001 ♛ video

[euphemia]

[ The feed flickers on to show a young girl wearing a long, eloquent gown seated in what appears to be the front yard of the home she was assigned. By appearances alone, one can assume quite a bit about who or what she might have been in her homeworld. There is a bit of murmuring off camera by the likes of her Mog who appears to be guiding her with using the device. ]

—starting. Ah! Wonderful! And there we are. Now you are connected, my lady. Please, go right ahead.

[ Euphemia smiled off camera to the Moogle and mumbled a quiet thank you, then turned her attention back to the screen. ]

Hello everyone! I, ah ... I just wanted to introduce myself properly since I believe most of us are in a similar predicament. It's been a very ... a very strange day, [ and her expression twists a little because that word doesn't even seem right. It will do for now. ] but I like to hope that I can end it on a reasonably good note.

I hope everyone has settled in well or going to. I intend to do so myself. I wanted to thank everyone that I had the opportunity to meet today. Your company, whether brief or not, was welcomed and one I will hold dear. I hope we can meet again soon while we are here.

As for the rest, perhaps we might get acquainted using this, ah... this—what is it called again? [ She turns to look off camera to where her Moogle is apparently floating ]

An iMog, my lady.

Oh! Yes. iMog slate! [ She smiles. ]

It's a pleasure to meet all of you! I'm Euphemia. But please, call me Euphy.

Comments

i am sorry

[likewishes]

Yes. They're safe.

[ Not everyone, of course. A good portion of their siblings and former Britannians nobles are gone. Anyone in Pendragon at the time of the attack is likely dead. The ones that they care the most about, however? They're fine.

He knows that Euphy likely isn't happy about this. She's probably hurting so much inside. ]

I wish things could be different.

[euphemia]

[ Isn't sure she can stand to ask more at this point. But it does make her wonder. Why did all that happen if SAZ succeeded? Didn't Suzaku say...? ]

So we saved them? Was the ceremony okay? [ This seems safer to ask. Maybe? ]

Did I ... make them happy?

[likewishes]

[ Lelouch isn't sure how much she is ready for. However he had said that he'd be truthful. He is going to try. ]

Everything was going fine. I was the one that made a mistake. Miscalculated.

[ Now it's his turn to look away. ]

You made them happy. You gave them hope. It all failed because of me.

[euphemia]

Miscalculated? [ Only now does she turn about to face him. She's managing so far. Sort of. She's kind of already gathered that something happened to Lelouch so its easier to deal with? But now. ]

Miscalculated? I don't ... how could you miscalculate? We were supposed to do it together. If they're happy, then we did it. Didn't we?

[likewishes]

I can't show you how as we are. The ability I had before I no longer possess.

[ But he's thinking about how he can explain... ]

You know the reports about individuals doing strange things and having no memory of it? Like Jeremiah, when he released Suzaku and did everything he could to let us escape? He claimed he had no memory of it. That was my doing. I held a power and it backfired during the ceremony.

[ Still not looking at Euphy. ]

A lot of people died. All because I couldn't control it at a crucial moment.

[euphemia]

[ She can't remember much but for some reason, she does remember him mentioning something about the ability to give orders. To shoot him? She didn't, however. Right? He was just being silly ... There was no way that was true. ]

People ... Did people die? [At her ceremony? What was supposed to be a safe sanctuary? That horrifies her. But she can't grieve over that now because clearly it still worked out somehow. What power could he have possibly unleashed to make her idea so hostile? Wasn't Zero supposed to help her?

She wishes she could ask more but this was a lot to process and well... ]

[likewishes]

Yes.

[ At least Lelouch isn't emotionless about it. It does hurt to talk about. Then entire ordeal had been terrible. So many bodies... But he doesn't feel sorry for himself. Oh no. The reason why it hurts him so is because of Euphemia. He ruined her dream. Destroyed everything. ]

I've done many horrible things, Euphy. Somehow I can live with them, but SAZ? It is the one thing that I regret. The only thing that I want to atone for.

[euphemia]

[ Oh, she knows he's done a few horrible things. At least as Zero. But SAZ was supposed to be the solution to saving him from going down an even darker path. So why did it all go wrong? Why even agree to help if he simply turned around and destroyed it? He miscalculated, he said. So then ... he didn't really mean it. But how does someone not really mean to kill people? ]

Lelouch, did you ... [ No, that's not right. ] Zero. Did he ... did he protect the people? You protected them, right?

[ Eyes alert as she looks at him, almost pleading. Because she's going to say it. ]

Did you protect the Japanes—

[likewishes]

[ She... She can't even say Japanese? What he wants to do is take her hands. See if she's all right. But what if that also triggers something? Lelouch doesn't really want her to try to remember. It'd be better if she never remembers it at all.

So he cuts her off. ]

Yes. The Black Knights protected everyone they could. And now? Now the country is free. No more Areas.

[euphemia]

[ She'll get right back to you because right now she's a little shaken that the word itself makes her feel foul and it doesn't make any sense as to why. Jitters maybe. This is clearly because the topic is devastating. They were killed, maybe that's why the word is so painful to hear...

But yes, they're free. They're free and that's all that matters. ]

[likewishes]

[ JUST KIND OF WAITING HERE. ON BAITED BREATH. ]

[euphemia]

[ . . . ]

I'm so ... happy. I'm so relieved. You—you saved them...

[likewishes]

[ His hand finally reaches out. He doesn't fully take it, but it's there for her. If she chooses it. ]

Euphy.

[euphemia]

...

[ Even after everything she's heard, she's still going to reach to take his offered hand. ]

[likewishes]

[ It's unfortunate. All of this isn't fair. The world is a better place, yes. But only now does Lelouch really start to see the cost.

He stops thinking like that as soon as his hand gives hers a squeeze. No thinking like that. Not now. Not ever. ]

Do you still want to go shopping?

[euphemia]

[ There were still a lot of missing parts to the story, but she doesn't care enough to ask. It doesn't matter what happened to her or how Lelouch got to that point, she trusts that in the end everything was alright. Nevermind that she remains unsure about whether she herself perished. In the end, Japan was safe, and Lelouch freed them as intended.

... except now he's here and Nunnally is there? That isn't quite what she wanted. But sacrifices had to be made to achieve the things we want. Even she knew this. It's why she gave up her right to the throne. Lelouch just ... took it further?

So a trip to the grocery store. ]

... Do you?

[likewishes]

Regardless of the... Conversation we do need something so we can eat. I don't know about you, but I don't really want to put that off.

[ He still doesn't know how she can take this as gracefully as she does. At the time, Lelouch had fallen apart. Completely.

But sacrifices do have to be made. He had made a mistake. She had paid the price. One day she is going to find this out. But maybe not today. Then she'll probably hate him. So he needs to teach her these things now. ]

If you want to go back, I can do it alone.

[ Though he will giver an escape. If she wants to take it. ]

[euphemia]

[ She can return to the house. That option is given freely. It was a tempting offer. To hide in the house given to them and sort out her wild feelings. Get it out of her system so she can accept this and move forward. But that means... leaving Lelouch. ]

... [ The hand collected is given a light squeeze. ]

We work together, remember? [ So shopping it was. ]

[likewishes]

Right. Together.

[ How could so many people have underestimated her? Euphemia and Nunnally have to the strongest people in their family. By far. They are loving. Kind. Able to accept things and move on. To look forward towards the future with conviction. ]

...I wish we could have met here under better circumstances.

[euphemia]

You're here, remember? My circumstances are better because of it... [ She can accept this situation if it genuinely means all is well at home. A smile is given, weak yet reassuring, before attempting to drop his hand now that she feels a little more at ease. ]

Will you teach me how to shop for groceries now?

[likewishes]

[ Lelouch just lets it slip into his pocket. ]

Don't let me forget it, hmm?

[ He wouldn't want her to be alone in a strange place, of course. ]

Anyway, yes. I'll teach you how to look for deals and how to pick out fruit and vegetables properly.

[euphemia]

[ Her hands fold to her front as a smile is given to his small request. She can uphold that. Though why he would need reminding is beyond her understanding. ]

I guess you're my teacher today. [ And with that, she turns to continue their trip. Though not after pausing so he can ... catch up with her this time. ]

[likewishes]

[ Are they going to be able to walk together this time? No more sad stares or horrific thoughts for the time being? ]

For as long as necessary.

[euphemia]

[ Yes, they can finally walk together. There might be a few sad stares here and there but he can't really help that after the conversation. They're walking together, at least! It's a start. ]