((Oh O.O., you joker you.))
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Chapter 2: A Man Among Nobles, A God Among Men, Richilieu Marquis LeDieu
"The tendency of plans to fall apart," Richilieu continued, gently picking up battered volumes of forgotten lore and stacking them neatly in a corner of his bedroom, "Is not because they aren't built to enough of a precision, but because they are built too precisely. Their rigidness doesn't account for variables." With a pant, books were laid down on one another, a breathless Richilieu wiping his brow and smiling with satisfaction at his work. The wood on his floor, now once again able to show its brilliance, shown to be a rather disappointingly bland color of brown, only saved by the remarkable sheen it still possessed, regardless.
"Which is why, I suppose, yours is painfully vague?" Her sardonic and monotonous tone bit at Richilieu's pride, perhaps prodding the boy into the hidden sneer he gave her as his back was turned. O.O. had apparently decided that pants were at least appropriate until bedtime, and had opted for an older pair of Richilieu's jeans that fit her remarkably well. The oversized black shirt that she'd chosen the night before, however, still remained.
"It's vague enough to allow for adjustments on the fly." He retorted simply, turning around rather purposefully to face her. Education for the day had only just ended, and, even though the sun still shone as brilliantly as ever, LeDieu only kept his blinds drawn, leaving the only source of light in the room as a single lamp on his night stand, casting an ominous shadow on the both of them. Lelouch would likely be out gambling and not return until later tonight, giving Richilieu a prime opportunity to invade his residence.
"Now, I'll have you in here for the evening. Even if I may be able to adjust my plans, I won't have you introducing a variable that can just as easily be avoided." Rolling her eyes, she gave a mumble that could be somehow construed as an affirmative, rolling from her stomach onto her back as she rested on Richilieu's bed, eyes gazing absently at the ceiling.
"I suppose I'll lie here, then, and eagerly await your return, master." She scoffed, pouting at the misfortune of her confinement. Richilieu, not caring to answer such a prod, simply shrugged, striding over to his closet to address a mewing.
"I'll return within the half-hour. I'll ask you not to touch my body in the meantime."
"Uh huh." A halfhearted and, most likely, insincere response, the likes of which he could only shake his head at.
"Very well." The closet door opened to reveal, among piles of books, DVDs, and dirty laundry, a cage containing within it a very specific animal: Arthur, the resident stray cat. Mostly gray with a spot over its eye, the creature had hardly a thing obvious about it, which, in this situation, served Richilieu greatly. Its inconspicuousness would allow the pseudo spy easy access into Lelouch's quarters, which themselves would allow the pseudo psychologist access into Lelouch's mind. Fingers interlocking around its handle, Arthur's prison was lifted through the air and into the dim light, the poor thing brought to face its captor, meeting him with a sharp hiss. A smirk was Richilieu's only answer to the creature, gladly exiting the room to lay on his single couch.
His living room, too, was nothing to gawk at. The same bland colored floor shone underneath a single ornate sofa and a wooden television stand of similar make. A lone widescreen television, LCD in design, stood atop it, still staticy due to its recent use by O.O. This room, too, was dimly lit; single dying bulb in a socket overhead struggled to perform its duty, and everywhere darkly colored clothing, cloth, and wood did their damndest to absorb as much light as possible; with a lack of windows, it was becoming fairly obvious that Richilieu should have been born a cave troll.
As he took his place among cushions and stuffing, Richilieu gently placed the hissing cat, within its container, of course, upon his lap, looking into its murderous eyes. Simultaneously unlocking the container with a flick and activating his Geass, his eyes glowed, the supernatural power he'd been granted now activating and taking part in its first real use. Arthur's hissing was quieted for a moment as he pondered this abnormal event, however, was soon overtaken by a strong sensation. Richilieu's spirit overriding the cat's, a few moments of black was all the transition that took place as he suddenly found himself with a very limited field of vision, staring his own comatose corpse in the torso. (The container had likely fallen into his lap in those few seconds.)
Giving the feline equivalent of a confident smirk, Richilieu strode out, his gait as graceful as the cat he was supposed to be. Muscle memory likely served him well here. Gently putting his paw on his thigh, he attempted a leap off of the couch, arcing through the air with the majesty of His Majesty himself...
However, he landed flat on his, or, rather, Arthur's face. With no carpet as a softener of the blow, he could only wait for the pain to subside as he lay there, disgraced and dazed. O.O. only suppressed a laugh as she watched from the door frame, smothering a cacophonous chortle in favor of a few small giggles.
"Well, Richilieu, I suppose some cats don't land on their feet, hmm?"
A groan from the feline and a half-hearted glare. Struggling up and flitting his tail, Richilieu continued his stride out, slinking through the cracked open door.
---
The sheer shining brightness that he experienced from the sun outside was ridiculous, the cat's light detecting rods screaming in agony. Richilieu had to keep his head toward the ground as he strolled across campus, taking care to step over glass and particularly sharp pebbles. He at last reached his goal of Lelouch's dorm's door, which was, thankfully, open. (Thank God he'd apparently decided to order pizza. But whose voice was that? Certainly not Nunally's, and he didn't dare look up for fear of blinding himself again.) This port showed a far more aristocratic room than Richilieu could ever hope for. Plush carpet, ornate furniture, mahogany desks and picture frames; truthfully, the boy found himself a bit jealous. Internally sighing, he continued, carefully hopping down and staggering before regaining his balance, claws automatically extending into the fiber to keep him on balance.
Having only a rudimentary knowledge of the layout, Richilieu could only assume that he was currently in the trio's living room, meaning that bedrooms were only a slight distance away.
The most difficult challenge here will only be meeting the half-hour limit. I've already used up ten via my walk over, so this entire task will have to be done in twenty. There won't be any issues if the house is empty, as I've assumed.
The universe, of course, disagreed. No sooner had he stepped into the hallway than a green-haired girl with waist length hair stepped from what Richilieu could only assume to be behind him carrying with her a slice of... Something. Really, the cat had dashed away too quickly to even be bothered to get a good glimpse of her. He could only observe that she was wearing something very loose and very white and had a very slim build.
Who the Hell is she? He wondered, chancing to peak his head around the corner, ear twitching as the vent activated and blew air onto him. Now having time to observe, he could safely say that the girl was very attractive, rather busty, anyway, and with a kind of lazy stride. Her eyes appeared to be in a state of perpetual ambivalence, and, along with the rest of her persona, Richilieu could determine that she didn't care much for the world. In addition, her wear appeared to be a sort of modified straight jacket, which, he truthfully didn't understand the purpose behind.
Is she trying to state that she's bound to something? This place, perhaps? I haven't seen her around campus at all, so maybe she's hiding here with Lelouch? That would be odd, though, wouldn't it?
But, then, wasn't he in a similar position? Putting up O.O., after all, was certainly a similar situation.
But, wait, that would mean that this girl is someone who can grant a Geass? Does that mean that Lelouch really is Zero?
His curiosity got the better of him as he emerged from his hiding place, attempting to hug the wall and slink stealthily down the hallway, hopefully going unnoticed. The girl didn't seem to spot him, or if she did, she didn't care. Slipping through the now ajar door, Richilieu entered Lelouch's personal quarters.
Much like the rest of the building, the room was bulit to the maximum amount of comfort one could reasonably expect. However, it wasn't the decor that Richilieu cared for. The first thing he noticed was Lelouch's computer that, despite being on in the first place, showed several news articles concerning Zero and the Suzaku Kururugi incident, with a few minor ones involving the mystery of the Orange Incident.
If nothing else, he thought, he's certainly studying up on this phenomonon.
Stealth be damned, he now began rummaging through anything he could find, starting with the boy's closet. Digging to the best of his ability, he only managed to uncover organized laundry and a system that could only be spawned from a genius with an obsession of cleanliness. While, as a human, Richilieu would have had no trouble sifting through the clothing, he was hard pressed to burn through the material with nothing more than paws and claws. Fifteen minutes passed, and he at last gave up, determining that nothing was present in the closet, at least.
Relax. If nothing else, I'll find Arthur again and try tomorrow.
Just as he was about to exit, though, the door shot open, forcing the feline back into his hole. Shrouded in the darkness of the closet, he could observe with ease the entrance of the very same green-haired woman whom he'd observed in the hall, whose thin form was clothed in the same white jacket and pants.
But more importantly was the presence of Lelouch Lamperouge himself, purple eyes shining through a thick black mess, curls giving texture to the mass. He appeared to be sitting on the sofa, though Richilieu's perspective made it difficult to tell much beyond that he was putting something into a case.
"Putting away your helmet, Lelouch?" She asked, genuinely curious. Laying on her stomach, she strained to look over Lelouch's shoulder, the question likely sparked by the object he was himself putting away.
"Indeed. Unlike my Geass, this helmet is a piece of physical evidence." He replied, smirking self-satisfactorly at his precautions.
... I- Is he really Zero? The way he responded, and what he said... No, it's too farfetched, isn't it? Lelouch can't be Zero... But... But he mentioned Geass! Zero is the only person who would know about that who could even possibly be considered present here! Panic sounded in his mind as the gravity of the situation hit him. If Lelouch was Zero, that would mean that a terrorist who could perform miracles was just on campus. Truthfully, it wasn't his power that frightened Richilieu, but the lengths to which he was willing to go.
... But I should make sure, regardless. Stealthily striding over to the now open and unattended case, (Nunally had entered just prior, bless her crippled timing.) and avoiding contact with C.C. he leaped onto the table to peer in, losing both his balance and his focus as he met the sight.
Feline eyes shot open as, staring him in the face, was the helmet of Zero, the mask of the Black King. The closest thing to a gasp escaped Arthur's lips, thankfully going unnoticed by the green haired girl. His focus gone, Richilieu couldn't help but simply fall into the case, landing with a clatter on the ground as he blacked out, the thud on his head leaving a considerable ringing in the faux feline's ears.
The Geass is running out, but I've found out what I needed to know. Lelouch Lamperouge is... Zero... Which means Lelouch Lamperouge has christened himself the helm of a war against Britannia.
Britannia. The most powerful force on the face of the planet.
---
He wished he could say that his assumptions were incorrect and that the physical evidence he'd discovered was false. He wished that Lelouch hadn't obtained this obvious power and that he could simply return to his blissful ignorant bemoaning of life and all of its dull properties. He wished that O.O. had never revealed to him this monstrosity known as Geass and unlocked the depths of the world for his eyes to see.
But most of all, he wished he was wrong.
"He's Zero, O.O.!"
His shock revealed a slight panic as Richilieu shot up off of the couch and rushed into his own room, O.O. casually laying on his bed and reading a novel. Upon his bellowing entrance, however, she averted her gaze, her lips straining to force themselves together.
She's... Laughing? Why is she...?
A fully blown chortle was heard, her willpower clearly lacking in the department of humor. A quick trip to his washroom would reveal that she'd seen fit to scribble a quick rendition of cat whiskers on to his face, followed by a solid black nose and a spot over one eye. Richilieu's panic temporarily subsided into a quiet, simmering rage, eyes narrowing into near lines as he contemplated the best way to strangle her.
Well, at the very least, she can grasp the concept of irony.
Even his inner voice seethed with this mockery, but now was not the place nor time to retaliate. Wetting a wash cloth and wiping at his face, he stepped back into his room, where an incapacitated O.O. was still chuckling.
"Be honest, you expected it, right? You're so brilliant at reading people, you had to have seen it coming."
"I suspected, but hoped I was incorrect. I suppose that makes two counts of hopeful inaccuracy." His voice trailed off, its owner now unwilling to share its information with O.O. out of sheer spite, far more content to plan his next move in contemplative silence. A hand reached out and retrieved a rolling office chair that sat at his desk, pulling it over and casually seating himself as he placed a hand on his chin.
"Two counts? Wait, were you actually right?" Her grin was, much to Richilieu's satisfaction, replaced by a vision of actual curiosity combined, perhaps, with a bit of hope. Rolling off of his bed, O.O. quickly strode over to the boy, crouching down so so she could speak with him at eye level. "Is Lelouch actually Zero? Did you seriously confirm that?"
Amazing how serious she becomes when something potentially damning pops up.
A roll of the eyes. Rather than actually answer her, directly, at least, Richilieu prompted his own question.
"Who could have given him Geass? I want names." It was more a demand than a question, and one that, despite her pride's protests, O.O. conceded to. Sighing, however, satisfied with his response, despite its indirectness, she responded honestly.
"I'm only aware of a C.C, though, like I said last night, there were at least two others before I got the Code."
"I see..."
A period of silence followed, Richilieu contemplating the impossible and O.O. content to watch, waiting somewhat impatiently for his analysis. At last, his lips parted, and his voice sounded its conclusion.
"Then we'll just have t-"
"This is Milly Ashford, your Student Council president! Cat hunt, everybody!"
Both quite noticeably cringed as Milly's piercing voice sounded over the already high-pitched speaker, giving each the impression that their ears had just been invaded by a swarm of needles, O.O. herself jumping up from her crouched position out of near shock, narrowly avoiding flipping downward onto the floor.
"What the?! What was that?" She queried, more bewildered than anything, her eyes desperately searching for a source.
"The loud speaker. Evidently Milly's holding another impromptu event." Richilieu, sighing, stood up, sticking a pinky into his left ear in a pitiful effort to stop the ringing.
"There's a cat loose on campus that needs to be rounded up! Put everything on hold, people! Participating clubs will get budget priority!"
Invasive as ever, though this does conform to her personality. Controlling ass...
Richilieu's reaction to the current announcement was, in a word, irritation, ears still ringing from her piercing tone.
"She seems to know how to have fun. Does she always do random events like this? Maybe I should've chosen her..." O.O.'s voice trailed off, putting a finger to her lips as she gazed upward in thought.
Milly with Geass? She'd be more frightening than Lelouch. An internal chuckle.
"And whoever catches our feline friend will get an extra special prize! A big ol' kiss from one of the members of the Council!"
Disbelief covered Richilieu's face. "You... You sadistic bitch..." His eyes twitching, mouth contorted into an ironic gape, he could do nothing but stare as Milly chortled into the microphone, hiding nothing from the students. It was made clear to everybody on campus that she knew exactly who she was betting here.
"And, when you do catch that cat, bring what it's carrying to me! To me! To ME!"
Yet more sadistic laughter as she finished communicating the rules of this game, the poor boy shaking his head in disgust. Muttered breath scolded her methods and her personality, whereas O.O. very vocally exclaimed her approval.
"Wow, you sure live in an interesting place! She's the student council president here? I'm actually kinda jealous." Her amused form couldn't contain itself from meandering over to Richilieu's window, pulling back the curtains and peering outside. "Well, I don't see anything from here..."
"Focus! The stupid cat isn't important right now." He very nearly barked at her, frustrated at her inability to prioritize. "We've just discovered that Zero, the renowned terrorist, is present at this school and you're concerned with a cat?" Hands involuntarily balled into fists at his side. Christ, why were people so shallow and fickle? At the very least she could stand to not flit from one idea to another in a matter of seconds.
Pouting, she turned away from the pane. "You're a killjoy, y'know that? Maybe I was just interested in the kiss..." A seductive glance.
"Now isn't the time for that, either." A disapproving one.
Suddenly the speakers blared back to life, though, this time, bless her crippled voice, Nunally was the one speaking.
"I think that its leg must be hurt, because its footsteps sounded off to me."
... No way, could it really? Granted, Arthur's leg did feel off when I possessed him, and I wasn't exactly the embodiment of grace, but would they really be searching for that particular cat? Not to mention Milly said it was carrying something, so maybe...
"... Crap, O.O.?"
"Hmm?" Already slipping on socks and looking to retrieve her shoes, O.O. spared a casual glance at her keeper.
"The cat suddenly became very important."
"A change of heart, huh?"
"Of sorts. Hurry, we need to be the ones to find that cat." He quickly started toward the door, refusing to wait on O.O. for more than a few seconds.
"Be honest, you just want to kiss one of the Student Council girls, don't you?" She was quick to follow, not wanting to waste his sudden enthusiasm.
"You'd do best not to accuse me of frivolous pursuits."
"It's Kallen, isn't it?"
"No."
"Are you admitting it's someone else?"
"O.O., shut up."
"Milly?"
"That controlling bitch?"
"MEEEOOOW!"
The school suddenly erupted in a cacophony of feline mimicry, prompting both Richilieu and O.O. to immediately cringe and cover their ears.
"..."
"..."
"So I'm guessing it's not Nunal-"
"O.O., shut the Hell up. We have a cat to find."