rassera | IC Contact

what?

[She's surprised by the text, surprised enough that it throws her perfect syntax off. What's he getting at?]

Yes, of course, more than anything. I promised Suzaku I would. That was my dream, to end all the fighting in Area Eleven. To create genuine peace where nobody would have to mourn again.

[And then a pause, longer this time.]

...why do you ask?

how

[The response is immediate. It takes maybe a second to send back.]

How? I... don't think I understand. How did I want to help?

My powers were limited, of course, so I couldn't do as much as I would've liked. But my dream was the Special Administrative Zone, where the Japanese could call themselves Japanese, and govern themselves instead of being ruled by the Viceroy. If the SAZ plan succeeded, I was hoping to convince Cornelia that it would be a good idea to implement all across the region.

Kaneda, you know this. I told you about the SAZ before.

[She's starting to feel that something is seriously off.]

What happened? Why are you asking this?

[Rick's advice rings in his ears--Euphie, a lot like Tetsuo, needed to be told the truth, and Kaneda can't be a gatekeeper forever. This...this was his chance to be open with her, and to figure out just what the hell happened.

He knew Euphie--or he thought he did. She wouldn't dare hurt anyone. She defended the police on that belief after all. But why isn't this adding up?

What part of this puzzle is missing?]

i got shot during the attack

You got shot?! Kaneda, that's awful!

I'm so sorry... if I'd been awake I would have helped.

[Oh no.

It takes a lot of guts to type this next part, and even more to hit 'send'. He pauses on it for five minutes, pacing the upstairs of Nonah 5, erasing and retyping it. Maybe trying to phrase it better. He's not good at sugarcoating--he never was. And every attempt sounds fake.

He has to be direct with her, on this at least.]

it was you

[He slumps against the wall after sending it, letting his body sink down to the ground right in the hallway inbetween his room and Tetsuo's. The same pain as before grips his heart--and white light beams around the brim of his eyelids as she shuts those tight, waiting for the vibration of the phone in reply.

If there would be one at all.]

[What.

There's dread, cold and certain, creeping up from her stomach now.]

Kaneda, that's not funny. I'm getting really worried.

[He expected that, and it hurts to reply.]

it didnt feel funny

Kaneda, stop it. Please.

I don't know what sort of prank you're trying to pull, but I'm really not in the mood!

[It's a prank. It has to be a prank.]

you shot me euphie you shot me multiple times because i was japanese you think id make this up

[The next message is typed hurriedly with shaky fingers, the dread in her heart threatening to emerge into full-blown terror.]

kaneds stop

I wouldnever. i wouldny do that

please

youre making it up you hsve to be

please

[He hates this...he hates everything about this situation.

Rick's words are the only comforting thought in his mind as he watches the text come, wanting to shut off the conversation right there.]

im not i was right there

i wouldnt

i could nvevr

why

call me

[He wants to hear her voice--you can hide a lot of things behind text...his anonymous texter friend proved that.

Voices are more genuine.]

[She calls, but when he picks up, there's silence on the other end of the line.

When she speaks, her voice is very very small. It's worse, even, than when she told him about her death.]

I don't understand...

[The hardest phone call Kaneda's ever had to make. Fighting down that urge to hang up, because why should he talk to someone who just tried to murder him?

Why?

Kaneda knows why, deep down. Because he trusted Euphie, and he's got to find out if he still can.]

You were looking for Japanese to kill. That's...what you said, you know.

[There's a sharp intake of breath. She feels like she's been stabbed. The bullet that Lelouch had fired didn't hurt as hard. Why would Kaneda lie to her?

How can he be telling the truth?] N-no... I couldn't have... I would never...

[And that's what he was listening for. Her actual reaction to it.]

I was there--you were there.

I'm not making this shit up, Euphie!

[She's glad she's alone in the house, slumped against the wall, curled up in a ball, her voice shaking. It's impossible, what he's saying, but why would he lie?] --but I would never have! Kaneda, that's not like me! You know that!

[She sounds desperate, whether trying to convince him or herself.] I've never shot someone in my life! Kaneda, please!

[His head tilts back, hitting the wall he's sunk against, a soft thud heard across the feed.]

I wouldn't have gotten you to a healer if I--

It didn't sound like you, alright? It was you. But you sounded like you were keeping a goddamn score.

[Her voice trembles as she tries to desperately keep it together.] What... what sort of things did I say?

I don't remember any of this, Kaneda. I-- I could never have...

You said--

[It's hard when she speaks like that. Deep down, he wanted to believe, her, and in some aspects, he did. That's why he knocked her out. That's why he protected her from Tetsuo.]

'It'd be a lot easier if you just cooperated'. Something like that.

[The life in his voice is gone, like he was reading off a piece of paper--no emotion, just...getting those words out before he has the chance to dwell on them.]

[As he goes quiet, he can probably hear not-quite-silent sobbing from the other end of the line that she is trying desperately to conceal, but the very wet-sounding sniff betrays her.] Why... why would I have... I wouldn't say that...

Was it that light? Did... did anyone else act differently?

[There's something that wrenches his heart at that. Maybe it's because he knew how genuine it sounded. Granted, his mind was still reeling in how awful the whole thing was...but Euphie was now in that position too.

And he's a little grateful for it.]

A lot of people were attacked, running around...getting poisoned.

Some people died.

Kaneda... [She says softly, though there's a tone of-- if not hope, at least potential understanding in her voice.]

So it wasn't just me? Others... it wasn't just me trying to hurt people all of a sudden?

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