Character Discussion - Shirley

[Paladinoras]

Originally Posted by Nobodyman9

Ha ha, I know what you mean. I wish I had a better schedule and more time to work on my fanfic. Anywho, speaking of which, and since we're sharing our fanfics anyway, I thought I'd post a preview of the next chapter of my Code Geass: A World Abandoned fanfic. Keep in mind though that this isn't a complete and final version. This is just a rought draft that has yet to be revised and it's not the full chapter, just a segment. Enjoy.

Spoiler for size:

It had been two days since Lelouch and Shirley’s meeting with Suzaku. After they had returned to the hotel, they had decided that the best course of action to take would be to go to the address that Suzaku had given them and meet up with Rivalz. They stayed at the hotel until about noon that day and then checked out. They stopped for lunch along the way and then went on ahead to the train station that would take them to Rivalz’s address, which just happened to be in Tokyo.

Lelouch and Shirley had sat next to each other the whole way (naturally) occasionally carrying on conversation over the two days. They talked about Suzaku, about Japan’s liberation, about Nunnally, about Shirley’s mother, about the Student Council, and about what might come of their meeting with Rivalz. Of course they were careful not to bring up anything that might give away Lelouch’s status as a Britannian prince or his former identity of Zero, should they be overheard by one of their fellow passengers.

Right now they were in the final stretch of their journey on the train as the conductor announced, “Next stop, Tokyo Metro Center.”

Shirley perked up. “Well, our stop is up next Lulu. You ready?”

He glanced over to her and smiled. “As I’ll ever be.”

As the train went back into motion, Shirley looked out the window to look at the city she was all too familiar. However, she noticed that many landmarks had the changed and the city looked quite different from how she remembered. “Wow, Tokyo sure looks different, doesn’t it Lelouch?”

Lelouch looked outside and he saw she was right. “Yeah, there must have been a lot of reconstruction done after Blackest Night.”

Shirley’s bright smile faded and her face slowly turned sad as she thought about all the people that must have died that day and how much it must have changed things.

“Yeah. I wonder what else has changed. I wonder how it affected Rivalz and Milly and Nina and the others. I hope they’re all okay.”

Lelouch took notice of her sad tone and held her hand. “Well, whatever’s happened, we’ll find out soon, and I’m sure it’ll all work out.” He smiled. She smiled back. As the train continued to move they looked out the window to see all the changes that had been made to the city they hadn’t seen for so long. There were a lot of new buildings that looked more modern and fancier than the ones they remembered and the city looked much more busy and industrious, but the overall layout was still basically the same. They took notice of and commented on the various locations until, finally, they reached their stop.

The train slowed down as it pulled into the station and the conductor announced, “Tokyo Metro Center.”

The trained came to a halt. The doors slid open and the passengers rose and began to exit the train. Lelouch rose from his seat. “All right, let’s go Shirley.”

He offered his hand to her and she graciously accepted it. They made their way off the train, carrying whatever few belongings they had. They walked through the threshold of the electric sliding doors, made their first steps onto the platform and they were officially back in Tokyo.

For a few seconds they simply stood and took it all in. They watched the hustle and bustle of the hundreds of people traveling about the train station, looked at the city skylines from the windows and soaked in the familiarity of the industrious city.

“Ah, it feels so good to be back in Tokyo Lulu.”

Lelouch smiled as he surveyed the bustling metropolis and he was filled with a genuine sense of satisfaction and nostalgia. “Yeah, it really does.”

He thought back to all the times, both good and bad, that he had had in the familiar city. And as he thought about it he realized that being back in Tokyo truly was a breath of fresh air compared to the life of isolation he had been living for so long.

“Hard to believe it’s been five years,” he said. He turned to Shirley. “I guess to you it doesn’t seem that long though, right?”

Of course he was referring to the fact that Shirley had been unconscious for most of the five years they’d been gone. Shirley thought about his words and, while there was some truth to what he said, it still seemed to her that she had been away from the city for a long while.

“It’s been long enough,” she said. Having soaked in the atmosphere of busy train station quite sufficiently, Shirley decided it was best to start moving. “Well, let’s go Lulu.”

She started to walk, but almost immediately she was stopped by Lelouch as he put his hand on her shoulder. “Shirley…I’m afraid I won’t be able to go.”

Quite taken aback by his words and actions, she turned to face him. “What do you mean Lelouch?”

“I’m sorry Shirley, but I can’t go with you to meet up with Rivalz.”

His words almost felt like a slap in the face. She had been very much looking forward to seeing Rivalz and had completely expected Lelouch to be there with her. “What are you saying Lelouch? Why not? We’ve come so far and traveled all this way together. How can you just back out now?”

“I’m not backing out, Shirley.” His words were quick and harsh, as if he were defending himself. Shirley gave a barely audible gasp, a bit startled by his words. Lelouch paused briefly and the calm returned to his voice. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while, ever since our meeting with Suzaku, and I’ve made my decision. I’m going to find Nunnally.”

Shirley was quiet for a moment. She understood the reasoning behind Lelouch’s actions as well as the nobility of it, but she still felt uneasy about his sudden actions. “Lelouch…I can imagine how you must feel…but do you really have to leave right now? You don’t have to go rushing in. We can talk about this. Maybe we can find out somehow if…”

He cut her off. “You said yourself that we need to face our past Shirley. Nunnally is the only family I have left. I need to know if she’s alive.”

“I don’t understand. We’ve come all this way already. Rivalz is right nearby here. We can both go and see him together. Wouldn’t you at least like to see him before you do anything like this?”

“I’d like that Shirley, but unfortunately this can’t wait. The longer I wait the more likely it is that I won’t do it, and I can’t risk developing anymore attachments. This is just a transfer point for me. I’m getting on the red line which will take me to the Black Knight’s Headquarters.” They were both silent. Shirley was at loss for words and Lelouch could see the sadness in her eyes. “I’m sorry Shirley, but I need to do this.”

She could see there was no hope in changing his mind, and deep down she did know that he had to do it. “Okay. I understand, Lelouch. Just promise me you’ll be careful, all right?”

He gave her a reassuring smile. “I will.” I felt a tinge of regret as he noticed Shirley still leaning on her cane. “I’m sorry to leave you alone in the state you’re in, but I’m sure you’ll make it to Rivalz okay, right?”

She thought for a moment, glancing down at her cane, but she gave a firm and positive response. “Yes. I’ll be fine Lelouch.”

“Good. Thank you for understanding, Shirley.” As he finished speaking, the red line train pulled into the station. “Well, that’s my train. I better get going.” The train came to a complete stop. The doors opened allowing the wave of passengers to exit and the next wave to enter. There were no words between them as Lelouch made his way onto the train. He stood just beyond the threshold and turned back to her.“Take care of yourself Shirley.”

It sounded as if it would be the last time they would see each other. She cried out as Lelouch stood inside the train.“I love you Lulu.”

He smiled. “I know.”

The doors sealed shut. The train went into motion, accelerating and soon enough vanishing into the dark tunnel and with that Shirley was on her own.

Holy crap, how many fanfics ARE there...

I can't keep up. Lol.

[Nobodyman9]

Originally Posted by Paladinoras

Holy crap, how many fanfics ARE there...

I can't keep up. Lol.

Paladinoras, the number of fanfics out there (of any show/series) is practically infinite. Just stick with a few that you like.

[Kid Ying]

Originally Posted by Nobodyman9

Paladinoras, the number of fanfics out there (of any show/series) is practically infinite. Just stick with a few that you like.

Specially because there is a lot of ones that sucks baaaad. When you find one that is nice, stick with it like it's the right person in your life.

[Paladinoras]

Originally Posted by Nobodyman9

Paladinoras, the number of fanfics out there (of any show/series) is practically infinite. Just stick with a few that you like.

Indeed.

Well, I have already picked 4 that I particularly like. But I still have fanfics from other series that I read. Lol.

[HollowScar]

Do any of you think that Shirley was on the right path, by being so loyal to Lelouch all the time? I thing she loved him dearly, but for someone who is supposed to jump to conclusions like her, she still made herself believe in Lelouch's ways, without knowing if his cause was good or bad.

[yezhanquan]

Another chapter. This time, things aren't going so smoothly for everyone.

Spoiler for writing:

The servants watched from a distance as their lady went about her usual laps in the pool. They always address her as "my lady", despite her protests. After all, that was a direct order from His Majesty himself. One thing which almost all the workers noticed about her was that she seemed to have boundless energy. In the pool, or in the library, she was equally active. Indeed, almost everyone dreaded the midnight to early morning shift at the library. Although she promised never to tell, somehow, His Majesty would always find out who had been dozing off at the counter whenever the lady needed assistance. Then, he would always summon the offender in front of him and the lady, and let him/her have a feel of his sharp tongue. Although that was all in terms of punishment, those who had received the barrage would tell you that hearing it once was enough to last one a lifetime.

In the pool, Shirley wasn't feeling too well. That was strange, she thought. She never expected anything like this to happen to her. Swimming to the edge of the pool, she lifted herself out of the water, and sat down, with her legs still in the pool. She was having a mild headache, but the intensity seemed to be increasing. Then, she noticed that a few drops of dark red liquid had dripped onto her swimsuit.

"Oh dear," she thought to herself. She gave her a nose a wipe. There were smudges of blood on her fingers. The lady then went to a nearby bathroom. Calmly, she washed her face. When she was done, she took a look at herself in the mirror. Good, the bleeding had stopped. Time to continue with the laps, she thought. However, the headache was now beginning to affect her sense of balance. She winced at the pain. It was as if a pistol was going off in her head, and the bullets were hitting her brain in succession.

Struggling to hold herself steady, she took a quick glance at the small red button near the sink. It was to be used only during emergencies, and this seemed to be one of them. Reluctantly, she pressed it hard. As she withdrew her hand, her legs gave way and a veil of darkness descended over her eyes...

When she opened her eyes, she saw Lelouch sitting beside her. She then realised that she was lying in her bed.

"Are you alright?"

"Lelouch, relax." She could sense the acute anxiety in his tone. Of course, she didn't know that he had cancelled an important meeting in order to come to the villa.

"What did the doctor say? It's pretty unusual for me to faint like this."

"I'll go ask him." Truth be told, the Emperor himself didn't have any idea. The team was still running tests.

Just as he rose from his seat, he saw a thin trickle of blood flowing down her nose. He forced himself to stay calm.

"Oh dear. Not again." She reached for the tissue box next to the bed. She then noticed that he was staring at her.

"'Not again?'"

"Yeah. I had a nosebleed in the pool as well. Can you ask the doctor about that as well," said the girl in a cheery tone, even as the tissue slowly turned red in her hand.

"I will." He hoped that his smile didn't look too forced.

Outside her room, the head of the team was already waiting for His Majesty. She had bad news.

"My lord, there is something about the lady which requires your immediate attention."

"... Let's talk somewhere else."

In the garden, Dr. Fairey wasted little time. She handed over a thin folder. He looked at the first page, and returned his gaze to her.

"What is the meaning of this?" The doctor tried not to notice the steely tone.

"My lord, her organic body is not reacting well to the cybernetics. The nosebleeds and fainting are mere symptoms."

"Why doesn't Jeremiah have such problems?" The fear of losing her again returned to him.

"My lord, Gottwald is a military man. He has been steeling himself ever since his transplants. In fact, the lady's fitness had allowed her to delay this reaction until now."

"... What are our options?"

"She may require further operations. I emphasize the word 'may'"

"You mean 'will', Fairey."

"You're not hearing me, my lord. We'll keep her under observation." With that, the doctor took her leave. She was confident of her own abilities, almost to the point of arrogance. However, that was precisely why the Emperor had chosen her to lead the team.

Lelouch took some time to go through the folder's contents. After all, he needed to prepare his words.

[Nobodyman9]

Originally Posted by HollowScar

Do any of you think that Shirley was on the right path, by being so loyal to Lelouch all the time? I thing she loved him dearly, but for someone who is supposed to jump to conclusions like her, she still made herself believe in Lelouch's ways, without knowing if his cause was good or bad.

Well, if we're talking in terms of end result, then no, I suppose that wasn't a very good to path to follow to ensure her longevity.

Seriously though, admittedly Shirley was always a bit naive, but that was just part of her character. True, she didn't always exactly think things through and she couldn't really see the dark side of Lelouch's character, but I still think she made the right choice in following her heart. I don't think it was so much that Shirley was loyal to or believed in Lelouch's cause, I think it was that Shirley, out of her concern/love for him, wanted to help and be the one thing truthful to him.

@yezhanquan: Another good chapter. Keep it up.

[HollowScar]

I agree. She envisioned a world with Lelouch, and for that, she let go all of his flaws. She was a bit on the dreamy side, which did cost her a lot. That's why I think Lelocuh and Shirley should be together in the afterlife, because of her blind commitment to him, and his caring towards her.

[Nobodyman9]

Originally Posted by HollowScar

I agree. She envisioned a world with Lelouch, and for that, she let go all of his flaws. She was a bit on the dreamy side, which did cost her a lot. That's why I think Lelocuh and Shirley should be together in the afterlife, because of her blind commitment to him, and his caring towards her.

Hmm, well even still I wouldn't go so far as to call it "blind commitment." Sol can probably explain it better than I can, but with Shirley she didn't just ignore or see past his flaws to envision Lelouch as the idol that she wanted him to be. In fact, that was a big part of her character that she saw the flaws in Lelouch and she wanted to help change him and make him see the good in the world.

But yeah, I know they're definitely happy together in the afterlife

[HollowScar]

I can see that from your avatar. I am sure many people can relate to Shirley, and even I can as a guy. I find her to be someone who does not understand how the system works, but wants to fit in, and help.

[yezhanquan]

@Nobodyman9: Thanks for the read. Did this chapter after reading volume 1 of the Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu manga.

[Nobodyman9]

Originally Posted by HollowScar

I can see that from your avatar. I am sure many people can relate to Shirley, and even I can as a guy. I find her to be someone who does not understand how the system works, but wants to fit in, and help.

Well, if the "system" you're referring to is Lelouch's grand, larger-than-life, revolutionize the world scheme, then that's a bit of an oversimplification

But yeah, that was pretty much Shirley's problem was that she was just an ordinary high school who fell in love with a guy who just happened to be living a double-life as a revoutionary war leader. Thus, she got in way over her head and entered a world she had no business being in.

So anyway, new topic: What's your favorite Shirley/Shirlulu moment? For me it's hard to decide (since there are so many good ones ) But the end of Turn 12 really sticks out in my mind since it was such a sweet, innocen, and tender moment between the two.

[Lolipopo]

Originally Posted by Nobodyman9

So anyway, new topic: What's your favorite Shirley/Shirlulu moment? For me it's hard to decide (since there are so many good ones ) But the end of Turn 12 really sticks out in my mind since it was such a sweet, innocen, and tender moment between the two.

someone steals ideals from other topics, glad that Klalen thread can be a creative inspiration though. . .

As for fav moment, i have to admit that Stage 14 all the ending with Masquerade and all that, was the best Shirlulu moment and the one that stands out from all the other hands down.

[Nobodyman9]

Originally Posted by Lolipopo

someone steals ideals from other topics, glad that Klalen thread can be a creative inspiration though. . .

As for fav moment, i have to admit that Stage 14 all the ending with Masquerade and all that, was the best Shirlulu moment and the one that stands out from all the other hands down.

What can I say? I just don't have the creative minds that you guys do

Indeed, that seems to be the consensus that most people consider that their favorite Shirlulu moment. It really is quite touching. And Masquerade is definitely a beautiful song to help escalate the mood.

[ginran]

I havent posted here in so long....XD

As for my favorite Shirlulu moment....the end of Turn 12 was adorable and then pretty much all of Stage 14, especially the Masquerade scene, which was just amazing even though it had a sad feeling to it. Also, the kiss scene at the end of Stage 12, as sad as it was, I thought it was pretty interesting that Lelouch still went to meet Shirley even though he was WAY late and had already planned to cancel their date. Okay, if I go on Ill just end up listing all the Shirlulu scenes and why I liked them. XD

[HollowScar]

I find the scene where Lelouch erases Shirley's memories, and in her memory they meet, the most adorable. It is one of the few scenes I remember, and must say the music was great too. Lelouch and Shirley in that scene reminded me of a possible fairy tale, but the series told otherwise. In the hereafter, may they both live like King and Queen in a perfect place.

[Nobodyman9]

Originally Posted by HollowScar

I find the scene where Lelouch erases Shirley's memories, and in her memory they meet, the most adorable. It is one of the few scenes I remember, and must say the music was great too. Lelouch and Shirley in that scene reminded me of a possible fairy tale, but the series told otherwise. In the hereafter, may they both live like King and Queen in a perfect place.

You're referring to Stage 14, correct? And I must admit that is a very nice idea you have with Lelouch and Shirley becoming King and Queen of a perfect place. I wonder where that would be though? Oh, I know! Lelouch takes over heaven! (or the World of C. Whichever)

All right anyway, here's another idea (that I DIDN'T steal from the Kallen Thread, thank you ) Post your favorite Shirley/Shirlulu pics. It can be anything. It can be official art, fanart, or scenes from the show. I'll admit, it is pretty hard for me to pick a favorite, but this one's definitely in my top 5 anyway.



Just a soft, tender, beautiful embrace presumably in the afterlife. Absolutely gorgeous

[ConfinesOfTheDark]

Wow Nobodyman9, I have to give you 2 thumbs up. I'm a ShirxLuLu fan myself and you putting that picture up just made my heart melt (but I'm not gonna cry, *sob*). Despite all the KallenxLuLu and LuLuxC.C. fans, I'm sticking with the canon because Kallen is too smart, independent (not to mention totally hot) to be with Lelouch.

[Nobodyman9]

Originally Posted by ConfinesOfTheDark

Wow Nobodyman9, I have to give you 2 thumbs up. I'm a ShirxLuLu fan myself and you putting that picture up just made my heart melt (but I'm not gonna cry, *sob*). Despite all the KallenxLuLu and LuLuxC.C. fans, I'm sticking with the canon because Kallen is too smart, independent (not to mention totally hot) to be with Lelouch.

Ah, you flatter me. Hee hee But wait, are you saying that you're a Shirlulu fan and NOT a Kalulu fan. That last sentence in your post confuses me a little.

[Knightrunner]

I'm not sure but I think along time ago I found a code geass audio that ask what sport lelouch will beat suzaku and it had all the girls thinking of possibilities of what sport lelouch can stand a chance on.

In that audio shirley was always thinking of lelouch and suzaku being together.