Pendragon - 2009
It been a week since Joseph started officially living with his Vi-Britannia siblings, and he was making sure to make the most of every second of it. Teaching them his dance moves, making chores fun, and staying up late to tell stories to one another.
Of course, there was the occasion business trip they had to make with Lady Marianne to appease the nobility and other royals there, which bored Joseph and his siblings to no end. Such as this particularly day, when he, Lelouch, and Nunnally were in the halls, waiting for Marianne to be finish speaking to Rueben Ashford about certain affairs.
"Ugh. Hate boring adult stuff." Joseph complained.
"Me too. I'm so bored." Nunnally whined.
"Boooooorrrreeeedddd..." Joseph and Nunnally said at the same time to emphasized how bored they were. Lelouch couldn't help but chuckle.
"Just be patient, you two. Mother should be done soon." Lelouch reassured.
Joseph pulled out his walkman to play some tunes, only for it to snatched out of his hand by Cassius.
"I heard mommy dearest died." Cassius said with a mocking tone as he looked at the walkman.
"Please give back." Joseph said politely.
"No, I think I'll hang onto it." Cassius said with a smirk.
"What do you want, Cassius?" Lelouch asked, already annoyed with Cassius' attitude.
"I just thought I give my condolences. After all, her royal highness is no longer around to protect her retard son." Cassius said with a sneer.
"Why are you so mean, Cassius!" Nunnally said with an angry pout.
"You have no right to speak of Joseph that way!" Lelouch said, looking to confront Cassius.
Joseph held him back though, and approached Cassius.
"Cassius, please give back." Joseph said politely again.
"I got a better idea, how about if you get on your hands and knees-"
*POW*
Cassius didn't get to finish his statement as he suddenly took a punch to his nuts. A hard punch.
So hard, that even Lelouch felt it as he flinched at the sight. Cassius just stood there, as if frozen in time.
"...Ouch..." Lelouch said quietly.
The walkman eventually slid out of Cassius' hand and landed in Joseph's.
"Thank you!" Joseph said happily as he looked for a song to play.
"Um, what just happened?" Nunnally asked, confused by the whole thing.
"Did you kids hear a 'boom' just now?" Marianne asked, a bit startled as she came out of the room.
It was at that moment, Cassius let out a high-pitched, pain-filled scream.
...
Black Knights Base
"So! How be?" Joseph asked excitedly as he and Tohdoh sat across each other, Japanese-style, drinking prepared tea.
"You mean besides fighting an ongoing war with your father's empire to free the country that was wrongly taken from my people?" Tohdoh asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Ya-huh." Joseph asked with his dopey smile.
"...Fine I suppose, I appreciate you helping rescue me. Though the choice of disguise was a bit too much don't you think?" Tohdoh asked.
"'No attention to self.' Ergo, not self." Joseph concluded triumphantly as he gestured to the clown suit he was still wearing. Tohdoh couldn't help but give a small chuckle.
"I guess that's true. And judging from your agility skills, I see you've been keeping up with your training." Tohdoh commented.
"Yep, keeping up moves! Meditation fun too!" Joseph said gleefully. "Did go below belt at brother time ago though. But so had coming." He said awkwardly.
"I'm sure." Tohdoh said as he shook his head in amusement. "By the way, I was sorry to hear about your mother. She was a good woman, though a tad-bit crazy." Tohdoh said solemnly.
"Yeah she was! Haha!" Joseph said happily, and Tohdoh couldn't help but smirk in return.
...
While they were catching up, the Four Holy Swords and some of the Black Knights couldn't help but snoop by the stairs leading up to them.
"Hmm, it seems the prince really does know Col. Tohdoh." Urabe said quietly before going back down with the rest of the group.
"Tohdoh trained a Britannian prince, never would have imagined that." Senba said quizzically.
Chiba on other head, was grinding her teeth back and forth, annoyed at the fact that the Tohdoh and the dimwitted prince were getting along so well.
"So what does this mean anyway?" Tamaki asked.
"What does what mean?" Inoue asked.
"Well, clearly the guy already comes here whenever he wants, the Tohdoh guy and the scientist lady know him well. Does this mean he's on our side?" Tamaki asked.
"If he is? Are you okay with that? I mean you clearly didn't have a problem cheering for him when he broke into the prison." Ohgi said.
"Well, t-that's only because he was showing that Kururugi traitor who was boss is all. If it was me, I totally would have tea-bagged him too." Tamaki said defensively.
"Of course you would." Rakshata said in her relaxed position.
"What the Hell does that mean?!" Tamaki asked angrily.
"It's interesting. As long as I known Col. Tohdoh, he's always had this stoic posture. When I see him with that prince, he actually lightens up in a way I haven't seen before." Asahina said in surprise. "I don't know, maybe having him show up once in a while wouldn't be so bad." He said, though a bit unsure.
"Have you forgotten that Suzaku Kururugi was once his student as well? Now look at all the trouble he's caused for us! I say we need to be cautious." Chiba argued bitterly.
"Kallen likes him, I say that's enough to give him a chance." Ohgi commented, making Kallen blush.
"Not surprising, she does have a crush on him after all." Rakshata commented in her relaxed tone.
All wide eyes were now looking at Kallen, who had now completely gone red in the face.
"AH! W-What makes you say that?!" Kallen said in embarrassment.
"I noticed that little card you were looking at earlier. You're not exactly good at hiding your feelings, dear." Rakshata said with a teasing smile.
"WHAT FEELINGS!? ARRGH! WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP ASSUMING THIS?!" Kallen shrieked with anger and annoyance.
"Assuming what?" Joseph asked casually as his head popped upside down next to Chiba, startling her(while almost unsheathing her sword in reflex) and the rest of the Black Knights.
"Why do you keep doing that?!" Tamaki asked in annoyance.
"Do what?" Joseph asked casually with his dopey smile as he flipped down to the ground. Tohdoh simply walked down the stairs.
"Nothing! Nothing that concerns you." Kallen reassured as she glared Rakshata, who just chuckled in amusement.
"Okie-Dokie. Welp, Clowno Funzo retirement time." Joseph declared.
"Before you go, I wanted to properly introduce myself, I'm Kaname Ohgi." Ohgi greeted in a nice manner as he held out his hand for Joseph to shake.
"Pleasure! Love Elvis haircut!" Joseph said joyfully as he pointed at Ohgi's hairdo, confusing Ohgi as he unconsciously touched his hair and got a laugh out of Rakshata.
"Kento Sugiyama" Sugiyama greeted politely. Followed by Minami and Inoue. Joseph greeted them happily, and Kallen couldn't help but have a small smile either as she was glad her friends started to put a little trust in him.
"I am curious of one thing. Why exactly did you kiss Kururugi?" Inoue asked curiously, as with everything that happened tonight, was definitely the standout for her.
"Because clown, duuuhhh." Joseph said as if it was obvious, just confusing everyone even more. "(Chuckles) Newbies." Joseph said to Kallen as he pointed his thumb to her friends. She just deadpanned at him.
"See later, Kallen." Joseph said as he hugged Kallen, who awkwardly returned it.
"Y-You too." Kallen said embarrassingly.
"Sensei." Joseph said as he bowed to Tohdoh, who just nodded.
"You too Ja-Blowme." Joseph waved at him happily.
"Oh for the love of-my name's Tamaki you moron!" Tamaki said in annoyance.
"Oh...'Ja-Blowme' nickname?" Joseph asked curiously, resulting in laughter from the group.
"NO! It was suppose a joke at your expense!" Tamaki tried to explain in aggravation.
"...Don't get it." Joseph said with a blank face.
"Oh, just forget it!" Tamaki yelled, as he looked like a vein was about to explode in his head and walked away from him.
"Okay." Joseph said with his dopey smile. "Bye Rocky!" Joseph waved to Rakshata, who gave him a simple smile and wave.
As he was about to walk out the door, he freezed in his movement.
"Wait! Almost forgot!" Joseph proclaimed, surprising the group. "YOU!" He shouted as he suddenly turned and pointed at someone.
That someone being Diethard Reid, who was just as confused and baffled as everyone else by the sudden attention.
"M-me?" Diethard asked, not sure what the Dimwitted Prince wanted with him.
Suddenly, Joseph started marching his way over to him. Diethard stood up, now a bit scared of what was about to become of him.
Joseph stopped a foot away from him, grabbed his head with both his hands and smooched Diethard right on the nose.
This caused everyone watching to stare wide-eyed and bewildered - except Rakshata, who raised an eyebrow - and Diethard froze from shock. What everyone didn't know was that it was Joseph's way of thanking Diethard for saving Lelouch since he couldn't say anything about it out loud.
"You rock!" Joseph declared as he pointed his finger at Diethard after he moved away from him.
"Um...thank you?" Diethard said in bewilderment, still not sure what just happened.
"Uh...do you two know each other as well." Ohgi asked after his brain short-circuited for a second.
"Nope." Joseph said simply, and then he left out the door. Leaving everyone with that bizarre experience.
"That boy always knows how to make an exit." Rakshata said as she chuckled.
"He is a strange one, but you get used to it...eventually." Tohdoh commented.
"What you do to get on his good side, Brit?" Tamaki asked.
"I honestly have no idea..." Diethard said, still bewildered that he was randomly kissed out of nowhere, even if it was just on the nose.
"Well, let's just hope you didn't make Kallen here jealous." Tamaki teased, making him receive a punch in the ribcage by Kallen.
"Shut up!" Kallen said angrily, red in the face.
"It was just a joke, geez!" Tamaki complained. "Still, I wish Zero had seen that, might have gotten a laugh out of him for once. Where is he anyway?" He asked.
"I think he's on a business call of some sorts at the moment." Sugiyama said.
...
Lelouch, still on in his Zero outfit but without his helmet on, was in his personal quarters. He had gotten a text from C.C. saying she was back from the Chinese Federation.
"Good. That's one objective taken care of. Let's just hope Joseph didn't make too much of a fiasco with his performance tonight." Lelouch thought to himself.
...
The Next Day
Ashford Academy
"Breaking News! A man dressed as a clown singlehandedly led a prison rescue for the famed terrorist, Kyoshiro Tohdoh." A news reporter said over the television.
"WHAT!?" Lelouch shrieked in fury. C.C. was rolling around on Lelouch's bed laughing her ass off, while Shirley rubbed the back of her head in awkwardness.
"While the Britannian military has been vague, many journalists were able to capture footage of the strange night while attending the opening of Clovis Memorial Art Museum held by Princess Euphemia. Some were even able to get their hands on some of the security footage that was captured." The news reporter continued.
Footage was then showed of Joseph/Clowno Funzo beating up guards, spraying water in their faces from his flower, and "water-skiing" with a knightmare. But the shots that were replayed the most, was the shot of Suzaku getting tea-bagged over and over and then kissed by the clown.
"It is not sure what the clown's involvement is with Kyoshiro Tohdoh or the Black Knights, but some believe he was the ring leader of this operation."
"Are you kidding me!? He wouldn't have even known what prison to go to if I hadn't told him!" Lelouch complained.
...
G1
Cornelia and Guilford watched the news report of the clown as he repeatedly shoved his nuts in Suzaku's face.
"Some have theorize that he was a mole sent in by the Viceroy to take attention off Zero and the Black Knights. As well as to publicly humiliate the eleven Suzaku Kururugi, who was once accused of murdering Prince Clovis."
"Guilford, have you come to the same conclusion I have to who that clown is?" Cornelia asked in calm, low voice that scared Guilford a bit.
"Um, it would be quite foolish of me if I didn't, your highness." Guilford said nervously.
Cornelia clawed her gloved-fingers into the fabric of her armchair.
"I am going to rip to his head off..." Cornelia whispered intensely.
...
Ashford Academy
"However, one theory that many people agree upon is the possible identity of the clown."
Interviews are shown of people who they believe is the clown, and they all have the same answer.
"It's Prince Joseph."
"It's gotta be Prince Joseph."
"It's definitely, without a doubt, the Dimwitted Prince."
Lelouch then turned off the television with a huff.
"I said 'Don't draw attention to yourself.' and he does the exact opposite." Lelouch complained as he pinched the bridge of his nose in aggrvation.
"Well he wasn't 'himself', was he?" C.C. teased after hearing the reason why he had that getup in the first place. Honestly, the guy was starting to grow on her, she only regretted was she wasn't able to see it in person.
As Lelouch started to glare at C.C., Shirley decided to step in.
"It's my fault. I should have insisted he wear something else." Shirley said regretfully.
"No, he probably wouldn't let you have a word in if you tried. Still, it wasn't a total lost. We now have Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords on our side and gaining more public support by the minute." Lelouch said somewhat optimistically. "C.C., you were able to speak to the High Eunuchs?" He asked, deciding it was better to take his mind off the buffoonery that was taking part on screen.
"Yes. Snobs, every last one of them. However, I was able to catch the likings of Gao Hai, he may be your hook into the Chinese Federation." C.C. informed him.
"Lelouch, I thought the Chinese Federation was led by an Empress. Aren't the High Eunuchs just her advisors?" Shirley asked, curious about the inner-workings of Lelouch's goal,
"Through the media, that is indeed the case. But the empress is nothing more than puppet figure, Shirley. The High Eunuchs are in real control of the federation." Lelouch explained in a solemn tone.
"Empress Tianzi was just a toddler when her parents died in an automobile accident, of course everyone knew better and figured out that they were assassinated by the High Eunuchs. For years, they kept her inside the palace - away from the people of the federation - so in reality, the High Eunuchs are the ones with the power." C.C. explained.
Shirley was shocked to say the least, she hung her head in shame.
"And I thought it was just Britannia that had problems." Shirley said sadly.
"Power and corruption is like the Greek monster, Hydra, Shirley. Cut off one head, two more will take its place. To truly stop it, you must aim for its heart." Lelouch explained sympathetically as he put his hand on her shoulder.
"Thus the Black Knights." Shirley said in understanding.
"Exactly." Lelouch said with a smile, which Shirley returned.
"One more thing to note is the Empress' personal guard, Li Xingke. I could tell he cares about her and her livelihood, so you won't be able to get far without going through him." C.C. added.
"Good to know." Lelouch commented.
"Oh, I should let you know. Milly has decided to push forward on trying to get Kallen and Nina together with Joseph today." Shirley said awkwardly.
"Oh lord, this is going to be quite a day." Lelouch said as he sighed tiredly.
...
Black Knights Base
"You know what Kallen, this is all your fault!" Tamaki exclaimed as he pointed at her.
"Wha-my fault?!" Kallen asked in angry disbelief.
"If you hadn't become all buddy-buddy with that moron prince, we wouldn't have to deal this nonsense!" Tamaki complained as he pointed at the TV that was showing Joseph tea-bagging Suzaku on a loop.
"He was my former student, are you saying it's my fault too?" Tohdoh asked as he narrowed his eyes and loomed his towering figure over Tamaki, who gulped nervously.
"W-Well, I just mean he's making us look stupid, doing stuff like that." Tamaki explained nervously.
"I can't control what he does! Besides, weren't you cheering him on yourself last night when he was pulling that crap?!" Kallen chimed in with annoyance.
"I didn't think it was going to be broadcasted worldwide! The guy turned our whole operation into a damn joke!" Tamaki complained angrily.
Some of the other black knights felt the same way too. They didn't harbor any ill-will towards the guy - despite who he's father was - but they did feel he was becoming more a nuisance than a blessing. It was then Tohdoh approached Kallen.
"Miss Kozuki, Joseph sometimes appears at the school you attend, correct?" Tohdoh asked her.
"Uh, yes." Kallen said, a bit confused and a bit intimidated by Tohdoh's figure.
"When you see him again, it would probably be best you tell him he shouldn't come here too often. While I do trust him, attention like this isn't be good for him or The Black Knights. And one of these days, someone might get the idea to have him followed. Knowing that he considers you a friend, he might listen to you." Tohdoh advised with caution, and while he would never say it out loud, he was afraid Joseph was going to get himself hurt. He already lost one student to the enemy, he didn't need another jailed or killed. It made him think of the rest of their conversation last night.
...
(Flashback)
"By the by, tell something urgent. Suzaku related." Joseph said in a rare serious tone.
"What is it?" Tohdoh asked, seeing this was important.
"Found out something. Something tragic. Occurred between Suzaku and Genbu. He..." Joseph started off
"Killed his father?" Tohdoh finished for him in surprise.
"Yeah? You know?" Joseph asked in surprise.
"Yes. You know?" Tohdoh asked in equal surprise.
"Yep. How you know?" Joseph asked.
"I was there. How do you know?" Tohdoh asked.
Joseph opens his mouth and sucks in a breath to explain, before he realizes there was no real way he could explain this in a sane manner.
"...long, complicated story." Joseph said simply. "Not point, point is gotta help. Good guy, friend, but in dark place. Lost himself." He said sadly.
"You have to understand Joseph, Suzaku was just a child when he killed his father. That blood is on his hands and he feels he needs to absolve himself of that sin. It would be difficult for anyone to help him crawl out of that darkness." Tohdoh explained.
Joseph nodded in understanding. "Sounds like he has a death wish..." He thought to himself sadly.
"Said you there. Part of cover up?" Joseph asked, Tohdoh nodded.
"Yes...he was just a boy after all...and my gakusei." Tohdoh said solemnly as he looked down.
To which Joseph then crawled over to him and pulled him into a gentle hug.
"Thanks for saving training buddy." Joseph said with a small smile.
Though Tohdoh didn't say anything or show any emotion, but he was comforted by Joseph's words
(Flashback End)
...
"I agree, the less we see of him, the better." Chiba said.
Kallen thought about it, and knew he was right.
"(Sighs) Alright, but he likes to pop in whenever he wants so there's no guarantee when I'll see him again." Kallen said as she went on her way.
While they were discussing everything. Diethard had his eyes on his iPad, comparing videos of Zero and his speeches with Joseph and his antics, and noticed some interesting statistics.
"He's getting just about as much attention as Zero..." Diethard thought to himself in a calculating manner.
...
ASEEC
Lloyd looked over the banged up control panel of the Lancelot, and he was not happy to say the least.
"Damn that clown, he completely mangled the controls and communication comms. Sorry Suzaku, it seems we won't be be able to take any new missions at the moment." Lloyd complained as he examined the inside of the Lancelot.
"It's alright, Lloyd. I understand." Suzaku muttered, not really paying attention.
"Are you alright, Suzaku?" Cecile asked in concern.
"Yes, Cecile. Just thinking is all." Suzaku reassured.
Truthfully, Suzaku felt glum. He kept going back to last night, the inane action between him and that clown. He knew that his social status as an eleven would often cause animosity and prejudice from Britannians, and he accepted that. But to be humiliated on public television like that, and by a clown no less, for just trying to do his duty for the army, was just too much. What made it even worse is that he had a good idea of who that clown was, and he wasn't the only one either!
"How about you make your way to school. You can tell all your friends about the good news!" Cecile suggested cheerfully.
"Yeah, sounds like a good idea." Suzaku said somewhat positively, but before he left, he looked at Cecile with worried eyes. "Cecile, that clown from last night. Do you think it's..." He started to ask, afraid to finish the question.
"Um...well..." Cecile stuttered awkwardly, not sure what a good answer would be. Suzaku could only sigh.
"Listen, Tohdoh was both your former sensei, correct?" Cecile asked.
"Yes." Suzaku said.
"Well, if it was him, I can understand." Cecile admitted.
"Uh, Cecile?!" Suzaku said in shock, not expecting that at all.
"I'm not saying I approve of how he did it. But ask yourself, wouldn't you do anything to protect the people you care about?" Cecile asked in a wise tone.
This surprised Suzaku, but it made him think about things. Specifically Lelouch and Nunnally.
...
Ashford Academy
Kallen made her way through the entrance and sighed when she noticed the clown wigs and makeup people were wearing, some guys were even nut-bumping. Suddenly, someone blew an airhorn right next to her, making her jump and scream. The one who did laughed crazily and said "CLOWN-ANTICS!" before rushing off in a wacky manner.
She witnessed a lot of the students acting from mildly to completely wacky.
Some were simply spraying silly string onto trees or walls.
Some were startling people with airhorns
And some were setting off paint bombs on people, forcing a multi-colored victim to take a two hour shower.
"This is WORSE than 'Eat That Horse'!" Kallen thought to herself in aggravation.
There was no doubt about it, Kallen had to tell Joseph to stop 'helping' the Black Knights, at least until this clown business died down.
She finally made it to the Student Council Building where Shirley greeted her.
"I take it you got the brunt of outside?" Shirley asked sympathically.
"Ugh. This school will never be normal will it?" Kallen asked tiredly.
"Not with Milly running it." Shirley said with understanding, making her and Kallen chuckle. "Speaking of, she has a surprise for you." She said with anticipation as she took a surprised Kallen by the hand and pulled her in motivated direction.
"I'm going to hate this, aren't I?" Kallen thought meekly.
...
"Do you really think Joseph will find me pretty in this?" Nina asked nervously as she looked herself in the mirror. She was wearing a sleeveless, lime-green, silk dress that rached to her knees. She also wore a silver bracelet and a tinge of red lipstick.
"Of course! Joseph may be oblivious to some things but he recognizes beauty when he sees it." Milly said in an encouraging tone, that made Nina feel better.
"Even though I can't see you Nina, I'm sure you look wonderful." Nunnally added kindly, making Nina blush.
"T-Thank you Nunnally." Nina said with timid happiness. "This is it! I can finally express my true feelings for my Prince!" She thought with determination.
They heard the door open and the people who stepped in were Shirley and...Kallen!?
"Kallen! You finally made it! Glad you got her here, Shirley!" Milly said excitedly.
"It was no problem, Madam President." Shirley said happily.
"What is she doing here!" Nina asked angrily.
"Shirley, what the hell is going on?!" Kallen asked in equal anger.
"Sorry Kallen, president's orders..." SHirley said awkwardly.
"Now that you're here Kallen, we can finally get you ready!" Milly said excitedly as he pulled Kallen to stand on a chair.
"Ready for what?!" Kallen asked in astonishment.
"Your date with Joseph, alongside Nina of course!" Naomi said with glee as she entered the room and pulled off Kallen's school jacket.
"WHAT!" Kallen and Nina shouted at the same time.
"I think it's finally time you two settle this and see who our favorite prince likes!" Milly said with a "romantic" tone in her voice.
"You didn't say anything about Kallen being here!" Nina said angrily.
"I wanted it to be a surprise!" Milly said happily.
"I swear, Nina, I had no idea she was going to do this!" Kallen exclaimed with embarrassment. "And you're going along with this?!" Kallen asked her mother angrily.
"As a mother, it's my job to make sure your future is a bright one. And having it with Joseph seems pretty bright in my book." Naomi said cheekily as as she stripped Kallen down to her underwear.
"I'm sorry we didn't say anything, Kallen. We were afraid you wouldn't go along with it if you had known." Nunnally said awkwardly, though internally, she was filled with joy that two of her friends felt true love for her brother. She wanted him to be more happy than he already was, and she believed Kallen or Nina could provide that, and she believed Joseph could do the the same for them.
"Does Joseph know about this?!" She asked incrediously as she covered her breasts.
"Nope, he'll be just as surprised." Milly said happily, as she started measuring Kallen to see which dress would be most appropriate for her. Kallen can only sigh in frustration.
It was at that moment, Nina put her game face on.
"If that's what it takes, then I'll gladly win him over. You won't beat me Kallen!" Nina said in determination, making Milly, Naomi and Shirley laugh and Kallen groan in aggravation.
"Why me..." Kallen thought to herself miserably.
...
"Hey, there you are. We were wondering if you were going to show up today." Lelouch greeted Suzaku as he finally made it to Ashford.
"Sorry, I got caught up with work. I actually got some news to share with all of you." Suzaku said with an awkward smile.
"Oh, really? Well, right now-"
"Hey Suzaku! Had enough NUTS today!? HAHAHAHAHA!" The student with the bandana yelled from a distance as he nut-bumped with his ponytailed friend, while shaking a bag of nuts in his hand.
Suzaku could only sigh and rub his head in embarrassment, Lelouch rolled his eyes.
"Sorry about that, the whole school's been rowdy today ever since that video of that clown became viral." Lelouch explained, feeling sorry that Suzaku had to relive the humilating situation.
"I can see that..." Suzaku said tiredly as he looked around at the madness that was occurring at the school.
"Let's get to the Student Council, surprisingly that's the most normal place to be right now. As for whatever you want to tell us, it's going to have to wait, Milly has the whole day planned." Lelouch explained.
"What would that be?" Suzaku asked curiously.
"(Sighs) A date between Joseph, Kallen, and Nina." Lelouch said tiredly.
...
"This will be really awkward if Joseph doesn't even show up today." Suzaku said, his thoughts seemingly somewhere else.
"I tried telling Milly that but she insisted, of course, he hasn't missed a day to come here since he got out of his coma so I doubt he won't." Lelouch said, then noticing his friend's conflicted expression. "Everything okay?" He asked with concern.
"Ah, yeah, sorry. Just thinking about things." Suzaku said with hesitation. "Listen Lelouch, about Joseph..."
He didn't get to finish though as they heard the signature entrance made by Joseph.
Opening the window, climbing through it, all while music is blaring from his walkman and he dances along.
Yeah its all right, all right, tonight, tonight
Just singing like whoa, oh, oh
(Joseph dances his way to Lelouch and Suzaku. Lelouch shakes his head in amusement, Suzaku just looks conflicted.)
Come on,
oh, oh, oh, all you party people
(Joseph pointed to the both of them as he strutted his way over to them.)
Whoa, oh, oh,
all you singletons, oh, oh, oh, even the white kids
(Points to Suzaku at "singletons" and then brings his arm around Lelouch's shoulder and points to him at "even the white kids", making Lelouch roll his eyes.)
"You seem to be in a more happy-good-lucky mood than usual." Lelouch said as he noticed Joseph's dancing was more enthusiastic.
"Am. Sensei was saved! Thanks to clown and Zero!" Joseph cheered as he continued dancing.
"Well I'm glad they were able to do something positive for you." Lelouch said, glad he was able to do that for his brother.
"While I can't speak for Zero. I do find it strange that a clown appeared out of nowhere, just to help Tohdoh." Suzaku said in a somewhat suspicious tone.
Lelouch saw where Suzaku was going with this but knew he couldn't call him out on it. Joseph did too and stopped his music.
"Maybe clown being Good Samaritan." Joseph suggested.
"Maybe the clown was in over his head." Suzaku said with a bit of accusation in his tone.
"Maybe clown didn't care. Maybe just helping." Joseph suggested, now too with a bit of accusation in his tone.
"Uh, guys..." Lelouch said, trying to diffuse the growing tension between the two.
"Well maybe, the clown doesn't realize what he's getting himself into with Zero and shouldn't get involved with affairs he knows nothing about. Especially when it comes to humiliating me for trying to do my duty for Britannia!" Suzaku said, now getting angry.
"Hey guys! You finally made it!" Rivalz cheered as he came into the room with his bartender outfit on.
"Maybe clown know morals! Maybe clown know more than think! Maybe clown clownin' you because deserved by not helping sensei!" Joseph shouted angrily.
Rivalz stood there confused and Lelouch sighed. Joseph and Suzaku just stared at each other intensely for a moment.
"Is...everything okay?" Rivalz asked, confused by what's going on.
At that, Suzaku took a deep breath and calmed down.
"Yes, everything's fine. Look, I'm just worried that the clown is putting himself in unnecessary danger and will eventually do something he'll regret to the point where there will be no one to help him." Suzaku said in an honest tone as he looked at Joseph in concern.
Joseph just stared at him for a moment, before breaking out into a smile and giving Suzaku a hug.
"Awww, very sweet Suzaku. But no worry, bet clown know what's what and got it all razzle-dazzled." Joseph reassured as he patted his head, making Suzaku sigh.
"...What just happened..." Rivalz asked, very confused.
"No idea. Guys, whatever this is, can it wait? All the girls are waiting for us." Lelouch said, getting Joseph and Suzaku's attention.
"Uh, sure." Suzaku relented.
"Also-toda-lutely!" Joseph cheered as he took Suzaku's hand and pulled him into an uncertain direction. "Where we going?" He asked excitedly.
...
"Milly, he's here." Lelouch said as he knocked on the door the girls were in.
"Ah, finally!" Milly said excitedly as she poked her head through the door. "One more moment and our ladies will be ready for you!" She told Joseph in a teasing manner.
"Ooooookkkayy." Joseph in an equal teasing manner. She chuckled and went back inside the room.
"...You have no idea what's going on, do you?" Lelouch asked after a moment.
"Nope!" Joseph said with his dopey smile, and Lelouch couldn't help but shake his head in amusement.
A moment later, the door opened and out walked Kallen and Nina. Nina in her green dress, blushing madly. And Kallen in a burgundy-colored strapless dress, who was also blushing but more out of embarrassment than nervousness. Milly, Shirley, Naomi, and Nunnally all waited anxiously for Joseph's response.
He just stood there for a moment, before smiling widely and coming over to pull Kallen and Nina into a tight hug.
"Hey Kal Pal! Hey Nina!" Joseph said happily as he put them down.
"H-Hello, Joseph." Nina said kindly but nervously.
"Um, hi." Kallen simply said, still embarrassed.
"Very beautiful!" He told them both as he examined their dresses.
"R-Really?! Thank you!" Nina said excitedly.
"Yeah...thank you..." Kallen said, a small smile appearing on her face as she started to lighten up.
"What occasion?" Joseph asked curiously.
"Your date with lovers of course!" Milly revealed fashionably, making Kallen sweat-drop, Nina blush, Lelouch sigh, and the rest chuckle.
Joseph stood there with a blank look on his face for a moment, before it finally clicked what was going on.
"Oooooooooh. Milly, sly fox." Joseph said in a teasing manner as he pointed at her.
"I do try." Milly said, proud of herself.
"Date, huh?" Joseph said as he put his hand to his chin and stood there in thought for a second. "Happy to oblige!" He said gleefully as he pulled Kallen and Nina around his shoulders.
"WHA-!" Kallen shirked.
"Really!?" Nina said excitedly as she blush madly.
The rest of the group looked on happily, Lelouch however arched an eyebrow.
"Great! Allow me to guide you to your dining area." Rivalz said in a gentleman-like manner.
"Very good, Sir!" Joseph said in a faux-noble like tone. "Oh wait!" He halted as he went over to a mirror, licked his hands, and smoothed his hair to the right with a little curl in the middle of his forehead. "Mom says, do suave for women." He told the group, getting a laugh out of them.
"He's such a moron." Kallen thought in amusement.
"He's so cool." Nina thought dreamily.
"Welp, onward!" Joseph said as he grabbed the girl's hands and moved forward to follow Rivalz.
"Should we follow them?" Nunnally asked.
"Not yet, let's give them so alone time before we spy on them." Naomi said with a grin.
"Why Ms. Kozuki, I had no idea you had such a devious side." Milly said with her "she-devil" smile.
"Well, while I do trust Joseph, it's always good to make sure he acts like a gentleman. Besides, it's always cute to see my daughter blush the way she does." Naomi chuckled.
"Hmmm..." Lelouch quietly said as he stood there in a calculating manner.
"Something wrong, Lulu?" Shirley asked with concern.
"Nothing really. It's just...it seemed a bit too easy didn't it? I mean, you usually have to explain it a bit to Joseph before he fully understands the situation." Lelouch said in thought.
"True, but he's also one who likes to get involved in fun moments like this, and always the first to say yes." Milly countered.
"Yeah...I guess we'll see how this turns out." Lelouch concluded as stood next Shirley.
"Speaking of dates, when are you and Shirley going to go on another?" Suzaku asked teasingly. Lelouch and Shirley both blushed at this.
"Well, we, haven't exactly discussed it..." Lelouch said nervously.
"Yeah, I mean, there's school events like festival we need to prepare for, along with other things..." Shirley said nervously.
"Exactly." Lelouch added.
Milly couldn't help but giggle.
"You two make such a cute couple." Milly said with a smile.
"Shirley's going to make a great wife for you, big brother." Nunnally added happily.
"Nunnally!" Lelouch and Shirley both said with embarrassment, making the others laugh.
...
Rivalz led them up to the roof where there was table waiting for them, already set up with plates, utensils, table clothes, and wine glasses.
"Your table, Sir and Madams." Rivalz said gentleman-like as he gestured to the table.
"Thank you, Fille!" Joseph said with fancy graciousness, confusing Rivalz.
"Doesn't that mean girl in French?" Kallen whispered to Nina, who just shrugged.
They go to the table to take their seats, but Joseph stops the girls.
"Ah, ah, ah. (Points at himself) Allow moi." Joseph said as he pulled out Kallen and Nina's seats.
"Thank you." Nina said with a blush.
"How gentleman of you." Kallen said with a smirk.
"Gentleman is Shrek. Shrek is life." Joseph proclaimed in a professional tone, confusing Kallen and putting Nina more in heat.
"Um...rrrright." Kallen said, not sure how to respond to that.
Rivalz then came back with menus and a basket frilled with bread rolls.
"How shall we begin with drinks?" Rivalz asked.
"Apple juice. Shaken, not stirred." Joseph said with a James Bond accent. Making the girls giggle.
"Coming right up. In the mean time, please enjoy this bread as an appetizer." Rivalz said as he made his way out to get their drinks.
Joseph then pulled out his walkman and proceeded to take his utensils and stuck them at the end of two bread rolls.
"Initiate Roll Dance!" Joseph cheered, confusing the girls, before pushing the play button.
The music played a jolly piano tune and Joseph took the utensil-attached bread rolls and made them dance like feet with legs, he used his head as if it was attached to legs and made quizzical looks. This got a laugh out of both girls, Kallen herself tried to restrain her laughter as if not to break her meekly cover. The student council laughed too as they spied on the trio, even Nunnally giggle when Lelouch described what was happening.
When he finished, the girls gave him a round of applause and Rivalz came back with their apple juice. He poured them each a glass and then took out a pen and notepad.
"And have you thought about what you wanted to order? Let it be known, we only prepared one specific meal so choose wisely." Rivalz advised.
"I guess we'll have the steak then. Medium rare." Kallen said simply.
"Same." Nina said.
"Magnifique!" Joseph cheered.
"Coming right up." Rivalz said as he took their menus and went on his way.
"So, tell about selves!" Joseph proclaimed as he suddenly put his elbows on the table and his head in his hand.
"Uh...Nina! I actually haven't heard too much about your life. How did you end up at Ashford?" Kallen asked, wanting to get attention off her. Joseph himself turned towards her, also interested in Nina's backstory.
"Um, well...my father got a job at a radiology department and it needed his presence here in Area 11, so he had me and my mother move here a couple of years ago and signed me up for Ashford Academy." Nina said quietly.
"...Can I ask why you're afraid of...the Japanese...?" Kallen asked trepidatiously as she was getting more curious of Nina's background and how it got her to the mindset she has now. Joseph was intrigued as well.
Nina looked down with fear in her eyes.
"About a year ago, I was shopping for some research supplies at the mall. Everything was fine, when suddenly there was this loud boom and a huge flood of smoke, I could feel the floor shake beneath me and a ringing in my ears. I looked and saw that it was terrorist attack, I found out an Eleven set off a bomb, killing 20 people that day, including three kids..." Nina said sadly, hands starting to shake.
Joseph and Kallen looked at her sympathetically, Kallen herself remembered watching the aftermath on the news. She felt terrible that her own people committed such a heinous act, she understood their anger but purposely killing innocent civilians, especially children, was unacceptable! That's why she fought alongside Zero and The Black Knights, to create a world where not only her people were freed, but could live in harmony with everyone, including Britannians.
"All I could think about after that was how I could have been one of those victims that day, how I would never see my parents or my friends again, how I never got to truly do anything in my life. And those Elevens didn't care at all! They killed those people like they were nothing! Those animals!" Nina said as tears formed in her eyes.
Suddenly, she felt a hand touch hers. She looked up and saw it was from Kallen, who looked at her sadly.
"I'm sorry that happened to you Nina, no one deserves to go through what you did. While I don't necessarily agree with your views on the Japanese, I understand the fear you've gain from them. I hope one day you can see they're not all bad." Kallen said sympathetically. However, Nina could see there was hurt in her eyes.
"Well, I don't think you're bad Kallen. You're very shrewd, but not bad. Nor is your mother for that matter. And Suzaku isn't that scary either. I'm starting to see that not all Elevens are evil." Nina said with a small smile as she grasped Kallen's hand, who smiled back
Suzaku, who was eavesdropping with the group, couldn't't help but smile too.
"It works, working within the system works!" Suzaku thought happily.
"Awwww, such cute couple." Joseph said happily to them.
And it was that moment, everyone(including the student council who was still spying on them) did a double take at Joseph's statement, who just stared dumbly at the two.
"...Beg your pardon?" Nina asked, not sure if she heard that right.
"Cute couple, both you's. Glad to help." Joseph said as he patted his chest as if he just accomplished a mission. Now everyone was really confused.
"...Um...Joseph...when Milly told you were going to be on a date...who did you think it was for?" Kallen asked slowly, as she had a feeling what his answer was going to be.
"...You two course! Wingman!(Points to himself)" Joseph said casually with his dopey smile.
The girls stared at him as if he just grew a second head and the council each had their own reactions.
Lelouch was shaking his head while thinking to himself, "I knew it..."
Shirley was rubbing her head in tiredness.
Milly was refraining herself from having gut-bust laughter.
Suzaku was confused on how Joseph to that conclusion.
and both Nunnally and Naomi just gave a simple surprised, "Oh my...".
A moment later, Rivalz came back with their steaks but then saw the reactions of the two girls.
"Uh...what did I miss?" Rivalz asked in confusion.
Suddenly, Kallen barked out a huge laugh, startling Rivalz and Nina and confusing Joseph.
"Oh my God! You are such an idiot!" Kallen said as she tried to stop laughing.
"Kallen!" Nina scolded, not liking how she was insulting her prince. However, Joseph soon joined in with the laughter.
"I know!" Joseph wholeheartedly agreed, making Kallen laugh even harder.
And soon enough, seeing how her prince was reacting, she couldn't help but laugh along herself. And soon enough the whole student council was laughing along to the silliness.
All except Rivalz, who still had no idea what was going on.
...
After having their steaks and just having fun together(such as Joseph lip-syncing to Weird Al song), the student council came out of their hiding place as it Joseph was going to take his leave for the day.
"Before you go, Joseph, there's something I want to tell you. All of you actually." Suzaku spoke up suddenly, getting everyone attention. "As you know, each member of the royal family chooses a Knight of Honour. The person to protect them, to stand by them no matter what." He started.
Lelouch's pupils shrank at that. "Oh no..." He thought to himself.
"Princess Euphemia has officially chosen me as her knight." Suzaku proclaimed.
Everyone looked at Suzaku in shock. Especially Joseph, Lelouch, Shirley, and Kallen.
"Suzaku...that's..." Lelouch started with, not sure what to say.
"TRAINING BUDDY!" Joseph cheered happily as he came over to Suzaku and gave him a bear hug. "Congrats! Why no say so!?" Joseph asked excitedly as he shook him back and forth at a fast speed.
"I-I d-didn't w-want t-to s-spoil y-your d-date." Suzaku said as he was still being wildly shook back and forth by Joseph.
"Man for job!" Joseph told him encouragingly as he finally put Suzaku down, putting on a serious demeanor. "Protect little sis, or kill you..." He said with a calm voice, putting Suzaku a bit on edge.
"I will..." Suzaku said nervously, before straightening up. "I swear it!"
Joseph broke out into a huge grin and patted his shoulder and ruffled his hair. Suzaku smiled as well, happy to have Joseph's blessing.
"Suzaku, that's amazing! I'm so happy for you!" Nunnally said kindly.
"That's so awesome! Man, to think I'm friends with both a prince AND a knight!" Rivalz said excitedly.
"Always about the benefits, huh Rivalz?" Milly said tiredly. "Congratulations, Suzaku! We'll definitely have a party in your honor!" Milly said excitedly.
"Oh, Milly, there's no need for-" Suzaku tried to put off, but Milly wouldn't have it.
"I insist!" Milly proclaimed with authority.
Kallen stayed silent, as her relationship with Suzaku just got a WHOLE lot more complicated.
"That certainly is something Suzaku. I'm sure you'll do good." Lelouch said with a smile, but Shirley could see the turmoil on his face, she looked at him with concern.
"Give Princess Euphemia our regards. we're real happy with her choice." Shirley said encouragingly.
"On it!" Joseph proclaimed as he charged towards the edge of the roof and jumped his way off and out of the academy. "BBBBBBYYYYYYEEEEEEE!" He said as he waved back at his family and friends before leap-frogging from building to building on his way back to the Viceroy Palace.
"I swear, things are always entertaining when he's around." Milly commented.
"I'm still not sure how he came to the conclusion that the date was for Kallen and Nina." Suzaku said with confusion.
"Well all Milly said was it was his date with lovers. She never specifically said it was suppose to be a date between him and them." Shirley explained.
"I guess I'll have to articulate myself better next time." Milly said with a teasing smile.
"There isn't going to be a next time!" Kallen argued angrily.
Angry at the fact that one, she never got to tell Joseph to hang back from visiting the Black Knights. And two, her classmate and enemy on the field was now going to be Princess Euphemia's knight! A princess who actually didn't seem that bad when she met her and gets nothing but praise from her older brother!
On a side note, she was glad about the way the date turned out. While she didn't see herself going out with guy anytime soon, she would happily call him a friend.
"Kallen, I owe you an apology." Nina said with regret in her voice as she approached Kallen.
"Uh, Nina..." Kallen said surprised.
"I've been horrible to you the last couple of weeks. I was convinced that you were trying to trick me to have Joseph all to yourself. When clearly, getting him to notice us would be like trying to chip ice out of the sun. So I apologize." Nina said kindly. "But it doesn't mean I'm giving up on capturing the heart of my prince!" She said with determination.
"And I wish you all the luck, Nina." Kallen said with relief, glad that's one headache she doesn't have to deal with anymore.
While the council was chatting away with Suzaku, Shirley saw the conflicted look on Lelouch's face as he was staring at Suzaku.
"Lelouch, are you okay?" Shirley asked with concern.
"It feels like he keeps slipping further away from my grasp and into Britannia's." Lelouch said sadly, he then felt Shirley grasp his hand.
"Don't lose hope Lulu. After all, from what you and Joseph told me of Euphemia, he's in good hands. There's always time to change things." Shirley said encouragingly.
"...Thanks Shirley." Lelouch said gratefully, they smiled at each other.
"You know, I actually am wondering when you'll take me on 'another' date." Shirley said with a teasing smirk, making Lelouch go red in the face.
"Ah, w-well..." Lelouch sputter, not sure how to answer.
"Don't worry, no rush." Shirley said as giggled and gave Lelouch a quick peck on the cheek while no one(especially Milly) was watching.
To Be Continued...
I'M BACK! First off, I want to apologize for the longer than usual absence. The holidays kept me really busy and I had a bit of a writer's block while writing this chapter, I'll be back in regular motion with future chapters after this.
Now when it comes to Joseph, he's never experienced a "like like"moment with anyone before. He has a general love for all his family and friends, and that has always been enough for him. So while he recognizes it with someone else like Lelouch and Shirley, he doesn't realize those type of emotions might be there in himself when someone directs their feelings towards him. Now if they were to directly say it to his face, we'll see how he reacts then. Until then, hope you enjoy the new chapter, and let me know what you think. It's good to be back!
Also, the bread roll dance is based of the sequence from Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush.