rakuen | [Round 3, Rest Day] And They Said: Let There Be No Light.

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[Round 3, Rest Day] And They Said: Let There Be No Light.

Characters: ALL
Format: ANY
This log is: OPEN
Location: ALL OF CAMPUS
Summary: In a flash of lightning and the deafening roll of thunder, the power goes out across Utopia Academy.

It's early in the morning when it happens, about six o'clock. The clouds were gathering gradually through the night, the rain only getting heavier from the near-constant downpour during the previous week. Lightning crackles across the sky, the water around the academy is violent and the waves are high. And in a particularly loud clap of thunder, what lights were still on go out and the academy is plunged into darkness.

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There wasn't much else that Lloyd could contribute here. If they weren't going to heed the warnings, that was that. He would just linger back behind Gino for now, making sure to keep that pilot between himself and the other two teens.

Suzaku nodded and watched as Lloyd and Gino left. He felt a little guilty about escaping without Sora and others who he had met here. But Lelouch's plan didn't include them and anyways, Suzaku looked out onto the rough stormy lake. It was probably better for them to stay safe and dry, he could always come back for them if they managed to get out.

"Ready then?"

Lelouch didn't even watch them leave. He started toward one of the small boats as it danced on its line beside the dock. He crouched to reach over and grab the edge of it. His first try missed, he caught it in the second, and was rewarded with a spray of seawater as a wave was squeezed between the two wooden surfaces. He sucked in a breath at the sting of it.

Suzaku followed taking a breath as the rain lashed at his face and thunder clanged overhead. This was... not going to go well. He was pretty sure that Lelouch couldn't swim... But he sighed and knelt down where Lelouch was to grab the boat while Lelouch got in.

"You did learn how to swim, right?" He asked, trying to keep his tone light.

"I had a match," he replied simply. And by that, Suzaku would know it was one of his infamous chess matches against the nobles that he periodically engaged in for pocket money. Before everything started, anyway.

He was sure Suzaku was more capable of keeping it secure than he was, so he climbed in. He crouched again to keep his center of gravity low. He then held onto the post it was tied to, waiting for Suzaku to join him.

Suzaku inwardly groaned, he should have known. Once Lelouch was safely in the boat he stepped across, keeping low and trying to ignore the wind and the rain and the thunder. He found the oars, and looked back to Lelouch. "Totally sure about this?" Though the question was mostly rheotrical, they had gotten this far after all, and he didn't bother waiting for an answer before he pushes off from the side.

Lelouch's answer came when he untied the mooring rope and reeled it in. He sat on the cross-bar, and pushed his hair out of his face again. This had to work.

From the off it was difficult, the wind was pushing them one way and the lake seemed to be surging to shore, not helped by the rain. Gritting his teeth Suzaku held tightly to the oars and he began to row.

It was a fight, Suzaku was no stranger to fights, no strange to physical work but this was as if the water itself was trying to fight him. It was not a human who he could understand, it was just water and wind and him trying to row in a steady time, trying not to spin round in circles. Trying to keep them upright.

The further away from shore they got the harder it became. They were tossed from side to side and Suzaku fought to stay in his seat, he had no idea how Lelouch, who was lighter than him was managing.

Lelouch had moved down into the actual bottom of the boat after he was nearly tossed out. "Go around to the bridge!" he yelled over the waves and thunder. That bridge had to be built at the narrowest point between this island and the nearest landmass. How near was hard to tell. But it also made for an excellent landmark.

Suzaku barely heard Lelouch over the howling wind and beating rain. He was soaked, he might as well be in the lake, he gasped for breaths that were stolen by the wind, felt like he was drowning with all the water in his eyes and mouth. He nodded, "Alright," he shouted hoping that Lelouch could either see or hear him and know he had heard.

He squinted through the rain, the only light coming from the flashes of lightning that lit up the sky. He managed to turn the boat slightly so it was in the vague direction of the bridge and started rowing.

A loud bang, the loudest clap of thunder yet, Suzaku thought the storm must be right on top of them. The rain lashed down and as the sky lit up once again Suzaku's eyes widened as he saw a wave coming towards him, water moved by the wind coming towards their tiny boat. "Lelouch!" Suzaku shouted out a warning.

Lelouch braced himself for it, but the beating they were taking was too much. He didn't have a lot of energy to hold on to the boat when that wave came. It hit him as hard as it would if it were a wall, and he was summarily tossed out into the water. He let out a shout, and tried to grab at Suzaku. But into the water he went.

He should have been in gym that day.

Suzaku saw Lelouch near him and tried to reach out, but the boat was pulled from under him and the oars were dragged from his hands and he found himself in the water the cold hitting him like a knife. He fought against the swirling waves, breaking the surface with a gasp. The rain seemed to want batter him back into the water but he kept his head above the waves, treading water looking for Lelouch.

"Lelouch!" His voice was whipped away by the wind, scattered as soon as it left his mouth. Fighting down terror he kept looking. He spotted something in the water and began to swim towards it, hoping it was Lelouch.

Lelouch didn't describe himself as terrified often, usually when his adrenaline spiked and when he was staring down the business end of a gun, his mind kicked into a highly organized gear, and he was able to do what it took to manage the situation.

But this was different. He was taking on nature, or something created to very closely resemble it. And he was losing. He struggled to find the surface, kicking his legs below him and his arms over his head. He wasn't sure if his hands were breaking the surface or not. Between the rain and waves, he didn't know if he was feeling the wind or not. But he knew Suzaku would find him. So he kept kicking.

It was as if the lake itself was on a mission to keep him from reaching the shape that he thought was Lelouch. Everytime he got near a wave bashed him aside. He was exhausted within moments but he could not give up, and so he pushed harder.

It seemed to take hours but Suzaku knew that that was just his tiredness talking, he finally got close enough to see that the figure was Lelouch. He swam closer, struggling to keep his head above water.

Soon he was close enough to reach out and try and grab his friend.

A hand closed around his, and he pulled up hard to get above the surface again. He heaved a massive gasp of breath as he came up out of the water. He held on to Suzaku's hand with all he could, and reached with his other arm to grab onto his shoulder. He was mostly flailing blind, his hair had stuck back to his face again. But he didn't have the strength to get himself to safety, and the boat was nowhere in sight. He'd have to leave this to Suzaku.

It took a while to adjust to Lelouch's weight, since the first time Lelouch grabbed his shoulder they both went under again. Not letting go of the emperor's arm lest he lose him in the buffeting waves once again Suzaku broke the surface and took a breath. He helped Lelouch grab his shoulder's and keeping both their heads above water looked around. The boat was no where to be seen, for the time being Suzaku started to swim for shore, they could always grab another boat and try again.

Lelouch held on in whatever way would be best for Suzaku to get them both to safety. He kicked however he could, though he really had little strength left in him. He did keep an eye on the edge of the harbor's walls, because he was rather sure that these waves could smash them up against them hard enough to cause some serious injuries.

As hard as he clung to his friend's clothing, the sea was determined to separate them. With one great force of undertow, it finally succeeded. Lelouch was pulled away and under.

"Lelou..." water entered Suzaku's mouth, cutting off his words. He kicked again, trying to fight the current, fight the water. He couldn't see, the water was in his eyes, and his nose and mouth. He broke surface and took a painful gasping breath.

A dark lump, was that Lelouch? Suzaku swam over, again it took too long, every time he was close a wave would buffer him away. Finally, blindly he reached out and grabbed.

It was odd how just a few feet under the surface the water was relatively calmer. He could see Suzaku, and he struggled to get near, but he didn't seem to be gaining any ground. Even pumped with adrenaline as he was, his body was dangerously close to its limit. He was quickly using the sparse amount of air he'd had the wherewithal to bring with him.

But then, all at once, the current changed and while it brought him back up to the surface, it also brought him crashing up against the wall at the side of the pier. He barely had time to gasp gratefully for air before the impact rendered him dead weight. Only feet from the edge of the wooden ledge near the place they'd embarked from. It was an area where there were stairs that allowed one to descend if they would have preferred to swim instead of boat. Or, instead, ascend if they were victims of a raging storm.

He slipped away, Suzaku broke surface once more just in time to see Lelouch crash against the harbour walls. His eyes widened and he kicked futher, he was losing concentration, the cold and the tiredness getting to him he got sucked into the swell of water and braced himself to hit the wall himself.

Pain flooded through him, enough to shock him back to realisation. He reached out and grabbed out, almost blindly until his fingers found something solid, cloth; or hair.

A few powerful strokes later and he had reached the stairs, he slipped and tripped and was thrown around by waves but he finally managed to heave Lelouch's body up above the water line.

Another wave took him and flung him back into the wall, it took more time to get back to the steps. Precious time and when he finally got himself above the water line Lelouch was still unconcious.

Trembling and shivering, barely able to feel anything he was so cold he lifted Lelouch and half crawled up the rest of the steps before collapsing on the bank.

The rain was relentless as was the wind, Suzaku fought down terror the adrenaline making sure he didn't give up yet, the mission wasn't over. He reached down towards Lelouch's neck to check for a pulse.

It was a brief moment before Lelouch woke up, coughing. In his barely conscious state, his arms sought something to hold onto, landing in a desperate grip on Suzaku's clothes. After another moment, he realized he was back on firm ground again. His eyes opened, and he calmed, breathing heavily. He still held onto Suzaku's clothing, less desperately, more like he was glad for the rock he afforded him. "I'm okay..." he breathed.

Lelouch was alive! Suzaku gasped in relief letting out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. He nodded, so relieved when Lelouch spoke and reached down to help Lelouch into a sitting position.

"Breath slowly, take deep breaths." Suzaku kept his hand on Lelouch's back, steadying him, letting Lelouch hold on for balance. Adrenaline was still coursing through him, Suzaku thought they should probably try and get back to the dorms quick once Leluch was up to walking.

He unconsciously continued to hold on to him, coughing up a bit more water. He didn't realize he'd swallowed that much. But he sat up, and soon his mind returned to him. He let go of Suzaku, and started to stand on his own. The only outward sign of what had happened were his shaking hands. He didn't start walking right away though, he let the rain pound on him as he regained his breath. He was obviously exhausted, of that there was no doubt.

Suzaku stood as well, the cold was starting to get to him now that he was still. When Lelouch did not start walking right away Suzaku drew closer and reached out an arm so that Lelouch could lean on him if he wanted. After all he had almost drowned, it would take time for him to recover. But they had to get inside, if Lelouch really couldn't walk Suzaku was prepared to carry him. After all he had carried Lloyd to the docks and he was taller and fought more.

While he was fortunately uninjured from the whole affair, his body ached and as his adrenaline came down, what had just happened began to sink in. Suzaku's approach was welcome, as the shaking began to spread from his hands. He squeezed his hands into fist in an attempt to force the reaction away, but even he couldn't master that.

He didn't know how he got there, but he found himself being set back into his bed. It was dark all around them except for the barely-rising sun and the flashing lightning coming through the windows. He grabbed onto the shirt of the person putting him there. The lowering motion gave him a flash of memory of being in the water again.

No, he couldn't subject himself to that. He wasn't that soft anymore. During his waking hours, anyway.

[Round 3, Rest Day] And They Said: Let There Be No Light.

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