caughtinanetwork | o3 [video]

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o3 [video]

Muraki~ Muraki, Muraki, Mu-ra-ki~♪ I'm bored so I'm coming to the clinic, okay?

_{[Tilting his head back, Mao spins on his heel and his SFC swings up just enough to catch a brief glimpse of the bubble following him. It's near impossible to tell just what is going on inside of it but the owner pays little attention to it. When he stops, he leans over the device to tilt his sunglasses down a hair and flash a grin.]}

And Zero~! Come out, come out where ever you are! I want to talk. It's not polite to hide so if you don't show yourself I'll just have to get it out of someone. I know we aren't the only people from our world so it won't be that difficult for me. Just be a good boy and don't keep me waiting.

_{[Then all of a sudden he seems to stop and a puzzled look crosses his face--and he sneers, one hand going up to turn the volume of his headphones up. As he does this, the bubble shifts and becomes less and less untangled until a faded image of a woman settles in its place. It still flickers in and out, constantly threatened by everyone around Mao.]}

While I'm at it, how do I get rid of this? If it's going to keep misbehaving, I'd rather just get rid of it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Just going to go right on ahead and filter this mess because of Nosy People in his inbox a little while back.

Yeah, he's not taking that chance again.]

That's a name I wasn't quite expecting to here in this place. I shouldn't be surprised that you would be the one to call me that.

[...He does frown at the thought bubble on his side of the SFC, though - but Mao can't see it.]

Vatheon's up to its tricks again, isn't it? [He's still using that mocking tone, at least a little. That was the great part of being out of Mao's range AND speaking over the voice option on this device; he wouldn't be able to display his emotions so easily.] A shame that you've fallen victim to it.

Oh, be quiet, Lulu. You're not immune to them either and you know it!

_{[Oh how he hates that range limit sometimes. It's both a blessing and a curse when he knows he has at least one enemy in this city, but he has to at least try to be civil when he has questions.

Important ones.]}

Where are you. _{[Except that one doesn't count as a question, oops.]}

I'm aware of that. And yet, I'm unaffected. Is it that Vatheon holds me in a higher favor over you?

[He could be lying though, for all Mao knows. It'd be hard to tell right now, wouldn't it?]

Why do you ask? [Why would he want him to know where he is...where he lived?

No thank you.]

Perhaps it's waiting to hit you with a doozy~

_{[He starts drumming his fingers against a table. He is going to end you one of these days, Lelouch.]}

Because, Lulu. I. _[tap.] Have. _[tap.] Ques~tions for you that only you can answer.

I'm very concerned.

[Yes, he's being sarcastic - but then again, that shouldn't be surprising.

And he'll end you once and for all too, Mao.]

Well, you're speaking to me now. What are these questions?

Do you speak to your dear mother with that tone?

_{[He'll just come back like a parasite. You can't get rid of him forever!]}

I want to know what happened to you, Lulu. Your dear sister says she knows about you being a terrorist! How did that happen, hmm?

_{[yep, he sure did talk to Euphie.]}

Perhaps.

[Oh. Wow. You just wiped that smirk off of his face.]

Of course, you're far too interested in my personal life. What business is it of yours to meddle in the affairs of my family?

The poor thing.

_{[Does that mean he can finally add a point to his scoreboard?]}

Au contraire, mon frère! I'm simply wondering what drove you to reveal yourself to them! I was given the impression that it was such a big secret and now I have to know!

[Yeah, sure. The poor thing. Anyway, he's not going to elaborate on that any farther so--

Nooo not yet. :|]

Well I suppose if you have to know...[A beat.] That secret still stays with me.

[As long as you stay away from him, anyway.]

You always were too nosy for your own good.

Wha--!? Lelouch, that's not fair! That's not fair at all!

_{[Oh, if only you could see the snarl on his face.

But then he takes a deep breath to 'calm' himself. He was angry with Lelouch, now. That wasn't very nice of him, no, no it wasn't!]}

I suppose I'll just have to ask little miss Euphemia then, won't I? I'm sure she'd tell me everything.

_{[Oh yeah. He just went there.]}

Is it? Is it fair to want to keep things private? I think it is.

[...Oh. Oh..

His hand tightens on the SFC.]

Leave her alone.

[Yeah, he's got a growl coming out of him now. You better watch yourself, Mao...]

Oh? Did I hit a nerve, Lulu?

_{[Does he sneer or does he grin, now? Maybe a mix of both. This was getting juicy.]}

Make me~♪

[You crazy little bastard, how he would love to kill you again.

But you just won't stay dead, would you?

He couldn't meet him face-to-face, obviously, so he couldn't do it that way. At least it was easier to keep track of everyone here; the area was pretty straightforward and contained.

But it was still enough to keep them away from him.

He lost Euphemia once - he wasn't going to lose her again at the hands of a maniac. Her or Nunnally, whom he doesn't seem to know was here either. That was another reason he couldn't risk getting in his "zone". He knew so much more now about everything than he did before, and that would only give Mao even more fodder.

So he had to tread carefully.]

Are you temping me? You will lose a third time, Mao.

[FOREVER THE THORN IN HIS SIDE...]

_{[Ah. That's something he didn't quite expect, but his tantrum could wait. He had to plan his next step carefully.]}

I don't recall ever losing twice, Lelouch. Once, maybe~ I will give you that one, but not twice.

_{[Now that he had a clue as to what happened between the incident at Clovis Land and Zero's 'reveal', he search for the upper hand as time went on. He could pick things apart from the safety of Muraki's apartment and no one would be ever the wiser.]}

What piece will you move this time, I wonder~? Shirley was a pawn to you, wasn't she? A disobedient pawn for a ruthless king, how tragic! How many more are you planning on throwing at me? Send something worthwhile at me, or better yet why not yourself? Are you a coward? Is that why you've been dodging me?

[...Hm. Was it that he didn't remember that either? Vatheon really liked messing with his timeline, didn't it?]

Then clearly you don't remember it. There was a second time you challenged me and lost.

[Oh. You're really trying to hit him hard, aren't you? Even if Shirley had been alive at home, that was a low blow. He wouldn't ever willingly use Shirley as a pawn; the students at Ashford were always to be protected at all costs.

But. That hadn't happened, had it? Rolo...]

Don't talk to me about Shirley! [Even though Mao doesn't know about her death (and frankly, he'd like to keep it that way), it still elicited a fierce reply. It would have no matter what had happened. But the mention of her, the use of a pawn--

Well, obviously he wasn't pleased about that. He couldn't let Mao get under his skin; that's what he wanted. He was trying to force Lelouch out.] And why haven't you come looking for me, then? You could've easily found me if you had wanted to. Is it you who that's the coward, then?

I won't give you the pleasure of thinking I'm afraid of scum like you!

You don't say~? I suppose that's something to look forward to discovering, hmm?

_{[Now this was getting some interesting responses. Lelouch did have a point though--why hasn't he come looking for Lelouch? It would be child's play to find him in this city--it wasn't like he'd have to search a whole country and pick through millions of voices to find one particular person again. Why didn't he...?]}

Silly, silly Lulu. You're so silly! You could have found me by now, too! It's not a very big city, you know. If I'm so much of a threat to you and your dear sister, maybe you should come take care of me now. You know where I'm headed, don't you? It would be so easy for a coward like you. I remember you tried to use your geass on me after our little game. Was it because you were afraid of me? I have no control over mine, but you...

Mm... It really is a shame that Shirley was too weak to shoot you when she had the chance.

I doubt the outcome is something you'd like.

[Ugh -- it would be so easy to let his temper go, and his hands clench around the SFC even more until they're starting to turn white on his side.]

You never answered me. [His voice is strained with anger; of course Mao still knew what buttons to press.] You danced around the subject, didn't you? But that's what you do when things don't go your way, isn't it? You just ignore it, like a child. C.C. spoiled you - in a way, it seems fitting what happened.

[He's intentionally leaving it off here.]

Shirley has nothing to do with this conversation! Keep her out of it!

I'll say it again, Lulu. Make me.

_{[He smirks and rolls his SFC between his palms. This was almost fun. Actually, scratch that.

It is fun. Wise? Perhaps not.]}

Are you going soft on me? Why C.C. chose a coward like you I'll never know.

You say I'm a coward but you're the one that won't show his face to me. If your logic is sound, then that means you're acting cowardly as well.

[He is not going to let Mao get the upper hand here.]

Besides, C.C. did choose me, didn't she? What did she see in me that she didn't see in you? Why did she confide in me things she never thought of confiding in you? Is it that you're jealous?

[A duh, but he's trying to counterattack while he thinks of the best route to go down now.]

You're the one who hasn't shown his face to me, Lelouch. If you don't believe yourself to be a coward, pick a location. I'm not afraid to show my face here.

_{[Especially when he knows he has an ally he can "trust". A kindred spirit, one could say.]}

Jealous? _{[She's mine, not yours.]} I'm just puzzled! She's just wasting her time with you! You're weak. Pathetic. You hide behind a mask and a false name! You're nothing but a murderer, Lelouch! You even shot your own brother on top of killing Shirley's father, didn't you? How many other people have you killed? How many families have you broken apart for your own selfish gain? I wonder... Would you shoot your own sister if she stepped out of line?

_{[Thank God this was filtered, or he might be worried.

Actually, no he wouldn't.]}

[He couldn't show his face, not like the way he was now.

But that last comment.

No.]

Shut up, Mao! [He's not going to think about that gun that shot the bullet through dear Euphie's heart, he's not.

Even though he is.] You know nothing! Shirley's father was unintentional - stop bringing her and my sister into this! They have nothing to do with it!

[Plan your funeral now, Mao.]

If you keep on with this, I will end your miserable life in Vatheon, I swear it!

Ahahahaha~! That's it, that's it! That's the reaction I've been waiting for! That's exactly it!

_{[His sides are aching with how hard he's laughing by now. This? Everything that was happening right now? It was glorious! Just absolutely magnificent!]}

End my life? What are you going to do, throw all of your pawns at me again instead of facing me like the noble you are!? I have to wonder, Lelou~! Could you even pull the trigger? What would they think of you? You, killing a seemingly innocent man in the city who has apparently done nothing wrong~! But--no, wait! You're nothing but a killer, aren't you?

But... I could kill you first. Or I could just cripple you and introduce you to a very, very good friend of mine who I'm sure would just love to get into your head. Maybe he'd remove your eye, too~?

I know what you're trying to do, and it's not going to work! Not anymore.

[He's trying to not completely lose it, but it was hard. Threats against his life, he could deal with. Mao wasn't going to get him, because he knew how to keep away from him...

Nunnally and Euphie, on the other hand...]

You're not going to manipulate me, Mao. You're not going to scare me, either.

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