Chapter 11: Deals and Devils
She watched, as the most recent of her hunters used either some esoteric technology or an exceptionally powerful Geass to kill the guards in front of the experimentation chamber. She knew what the young boy was here for. She was the only thing of value in this place, after all.
She watched as the child moved in front of her cell. He examined the safety glass in front of him, before gently laying his palm a top it. The palm flexed, and the 'secure' glass shattered.
Sonic technology? Some form of matter manipulation Geass? She didn't know.
The boy walked approached her, bowing to her as if she was a Noble, saying, "Lady CC. It is an honour to meet you. Do I have permission to free you from your bonds?"
She rolled her eyes at his overly dramatic presentation, waiting for him to get a move on.
Thankfully he started with the buckle that was preventing her from speaking, allowing to her ask, "So what is this supposed to be? A rescue? Or another kidnapping?"
He smiled roguishly, "I would personally prefer if this turned into an elopement."
That was amusing. "You are a bold one. Think you can back up those words, child?"
He finished freeing her arms, allowing her to rub them to get the circulation back, ignoring the pain with long practice, "I don't know, actually. I hope that my offer is enticing enough, but I guess we will find out."
She waited as he freed her legs, allowing her to stretch them out. She noticed his gaze lingering on them, with more appreciation than she would expect from someone his age. Satisfied that her mobility was restored, she lashed out before he could react, clamping her hand around his forearm with crushing force, flaring her Code to incapacitate him.
Only to be met with a raised brow, and a satisfied smirk. "Oh my..." His voice was dripping with sarcasm, "Jumping me on the first date? How bold."
"Wha..." Her question was interrupted as the world turned purple, a sense of movement ending as they were suddenly in another location, a nondescript hotel room.
That wasn't a Geass.
She immediately let go of his arm, moving to put some distance between them, asking as she did so, "What are you?"
The boy tilted his head, and suddenly on his back were thin bat-like wings, "Is it not obvious, seeing as you are a Witch? I am a Devil."
She scoffed, "Are you really claiming to be the Devil? I highly doubt that."
"No," He disagreed, "Not the Devil, only a Devil. You obviously know about the Ars Goetia? That kind of Devil."
Her mind was racing. The best possibility here was that the boy was either lying or delusional. In the worst case, he was actually telling the truth. If that is what was happening, then she was dealing with something she had never encountered before. True, she couldn't die, but there were worse things than death.
He thoughts were interrupted by the other being, "Tell me, how are you enjoying your time on this world? Are there enough mysteries to keep you entertained?"
She arched an eyebrow, wondering what he was playing at, "What are you talking about, fool?"
He sat down, blue eyes locked onto her with an intense scrutiny, "Us Devils are a long lived race. We know what long periods of isolation and boredom can do. Are you enjoying your life?"
She resisted the urge to tut in annoyance. He knew a surprising, and irritating, amount about her, this 'Devil', "Oh, interested in me are you? I have an idea of what you could be after. Why don't you dispense with the vapid, flowery speeches and just state what you want."
He nodded, "Very well then. I want you to come back with me to my world and rule by my side as my Queen."
That threw her. She expected him to be after the ability to use Geass, not whatever that was. She opened her mouth to reply, but was brought up short as he flexed his hand and was suddenly holding a white chess piece. A Queen, to be exact.
"Without context, I can understand how that can be confusing. Let me explain..."
And so he did.
"I refuse." When Damocles was finished explaining to her his offer, that was the first thing out of her mouth.
Their positions had changed in the elapsed time, Damocles still seated in the chair, but her reclining on the hotel bed, eating room ordered pizza.
As she lazily bit into and relished the next slice, she also relished the expression on the Devil's face. It seemed such a flat refusal was not something that he had planned for.
"I see." His pinched expression was highly amusing, "May I ask why? Is there something I can do to change your mind?"
She chewed, slowing down as she knew he was waiting for her response. His patient expression was almost convincing, but the tightness of his shoulders betrayed him. She stopped chewing, holding the cheesy goodness in her mouth, only to smile as he released a slight, irritated sigh.
Her amusement obtained, she finished her mouthful and replied, "Although the magic and a whole new world does sound interesting, I was a slave before." She noted his response, "As you somehow know. Apparently. I don't trust you to not abuse the power these "Pieces" of yours grant you. I might be bored, but at least I'm free."
"I wouldn't call this freedom." Was his response, to which she shrugged, uncaring for his opinion.
He had already proven that he wanted her acceptance, she knew his type. He would view it as more of a hassle to force her into his service, which she could admit was smart of him. On top of that, the political situation he described meant if he left her even a slight loophole she could ruin him so quickly he wouldn't even have time to blink, which she was sure he knew well.
He had a considering look on his face as he asked, "Is there any way I could convince you I was trustworthy? I know asking as much in only a day is a lot, but I am willing to try."
She rolled her eyes, not surprised that he was being stubborn about this, "Well, seeing as you can block my Code from reading you, I'm not sure what else you could..."
"And if I didn't?" His interruption surprised her.
"Really? You would let me see into your mind? You didn't seem the type at all." Had she perhaps misjudged him?
He shifted, "Honestly, I'm not comfortable with it. However, I have nothing to lose. Either I can convince you of my sincerity, or I can't. It's not like you can tell anyone that can do anything about what you see."
She leaned forwards, intrigued, "That's surprising. Why is this so important to you?"
He made to answer, but she interrupted him by reaching across and grabbing his forearm, "Don't bother answering, I'll find out for myself."
The connection started, then met the same wall that stopped it last time, the boy apparently defending against it by accident. She raised an eyebrow at him challengingly, to which he sighed and rolled his eyes. Suddenly, the connection snapped into place and she was within his psyche.
Contrary to what some believed, the Code did not allow one to read someone's mind like a book. Instead, it let one share and view experiences and memories. It being something that delved into the realm of consciousness meant that it was also incredibly difficult to control. Her proficiency using this aspect of her curse only came to her due to long experience.
She guided her awareness, focusing on finding the reason he wanted her, specifically, for his 'Peerage'. She delved into his memories, experiencing his way of 'Planeswalking' as he called it, how he meditated to find the universe they were now in. She delved into him picking the alternate reality that housed her, and felt a rush of amusement as she found out how he decided on her, instead of her alternate selves.
She had this opportunity because she guarded her chastity, did she? How cute of him, to care about something like that, especially as a Devil. But, as interesting as that titbit was, it was not really what she was after.
She had not been truthful to the Devil. To be fair, he had been untruthful first. The reason she refused was not the Pieces or even that obviously sketchy tattoo he told her about, . No, the thing that was stopping her was the fact that he had lied to her about how he had decided to recruit her.
It was possible, she supposed, that he could really have found her while searching through the worlds he had access too. However, the chances for that to occur in a sea of infinite realities was so incredibly small she discounted it entirely. And what she had just seen proved her right.
He did not find this world while meditating. He was already looking for it.
She tried to find the thread, the vague associations between memories, experiences and feelings. She followed it back through his consciousness, trying to determine the source of his knowledge, how he found out so much about her before even finding this world. She felt herself getting close, before suddenly her progress was halted. She was confronted by an image of Damocles, their minds connecting and interacting.
She broadcast some wry amusement, "I thought you didn't care what I found? What's this, an attempt to protect yourself?"
He radiated exasperation, "This isn't me protecting myself, it's me protecting you. The things you want to know could change how you you see yourself and this world, irrevocably. Are you sure you want to discover that truth?"
She was not impressed, "You are worried for me? You're a couple hundred years too early for that, boy. I'll be fine."
"Fine." Was his response, "Don't say I did not warn you."
Like that she was thrust into a memory, experiencing a vision of a screen as she heard herself say, "If you had the strength, you could live. This is our contract..."
She rode the wave of memory, slightly incredulous. A story, another version of her, meeting with Lelouch and becoming his accomplice, taking on the world. All of it portrayed through a TV show. However, she didn't only see the show and the sequence of events it depicted, she also felt the emotions Damocles himself felt as he watched, as well as several of his theories and opinions of the 'characters' he saw. Most of all, herself.
After she saw the ending, she sat in contemplation. She was not expecting that, having her entire world and life being something from a story. But, she reasoned, infinite universes. It was bound to happen somewhere. She decided to focus on something else while she dealt with that bombshell.
"Oh my..." She purred, looking at the white-haired boy with amusement, "I knew I looked good, but to ensnare the heart of someone in a whole different universe?" Her smile turned smug, "That sort of thing does wonder's for a woman's confidence, you know?"
He merely scoffed, "Of course that's the thing you focus on. So much for 'not trusting the pieces'."
He deflated into his seat, gazing at her with a weary look, "To explain further, seeing as you already know, I did not originally live in the reality I currently call my home. I was approached by a God, an immensely powerful being, who made a wager with me. If I can get 7 people who all share a certain trait to agree to serve me, I will get various rewards, which in turn will help me to achieve his actual challenge. Raising my family to the level of Prince in the Devil Hierarchy. I accepted and he reincarnated me into this body."
She considered that, "Gods really exist? Saying I believe that, what do you each get for this wager?"
He held up his hands to indicate himself and this powerful God, "He gets the amusement of watching me scheme my way to the top, as he turned off his precognition when it comes to my World-line. Meaning he can't see what the results of my plans are, making them a surprise. Basically, I'm resolving his boredom." She could understand that.
"I, on the other hand, should I achieve my goals, have been promised Immortality like your Code for me and those who serve me. I will probably also find a way to explore other worlds, seeing as Devil magic is incredibly versatile."
She started at that, "You want immortality?! Even knowing... Why would you..." It clicked for her suddenly, "The people you are getting to 'serve' you are all women, aren't they."
He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "...Yeah."
She scoffed, "Such a typical Man."
She considered what he had told her and what she had seen from his memories of the 'show' that depicted her life. The ending was melancholy, leaving her alone once again, without either of her wishes fulfilled. Still, now that she know what type of boy Lelouch had grown into, she could better guide him, make sure that he was in a position to kill her when the time was right, finally freeing her from this torment.
In front of her right now, however, was a different opportunity. An otherworldly man, come to whisk her away on a new adventure. She would admit, the prospect was enticing. On top of that, he not only knew of her original, forgotten wish, but was willing to fulfill it, even knowing her personality. She had given it up as a foolish idea, a young girls silly hope that had crashed against the brutality of reality.
Now, it was dangled in front of her face, like a sweet forbidden fruit. She was very conflicted about that.
In the end, what decided it for her was the prospect of magic, a whole new world to explore and the promise of someone who would provide for her. She was a rather simple girl, or so she liked to think.
First though, there was something she needed to find out, "This being that reincarnated you, you said he was a God, right?"
He seemed puzzled, "Yes he is, why?"
She nodded, "Good, then maybe this will work."
To Damocles' visible confusion, she put together her hands and prayed.
Yasaka suppressed a frown as she saw the latest wardstone added to Kyoto's moonlit side. The large Celestial Jade chunk was covered in runes and symbols. She had just finished connecting it to the leyline of Kyoto using herself as a conduit.
The green stone glowed slightly as it channelled the natural energy of Kyoto, showing that it was ready to assist in expanding the borders of the Yokai's hidden realm. However, she could already tell, the area this Stone could maintain would not be large enough.
It was a constant problem that plagued her people, their lack of space in their hidden realm. The area was rife with Magic and Life Energy, which was amazing for the Yokai that called the realm their home, allowing them to grow much more quickly. Such a thing was a double edge sword, however.
Although they could reproduce normally, it was not the only way for Yokai to come into being. Sentimental items, discarded toys, unattended objects, all of them could become animated and eventually become a Yokai, especially in such a vibrant, Energy rich environment. This meant that even if she institute strict controls on her people's population, something she would never do, their small community would still grow naturally over time.
Thus, the need for the wardstones, to expand the boundaries of their hidden plane. Recent events have enforced the lesson, but even before then the Yokai knew the value of self-reliance. Space for homes, space for farming, space for enterprise. Every scrap of their territory had to be carefully planned for and allocated.
The Jade they were sourcing was suited to their purposes, but the energy they could channel was limited. Meaning she had to preform the ritual to create new wardstones more and more often.
As much as she hated to admit it, the Agaresite they traded for was a much better material to make the wardstones out of. Losing access to it was a blow, but it is better to deal with this inconvenience then surrender her honour.
The event between them and the Devils was an affront, a massive loss of trust and face on the part of the Devils. Yasaka had tried to be accommodating, mindful of the fact that the Devils had a Western mindset. Rather than asking for Serafall or Sirzechs to take responsibility for the events by resigning, she instead only asked for the arrest and handover of the Devils who mutilated her people.
Serafall had refused, offering significant payments, ample resources and other reimbursement, promising Yasaka that the Devils would be punished by the Devil's own justice system. It was a clear misunderstanding on behalf of the Satan. The Yokai did not care about justice, or payment. They cared about their honour, their face, and the way the situation was resolved damaged both of them.
A relationship that resulted in such a loss of face was unsustainable. So, even though it ate into to her precious, limited time, taking up moments she could have spent with her adorable daughter or leading her people, she knew better than to give into the subtle diplomatic overtures from the Underworld.
She was roused from her wandering thought by one of the charms she kept on her person warming up. She shifted from her resting position, spreading out her tails for balance as she fished it out.
'Oh...' She thought, moving to get to her feet quickly as she realised which charm this was, 'What could Lady Ameterasu want to speak to me about? It isn't time for our meeting...'
AN: Sorry for the lateness, my guys, but that mind delve scene fucked me, so hard. It just did not want to be written at all... but in the end I prevailed!
This chapter was going to end with a Damocles POV, after CC agrees to be reincarnated after her chat with Big C, but I checked the word count and decided to satisfy you thirsty bitches instead. Let me know what you think!
CC is hard to write for in her POV, I'll admit. I'm not sure I did a good job. Funnily enough, it feels a lot easier to write her when it's another character interacting with her, from their POV. Weird how that works sometimes.
The reason she relaxed so quickly with him in between the segments in her skill at people reading (700 years worth) allowed her to suss out during the explanation that he was not there to harm her.
Really nervous about how this one came out.