OK Number 16 - Housekeeping
Taizo tapped at his pen for the eighteenth time in the last minute, examining it intently in its capacity of distracting momentarily from the pair of redheaded elephants seated at the opposite end of the room. He likely had not expected to have to have this conversation back in October, when Kallen had challenged him single handedly, standing up against him. It was ill advised, but Kallen was nothing if not bold and assertive.
It was one of her best traits, Naoto reflected. She fought her corner like a pitbull, and could be readily relied upon to speak her mind, and she certainly had a bite to match her bark. There was no fear, whether in the car or in the meeting room. Naoto, a far more easygoing man, was to some extent dragged along in her harebrained schemes like the coup of Rebellion-Sakura Racing Team, but it was certainly a hell of a ride. In all his days, he had never imagined Taizo being in anything other than a domineering, unnassailable position. And yet, here he was, in a position he had never imagined in his time in the team.
"So." Kallen proceeded, arms crossed. "We have some items to sort out before the next season. Organisation, development, and personnel."
"Certainly." replied Taizo, who was clearly of two minds. Clearly, he was uncomfortable, having been proven wrong, but Naoto could see in him the opportunist that gave him his reputation as an effective manager. He clearly realized that in spite of his loss, he had a blessing in disguise; a dark horse racer who had proven faster in her first season than a world champion.
Being embarrassed by Kallen was certainly not the worst problem to have, so long as he was able to keep her onboard. Hence, when he continued, he was uncharacteristically diplomatic, desperate not to lose the new talent.
"It's quite important we resolve these issues quickly, and before you head off to America, particularly in light of our new suppliers, and our new people on the ground. We are undergoing a restructuring in light of recent… departures… but this means that I can follow through on what you've earned."
Taizo was alluding to Kyoshiro Tohdoh, who had lit the world on fire with an unassuming Tweet announcing that he was taking a break from the sport for 2019, with no pre-announcement or fanfare. It was typical of Tohdoh to have such unspectactularity in his actions, and had caused a headache for the Rebellion PR team, who had leapt into damage control mode with great efficiency, if also great disorganisation. In any case, his sledgehammer approach certainly saved Kallen a lot of blushes, as there was no need for press conferences or other such awkwardness with his unambiguous statement.
It also had several effects on the team. Tohdoh had many personal sponsors paying into the team, who left with him. One of these were the Four Holy Swords, an engineering company of whom he was a personal stakeholder. They owned, among other things, the Auto-Sakura Group, who produced the Rebellions engine. Ending this relationship meant that Rebellion would have to shell out the cash to buy an engine from Yggdrasil. Certainly, the Yggdrasil that powered the Camelots would provide much needed pace, but not having an engine made in house could cap potential, as well as create packaging issues, as they were buying and not designing the motor.
"We'll have to raise a lot of money for all this, bear in mind." Taizo cautioned, observing that they would have to obtain new sponsors to fill the gap left by Tohdoh and created by the new purchased parts. This made Naoto uneasy, however he took in a breath and nodded as Kallen did, as she said "Give me the tools, and I'll win you a should get you a sponsor or two."
Taizo, clearly eager to seem agreeable, raised his hands and replied "It can be done. We'll need you to work with our engineers on the new design, but that shouldn't be a problem. All the people you worked with last year will be ready to build a car around your needs."
Naoto knew that this wasn't as golden an offer as it appeared. The new Gūren designed every year was always tailored to the exact demands of the driver, though in previous years it had been Tohdoh who spoke first, to put it kindly. Both the Type-1FS of 2016 and the Type-2 Seiten of 2017 were long wheelbase, low rake machines that drove smoothly and efficiently, gelling well with Tohdoh.
The initial sketches of the Type-2/F19-Y as it was referred to showed a very different beast, short and squatty, seeming to lean on its front wheels in an attempt to suck air under the car. It would be much more aggressive in its handling patterns, with higher downforce but less stability. As Naoto had examined the blueprints, he had smiled. Sure, it was standard procedure, but at least standard procedure was now working for them. Knowing Kallen, she would absolutely love this new design.
However, Naoto, ever guarded, kept a close ear on things as Taizo continued "That leaves us on the question of a new driver. I think, in light of this new position we have, it's important I get your consultation. Who do you feel you would like to drive against?"
Kallen seemed to shift, which intrigued Naoto, who himself shifted to the side to get a better glimpse of her face, as he couldn't turn his head properly. After a moment, she finally spoke.
"The Franc, Lelouch Lamperouge."
Taizo raised an eyebrow, however Naoto bettered him with both brows extending vertically in something more akin to outrage than Taizo's amusement. This choice was certainly news to him, and sent him reeling.
What did this mean? He was hardly God's gift to racing, his limited results being borne of ridiculous strategies, and a clear record of poor racecraft. Not to mention Brazil 2015. Did she just want an easy teammate? That was certainly out of character. Were they close? Naoto couldn't imagine anything she could find appealing in the gremlin's smug, sarcastic personality. He could only hope Kallen still had her senses about her, and that he had not robbed her of them in some fashion he did not care to contemplate.
But as he looked back, he noted that Taizo was smiling, rather than grimacing at the prospect of hiring a driver without a significant track record. Clearly, there was something else going on, that he didn't quite understand. While he teased, he doubted there was anything of that nature occurring, particularly given both Kallen's and Lelouch's one track minds.
Perhaps that was why they got on better than Naoto expected. They both acted with great immediacy, cutting through what they saw as obstacles with great efficiency, chasing their dreams against all opposition with a ballsy, aggressive approach centred around taking shit from no one, and succeeding through an inner fury, whether hot, in Kallen's case, or cold, as in Lelouch's case. They were men and women of action. It seemed only natural they would form a bloc, so long as their interests were aligned. That probably explained how fiercely Lelouch had defended from Tohdoh, as he had likely seen, whether explicitly or implicitly, an opportunity to make it big in a big team.
Naoto was of two minds of this, as Kallen extolled Lelouch's virtues. Without his work at the last gasp, their situation would have been much worse. However, he remembered Brazil 2015 just as much as he did Brazil 2017, and had not forgiven him for the former even in spite of the latter. Naoto knew from 2015 that Lelouch would always look after himself above all other interests, and if he saw the most minute of possibilities to profit at your expense, you would find yourself screwed over by the devious Frenchman.
If it were earlier in the year, say around Monaco or Austria, he would have unquestionably taken her to task, explaining how much Lelouch was not to be trusted, and that she should exercise more caution in who she trusted. He had always looked after her, ensuring that as she progressed up the ranks of the sport that she wasn't deceived or distracted from risks that Naoto knew were ever present.
However, it was hardly as if he had been proven right of late. He had advised against taking on Taizo, and ultimately Kallen had proven more in tune with the times than he had. Perhaps, in this sphere, it would be best to allow her to do as she pleased. Clearly, she knew something he didn't.
It hurt like hell, acknowledging that she was now in a position where he wasn't qualified to ensure her safety and security. However, the last thing he would ever want to do would be to bring Kallen harm or hindrance, and faced the sudden realisation that he had to yield, leaving the issue be and trusting his sister had the better understanding here. He didn't trust Lelouch, but for the first time, he contained himself, and let the issue slide, as Taizo considered Kallen's suggestion.
"He did fairly well for himself in that miserable Ashford. That Ganymede was shocking, but he did pull out two fourths and a third. Held off Tohdoh as well. It wouldn't have been my first choice, but I can see this option working, particularly if you think it's the best way."
Kallen nodded, before continuing "We'll be racing equally and against one another to avoid what happened last year. This also means the team has to operate fairly with regards to part allocation, et cetera."
It was clear Taizo was less of a fan of this, however, once again not wanting to aggravate the talent, simply queried "How would that be guaranteed?"
"Easy, coin toss every time a new part comes in." Kallen replied. "It's no good beating him soundly if we don't have an equal start. There's no fun in that."
Taizo made a note of this, grimacing slightly however saying nothing as he scribbled this in. Shutting the notebook, he stated "That should do for now, we can sort things out from there. Enjoy yourself in America, though be sure to return for testing in Barcelona in a fit state to drive."
Kallen smirked, replying "I'll be sure to drive safely. I'll be expecting a good car when I return."
"I'm not brave enough to do otherwise, trust me. I just need you not to crash it. Can't win a championship that way."
"Can't win a championship if you're being outclassed by a driver out of your league either mind you, no matter how fast you say the car is."
"Awfully cruel of you to presume Kallen is out of my league C.C. We've never raced in the same car, and I beat her brother in GP3."
"On a technicality." she retorted, aiming a spatula at him pointedly with her free arm as she twisted at the knob dictating the temperature of the hob, which quietly boiled the cassoulet they were preparing under the heat of the Cote D'Azur.
"I mean, Kallen was beating you with five cylinders."
That was fair, Lelouch reckoned. Even after he picked up the pace following Kallen's command to Shift Set One, related through Shirley, he still was outmatched on lap times . He recalled his fight with Tohdoh, tooth and bared blade with such a sheer ferocity that at times it felt as if they would collide. Indeed, if they had then Kallen would have won against him, but he wasn't desperate enough for that. Instead, he became a mobile chicane, blocking with every ounce of defensive driving in his being to get his seat.
And he wasn't about to pass on the opportunity.
Lelouch shook his head as he oversaw the sausages which would end their lives within the dish as Rolo attempted to intermediate between the two opposing personalities.
"Let's not fight, guys." the younger teen softly pleaded. "Brother is simply saying we can't be presumptuous. We don't know what he could do in the new car."
"Please." C.C deadpanned in reply. "The only reason you're rated so decently is because you're teammates with Cardemonde, who can barely drive his finger into his ear. Kallen'd make mincemeat out of you, and then that's the end of your career."
She paused, before chuckling "Actually, that'd mean I can stop working for you, so in fact I take it back. Go forth, see what this gets you."
Not replying for a moment as he managed the grill, Lelouch replied "Second is better than… what was it, seventh, in the championship? The Gūren Type 2 Seiten, or whatever it is this year, plays for higher prizes."
"And what of Ashford?"
"Rivalz has a seat in Indycar pretty much guaranteed once his F1 career gives up the ghost, and the team will get better engines next year. They'll be fine. Heck, if I butter them up I might be able to get Rolo a seat, get him earning."
"Awfully cold way to be talking." C.C noted, as Rolo remained quiet, always unsure how to intervene when the two butted heads. "And what about Milly?"
Lelouch paused, and asked "Well what about her?"
"I imagine she's going to miss you sooo much." she teased, presenting an idea that Lelouch shook off.
"Sod off." came his reply, blunt in its presentation and pronunciation. "Even if that were the case, even if I thought she wanted to be friends, or whatever else, why would that change? The last time I made career decisions based on how she felt, I ended up naked but for a bit of loin cloth in a Hungarian football game for some harebrained advertising scheme."
"That Hungarian football gig kept you your seat when the team had next to no money and was partnering with a local sports magnate. It was that or bankruptcy, so she asked you to, and explained that there would be consequences if you refused."
Lelouch, now angry, pointed a finger at C.C and retorted "There's a word for that, it's blackmail. You know what our relationship was at the time. If it was just strictly professional, then that was illegal, and if it wasn't, it was certainly unhealthy."
"And yet you did it anyway."
Incredulous, the driver stuttered before replying "Because I cared about Nunnally! And Rolo!"
"You sound positively eager to prostrate yourself." she deadpanned in reply. "Why are you complaining?"
"Because…" Lelouch attempted, struggling to come up with more to justify himself, before waving the idea off and returning to his sausages. There was no point arguing with the hag, as she was at once perceptive and obtuse in an Socratic fashion, always poking with questions she knew the answers to.
"You still like her."
Lelouch didn't turn to reply, simply removing the sausages from the grill and dumping them into the pan. He wasn't sure if that was the case, but it didn't matter. Even if she hadn't breached his trust, and their relationship wasn't unhealthy, and he did genuinely want to be with her again, it still wouldn't have changed his mind. He couldn't make decisions like that, not with Nunnally on his ledger.
Besides, that extreme wasn't even the case. Until Milly grew up a great deal, he had no interest in pursuing that avenue in any capacity.
There was minimal talking as the final elements of the dish, a white bean casserole to all intents and purposes, were assembled and prepared, being served at just past six o'clock in sunlight and silence. Rolo and Lelouch, true gastronomists, tucked in with great delight, if little visible zeal, due to the frosty atmosphere. Once the meal had ended, Lelouch stood to clean, as C.C cleared her throat.
"So I assume I am to sign the Rebellion offer?"
"That is correct. Good day."
Not fazed by Lelouch's bluntness, C.C gave a curt nod before leaving, likely to engage in some manner of degeneracy before she returned to her office in the United Kingdom. Lelouch didn't care a great deal as he loaded the dishwasher. All he cared about was the seat, and more specifically the pay it provided for his siblings.
"Brother?"
Lelouch turned back to the elder of the two siblings, the gentle Rolo who was clearly put off by that sort of confrontation. It was an interesting phenomenon. In person, Rolo was retiring and shy, and extremely averse to controversy and conflict, however once he put on a helmet he grew horns, and was as ruthless as you like. It was the extent to every driver he had ever encountered, but it was much more pronounced with Rolo, who seemed to become a wholly different person behind the wheel, with shivs and dives coming at every corner.
The one exception to this universal rule was Lelouch himself, who was disagreeable both inside and outside the car. Nonetheless, Rolo was outside the car, and Lelouch had a soft spot for his brother and sister, and so Lelouch turned to see what Rolo's concern was, replying "What is it?"
He paused, before explaining "I just fear you are rushing for the pot of gold and ignoring the trap laid below it."
Lelouch leaned back against the table, opening up his torso and making him appear relaxed as he replied "Well what's the trap?"
"I don't know, but you always are thinking short term. Every time you make these decisions, you look at the short term gain and maximise that at the expense of long term stability."
Lelouch's nose wrinkled. He was indeed focused on what was best in the present moment, but he didn't view that as a problem. He could iron out those long term issues when they arrived. The one thing Lelouch could do well was think on his feet and negotiate problems quickly. For now, Nunnally's medical bills was the priority.
"Look, I'm looking after you. I'm making sure that I can get you a drive after GP3, and that the lights in Nunnally's hospital room turn on every morning. Now that she's undergoing surgery, that's more important than ever. I don't want you to be worrying about these sorts of things. Just trust me, I know what I'm doing."
Kept you waiting, huh?
~Eth0