruben Ashford and Charles zi Britannia (the school's headmaster, founder and her husband).
She shook C.C's hand and gave Lelouch and Shirley a hug as she greeted them.
"You three are right on time! Now we can begin the celebration." She gestured them to follow her as she walked towards the mic stand at the stage. She tapped the mic to test if it was on before beginning.
"Ladies and gentleman, and especially our honored guests, I sincerely welcome you to this evening's celebration of excellence and growth of Ashford University."
All of the lingering guests soon gathered and filled in the empty seats at the round tables. Marianne continued on with her speech praising the universities' achievements.
"…All of you here, who are sponsors of our great institution are all responsible for the production of well-rounded scholars. The scholars that our university has produced have gone on to make a significant impact around the world in fields of science, medicine, military, government and art!"
The audience applauded.
"…Therefore, I have invited three honorable students from Ashford University who have shown great leadership and excellence in their respective areas of study. Please welcome them as they come to the mic to share with you their aspirations as students of Ashford University."
The audience applauded as the three stood in front of the mic stand. Lelouch took the mic first to address the guests. Public speaking was natural for him. His charisma reminded the audience of his father Charles and how he was able to capture their attention, deliver his message and close powerfully.
Shirley followed after him with similar flare. Winning pageants for Ms. Freshman and Ms. Sophomore, along with being the public relations officer for the student council, prepared her for these types of events. The guests couldn't help but admire her elegance as she spoke.
C.C on the other hand, was completely bored as she gave her speech. It was evident to the audience that she had no interest in impressing them. She upset the guests with her lax speech, even after being warned by Marianne the night before. As soon as she was finished, Marianne rushed to take the mic away from her after giving a threatening stare to which C.C ignored. The trio exited the stage and sat at the table that was reserved for them. Lelouch greeted a man with red hair, whom he had conversed with many times at these occasions.
"It seems like Jerimiah entrusted you to come again this time Edgar."
"Yes, he is tending to important matters in China on behalf of Lady Marianne."
C.C quietly excused herself from the table and headed to the restroom whilst Lelouch continued to chat with Edgar as Marianne spoke.
"As the entrée's are being served, I invite the founders of this institution, Ruben Ashford and my dearest husband, Charles vi Britannia to give a toast!"
Entrée's had been served to all the guests, however C.C did not return to her seat which caused Lelouch to worry.
"She must have gotten lost with how huge your house is Lelouch…Don't worry, I'll go and find her." Shirley insisted and Lelouch had no choice but to agree as his mother came over and ushered him to greet more important guests.
"Find her quickly~"
Edgar whispered as Shirley grabbed a black purse from the table and went inside to 'search'.
Shirley quickly navigated herself upstairs and into an empty guest bedroom. After locking the door, she headed to the bed and emptied the contents that were inside the black purse onto the bed. Her suspicions were confirmed as the dark and dangerous object fell onto the white sheets.
"She even brought it with her tonight?! I can't believe this! What if she's threatening Lulu with this?...No, he's the one that took it from her…then why did he give it back to her…maybe she took it without him noticing."
Shirley bit her manicured nails for a moment before hastily pulling out her cellphone. She opened the file she downloaded inside Lelouch's apartment yesterday. It was the unedited footage of his makeup tutorial which included his and C.C's conversation. The video angered her even more as she had to do something, anything! To protect her childhood friend.
"This isn't about my jealousy anymore Lelouch. As your friend, I only want to protect you."
She picked up the gun and emptied it of its bullets. She then hid them in her own crystal purse before leaving the room.
'I'll make sure Lelouch has nothing to do with what you are planning C.C. You are no longer the person I thought you were.'
As she descended the staircase, she noticed C.C exit the downstairs powder room and head outside. She quickly raced down the rest of the steps to walk beside her. C.C questioned Shirley's weird behavior to which the girl shoved off. Her keen eyes then noticed her purse in Shirley's hands.
"Why do you have my purse Shirley?"
"Oh! I was..uh, looking for you and brought it since no one was at the table to watch it! Here you go!"
She quickly handed C.C her purse as they exited the house.
They returned to the table that to be met by Edgar who sat alone enjoying his glass of red wine.
"I'm going to find Milly okay C.C. If you need anything just ask me." With that Shirley left C.C to sit alone with Edgar. He moved to the empty chair between them, coming closer to her and causing her to ball her fists as she wanted so badly to rip all of his red hair off of his scalp. Nevertheless, she maintained her stoic demeanor as he spoke.
"It's great to see you again Camellia~"
"I feel the same Edgar…I can't wait to finally destroy all of you."
He chuckled at her threat as he took another sip of red wine. He offered her some but she rolled her eyes.
"You've been having a lot of fun haven't you? Even playing around with Lelouch vi Britannia. Tell me, what happened in the hot spring in Wakayama? You usually go their alone but now you went with him~ Did he see your beautiful scar?~"
He teased her and she bit her bottom lip to hold in her anger.
"Stalking me even after the cult was shut down? Do you all have nothing else to do with your sorry lives?"
"Don't change the topic yet Camellia…now, back to your boyfriend. Have you two already had sex? You know you shouldn't do those sorts of things. Our white Camellia should be devoid of impurity~ especially, since you are still needed."
His disgusting smile, and the way he called her name, made her want to vomit.
"I guess you won't be able to take me back then. I'm an impure witch now."
He shook his head and leaned closer to whisper to her.
"I know you hate it, but we will perform the ritual once again. That's why you shouldn't have played with that vile boy. I always played gently so you didn't have to go through it again Camellia~ However, this ritual will be the final one for you as the power of geass will finally be ours."
C.C stood up abruptly, startling him.
"How about we talk where there are no prying ears."
"Of course. Let's reminisce in private."
C.C grabbed her purse from the table and headed inside with Edgar. Because he often visited the Britannia's home, he knew a quiet room where they could talk. So, they headed upstairs and into the large study room that had walls lined with books.
"From when have you been stalking me?"
"Stalking? We have merely been watching over the three of you ever since you left. Don't worry it was to protect you. Now that our divine leader has returned, we can move closer towards forming the Sword of Akasha."
C.C started to laugh, a bittersweet smile formed on her face.
"It seems we never truly escaped your cult."
He walked closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. His hand trailed her body until it reached the spot where they marked her.
"Don't call it a cult, for what we are doing is far greater than that. We are going to make this world right…and to do that we need your sacrifice Camellia."
C.C reached into her purse and pulled out the gun she got back from Lelouch before they left for her dorm. He immediately back away as she held it up to his head; her finger held closely to the trigger.
"You make me sick Edgar. Pretending to care about Cristian's agenda. The only thing you cared about was 'playing' with me."
Her hand gripped the gun tighter causing his playful mood to quickly turn into one of seriousness as he feared for his life.
"Is this how you treat me after all the times I let you out of that boring room to play outside?! They chained you to that bed for weeks, but I was there to ease your pain and comfort you!"
C.C frowned as her finger pressed harder on the trigger. He quickly dropped to his knees and started to beg her.
"Camellia, please don't do this. I can free you again!"
"I don't need you to 'free' me. I am going to free myself, Mao and Rolo from all of you…And I'll start by killing you."
Her finger pressed on the trigger harder but his loud yell caused her finger to release it.
"IF YOU KILL ME BITCH THEY WILL TAKE YOU TO JAIL AND THEN YOU WONT TAKE ANY REVENGE!"
She laughed at him.
"Didn't you just admit that your cult needed me to finish your plans? I wouldn't mind going to jail, that way Cristian will be forced to come out of the hole he's hiding in, and once he does, I'll kill him and end this."
Finally, she pulled the trigger with all her might however…..nothing happened. Her eyes widened in shock as she pulled the trigger once again to no avail. She then checked the gun to see that there were no bullets.
Suddenly, her hand that held the gun was forcibly grabbed and she was pinned against a bookshelf. The force of her hitting it caused several books to fall around her. Edgar glared at her angrily as he squeezed her wrist, causing her to wince from the pain.
"I was too gentle with you and now you don't respect me."
She tried to get away from him by kicking his legs, however her mermaid tailed dress restricted her movements. He grabbed her neck aggressively. She was unable to breathe as he pressed her airways tightly. Tears formed in her eyes as she clawed at his hands to escape. After another minute he let go and she dropped to floor and gasped for air. Her hair had fallen out of the neat bun and her neck held bright red marks.
He grabbed the gun and kneeled down to her.
"Did my forgetful Camellia forget to load the gun? Well, it's possible since she also forgot the times we shared together."
He caressed her cheek as she continued to gasp for air.
"We are coming for you so say goodbye to your little boyfriend."
The sound of the door closing caused her snap out of her fear and think about what went wrong.
'W-why wasn't it loaded? I loaded it today!'
She sat up slowly and leaned against the bookshelf. Something clicked in her mind which immediately angered her. She was so close to ending this whole thing, but all because of one annoying pest.
After catching her breathe, she stood up and marched out of the study.
'No wonder she was acting so defensively around me today! Because of her, I lost the chance ugh!'
C.C was pissed off. She navigated through the crowd outside to find Shirley. The guests noticed her deeply furrowed brows, frowning lips and glaring eyes. Lelouch, also noticed as his girlfriend stormed past him with disheveled hair. He followed behind her as she bounded towards Shirley who was currently chatting with Milly at a table.
She yanked Shirley out of her seat and pushed her forward.
"You did it didn't you, you stupid bitch?" her voice was colder than usual as she snapped at the nosy girl. Shirley, in her state of superiority rolled her eyes at C.C.
"I did it to protect Lelouch…Did you actually try to do something with it. I knew you were dangerous, thank goodness I did what I did or else Lelouch would have been dragged into your stupid mess." C.C's anger was boiling up inside of her. She couldn't control herself any longer.
The crowd gasped loudly at the sound of C.C's hand connecting with Shirley's face. The sound reverberated through the crowd.
To be continued~