[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]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

"Shouldn't they be?"

He's not putting down any cards, but hands Sanae his. "I murdered my siblings in cold blood. My parents too. Euphemia, the only girl I ever loved and my half sister, being among those I killed personally. She doesn't... She doesn't know that. I robbed my best friend of everything. Thousands have died either at my hand or by my command. Millions, indirectly. It isn't my life that is a sacrifice, Sanae. I became the evil that the world needed so that Euphy would be forgotten in the history books. My life isn't my price for robbing so many of their free will. What I am really taking from myself is what I want: to live with Nunnally in peace. That's my price. My consequence."

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"That's your choice," Hanekoma replied, almost gently, and set his hand down face-up without looking at it. "You made it. If you aren't happy with it, maybe you ought to change it instead of justifyin' yourself to strangers."

He glanced at the cards. No useful combinations, which gave him ace of spades high.

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

He's laughing now. "It's not about my happiness. Never was."

And Lelouch starts coughing, but also shows his hand. "Royal Flush."

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"Name your favor," Hanekoma said, scooping up the cards and shuffling once more, "but catch your breath first, Catnip."

He waited until Lelouch's coughing fit had ended, then cut the cards and set them on the table. A smile, gentler than his usual, flitted across his face.

"Course it isn't," he said. "It's about punishing yourself. You said." Picking up the cards again, he began to deal, paper flowing smoothly through his fingers. "But your happiness is the only happiness you can control. You wanna stay closed in and give up on it... like I told ya, that's your choice."

"But if you don't want to, why are ya doin' it?"

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

"Ask Joshua what my ability is," Lelouch mutters, voice a little hoarse. "What I have done with it. Why I have such a hard time accepting another chance at things..."

Now... Here it goes. His mood suddenly shifts. Lelouch's eyes go sharp, as if he's analyzing every little bit of the situation at hand. "My favor is information. Who told Sho about Taboo Refinery? Before you ask, yes. I know all about it and what exactly Sho used it for. I just would like to know who taught him something like that."

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

Hanekoma's poker face slipped at that, just for a moment. He'd relied on Minamimoto's disdain for others to keep him quiet about his new information; it only made sense that the person he'd formed a bond with here, no matter how strange, would have heard about it. Bragging was a bad habit of Minamimoto's.

On the other hand... if Joshua already knew, as his comment had made clear he did, and since Lelouch was from a different world and arranging his own death in his home plane, there was nothing that the information would affect for the moment.

Lelouch was liable to pry more, but all Hanekoma had to do was end the game before the nosy kid got too much more out of him.

"I did," he said, picking up his hand and glancing over it. Two tens, three fours. After the last few, he'd been due for some decent luck.

He smiled.

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

"That tells me quite a bit already, you know."

And it's true. It means that no, he is not a Reaper. No, he is not quite adverse to having Joshua erased, though the relationship that the two seem to have has not gone unnoticed by him. It also says that Sanae is much much more than what he appears to be.

"I hope you had good reason, knowing what Sho was going to do with information like that. It's not like he hides that fact," and that is that. What he wants to know now is something entirely different and unrelated as he picks up his cards. Another crap hand. Argh.

Setting down three cards.

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"You'll have to win another hand if you want to know my reasons." Hanekoma smiled, dealing Lelouch three new cards.

"How did you get Sho so friendly with ya, anyway, Catnip? Sounds like the two of you've had a whole lot of heart-to-hearts."

Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

"You'll have to win this hand if you want to know that, Sanae," Lelouch chuckles, but cursing at his hand. Mentally, of course.

Killing time... Oh so killing time.

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"Hardly a fair trade," Hanekoma said, laying his hand down face-up. "Full house. What about you?"

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

"Actually, quite the fair trade," he mutters...

Lelouch lays down his hand. Two ones and nothing else that can give him points.

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"Well then." He chuckled, collecting the cards and handing them over to Lelouch for the deal. "Tell me, Catnip, how you and Sho got to be so friendly."

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

Sighing... Really... Luck? Why have you forsaken him? Lelouch takes the deck and starts to shuffle and cut.

"It was when I first arrived. Sho actually openly mocked me first several conversations. Then I assume he found out I essentially took over the world. We made a deal, since he told me about the chip's location. I would help him should he need it and vice versa. Assets. Nothing more. Sho told me of what he was and mostly of what he was capable of doing. I, on the other hand, told him very vague details. I lied about my power, telling him it stops time. He didn't realize until it was too late that my ability crushes free will completely. Oh he decked me for it, but otherwise... We're not friends. Partners at best, but very loosely."

A little smirk while dealing out the cards. "After all... I told Joshua where the chip was located shortly after Sho murdered him and he revived. Personally? I think it's mutual entertainment in the end."

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

There was quite a bit of interesting information in that statement. Hanekoma smiled, picking up his cards. Another stroke of luck: a pair of kings, queen of hearts, a few low cards. He discarded the two low ones.

Nice to know, if nothing else, that Lelouch wasn't above a lie to protect his own interests.

"Sounds friendly to me," he murmured, chuckling. Lelouch fit right in with the other two, didn't he? A shame he was from an alternate world.

Well, and somewhere well away from Shibuya, at that.

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

Nothing but numbers. Damn it all. Lelouch is just in silence now, ignoring it. Two cards down.

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

He picked up the two replacements - nothing. Could be worse. He laid down the hand, smiling.

"And yours?"

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

"Nothing, as per usual."

Sigh.

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"Hey now, don't despair," Hanekoma said with a chuckle. "You've won a few times."

Collecting the cards and shuffling, he fixed Lelouch with an intent stare. "Explain all your abilities to me, and don't skimp the details."

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

"Two times as compared to...? Keep your sunglasses on, please."

There's something he can chuckle at. Skimp details, hm? Why hadn't Sho thought of asking something such as that? Either way, Lelouch is popping out his contacts. Have a nice long look through the safety of your shades, Mr. H. It should be evident now...

"Geass, in its earliest form, is only a partial code given by a Code Bearer. It manifests in the eye to start with and is completely voluntary upon activation. Each person is unique. Each activation is unique. Some need only think about it. My particular Geass need eye contact. Light hits my iris and penetrates the central nervous system of the person I am attempting to use it on. It does a bit of damage to the brain, causing a bit of short-term memory loss. However, I can command the person according to my will. They might resist, but not for long. Mine only works once and no longer is voluntary. It's active at all times, Sanae. Hence the very specialized contact lenses."

Lelouch slowly replaces the contact lenses. Demonstration shouldn't be needed.

"The more you use it, the more powerful it becomes. Mine spread to both of my eyes, so I doubt that it really needs said that my Geass is quite the threat."

And the clincher.

"It works on gods as well."

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

Hanekoma nodded as Lelouch spoke, intent on the gleam of red irises through his sunglasses' protection. He could see something there, a faint pattern. Tempting, but he wasn't inclined to look any closer.

This explained why Joshua was wary of the young man. Control of others, even if only once per person, so long as it could not be resisted... and when they were all trapped on the same plane, Lelouch was no doubt right about its effectiveness. A useful skill for someone who had the brains to use it well. And yet, contact lenses blocked it, or sunglasses; that meant Lelouch must need a direct, clear line of sight to exercise the ability.

He smiled. "Ain't that interestin'."

Five cards for Lelouch, five for himself. He set the deck down at the center of the table and picked up his hand.

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

"I suppose, but the little factors and rules I had to learn on my own," Lelouch says, an eyebrow cocked.

Three sixes, an ace, and a king. Lelouch places both cards face down.

"My predecessor didn't tell me much of anything. Not that she really had the chance upon being shot."

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"Your predecessor bein' that code bearer you mentioned?" Hanekoma prompted, glancing at his cards. Two jacks, a few lower cards. He discarded the three low ones and dealt himself and Lelouch replacements.

Nothing better. Oh well, he'd won hands with worse, he thought, and set his hand down face-up. "Pair of jacks."

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

"Four sixes," he states, laying the cards down himself.

And picking the cards back up himself. "Code Bearers lose their Geass ability. In exchange, they get immortality, access to the World of C, and can connect with the thoughts of others through touch. Naturally they can also give a partial Code to another. But, yes. She gave me the ability in a do or die situation... One in which she took a bullet for me."

Shuffling and dealing. "Now for my question... What exactly is the true relationship between you and Joshua? There's obviously more to it."

[Commentlog]

[greatcuppajoe.livejournal.com]

"World of C?" he asked, casting Lelouch a curious glance before settling back in his chair to consider the young man's question.

"Now, that's gonna be a long answer," he said, gaze resting thoughtfully on the cards as they ruffled through Lelouch's fingers. "Narrow it down for me a little: you talkin' about the professional or personal side of the relationship?"

[Commentlog]

[eyesofgeass.livejournal.com]

"So was mine..." A sigh and going to go ahead. "It's basically the realm of god, or the streaming consciousness of everyone that has exited and currently exists. You cannot hide anything there, really."

He picks his cards up to take a look. Not bad really. Just a regular straight. "You're not a Reaper, so that either means you are at the Composer level or something higher. So, no... I'm more interested in personal."