The needs of others... (Zero and Ayame)

[zero]

Zero walked down to section 47, where a very important prisoner was being kept.
He was carrying with him a small brief case, containing two equally important items, which he could not under any circumstances break. The guards saluted him, but to them to stay as they were, and not to allow anyone - even Sakura - to be allowed in, he couldn't afford for anything to go wrong. Not with this person.
The door opened, and he walked in, locking it behind him.
"Sorry for the wait, but at least you no longer have to worry..." He opened the case up on the table, before pulling out the dreadded-!
Panda Bear toy?
At least that was how any rumours of it seemed to depict it. He tossed it to Ayame in front of him.
"Pon-pon is fully stitched, good as new. An odd request I'll admit, but I've got a few former cloth makers among my men, so it was easily done. Also I've brought a kettle, so you can have coffee or tea - your choice. Cookies are also available." He said as he turned the case to Ayame, the kettle automatically setting itself up, two fine china cups to choose from.

[Ayame Li Britannia]

pace pace pace Glance to the clock. Worried mumble.

pace pace pace Another glance to the clock. Another worried mumble.

pace pace pace glance to the clock. Sounds of aggravation.

tap tap tap fingers drumming on folded arms in beat to feet tapping. Glares aimed at the door.

“What…the…fuck….is…TAKING SO DAMN LONG!?” Third Princess of the Imperial Family, Ayame Li Britannia fumed, puffing like the magic dragon as she continued to glare at the solid steel door. Now, one may wonder what crawled up the Princess’ ass this time to cause such an outburst. Surely it wasn’t the fact that she had been kidnapped by the notorious Black Knights, nor was it the fact that her life was in severe danger right now. No…it was something much more crucial.

Pon-Pon was broken.

Well, perhaps ‘broken’ was not the best word. More like ‘ripped’ or ‘in need of surgery.’ Yes, the Panda Plushie of Doom and Destruction was torn. Ayame had only noticed it a few moments ago when she had been partying with her kidnappers. All had seem lovely in the world, Bishie-kun was being himself and providing entertainment for everyone, Emo-san was just that, Strange Indian Woman with Duct tape was snazzy…ish, and Male Blondie with the Ass that Everyone Looks At tried to help her restock her Pocky supply (his plan was foiled by the Redheaded Chick with Pointy Object).

But then it happened.

She had been playing with Pon-Pon, throwing him up and down, using him as a bonking tool-the usual-when all of a sudden, she saw it. White fluffy stuff floating in the air. At first, she didn’t think anything of it. But then she felt it. The hole. The hole where the white fluffy stuff was coming from. It was coming from her Pon-Pon’s tummy. The scream she had emitted was enough to make anyone within a 5 mile radius go deaf. Of course, Ayame blamed the Black Knights for her darling panda bear becoming such a state. After all, he was perfectly fine when she was in the ghetto-it was only after she had been princessnapped did the tear make itself present. Which lead to one conclusion: the Black Knights were the reason why Pon-Pon was loosing weight. Thus, it was only natural that she would request them to take full responsibility and have him repaired ASAP.

…Ok, maybe she didn’t exactly ‘request’ for the repairs. More like she demanded, screamed, flailed and threatened to food poison all of them should action not be taken immediately. Fact is, she managed to convince the leaders of the Black Knights to fix up her darling panda. Ayame was certain that there would be a price to all of this, but she didn’t care. Zero could have all her cookies and junk food for all she cared. All she cared about was getting her Pon-Pon back in one piece. “And he better still be fluffy damnit…” she muttered as she resumed her pacing across the room, her head snapping to look at the clock every five seconds. ‘Not long’ he said. Define ‘not long,’ ya dimwit! Ayame growled under her breath, her pacing picking up speed. “He better be ok…”

The sound of the door clicking open caused Ayame to freeze mid-pace and spin on her heel, her eyes wide with expectation. "Sorry for the wait, but at least you no longer have to worry..."
“KYAAA!” Ayame squealed out as she caught her beloved panda and held him close to her, spinning in a circle. Then the inspection began. Obviously, the first place was to check the tummy. She poked it several times. No white stuff came out. That was a good sign. Next, poke and prod the rest, paying close attention to the head. So far, so good. Next, the throwing up and down test. Then the snuggle and squeeze to the point of popping head off test. And finally…

“…you can have coffee or tea - your choice. Cookies are also available." Ayame grinned to herself. Raising Pon-Pon by the arm over her head, Ayame bonked Zero over the head with her newly restored plushie, a satisfying ‘BONK’ echoing throughout the room. Ayame smiled as she held Pon-Pon close to her.

Bonking Test: pass.

Grinning over at Zero, Ayame plopped herself down on a chair, Pon-Pon sitting in her lap. Picking up a cookie, she sniffed it delicately before popping it into her mouth. Oo...double choco-chip…nice~
“Thanks for getting Pon-Pon fixed up, Zero-kun…” she rested her chin on the plushie’s head.

“How much is it gonna cost me?”

[zero]

Zero was slightly surprised by the Princess' response to getting her beloved panda back being to hit him over the head with it. It did him no harm, so he didn't mind - plus she seemed pleased by the result. He didn't hate her, though he did despise the more... 'involved' members of her family tree - old habits die hard it seemed.
The girl smiled as she picked up a cookie, “Thanks for getting Pon-Pon fixed up, Zero-kun…”
Zero-kun? She really was one of the most open Britannians he'd ever made, if she was using Japanese suffixes that is.
“How much is it gonna cost me?”
"You honestly think I would charge someone over a few inches of string? I may not exactly like Britannians, but even I'm not that coldhearted." Zero admitted, however...
"Though I do wish to merely talk, not everyday you have perhaps the most hyperactive girl in all history to discuss with is it? Tell me, what is your personal opinion of me? Am I the mad terrorist who wishes to destroy the world as the Britannian propaganda would have people believe?" He poured boiled water from the kettle into one of the two cups, and stirred it as he placed in the grounded coffee, waiting for the princess' answer.

[Ayame Li Britannia]

“You honestly think I would charge someone over a few inches of string? I may not exactly like Britannians, but even I'm not that coldhearted.” Ayame blinked twice, cookie held to her mouth. Eh? Was he serious? Was he not going to charge her for fixing up darling Pon-Pon over here? Her nose crinkled in thought.

Nothing was free. She had learnt that from both growing up as a Princess, and by spending her free times with those who lived in the slums. There was no ‘free’ in the commerce dictionary. Everything had a price, whether it be of material value or not. So for Zero here to claim that fixing Pon-Pon was free of charge was…unthinkable.

“Don’t bullshit with me, Zero-kun. There’s gotta be some-
"Though I do wish to merely talk, not everyday you have perhaps the most hyperactive girl in all history to discuss with is it? Ayame paused, mouth still open as the words sunk into her head.

Awwwwwwww~ She resisted the urge to squeal. Instead, she preened. She was considered to be the most hyperactive girl in history by the leader of the Black Knights! How sweet~

Rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, Ayame cracked Zero a cheeky grin. “Sore wa, domo~” Well, it was true. She did have a certain reputation amongst, not only the Imperial Family, but amongst Britannians and the Japanese in general. She was known to be loud, obnoxious, relatively open-minded, sporty, and most of all, a hyperactive bunny on sugar load. Cubed.

“…what is your personal opinion of me? Am I the mad terrorist who wishes to destroy the world as the Britannian propaganda would have people believe?" Ayame tilted her head to the side and blinked twice.
“Eh?” Where the hell did that come from? One minute they’re talking about her hyperactiveness and the selection of cookies available, and then WHAM! It’s the ‘how do you feel about me?’ question. Ayame blinked twice again. “Um…hm.” She furrowed her eyebrows in thought as she leaned back on her chair, tilting it almost all the way back. “What I think of you? Weeellll…first off, I don’t think you’re mad. Insane? Most likely. 99.9% of humanity is. Take me for example: bonafide insane nutjob right here. And damn proud of it.” She cracked a grin. “As for the terrorist bit, I can’t really say. I mean, in all technicality you peeps here do fill the qualifications one needs to be classified as ‘terrorist’ and all, but…if you look closely, can’t blame you guys.” She shrugged lightly. “All what you Japanese peeps want is some breathing space, no? I personally don’t see the harm in letting you guys have that…but then again, what do I know? I’m just a 17 year old spazz case who has been given too much sugar. However…” She lifted her head to look at Zero in the eye-err…mask.

“But I do think your methods are wrong. I know half of what the media spits out is complete and utter bullshit, but I do know that bits and bobs are true. The oji-chans in the slums fill me in on occasion. And personally, while I do realize the whole ‘let’s talk this over tea and biscuits’ idea is naïve, I don’t see the point of attacking innocent people, whether they be Britannian or Japanese. ‘Cause in my mind, they have nothing to do with this. Frankly this whole war is between you and Alastair-niisama, isn’t it? So why involve the innocent in your little skirmishes? I know it’s not completely you fault, but you are to be blamed. As are my nii-samas and nee-samas, of course.” Ayame let out a big sigh. “So yea. You asked me what I think of you. I say you’re a loony guy with an understandable cause. Just the wrong methods.”

[zero]

"What I think of you? Weeellll…first off, I don’t think you’re mad. Insane? Most likely. 99.9% of humanity is. Take me for example: bonafide insane nutjob right here. And damn proud of it.”
At least she was honest with her self.
“As for the terrorist bit, I can’t really say. I mean, in all technicality you peeps here do fill the qualifications one needs to be classified as ‘terrorist’ and all, but…if you look closely, can’t blame you guys.”
"Carry on." Zero urged slightly, she was interesting as well.
“All what you Japanese peeps want is some breathing space, no? I personally don’t see the harm in letting you guys have that…but then again, what do I know? I’m just a 17 year old spazz case who has been given too much sugar."
If only such idealism could make its way to the throne of Britannia, then the world wouldn't need a person like him.
"However… But I do think your methods are wrong. I know half of what the media spits out is complete and utter bullshit, but I do know that bits and bobs are true. The oji-chans in the slums fill me in on occasion. And personally, while I do realize the whole ‘let’s talk this over tea and biscuits’ idea is naïve, I don’t see the point of attacking innocent people, whether they be Britannian or Japanese. ‘Cause in my mind, they have nothing to do with this. Frankly this whole war is between you and Alastair-niisama, isn’t it? So why involve the innocent in your little skirmishes? I know it’s not completely you fault, but you are to be blamed. As are my nii-samas and nee-samas, of course. So yea. You asked me what I think of you. I say you’re a loony guy with an understandable cause. Just the wrong methods.”

"Interesting of you to say that. And I do agree with you, the innocent - whether they be japanese or Britannian - should not be involved in the skirmishes of their military, and I have tried to avoid such things. Unfortunately fate isn't so willing to make it that way. When I first appeared over 100 years ago, I bluffed my way into freeing Suzaku, no poison gas involved, and no civilians harmed... initially anyway. Sadly Narita did not go as planned either, as I had underestimated the power of my Ace's newest machine. It caused the entire mountain to collapse on the town below. And recently when I reemerged, I did so at a public execution, saving lives that now go on fighting in my cause, though I did indeed put the public at risk, at least the Britannians had enough sense to put up barriers. If it weren't the flair for the dramatic that both I and the Britannian military share, maybe it'd be easier to avoid. Regardless, whats done is done - I just have to try harder." He looked at her again, maybe it was time to change subject.
"And speaking of trying harder, I hear thats what you don't when it comes to actually doing your studies. Sightings of you at entertainment facilities and - ironically enough - schools are quite numerous. I hear you even went to the rebuilt Ashford academy not too long ago."

[Ayame Li Britannia]

Ayame threw Pon-Pon gently up and down in her lap, the wide smile never leaving her face. He had gotten her so worried, that Pon-Pon! If there was one thing that Ayame feared, apart from an angry Sylvie and being drowned in the world of frills, it was the thought of loosing her beloved WOMD. Sure she had won the thing less than a year ago, but still! She had grown quite attached to the little monstrosity…practically considered her baby.

Reaching over, Ayame took one of the cups of coffee and sniffed at it. Oo..coffeeeeeeee~~~~ She took a sip, her face lighting up six notches. Coffeeeeeeee~~~ How long had it been since her last cup? 24 hours? 48? Too long, as far as she was concerned. Girl needed her ‘Joe on a daily basis, otherwise she would cease to function normally! Sure there were always substitutes, like drowning solid sugar cubes in water or eating 10 chocolate bars within five minutes, but none of them gave her the same kick coffee did. So she had to have at least one cup a day….maybe that’s why she was so short. Hm.
"Interesting of you to say that. And I do agree with you, the innocent - whether they be japanese or Britannian - should not be involved in the skirmishes of their military, and I have tried to avoid such things. Unfortunately fate isn't so willing to make it that way…” Ayame paused mid sip, her eyes flashing to Zero. “…when I first appeared over 100 years ago, I bluffed my way into freeing Suzaku, no poison gas involved, and no civilians harmed... initially anyway. Sadly Narita did not go as planned either, as I had underestimated the power of my Ace's newest machine. It caused the entire mountain to collapse on the town below.” An eyebrow rose, followed by the skeptical look. Did this guy honestly expect her to believe that he was over 100 years old? She snorted into her cup.

“No offense Zero-kun, but you’re way more crackers than I thought you were if you seriously expect me to buy you being some centenarian. Seriously, dude: it doesn’t take a super-genius to guess your age. You’re like, what? 20, 21, 22 tops?” she cracked him a toothy grin. “I dunno what you’ve told your little underlings here and all, but don’t expect me to believe some story of the Great Zero-kun overpowering Mother Nature and somehow finding the coveted Fountain of Youth. I may act like a child, but that doesn’t mean I believe in fairytales.” She shrugged. Meh. As far as she was concerned, this current Zero was just a successor; one of a many stretching back to 100 years old. It was like an imperial dynasty, now that she thought about it. Zero was the King, and when the time came, he chose his successor: the next one to don the black crown. It wasn’t rocket science, and it certainly wasn’t some made-up froofy child’s tale about immortality. Leave the myths to the Greeks and Romans, dude. Their turf.

"And speaking of trying harder, I hear that’s what you don't when it comes to actually doing your studies.” Ayame choked into her coffee, coughing violently, her hand going to pound her chest. Busted. She looked up at Zero, her eyes wide. How the hell did everyone know!? Sure she could understand why her siblings, and them nobles, and possibly the occasional citizen, but why in the name of Madame Fruffy did the freaking Black Knights know?! “Sightings of you at entertainment facilities and - ironically enough - schools are quite numerous. I hear you even went to the rebuilt Ashford academy not too long ago." Ayame felt her eyebrow twitch. Placing her coffee cup down, Ayame leaned forward, her eyebrow still twitching on occasion.
“Uh Zero? Dude…are you by any chance…stalking me?” she asked bluntly. “‘Cause dude…while I’m sure you’re a cool guy and all, I’m reeeallllyyy not interested in you. Seriously. So yea. The whole ‘spying on Ayame’ thing: qui-wait a sec! Is that why you had me snagged? Because you have some creepy crazy tomboy princess fetish?!” Ayame skidded her chair back so that there was an obvious distance between her and the table. She eyed Zero with an ‘okaayyy, you are officially a freak in my book’ look. She clutched Pon-Pon closer to her.

Then, as if a light bulb went off in her head, Ayame blinked rapidly twice. “Oh wait. Didn’t Emo-san snag me ‘cause y’all thought I had some info on Quack-san?” she held a finger to her mouth in thought as her lips formed a silent ‘oh.’ Oh yea. Oops. Overreaction on her part. Oh well.

Skidding her chair back up to the table, the wary aura gone Ayame smiled cheerily at Zero. “Yea, I went to Ashford for a bit. Sensei sent me there so I could go ‘experience the real school life.’ Basically it was a freebee since I was pouting.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “Cool people there. Didn’t know teachers were allowed to shoot their students in the rear end and not get fired. Go fig.” she drowned her coffee.

“Yea, I went…what’s it to you?”

[zero]

This girl certainly did have an active imagination when it came to reasoning as to why an enemy of Britannia would track the Superpower's royalty, somehow relating work to perverted sexual desires. Maybe the coffee had been a really bad idea. Regardless, she had admitted to being at Ashford, but had easily turned his inquiry into her own.
“Yea, I went…what’s it to you?”
"Tell me, what exactly happened whilst you were there? Meet anyone who peaked your interest? Find any particular subjects to your likely? Or even anything that you would just call plain 'weird' - though I doubt a lot of thing aren't weird in your eyes." He asked, turning the inquiry right back on her. In all honesty, he was fishing for a particular piece of information, information about a keycard.
There was a place beneath Ashford he needed access to, one that would require such a card. It contained some of Britannia's darkest secrets, and proof that he could use oh so very much.

[Aloysius Drebbel]

-Topic finished-

Zero: (1141 Words, Normal RP) 114 Exp, 114 Credits
Ayame Li Britannia: (2301 Words, Normal RP) 240 Exp, 240 Credits [+10]

Credits and EXP have been added.