[007 | public | Japanese audio | text translation]

[ceiling_cat]

So we've got earthquakes again... I haven't felt any tremors over here, though. Anyone know what might be goin' on over there?

That aside... I've been stuck in here more'n long enough. Gotta keep myself entertained somehow. Anyone up for a card game? Poker, blackjack; anything but solitaire. I'm settin' up in the front hall of Latimir.

Comments

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"Around the time a ceiling fell on me," Hanekoma said, grin turning wry as he swept up his hand and glanced at it. "Shouldn't be more than another few weeks before it's back to normal."

Not bad. Two queens, couple of lower cards, king of spades to go with his queen. Without letting any reaction show on his face, he folded the two low cards together and set them face-down.

Now, what kind of favor should he ask for? The wryness shaded back to its old smirk, and he leaned back in the chair.

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

Immediately Lelouch put on a more apathetic face. If there is one thing he is good at, it is being unreadable. He's going to have to be with this hand. Three lower cards and two jacks.

"That's right. You mentioned something about being all right shortly after," he replies, also putting two of the lower cards face-down on the table.

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"Only in one more piece than usual," Hanekoma agreed with a chuckle, dealing new cards to himself and the young man. He swept up his own, grin not budging. A two and another queen.

Hmm. An honest answer to some of the questions he'd come up with would be nice... but he shouldn't start that on the first hand. After all, he didn't want to scare Lelouch out of continuing the game. It was the most excitement he'd had all week.

"Anything else," he asked, leaning back, "or you ready to show your hand?"

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

He wants to twitch. Really. He does. His new cards are a five and a two. Nothing he actually needs. Oh well. Two of a kind isn't bad. Not great... But so many things can beat that out.

He sighs and lays his cards out. No use in hiding his dissatisfaction.

"Luck isn't on my side, apparently."

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"Too bad," Hanekoma said, spreading his hand face-up on the table. "Looks like this round goes to me. So that's one favor I've won."

He grinned at Lelouch, eyes sharp, waiting to see how the young man would react before he named any specifics.

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

Lelouch sighs and straightens out his posture. Of course he's going to follow through with it. His pride demands that he always keep up his end of things. That and Sanae doesn't seem the sort to be horrible like Milly would be to him. Oh the dresses. It's enough to make him visibly shudder. Instead he pulls the scarf up to cough into it and nods.

"Now or later?"

[Commentlog] Got a 13 this time ~

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"Oh, you don't have to do it right away - wait until you're feelin' better. And there's no need to shudder. I'd like a video of the inside of that art museum." Simple, benign, easy to explain with his annoyingly long and slow recovery. He tapped their cards back into the deck and handed it back over to Lelouch.

"Your turn to deal."

[Commentlog] CRAP I need that link again

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

"I've been meaning to go there, so that's hardly a problem."

A pause as he takes the cards. And dealing.

"I was actually not shuddering at having lost. Someone back home has a habit of getting me in rather annoying situations with the entire student body after my hide..."

Oh Milly...

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

Hanekoma laughed aloud, picking up the cards Lelouch dealt him. "You didn't strike me as a schoolboy, Catnip." Pair of jacks, eight of spades, ace of hearts, two of diamonds. Not as good a hand, but it all depended on what Lelouch had dealt himself.

Smiling, he leaned back, pushing the eight, ace and two face-down towards Lelouch. "So, who's that someone? Old friend? Sibling?"

[here! (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/dice/dice.htm)]

[Commentlog] ..12 dammit

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

Oh today is not his day at all. A one, four, jack, ten, and another four. There is no winning today at all it would seem... So irritating. Good thing he doesn't show it at all in the end.

"I never finished, but believe it or not I was the vice president for the Student Council," Lelouch sighs, placing the one, jack, and ten down.

His violet eyes gaze up, very guarded. "She is a close friend. Irritating and loves making trouble."

[Commentlog] Totally not Lulu's day.

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"Ha! Nostalgic school memories, huh..." Hanekoma shook his head, tapping a finger on the face-down discards. "Three for me, Lelouch." His own school memories were faded into nearly nothing, down to ghostly impressions of tatami and brushes and a stern learned monk; his gaze slipped over Lelouch's face for a moment, remembering, and then he focused.

Smiled. "Irritatin', troublemaking and close, huh? Gotta say that rings a few bells. That type does make things more interesting, though, doesn't it?"

[Commentlog] Poor Guy. btw... check out the app section?~

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

He obediently deals out three cards to Sanae. Also takes what is given to him. "Her family and my mother's were close. When my mother was assassinated her family fell on rough times. Such is the way of nobility."

Now dealing three cards for himself. Augh. Not good either. Nothing he can use.

[Commentlog] Got it. If you signed into AIM you'd see me squeeing~

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"Shame," Hanekoma agreed, "but that's how it goes. Good of ya to stay her friend." He picked up the cards; no, nothing useful there. He was stuck with a pair of jacks.

"No point in draggin' this out, then, is there?" he said, and laid his hand down. "Jacks, one pair. You?"

[Commentlog] And Nil?

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

Sighs and puts down his cards. "Two fours..."

And a flicker to meet those sunglasses on the older man's face. Oh so serious Lulu. "Why wouldn't I? I threw my title in my father's face for a reason."

[Commentlog] Says "I will be on later to kill you with my love."

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"Not your day, is it?" Hanekoma reached out, taking the deck and tapping the cards back into it before he began to shuffle. "And I hadn't heard this about you throwin' your title anywhere." He considered, neatening the cards' edges before shuffling once more.

"Let's see... think you can get your hands on any paint for me, or give me a location likely to have any?"

[Commentlog] Might have to ask Steph for the AIM I'm on atm

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

Oops.

"That means Joshua hasn't said anything to you about me really... But when I go to the museum, I'll get paint. Any specific colors or will just the primary do?" A sigh and he's watching the shuffling. Uncomfortable, but really there's no reason not to say anything. It's not like there's a reason to stay silent.

"I was the eleventh prince, seventeenth heir to the Britannian throne. When my father did not investigate my mother's assassination, I threw away the title. It didn't sit well with him and my sister and I were used as political tools."

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"The primary'd be great - and if you can get any others, so much the better." He dealt out another round of cards to each of them, setting down the deck and picking up his hand. Lelouch's discomfort with the subject was obvious in every line of his face-- he might have a good poker face with the cards, but he didn't seem to be bothering with it for the conversation.

Not glancing at the cards just yet, he tilted his head, regarding the young man.

"So what good is a prince who's resigned as a political tool, Catnip?"

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

"An artist, are we?" A little smirk and then it fades to a frown. "It means he didn't accept that I would choose not to be his son. Instead we were sent to Japan. Hence how I met Suzaku, who is also here. He was the Prime Minister's son. It was a peaceful time, really. Until Britannia invaded. Nunnally and I faked our deaths and my friend's family sheltered us."

He picks up the cards. Frown remains, but oh so much better of a hand. A queen, ace, two kings, and a three. Setting down the three now.

"Of course that only lasted until recently."

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"Keeps me entertained," Hanekoma said, smirking and glancing down at his cards. Junk. Three, five, eight, ten, ace, covering all four suits. He pulled out the lowest three, setting them face down, and dealt new cards to himself and Lelouch.

Another three, and that was the best he had. Looked like he'd be owing Lelouch a favor this time... too bad they weren't playing a variant that made bluffing useful. Smirk unchanged, he looked back up.

"You've had an exciting life, Catnip." He arched an eyebrow at the other man. "So if that only lasted till recently... what happened then?"

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

"I much prefer chess or the violin personally..."

A king. Perfect. Though now his eyes took on a rather burning tone that had nothing to do with cards. Everything to do with the events that lead up to what this is all about. What he has to do when he returns. The promise. The future. For everything he has ever done.

"I killed him and her and took Britannia for myself. Led the army against the rest of the nations and seized them."

Puts his cards down. "Three kings."

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

Hanekoma smiled. "And what did you do then?"

He set down his hand, showing the two threes.

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

A bitter chuckle. No dice. Apparently Sanae isn't too different from Joshua after all. He's smiling, he really is as he takes up the cards to shuffle them. "There's a symbol of Justice among all the nations. A being that stands against evil, no matter the source. Suzaku is to take up that name and drive a sword through my heart for the world to see. His punishment and mine for everything."

He wins this round. But does he really. "Seems pointless to ask a man for a favor in such a state. Perhaps a painting, whenever you finish one. Should I win the next round... It will be different."

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"Hated your father enough to take yourself down with him?" Hanekoma said, folding his hands on the table. Or was it that Lelouch had wanted to take himself down too?

There was more than enough guilt there to justify the latter suggestion. He left it unspoken. This was Lelouch's own choice.

"I'll be glad to paint you something," he added, resting a hand on the back of his head. "Want it to hang on your wall, or should I just paint on the wall?"

He spread his other hand invitingly. "Your deal."

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

"If you just want to on the wall, I'm fine with that. It's bound to be better than what's already there," says this with a little huff. "Whichever at this point."

But he has the cards and starts dealing them out again. Answering it... It's so complicated.

"It's complicated. I explained it to Joshua once, but I think it bored him. I'm no better than my father, really. Using war and other people for my own goals. I wanted to crush Britannia and give Nunnally a peaceful world. One she deserved. But to do that..."

Lelouch sets down the deck and picks up his hand. Tides had turned. A royal flush.

"My methods were, are questionable. For that, even I have to pay the price. It has nothing to do with going down with my father, but everything to do with facing the consequences for my actions."

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

Hanekoma looked at Lelouch for a long moment, then shrugged. "You chose your own methods, Lelouch. I think you're smart enough to see what you were doing in advance... and you chose to do something for which you felt the consequences should be death."

He picked up his cards. Trash again. Five of diamonds, six of clubs; jack of hearts, king and ace of spades. He discarded all but the spades, sliding them face-down across the table for replacement.

"That make you the acceptable sacrifice?"