2022-12-21: In The Shadow Of The Warden
- Cast: Lelouch Lamperouge, Orpheus Zevon, C.C.
- Where: A Shogi Parlor, Tsutsujidai
- Date: U.C. 0096 12 21
- Summary: The scattering smatter of Black Knights begin to reconvene and plan.
<Pose Tracker> Lelouch Lamperouge has posed.
It really never stopped raining. He couldn't complain about it, much. Humid, yes. A strange sky, yes. A shogi parlor that was completely accepting of strange meetings and reservations, yes. It was only a small miracle that it had a chessboard and people cheeky enough to be overconfident about their skill in such. Well, give and take, tug on their egos, reel them in, play a few, sacrifice a few, and build up a healthy stock of trust and knowledge.
Trust that was paying off right now, a reservation in one of the backrooms. There was a deaddrop in downtown; A mark, the carefully haphazard brush of a numerical Zero with a geass symbol overlaid on it, and some hastily written notes on the bottom. Simple decoding. Show parlor. Late evening. Meet there.
That being said, of course, he didn't reserve it with his real name. Textbook. Zero was there, sitting down leisurely and waiting, an empty tea cup sitting near him. Wrapped in one of Brittania's own cloaks (though whether it was commandeered from the nearby encampment or not was a mystery all on its own), he waited.
...What vexing weather. Maybe if he hadn't taken this trip, he';d be able to take advantage of this chaos back on Earth.
<Pose Tracker> C.C. has posed.
The deaddrop is, of course, not for C.C.'s benefit. She'll know. She always seems to. Perhaps the way she keeps track of things can be gleaned by the strange frequency with which she's in the corner of one's eye - lurking on a balcony, or behind a streetlamp, or upon a traffic signal. Just barely out of sight - baleful and placid if directly gazed upon. She knows.
Of course, she's careful to keep her distance from Lelouch when he is Lelouch - it wouldn't do for 'Zero's mistress' to be quite clearly at his side. But here, in this tucked away back room?
A plate with pizza upon it clatters next to the teacup, as C.C sidles into Zero's comfort...reaching over him every time she intends to retrieve a slice. She's in a tight and slinky evening dress with the color and iridescence of an oil slick, black with a faint rainbow shimmer when it catches the light...
"...It'd be funny if he didn't show, and we accidentally rented out this cozy little room all to ourselves for the night, hmmm?"
<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.
For a time, Orpheus Zeveles would have been out of the sight of most Ashford Students a week prior to the events of the Collapse. Even to the Black Knights he had simply informed those that he was handling separate business at the time. So for his presence to be noted likely would have raised a few brows.
Even now, there was a slight disbelief that others had been caught up in the chaos like himself. Sure he had known the GUTs event would have those from all over arriving, though for anyone to have expected what would follow it. The imprisoning of those from all backgrounds and corners of life.
Though, even more than being surprised at the arrival of Kallen and C.C. within the confines of Tsutsujidai was the notice that a certain Man of Miracles too had found himself within this world's clutches. At first, he simply thought that there was no way that person would have needed to make themselves present in this place, though as the coded message appeared, and even he was able to decode it himself...
'...It'd be funny if he didn't show, and we accidentally rented out this cozy little room all to ourselves for the night, hmmm?'
"If I'm intruding on something, I'll be more than happy to leave..." A familiarly blunt tone crept in as the door to the room opened. A familiar face of contracted help arriving with a face that was too hard not to know. Blonde hair tied down to his shoulder, emerald green gaze, a beauty mark under his right eye, and as per usual, one of the very few people beside a certain mistress that chose to never really get dressed up in the Black Knight's uniform if not necessary. If anything, his attire appeared more casual to his appearance. The robe-like attire tucked into his pants, tightened down by a purple sash, the red cloth adorned around his forehead. In truth he really looked more like a nomad if anything, though all the same it was his attire of choice.
He'd make his way to the seat opposite their own, casually looking over the both of them before letting out a small sigh. "I had assumed that when I spotted this one at the hospital that there was a possibility you might have ended up stuck here as well. Though to say I'm not fully surprised would be a lie."
<Pose Tracker> Lelouch Lamperouge has posed.
He easily skips over the topic of C.C.'s dress. It's part of the charm, and to be frank, he didn't particularly care. She was a witch that was both dragging him along and being dragged along for the ride. What with the chessboard in front (and having no mouthhole on this helmet, to boot), there was no proper way to eat pizza while enacting this meeting.
...This did raise the question of where this particular pizza is from, something to ask at a later juncture.
"Pay it no mind. We cannot exactly have a...fruitful meeting without her input." As damnable as it could be. "I thought there'd be others stuck in this city, but without any communications, the best we can do is have those deaddrops around town. I trust you've seen one." Indeed, he didn't stop at one. No, multiple ones around town; Alleyways, stuck onto one of those strange outliers, where one surmised a person trying to find something would eventually come across something else. The usual tricks.
"It's an unfortunate reality that we're stuck in a situation out of our will, Oz." He sounded almost resigned to it; Strangeness in Tsutsujidai? Who would've thought. "Have you seen anyone else of our..." A glance cast to the wall. Never hurts to be careful, if these places are so dangerously thin. "Group?"
<Pose Tracker> C.C. has posed.
C.C. cranes her head over her shoulder as Orpheus arrives, stretching laguidly upwards and mogu-mogu-ing her pizza while Lelouch establishes the pertinent topic at hand. "Honestly, I'd have maybe preferred not to get Zero roped into all this, but it could be said that the 'prisoners' called him here, while my own business is with the 'warden'."
Eyes flicker meaningfully towards Oz. "...Have you seen either of them? I've been in and out of here aplenty, and had a few passing glances at Shinjo - she might still think I was made by this place, however. As for the...'devil', I'd been avoiding him thus far, but things will have to be settled..."
A brief flickering of eyes, before shifting to Zero's helmet. She knows exactly where to look to meet eyes there, too. "Oh, if you mean Kallen, I've seen her around. I wanted to see how she'd act in isolation, since she's usually very wary and guarded. If you mean...most of the rest, few other familiar faces are here, at least so far." Then, fully lazing upon her back, legs crossed, hair tumbling down the side of her chair.
"The real question is what brand of trouble to raise. Depending on how this situation unfolds, it may fall to me to get us out of here...but I'd need quite the strategist to defend me during such a jailbreak~"
<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.
As Zero finally speaks, Oz helps himself to one of the cups of tea provided at the table. A moment is given to take in the fragrance first. Black? Green? Had it been prepared with leaves or a teabag? What was the coloration? He goes through the steps almost as if he were a regal Britannian Noble. A gesture that more than surely a few of the true Black Knights might have found irritating on principle alone.
It's only when Zero makes mention concerning C.C.'s input being fruitful does he...Well, even while indulging in the tea, his eyes seem to have some thoughts on the matter. He keeps them withheld to just eye gestures for the time being as he answers the first question. "A few actually. I've been needing to traverse the town on occasion so I did spot a few in my travels. As for if I've seen anyone else..."
His gaze returns back to C.C. for a moment, before simply nodding along, "Just like she said. The only person I've seen beyond you two, was when I noted Q-1 was there with your friend right here. At the time, I had assumed they intentionally met up. Though there wasn't much opportunity at the time to talk. There were a decent number of civilians. At the very least, we agreed to meet at another time in the following days."
Oz takes another sip before lowering his cup and begins to lean back into his chair. "I wasn't made aware that you were affiliated with Shinjo. Though if your business is with her..."
There's a solemn look on his face, looking down at the floor for a moment before turning his head up again. "For now, you should assume that any contact with that girl is impossible if she doesn't desire it, and as far as I know...The only thing she desires now is solitude." The emphasis on that final word is pungent.
A brow is raised as she brings mention to a jailbreak. To which if she's alluding to what he believes she means, "The only people that Akane Shinjo was aware of that could get others out would be 3G...I'd ask how the hell you would know how to get out of here...But I'll refrain from now. All I'll say is that if you can get us out. That should be your priority.There's no guarantee how stable this place is, and more than that..."
'I don't mind if you make sure, though. Do whatever you want to protect your stupid secrets.'
'And if I wanted to make sure to protect my secrets before we say goodbye...What do you think I'd do?'
'You'd kill me. That's how these things go. If you wanted to be sure, you could just kill me. That'd solve pretty much everything.'
"...We should assume if any bad actors reach Akane Shinjo, she won't be able to stop them from destroying this space..." The look on his face shows as if this is nearly a universal fact, a grim truth that he's more than aware of at the moment. "So for the time being I believe that might be imperative to be our long-term goal. As for the short term. I guess should inquire...Were either of you two able to bring supplies here?"
<Pose Tracker> Lelouch Lamperouge has posed.
"Unfortunately, that's what we're dealing with. If the Warden of this place refuses to be taken down, then we cannot do anything but to assist in the prison break." Transferring so easily to talks of imprisonment and breakouts, merely physical ones rather than pure metaphors. The revelation that C.C. knew them were...well, he expected that. "If there's any details you're hiding, C.C., now's the time to offer penance." Or just keep being yourself.
His gaze matched the Witch's own, brow furrowing. A dependable one, at minimum. "We're both luckier and worse off than expected." Granted, no one could predict a total dimensional closure. It was akin to bringing a butcher's knife to a board, not playing the board itself.
A perverse rip of everything, to be sure.
"Make the drops known to those in our group. At the very least, there's a few spots in the outer banks where no one treads. If you're saying that the Warden has eyes everywhere, then we must do our best to not be noticed." Or maybe they have. It's an operational risk, but its best to rest on familiar movements. Familiar emotions. Being cut off from everything was so...disquieting, in a sense.
...Nunally was going to be okay. Just believe in that.
Shinjo is assumed to be the "prisoner". "We may have to deal with her, but we're not here for her. It is the person beyond which we need to think about, not the puppethead in front." A puppeteer and the marionette. "Just say what you need, C.C.. We're already on a timelimit as it is." Namely, rations. Food. The confines of being stuck. Away from your loved ones. It didn't take a genius to see the obvious cracks one could poke a tree into.
"In the short term, Oz, there's a few things of note." A single finger. "The outer banks are the best place to find somewhere slightly long-term. I don't know how deep it reaches, and we can't exactly be seen as a group." A second finger. "The Britannian encampment has armaments. If the worst is to happen, I don't believe any of them would give a large leap of logic to the worst." Area 11. A third finger. "This is, fortunately, a goldmine. 3G, the higher heads of GUTS, NERV, and other such organizations are in here. With the situation at hand, they may be forced to reveal their hands earlier than expected...Or be forced to bring other people on board." The thought of an olive branch. There's sympathizers here. "Hook yourselves in. We can't let such a chance pass us by."
Even in the worst possible situation, there were pieces to establish.
<Pose Tracker> C.C. has posed.
"Well. I can't say I 'know' them very well," C.C. interjects about the broader metaphysical situation. "More like...I recognize that they are important to the core of this place. A single otherwise ordinary girl, Akane Shinjo...and a more elusive, more dangerous creature - the puppetmaster - of the sort that could actually create dimensionally isolated pocket worlds." Her head cranes sideways, consciously eying only Orpheus - "Unless that's a normal and trendy thing for young girls to do these days? I'll admit I'm not up to date on current fashions."
Shifting instead to bend forward, hands folded beneath her chin, "Well. I wouldn't say I can just 'get out'. More that I think a place like this should have some sort of seam. A space that if you prodded just right - and then pulled and pulled and pulled, like carefully unweaving a garment, you could unfurl the whole thing. ...I've dealt with something like this...a handful of times. Unfortunately, the nature of our foe is that it's something that's been actively creating kaiju, so what we may actually require is assessing the military strength needed to kill that thing. I'll see if I can do it with nothing but my pluck and vigor, but I suspect I'll be a liiiiittle outmatched on my own two feet."
One finger raised. "Yes, a Britannian encampment...I think it'd be amusing to see how they've advanced, assuming a task force has been brought here. Ideally we can kill two birds with one stone and secure our own armaments from their...'generosity'.~"
<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.
A small sigh escapes his lips, "A prison break? How apt..." Another thought comes to mind, of a time long ago. All the same Oz nods in acknowledgement of the command. "I'll try to spread the news with caution. Though, I'd hope those here would have picked up on it by now...Though I guess that one might need a hand...What was his name...Tamago? Tamako? " Tamaki.
The point is, I was already handling something that required constant traversal of the city, so it works regardless."
At this point Oz continues to wait as Zero lists out the objectives as he sees them. He doesn't add any notes till the end.
"If we're going to use the outer banks, I'd like to confirm the situation with the space myself. During the events that transpired with that last Kaiju, supposedly there were whispers of other attacks going on around the city, one that also occurred near the ports. I can try to investigate on my own later if need be, though using unfamiliar territory without knowing its strengths and weaknesses rubs me the wrong way. In the meantime..."
Oz reaches into his pocket to pull out several folded sheets of paper. "I'd have kept it digital, but I can't guarantee how long we'll have power for. That said, I've mapped out a decent amount of the city for prior work, but I haven't confirmed if the outer banks are truly secure. I can probably find a few places for us to relocate to. Perhaps some warehouses since that does seem to be the Black Knights favored choice... Unfortunately, we likely can't escape the eye of the 'warden'. Though, truth be told, I think he cares very little for us at the moment compared to other fish he's found in this pond."
As the mention came to the possibility of the Britannian encampment...All of a sudden, there's a smile on Oz's face. It's a rather...Familiar one. Not because of the look, at least for Zero, though perhaps more in feeling? Though for C.C. she's surely seen that malevolent look on another young man's face before when the topic of Britannia has come up.
"I don't quite mind if they jump to conclusions like that. Or rather, I wouldn't expect anything less of them. That said, I do have a few ideas in mind both subtle and...Not so subtle in acquiring arms from them. But for once, I think C.C. and I can agree on something. If we decide to partake in their 'generosity'... All I need is a second KMF, an extra energy filler, and a unit ready to hi-jack as many of them as possible."
He sounds truly reassured in his own plan as he makes the suggestion. Though when it involved Britannian facility raids, Oz never seemed to shy away regardless of the amount of backup he had available.
As for the other groups..."
There's a settling of that expression finally. A small inhale taken as he reaches for the tea once more A gentle sip before he speaks up.
"While we have allied with at least NERV in the past to protect Japan from attack. I imagine it'd be difficult for them to consult with us even here, so long as there's the possibility that Britannia might squeal about it later on. From what I understand, Charles' sponsorship for NERV runs deep.As for GUTs...I'd leave that point of contact to Q-1. She's on better terms with the Ashford students than I am. If you're hoping to get the collaboration GUTs, I imagine being on the good side of either that president or vice president will make the difference. As for 3G...Nothing to add beyond Akane Shinjo's recommendation of them."
BBSYS: Post 554, 'All The Monsters Are Here' has been published to Cutscenes & Logs by The Fahrzeug Conspiracy.
<Pose Tracker> Lelouch Lamperouge has posed.
The broad assessment is catalogued. A queen and the king. A prisoner and its warden. The various establishments of someone important, and someone behind that person. That being said... "...I would not say we're out of the realm of fantastical things relating to dimensional imprisoners, but it is a slightly tall order from our current states." A lean back, hand shifting to rest on his head. "That doesn't mean we're not going to try."
"So long as you don't trip and fall in some endless hole." The sole quip for C.C.: Do as you like, but don't screw up. ...Granted, it'd be slightly hilarious, but still.
"Mhm. Good work." People doing their own outreach was already a step forward. The more links in this juncture, the better.
A small nod toward the blonde, accepting those papers and sprawling them out on the table. Taking a pen (usually reserved for marking the agreement on bets so neither side could dispute the amount) and marking a few specific junctures; Warehouses that were particularly separated from the main streets, openings with large valleys of terrain, and general places of "Black Knight Base" interest, before folding them back up and handing them back to Oz. "The warden is someone to keep stock of, but if he's looking elsewhere, then its our best chance." This feeling is familiar, brazenly so. It reminded him of...his father. The same sort of overarching panopticon that casts a shadow down whenever one is in the vicinity.
"A KMF may be hard to procure from anywhere other than the encampment. Our best bet is our usual; Smash and grab, confuse and disorient." Par for the course for guerilla warfare. "Considering the amount of hostility this will make, the sooner the better." A risky bet, to stoke the flames the tiniest bit.
Yet, it was a chance. It was a chance all the same, and the view of Britannians were not so bright as to be optimistic. They were sacrifices, if push came to shove.
...Maybe he should tweak this for tea, once they're all out.
That damn Charles. "GUTS is the best choice, then. We will have to be wary of the ones who align with the Britannian cause, but having the trust of those in the schools will be an aid in the long run."
<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.
"Indeed. If anything will be fantastical perhaps it'll be seeing how this one reacts when she realizes that this space runs out of pizza." Oz is pretty sure since the time that he's met this girl all she's met was pizza. If she's had otherwise it was surely when he wasn't around. So there is a hint of curiosity of what she'll scrounge up once the conditions in the city become a bit more restricted in food choices.
As for Zero, he neither seems to take much appreciation for the compliment, nor deferment of it. He just simply takes it as part of the job. It's only when he receives the plans back does he start looking them over, a slow nod ensuing."For the time being I think we can continue to use the deaddrops to reach out to those dragged in here, and then re-locate them to the necessary points. Might annoy some people, but at the very least if the location from it becomes compromised, it's better than an outright spotting of our actual locations. Also...I'll say it now, but while I've heard this warden is quite the character...I don't believe even he planned for this to transpire." From his own understanding of the situation from the 'prisoner' herself all this really had seemed to have happened on a whim. Nothing that had been urged by outside forces. Though if he had really been able to manipulate her feelings to such an extent, it truly did explain why he was considered so fearsome.
A small breath is taken as he thinks to himself. "That said... It is possible that depending on who we attempt to ally ourselves with, we might come up on his radar. GUTs is probably a good choice just for the fact they'll likely have a wide-reaching hand in the aid dispersal." He would want to forewarn of the potential dangers of meeting up with certain students. Some that likely had more eyes on them than others. But if he did as such well...It'd be a problem if he ended up having to go against his own suggestions.
There is one major concern though that Zero alludes to that even has Orpheus seem to get a bit more serious. "Am I to understand that neither of you two have a combat ready KMF available...What about Q-1...?"
For someone like C.C. who went with the wind, such might have been expected. From his understanding she wasn't much of a pilot to begin with, though for Zero to have not brought anything...He might have not been kidding when bringing up the situation of being caught in this prison without warning. If the Black Knights had really been taken in without their KMFs, it was near equivalent to being knights without armor or weapons.
There's a clicking noise that escapes his lips before he reaches behind his back with both hands. In his right hand, a tactical knife is drawn and passed to C.C.'s side of the table, in the left, a pistol passed towards Zero.
"I would hand you the gun, but... " He looks at Zero's attire. That gentlemanly dress that looks like he can hardly lift a finger as it is.... "...You look like you'll be able to manage with just that." He then turns back to Zero. "What you have in the magazine is all that I got, so use it sparingly."
Oz finally picks himself up from the chair as he straightened himself out. "It'd be nice to go at this encampment with a few more members but, but as it stands, I have to make the assumption we're all we got..."
It's a solemn note to think they're without true support. Though at least for Oz, he seems to be handling this...Well enough. He was used to smaller groups like this even. "I'll be reaching out to Q-1 soon enough. I imagine she'll be capable of piloting some units out of there. If either of you want to join the field, that'll be your choice. As it stands though...I'll look into finding us a second machine. Even if it's not a KMF, as long as it can move it'll be fine. Once we have that...The mission will start with an assault on the encampment with the Byakuen..."
And just like that Oz unveils his plan. A very simple plan. With just one KMF, and one support unit...He was planning to rob an entire Britannian Encampment.