[Lelouch was a young man of not inconsiderable intelligence. He was virtually unmatched at chess, and had, despite his young age, been the only person in history to conquer the entire world, and then manipulate it to his will.]
[Of course, even his considerable knowledge had its gaps, and one of the most pointed areas he was lacking in was precisely what he needed knowledge in to deal with this situation. He wasn't entirely sure whether he wished C.C. were here or not. On one hand, he was able to confide anything in her. On the other, she would likely only laugh at his troubles, be absolutely no help at all, and, if she did anything at all, likely make the situation even more complicated.]
[Given his accomplice wasn't here, he instead turned to someone who might actually be helpful in the situation, and whom he trusted to keep this an absolute secret: Euphie.]
[Somewhat nervously, disliking admitting he needed help with anything, Lelouch hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door before him.]
[She's jumpy, still, something she hasn't been able to shake this whole time. After all that's gone on lately, it's maddening to still be terrified of every creak and knock at a door, even if it's one down the hall.
There's no way to stop being so jumpy, though, and she tries to hide it as best as she can with smiles and business, trying to fit back into the old schedule of before.
Lelouch's voice, though, drags her up out of her thoughts, and she lifts her head]
[Though perhaps to almost anyone else, the normally-composed young man would have seemed perfectly himself, Euphemia was one of the few who knew him well enough to be able to notice the slight agitation in his eyes, the tenseness in the way he moved, the abruptness in the way he closed the door behind him, even if there is a genuine softness in his smile that isn't always there when he's being his charming, affable, silver-tongued self.]
[He smiles lightly and takes it. There's a certain easiness in being around her; he can be less reserved, less composed around her than he is around others, because she's known him since they were children, and they've both seen each other in situations far less dignified than this, despite being royals' children.]
[Still, it means he notices other things, and though he knows better than to comment on the cause, he can't help but comment on what she's doing to herself now.]
For all the care you give others, Euphie, you need to at least do the same for yourself.
[crawls a bit across the bed to hug him gently, and then promptly sighs when he says that.
She loves him, she really does,but sometimes he worries far too much about her never mind the fact that he's right and that she needs to take better care of herself, but she's never been good at it since she arrived here and it's not likely to change any time soon.
Instead, she moves to lay down on the bed, her head in his lap, looking up at him]
["Fine" for Euphie is much like "fine" for Lelouch; not actually okay, but unwilling to admit as much. He sighs quietly, though. He can tell that rationed, reasoned arguments will make no headway with her, and so instead he gives a little sigh and strokes her hair with his long fingers. He's missed this sort of closeness between them more than he cares to admit.]
[Hey. Just because reason doesn't work doesn't mean he's going to give up entirely. Where logic fails, guilt may work.]
I worry, you know. And so does Cornelia, and so do your friends, I expect.
[Not that he really knows any of her friends just yet, but he knows Euphie, and how a girl like her, free of the restraints placed on her by her royalty, would likely purposefully or entirely inadvertently have made a good number of friends who care deeply for her.]
[after all, Clovis was...well. Clovis. And with Nunnally, there wasn't much chance for her to overwork herself, not with Lelouch and Sayoko looking after her.]
[Smiles back, before humming softly and sighing. He could, presumably, dance around the point forever, and, truthfully, he would be infinitely more comfortable doing so, and they could probably spend all day together with each distracting the other from their problems, knowing all the while exactly that they were doing it and allowing it to be done and yet... and yet, wouldn't that defeat the point of coming to her for help? Even so, it's tempting.]
[stretches and reaches up with her fingers up to touch just under his chin, tipping his head down so she can meet his eyes, even with the somewhat awkward angle.
Even she realizes that he wants something, that he's hedging around something.]
[Of course, even his considerable knowledge had its gaps, and one of the most pointed areas he was lacking in was precisely what he needed knowledge in to deal with this situation. He wasn't entirely sure whether he wished C.C. were here or not. On one hand, he was able to confide anything in her. On the other, she would likely only laugh at his troubles, be absolutely no help at all, and, if she did anything at all, likely make the situation even more complicated.]
[Given his accomplice wasn't here, he instead turned to someone who might actually be helpful in the situation, and whom he trusted to keep this an absolute secret: Euphie.]
[Somewhat nervously, disliking admitting he needed help with anything, Lelouch hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door before him.]
Euphie? It's me. Do you have a
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There's no way to stop being so jumpy, though, and she tries to hide it as best as she can with smiles and business, trying to fit back into the old schedule of before.
Lelouch's voice, though, drags her up out of her thoughts, and she lifts her head]
Come in.
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I hope I'm not interrupting anything?
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Hopefully, she thinks, he doesn't comment on it. Then again, it's rather stupid to think that as she's debating commenting on him, herself]
Of course not.
[tucks the book she was reading, away, curling her legs under herself to give him room on the bed]
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[Still, it means he notices other things, and though he knows better than to comment on the cause, he can't help but comment on what she's doing to herself now.]
For all the care you give others, Euphie, you need to at least do the same for yourself.
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She loves him, she really does,but sometimes he worries far too much about her never mind the fact that he's right and that she needs to take better care of herself, but she's never been good at it since she arrived here and it's not likely to change any time soon.
Instead, she moves to lay down on the bed, her head in his lap, looking up at him]
Oh, shush, Lelouch. I'm fine.
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Nuzzles his hand lightly and hums]
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I worry, you know. And so does Cornelia, and so do your friends, I expect.
[Not that he really knows any of her friends just yet, but he knows Euphie, and how a girl like her, free of the restraints placed on her by her royalty, would likely purposefully or entirely inadvertently have made a good number of friends who care deeply for her.]
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[doesn't like being reminded of that, uuughhhh, she feels bad enough as it is.]
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Of all of us, only Clovis and Nunnally ever seemed to escape from our familial tendency to overwork ourselves...
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[after all, Clovis was...well. Clovis. And with Nunnally, there wasn't much chance for her to overwork herself, not with Lelouch and Sayoko looking after her.]
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It could always be worse.
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[smiles up at him a little]
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It's a beautiful day outside, you know.
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[stretches and reaches up with her fingers up to touch just under his chin, tipping his head down so she can meet his eyes, even with the somewhat awkward angle.
Even she realizes that he wants something, that he's hedging around something.]
So what is it, dearest brother?
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