2023-06-13: Memory Thieves - Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin
- Cast: C.C., Kaworu Nagisa
- Where: New Yark Wasteland
- Date: U.C. 0097 06 13
- Summary: The Black Book of Carmarthen, Prologue. Two 'stagehands' descend upon the theater that is Paradigm City.
<Pose Tracker> C.C. has posed.
...Paradigm, the City of Amnesia.
Forty years ago, everyone living within lost their memory. Living in a crumbling world few of them understood, they nonetheless continued to get by, as human nature is like to do.
Once, this city was grand and towering, the ideal metropolis reaching for the heavens. And yet, it lies in ruin everywhere you look. Shattered glass, crumbling edifices, listing skyscrapers...a monument weathered by the sands of time, meaning and purpose forgotten.
"Except you know as well as I do that it doesn't really all add up."
A speakeasy in the rough and tumble spans between Paradigm's domes - quiet, unassuming, and home to the best cocktails in the city - or so the rumors go.
"Forty years since every memory was lost - and yet, the city this stage was based upon was brought to ruin a mere seven ago. Time can be a perplexing mistress, and heavens know I've lost track of thirty three years here and there, but at the minimum, it leaves us with a few options, in unearthing the 'truth'."
At the back corner of the bar, nearest to the darts and billiards, the dame of the bar takes an ordinary chair as her throne. Cascading green hair, half in a twirling drill, beneath a lacy black hat and plunging, silky evening gown, legs crossed over one another.
They all just know her as 'C.C.', someone who can exist in this place as though she's been in here forever.
Behind her, a bearded man with orange-tinged glasses and earbuds makes at simply reading the newspaper. ...no - he's earnestly reading it, though perhaps between the lines. The stories printed on the page are not the entire tale - what really provides information is 'why it would be printed' - and for that matter, what isn't being written.
They all just now him as 'Big Ear', someone who has been in here forever, even though it's nearly impossible to confirm he exists.
Two glasses of wine await on C.C.'s table - the witch swirling one and continuing to speak - whether to her informant, or to her guest who has yet to arrive in person - here, it seems, as long as your destination is inevitable, the narrator will find you in some way.
"Whoever made this space wants their precious limited span to last as long as possible."
"Whoever made this space wants to turn back time, before it all went wrong."
"Whoever made this space wants a world it's safe to tell lies in."
A single sip of wine, before C.C. flashes the tiniest of smiles upwards.
"...well, knowing enough about human emotions, unfortunately, we can't discount that it's all three of them, either.~"
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
"Indeed. Time isn't as concrete as Lilim conceive it to be, but it's quite the discrepancy even by their standards."
Where C.C. is clad in lace and silk, all in black like the witch she's purported to be, all mystery and seduction and untouchableness wrapped in one, the silver-haired young man who strolls over to her table is clad in... a business suit. It is a bit unusual in some ways--his purple tie, striped at the end in green, ends flat rather than pointed, like a scarf. The tie pin attached to it is a little rounded. And his cufflinks are not just round but a little pointed on one end, with a pair of indents higher up, almost as if they were faces. And of course, there's his silver hair and bloodred eyes.
But compared to C.C., he looks downright normal. Maybe in this world, that makes him all the more abnormal. If he really were normal, would he be so at ease?
As he sits across from the Code, he gives a long, lingering look to the man with the newspaper sitting behind C.C. at another table. Then he redirects his smile back at her. "The Lilim heart is complex. It could easily be all three--or perhaps something else entirely. Without knowing the heart that's behind this anomaly, all we can do is guess."
Though the narrator has invited him to join her in dialogue, he doesn't touch the glass of wine before him. He simply crosses his legs and considers the speakeasy around them. "In a sense, it's not unlike Akane's world. But I don't think Alexis Kerib has anything to do with this. It's similar only because of the nature of cognition and the fragility of the human heart, not because of the participants involved." He smiles back at his companion. "That's what I believe. What is your belief?"
<Pose Tracker> C.C. has posed.
The brief trepidation thrown Big Ear's way incites C.C. to waggle a hand in the air a little -eyes closed meditatively. "Ah, yes - this here's the most useful local. An independent information broker of the highest caliber - information is something like currency here. 'Memories' are talked about like relics, caches to be unearthed. Generally, I think everything will go by smoother if he knows as much as possible. It stimulates the 'economy', so to speak. The challenge in this world won't be to keep the right things secret - it'll be to lift the fog with as much truth as possible."
C.C. gives Kaworu a little more of a sizing up, a smirk as she catches the little details, down to a barely contained laugh at the cufflinks. "That's straight to the point indeed. Last time, it wasn't especially hard to 'find' the culprit of this - they almost wanted to be found. I could feel them both as a nexus of pressure, even before they made their moves. Here...it's hard to see all that far. It all makes sense, given the themes at play."
"After all - last time, if you looked over the horizon, you saw them. Looming large and unmistakeable. The kaiju that repaired everything were out there in the open. They were pain that wanted to be recognized."
From over her shoulder, C.C. snatches a single little photograph from Big Ear, flipping it over between thumb and forefinger, before passing it Kaworu's way. It's fuzzy and imprecise - the technology level of this bubble is much shakier, and evocative of a genre much older than just 40 years ago, with everything looking very pre-Universal Century in general. But the subject of the photo holds similar weight to the kaiju of Tsutsujidai - a massive dark giant with a mask-like face, stout and sturdy with colossal shield arms looming over the skyline.
"...Hehe. Whereas the kaiju there were 'invisible to those who didn't want to look' - fitting for someone dealing with a pain only a few could truly resolve - here, they scurry away, back to some unknowable corner of the theater. The 'Black Megadeus', as the locals call it, is an oh so enigmatic titan of judgment that appears in times of crisis in a flash, rising from the depths of the earth to grapple monsters into submission, causing quite a lot of collateral damage in the process - only to tunnel back downwards, leaving nothing behind but peaceful destruction."
A little pause, a finger at C.C.'s lips. "...So it's obvious that you're right on the ball. If anything, I'd say a trouble our leading star endures is a desire to, perhaps, 'escape' from fame. They may have been a highly public figure before becoming the center of this world, and they want a place where they could be ignored more easily. ...If that were all there was to it, though, I don't think this 'knot' would form the way it has. If I can vanish, surely some celebrity or politician could manage. Or maybe I'm overestimating them. By this point, you should only take my 'belief' about human nature so far. Like a bird within a clock - able to observe every inner working and meshing of gears to their ultimate purpose, yet utterly unaware that they all amount to tracking the rise and fall of the sun to an outside observer."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
It isn't trepidation so much as consideration--but the introduction, as it were, is welcome all the same. "I see. Then I won't hold back," Kaworu replies, looking back to Big Ear and giving him a polite-to-friendly sort of nod, before adding, "as much as usual."
He smiles as he says it. Is he joking or being serious? Well... why not both? He is a being of two worlds, after all.
Or else maybe he's smiling at C.C.'s reaction to his outfit. It's an outfit he wears often in his capacity as administrator of NERV, but the little details often go overlooked. Her, though... She would appreciate the little subtleties.
His smile turns a bit rueful. They almost wanted to be found... Yes. Akane's heart was full of contradictions like that. The Venora were both hidden and out in the open. Here, though... "I've heard of Paradigm City before, but I can't say I'm especially familiar with it. There's a man from here who works with NERV... a negotiator by the name of Roger Smith. But I largely only know him by association."
That photograph flicks across the table, coming to a rest before him. As C.C. explains the details, he picks it up and considers its fuzzy details. He hums in quiet contemplation. 'Megadeus' is what they call the local variation of mobile suits, he knows. But this one in particular, the Black Megadeus... arriving to do battle, and leaving immediately afterwards... He chuckles a bit at C.C.'s jab about collateral damage. "That's simply the reality of being large in a world of small lifeforms."
But that's beside the point. After a moment, he sets the photo down and regards her anew. "It does seem like it would be insufficient on its own," he agrees. "But I suspect we have too little information on the matter to say for certain right now. When it came to Tsutsujidai, Akane was very easy to find. I don't think it will be that simple here."
He tilts his head slightly. "I am curious what draws you here, though. It is a fascinating place, but you and I are both familiar with these sorts of worlds. Even with the veils of mystery that shroud it, it shouldn't be especially stimulating to you." He pauses. "Perhaps... it's because you know it's drawn his interest?"
<Pose Tracker> C.C. has posed.
Twilight turns to evening, streetlamps flickering on the public avenues outside. Passersby are rare, really - Paradigm stretches out across the desolate land, yet the dust chokes within as well. The oases of the wealthy, the domes that cluster the city's surface, meander through the sea of lawlessness. It's as though those structures mark the literal spheres of influence - a sign that how much the powerful care only extends so far. Beyond, it's rare to be completely safe. Bodyguards for hire make good money in this town.
"The gentle knocking of the outside world," C.C. muses, tracing her red-painted fingertip along the rim of her wine glass, in tune with the baleful bluesy saxophone of the two-man band playing music in this venue.
"Sadly, I knew all too well when they came here. And unfortunately, I'm not quite here just because it 'interests' me. I know, I know, how awful. Me, taking a little bit of responsibility? It can't possibly end well."
Of course, C.C. didn't pick this venue just because of one man, just because of the ambiance, just because of the location. The true motivation she chose to meet Kaworu here, specifically, is for the most important reason of all.
...From the small kitchen at the back, the chef emerges with a piping hot reward - a thin but large disc of pizza with a festival of toppings in myriad colors on its cheesy surface.
"After all, when someone fundamentally selfish tries to do something for another's sake-" One slice is lifted above C.C.'s head, its oils glinting in the dim lighting. A slight frown crosses C.C.'s lips - it's oh so very flat and floppy. She's argued with someone about this city's style of pizza before - even if it's not the same city, some things never truly change.
She takes a bite, and sighs. "It never feels like 'enough', and selfish little witches give it the kind of half-hearted effort that they'd rather revoke later."
"At the end of it all, I'm nosy and want to have everything just my way. And unfortunately, when it comes to what others would want with this city, when I could easily let it alone...I have to step in myself and make sure things don't turn out like Tsutsujidai without anyone to slow its motion. It just haaaad to be a stage that would devour its audience and twist inside out, didn't it?"
"Oh, but don't make the mistake of thinking I'm doing everything myself. No...I'm just making sure the actors and stagehands alike actually get the show moving, so I can point my finger at the playwright when they start nodding along."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Kaworu had once said that the hope of mankind is lined with sorrow. Nowhere is that more evident than right here. As the last vestiges of light fade out, leaving behind only a deepening dark, Kaworu leans back in his seat and watches through a nearby window, humming near soundlessly along to the jazz band in the corner. The scent of melted cheese and baked tomato sauce heralds the arrival of C.C.'s very favorite food, but Kaworu pays that no mind. She offers him none; he requests none. Both of them are content that way.
"It doesn't seem like you, no," he agrees mildly, of selfish C.C. taking responsibility. His red eyes turn considering, even a little melancholic, as she speaks of selfish people doing selfless acts never feeling like 'enough.' The rest, at least, has the courtesy not to resonate.
At the end of her explanation, he looks back at her and nods once. "It would seem difficult at best for you to arrange everything on your own. If you want to take control of the fate of this city while still remaining in the shadows, you would need to have someone take action on your behalf," he agrees.
"Incidentally, what's your relationship with Lelouch Lamperouge?"
<Pose Tracker> C.C. has posed.
Can C.C. play off the hiccup in thought that comes when Kaworu mentions Lelouch's name? She just said not too long ago that truths are more important than secrets here - and then, all the sudden, Kaworu touches on the only secret C.C. thought anyone would inquire about. Though it's a bit different when it's someone else's secret, compared to her own.
"What a surprising little question. More direct than expected. Well, if you want the shortest answer - he's the guy with the spare bed I lucked into using.~ Getting in on the silly school gossip over at Ashford, are we?~ Honestly-" Rolling her slice into a tubelike shape, C.C. slips the second piece of pizza right between her lips, and patently inhales the thing. She's had enough stints at overly fussy overly classy noble stuff to know how to eat without looking like she's chewing too much.
"Sometimes I worry I'm being awfully immature making myself out as a student, much as my circumstances are tragic," Third piece of pizza down. Something may tell Kaworu she's at least in some ways taking advantage of that trait, especially if the ways the likes of Misato and Ritsuko grouse about the health woes of recently getting a bit older are any sign.
"Maybe it's different for you, since you're the same each time, so you can justify it a little easier, but it's not like either of us are there to learn. We're there because our fates just so happen to coincide with those who have a dangerously intense after-school hobby."
The wine glass descends down to the tiniest of puddles at the bottom - and C.C. instead opts for a simple glass of ice water in its stead. "I wonder what spurs you to ask about him, in turn.~"
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
If there's any catch in C.C.'s demeanor, Kaworu would catch it--but there probably isn't. She's too good at lying, and he's too bad at detecting lies. Were it not for that school life the three of them share, he probably wouldn't know at all. But they do, and so he does--though it's not because of school gossip.
Consequently, he chuckles a little. "I've been curious about him for some time now, ever since I saw you talking together at Kyushu. Anyone you've taken an interest in is certain to be a fascinating individuals. He has a very sweet sister as well." C.C. may well have heard from Nunnally about Kaworu, even, in particular the way he helped her out with the crossdressing pageant during last year's Deculture Festival.
"But... so I see," he continues. "So you're living with him. That makes sense. When I asked him about you, he said your relationship was 'a complicated one that involves heritage and problems at home.' If you live with him, I imagine you are a problem at home for him."
He speaks as she eats--it's only polite to let her have a chance to savor her meal and not have to suck it down so she can speak. She speaks anyway, acknowedging she's far too old to be a student. But that's the appearance both of them take, as C.C. points out. (She may be taking gross advantage of this on her end, but it's not something he thinks much on for precisely that reason she brings up.) Kaworu acknowledges this in turn with a slight shrug.
"Quite true. There isn't anything in the Japanese middle school second year curriculum that I don't already know, and I've already had a chance to peek ahead on the high school curriculum via Tsutsujidai High School," he replies. "But I don't mind it, as long as I can be close to him."
A different 'him,' now. But Kaworu leaves it at that for the time being. After all, C.C. has just implicitly admitted that Lelouch is far more than an ordinary high school student. He already guessed as much, but... Kaworu expects he'll see much more of that in the future.
"I suppose I should ask, to make it clear to both of us... What were you hoping from me by inviting me here?" he wonders. "I certainly don't begrudge the invitation--I have my own business with this city--but don't you fear my presence will only set your own designs awry?" A pause, and his slight smile broadens. "...Or is that precisely what you're hoping for, C.C.?"
<Pose Tracker> C.C. has posed.
"You have an odd definition of awry," C.C. states plainly, nudging the straw in her cup at Kaworu's direction. "If anything, you're the definition of consistency. Everything that happens in your life is so static and stable that, well - I'm shocked you haven't gotten utterly sick of it."
A pause, as C.C. realizes she's comparing her own circumstances to Kaworu's a little carelessly. "...But then, for all I know, what you're doing right now is being sick of what's come in parallel..."
A little pessimistic click of the tongue. "I suppose just the fact that we're on the same page that something has to be done, and the shared knowledge of our approaches to that something, no matter if they diverge or not, is all I really wanted. I'd say it's impossible for either of us to surprise each other, but that's probably a lie. It's likely impossible for me to surprise you - and yet, you hold my attention precisely for being unusual. Yes, that's probably why I keep tabs on you."
"Because at the end of the day, even something tiny, something meaningless - is something you know every in and out of in my case. You've had the chance to ask me every question I could possibly answer - I could barely know a fraction of it, nor know what I've possibly asked as well."
C.C. really stews in that for a second...and then her expression ever so slightly sours. "...Right. I forget that the way our circumstances differ means that I've just as well given you a thorough profile of Lelouch. Or are you asking me this because it's the rare script I'm around that boy...? Hm. If it's the latter, I suppose the thing I called 'fate' just a second ago is really just a coincidental passing interest that I didn't see any other time. That's interesting in its own right."
Another slice deftly twirled into a length-ways tube, taken in two bites, before C.C. wipes her lips daintily. "...You're a responsible person, though. I take it you won't tell me anything about the possibilities until I've already unearthed them. It's good that you made a habit of that, in the end - I'd get utterly impatient. Much as this city makes me terribly the same way - soon enough I have a 'date' at the reservoir, to see if my acts alone can draw out the Megadeus, just to see for myself what rules Paradigm works by."
A little envelope is handed right back to Big Ear over C.C.'s shoulder, right on cue.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Kaworu expression strains, visible in the corners of his eyes. "It is... stressful, sometimes," he admits quietly--a rare confession indeed. She's probably the one person likeliest to understand how he feels, though, even if they aren't the same. Because... she understands the cycle itself.
"But as I said--I'm content as long as I can be with him." Peace returns to his smile as he shuts his eyes. "Even if the scenario remains unbroken, enough changes each time that even I can't be completely certain of everything. Even I've challenged myself over time. I can't say I'm exactly the same as I was when I began... and it's all thanks to him."
His eyelashes flutter open. "...But that isn't really what I meant. Still, if that's your answer, that tells me what I wanted to know."
Not that he's against a more detailed explanation. There's some humor to his smile as it grows while he listens to it. "I don't think it's impossible. Improbable, certainly. But you and I come from different worlds. We only have a chance to meet when those worlds intersect, as they do now. It happens less frequently than you might assume."
It might reassure C.C., and it might not. It's certainly an answer to her question, one more honest on his own circumstances than Kaworu usually is. But that's only because it's not something most would comprehend. He nods as she describes Lelouch as a coincidental passing interest and takes this on its face. "I see. I look forward to getting to know him and his sister better. They seem kind, despite how fate has marked them."
As far as the possibilities goes... if C.C. would rather he not share, Kaworu will certainly keep it to himself. He only continues to smile, until she mentions her upcoming 'date.' "I hope you don't mind if I keep an eye on the proceedings myself. I will whether you do or not, but it would be good to be able to cooperate on this. I enjoy your company--" his eyes shut again as his smile widens, "and it sounds like you enjoy mine as well."
He glances slightly to the side as that envelope goes over her shoulder. "...though it isn't for anyone's company that I've been ordered here." He meets her eyes anew. "But I imagine you intuited as much already."
And if she hadn't--his deliberate mention of being ordered might well give her a tip.