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[knight-of-3-blog]

by jorebi

[knight-of-3-blog]

ooc; ugh you guys i will try to post replies from c.c.'s account tomorrow....i'm sorry i've been so slow...

[knight-of-3-blog]

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"I see..."

Lelouch's answer had been pretty much what Gino was expecting. After all, he had come into contact with Kallen enough times to know her general disinterest in status and rank. Truthfully, it was one of her most attractive qualities. But now that Lelouch had agreed to help Gino win her heart...Gino was beginning to feel a bit more confident in his pursuit of the mysterious redhead.

"So, if she isn't interested in nobility, what can I possibly talk to her about? Honestly, old boy, I'm not entirely sure how to go about associating with commoners...No offense," he put in. "I find common life to be most endearing. In some ways, I envy it. All the same..."

Gino scratched his ear, chuckling slightly.

"...I must admit, I'm a bit of a dunce when it comes to common interactions. Could you perhaps give me specific instructions?"

Gino grinned at the shorter boy, gratitude welling up within him. He felt as though someone had inflated a balloon inside his stomach.

"You're the best, Lelouch my man. I will be forever indebted to you for this act of kindness. I guess I can call you my own personal love doctor, wouldn't you say?"

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Lelouch couldn’t help but acknowledge the earnest gaze that Gino was giving him. Of course, Lelouch would remain wary until he had his facts straight, but Gino seemed… very genuinely troubled by this Kallen thing. Lelouch knew well by gathering profiles on the Knights of the Round that Gino wasn’t entirely the sharpest tool in the shed when it came to average, “common” affairs, and thus he probably lacked the capacity to act quite this well. Perhaps Gino Weinberg wasn’t really the type to take on such an undercover kind of role, so Lelouch relaxed a little. Still, Kallen? Gino was honestly interested in Kallen? But why? It could have been any other woman, but this… This complicated things.

Regardless of whether he was aware of her true identity as Kallen Kouzuki or not, things could prove troublesome in the long run. If he continued to pursue her seriously, it would become an inevitability that Gino would find out eventually. Lelouch couldn’t afford to let that happen whatsoever, for both Kallen’s sake as well as his own. He would put a halt to this one-sidedly blossoming relationship at any cost necessary!

“Er… well…” Lelouch couldn’t help but feel backed into a corner. What should he do? It wasn’t as if he was seriously about to help put Gino and Kallen together. Those two would be a match made in hell, but refusal wouldn’t look good either. After all, for what reason would Lelouch Lamperouge have to avoid helping out another member in the student council? He wasn’t about to play up another tall tale of harboring a crush on Kallen just for it to spread around the school and crush Shirley’s heart, either. But perhaps he could…

“…Well, why not? As your upperclassman, it’s the least I could do for a fellow student who wishes to follow in my own footsteps, right?”

Truthfully, Lelouch’s ideas were contrary to his words. He would humor Gino for now and “help him out”… while in fact feeding him information that would have Kallen refusing him within a matter of minutes. There was no denying that Gino was a bit of a playboy and could easily find some other woman to hound on once Kallen was out of the picture. It was certainly advantageous for Lelouch to understand both sides of Kallen’s personality in the end. Plus, if he had Kallen in on things…

“After all, women are quite complicated… And Kallen here’s about as enigmatic as they get, you know? You may be a Knight of the Round, but Kallen isn’t the type to take nobility status into account. It’s important to work hard in order to get a girl like her to notice you no matter who you are.”

And so, all Gino needed to do now was to take the bait…

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Handsome?

Gino blinked a few times, stupefied. Had he...heard her correctly? Had she really just called him handsome?

Of course, anyone who looked at Gino could hardly argue the fact that he was, indeed, very handsome. Still -- Gino had certainly not expected a girl such as Kallen, who seemed so reserved, to give such a straightforward answer.

Gino's lips twitched; he repressed the urge to break out into a goofy grin. He valiantly attempted to beat down the buoyant, giddy feeling which had arisen in the pit of his stomach. Handsome. Kallen Stadtfeld had paid him a compliment. And yet, for him to be so obviously pleased would make him look...well, for lack of a better word, it would make him look quite lame.

So, Gino cleared his throat, assumed a flattered-but-professional expression, and went on,

"Your instincts are much sharper than most, Kallen; I get the feeling most people would have described me as 'stately' or 'dapper,' given my rank. However, even your assessment may prove to be a bit off the mark. Not that I have any qualms with being identified as friendly," he added hastily, "it's just..."

Gino ran his tongue across the soft pad of his lower lip, deep in thought.

"...I suppose, when it comes down to it, we are all forced to assume some sort of mask in our daily lives. I doubt there are many people who can say they show their true colors all the time. Our society simply wouldn't allow it. Therefore, it goes without saying that there's a lot more to me than one might assume from a first impression. I'm sure..."

Gino met Kallen's gaze, felt a slight blush creep up his neck (God, she was pretty), and continued to stare determinedly at her all the same.

"...I'm sure the same can be said for you, Kallen. I'm sure I can't possibly know the first thing about who you really are."

the Ace and the Knight → Kallen & Gino

    Kallen listened to his words in silence, clear ocean-colored optics flitting over his finely-angled features and searching valiantly for any sign of dishonesty. “I… suppose so,” she spoke in answer to his first question. Although she had never experienced anything like that before, she had always felt consumed by her frail girl mask. It frustrated her to no end whenever people began to pity her or offer to help her with a task that she could easily do herself. In some strange, twisted way, her situation was a reverse of his.

    She had to contain herself as she noticed the blonde scooting closer to her, even if the movement was subtle and casual. She was the Black Knight’s ace. Her senses were more alert than others. For reasons unfathomable, she could feel the slightest skip in her heartbeat, and suddenly, she was more aware of him than she had been five minutes ago. Eyes widened in surprise, blinking as she tried to retain her composure. What was happening? She hated the uncomfortable feeling that he had suddenly brought within her.

    Glancing up at the blonde from behind thick lashes, Kallen pursed her lips slightly before shifting in her seat. Should she tell him what she really thought? No — of course not. But she didn’t want to exactly lie to him. “I thought that you were…” Quick — what’s an adjective she could use? “…handsome.” What? “But also flirtatious, and… outgoing; friendly,” she finished lamely.

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ooc; if my internet is fixed by tonight...........then i will definitely try to get to one or two replies. i've been really exhausted w/ the time difference, but i can't seem to sleep past 6 (which is about 10pm Pacific time). so MAYBE WE CAN ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE. which would be nice because..........i miss y'all.

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"Ah -- you really think so?"

Gino pondered the thought, deflating slightly. Would people really make fun of him merely for using a word...? Well, that certainly grated against Gino's moral code in a way that made him extremely uncomfortable. He looked at Suzaku, who still seemed rather off-put by the use of the Eleven term...Things were suddenly beginning to make sense to Gino. After all, Suzaku was an Eleven. Gino tended to forget that -- Or, it wasn't so much that he forgot it, but...

Gino chewed his thumbnail uncomfortably. He had grown up around Elevens, spent more time with the employees of his family's estate than his own mother and father. He had even fallen in love with one of them. As a result, he had been saturated with Eleven culture, and even schooled in the Eleven language from time to time -- though the family chef forbade him to let his parents in on that fact.

Gino found Eleven culture endearing. Familiar. However, the fact remained that it still wasn't his culture. When he used such words as "senpai", the other Britannians rolled their eyes at him -- laughed, sometimes. With a twinge of guilt, Gino wondered how many times he had led other Britannians to believe he was mocking the Elevens by using such words.

But Suzaku...

For him to use his traditional language...Well, it could possibly result in Suzaku's rank being depleted. It would certainly lead Suzaku to be shunned by the other knights. Gino suddenly considered the frivolity of assuming Eleven mannerisms; someone like Suzaku, who was forbidden to wear their own colors proudly, might take serious offense.

Gino cleared his throat apologetically.

"Gosh, Suzaku...I..."

The apology lingered behind his lips. Gino suddenly wondered if Suzaku would find such an expression even more patronizing. So, swallowing it, Gino instead said:

"I didn't realize I was committing such a faux pas. You really saved me from being teased at school, old boy."

Gino smiled again, attempting to reassure Suzaku. All at once, however...

"Eh? What are you making that strange face for?"

Gino blinked, surprised. Suzaku was looking at him as though he had just sprouted another limb from the center of his forehead.

"I said you were cuter when you smiled?" said Gino, nonplussed. Honestly, Elevens reacted very strangely to being complimented. "Although, you look pretty cute when you're blushing, too...now that I think about it."

Male and female? He sputtered, embarrassed for Gino, figuring the blonde hadn’t thought much about his sentence or how it had sounded. Not that he was surprised to hear that Ashford was notorious for good looking males, though. For some reason people always mentioned how handsome he was. And, even if he hated Lelouch to his very core, he knew he really did have the looks of a prince… though all his pretty face did these days was disgust him. He was sure there were tons of others, but he hadn’t much paid attention to the appearances of the other students. Not even before everything had happened with Zero… 

Still, that comment was pretty forward of Gino if he had noticed what he’d said.

Use that suffix on him? At work? He couldn’t imagine speaking Japanese around the Britannian government offices. His face paled at the thought. Gino was fine, after all, it didn’t seem like he took it too seriously, but if Suzaku was caught using Japanese right now… he’d probably be ridiculed and looked down on even more, and he couldn’t have that. He needed respect from his peers and to earn honor. It might have seemed backwards but… it was the only way to make things equal without using Zero’s disgusting, back-handed tactics. 

He shook his head, no, he hadn’t said anything wrong. It was just strange. But he glanced up to see Gino’s own eyes staring into his. Suzaku stared over at the hand about to clap onto his shoulder, but was relieved that Gino had taken second thoughts on it.

Expression? Well, he knew he was nothing like himself a year ago… That Suzaku, the innocent one, was long gone. Defiled by loss and betrayal. What did he have to  smile about anymore? All he could do was continue to try to better the world. He couldn’t even die… not with Lelouch’s dreaded geass on him. The only thing fueling him now was hate, and so there was no reason to smile, really. Not when he was only doing this for revenge.

But he wouldn’t worry Gino about it. After all, why should he care? This wasn’t something he could just bother other people with. Unfortunately, that thinking prevented him from being able to get close to anyone lately. He didn’t mean to be so passive, so broody, but it was hard… “Err, sorry?” Suzaku managed, blinking up at Gino for a moment. “And no, you didn’t say anything wrong, but… Ashford’s a Britannian school. They’d probably make fun of you for saying that.” God knows how much he’d been bullied when he first arrived at Ashford, solely for being Japanese. 

His eyes widened and his cheeks flushed as he felt Gino’s hand pinching his ear but it wasn’t merely that that got the reaction from him. Had he really just said that? Gino Weinberg had absolutely no shame. “W - What did you just…?” He sputtered, unsure of how to react to Gino’s blatant compliment. His face was just a blob of confusion and embarrassment. 

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"Yes, Suzaku, the girls!" said Gino, somewhat impatiently. "In fact, Miss Ashford told me your school's student body was rated best-looking in all of Area Eleven's schools -- male and female."

Gino hadn't meant the last detail to sound like an innuendo, and remained oblivious to the fact that it did.

Though, he did admit, it was nice to know he had his options open.

"I called you senpai, of course! After all, that's what you are to me. Although, I do have a few months' more experience than you, so I suppose while we're at work, you'll have to use that suffix on me!"

Gino laughed brightly -- but the laughter died in his throat when he caught sight of Suzaku's expression. He looked startled by Gino's use of the word. Disturbed, even. Gino suddenly wondered if he had been using the wrong word all this time; was "senpai" actually some sort of expletive? Gino shuddered at the thought. All this time, he had been using it like he knew what it meant, and...

"Er -- did I say something wrong, old boy?"

Gino leaned close to inspect his friend's face, his own vividly blue eyes scanning Suzaku's wide green ones for some sort of answer.

"You worry me when you make that face, Suzaku. You do it more often than you realize, I'm sure. It always gives me the impression that you're thinking about something morbid."

Gino reached to place a hand on Suzaku's shoulder -- but backtracked at the last second, scratching at the back of his own head instead.

"You really should smile more often," he advised the older boy. "Your face looks cuter when it's wearing a smile, you know?"

And he grinned, tweaking Suzaku's ear affectionately.

His comfort level was even more violated as Gino grabbed his hands. Green eyes narrowed and he tried to yank his hands away from his grasp, but to no avail at the first couple of tugs. Suzaku was notoriously strong… but Gino had quite a bit of muscle himself. It did make sense that he would want to go to Ashford for those reasons, though, considering it was Gino, who was pretty much obsessed with Japanese culture. He’d just been grateful the blonde hadn’t really discovered anime… the disaster that would come from that was terrifying. 

After a few more tugs he got his hands free, but then Gino just moved to whispering in his ear… not a fair trade, in his opinion. His frown deepened and he leaned away from Gino’s hot breath against his cheek. “The girls?” He mumbled, confused, and then got his cheeks poked, which just added to his confusion. Why was Gino so… weird and handsy? And so obsessed with women? Not just women, it seemed, either…  But, maybe he was the weird one for not noticing the girls, after all, he hadn’t noticed a girl since… … 

He shook his head to rid himself of morbid thoughts, only to be caught off guard by Gino’s use of the word ‘senpai’. If he’d been drinking something, he would have spit it out. His eyes widened as he stared at Gino, unsure of what to say. “What did you just call me…?” He asked, the confusion and shock evident in his voice. Suzaku really shouldn’t have been so surprised, considering who he was talking to. But still, it was weird for a Britannian like Gino to have such an interest in Japanese culture.

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"Well..."

Gino hesitated. Truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure if he was interested in Kallen yet...Sure, she was a beautiful girl; and sure, there was something about the way she carried herself that appealed to Gino immensely, but...

...he hadn't quite decided if it was worth pursuing a girl who was quite obviously disinterested in him.

However, Gino was curious about Kallen. Since she and Lelouch were friends -- and since there was no chance of Gino stepping on Lelouch's toes by inquiring about her -- he decided to press on.

"I suppose you could say that," he told the older boy. "You see, she and I met earlier, and...She stumped me, I'm afraid. I thought I was pretty good at talking to women...People have often told me it's one of my strong suits, as a matter of fact. But Kallen..."

Gino whistled.

"She's something else. Look, Lelouch..." Gino eyed the other boy earnestly. "I know you probably think I'm an idiot for inquiring after a woman who quite clearly has no interest in me, but...I can't help it. I just want to know more about her, I guess."

He smiled and took a self-deprecating stance.

"You probably think I'm pathetic for asking, but...Could you maybe...help me...win her favor?"

Spoken aloud, it sounded even stupider than it had in Gino's own head.

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“I see,” Lelouch replied, trying his best to avoid looking uncomfortable by the situation. Truthfully, Gino sounded very honest about it… But he wasn’t to be trusted. After all, he was the Knight of Three, which could only mean that the guy was a formidable opponent and a quick thinker, making him especially apt on the battlefield—even if he was no Suzaku. Just what was he after with all this? Perhaps Lelouch could use his Geass in order to bend Gino’s will into answering his inquiries. No, that could be a waste of a useful Geass were his line of questioning not to yield any results, and especially when he could use Gino later. He’d need to think it through before acting frivolously. The fact of the matter was, Lelouch had a lot of cards he could play here, but which could he use most efficiently? Which should he use? Perhaps he could—

Suddenly, his thoughts halted at the mention of her name. Kallen Stadtfeld. More like the Britannian-Japanese half-breed Kallen Kouzuki, ace of the Black Knights and personal guard to Zero himself. But why the sudden interest in Kallen? Was he aware that Kallen was a part of the Black Knights? And if so, why report such knowledge to Lelouch if he knew of Lelouch’s identity as Zero? That crossed out some possibilities, but Lelouch couldn’t be too sure of anything just yet. It was always likely that Gino wouldn’t make a connection between the two of them, but…

“Oh, that old rumor?” Lelouch shrugged off with a sigh. “Frankly, I couldn’t tell you where it originated from. You can rest assured that there’s nothing like that between us. The prez just likes to romanticize that sort of thing in order to get her ‘juicy scoop’ or whatever it is she likes to call it. Kallen and I, we’re merely… friends.” From the nearby windowsill, Lelouch observed the physical education class continuing on below, watching as some female students did their best to jump over hurdles. Kallen always sat those classes out. (Lelouch was quite envious of that.) “She’s really a very sickly girl. Not cut out for such strenuous physical activity, you know?” Stepping back, Lelouch eyed Gino warily. “You’re… interested in her?”

In the back of his mind, Lelouch couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of irony at casually discussing the matter of women—and not just any woman, but his Black Knight ace—with one of his more worrisome opponents. But he could glean information from this exchange as well, so it wasn’t entirely a waste of time and energy. Then he could warn Kallen of Gino keeping his eye on her…

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"You mean -- you came to visit us?"

Gino was hardly surprised; such displays of affection were common for Monica. However, he still found himself touched by her words.

"Of course it's okay! It's -- it's great! You have no idea how much I wanted to see someone familiar -- someone who's patient with all of my silly problems. I've felt pretty homesick all day, and...Well, seeing you has made me feel so much better."

Gino beamed at her.

"If you want, we can still visit the school together. It might be nice for you to roam the halls of your Alma Mater again, eh? Unless, of course, you'd rather do something else?"

ashford of then and now / gino & monica

(❶❷) That glint in Gino’s eye… he wasn’t telling her the truth, he intended on pursuing the fortunate (or unfortunate from the sounds of things) woman. She had been around him long enough that identifying when he was withholding things like that was easy to identify. If the Knight of Three thought his elder hadn’t had many males lie to her in the past, he was sorely mistaken. However, as he seemed to want to let that topic die, she too let it rest. No point in interrogating him over something like this. Gino was still young. He still had things he needed to learn on his own.

She mentally kicked herself for that thought. She was still young, too!

“What brings me here?” Monica responded to his next topic choice as a look of hesitation overtook the features on her face. Her reasons weren’t official, nor were they important at all - he would likely judge here. “Well, after that whole fiasco with the Chinese Federation, most of the Knights are in Pendragon to report and receive new orders. Since the city and Emperor are well-guarded, I was permitted leave for a few days. I heard you and Anya were attending Ashford, so I thought I’d stop by as well… Is that okay? I intended on visiting the school in the morning.”

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"Hey, believe me," said Gino weakly. "I don't want to see me getting hurt, either."

He chuckled.

"Anyway...I'm not exactly...planning on pursuing her. I get the feeling I'd only get shot down, and I'm not really looking to set myself up for failure.

Of course, he was telling half-truths. Though there was a part of him who recognized that Kallen Stadtfeld would likely never give him the time of day, there was another part of him -- a larger part -- that would jump at the slightest indication that she was interested. That part of him was the part that prevented him from simply shrugging and forgetting about his exchange with the quiet, elusive redhead.

Besides; why should he bore Monica with the details of his teenage angst? She had more important things to worry about, official business to attend to.

Which reminded him...

"Monica -- I forgot to ask: What brings you to Area 11, anyway? You never told me the details of your visit."

ashford of then and now / gino & monica

(❶❷) The Knight of Twelve smirked as she witnessed Gino fluster over her threat. He was far too easy to bug sometimes, even if he himself didn’t realize this fact. “You yourself may be a different person by the time you’re my age, Gino.” Monica mused as she placed her hands together softly in front of her as she thought about the girl that was once afraid of getting close to people.

In ways, she still possessed that fear. As a member of the Royal Guard, she was occasionally checked up upon by informants hired by the Emperor to make sure her loyalty remained. She had never explicitly been informed of these check-ins, but she wasn’t enough of a fool to notice her belongings being shuffled around once in a while. The blonde-haired beauty didn’t want to risk any friends of potential boyfriends being imprisoned, or worse, due to interacting with her - which had happened once already. One of the many reasons why she no longer pursued relationships.

Down the line, she’d likely be married off into a royal family, and since she was the only heir to her name, that name would die. The only reason this hadn’t happened already was because of the persistence of her Mother, who was trying so hard to hold onto the name she had intentionally married into. Monica herself wouldn’t be able to accept an arranged marriage if the time ever came, but she knew she didn’t have a choice.

“Well, don’t push yourself too hard. There are plenty of girls out there, so just because one piques your interest, it doesn’t mean there won’t be many more.” She advised cautiously. She didn’t want to sound like she was discouraging him from pursuing her, but at the same time the Knight og Twelve knew there were truth to the words she spoke. “I just don’t want to see you getting hurt.”

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"P-Punishment?"

Gino balked.

"I -- Of course, I meant no offense, M-Mon -- er -- lady --"

Gino trailed off, grinning bashfully.

"Of course...there's nothing wrong with being a...dork, as you put it. Half the time, I'm fairly convinced that's what Suzaku and Anya think of me, but I don't let it stop me. I suppose I was just...surprised, that's all. After all, the only Monica I know is an outgoing, friendly knight."

She really was something special. Gino listened to her advice without interrupting once, hooked on the Knight of Twelve's every word. She always knew exactly what to say, and when to say it. Even when Gino was having his most flustering, embarrassing moments (which, admittedly, were few and far between), Monica never failed to pull through for him.

This, among other reasons, was why Gino fostered a bit of a crush for Monica when he first joined the Knights of the Round. After all, she was beautiful and warm and strong; and she was the first girl, apart from his beloved maid, who had taken Gino for who he was and welcomed him with open arms.

In time, however, Gino had realized the futility of such a crush. Monica was a few years older than him, after all, and while Gino had had his fair share of experience in -- er -- certain areas, he was convinced Monica needed a man who was more emotionally mature and responsible.

Monica's comment about challenging women brought a laugh to Gino's throat.

"Monica, please! You know I'm nothing if not tenacious. Besides, I've gone after challenging women in the past, and I've never failed!"

Almost never failed.

Gino's laughter died, and he shuffled somewhat nervously. "But -- Yes, you've caught me red-handed, I'm afraid. There is a girl who -- well, in all honesty, she seems to dislike me immensely. And that's not the reason she's captured my attention, either," he added quickly. "It's just that she...well..."

He smiled sadly.

"She reminds me of a girl I used to know."

ashford of then and now / gino & monica

(❶❷) “I know it must be somewhat shocking to you, Gino. But if you continue to repeat the word ‘dork’ like it’s an undesirable label, you may force me to hand out some form of punishment.” Monica’s calming smile remained across her lips, but there was a sudden change in the tone of her voice that suggested something wasn’t quite right. It was somewhat… eerie and terrifying. Compliments aside, it was what she had been at the time, so she wasn’t going to accept any ridicule about it at all.

“Well, I grew up surrounded by professionals - I was never given the chance to play or talk with other people my age. I suppose when I was placed in an atmosphere with so many people, I had a tendency to lose my cool. I’d forget things I’d normally know the answer to, drop books accidentally… Well, you know.” Every word of it was true. It wasn’t until her senior year that she truly felt comfortable in the school setting, and by then it was far too late. “I was also in the classical music and poetry clubs! In the off-chance you’re ever looking for someone to play the violin while reciting a poem, I’m your girl!” Not that anyone would ever need someone with that special set of skills.

“I think it’s completely normal to feel that way…” Monica brought a finger up to her lip as she considered what the Knight of Three had to say concerning people acting nice. There would certainly be students that would try to use someone of his status by showing false kindness - but he’d have to learn how to identify who those types were. “Just so long as you keep in mind that the other students aren’t as fortunate as you, and you treat them normally, they should do the same. It’ll take time, but sooner or later those who act will cease.”

At Gino’s smile, the Knight of Twelve raised an eyebrow. There it was, the thing he’d been hiding. He’d quite obviously met a girl that had piqued his interest. “I certainly hope you aren’t taking her disinterest as a challenge - since when were you the type to pursue the challenging ones, anyways?”

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"A dork? You?" Gino was honestly surprised. "But -- you're so -- together, and classy! I can't believe such a swan could have emerged from an awkward little duckling!"

Gino completely failed to recognize how bizarre his words sounded. He was, frankly, quite stunned that Monica (whom he had admittedly idolized) was anything other than perfection, even in her high school days.

"But -- how could you possibly be a -- a dork?"

It seemed to Gino, however, that his own role at Ashford was looking up to be far less glorious than he had originally imagined.

"To be perfectly honest, Monica...I'm starting to feel as though I'll never quite fit in with the other students. They seem to put me up on a pedestal -- heh -- much the way I did with you, I suppose."

He chuckled sheepishly.

"I don't know, people are friendly, but...I suppose I'm unsure as to whether they like me for me, or for the rank that as bestowed upon me. I find myself constantly second-guessing my interactions with students there. Although..."

Gino cracked a smile.

"There is one girl who seems altogether disinterested with my status as a knight. I'm actually a bit stumped by it, but...It is refreshing."

ashford of then and now / gino & monica

(❶❷) Although? The very fact that Gino had even bothered to tag that word onto the end of his initial retelling caught Monica’s curiosity. Gino wasn’t the type of person to leave a thought unfinished, so why was it that he’d left that particular point untouched? She smelled something worth prying into! Knowing Gino’s personality in regards to women, though, it was likely something along those lines.

Twirling blonde strands of her hair around her gloved fingertips, she continued to listen to the Knight of Three’s musings about his day. In a way, it mirrored her first day at Ashford seven years ago. “Oh? What’s this about people dropping titles?” Her voice was laced with teasing sarcasm as the Knight of Twelve made reference to their earlier conversation. “I’m joking, of course. I wasn’t a Knight during the time I attended, but my family name had people be similarly cautious, I believe. It should wear down before too long.”

She chuckled lightly. “My school days? Swarms of admirers, huh? There were one or two guys, I suppose, that I saw for extended periods of time, but nothing like followers.” People had been too wary of her in Ashford when she had attended, but there were other reasons as well. “I’d hate to ruin this deity-like impression you have of me, Gino, but I was a bit of a dork in high school!”

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Gino started slightly, surprised by the shift in Kallen's expression. That was a smile; despite the fact that she attempted to cover it up, it was not missed by Gino, who had been slyly watching the curve of her soft lips for the past few minutes now. He felt a new surge of hope for the briefest of moments.

...But then, when Kallen looked wary again, Gino's hope fizzled a bit.

"Well..." He fidgeted a bit, trying to figure out how to put his thoughts into words. "It's just that -- This is probably going to sound shallow and narcissistic to you, but -- Sometimes, I feel like my title is swallowing up the person I really am. I feel like people will judge me based on a silly moniker rather than based on my actual character. Does that make sense?"

Gino felt slightly embarrassed. After all, this was quite a bit of information to dump on a girl he hardly knew. However, he was pleased that Kallen's demeanor had changed. At least, she seemed interested in the conversation now.

"Like, for instance..." he said, scooting half an inch closer to Kallen.

When he moved, he stirred a breeze, and the scent of her shampoo caught his nose. It was sweet -- like coconut -- and for a moment, he was distracted by it. This wasn't the scent he was used to when he spent nights alone with his Britannian girls -- the tawdry, fashionable perfumes that clung to his suits in the mornings after...

Admittedly, Gino had had a string of lovers since he'd attained his rank as Knight of Three. Somehow, the instant girls learned of his title, they were all too eager to hop into bed with him. But the affairs were always shallow, based on little more than his desire for contact, for warmth, for the embrace of another human being. In the end, however, the girls always seemed more interested in the perks that came with dating a knight like himself.

But he was off track.

"For instance," he said, more clearly, "when you look at me, Kallen, what do you think? What was your first impression of me when I arrived at this school?"

the Ace and the Knight → Kallen & Gino

    Involuntarily, the right corner of her pale lips curved upwards into a minuscule smile — one that was actually genuine, and one that had not come from destroying the Britannian forces. There was a strange… light… feeling in her chest that she had only experienced less than a handful of times before when hearing her blonde companion stutter and stammer with his sentence. It was a disaster with the way the knight of three was acting.

    Once she realized what she was doing, Kallen’s expression immediately turned neutral once more. “From what I can see, you’re doing quite fine on your own,” she answered back in her civil tone. “It seems as though the female population of Ashford have all taken quite a liking to you, so you must be doing something right at most.” She was not jealous nope; just irked with all of the screaming that could be heard within the walls of Ashford sometimes. It was irritating how she could tell where he was at all times by the projection of the female screams.

    Gino’s last word, persona, made her tilt her head in surprise. Synonyms immediately raced into her head for reasons unknown; perhaps it was because she wore one so often that she was able to immediately connect with him. M a s k. Charade. FACADE. Cover. Disguise. Azure optics glanced at him more closely, seeing through the cracks in the mask that she was so sure didn’t exist five minutes ago. He was a womanizer, wasn’t he? A highly-desired playboy who bedded at least five girls a month, according to one of Milly’s ridiculous gossip rags.

    What was he playing at? Did he realize that Kallen wasn’t who she seemed to be; that she too wore a facade each day outside of the battlefield? Did he finally discover her identity as the ace of the Black Knights, and was trying to exploit her now? Was there even a Student Council meeting today? If there was a yes to all of these questions (excluding the last), then she was confident that she could take him on. She was sure as hell not going down without a fight. In a cautious manner, Kallen asked him in return, “…Why?”