[your mom] Episode 20, Fanfic.

[tatooine.livejournal.com]

Your Mom puts out again.

Torrent.

ddl@fourzerofour.

And because I'm a sucker for random crack-drabbles, have two. The first is for nayami, because it's probably her fault.

presenting…

“Lelouch, I’ve met a girl…”

“Really? You hadn’t seen the president before?”

“It’s not like that! She’s beautiful and kind and she likes me, all of me, and… well…”

“Ah. The Imperial Princess.” Lelouch kept his face as impassive as possible, silently cursing the bad luck that had left Euphie with the crown’s inherent power to pick up hot guys.

Suzaku nodded. “And since you know things about the Imperial Family and she’s your sister – half sister, that is – I was wondering if you had any suggestions about what to give her for her birthday.”

Lelouch wished, more than anything, that he had Zero’s mask at that moment. He forced himself to smile. “It’s difficult to give something to a princess who has everything,” he mused.

“That’s right. But if you had any ideas – ”

“If she likes all of you…” Lelouch made a suggestion.

Suzaku blushed. “She likes me, but I don’t think she likes ribbon that much.”

***

a minute to stretch.

It started awkwardly at a portrait-painting, the sort of thing Cornelia despised on principle because there were cameras to be used and other things to be doing that didn’t involve listening to her younger brother Clovis chatter with the painter, and, well, baby Euphie was getting heavy in her twelve-year-old arms.

“Stay there for just a minute, Lelouch,” said a soft voice just behind her.

Cornelia spun around, waking Euphie and sending the baby into a fit of sleepy giggles, tugging at Cornelia’s hair. One of the other empresses was setting down a tiny, dark-haired boy, who seemed happy to be released from the tedium of his portrait pose.

“Would you like me to hold her?” the empress smiled.

“I’m fine,” she said gruffly, holding baby Euphie a little tighter.

“Oh, I know,” said the woman, whispering conspiratorially. Cornelia tried to remember her name, and finally found it – Empress Marianne, the “commoner queen” her mother occasionally sniped about to her daughters. Sure enough, Cornelia could see the little differences – her hands, peeking out from under her elaborate sleeves, were rougher than any of the other imperial wives’, and there was even a small scar that disappeared into the lace. Cornelia decided she liked those hands. “But these things are so long, and it’s the monotony that’s worst, don’t you agree? All it takes is a minute to stretch out…”

Cornelia nodded reluctantly.

“Just for a minute then?” Empress Marianne held out her arms, and Cornelia reluctantly handed her sister over. “She’s such a cute little girl, isn’t she? Happier than Lelouch, too, I’d say.” The little boy looked up, and she bent to ruffle his head. “But watch out, the painter is sweeping back over here. I think he’s doing details right now. Here’s Princess Euphemia back…”

Cornelia snapped back into pose just in time for the painter’s frown to flicker on then off again while Euphie burbled happily in her arms. When Cornelia turned again, Marianne was smiling beatifically for the painter, but caught Cornelia’s eye and winked.

The emperor was never particularly fond of the painting, and the artist was doomed to obscurity in some province doing impressionist art, so no one noticed when it disappeared several years later and resurfaced in the office of the Governor-General of Area 11.