Attachments

[swordofzero]

Characters: Suzaku Kururugi and any and all
Setting: 10th August, Rolo's room (outside of it), gymnasium at night, following onto midnight of the 11th and the first shadows appearing
Format: Either
Summary: Suzaku tries not to remember the 10th August, and then the start of the event happens. Edit: Now with a 12th August prompt for his 'gift'
Warnings: Event stuff

[Dorm levels, outside room 4-02] He came here every day, just for a few moments, to read the name on the plaque. Rolo Lamperouge, he was still here, hadn't been lost to the dead world.

Suzaku hadn't seen him since he killed him, he knew Rolo would be found when he wanted to be and so was being as patient as he could be. He may have failed him but he would not stop caring, stop trying.

He nodded to himself and turned to leave, stopping on the way to check the network. He rarely replied but read sometimes, to check what was happening, what he might need to know.

His eyes flicked to the date in the corner and he blinked, counting the years in his head. Ten.

[Floor Seventy Four] This floor was dark enough that there were always monsters, and that was what Suzaku needed.

He had fought too many instincts, he wanted to go to the white room and forget everything for a while, but he knew Diarmuid would be furious if he found out. He wanted even more to just stop, the urge to give up rising again though he had fought it all month.

Diarmuid would be angry at that as well, and he would know, Suzaku was sure. At least the knight wouldn't disprove of fighting monsters, though he might if he knew why.

Suzaku threw himself at more and more dangerous monsters, putting himself in danger, letting the Geass save him. Very quickly the day became a patchwork of unconnected memories, with gaps.

[Throughout the tower, the eleventh] As night fell on the tower, in the early hours of the next morning Suzaku noticed a different kind of monster. Shadows, shadows with grins.

They couldn't be killed, and they followed him, as he tried to climb the stairs. They didn't try and hurt him, just followed him, grinning, seeming familiar in a way Suzaku couldn't quite put a finger on.

[12th August, mailroom and floor 73 (snowy castle floor)] The shadows were still following him, there seemed to be a couple more today and Suzaku ignored them as he had the day before.

He went to his mailbox, it was rare he ever recieved letters but sometimes Diarmuid had sent him a note, and he held to the hope that Rolo might, if the boy didn't want to speak to him directly.

There was something there today though and Suzaku picked it up, almost dropping it when he saw the name.

Genbu Kururugi and the dates. He didn't though, just left the mailroom and walked down a few floors until he got to the strange snow filled floor. He had never read this, his fathers obituary. He had been running, with Lelouch and Nunnally, blocked his fathers memory out of his mind.

During his years in the army he had tried to forget, tried to make everyone forget he was the son of the former prime minister of Japan.

It was in Japanese, obviously, and Suzaku realised with a start that whatever translated things in this tower translated them into Britannian for him.

Not something he wanted to dwell on top of this. He took a deep breath and began to read.

Comments

dorm floors

[fionnuisce]

[By now, Waver seemed to be more often found on the fourth floor than anywhere near his own. For a moment it seemed like he'd just walk past Suzaku without much more than a sideways glance. But he paused for a moment; Diarmuid seemed to always be on his case about branching out and making actual friends in this place. Not that he considered that any easy task, but they were all in this hellhole together. It might not have hurt to socialize a little more than he usually did.]

Something bothering you? [It did seem like Suzaku had seen something he didn't like--then again, that could easily have been a figment of the lecturer's imagination. Either way, asking probably wouldn't kill him.]

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku turned when he heard the question, not knowing if it was even him that was being spoken to. He nodded politely when he saw Waver.] Nothing important, I just realised something

[fionnuisce]

Nothing too serious, is it? [Waver lit a cigarette as he asked, concern manifesting as a slightly more casual tone.] You seemed like you might've been upset.

[swordofzero]

Not something that matters anymore, it is in regards to my home world.

[fionnuisce]

...oh.

[More and more often lately, Waver seemed to be running headlong into these situations where he simply didn't know what to say.]

Sorry--I probably shouldn't have asked.

[swordofzero]

There is no need to apologise. It is something that happened a long time ago, and I doubt you wish to hear a history lesson of a world that is not your own.

[fionnuisce]

I'd listen, if it was a lesson someone wanted to give me.

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

Outside Rolo's room

[tempus_scorpius]

[The room door opens as Rolo ventures out for floor. He pauses a moment when he suddenly finds himself face to face with Suzaku. He doesn't say anything though and just stares at him blankly, with unfeeling eyes.]

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku stepped back instantly, and blinked at the boy sadly] Rolo...

[tempus_scorpius]

[He looked back expressionlessly, waiting a moment to see if he's going to say anything else.]

[swordofzero]

Are you... [He looked down] Are you unhurt?

[tempus_scorpius]

[He nods. He isn't hurt. At least not physically.]

[swordofzero]

I'm glad. [It's all he can ask for, he doesn't expect Rolo to be okay emotionally or mentally, he doesn't expect that of anyone.]

[tempus_scorpius]

[He watches him for a moment more before looking away for a bit.]

... glad?

the 11th, dorm room!

[looselips]

[Shinji is minding his own business, reading a book from the library, when Suzaku walks in. Automatically, he looks up—and then he all but jumps, snapping his book closed with a startled yelp.]

The hell are those things?!

[swordofzero]

I am unsure, they have been following me for a while, though they do not seem inclined to attack.

[looselips]

[He shifts, moving to let his legs dangle off the bed, though he keeps the book held in front of him as though he's prepared to shield himself with it.]

Come on, you can't be serious, right? I mean...

[They're from this place, and they're creepy. He isn't going to trust them to behave so easily.]

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku paused and turned to look at the shadows, which seemed like they were not going to budge.] You are right, I apologise. They don't seem to have the same qualms about entering the room as the usual monsters. [And he turns to leave, because the last thing he wants to do is put his roommates in danger]

August 12th, Floor 73

[oathshackledbird]

You should burn it.

[The words come from behind Suzaku. Sharp, yet strangely gentle as well. Diarmuid is standing with his back turned to the other man, watching one of the odd shadow children that seem attached to his friend. Suzaku is not the first he has seen with them either. Yet, despite how much Diarmuid cares for and is attached to others, he has no shadow children of his own.

At least, not yet.]

If that is the 'gift' that was anonymously left for you, you need to be rid of it. They are just trying to hurt us--to make us weaker for whatever this new experiment of theirs is. Don't let them control you so easily.

[swordofzero]

It's succeeded in that. [He looked around at Diarmuid's back, he looked, for a moment, much younger than his twenty years, which considering he usually walked around with the weight of the world on his shoulders, was a considerable difference.]

I should, I know. I just wish I knew if it were real. The words I mean, I know it is just foil. But I never got to read it back home.

[oathshackledbird]

[The tone of Suzaku's words cause Diarmuid to turn to look at him and he is startled by how young his friend looks. His expression softens and he steps closer to Suzaku.]

Suzkau... What exactly did they give you?

[Considering the drastic change in his friend, he is a little afraid to ask.]

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku just handed it over silently, it was simple. The name, dates both of his life and his time as prime minister and a few paragraphs explaining his life and deeds speaking of the sacrifice he had made for the country. Suzaku wondered who had written it, and who had published it in a time where Britannia had come down hard or anyone connected to the old regime.]

[oathshackledbird]

Your father?

[Diarmuid looks the obituary over and is actually rather surprised to find how...normal it seems. He had expected something more horrific, but maybe that is part of the reason it is bothering Suzaku so much. It's so normal that is really is hard to tell if it is real or not.]

I'm not sure what to tell you. Waver was given a book of stories about me. However, the stories were changed so that I died horrifically at the end of each one. Obviously, those were fake. This...there really is no way for us to know.

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku nodded] It is almost the anniversary of his death. [He blinked at Diarmuid] I hope he burned that.

[oathshackledbird]

I'm sorry. I suppose that is why they picked this of all things to send to you. The anniversary just makes it worse.

[Diarmuid hands the obituary back to Suzaku.]

Yes, he burned it and he helped me make the decision to burn my own...gift. There is no reason to keep something that does nothing but make a bad memory worse.