Imagine for a moment what it’s like to work as the assistant to a self-acknowledged sociopath, in particular one that thoroughly enjoys his work. The kind of grinning lunatic that has the people skills of a robot designed to emulate human behaviour, but was still only in beta. Once you’ve stopped screaming, spare a moment of pity for one Cecile Croomy. Her role was analogous to Jiminy Cricket, except that Pinnochio was already physically a real boy. Lloyd needed someone to smack him upside the head when he did something stupid or insensitive. Which is why, sitting at her desk, Cecile was rolling her shoulder on her smacking arm.
In front of her was a mound of paperwork. Not the part that Lloyd (and herself) found the most interesting. Nothing to do with the technical components or the data feedback from a battery of tests. No experimental footage, no analysis to perform. In front of her was the physical manifestation of “red tape.” And the only scissors she had was a ballpoint pen which was low on ink.
Today looked like it was destined to become a long, long day. Boring as well, which was especially annoying given the strange event that was all over the news earlier on. Other people were getting to employ the scientific method to discover why an orgy had broken out at a cinema, while she was stuck in here with a pile of paperwork that went up to her thigh. That was the trouble with this job. It was either super energised or super dull. No in between at all.
“Well, this isn’t going to take care of itself,” Cecile cheerily said, though she didn’t exactly feel it. “I’d better get started!”
“Now that’s the kind of attitude I like to hear,” said a voice behind her. Cecile tilted her head and saw a tall, thin, tanned woman with silvery hair leaning against the doorframe. She was on her feet saluting in a moment, accidentally putting a mark on her forehead with the limited ink she still had left in her pen. “At ease,” Villetta said, striding into the room with a critical eye being cast over the paperwork. “Well, don’t you seem to have an exciting night ahead of you. I do hope you’re asking for overtime?”
“No,” Cecile replied, relaxing a little. “Lloyd just assumes I’m working overtime anyway, and - Oh dear, pardon me.”
“It’s quite alright,” Villetta said, steadying Cecile and leading her back into her chair. “You know, that man makes it so easy to forget that he’s an Earl. At this rate you’ll die of old age before your next birthday.”
“I’m only twenty-four.”
“That’s my point,” Villetta said. “A young woman like yourself needs to be able to balance work and pleasure. If you burn yourself out before you get anywhere in life, then what was the point? When do you need to have these done?”
“Oh, not for another week, but -”
“Will the paperwork get any bigger if you leave it for a night?”
“… Not tremendously,” Cecile admitted. “I just try to do it as soon as time permits so that -”
“Then you can spend a few hours relaxing,” Villetta said insistently. “Come on. It just so happens that I have an extra ticket for a certain deluxe spa and absolutely nobody to share it with.”
Cecile wasn’t entirely certain that this was the best idea… Going to a deluxe spa with a member of the Pureblood faction? Her earlier salute was a mark of respect for rank rather than anything else, as that particular faction wasn’t exactly considered so highly these days. Besides which, she never really cared for their hardline beliefs. Especially after what they had tried to do to Suzaku… Was she trying to use her to get close to him as an act of revenge?
Then again… This did present an opportunity. If she could maybe use this as an opportunity to demonstrate that the Honorary system wasn’t as bad as the Purebloods thought, if she could strike up a strange friendship with this woman then maybe, just maybe it could be to everyone’s benefit. After all, this was the kind of person Cecile was. A hard worker to the very end. Even when presented with an opportunity to relax, she was only thinking of ways to help events progress and keep things running smoothly.
Though little did she realise that revenge was the furthest thing from Villetta’s mind at the moment. Treachery was indeed afoot, but not the kind that Cecile imagined.
<hr>
Lelouch drummed his fingers on the desk in his office. Oh yes. He had an office now, though it wasn’t really officially his office per se. In truth it was the “owner” of this luxurious spa who was supposed to be sitting behind this desk; but in a sense Lelouch owned the owner, rendering the point rather moot.
“Is there anything else you would like, Master Zero?” the owner crooned, rubbing his hands gleefully in a sickening display of sycophantic behaviour. As for the answer to the question, Lelouch had been thinking about that particular subject quite carefully. His was the kind of mind that analysed itself and his thought process, and his first instinct to that question was to answer, “I would like to fuck Shirley into a coma.” Which set off alarm bells in the rest of his brain, even though he honestly did rather enjoy their time together earlier quite a lot.
But no! He was quite certain that somehow he had that idea implanted into his head. A compulsion to fantasise about his friend’s curvy, enticing body. The swell of her breasts. Her taut stomach. The way her enlarged breasts jiggled when she fled the room…
A pair of fingers harshly pinched Lelouch under his arm, causing him to jump in pain. He had pinched himself after catching himself doing it again. Damn! This was bad. He needed to concentrate. Distractions like this would result in further anarchy, similar to what had happened earlier at the cinema. It was so fortunate that they were able to escape, and -
“Zero!” Ohgi called. “You wanted to know when that Britannian woman arrived. That is her at reception just now, and she appears to have brought a guest.”
About time. “Very well,” Lelouch said. He rose dramatically from his chair with his cape carefully folded in front of him. “As I am their host, it is my duty to greet them. Alone.”
“Zero,” Ohgi suddenly said. “What exactly will you be talking about? I’m not entirely certain that I understand your intention.”
“It is, always, the freedom of Japan,” Lelouch replied, stalking off before Ohgi could ask any further questions. Yes, Villetta. Well done. You had brought one of the technicians for the Lancelot along, the perfect mind to scrape for details on that behemoth’s operation. And, if his instructions had properly taken hold, then that particular technician would be cute enough to ensure the immediate effectiveness of his erect hypnotic cock!
<hr>
Ohgi watched their masked leader stalk off through the corridor and felt old suspicions flare up anew. They never really died, merely simmered on like embers in the mind. Who was this man? What were his intentions? Why wear the mask even among the Black Knights? Why keep his identity secret to them as well? Add to the list why they took over this spa, why they suddenly changed their operation strategy so drastically and why Zero was going to talk to these two women - Britannian women - in a sauna.
“There he goes again,” Tamaki chuckled. “Off to screw more Britannian sluts into submission.”
“… I somehow doubt that,” Ohgi replied. “We don’t live in some cheap porn story with a flimsy, paper-thin plot.”
For reasons that would forever baffle the two men, they both inexplicably turned away and stared very hard at one of the walls in the room that, for some reason, had the number “four” painted on it. No, not at the wall. Through it as though it didn’t even exist.
“Man, I was just joking!” Tamaki laughed, slapping Ohgi on the back. “But really, there’s no way to know what the hell that guy’s thinking. He hasn’t set us wrong before, so -”
“So I’d still like to know what he’s up to,” Ohgi interrupted. “Even now we don’t know anything about him. Only what he’s told us. Doesn’t this whole situation feel kind of wrong to you?”
“Eh, not really!” Tamaki shrugged. “We get a pretty good take, nobody’s trying to kill us and even the snobs stopped looking down on us after a bit. Kinda feels like we’re taking control over the settlement without anyone even noticing, you know?”
When put that way it did seem just like Tamaki said. It was almost as though somehow, Zero was doing… <i>something</i> with this spa that was starting to have an effect on the nobility. Blackmail? No. On this scale that couldn’t possibly work. The mere idea of Zero’s presence would have at least one of them running to Cornelia and even if they didn’t then their behaviour would certainly lead the Viceroy right to their doorstep. So, something was definitely going on, and Ohgi’s curiosity could no longer be denied! Especially since Kallen had started behaving oddly as well.
“You’re probably right,” Ohgi lied. “Why don’t you go make sure the vending machines are all stocked up. I have to make sure that our stocks are up to date.”
And so they separated. Tamaki off towards the food store, while Ohgi went off towards the regular store, which was full of things you probably didn’t want anywhere near food storage because half of it was cleaning material. A spa could easily turn into a messy, messy place if left unchecked. Well. That was the approximate direction he was going in, but it wasn’t actually his intended destination. Instead, Ohgi made a small detour. His curiosity was demanding an answer. What was Zero doing? What was so special about this spa, and how had he managed to take control over it?
What he was doing probably wasn’t very smart. If he scared Zero off, then they would lose their best chance at freeing Japan in the seven long years since Britannia invaded. Even with that in mind, he had to know for certain. He had to creep along after their leader, if only to make the nagging voice in the back of his head shut up once and for all. It didn’t take long to find out where he was going: The massage parlour. Ohgi crept along up to the door, waited a few seconds and then pushed the door open.
Then stared slack jawed at what he found inside.
There were two naked Britannian women. One was the expected arrival, and the other was a smaller woman with dark blue hair. The former was restraining the latter with a far-off expression on her face while the newer arrival struggled futilely to get herself free.
“Wh- What are you doing?” the woman said. “Please, let me go! This is Zero and - And that’s not even anatomically possible! It… It’s so big! Too big! How could anyone’s thing get that large?”
In spite of himself Ohgi’s gaze tracked towards what the woman meant and he immediately wished he hadn’t. He gawped helplessly at it, suddenly feeling woefully inadequate in this… Thing’s presence.
“Your manners need work,” Zero said. “To begin with, it is rude to intrude upon a room without knocking first, and secondly it is also quite rude to leave the door open.” Without even thinking or looking Ohgi pushed the door closed, unable to tear his eyes away. Neither could the woman, who was released and fell to her knees to examine the monster at a closer angle.
“I… have to figure this out,” the woman mumbled with a faint smile on her lips. “You can figure out almost anything with the right analysis…”
“Very good,” Zero said. “As for you, Ohgi. While you are here… Miss Nu, you are to keep Ohgi preoccupied until I can consider a suitable punishment for his misbehaviour. As for yourself, Miss Croomy… I would have you tell me all you can about Lancelot’s operational capacity.”
- Sauna scene continues. Ohgi tries to escape, but finds that he can’t.
- Meanwhile, Kallen meets up with Suzaku again.
- Back with Shirley, C.C. and Sophie.
- Cornelia’s investigation leads her to the spa.
- Something else
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