New chapter of the day. No interaction between Ekkehardt and Lelouch yet but things are now spicing up!
-The False Ordeal-
August 12, 2017 a.t.b.
Ekkehardt was indoors of the large room playing basketball as part of his P.E. class. After making a shot for the score, his attention turned towards a red-haired girl sitting at the sides, just watching the game. He tried to make out who she was, as he hasn't seen her before. "Hey, have you seen this girl before?" Ekkehardt asked one of his team mates, tapping on his shoulder to get his attention.
"Ah, you mean Kallen Stadtfeld? She hasn't been around since the start of the year due to some kind of sickness. However she's still on the tops. Why you ask? Falling for her?" The team mate answered Ekkehardt, teasing him in the gesture that Ekkehardt rejected the idea of. "Ah, no, it's not that. She's just a new face to me that's all." Ekkehardt said before looking back.
Later on after all of the classes passed, and an apology to Mr. Summers, Ekkehardt walked down the halls until he came across Milly, in an apron, in the Foods classroom, along with Lelouch's sister, Nunally. He came into the room and gives a soft greeting to Nunally by allowing her to feel his hands. "It's nice to see you Ekkehardt." Nunally said in her greetings. "Yes Nunally, it's not quite often that I see you outside where you live. Milly, what you got cooking anyways?" Ekkehardt said to Nunally before asking Milly, who turned her head to face Ekkehardt.
"I hear Lelouch brought someone new, this is more of a welcome party. Now why don't you help us get all of the food to the banquet room?" Milly answered to Ekkehardt, grabbing food on plates covered under lids and moved them to a cart. Ekkehardt got to push the cart.
"I found it!" Shirley's voice called out to Nina, who came in the second floor of the banquet room to retrieve it. "Oh thank you! This is important data I needed." Nina said to Shirley. Rivalz got up off of the ground while Hannah came in the room also. Ekkehardt, Milly and Nunally came from the bottom floor, apparently interrupting a conversation between Lelouch and Kallen.
Ekkehardt looked up to see that Hannah was upstairs. He frowned in response, possibly because of the last time they saw each other two days ago. "You idiot, to think I had to lie for you…" That echoed in his head, but caught in between the introduction of the council when Rivalz wrapped his arm on Ekkehardt's neck. Shirley looked up to Hannah, seeing that she hasn't come down.
"Hey Hannah, why don't you come down here?" Shirley called up to Hannah, who shook her head at the offer. "No thank you. I have other stuff to do anyways." Hannah said before exiting the room. Ekkehardt felt bad all of the sudden, looks like she hasn't recuperated from his actions on that day. A slam of an object resounded to his ears, causing him to jump.
Apparently, Rivalz had a bottle of champagne snuck into the academy grounds. "Um Rivalz, you may be a part timer as a bartender, but we are all still underage." Ekkehardt said to Rivalz in an unbelieving manner. Rivalz was in the process of popping the cork open. "Oh relax! We're here to enjoy ourselves!" Shirley however, disagreed and chases Rivalz around to get the bottle. After the toss to Lelouch however, the cork flew at Kallen as well as a stream of the drink. Ekkehardt and Rivalz spent the time after that to clean the mess off the floor. "Rivalz, I'd like to kick you so hard for that bold move you did." Ekkehardt snarled at Rivalz.
August 13, 2017 a.t.b.
It was within that afternoon that Ekkehardt for once, did nothing but idle around. He stood at the courtyard where he was before three days ago during lunch time. He stood there with nothing in his hands nor was with anyone, but he just looked up at the orange sky. It brought a huge familiarity of the color every year on his birthday, that time was spent to visit his mother's grave.
His trance broke when his phone started to ring. He pulls it out to check the caller ID. It was his father. Disgust ran up his face as he hung up on his father. He didn't like his father so much that he's much rather disgusted in talking to him. "You just never learn do you?" Ekkehardt said to no one in particular, but was directed towards his father. Fed up with the idling, Ekkehardt proceeded to head back to the boy's dorms. When he looked at the roof of one of the buildings, he saw Hannah resting on top. "Finally something to do…" Ekkehardt said to himself before walking inside the building to head for the roof to meet up with Hannah.
On the rooftop access, Ekkehardt leaned against the railing, looking down at the unsuspecting Hannah. "You know, it's safer to be right here than it is where you are right now." Ekkehardt said. Hannah got startled and was slipping off the roof, which Ekkehardt reached for her hand. She was fortunate to catch the railing and pull herself up. "Ugh! Don't startle me like that!" Hannah exclaimed at Ekkehardt, who gave a calm smile. "That's payback for three days ago." Ekkehardt commented before they were looking ahead.
Ekkehardt looked at Hannah at the corner of his eye to catch a glimpse of her trying to smile. That, was a first for Ekkehardt, seeing her trying to smile. "So, what were you doing up here?" Ekkehardt asked Hannah. She looked over to him before looking up. "I just feel like being up here. Because when I look at the sky this high, I feel free." Hannah answered. Free huh? Ekkehardt gave a thought.
"I see. I wonder how it is to feel that way…I didn't get the chance for that, though I cry for wanting to be free." Ekkehardt said in response. There was a pause of silence before Ekkehardt turned around to lean back on the railing. "You know, if you experience a strong emotion such as happiness, anger, or sadness, it's best to just let it all out." Ekkehardt said out of the blues. It looked as if that struck a nerve on Hannah, because she turned around with her back towards him.
"Well, I thank you for the advice, but these 'emotions' is something I have to deal on my own…" Hannah said to Ekkehardt. He could only smirk and shrug his shoulders. "Oh well, eventually the air and water will erode the hard stone into a soft pebble." Ekkehardt said before his phone vibrated and he pulls it out. A message from his superior. "Report to headquarters to be an escort tomorrow for an Honorary Britannian held in a court case…For murdering Prince Clovis!" Ekkehardt read the message, increasing in tension as he read more. Hannah looked over to him in reaction to what he said.
"Sorry, I have to go now. I won't be here tomorrow as well." Ekkehardt said as he got to his feet and heads back inside the building, though was stopped by Hannah who has grabbed his arm. Her face was shaded so he couldn't see it as she didn't look up at him. "G-Good luck…" Hannah said before releasing Ekkehardt. He gave a smirk before walking, waving his hand towards her before disappearing.
Britannian Military Headquarters
Ekkehardt got to the barracks by night time, changing into his military uniform. He got out by the chance to come across his superior. "Permission to speak freely." Ekkehardt said to the officer, saluting to him. "Permission granted." The officer said. Ekkehardt gave a deep breath before asking what he wanted to say. "Sir, who is the Honorary Britannian?" Ekkehardt asked. "Suzaku Kururugi, the son of the last prime minister, Genbu Kururugi. I believe that Jeremiah Gottwald is the one who has captured him and plans to escort him to the court." The officer answered to Ekkehardt. In other words, the Purist Faction. All they want is to eliminate the false rank of Honorary Britannian. Ekkehardt thought. He took a moment before looking up at his officer. "May I go speak to Suzaku Kururugi?"
Military Cell
Suzaku sat in his cell on his legs with his hands cuffed behind his back. Ekkehardt entered the hall with folding chair and sat down. "Hello Suzaku Kururugi, it's a pleasure to be able to get the chance to meet you." Ekkehardt said to Suzaku, who looked up at him with raised eyebrows. "Unfortunately the situation doesn't call for a good time. Does it feel like the whole world's against you? The Purist Faction is using you to their advantage to get rid of the Honorary Britannian rank for all of you, but the more, radical Elevens aren't in support for you." Ekkehardt explained to Suzaku. He gave a sigh as he closed his eyes.
"If that is the case then so be it. I joined as an Honorary Britannian so that I can change the system from within." Suzaku said to Ekkehardt. Ekkehardt listened with content and a light, friendly smile. His time of visit is over, so he had to leave. "I do hope that you will be proven innocent. I'd hate to see a good guy such as you go to dust because of one group wanting something to their own advantage." Ekkehardt said as he got up and folded the chair, ready to leave, though Suzaku stopped him. "Before you go, what is your name?" Suzaku asked. Ekkehardt stopped and turned his head to him, eyes closed with his smile. "Ekkehardt Von Kaiser."