Code Geass: Kallen of the Revolution II

[Corwin]

<--->

The car reaches its destination, and Toudou steps out. Military personnel is abound, a dozen in number, and they straighten up in the general's presence. He nods curtly at them, and talks in low tones to a couple. Kallen can't hear the words, but the meaning is clear -- two soldiers are assigned to guide she and Inoue to the meeting.

The underground hall is full when the Shinjuku representatives arrive. This time around, they weren't early. Kallen instantly notices Mary, who claimed the same seat as last time. The raven-haired woman is easy to spot, as there is a ring of empty chairs around she and Suzaku. As if noticing Kallen's attention, she turns her head slightly, and inclines it towards Kallen in greeting. Once Suzaku catches the direction of Mary's gaze, he scowls.

"Friendly crowd," Inoue quips from Kallen's side.

"At least they let us in," replies Kallen, briefly nodding back at Mary, and heading to find a seat that's neither that close, nor very far from the other Britannian.

"Quick, strategy meeting," she adds, turning to Inoue and speaking in a low voice. "The goal is to get approval on two operations; taking out Clovis and what we discussed with Toudou. I don't think the crowd here will commit to it. But... that's alright. We'll make them give us a chance. As long as they're willing to support us if we get results, I think we can handle it."

"The less we say about the second operation, the better," Inoue whispers back. The two are perhaps half a dozen seats away from Mary, who is not paying Kallen any special attention, seeming to gaze lazily about the hall. "If we manage to get people behind it, it's because they think it's possible, and if they think that, then we'll get pushed aside."

"Alright.. if we need to, we'll phrase it as concurrent raids," replies Kallen, after a moment. "A series of attacks at around the same time. They'll leave Tokyo to the Tokyo cells. For now, we'll wait and see."

Inoue seems doubtful, but before she has time to object, Toudou steps onto the makeshift stage. This time, he is alone. "We've had our time to think," the general announces, cutting straight to the chase. "Unless there are new items to be brought to our attention, it is time for the JLF to decide on its course."

"We should begin preparing strikes now!" declares Kallen, popping up before anyone else can speak. "The time for waiting is over. We need to make our presence known and seize the initiative. Every cell represented here has it's own intelligence and targets, whether they be military bases, shipyards, sakuradite stores-"

A brief pause, as she swivels her head around the room- "-or even the governors office itself. If necessary, we will lead the charge in the Tokyo settlement itself!"

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"Because that worked so well the last time!" a man exclaims. Thin, but not to the point of being wiry, unshaven, and in his mid-to-late thirties, he looks up at Kallen with scorn.

"It's alright," a female voice interjects. Kallen recognizes it as Mary's, seeing the young raven-haired woman rise to her feet at the edge of her peripheral vision. "If Chiba wants to sit this out, wallowing in misplaced anger and guilt, that is without a doubt a superior path towards the liberation of Japan."

"Not everyone can shrug off so many civillian casualties--" the man starts responding hotly, but Toudou's voice cuts him off, heard clearly from the stage.

"This is something we have agreed to put in our past," the general points out, but Kallen detects a note of hesitation in his voice. His next words confirm her suspicions. "In retrospect, however, perhaps that was a bit premature. We, who represent a free Japan, are at war with Britannia, are we not?"

"Are we not, indeed. Because war is but one way of persuing our goals- and what are we seeking, truly? What does the liberation of Japan *mean*?" demands Kallen, leaving the question open to the room.

"Freedom for the Japanese," the man from Chiba responds, standing up. He glares at Kallen and Mary as he adds, "That means leaving enough alive to enjoy their liberation."

"You fight wars to win them. People die in the fighting," Inoue speaks up, dragging herself to her feet. She looks about the room, and then shrugs. "What? Everyone's standing up dramatically, can't a cripple do it too?"

"Our friends from Shinjuku are right," Mary voices, taking it as her cue to speak next. "Talking about gaining freedom without sacrifice is meaningless. Most of you here hate it! But is there anyone in their right mind who believe a bloodless victory over the Britannian Empire is attainable?"

"What happens in Akihabara was not something anyone could have expected. I, who planned the mission, wasn't aware it was even possible. The man who pushed the button didn't realise the scope of the devastation. This is no excuse. This is not something we just 'push aside'. Chiba is right, in a sense. As the one ultimately responsible... my life is forfeit to the cause."

Kallen clenches a fist and holds it across her chest, feeling her own beating heart and staring the man from Chiba back in the face. "And what choices are there? Either to give up all hope of retaking Japan by force, or to take advantage of the current situation and press down this bloody path. We can no longer wait. Every year, more Japanese consider their options and seek status as an Honorary Britannian- and who can blame them when we do nothing for our cause?

"What happened can't be atoned for. But whatever is decided, Shinjuku will commit everything it has. We can't do any less. And for my opinion, while seeking peace now may avert unknown calamities, it won't give reparations to the Japanese people, and all of this and the next generation will assuredly grow as second-class citizens, to say nothing of the future of those who've already engaged in operations to this date.

"We can show the people that we have the will and the way to liberate Japan- to make it an option they can choose based on merit more than pride- or we can give up. I don't see any other way."

"No other way exists," Mary affirms during the silence that is spread in the wake of Kallen's speech. "And you all understand that. Some of you are simply fighting tooth and nail to avoid admitting it, but the time to advance past that is now."

"If we just give up now, what is the point?" Inoue asks. "What was the point all along? What do we say to the dead, to their families, to everyone who has been fighting all this time?"

Toudou nods heavily from his position on the stage. "This is not some duel with a pretense of honor. If the Japanese Liberation Front is to have meaning, it is in fighting Britannia until we have won and Japan is ours once more. If we are not willing to do that, our only other choice is to disband immediately to minimize the casualties."

Silence reigns once more, but murmurs soon replace it. Heads begin to nod around the room, people glancing at Kallen and Mary before returning their attention to the stage.

"How we fight is up for debate. At present, we're spread out, and that helps us. Until our movement can gain enough support- and not just in Japan- we can't just throw down the gauntlet and slug it out, right?" continues Kallen, getting a bit giddy on the apparent impact of her words.

"And the best way to gain that level of support is to do something that would leave an impact overseas. An attack the audacity of which would send waves to be acutely felt everywhere. A strike at Governor Clovis, a highly-placed member of the Britannian royal family," Mary adds smoothly. Suzaku firms his jaw, remaining quietly at her side. "An attack to signal the official start of our war of independance." She pauses briefly, observing the crowd. "We are no longer resisting an invasion, and today, the JLF has finally been weaned off this fallacy. We are, however, fighting Britannia, and our goal is a Japan free of the Empire's influence."

Kallen has nothing to add to that, and affects a more relaxed stance. She briefly glances at Inoue- she really shouldn't be standing up, but damned if Kallen is to tell a stubborn person what to do- and tries to consider how things are panning out. With a more direct and violent uprising, her original plans to act as a Britannian will need to get remodeled, but perhaps she was naive in the first place. It's certainly the end of any chance of a peaceful resolution.

Perhaps Geass could've ensured that would've been advantageous to Japan, but would that necessarily have been the better choice? If something happened to her, then...

No, no time for regrets, especially not now.

"Kyoto approves of your proposed course of action," Toudou tells Mary, nodding curtly. "You will be provided with the resources you need--"

"I need nothing more than what I already have," she announces, cutting in. "I've said it before, didn't I? I will succeed where others have failed, and not because I had the full backing of the JLF. And when I do, that would matter."

Toudou's lips tighten, pulling into a line. "In that case, we wish you luck," he says, eliciting an amused smile from Mary.

Not many are smiling, Kallen can see. Quite a lot of the military personnel present look disgruntled. No one goes against Toudou or his endorsement of the way to proceed.

The meeting peters out soon afterwards. People give Kallen and Inoue their space as they filter out of the chamber, Mary being the sole exception. She comes up to the two, Suzaku trailing sullenly behind, and offers her hand to Kallen.

"I must say it has been a pleasure," she tells the redhead.

"Although I can see that's not what everyone thinks," remarks Kallen, with no mistake as to who she's referring to. "Whatever. I need to get your timeframe on Clovis. We've got an operation that compliments yours pretty nicely in the works. Let me know when you know."

She pauses. "And I think you owe me one, your majesty, so after the hit, let me publish the follow-up statement."

Suzaku looks even more sour at that, if that were possible, while Mary calmly studies Kallen. "We'll be in touch," she says, and lets Kallen's hand go, offering hers to Inoue who seems to take it automatically.

"It's going to be the damn ladder again, isn't it?" Inoue asks, despondent, once they are left alone once more.

"Oh, please, there's at least two and probably more ways out of here than climbing," grouses Kallen, seeking out Asahina or someone from whom to get elevator clearance.

<--->

"I know I promised to take you somewhere fun," Inoue says out of the blue, as they're headed back towards Tokyo, seated away in their private cabin on the bullet train. "But this went beyond even my expectations."

"I'm still shivering," admits Kallen, gingerly sipping at a can of lemonade. "I didn't think things would move so fast, and then the only people advocating any kind of, I don't know- direction, were Mary and, well..."

"I hate to admit it, but I gave this some thought," Inoue says quietly. "We've been the resistance for how long? If there was anyone on the inside who could direct us towards victory, they would've done that already. New blood was what we needed, we just didn't realize it, and fought it every bit of the way because it was difficult to admit."

"It's not just that, is it? There's the elephant in the room, too."

"There's a whole damn herd of them," Inoue shoots back with a roll of her eyes. "Are you talking about the only ideas for fighting Britannians coming from Britannians, or something else horribly embarrassing and uncomfortable for the fragile men of the resistance?"

"Yeah. They're pissed because a sixteen-year old student has got more balls than them," replies Kallen, with a smirk.

"I'm pissed as well, but I just hide it well," Inoue insists, not sounding too sincere. "That aside, I'm going to accept the general's offer. Training of that class only comes if you're Britannian or have high-level connection to the JLF, and since we got the chance I'm not going to waste it by thinking my crazy rebel skills are enough to free Japan and I don't need to improve."

"You'll take the others with you, right? Call it a field trip."

"I'll find me a date," Inoue promises. "Don't be too distraught over my absence."

"I'll try. I'd like to come, but.. busy," replies Kallen, making a face. "I'll train on my own. Haven't forgotten anything Naoto taught me yet..."

Finishing off her can, she sets it back on the table and leans back. "I thought of him a lot today. It made me think of our last conversation. Morbid, huh..."

"That's one conversation that can't end well," Inoue says with a sigh.

"Yeah. Let's just say it had me considering, you know. Going straight and playing the good little heir," replies Kallen. "It was that kind of angry. We'd always gotten mad at each other, but never.. ah, man, sorry for this."

Inoue doesn't seem to know what to say to that. "Not sure what my choice would be in your situation," she admits.

"One means you have to go to school. The other means you can play with robots. So in the end, it was an easy choice."

"Spoken like a true teen," Inoue says with a snort. "So what do you think the Queen wanted, all with her 'we'll be back' vibe?"

"I don't think she actually had a plan. This was just testing the waters for her," replies Kallen, pursing her lips. "Now that she's got her way, she's actually got to go and make one, and she doesn't want to talk about things until then."

"That would be incredibly arrogant. And gutsy."

"But not implausible or stupid."

"It's neither of those things, no."

"You know why I supported her?"

Inoue shrugs. "Brits got to stick together?"

"Yeah, right. It's because even she doesn't kill Clovis, it can still achieve our goals. Almost killing him is as good. You've said he's a complete coward, and nobody's even taken a shot at him yet. How would he behave, even if he survives?"

"Run back to daddy with his tail between his legs."

"Exactly. Now, here's some other questions about our would-be monarch. Why's she got a personal interest in the royals? Why does Kururugi stick with her? How'd she muscle in and take over Saitama?"

"The last one's easy," Inoue says with a roll of her eyes. "Have you ever been to Saitama? If you thought our little cell was falling apart, you should've seen theirs. We let an underaged girl get away with jerking us around. You saw what they did."

"But I'm Naoto's sister," replies Kallen. "What was her in to the group? Something dramatic, no doubt."

"Nepotism can only get you so far," Inoue says, but then she pauses. "Maybe she did have a plan of sorts when she showed up?" She raises her hand. "Hear me out. It's just a thought, but the way Mary kept on going about showing us a miracle, and turning it into support for her... maybe she said it because she already tried it, just on a smaller scale, and it worked?"

"That'd make sense. If you find something that works, stick with it," murmurs Kallen. "But they wouldn't just fold over for a Brit with big ideas. They'd have to be stuck, somehow, and then broken out of it. I mean, if there's a problem, and you tell people how to solve it, then you're in a spot to just keep telling them what to do from then on, aren't you?"

"We could just ask her what it was," Inoue suggests. "She did say she'd be in touch."

"Probably be thrilled to tell us," admits Kallen, resting her chin on her palms. "Looks like we're arriving soon. I'll be in touch, too."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Although she intended to see about the illustrious student council president upon arrival, Kallen could barely make it to the first period on time on account of her train being delayed. For a change, the malfunction had nothing to do with overzealous rebels, but a mere technical issue plaguing the train in question.

Irene was right there to greet her, albeit seeming somewhat distracted, and then classes followed one after the other, consuming Kallen's attention until lunch break.

Before Kallen runs off for the break, she leans over to Irene with a worried expression. "Hey, where's Teresa? I've been out of touch," she asks, only just now noting how many of her friends have found reason to vanish from school, as of late.

"Oh," Irene says, startled. "Teresa? She's been keeping to herself a lot."

"I.. guess, yeah. Did she, uh, have friends in Akihabara?" asks Kallen, looking rather downcast.

"Well, she is a geek," Irene says by way of explanation, though it comes off bland.

Kallen can hardly call Irene out for being harsh when that's exactly the logic she used- not that Teresa couldn't have all kinds of other reasons to stay in her dorm. She picks herself up and heads out the room towards the Ashford dormitories, feeling obligated to check up on her for all kinds of reasons.

The female dorms are quite accomodating. A garden for scenery, compact if comfortable rooms for two, and entirely abandoned during the classes. Kallen doesn't encounter a soul as she makes her way to Teresa's dorm. She can't remember ever visiting it, and it is surprising to see that her friend got the room all to herself, unless she had taken to filing her roommate's name off the name plaque.

She hardly ever paid house calls or visited acquaintances, except for Shirley, who's off making herself a soldier of herself. If she wasn't so honest, so *good*...

"Teresa? It's me," calls Kallen, knocking on the door.

She hears sounds from within, too vague to identify. "So it is," Teresa answers, followed by footsteps making their way over to the door, which remains closed.

"Taking visitors? I brought soda," replies Kallen, with a clink of bottles. "Um. And it's been a while."

There is a grumble, but the door opens a sliver in invitation. The insides of the room are dark; Teresa must have closed the drapes over her windows. The only other source of light is coming from what must be a monitor further in.

Kallen pushes the door the rest of the way open, slipping inside. The light must shadow her face, making it hard to see how concerned she appears. "Doing something cool, huh. Sorry, I heard you were keeping to yourself, so I couldn't resist," she notes, seeking out Teresa in the darkness and handing over a bottle.

The light spilling in from the corridor makes it easy to make out Teresa's features. She is disheveled, looking like she hadn't slept in a while. Her room is in disarray, though Kallen has no idea whether that is a recent change.

"Couldn't resist bringing me soda?" Teresa asks, accepting the bottle. "Follow your instincts more, I'll say." She kicks the door closed, letting the darkness settle down once more. "You're right, it's been a while. So what changed today, of all days?"

"I've been skipping school for work, but some time's opened up. What's your excuse?" replies Kallen, pulling off her lid (it's a plastic screw-top, but turning it is a hassle) and drinking a bit.

"I like that excuse. I'm adopting it."

"G'luck. It works best if you're an aristocrat with comatose parents."

"I'll keep that under advisement," Teresa notes, proceeding over to the bed. She sits on the edge, gesturing towards the chair set by her desk in silent invitation.

Kallen takes the offered seat, and swivels around the room to get a good look. "Don't you have hall monitors or something who'd rat you in for this?" she asks, still adjusting to the gloom. "Seriously, why the retreat to darkness? Still worried over mysterious students who shouldn't exist?"

"Blackmail," Teresa says dismissively. "I have dirt on everyone. Ashford might object, or she might find it funny, but seeing as she's not present...." Teresa trails off with a shrug. "I don't know if I'm worried so much as considering my future. Did you ever have moments like this, Kallen?"

"Not often. I spent a lot of time being angry. Or faking being sick. Or working off sweat. Or heaps of other distractions. And now I don't get to think of what I want to do, so much as what I have to do," replies Kallen, with a shrug. "I guess you've got options?"

"Plenty," Teresa confirms. "Don't like any of them, obviously. But I'm thinking that this is where I have to decide." She snorts, shaking her head. "I don't know the circumstances, but I bet I'm not alone in this, either."

"Doing nothing is a choice. If you're anything like me, you don't like that one," remarks Kallen, after a moment. "That said, it sounds like you're trying to pick who to extort."

"Nah, that was just a precaution," Teresa says with a roll of her eyes. She seems to feel even strongly about that than she shows outwardly. "I'm trying to decide whether I want to do something about all the dead people."

"I didn't think you were that type," replies Kallen, with faint surprise, and she swivels about to look Teresa in the eye, thus allowing the other girl's feelings to be more ably communicated. "If you wanted to help recovery and rebuilding efforts, I could set you up with something... but... that's not what it sounds like you mean."

"What, I can't be ruthless if I try?" Teresa asks, raising an eyebrow as she stares back. Beneath the surface, she's anything but calm. Worry dominates over all else. "Our governor is weak, those in command of the military spend more time fighting each other than doing their jobs. Everyone else, Britannians and Elevens alike, would just rather bury their heads in the sand and let it pass." She takes a halted breath. "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing," Teresa quotes. "I guess what I'm trying to decide is whether I'm a good person, because that, without a doubt, was something evil."

"You sound like a twisted version of Shirley, somehow," replies Kallen, sounding a bit distraught. "I should've tried to stop her," she adds. "I guess you wouldn't try something like becoming a soldier... information's your thing, isn't it?"

"Boot camp's out of the question, yes."
There's some confusion when Shirley's name is mentioned, but Teresa seems to catch on pretty fast.

"That doesn't leave you many official options to work with. Not that I'd know how they recruit people at the spy shop, but I'll bet that's not an option."

"If it were that simple I wouldn't need the excuse of skipping school to work, now would I?"

Kallen raises an eyebrow, and turns back in the chair to face the computer. "You know, I'd tell you not to do it, but, of course, you already have," she remarks, glancing over the screen. "Did you find anything?"

The screensaver is on, cycling through old news reports on Akihabara.

"Nothing yet," Teresa responds curtly. "Quite possibly because I'm not sure what I'd do if I had, and hold myself back subconsciously."

"..this is getting a bit heavy," murmurs Kallen, almost to herself. "Unless you had some flashy evidence of.. anything, you'd have trouble getting anyone high up to take you seriously. Just finding stuff won't be enough without contacts."

"This is an even better reason for why I'm nowhere near my answer," Teresa agrees, seeming to relax further.

"Well, it's not actually dangerous if it's just crawling the net," remarks Kallen, after a moment. "Sorry, it's just- since Shirley joined the military, I'm in constant fear of her getting blown up. Kinda channeled that for a moment. And, you know, I don't have the same viewpoint as most people. Not that I'm condoning a massacre, but I thought I understood why people on both sides fought. Well.. I used to think that."

"So what changed?"

"I can't imagine the kind of person who'd willingly slaughter millions of people like that," replies Kallen, thinly. "Are they fighting for something I can understand, something I could ever support? I don't know, now. It wasn't like that before," replies Kallen, pursing her lips.

"Yes, the people who are taking up arms for the stated goal of ridding Area 11 of all Britannians by any means necessary shouldn't be taken at their word," Teresa says sarcastically.

"Kinda obvious when you think about it, yes," mutters Kallen. "I won't bore you with sob stories, but there was a time when just that seemed like a really swell idea."

"I won't offend you by pretending to listen and care, then," Teresa agrees. "A bit tapped out on that at the moment." She is silent for several moments, before she changes the topic altogether. "So if you're here, worried about me in a roundabout way, my presence must be missed?"

"Shirley and Milly aren't at school. Who else do I have to trade barbs with, Irene?"

"Yes, I suppose it's not as fun if she just stands there and takes it like a true sap."

"That's the short of it. So come to class, or I'll drag you to class. And you owe me a soda."

"I owe you nothing."

"Ah, so cold."

Teresa raises her eyebrow again. "A compliment. You must really want me back."

"Yeah, I need someone to copy notes for me while I'm away."

"That you can make Irene do with a clear conscience."

<--->

Later that day, Kallen finds herself trudging towards the student council office in search of Sayoko. She got out a bit earlier than the junior school, so Nunnally hopefully won't be there (not that the younger girl necessarily has a consistant schedule). If the attack on Clovis is going to go through, though, Kallen dearly hopes that Nana is in a safe place at the time- and that's what she's here to try and confirm.

The office is empty, no council activities planned for the day. As she travels throughout the building, however, Kallen spots her quarry make her way towards the front door. Looking down from a second floor window, she can see Sayoko step inside, burdened with shopping bags.

Not surprising, seeing as over half the council isn't presently attending school. Poor Rivalz.

"Sayoko-san!" calls Kallen, jogging up to the door. "Need a hand?"

Sayoko looks up in surprise, seeing Kallen come down the stairs. The bags begin to slip, but she maneuvers them into a manageable position. "I will be fine, thank you," the maid responds.

"Ah, alright. Any word from Milly, yet? I need to get in touch with her, or at least know how she's doing," replies Kallen, skidding to a halt not far from the maid.

"Miss Ashford is... doing well enough." The pause is hard to miss.

Sayoko heads for the kitchen, where she places her groceries and begins sorting them out methodically. "It should be possible to pass on a message, but she strongly wished to have no direct contact unless it was absolutely necessary."

"Things are moving quickly," replies Kallen, after a moment. "The sooner Nunally gets to a safer place, the better. I don't need to speak to Milly directly right now, but I do want to know if there's been any progress."

"Quickly and sooner are vague terms that either stand for something far less vague, or are just a way to force a reaction that wouldn't normally be supported by the actual facts," Sayoko notes calmly, not looking at Kallen.

"I don't have an exact timeframe myself, or I'd give it to you. No, it's good that it's flexible," notes Kallen, quickly glancing around- of course nobody else is here. "There's a plan in the works to attack the governor-general within a month," she continues, politely dispensing with vauge adjectives and telling Sayoko as best as she can. "It's meant to be a strike against the royal family itself. If at all possible, I want Nunally out of here before it happens."

"This timetable is one I can pass along, without the other details," Sayoko affirms. Her movements lose their fluidity, and she fumbles a vegetable.

Kallen catches it before it drops out the bag, and hands it back over. "Good. She.. speaking of Nunally, is she actually aware that I know her previous identity?"

"Would it matter?" Sayoko asks, accepting the carrot and placing it on the counter.

"It might. I wonder if she'd think of me differently when we talk," replies Kallen, her voice softening a little. "I wonder if she cares what name she bears, I suppose."

"I... shouldn't be talking about this. If you want to ask Miss Nunnally herself, Miss Ashford gave you the privelege of seeing her."

"Yeah, I know, I'm being pretty nosy," she mumbles in reply. "I do want to speak to her, though, so.. I think I'll go wait on the balcony."

"I'll bring out some tea when Miss Nunnally returns, then," Sayoko promises, returning to the groceries.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Kallen comfortably arranges herself on the balcony, settling down for a short wait. The smell of freshly-brewed tea wafts towards her ten minutes later, but what catches her interest is Nunnally. The wheelchair-ridden girl is being pushed towards the student council building she resides in by her blonde classmate, Alice.

Alice. Of course, she would be around Nunnally at all times, wouldn't she? Especially in the present climate. That is, if she truly was an intelligence agent, and not just... an anomaly in the system. A highly coincidental anomaly, and one she must determine the nature of as soon as possible.

This might end up being her chance. If she leaves at the same time as Alice, there's ample opportunity for a private chat. Picking herself up off the balcony, she trots down the stairs to greet the approaching duo- a bit abashedly, as her last conversation with Nunnally was far sharper than she cares to recall.

She passes Sayoko on her way, the maid holding a tray with a teakettle and several cups. It is a set, and an expensive one, as special guests of the Ashford family can be expected to use. Proceeding, Kallen spots that the elevator is in motion; she must have daydreamed just a bit while reminiscing on her previous meeting with Nunnaly and her plans for Alice. It would be pointless to go down the stairs, now, but she could intercept the pair on the second floor easily enough.

No time for the past in the present. When the doors open to the elevator, Kallen is surely there; "Hi, you two," she greets, brushing aside a bit of hair (she has to spend so much TIME on it when she needs to go around in Britannian society). "Sorry for dropping in unannounced."

Nunnally looks startled briefly, but then she raises her head and smiles at Kallen. "It's quite alright," she tells the redhead. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to greet you. Did Sayoko-san offer you something to drink?"

Alice, for her part, nods at Kallen, saying, "How do you do?"

"She did, but it's no fun to drink alone, so I waited," replies Kallen, shaking her head. "And I'm doing well, thanks. I haven't been around very much lately, so I came to pop by to make up. How's school been?"

"It is very educational," Nunnaly says diplomatically.

Alice rolls her eyes. "Seems like you have guests, Nana-chan, so I won't keep in the way--"

"No, please stay!" Nunnaly exclaims, suddenly nervous. "You're not a bother, isn't that right, Kallen-san?"

"'course not!" replies Kallen, briefly glancing at Alice's eyes and trying to sum her up. "It's just a casual call, and the more the merrier, right? Let's not stand on formality or anything, I've got home for that."

Well, that's how home used to be, but without dad or Cleo around to irritate her, the place has gotten significantly more relaxed.

Kallen is confused -- no, that must be Alice, even if she's showing no outwardly signs of it.

"If you say so," the blonde accepts, placing her hand on Nunnally's shoulder.

"Sayoko-san?" the exiled princess calls out softly, and the maid appears swiftly. As if sensing her presence, Nunnally continues, "Can you please set some tea for me and my guests on the balcony?"

"Very well, Miss," Sayoko responds, and retreats out of sight once more, while Alice takes this as her cue to push Nunnally's wheelchair towards said balcony.

Kallen heads out after them, soon returning to the spot where she was waiting from in the first place. "Have you still been going to council meetings?" she asks, curious about how things are going there, and admittedly a bit deseperate for something to talk about. She didn't really know what Nunnally's interests, likes, dislikes were... well, apart from the obvious, and that was probably taboo.

"Of course," Nunnally responds, Sayoko there to pour tea into her cup before silently taking a spot behind the girl's wheelchair. "It is my duty to the school, after all," she adds, perhaps with just a tad more emphasis than what would be called for.

Alice glances at Nunnally curiously, but opts to pour herself tea without remarking.

"Duty? Ah, enforced labour," replies Kallen, sagely. "Yes, that is how Milly would have put it. Has Rivalz been handling things? Not that there was really much to do this time of year, but still, you know."

"All the council's efforts are geared towards the 'Welcome Back, Miss President!' party," Nunnally admits, blushing slightly.

"She has trained him well," murmurs Kallen, almost to herself. "How ostentatious are we talking?"

"Milly-san would definitely enjoy it," Nunnally states firmly.

Alice giggles. "Looks like there's something to look forward to next semester."

"Want to help? We're shortstaffed, I know that much. And you get to eat such delicious food."

Alice looks tempted. "I'm in junior high," she points out, however. "Milly Ashford might be able to do as she pleases here at Ashford, but I'm not sure the rules would bend for anyone else, including those requiring council members to actually attend the high school section."

"Were you in high school next year?" asks Kallen, after a moment. "There's, you know, internships avaliable."

"You mean like skipping a grade?"

"For the purposes of clubs and societies only," replies Kallen, nodding. "We let Nina-chan and Nana-chan in, what's one more? I mean..." She pauses for a moment, and then shrugs. "It's just a student council. As long as there are at least a few seniors, I don't see why it matters. Junior high needs representation too!"

"We have one, too," Alice states quietly.

"Really?!" Nunnally exclaims, turning towards Alice.

"Yes," the blonde explains patiently. "But it doesn't have Milly Ashford, so it only does what you would expect a regular student council to do."

"...no cool toys? No holding the school in a velvet glove?"

"Keeping the school clean, assigning hall monitors." Alice shrugs. "Normal."

Nunnally looks as if she's struggling with the idea. "A junior high student council...."

"All the class representatives attend meetings once a week," Alice continues, taking a sip of her cooling tea after blowing on it.

"But isn't that odd? Shouldn't we have known about this?!" blurts out Kallen, reaching for the teapot herself. "It's unjust! There should at least have been, you know, some communication... well, there will be now, if I have anything to do with it. Shouldn't there be a... liason officer, that's the one."

"Well, Milly-san would know about everything that goes on in the school, regardless of grade," Nunnally says slowly, still processing. "So a liason would be pointless. And I don't get out much, so I wouldn't know about it."

Alice reaches out to place her hand over Nunnally's at that. "Let's leave it at that and talk about something else?" she proposes. "Like which classes you would like to take when you make it to high school?"

"Don't do economics," warns Kallen. "Not unless you're getting paid for it."

"How about civics?" Alice suggest.

Nunnally frowns cutely. "Maybe not that, either."

Alice shrugs in response. "Good call. Many avoid that boring stuff."

"Then why did you suggest it?" Nunnally asks in indignation, while Alice just laughs.

"What about the sciences? Physics isn't bad."

Nunnally nods. "I will probably give the sciences a try, but I'm curious about the arts, too."

"I'm not really one for the arts," admits Kallen, glancing at Alice. "You?"

"They have their uses in life, but I'm more of a direct person," Alice responds, looking back. "So the hard sciences have a much stronger appeal."

"Yeah. Well, for me, I'm just not any good at them. I can't tell a story or play a flute or paint or anything. Left-brain all the way."

"Sounds like we might get along really well," Alice says, before the girl stands up. "Thanks for having me, Nana-chan, but it's time I went back. See you tomorrow?"

Nunnally hesitates, but then nods. "Tomorrow, Alice-chan."

"Oh, are you heading for the dorms, or to the gate?" asks Kallen, looking up.

"Yes," Alice agrees with a smile. "Good day, Kallen-san."

Kallen glances back at Alice a bit quizically, and seems to shrug to herself. "Later, Alice-san," she replies, taking a sip from her own cup. "See you around."

Alice's smile lingers a bit longer, and she nods at Sayoko before leaving. The maid follows, leaving Nunnally alone with Kallen.

"Alice is nice. She's in your homeroom, right?" replies Kallen, after a moment. "Do you have many classes together?"

"She is, and we do," Nunnally responds, sipping her tea again before reaching to refill the cup, her hand seeking out the teapot.

"Let me. You know, Nana-chan," responds Kallen, lifting the pot to pour her a fresh cup- "I know it's not really much, but if there's anywhere you want to go in Tokyo, or do, um, you can ask me. I'll make it happen if I can."

Nunnally seems like she's about to refuse politely, but then her expression turns contemplative. "Anywhere, Kallen-san?" she asks quietly.

"Sure. We could even go to Kyoto, I suppse, or Okinawa or Sapporo... On a weekend or something, when there's time," replies Kallen.

"I want to go to the ghettos."

Kallen almost chokes on her tea. "You do? Why?" she asks, after a moment, with genuine curiosity.

"You said anywhere would be fine," Nunnally insists with uncharacteristic childishness.

"I.. know, and I wasn't lying!" replies Kallen, a bit stubbornly. "If it's the ghettos you want, then to the ghettos you will go. Of course, you need to blend in. You can't go riding this fancy chair around there, and you're too... Britannian... to easily go unnoticed... so... it's okay.. as long as you let me do your makeup," she sputters, after a moment. "I still want to know why! And you can't ever tell Milly."

Nunnally squirms. "I don't want to say why," she says. "But the rest doesn't matter. It doesn't bother me if I look different, or have to use a different chair."

"You don't have something... reckless in mind, do you?"

"Like what?" she asks guardedly.

"I don't know, anything that would make Milly strangle me. You're surprisingly bold," mumbles Kallen, shaking her head. "It can't be on a school day. Saturday. I can come pick you up. Can you speak Japanese?"

Of course she can, thinks Kallen, a moment later. She's been living here how long? Such a stupid question.

"Some friends taught me a while back," Nunnally responds.

"Alright. We won't stay there longer than an hour or two," warns Kallen. "If that. If you don't have any objections, we'll go to..." she starts, and then trails off. Where, where, definately not Saitama. Shinjuku would probably be safe, but she'd probably run into Inoue or, gods forbid, Tamaki, and then the questions...

"Can we go to all of them?"

"That's about half of Tokyo."

"We don't have to do it at the same time."

This time, Kallen really does choke on her tea. "I.. I need to think about that, then," she manages, grimacing. "If you want to keep going after one trip, we'll talk about it."

She could, of course, travel down there in the comfort of a limosuine, Nana-chan in the backseat. It would be just like a drive to anywhere else for her, though. That isn't what she wants and not something Kallen is cheap enough to bother giving.

Damn her mouth for being unable to say no to this girl.

"I won't change my mind," Nunnally states firmly.

"It's mine you should be worried about," mumbles Kallen. "No, I mean, I don't back out on my word." At least not with you, as you are. "As long as you promise to do everything I say while we're there," she adds.

"Everything... within reason," Nunnally says. "I know better than to write blank cheques after spending some time with Milly-san."

"Yes, well, it seems you learned a lesson I managed to miss." And you deal with angry people over important issues almost every week, don't you, Kallen? Your one weakness, an ill girl. "Now I know how onii-san felt, god." She sets down her empty cup, and makes to stand up. "So it's a date, this weekend. I'd tell you not to let Sayoko know, but I bet she already knows."

"Sayoko-san can pretend to not know, if Milly-san asks her," Nunnally says, giving Kallen a tentative smile. "Because she works for the Lamperouges, now, and because she's our friend."

"Well, that's a comfort. You know, I think you're as devious as your brother when you put your mind to it. What did they say about a pretty face?" remarks Kallen, but she can't help but be good-natured about it. What was another potential calamity in the making for her?

"I'll be at school this week, but please don't make deals with me, even if I ask for them."

"If I made such a promise, I would be breaking it right now," Nunnally points out.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[15:27] That friday, Kallen sneaks away into the Shinjuku ghetto, seeking to pay a visit to the resistance cell she is a member of. The weekend, and her promise to Nunnally, are just around the corner, but she puts all that out of her mind in favor of making preparations to advance her true cause, that of freeing Japan.
[15:28] The warehouse used by the resistance is manned by a skeleton crew of Minami and Inoue, the latter having no time beyond a harried greeting before she speeds off. "She's been busy like that ever since she got back," Minami tells Kallen, that everpresent severe expression adorning his face. "We're suddenly important, it seems."
[15:31] "She was arranging training exercises with the JLF, last I heard. I take it everyone's been filled in on the general meeting?" asks Kallen, dropping a heavy-looking duffel bag on the ground with a thump.
[15:32] "Tamaki's excitement went through the roof," Minami deadpans.
[15:34] "You have no idea how much that worries me."
[15:36] A rare hint of a smile is shown, before it is ruthlessly suppressed with a scowl. "So what made you grace us with your presence today?"
[15:42] Kallen rolls her eyes; can't Minami be a least a little less cold? "Funds, for one," she responds, jerking a finger over her shoulder. "And I need some things. Microphones, bugs, that sort of stuff. They don't sell 'em in the size I need at the store." She shrugs, after a moment. "'sides, can't I drop by? Or... could it be, I should've come sooner?"
[15:44] "No, it's alright," he responds. "You must be busy with your real life. That would be asking for too much."
[15:48] "Hey! I took a bullet, you know! That means you can't give me that crap," retorts Kallen, slapping a hand on her chest. "Speaking of which, I need to see a certain doctor.
[15:50] "Hmph." Despite his coldness, Minami seems to relent at her words. "Office area, second door to the right," he tells Kallen, referring to the section of the warehouse that was originally set aside for the guards and management when it was still used for storage.
[16:00] "Oh, yeah. The money there's not all for toys," adds Kallen. "Get some food and supplies out to Shinjuku. Use it to recruit, too." She snorts, after a moment. "Can probably drop some more off each month without ringing some audit bell somewhere." After the no-doubt gruff acknowledgement, Kallen heads off to the warehouse offices.
[16:02] The door to the office space Minami indicated is left ajar. The insides are cramped, but they sport a servicable bed and a rundown desk lacking a chair. Jean is sitting on the bed, her back against the wall and her eyes closed.
[16:03] Kallen stands in the doorway, and after a moment of contemplation, she raps on it a couple times with her knuckle to wake up the sleeping doctor.
[16:04] "Yes?" Jean asks. Her eyes remain closed.
[16:05] "It's me. Came to see how you were going," replies Kallen, walking into the room and taking a seat on the desk.
[16:07] "Not going anywhere," Jean tells her, her posture straightening up at the sound of Kallen's voice. "But I'm rational, self-aware and in control of my faculties, if that's what you mean."
[16:11] Kallen reaches over with her leg, and taps the door closed. "Lucille's vanished, and I doubt she'll be coming back," she states. "So, as of now, the book on your old research is just about closed. I'm sorry. I'd say you can leave if you want, but I'll bet the foundation would love to catch up with you."
[16:12] "So how much of that doing the right thing spiel was actually true?" Jean inquires casually.
[16:16] "All of it." Kallen chokes back a sick chuckle. "When I heard about her four months ago, the first thing I thought of was how to free her from being treated as a lab rat. I thought that she didn't deserve to be confined against her will, especially not by greedy Brit pigs. Thought." Kallen snorts. "Think, more like."
[16:17] "And so, you've decided to possess her yourself." It is a strange sight, when someone raises an eyebrow while keeping their eyes closed. "Greedy Brit pigs? It fits, I suppose."
[16:20] "If I didn't, someone else would have. And if that happened, how would I be able to do anything about it? It was like that. Take it or leave it," responds Kallen, distantly. Or maybe she was just mad at her dad. It's hard to conjure up his name without feeling a simmering temper.
[16:22] Jean snorts. "Your argument that I would've gotten screwed by a greedy Brit either way is compelling."
[16:25] "Glad you agree," replies Kallen, jumping to her feet. "You can't study Lucille. So I want you to study me. Yeah, I'm an egocentric Brit all the way, aren't I?"
[16:27] Jean can't hide her susprise. "Study... you?" she asks, stumbling slightly over the words.
[16:29] "It seems Lucille did something to my mind, in that tank," responds Kallen, leaning back. "Seems that I can read people's emotions. Seems that I can influence them to some degree. And right now, there's only one person I can talk to who's not going to dismiss the very concept of 'psychic powers' as a joke."
[16:32] "I don't think you've got any particular reason to care or support our cause. You don't seem the patriotic sort, either. If you still want to exercise that brain of yours, this is your chance."
[16:33] "I'm not a psychiatrist," Jean points out. "How can my expertise possibly help you?"
[16:36] "Beats me. You're the doctor, here. Since you had studied her, I assumed that some research had been down on all her abilities," responds Kallen. "Besides, this is less psychiatry, more... neurobiology, I would be guessing. I kinda assumed..."
[16:37] "So what you want isn't help in influencing people better through your efforts, but an attempt to boost the innate power letting you do it in the first place? Or replicating it?"
[16:41] "I want to understand it," replies Kallen, tapping the side of her head. "I don't really care for it to be replicated or empowered. But I wonder, could it be suppressed, or could someone be made resistant to it's effects? And is it doing something- to me- that I'm not noticing? Side-effects? I could be burning out my own brain for all I know."
[16:43] "The possibility of side-effects in everyone involved is a very real one," Jean agrees. "I have to wonder, though. Will you take no for an answer?"
[16:45] "That depends on if I can trust you to keep secrets to yourself."
[16:46] "Can you?"
[16:49] "Open your eyes, and I'll tell you," replies Kallen, her voice still. "If you want, I'll let you say no and go back to your own pursuits. But I'll make sure you can't betray me. You understand, right?"
[16:50] "Oh, I understand, alright," Jean says with a chuckle. "I'll give it a try, sure, but forgive me if I don't take you up on your other offer."
[16:57] "You should know that Lucille would have been my ally, hadn't I had a lapse of sanity and decided to break your jar. Honour before reason, huh? Lucky you." She turns and flexes her hands. "The power manifests through direct eye contact. Over a hundred metres of range. It's not stopped by opaque lens or reflected by mirrors. Write me a list of equipment you'll need."
[16:58] "First on the list is a way of preventing it from making contact, and money is no object?"
[16:59] "You should know that Lucille would have been my ally, hadn't I had a lapse of sanity and decided to break your jar. Honour before reason, huh? Lucky you." She turns and flexes her hands. "The power manifests through direct eye contact. Over a hundred metres of range. It's not stopped by opaque lens or reflected by mirrors. Write me a list of equipment you'll need."
[16:59] "First on the list is a way of preventing it from making contact, and money is no object?"
[17:00] "Yes. I figure, once we knock that one of, I'll be able to have a damn conversation with you without feeling like I'm talking to a puppet. You see-" Kallen frowns. "Lucille told me there were no other people like me around, and I bet she has no political ambitions. I'm not convinced something this complicated can really be a unique phenomena, however."
[17:02] "And so, it would make sense to ward yourself from the effects." Jean nods. "Quite sensible."
[17:03] "Correct. Besides, I think it's a power that likely shouldn't exist." Kallen curls her lip in a smirk. "Doesn't that make me the prize hypocrite."
[17:04] "Probably," Jean states bluntly. "But you already know I don't care about things like that."
[17:07] "I guess that's right. Later, Doctor."
[17:10] "I'll bring in results."

<--->

[17:15] Kallen returns from her visit to the ghetto with over an hour to spare before her dinner engagement, time well spent on making herself presentable and putting final touches on everything. The food has been prepared, the table arranged, light entertainment is within reach... the only matter she had not decided upon, consciously pushing it back all along, is what to do with her mother.
[17:15] Hide her, parade her, let her act as she pleases, each is a valid choice, but each might also set the tone for the evening.
[17:19] It's unfair for Kallen to use her mother as a symbol or a tool. She's just.. Kasumi. Kouzuki Kasumi, who had no real idea of what her daughter was up to, who she was hanging out with, or the extent of her goals. And if Kallen had her way, she wouldn't find out until they'd been achieved.
[17:20] Tonight, it's fine to let her do as she wishes; without Cleo loitering about, as far as Kallen is concerned, it's as much Kasumi's house as hers.
[17:24] Samuel West arrives with the chime of a clock, impeccably punctual. He is accompanied by a butler, but the servant swiftly disappears after ensuring his safe arrival. Kallen observes this scene at the foyer from a vantage point at the top of the stairwell.
[17:30] Kallen herself is dressed in a high-cut black evening dress (which she had Irene pick out for her the day before; the only thing Kallen felt safe choosing on her own was denim), and begins to step down the stairs after Hisui ushers him in. "I'm glad you could make it, Mr. West," she greets as she descends. "How was traffic?"
[17:33] "Quiet at this time of day," he responds, raising his eyes towards his approaching hostess. "Thank you for the invitation, Miss Stadtfeld. I apologize, but my wife was unable to return to the Tokyo Settlement in time, and has asked me to convey her deepest regrets."
[17:39] "Oh, none necessary. When she returns, I'll gladly host again another evening. I'm, hmm, hoping to catch up on lost time," she admits, reaching the ground floor and gesturing towards the dining room. "My father must have had a long working relationship with all members of the board, and I'm hoping we can build up the same sort of rapport in the future."
[17:43] Hisui disappears with his coat, as Samuel nods respectfully and follows Kallen to the dining hall. "It was more than that, one could say," he voices along the way. "Our families have worked together closely for generations, as he might have told you, and that won't change."
[17:47] "He has, but little more. I'm.. not as well-versed in history as I should be." The dining table is not, as it might happen, a particularly large or grand affair; it's rare that large numbers of guests are  brought to the mansion. Kallen had no illusions why; she, Cleo, and Kasumi never painted a flattering portrait of daily home life in the past. "Speaking of which, though, he was just beginning to teach me the ropes himself."
[17:50] "It is truly unfortunate," Samuel says heavily. "The way it happened so suddenly...." Seeming to realize the company he's keeping, he clears his throat. "It would be an honor for me to bring you up to speed if that is your wish, Miss Stadtfeld."
[17:53] "Please. And... let's spare the formal speech from now on. It's tiring just keeping it up, especially if we're all family friends here," replies Kallen, taking a seat at the head of table. Light music is playing through the hall (she double-checked to ensure none of her REAL music was in the player, but irrationally, she wondered how he'd react to an onslaught of 10-year-old Japanese pop.)
[18:00] "The way I address you is merely proper, Miss Stadtfeld," Samuel corrects her. "We maintain a close working relationship, and a friendly one would doubtlessly grow in time, but I cannot just visit a girl before her majority at her home and be familiar with her." Comparing his behavior with what little she had spotted during the meeting, Kallen finds Samuel far more assertive in this setting.
[18:06] "I.. yes, of course. Sorry," responds Kallen, a little abashed. But, she'd expected something like that. Besides, he was like twice as old as her... and a high-class Britannian figure. It was unlikely there'd be true friendship here, family history or not. "Well, then. I'll accept your offer."
[18:07] Drinks would be served shortly; she'd considered wine, but figured that would be trying far too hard to look like an adult. In cases like this, water is best.
[18:09] Samuel inclines his head. "Such things inevitably take time, and arrive before we even know it," he voices. "There are no true shortcuts."
[18:13] "Well, perhaps as a frame of reference, how long have you known my father for?" replies Kallen, straightening up in the chair.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"It wouldn't be exaggeration to say 'all my life'," Samuel informs Kallen. Drinks are served, right on schedule, and he takes a sip.

"From the standpoint of an old friend, then, how would you describe him? I've seen him.. so little, myself, you understand," she responds, facing Samuel and letting her eyelids droop a little. Throughout the conversation, she intends to sound out the man's feelings on a range of matters- although she doubts Geass is truly needed to figure out what's going on behind his eyes.

"Calm, very calm. Collected. Assured." Samuel voices adjectives, and Kallen feels a sense of nostaglia. "Your father knew what he wanted, and when I looked at him, I would think to myself, 'This man can make it happen!'"

He deflates slightly. "I'm sorry, it probably doesn't make much sense."

"No, it does," responds Kallen, briefly lifting her glass. "When he told me he planned to run for governor, there wasn't a trace of doubt that it must be within his reach... I did think he was rather distant, though. He seemed a very focused man."

"He was," Samuel agrees, and as Kallen continues gazing into his eyes, she suddenly feels lost. It only lasts a moment, and as she recovers her senses, she realizes she must be very surprised.

Kallen breaks off the contact for a moment to take a sip at her own drink, and leans back a little in the chair (although hardly slouching, as that is likely a sign of indolence.) "He also used to tell me that the best way to lead was by example," she continues, setting down the glass. "I've wondered what he planned to do once he reached that position."

"Expand the Stadtfeld interests further would be my guess," Samuel suggests thoughtfully. "It's not a good answer, again. I know, and I apologize. I believe he would appeal to one sector of the population, rather than try to keep everyone satisfied. He preferred directness and resolute decisions."

"Ah, I see. If that was the case, then I would suppose his target audience in all things would have to be the nobility. After all, one couldn't reach governorship in the first place without their support," responds Kallen.

"Ah, I see I misspoke," Samuel amends. "I meant for after the position was his, of course, and the not the actual process. Britannia's way is very lenient towards those who have power."

"True enough. Still, if expanding company interests remains his goal, he'd surely still need the support of peers within his class, would he not?"

"Perhaps," Samuel allows. "A governor does not really have any peers within the Area, after all. And while crude, the good and bad cop approach is often used because it works."

"What do you mean by that?" replies Kallen, taking another drink. The actual meal should be getting served shortly, which will at least give her some natural breaks in the conversation.

Hisui helps set the table, as the first course arrives on schedule, replacing the hors d'ouevres. Kallen had told the staff to spare no expense with the preparations, and it shows. Her usual meals are delicious, as to be expected, but none of them quite gave this officious sense.

"The governor is the supreme authority, but there are many aides by his side," Samuel elaborates, giving Hisui and the meal a glance before returning his eyes to Kallen once more. "They can be amiable and listen carefully to all the complaints a noble with a hurt pride might have towards the Governor, while promising to do their best to aid them in their cause. They will, unfortunately, be limited in what they can do with such an unreasonable person in charge, but that is quite understandable. The end result is thus often that these petitioners get less than they expected and feel grateful for it, too, sometimes enough to return a favor later down the line."

"I get it," replies Kallen, reaching for her cutlery (start from the outside, work your way in, don't just use the same fork). She gives Hisui a brief nod before the maid leaves. "Have you ever approached them yourself, as the man responsible for PR?"

"The plan was in a far too early a stage for that," Samuel curtly responds, turning his attention to the food.

The meal is one to be eaten at a slow pace, and Kallen herself isn't, in fact, particularly hungry; her own servings are quite lean. "I was surprised that it seemed he hadn't spoken of it to many others," she confesses. Of course, he couldn't, since he hadn't spoken of the Grail foundation to many others, either. The two seemed to go together in whatever plan he held.

"Yes, it seems that way," Samuel agrees, and there is a mix of emotions accompanying that rather simple statement, agitation and guilt prime amongst them.

Kallen lets the conversation lull for a moment or two while food is consumed, and when she speaks again, it backtracks a little. "On a slightly different topic, though, I wanted to ask you for some advice. It's obvious that becoming governor- or any real progression- requires some serious networking throughout the halls of power. I'd guess most can forge connections during time in academies, or in military stints- but it's something I need to get started on right now."

"Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, Miss Stadtfeld," Samuel says, looking up from his meal, "but you are already at the best possible place for that. The Ashford Academy is just the right kind of place to make important friendships. It is an opportunity that would not recur through higher education, unless you returned to the mainland fo rthat, but even those ties may not be as helpful if your goals lie in this Area."

"Yes, yes. I'm aware of that. I think I mentioned Milly Ashford earlier, now that you mention that." replies Kallen. "However, I'm just as interested in dealing with already-established individuals. Most of those of age with me aren't attending meetings or hosting dinners for their associates. They'll be the leaders of tomorrow- but I need to get to know the leaders of right now."

"An excellent point," Samuel concedes, seeming to mull over her words. "And I imagine you would wish to meet them as an equal, and not through the contacts you would make at school?"

"That's right. I'm not going to hold myself below anyone or be introduced as a.. study partner," replies Kallen, taking a second to finish off her plate. "I'll be candid about this. I want the governorship, but I'm aware it's neither easy nor certain to take that position, especially as... a relative unknown on that playing field.

"Still, if I can't be governor, then I at least want whoever takes that title in the future to know he has me to thank for it. I don't have a complete view of things, but from where I see it, the people in a position to do so are almost all involved in the military."

"Nobility and a desire to rise through the ranks often go hand in hand with military service," Samuel agrees, although he sounds hesitant. "Such an approach would be risky, however," he cautions, carefully putting his cutlery away. "Businessmen would ignore your age while trying to curry favor with you. Those in the military may not be quite so willing to place it aside, especially for an outsider. If you had plans to enlist, yourself, it might be different..." He trails off and looks at Kallen with curiousity. "Do you?"

"No. I don't have time to do things the normal way," replies Kallen. "Right now is the time to make a splash. The different factions within the military can't afford to spurn whatever support they can get. You know of the schisms, right?"

Samuel visibly hesitates, before nodding. "Yes."

"Well, that's why they have to deal with me. Sneer at my age as they might like, they can't ignore potential sponsorship. They need whatever advocates they can get," replies Kallen, finishing off her water. "As long as I can get a chance to meet with some of their representatives, that's good enough. There was.. the purists, correct? Clovis' own pet general, and the pro-eleven faction."

Samuel winces. "However much they might want advocates, I don't think most of the factions would appreciate being characterized in such a way. Except for the Purists, really." He purses his lips. "It goes without saying that you can only support one, and each would have its own reprecussions. I don't have anything prepared, but would you like to hear an incomplete presentation?"

"I know that much, and forgive me for not dressing my views up in front of you. But, yes, tell me what you think," replies Kallen.

"Just as long as you know not to use them in mixed company, so to speak," Samuel guides Kallen. "Since you mentioned wanting to make a splash, Miss Stadtfeld, I wanted to caution you about the bad sorts of splashes one could make, uninformed."

He pauses, collecting his thoughts. "At least for the duration of his campaign, I feel your father would have sided with the Purists. It would provide him with a ruthless, uncompromising image and conveniently place him in opposition of the current governor, Prince Clovis. Normally, this might marginalize his appeal with the Britannians in the Area, but recent events have made Clovis quite unpopular with what is seen as wishy-washy policies, and the common man wants to feel secure in his home more than ever in these troubled days. The hardliners in the military are always those one's psyche conjures up during troubled times, while shunning them at every other turn, after all."

Samuel considers his next words far more carefully. "It would be nigh-impossible to become a governor by following the current one, I feel. Public opinion is fickle, and may not support such an endeavor. Prince Clovis is, no matter what, royalty. Anyone else sharing his opinions, however, might be open game for some in the crowd. Also, unless one could reliably predict when the prince would vacate his post, maneuvering well enough to position yourself as his replacement would be difficult, to say the least."

Samuel leaves aside the third faction, quite conspiciously.

"In any case, they wouldn't do so by presenting their views as close to his. People would want an active governor," responds Kallen, raising a hand to her chin. "Public sentiment as it is, the third group might as well not exist. In fact, I imagine it really won't, presuming the Purists themselves are able to gain control... which you've made seem the likeliest prospect."

"Therein lies a chance," Samuel says reluctantly. "They would be the ones most desperate for legitimate support from the populace. Having the support of nobility, not to mention a financial investment in their cause, and they can, indeed, perhaps be bought."

"Doing so is basically running against the others. Until I get a chance to speak to the leaders involved, it would be difficult to choose... but I'd suppose that meeting with either party sends out messages to the others, doesn't it?"

"Quite so," Samuel says, nodding. He seems pleased, but at the same time, Kallen detects a hesitance behind it, something he is holding back.

"And your opinion on the more productive route?"

Kallen pauses. "I'm not asking you to be definitive. Just what's on your mind."

He hesitates further, before heading on. "Invite them all. Camouflage the meetings with a flashy event, and make it difficult for them to avoid attending. Usually, fundraisers for wounded war veterans are near-impossible for the higher-ups to avoid due to the potential public relations fallout."

"A fundraiser, huh? A ball of some sort, I would suppose, and a charity dinner. Yes, that could work quite well. We should think about who else to invite. There's no reason to limit ourselves to the military during such an event," murmurs Kallen, mulling it over. "I'll put it on the agenda for this Monday... oh, but do you think it's as viable to run it for reconstruction/aid work in Akihabara? It's in the public eye."

"While it would draw your targets, as it were," Samuel says, sounding uncomfortable at speaking that term, "their moods would be vastly different. The situation would carry a confrontational undercurrent. It might actually be best to do a lighter event, as it were. A visiting movie star or a prominent singer would make it harder for any participant to lose their temper and cause a scene."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"But it wouldn't it also show that I'm unafraid to deal with important issues?" replies Kallen, not really dismissing Samuel's advice- certainly, if she was really only interested in cordial meetings and pleasant negotiations, she would be deferring to him.

"In the worst case scenario which, frankly, is also the likeliest one to occur, it would turn into a four-way yelling match which would be anything but productive, and is quite likely to alienate you from all three. And that doesn't even take under consideration someone taking personal insult and carrying a vendetta from that point on. Duels as such are illegal these days, but...."

"...that hasn't stopped some being fought in other arenas," finishes Kallen, contemplating this. "Very well. If we began next week, how much time would you estimate be necessary to make the arrangements?"

"Two weeks is the absolute minimum. Two months is standard." Samuel shrugs. "Usually, a month to a month and a half of preparation produce the best results due to the time we have to work. Past that point, oversaturation may set in."

"Alright," replies Kallen. "We can talk over the specifics on Monday, after using the weekend to dwell on it. I'd aim for sooner rather than later, all said."

"There is a reason that such things take time, when done properly," Samuel says, not quite frowning. "The better you ready the ground, the higher your success rate goes. Is there really a point to an intermediary success that requires further hurdles to be overcome down the line, when its benefits dry up?"

"In the current situation, it's unclear when the scene will shift again," responds Kallen. "His Highness, for example, could choose to abdicate and fly back to the mainland at any time." A polite way of saying 'run back to daddy like the coward he is', that was, and one that would hardly be missed.

"If something like that happens, and my foot isn't in the door, it would be too late to make a meaningful impact. I'm hardly saying that taking every step possible is unwise, but right now, haste would be a virtue."

Samuel looks dubious. "Society would never stand for any noble seizing governship in a matter of mere weeks from debuting in it. In fact, if the scenario you describe happens, it would be better if we took the longer way around, which then positioned us to replace whomever would take Prince Clovis's place. With only a short time in office, and likely promoted through hasty measures, they would be easy prey."

"As I said earlier, if not me, then as long as the new governor knows who I am..." replies Kallen, lapsing into silence for a moment. "I'll likely defer to you, although a month sounds optimal from my standpoint. Quick enough that the chances of any dramatic shifts are lessened, but a long enough time to cover our bases. After all, it's intended as a meet'n'greet more than a session of hard bargaining."

"A month it is," he agrees, "and we won't be idle during that time."

"Of course not," responds Kallen. "While you're here, is there anything else you feel needs to be brought to my attention with regard to.. work and politics?" The two topics one should avoid speaking of at dinner. Well, so much for that. It's not like she can talk about things like hobbies or school with Mr. West, esteemed associate of the Statdfeld family.

<--->

Taking Nana-chan to the ghettos proved some conceptual challenge. In the end, Kallen had decided to settle with the outskirts of Shinjuku, where she knew she'd at least be relatively safe, the people there knew her and were unlikely to pose any awkward questions beyond a greeting and a 'who's that'- and she wouldn't get lost there herself, which was always a plus.

In the event of Murphy's law rearing it's ugly ahead and causing some unlikely catastrophe, she knew all the local hiding spots and boltholes, so keeping Nunnaly safe was still easy there. As for getting her there in the first place, Kallen had decided to use the train, but had pre-emptively parked a car on one of the servicable roads in case she needed to leave in a hurry. It wouldn't take more than a broad-brimmed hat and some touchups on the younger girl to ensure nobody identified her as Britannian on a cursory inspection.

A less bulky and more typical wheelchair was easy to acquire; the student council already had such things in storage. She hadn't made more plans than that, expecting the 'tour' to only take a couple hours at most. She got herself over to the school in casual gear early Saturday morning, along with a shoulder bag with some sandwiches, her purse of improptu self-defence, and a pistol, concealed by her jacket.

Sayoko is out when Kallen stops by to meet with Nunnally, the younger girl waiting for her on the ground floor. "I gave her a day off," Nunnally explains, after the greetings are over with. She seems hyperactive at first glance, but as Kallen helps her into the prepared wheelchair and disguise, it doesn't feel like excitement after all. Nunnally is very tense, and eager to go at the same time.

Kallen's first thought is that Nana must be worried about something, but on thinking about it for a moment, she figures that the girl has simply never done anything like this before. Nervousness going hand in hand with eagerness is something she can recognize, being a chronic sufferer.

"Out and about, just like us, right?" asks Kallen, not really thinking that Sayoko is unaware of what's going on in any capacity. "We're gonna go to Shinjuku. It's not that far out the settlement, practically borders on it. It used to be a really hectic place, I heard."

"I remember," Nunnally responds, adjusting her hat. "I only visited once, but it was really loud and noisy."

"It was pretty much *the* nightlife district," replies Kallen, starting to wheel Nunnally out towards the school exit. "Filled with bars and clubs and restraunts and all that. And shopping during the day, of course, but you could have made the argument that old Tokyo was a giant mall to start."

"It still is, if you listen to my classmates," Nunnally echoes her, as they start making their way towards the nearest train station.

"I suppose. It was different, though. Shinjuku was.. chaotic. Central Tokyo now is very tidy and neat. It's kinda boring, I guess. Still, right now, Shinjuku is... well, it's hard to tell one ghetto from another by looks alone."

"Then how do you do it?"

"You get to know the people, of course," replies Kallen. "Most people in the ghettos are there because they used to live and work there. Others were displaced from their original homes during the occupation. There's a lot of shared feelings depending on where you go. Anger, hope, despair, charity... they all have their own character."

"Is Shinjuku..." Nunnally hesitates. "Does it have a character of anger and despair?"

"Shinjuku's been there. But these days, people are getting more hopeful." Kallen snorts for a moment. "I'd say they're still pretty pissed off, though."

Nunnally lapses into quiet reflection. Their train arrives, right according to the schedule Kallen had checked and double-checked as she prepared their outing plans.

"How does it look from here?" the younger girl asks suddenly when the train is in motion, breaking her self-imposed silence.

You can't accuse the Brits of not running their trains on time, if nothing else.

"We're on an overpass," replies Kallen, glancing out the window. "Roads everywhere. It's kinda like a giant knot- but there aren't actually all that many cars on it at this time, huh. If you look behind us, you can see the settlement. Everything's new and silver back there- I can see the building with my family's offices. A couple helicopters, too...

"If you look to where we're going, though, it's like a cracked mirror. There are about as many buildings, but they're slanted, broken, and some are even scorched. You look at them and know they're going to crumble someday. You can't really see any people at all from here, though."

"Isn't it dangerous to live in them?" Nunnally asks worriedly, biting on her lower lip. "If the buildings are in that state, then they could collapse and crush those inside!"

"Yes, they could," replies Kallen. "There are programs to safely demolish them and expand the settlement, of course, but they're quite slow in progress. But the people living there have nowhere else to go. Most of them are basically squatters."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[14:36] Once again, Nunnally looks like she wants to say something, but she ends up nodding instead. Another minute of travel passes in silence, with only background chatter from others aboard the train, too muffled to overhear.
[14:37] One of the helicopters passes overhead; Kallen can see that it is approaching a commercial airship, clearly there to advertise an upcoming theme park, if the marque it carries is any indication.
[14:37] "Who is running those programs?" Nunnally asks, and it takes Kallen a moment to reorient herself and realize she must be referring to the plans to safely expand the settlement.
[14:43] "There's some kind of overall development plan set in place by the governor's office, and corporations can invest in it," replies Kallen, after taking a moment to think over the details. "Various incentives are in place to develop the land and encourage offshore nobles and businessmen to immigrate and stake a claim. It's entirely profit-driven."
[14:47] Nunnally tilts her head, focusing on Kallen. "That's a cold way of describing people being deprived of their homes," she notes quietly.
[14:54] "According to the state office, they never owned them in the first place," replies Kallen, biting her lip. "No provisions are made for Japanese who don't have jobs, identities, or status as an Honorary Britannian. The theory goes that if they want something, they need to make an effort to climb the ladder."
[14:54] Kallen pauses for a moment. "Did Shirley ever talk to you about why she joined the military?" she asks, suddenly.
[14:55] "She wanted to help," Nunnally says hesitantly.
[14:58] "Yeah. I don't know if she realised how hard it might be to change things, but she wanted to find some way to help those who can't help themselves," replies Kallen. "That was.. really admirable. I wonder what her parents thought..."
[15:01] "Milly was exasperated," Nunnally volunteers. "She called Shirley an idiot. But she also sounded thoughtful afterwards."
[15:03] "I didn't want her to join either," responds Kallen, with a dry chuckle. "How do you tell someone not to try and do a good thing, though?"
[15:05] The words seem to strike something within Nunnally. "It's very hard," she agrees, her voice quiet once more.
[15:12] It strikes Kallen that it should've been easier for her, given that she's doing something so diametrically opposed. It's not until they're almost at Shinjuku that she speaks again. "I just hope she succeeds. Antipathy would come from both the army and those she's trying to help..."
[15:19] Nunnally nods just as the train arrives at the station where they should get off. It's still a fair distance from Shinjuku, but Britannia didn't make a priority to arrange for comfortable transportation to the ghettos where locals live.
[15:19] It's still within walking distance, however, and no one prevents Kallen and Nunnally from entering the premises. "Ah, this is Shinjuku?" Nunnally asks with an almost uncanny promptness, as Kallen wheels her chair down the street not even a hundred feet away from the entrance.
[15:33] "Almost. The station was built just outside," replies Kallen. The street away from the station wasn't particularly crowded, with only a few elevens heading back and forth- some wearing cheap suits on their way to work, others in faded jeans and rumpled t-shirts.
[15:33] There weren't many skyscrapers or the like in what was left of Shinjuku, but plenty of multistory buildings were left behind, and despite Kallen's warnings on the train, she didn't predict any would happen to choose today to collapse on their own accord. Most of the old roads were still in one piece, but it was still a bumpy ride for the younger girl.
[15:33] The main entrance to Shinjuku was framed by an old torii. The red paint was cracked and faded, but the structure itself was still whole. A man reading a newspaper gave Kallen a curious nod as she passed through the entrance and into one of the main streets. Not far away was a broken bridge used for the old rails; the centre of it had fallen in long ago, and a couple of kids stood on either end, throwing a ball or something between each other.
[15:33] There was some degree of chatter throughout the streets- Shinjuku wasn't a small place, and they were quite crowded. Plenty of people had taken up shop in the ground level of various buildings, and even here there was work to be done- makeshift sheds and dwellings had to be repaired and maintained. A few ramshackle shops were selling food and sundries. If you just went by hearing, it could almost sound like a busy district in any city- albeit with more audibly sick people coughing their lungs out.
[15:33] What you needed to see instead of hear were the bodies sleeping on the streets, or how some people were terribly gaunt and pale. Even the fit young people going about didn't always look at the top of their game- certainly, at this time, Kallen was probably the most unquestionably healthy person in sight.
[15:42] Nunnally looks uncomfortable, almost recoiling before she catches herself, but Kallen doesn't think anyone but she notices. Shinjuku's residents had gotten very good at not seeing or hearing anything they weren't supposed to; at least those that tried to become productive members of society, either by Britannian or their old standards.
[15:52] Kallen turns a corner, heading away from the main street and into some of the smaller alleys that were once filled with tiny, hole-in-the-wall shops and restraunts; it was a maze to the uninitiated. The stove and ovens were still operable, run off tanks of gas or portable generators, but many were a communal affair, where one could bring whatever food they'd scrounged up and ensure it was properly cooked.
[15:52] "Apart from us, there are no Britannians at all," comments Kallen, coming to a brief stop outside one of the kitchens and leaning over the counter. The smell of cooking food is everywhere down here; oriental seasonings are used as well, grown in little pot-plants set up in street-level windows. "If you didn't guess, we're smack in the middle of what passes for a food court. Hungry? Probably nothing on what Sayoko-san makes, but hey, I bet you won't forget the taste!"
[15:56] "Britannians don't go the ghettos?" Nunnally asks, raising her head to face Kallen's.
[15:59] "Not often. There's not much here for them," explains Kallen. "I guess you get scouters. And people who like to lord it up. Not that many casual visitors, though... oi, Kenji!" she calls, shouting in Japanese to a sleepy-looking guy emerging from the kitchen. "Get us some drinks, willya?"
[16:04] He nods tiredly, marking the sleepiness as running deeper than just his appearance, and disappears back. It takes about a minute, during which Nunnally tries to make herself as small as possible, until Kenji emerges back out into the open with two opened beer bottles. They have been refilled, Kallen knows, and likely with juice, considering the customers.
[16:04] "Here ya go," Kenji says lazily, glancing down at Nunnally as he hands the bottles over to Kallen.
[16:14] She wouldn't put it past him to spike her own drink with something hilarious, but she'll kick his ass if he feeds something suspect to a girl in a wheelchair. "Thanks," she responds, dropping a few more coins than was strictly necessary on the counter and managing to place the bottle in Nana-chan's hands. "How's things? Chidori-chan doing alright?"
[16:16] Nunnally busies herself by drinking from the bottle. She goes too fast, pulling it away and coughing a few times, and then continues taking shorter sips.
[16:16] "Same old, same old. Haven't seen you around lately, though. What gives?"
[16:23] "Running around a lot. Checkpoints have been tighter lately, especially at night," replies Kallen. "And when I do get here, Inoue takes up all my time. You know how it is." She gestures to Nunnally. "Ah, this is Naomi. Her dad works in the settlement, but she asked me to show her 'round here. Naomi, this is Kenji, dealer in unique, improptu beverages."
[16:28] "How do you do," Nunnally says in polite Japanese, inclining her head towards Kenji. He rubs the back of his head, messing his bed hair even worse, and then coughs into his fist. "Charmed."
[16:28] As an incoherent yell sounds from indoors, Kenji rolls his eyes at Kallen. "There's my cue." Before he disappears out of sight, though, he calls back, "So did you tell Inoue that you traded her in for a younger model?"
[16:31] A thrown coaster is Kenji's response, and it hits the top of the wall above his head. "Pardon?"
[16:33] He laughs, ducking out of the way, his laughter continuing to echo from inside. "Your friend was... interesting," Nunnally voices quietly, nursing her bottle.
[16:34] "He's a bartender. They need to be interesting. It's how they get dinner going," replies Kallen. "If you ever need to find someone who lives around here, a guy like him is the first one to go to."
[16:36] Nunnally nods, taking another sip before asking, "And when is Inoue-san the first one to go to?"
[16:37] "When you want christmas cake."
[16:38] A perplexed expression appears on Nunnally's face. "She's a baker, then?" she ventures.
[16:41] "Haha, no, it's a dumb joke we have. She's just a friend of mine, and six years older, and she doesn't have a husband, and it's an old, old joke," replies Kallen, shaking her head.
[16:44] Nunnally's confusion does not disappear, but she refrains from questioning Kallen further.
[16:47] With a taste of local moonshine (or juice, or who-knows-what) in hand, Kallen starts to wheel Nunnally out of this street and into another. An old staircase down to the underground subway is nearby; few people go down there anymore, unless they're smuggling something. "Where to, next? We could check out the underground tunnels," comments Kallen. "Or head someplace high like the top of a mall. There's a couple of shrines still around, too- they're pretty interesting, actually. You go there and find out how lucky you're going to be for the next year."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Nunnally finishes her drink as Kallen takes her through the market. Some of the smells are inviting, and she has more than her share of contacts here, but it would be pointless for Kallen to stuff her face there. Something tells her Nunnally didn't ask to visit the ghetto because she was tired of Sayoko's cooking.

For her part, the young princess is quiet and subdued as they leave the impromptu market.

The ghettos are ultimately a slippery slope. The fringes are unquestionable the nicest areas, but as Kallen begins to guide Nunnally's chair further into the once-bustling suburb, things take on a more sombre feel. A massive crater lurks ahead- the result of some powerful bomb- with a huge building lying sideways within it. Still mostly intact, the structure gives an impression that the world has been turned around. The crater itself is home to dozens to tents, wet and filthy as though the confines might be.

"I need to pick up the chair for a second," notes Kallen, glancing ahead at the path. "There's a ditch in the road."

Nunnally nods quietly, clutching the armrests.

Gripping the sides, Kallen manages to heft the bulky furniture, girl and all, and leans towards the other side of the obstacle.

"We're in front of, well, I guess you can call it a village," she states afterwards, just stepping to the other side. "The people who couldn't find a place to squat ended up here, right? In some places, you can get running water and power, but it's harder if you have to live in a tent." she adds.

"Are there many people who have to live in tents?"

"Yeah. Can't give you a number, but it's probably at least a fifth or a quarter. They're not all tents, strictly speaking. Some are... sheds, I guess? Places put together from whatever's lying around," replies Kallen.

A group of elevens nearby are sitting on folding chairs and boxes, all watching a small television with a coathanger antenna sticking out the top. With an irritated snort, one of the guys bashes the top, prompting clearer reception.

"And you said these are people who couldn't find a home in one of the abandoned buildings?" Nunnally seeks to clarify. Occupied as they are by the television, the locals don't give Kallen and her charge more than a cursory, bored glance. "There is nowhere else they could stay?"

"Nope. They don't wanna stay in the towers that might collapse, so you could say it's a safer option," replies Kallen.

"What about moving, or trying to become Honorary Britannians?"

Kallen resists the urge to spit. It's hypocritical, she tells herself. "They can't move without either money or Honorary status. You can't get Honorary status unless you can convince the government to give it to you. You can't do that unless you have some special skill, some noble likes you, or you join the military. The last option is the only one avaliable to most, and... it's generally considered to be selling out. Practically treason."

Nunnally nods hesitantly, taking that in. "Then, isn't it possible to build houses for those who don't have it?"

"It's possible, if someone decides to make it happen," acknowledges Kallen. "It's entirely dependant on how much power they have... and if nobody tries to stop them."

"Someone might try to stop this, just because they can?" Nunnally asks, sounding appalled.

"It's not impossible. The people here have very little to offer," replies Kallen, bleakly. "Someone reaching out to them can't expect anything in return. But because of that, some nobles think that they don't deserve to be helped. It goes against the emperor's philosophy."

"Did... did you try to help and someone stopped you?" Nunnally asks hesitantly, lowering her voice.

"No.. not quite. I haven't been stopped. I've tried to help," replies Kallen. "My dad never approved, but he's... not around and all. I guess you could say I haven't had the opportunity to do more than a little until recently."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"Do you know other people who want to help?" Nunnally asks. "Do you... try to work together?"

"I know Shirley," replies Kallen. "But I only wish I could say I had a lot of people behind me on this."

"Is there... anything someone like me could do?" Nunnally asks, looking stoic despite the hesistancy she must feel, if her speech is any indication.

"I could say something cheesy, like 'your thoughts are enough', but that won't satisfy you, right? It's trite, so I won't," asks Kallen, pausing in their trek.

"There's loads of things one person can do. Help directly, getting out there and working with community services, that sort of thing. I guess that means adminstrative tasks. Answering phones, that sort of thing, instead of actually building stuff or laying down cable. You can help directly like that, but it's attacking the symptoms, not the problem, so it feels like throwing pebbles at a lake.

"It's changing how people think. Talking to others and showing them the state people have to live in. Getting them to question the country Britannia has become. But since saying the wrong thing can land you in jail..."

Nunnally lowers her head. "I can't speak out in public," she says quietly.

The only way Nana-chan can help- really help, in Kallen's estimate- is by declaring herself a princess and using her name as leverage upon other members of royalty. And that isn't a sure thing. In doing so, she would paint an enormous target on her back, and she would surely need more savvy than she could possibly have.

"Ah, right," she replies, taking the chair across a bridge. A canal for an artificial river runs across it, although the only water there is a thin stream. "And it's awkward to even talk about stuff like this with people at school. The leaders of tomorrow, as Milly puts it."

"But you talked to Shirley," Nunnally points out. "And you're one of those future leaders, Sayoko told me. Maybe it means others can get involved, just like you two had!"

"You're right. I mean, Shirley was my best friend, so it took a while before we could really speak about this stuff, but it's not like anything can happen if someone doesn't bring the issues up, you know?"

"Was?"

"Is. Is, I just haven't got to speak to her for a while."

Nunnally nods in understanding. The canal, the river flowing through it and the bridge across are a distant memory, by now, and a park remains. It is, in stark opposition to the rest of Shinjuku, well-kept and tended for. Kallen knows the reason for it, of course. It holds Britannia's war memorial, an obscene symbol of its triumph over Japan. Perhaps, monuments such as the one located in the center of the park are the only ones that ever reference Japan by its true name.

Harming the park or the monument always brings heavy-handed retaliation against the surrounding civillian population. That is the only reason it remains untouched, Kallen imagines.

It wasn't as bad as Tokyo Tower, or what was left of it. Bad enough that Britannia erects monuments in the heart of Japanese communities, but to complete their mockery, they had turned Japan's own symbols into their own triumphs.

Kallen heads around the landscape, refusing to stay or comment upon it while she's here. "It can't be helped, though. Boot camp is hell, and I bet she spends her free time catching up on sleep."

Nunnally nods once more. She tilts her head as Kallen takes them around the park, no doubt noticing the change of scenery. Kallen herself can smell cleaner air already, and the faint hint of greenery, something sorely missing in both the ghettos and the settlements.

"Ah, are we still in Shinjuku?" the blind girl asks.

A pair of teens leave the park through an exit up ahead. They look Britannian.

"Yeah, but we're almost at the other edge," replies Kallen. "Keep going, and we'll probably walk back into the settlement."

The pair seems to be hanging about the exit. As Kallen pushes Nunnally's wheelchair over towards the exit, lacking in options unless she wants to turn back or carry the younger girl through the debries littering the park's perimeter, three more teens join them.

Kallen continues to wheel the chair towards the teens, intending simply to go past them and continue about her business. "Want to head back?" she asks, after a moment.

"Can you take me to the highest spot here?" Nunnally requests, turning her head towards Kallen.

"Sure. We're not that far from it, actually," replies Kallen, thinking of a nearby tower that's considered amongst the least likely to fall down this year. "But! You will have to ride on my back. The chair's too heavy to take up stairs as well."

"Oh, the elevators don't work!" Nunnally exclaims, as if the thought hadn't occured to her before. "Then, the people who do live in the houses... do they have electricity, and water, and gas?"

"Some. People usually share the essentials," replies Kallen. "Water's not that big a problem. Electricity, though..."

"So the provisional government doesn't help even with that..." Nunnally says sadly.

"Because it exists to serve the interests of Britannians. I've stopped listening to the governor's announcements. 'We and elevens working together to build a better society', that's all such bull." growls Kallen. "The elevens don't even try, and who can blame them? It's still only been six years. People don't forget or forgive that quickly. They wouldn't, even if the government was benevolent."

"Hey, it's a monkey, jabbering in that strange monkey language," one of the Britannians calls to the laughter of the others. Nunnally flinches, adding to their mirth.

Kallen doesn't flinch so much as twitch, and levels a cold stare at the offending Britannian. "And then there's shit like this," she murmurs. "I'd really like to teach them all a lesson."

"Who said you could look back, monkey!" the Britannian declares, in a perfect mix of haughtiness and anger. His companions fan out, blocking the way.

The area is not quite deserted, locals using the same road and kids playing in the rubble, but at the loud, confrontational tone, it begins to clear out.

"I wouldn't talk like that around here, if I were you," replies Kallen in accentless Britannian, narrowing her eyes. With Nana around, though, she can't escalate the conflict. Well, even if she wasn't, it would be just Kallen against five. And even if she could beat that many at once, it'd only make things worse later.

Luckily, she has other options, and she poisons the man across from her with her own mindset. She feels trapped, she wants to get away, and soon enough, so shall he. "Some people still get mad, and the rest of us don't want trouble."

The young man she's facing bellows, hand flashing behind his back. His companions look shocked when he draws a blade and lunges madly, bypassing a shot at Kallen to try and gut Nunnally!

Kallen is shocked for a moment, and there's no time for thinking! She steps forward and reaches for his arm- if he was trying for her, she'd probably get stabbed- and grabs it by the wrist! She can't just push back- she tries to flip him over, using his heedless momentum against him!

His grip is strong, Kallen finds out to his shock, and as muscles ripple below the casual shirt their assailant wears, she realizes that she can't throw him from her position. She can't even halt his momentum; merely altering the knife's course would take all her strength and concentration!

Kallen grapples with the man, pulling the knife away from Nana- away from *her*- anything to pull the deadly weapon off-course! She should at least be able to wrestle him away, or what good is she as a soldier- or a bodyguard?

The knife scrapes the chair's side as Nunnally flinches aside, and it is touch and go for several moments. Then, all of a sudden, the man's resistance ceases entirely, disappearing along with the back of his head. Showered with gore, the nearest Britannian looks utterly shocked, before turning tail and running away, the other three following without a glance back.

Kallen's strong grip on their assailant's arm is all that keeps his corpse upright.

Kallen holds it up dumbly for a moment, before she shoves the body away in shock and backs away.

Nunnally is shivering, hugging her arms around herself. A pool of blood gathers around the dead man, fear forever etched on his expression.

Who shot him? That wild thought springs to mind. It must be some eleven who saw what was going on and decided to act. If he hid himself to avoid discovery, that wouldn't be surprising.

Hanging around would be crazy. The surviving brits would call the police, no doubt about it. Since a Britannian died, they'd tear the place apart, even if he was just a commoner. No, it's because he's only a teenager that they'd try harder. Nana-chan can't get involved with the police or anything official. Kallen could, if a baroness claimed to be present and was assaulted by a commoner, the shooter would probably get a medal. Unless her lineage was discovered- and questions would be asked-

The thoughts keep flying through her head as she grabs the wheelchair and starts heading away from the scene. Is there any blood on her?

Other than a large, mostly cauterized hole in the Britannian's forehead, his front is spotless. The splatter pattern was away from Nunnally and Kallen, it appears, although she can't quite avoid all the blood if she is to push the wheelchair forward. Some of it might cling to its wheels despite her best effort.

Picking it up, Kallen can pick it up again and carry it across. Then, she can take the quickest route to the car she parked earlier, and drive back to Ashford.

Abruptly, she realises that unless she says something, Nana-chan will still have no idea exactly what happened. "Sorry. I'm so sorry that happened." she manages.

Nunnally seems to be in shock, not responding to Kallen's words in any visible way. She seems to be whispering something, far too quietly for Kallen to casually overhear.

Kallen's phone rings, disturbing her concentration further. The regular one, she realizes after a moment.

Kallen flips it open and takes a glance at the caller. She can always find some excuse for not answering later, if necessary.

It's an unlisted number.

The timing is too convenient, and Kallen hits the 'call accepted' button and raises it to her ear. "Hello?"

"You can't take her back to the school," she's told as soon as the line connects. The voice is going through a scrambler, and all Kallen can tell is that it's female, unless that, too, is part of the camouflage. "Can you hide her?"

"Yeah. Who is this? How long have you been watching?" demands Kallen, trying to think. Something doesn't make sense. She'd assumed the man lunged at Nana-chan thanks to her Geass. But in that situation, wouldn't he go for Kallen instead if that was all?

It's suspicious.

"Good. Do it. I'll be in touch."

The line goes dead before Kallen can get another word in.

She needs to trace the call. Nana's identity has clearly been compromised, but now, so has Kallen's. If it was a rebel- even one disguising themselves- they'd have used her other phone.

It might have been someone she already knows is friendly- Sayoko, perhaps- but it strikes Kallen as highly unlikely. There's at least one idea that sticks out, though in the end it raises many more uncomfortable questions.

For now, though, she tries to think of a safehouse nearby. The rebel HQ is probably out of the question, but despite talked of crowdedness in the ghettos earlier, there are still plenty of designated caches and hiding spots around. It's to one of them that she starts moving- one a moderate distance away.

Putting that phone away for a moment, she pulls out her other, more secure cell, and calls Inoue.

"S'up?" Inoue asks, picking up after five rings.

"I'm here to ruin your day. Ready?"
"There's a brit missing part of his head lying near the north gateway. The fucker came at me with a knife, but someone blew him away. While we were fighting over it."

A pause. There's not much you can add to a statement like that right away.

"Get out of here!"

"Yeah, it gets worse. He had friends, right? I give it a 50/50 of them reporting this," continues Kallen. "But that's not the best part. I've got someone I need to hide. Can you meet me?" She drops the name of the hideout- it's close to one of the old subway entrances. "I gotta tell you some things."

"This better not be bullshit," Inoue grumbles. There's a rustling of clothes. "I can make it in forty. Just sit tight."

"Thirty minutes, got it." Just talking to Inoue is enough to regain her composure- after walking through a sea of blood, Kallen doubts she would ever stay phased for long again.

"Yeah, yeah."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[14:41] The safe house wasn't a house (and some might argue it wasn't safe), but an old hole-in-the-wall bookshop, once one of hundreds of shops that line Shinjuku's streets. It had the advantage of a second-story window, out of which one could get a wide view of anyone even trying to approach the vicinity. Likewise, it was located close to a subway entrance, much-loved by freedom fighters all over-
[14:44] -Tokyo for the ease of use. The attention paid to it's interior design was not as thorough as that to it's tactical value. Low-hanging lights were hooked up from the roof, and a few futons were rolled up against a wall. Shelves of various boxes and supplies were lying around, including food, medicine, and weapons. None were marked, and Kallen was rifling through them, tossing aside crusty books-
[14:46] -in favour of finding a pair of binoculars and a blanket. The latter, she soon carries over to Nana-chan, and quietly puts it over her body. "We should be safe here. I'll call Sayoko soon," she says, trying to think of ways to comfort the younger girl-
[14:46] -and failing miserably.
[14:50] Nunnally nods at Kallen, although the older girl can't tell whether she truly understood her.
[14:55] "I can't take you back to school," continues Kallen, dropping onto a folding chair by a desk, and peering out the window. "You're probably going to be here for a couple of weeks. If there's anything you want, from home or something, then I can go get it later," she continues, dropping her head into her hands with a muttered obscenity.
[14:57] Nunnally shakes her head, this time. "I don't need anything," she says quietly.
[15:01] No time to be in a funk, Kallen reminds herself. Not when someone is relying on you, whether they like it or not. She reaches for her secure phone, and begins to call Sayoko, wherever she might be.
[15:03] "Yes?" Sayoko's voice asks, as she picks up the phone after four rings. "Who is it?" The reception is somewhat shaky.
[15:07] "Me. Nana-chan was attacked, and I can't take her back to school anymore," replies Kallen. "How soon can you get to Shinjuku?"
[15:09] "What?!" Sayoko exclaims. There is some noise, as if the mouthpiece were covered, before silence permeats the line. She must have placed her phone on mute.
[15:10] Stupid of her, to forget that Sayoko could've been anywhere, and a discussion like this couldn't happen in some places.
[15:11] "Go ahead," Sayoko's voice returns. The line still has a bad connection, but the background noise has all but disappeared, now.
[15:16] "Some thug attacked her with a knife," replies Kallen- quietly. "But someone else was watching, and shot him in the back. Whoever it is-" she has one big guess- "-, they've had an eye out for a while. I'm in the safest place I know."
[15:19] "Miss Nunnally was involved in a mugging attempt, and you felt it necessary to take her to a ghetto to keep her safe?"
[15:24] "The sniper called me afterwards and told me the school wasn't safe," hisses Kallen. "If they wanted to just take her, she could've just shot me at the same time and done it."
[15:25] "She?"
[15:26] "It was a woman's voice, albeit a distorted one."
[15:27] "It would take me time to get to Shinjuku," Sayoko says after a pause. "Are you in immediate danger? Is the sniper able to track your movements?"
[15:35] "They must be able to, to some extent," replies Kallen.
[15:35] "But I don't think we're in immediate danger."
[15:36] "I'll be there as soon as I can. Will you be available at this number?"
[15:37] "Yeah, I will."
[15:38] "We'll talk more when I'm there, then," Sayoko promises.
[15:40] "Alright. Later," replies Kallen, cutting the connection.
[15:49] Inoue finally makes it over to the abandoned bookshop thirty three minutes later, looking a little red in the face. Armed as she is with binoculars and a good vantage point, Kallen is in a good position to intercept her long before Inoue gets to the front door.
[16:01] Kallen greets her out the front. "Hey. Sorry, but it was urgent," says Kallen, glancing over her shoulder.
[16:03] Inoue looks past Kallen casually. "So you said." Her expression indicates that she is expecting to hear that explanation she was promised.
[16:06] "Alright. You ever heard of the Ashford family?" asks Kallen, in a low voice.
[16:07] Inoue snorts. "Please. I do keep some interest in your life. You go to their school."
[16:12] "Ah, right, school. Ashford Academy. How could I forget? Look, long story short, they figured my identity ages ago. But I ended up making a deal with them. They'll help work against Britannia if I help them out when they need it, right? Well, this is it. One of their wards is up there, and someone wants to get rid of her."
[16:13] "Whoa, whoa, back up!" Inoue looks at Kallen incredulously. "A bunch of Brit nobles figured your identity?" The emphasis she places on the last word is unmistakable.
[16:14] "Yes. This happened... months ago," grimaces Kallen. "When Naoto died, mother came to school."
[16:16] "Oh, that identity." Inoue relaxes slightly. "Not--" She gestures around, "--this?"
[16:20] "They found out this, alright. But they have no intention of giving it away," responds Kallen. "They have reason to hate the Empire as well."
[16:22] "I'm sure they do. I hear taxes are a bitch."
[16:34] "Uh-huh. They have a long and exciting history of getting screwed," responds Kallen. "I trust 'em."
[16:37] "That's why they run an exclusive academy, because they're getting shafted by the regime," Inoue mutters, rolling her eyes. "Look, Kallen, you've got to give me more than that. You trust them, and I trust you. That's fine. But if I vouch for this and one of us is being played, the entire resistance can go down in flames. Fuck, the best case scenario is that the JLF cuts us off and we all get shot."
[16:48] "Played, huh," mutters Kallen. "Heh. Who's playing who, then? Alright. The Ashfords aren't protecting just anyone. They've been sheltering royalty in exile for the past six years. But they can't keep that up forever, not in the current regime- and that's why they came to me."
[16:50] "It's... original, at least," Inoue says, sounding skeptic. Though she takes another peek of the bookshop's insides.
[16:57] "Yeah, I know. Nunnally vi Britannia, the.. sixty-somethingth heir," replies Kallen, throwing a wary eye down the street. "Let me explain the circumstances," she adds, giving a brief rundown of just how the attack in the ghetto played out only a short time ago.
[17:00] "No way," Inoue mutters. "I think I saw something on the news, way back, after the invasion. So you're saying vi-what's-her-name got away?" She listens to the attack's description, eyebrows climbing. "So this dude just tried to pick a fight with you, and then lunged to stab the kid and got his brains blown out?"
[17:07] "Yeah. The attack was weird. The sniper was weirder. They're probably going to contact me again, too," mutters Kallen. "I need help covering this place."
[17:08] "You were serious about earlier, right?" Inoue asks rhetorically. "That gets me thinking, you're looking for some unofficial help."
[17:13] "Which part gave it away?" asks Kallen, theatrically. "I contacted the Ashford's own bodyguard for help already. Nana-chan isn't worth much as a hostage, despite her rank, but if this got official, that's what'd happen."
[17:16] "My memory's not the best, especially when it comes to Brit propaganda, but they sure invoked her name in a lot of the post-war clensings," Inoue muses, herself glancing around for any onlookers. "Not the name, actually. Wasn't there a pair of royals who were supposed to buy it with the invasion?"
[17:18] "Yeah, it was her and her brother," replies Kallen. "The Ashford's sheltered both of them. But the brother went AWOL a while ago, and it's just been her since then."
[17:19] "Nice," Inoue drawls sarcastically. "Next you'll be spinning me some sob story about how she's just a poor cripple who's got nothing to do with Britannia's evils and just wants a world of puppies, rainbows and bunnies."
[17:20] "Yeah, it's kind of unreal how nice she is."
[17:21] "'course she is. With those genes, how could she go wrong?" Inoue breathes out through her mouth noisily. "So when do I get to meet her?"
[17:26] "Ah, you can go up now, but she's in a state," replies Kallen, turning around. "The attack was enough of a freakout for her, and on top of that her position was revealed."
[17:29] "Couldn't pick a better time for the introductions," Inoue agrees, heading inside and then up the stairs.
[17:30] With one last glances down the street, Kallen heads in after Inoue and locks the door behind them.
[17:33] Inoue is halfway up the stairs when Kallen's phone rings.
[17:33] Kallen flips it open and checks the caller- unlisted, surely- and answers is shortly afterwards.
[17:36] Kallen's expectations are answered, and the same filtered voice greets her on the other side. "How long can you keep her safely hidden?"
[17:37] "Five minutes? Five weeks? Five years? That depends entirely on who's looking," replies Kallen, staying at the bottom of the bookshop.
[17:40] "The SIS, my guess."
[17:40] That would stand for the Britannian Secret Intelligence Service, Kallen realizes, more commonly known as the Directorate of Military Intelligence Section 6, or MI6 for short.
[17:43] "You're shitting me. If we can get the jump on them, then long enough to get her someplace untouchable," replies Kallen, frowning. "If we just sit on our hands, our odds are bad."
[17:47] The voice doesn't rise up to the bait. "I estimate she would be safe in the ghetto, as they would move covertly to gather information about her whereabouts. I realize that you can't tell me the key parts of any plan involving her safety over this line, but what can I do to help?"
[17:53] "Information on any SIS operatives would be appreciated. If you can tell me how to find one, I can take everything from there."
[17:54] There isn't an immediate response, and when one comes, it's almost hesitant. "I can't do that. What else?"
[17:56] "Can you feed them false information? Tip us off if they seem to be getting close?"
[17:57] "It's not impossible. I'll be in touch."
[17:59] "Intel is everything, if you're serious. The more of that you give me, the safer she'll be."
[18:00] The line goes dead without an acknowledgement.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"There's no point in denying it," Kallen hears Inoue say as she scales the last few steps before reaching the second floor.

The young princess is wringing out her hands, seated on the chair Kallen left her in.

"I'm sorry, Nana-chan," states Kallen, closing the door behind her and heading over to the window. "I've known your secret for weeks. I wanted to help, but the only way I can do that now is by hiding you here."

"I... won't make a very good hostage," Nunnally voices hesitantly.

Inoue rolls her eyes. "Seems like it. Don't suppose you know more about who's trying to get to you?"

Nunnally shivers.

"We aren't taking you hostage," replies Kallen, slowly. "I called Sayoko and she'll be making her way here. Once we've got everything set up, we'll move you out of Japan alltogether, and that should leave anyone after you in the dust."

"No."

It takes Nunnally a while to respond, but when she does, her answer is resolute.

"I'm glad we sorted that out," Inoue mutters.

"You should know that Milly went away specifically to find a safer haven than Tokyo," notes Kallen, grimacing. "Staying here is incredibly dangerous in the long-term. With imperial agents on the move... why would you want to stay here?"

"I'm not leaving Oniisama behind," Nunnally says quietly. "I know, that if I leave, I'll never be with him again."

"If you stay, you might be caught, and then you definately won't be with him again. With anyone again," replies Kallen, pressing her palms into the windowsil. "It's not like I don't symphasize, but if Lelouch came looking and couldn't find you, the Ashford's are the first person he'd ask, surely."

"So it would be best for everyone if I just didn't exist?" she asks bitterly. "I just cause trouble for everyone wherever I go."

"Don't do that," warns Kallen, sharply. "Blaming yourself for this is stupid. Blame your dad, or blame the SIS, or just blame Britannia."

"Cheery kid," Inoue whispers to Kallen, coming over to her, when Nunnally remains silent.

"Would you be happy?" asks Kallen, pointedly.

"Ecstatic," Inoue deadpans.

It takes the better part of two hours for Sayoko to make it over, coordinating her arrival as she gets closer to the hideout. Nunnally asks for a drink in the interval, but otherwise avoids talking to Kallen or Inoue in the meantime.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Kallen's chosen time to approach the younger girl is just after school on the following monday; accosting her after classes shouldn't be a difficult matter, unusual as it might be for a senior to go into the wings reserved for middle school. 

From the murmurings Kallen picks up on as she waits for Alice's class to let out, an unscheduled visit from a minion of the infamous Milly Ashford is bound to make waves throughout the lower grades. She doesn't have time to get more than a general impression; the teacher exits the door to the hallway amidst a rising noise level back in the classroom.

Giving a moment for the usual horde of freed schoolchildren to burst through the door, Kallen then steps towards the entrance, glancing around to try and catch a glimpse of her quarry.

Alice is packing away her notebooks, not part of the early rush to escape school for the day. Her seat is at the second row, and her neighbours have already fled towards freedom.

Stepping inside the room, Kallen calls out above the low noise of mumbling schoolkids. "Hey, Alice-chan! Are you free for a few?"

"If it's just a few," Alice responds, flashing Kallen a smile. "My aunt is sick, so I have to go straight home today."

"Ah, sorry, then." Kallen heads towards Alice, taking a seat at one of the neighbouring desks and attempting to get a fix on Alice's emotional state. "I was actually wondering if you knew where Nana-chan was today."

Kallen was having trouble getting at Alice's dominant emotion, but her words clear that right up. "She caught a nasty cold, it seems," Alice responds with not even a fraction of the anxiety she feels. "Her maid called the school."

"Ah, right. Um," Kallen's eyes shift away for a moment to glance about the room, and then refocus on Alice to talk in a lower voice. "Can we go somewhere private?" she asks, and this time she attempts to instill the same sense of trust within Alice that she did with Milly. "I'm worried that it's a bit more than just some cold, but I don't want any- well, you know, gossip," she adds, in a low voice.

"There's bound to be gossip," Alice mutters quietly. A sense of tension permeats her already existing unease, and the younger girl nods at Kallen. "I really shouldn't, but if it's just for a few minutes...."

"There's gossip and there's gossip," mutters Kallen back, and she heads to an empty science lab, a little out of the way of other classrooms, which students aren't likely to pass often at this time of day. "The thing is, I went to the council building to check on her," she comments. "She wasn't there, and I figured she might've gone to the doctors, but this is just the end of something that's been nagging me for a while." She turns to keep a steady eye on Alice; this is only going to work if she can shift the other girl's emotions to the point where she treats Kallen as a confidante, and not a potential danger. 

"Going to the doctor might be why, yes," Alice agrees, no longer able to keep her unease entirely out of her voice, while its levels spike dangerously beneath the surface. "I'm certain that Sayoko would ask Nunnally's friends for help if she needed it. Going beyond that feels a bit like stalking."

"Stalking, huh. I guess it might," admits Kallen, sighing. "But I'd rather be accused of that than let something bad happen to her. You see, I've got reason to believe someone's hunting her," she continues, changing tack. Instead of pushing simple trust at Alice, she tries to spur that protective instinct towards Nana, the idea that the girl needs to be protected. "There's evidence that she's hiding from something, and I did some poking around." She leans a little closer. "You're some kind of bodyguard, right?"

Alice laughs in Kallen's face. "A bodyguard? Me? Next you'll be calling me Nana-chan's knight!" Shaking her head, she moves past Kallen. "And here I thought this was something serious...." Beyond her facade, anger builds up on top of the frustration and worry.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Kallen's other phone, belonging to a secret life only few are privy to, receives a short, cryptic message. It only features a series of numbers, starting with zero and seven, which Kallen knows to mean today at seven. A meeting of their cell is being called, and the remained of the text stands for the place they are to gather, a warehouse the group rarely frequents, but which should be safe from Britannian intelligence.

Seven, giving Kallen about three hours to get there. A direct route wasn't normally used, for security purposes, so the trip wasn't as simple as just wandering down there.

She had one thing left to do at school, though, and she starts to head towards to Teresa's dorm, setting her anxiety aside.

Kallen finds the door locked which, knowing Teresa, is par for course.

She knocks on the door; using the master key is probably impolite. "Are you there, Teresa?"

Rather than a grunt indicating some stage of coherence, Teresa's voice rings clear through the door. "Affirmative." There is a brief silence, during which Kallen hears a sigh, and then the other girl's voice sounds once more. "I assume you want to come in, too?"

"Would that be so horrible?"

Teresa doesn't respond. A few moments later, however, the door is unlocked.

Kallen pushes it open and steps inside, making the transition from the shiny corridors of Ashford to the technomanic otherworld of Teresa's room.

The room is better-lit than how it was the last time she was there. And is there an actual open window letting in natural light?

Teresa, however, remains seated behind her computer, and Kallen briefly wonders how she managed to unlock the door from there. The lock seems entirely mechanical.

Kallen briefly glances to the corners in her blind spot, and then steps inside and closes the door behind her.

"So, I found something out about the other fake IDs," she says, deciding to get straight to the point. "You want in?"

Teresa raises an eyebrow, reflected in her monitor for Kallen to see. She doesn't turn towards her, but her fingers dance across the keyboard, summoning a list onto the screen, which she then manipulates directly until Alice's face occupies it. "What do you know?" she inquires.

"You would pick the one I know the least about," replies Kallen, sighing. "At first, I thought she was SIS. But because I found out about Lulu and Nana, I'm not so sure."

"Fine, let's do it in the order you want," Teresa grumbles, shuffling the personal files. Out of the resulting mess, four portraits appear in a split screen, Kallen's adorning the lower right. "Go ahead, and I'll provide the special effects."

Despite her antics and demeanor, Teresa appears interested in what Kallen has to say.

"You can't record this on a computer," notes Kallen. "Promise me you'll keep it in your head."

"I can promise not to put it anywhere networked," Teresa says evenly.

"There's still physical evidence. Believe me, you'll remember it," replies Kallen.

"Let's hear it," Teresa says, her chair turning towards Kallen at last.

"Lamperouge isn't their real name. They're... well, they're exiled royalty. Vi Britannia is their surname," replies Kallen. Specifying that it needs to be kept a secret isn't really necessary, not when she can communicate her desires via Geass.

Sorting out her own emotions on the affair is a troublesome thing, but a need to keep the wrong people from finding out is high amongst them.

"Did you ever study recent history? If so, I might not need to explain everything."

Kallen tastes idignance, while Teresa rolls her eyes. "You know I don't bother with that claptrap. Couldn't you find a better story to waste my time with?"

"Unfortunately, it's the truth. Anyone would've heard of Marianne the Flash, I'm sure. And it's not exactly a secret that she had close ties with the Ashford family," replies Kallen. "After she died, her children were sent here. And during the war, they were supposed to have been killed."

Teresa looks skeptic, but indicates for Kallen to continue.

"You can piece together the rest. I don't know how, but the Ashfords managed to save them from the bombs. By the looks of it, they've been sheltering them ever since."

Kallen's tone turns disgruntled, and her contact with Geass breaks. "Yet it seems that protection has run out, since both Lelouch and Nunnally have vanished from the campus."

Teresa nods slowly. "Let's say I buy this. You're saying... what, exactly? That the Ashfords threw the two of them out to the dogs, one by one?"

Teresa is terrified, Kallen realizes, and really good at covering it up.

"The opposite. I'm saying they ran away," replies Kallen, grimly. The fear is infectious, and it's hard not to see how many ways this could lead to a terrifying fate- and not just for herself or the siblings.

"I don't think I need to look far to see why, either," she adds, gesturing at the picture of Alice. "There are four people with faked identities at this school. I can vouch for myself, obviously, and I know their story. It's too much of a coincidence for Alice to be unrelated."

"No, don't tell me, let me guess. She's their long-lost cousin?"

"You know, if it wasn't for you, I might have actually thought it was something like that. I'm pretty sure she's a spy, alright."

Kallen stands up, and moves over to peek outside the window. "What I don't know is who she's spying for."

"Aside from the obvious, you mean?" Teresa asks snidely.

"The SIS? I thought so, at first. But I don't think they'd be so passive as to just watch..."

"That seems to be exactly what spies do, especially the sleepers that make for such great blockbuster movies," Teresa says absent-mindedly, turning back to the computer. An online encyclopedia's website comes up, and she surfs to the portion dedicated to Marianne the Flash.

Been there, read that.

"If they knew their location, I would've thought assassins were in order before spies," mutters Kallen. "In any case, I was wondering, then, if you felt up to spying on a spy."

"Putting you asking me if I wanted a quick death aside for the moment," Teresa muses, browsing through the section as tabs begin to open and clutter the top of the screen, "why would you instantly think of assassins? It's one thing to silence someone who knows too much, and quite another...." She trails off, gesturing at the monitor. "Unless you think the invasion of this Area was a pretext to kill those two?"

"A convenient sideffect, maybe," replies Kallen, her face blackening. "Although I wouldn't call it impossible. Either way, right now, it'd be more than just a minor embarrasment if they were to be revealed." She turns back to Teresa with an angry grimace. "People were killed in their name, by the more radical psychopaths in the invading army. Not to mention the line of succession...."

She pauses for a moment. "Or maybe that's it? Alice might not be sent straight from the top, but by someone trying to climb up, someone who could make use of them... one of the other royals, instead of the Emperor himself, maybe. I can't make an accurate guess, but it's another possibility."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"A saner one," Teresa concurs.

"It's hard to think straight, and the insane seems possible," replies Kallen, glancing at the monitors again.

The current tab shows a picture of Empress Marianne along with her children. Kallen supposes she can see the similarities to Lelouch and Nunnally, but it is a bit of a stretch.

Teresa shrugs. "You were talking about getting me killed, earlier?"

"I figured you were gathering information on your own already, anyway. First question: Is it possible that your contacts could dig up anything more?"

"Anything's possible," Teresa allows guardedly.

"That so?" asks Kallen, scanning Teresa's emotional state. "Well, I'd be interested in what they had to say on Alice, and if it's an issue, enough money to get them interested in telling us."

The feat never really went away between the times Kallen's checked, but there's now an undercurrent of confusion as well.

"Money's not an issue," Teresa says tersely, and Kallen feels a brief flash of annoyance. "I'm just not convinced why this is anywhere my business to dig into her well-covered past. I'm afraid your interest alone isn't enough to get me involved, happy though I might feel deep inside at you finding the answer to your question."
OOC: Death back at'cha?

"It's because I'm concerned for those two," replies Kallen. "I always thought you'd get curious enough on your own, sooner or later, to dig deeper without prompting, too." She gestures around. "Maybe I'm wrong, but if that's the case, why have you locked yourself in here?"

"It wasn't the British intelligence that I was worried about," Teresa states pointedly. "Until now, at least. And really, Kallen, you'll need to do better than that. Even if I got the urge to look into Alice's affairs, to admit it to anyone by sharing my findings... well, let's be blunt. What's in it for me?"

Teresa doesn't have a single driving desire here, Kallen can tell, and the swirl of conflicting wishes leaves her slightly light-headed. That would only get worse if she tries to sort them all out in detail, she instinctively feels.

"You aren't exactly a person with wants," mutters Kallen, and she clicks her tounge. "So, unfortunately, I don't have anything to offer." She stands up from the chair.

For a moment, surprise dominates Teresa's being, and it shows outwardly. But the moment passes, and she adopts her casual, neutral expression that always made Kallen think Teresa was looking down on the people she was speaking with, until she got a better read on her.

"This would be the part where you prove me wrong by asking for something," notes Kallen, blandly.

Teresa smirks. "I'm not exactly a person with wants," she agrees belatedly. "It's disappointing that you don't know me enough to suggest something anyway, however misguided and ultimately doomed the attempt would be, but it's difficult to shop for perfection."

Despite her nonchalant words, Kallen believes that Teresa must actually feel some of that disappointment she mentions so casually.

"I suppose we could discuss another open-ended favor, to be cashed in by yours truly at a time of her choosing?" Teresa finally suggests, although Kallen doesn't believe that she actually wants one.

"You're a powerful woman, to have two favours from me in hand," remarks Kallen. "How about it? Want a job at the Shop-S-Smart? Maybe a lifetime slurpee pass? Maybe you just want to own one? Nothing is impossible."

Teresa shrugs. "Another favor and a lifetime supply of icecream? Alright, I guess. I like mine as vanilla with a side of strawberry, although I keep an open mind."

"Whatever you want," replies Kallen, indulgently. "Seriously, though, thanks. If something comes up, or you think it's too risky to proceed, let me know."

"I already think it's too risky to proceed for any sane person," Teresa deadpans.

"Well, let me know when a crazy person would stop and think."

"The flaw in my argument, found out so easily," Teresa laments.

"So, what did you write in there about me?" asks Kallen, changing the subject and peering at her picture.

It's serviceable enough, although Kallen can think of more flattering images of herself.

"It all comes down to your eccentricies," Teresa responds.

"Eccentric? Me?"

"You're right. It's perfectly normal to casually investigate spies and dead royalty for fun."

"Yes, but yoooooooou aren't going to write that part down, right?"

"I don't know. Should I?" Teresa pretends to think.

"I'm really hoping you're better at being discreet than I am, is all," replies Kallen, starting to head for the door. "I gotta run."

Teresa waves, her eyes following Kallen as she leaves her dorm room.

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