Codenames

‘Codenames? What is the purpose of codenames if we’ve already given out our real names?’ Cartwell thought, humoured.

‘Is Mr. Ophelia’s main goal not to destroy the Phantom Organisation?’ Cartwell’s eyes lit up. ‘It didn’t really make sense to me, that a demon would do something so grand in exchange for a vessel. After all, they would only have to find some impoverished fool who fit well enough to themselves. It’s quiet rare to find a fitting vessel, but nothing that would demand such an exchange. Initially I believed it was just Mr. Ophelia’s eccentricity that caused this deal between him and One of Spades, but now it makes sense. His main goal isn’t actually to destroy the Phantom Organisation, but to use their fall as a way to rise up- to create a new Organisation to stand on top. This is the meaning of ‘Mythos Garden’- the new legends of this era…’

As Juno came to the same realisation, he wondered. ‘But why? Why does Mr. Ophelia seek such infamy? Can I really conclude the motives of a Demon successfully? There’s some other goal he wants to accomplish… I don’t believe simply being the most powerful organisation is his goal, otherwise he would call us an ‘organisation’. Yet, he chose to say that this is another ‘commission’. Why?’

“Capulet.” Nicole spoke quietly, almost incomprehensible.

“Capulet?” Cartwell questioned.

“That's- that’s the name I want.”

“Like that children’s tale?” Zelia laughed. “The one about the two lovers?”

“It does make sense. Doesn’t that author also write of a character named ‘Ophelia’?” Juno nodded his head. “Very consistent. Shouldn’t we be so, as to craft a grand tale?”

“Who is ‘that author’?” Cartwell asked, curious. He gave off the feeling that he was a man of means, but Cartwell had come from one of the many mesial stratums of Lindgram, and so what books his family could afford were informational. Those who weren’t quite poor, yet not rich, couldn’t afford the luxury of fiction. Those who could, but weren’t quite as wealthy, would still opt for any sort of text that would further the growth of their children. If fictional tales were to be told, they would be told by mouth. This was how Nicole would come to know of those stories. They were passed down to him by Cornifer in the White Roses, who had grown up wealthy, and had read many such novels and playscripts.

“He only ever signs his name with initials- W.S.” Zelia shrugged. “I’ve heard he often appears in the circles of High Nobility, although I’ve never been able to meet him personally.”

‘Ms. Zelia is a High Noble? This is something I should look into. With such an uncommon name, it should be easy to find some record of her and learn her history. Doing so, I should be able to directly discover traces of Mr. Cartwell too. I was too busy in the past to do so, but as I’ll be collaborating with them, I should try and learn more about them.’ Juno lost himself in thought. ‘However, this boy, Nicole… he should be much harder to learn about. As someone that Mr. Ophelia seems to know much about, it might be too dangerous to poke around. I can’t risk offending Mr. Ophelia, after all.’

“Then, why don’t we all use names from his books?” Zelia offered. “One grand tale, one Fable.”

Juno nodded his head. “It makes sense.”

As Lumière watched over the processions, he couldn’t help but grin. It was going just as he had hoped it would. They seemed quite interested in the ordeal of forming a group for the sake of the Commission. After all, he couldn’t hope that they would simply abide by the deal. He wanted them to be invested into it. If they began to feel that the ‘Mythos Garden’ was their own, they would give so much more for its sake.

Like a King and his land, like a mother and her child, like a starving man and his food; he hoped that the Mythos Garden would become their beloved, their land, their child, their food. If they felt that it was at threat, then they would be inclined to fight. And if they were inclined to fight, then there was finally a possibility that Lumière could accomplish his goals. There was the possibility that he could get his revenge- that he could tear those Phantoms down.

“Then, who should I be? I know none of the characters involved in these novels…” Cartwell sighed.

“You strike me as a Lysander.” Juno smiled, humoured.

Zelia and Nicole both laughed in unison, with Cartwell looking towards the both of them in confusion. “I don’t get it.”

“It’s in the way you devote yourself to a woman.”

Cartwell’s smile faded.

“Shouldn’t I do this as your attendant?” Cartwell sighed. “Why should I be diminished for doing my job?”

‘Her attendant? These people aren’t very good at withholding themselves. Is there really any need for me to investigate their backgrounds at this rate? Have they already begun to trust us? Aren’t they being a little too open? After all, we’ve only known each other for a few weeks. At the heart of it all, we’re still members of the House of Cards. Aren’t we known for being snakes- always looking for opportunity?’ Juno felt a little down. ‘Would it be too morally-apprehensible to use this information? It was given up too care-freely.’

“I wonder who I should play the role of, then.” Zelia bit at her nail as she lost herself in thought. “Can I be absolution? If one of us falls, then I will seek retribution.”

“And who would that be?”

“Laertes.” Zelia grinned. “I will be the vengeance that proceeds after death.”

“How will you manage that, Laertes?” Cartwell joked.

Zelia let out an annoyed huff. “I’ll manage it.”

“Sounds likely. We better be sure not to fail.” Juno replied. He and Cartwell laughed in unison, Zelia aggravated in the meanwhile. “Well, if this is really the way we’ve chosen to go, then I guess I have to pick one too.”

As everyone looked towards Juno, he let out a sigh. He truly couldn’t help but participate. “I’ll be Shylock, then.”

“The merchant?” Zelia smiled. “Of course, that suits you perfectly. Greedy, opportunistic.”

Juno’s eyebrow twitched, but he kept a genial smile about him. Lumière looked warmly over the four of them, satisfied.

“Capulet, Laertes, Lysander, and Shylock…” Lumière smiled, reaching out his hand. “Welcome to our cooperative commission. I hope your fables will be spread wide and far.”

At this point, Lumière had begun to portray a grander purpose. Of course, his main goal was to eliminate the Phantoms. However, he had to look past his petty revenge as well. After all, he knew that only hollowness followed revenge. It was the most classical tale. Therefore, he had also chosen to look towards his other primary goal- changing the inherent cruelty that seemed to follow all those that fate marked ‘unfortunate’. Destroying the Phantom Syndicate was the goal that would satisfy his grief, and destroying cruelty would satisfy his desire.

‘The most revered figures create the worldview everyone follows. If I create the revered figures, then I stand above it all.’ Lumière laughed internally. ‘I wonder what they think of me now. Do they realise that they’ve just become figureheads for my will? Look at this person I’ve become… would I have thought like this a few months ago? At that time, I might have just cried my troubles away and blamed the Goddess… but now I can stand at the starting line. Even if I’ve become a horrible, apprehensible figure, should I stop now?’

‘No, of course I shouldn’t. The only thing I should do is move forward.’ Lumière had come to that conclusion long ago. Even internally, the personas he had crafted had begun to push him forward. He had started on a path where there was no option of turning back. He had burnt the bridges between him and his past self.

“Thank you, honourable Lord Ophelia.” Cartwell spoke with a smile. In unison, the others thanked him as well.

‘At first, I imagined that the danger that trying to dismantle the Phantom Syndicate posed would inhibit my plans to get them to accept the deal. However, it turned out to be quite easy. I knew that as an opportunist, Juno would be easy to manipulate. For Nicole, it was a given that he would jump at the chance to get his revenge. I knew Cartwell, who has a good heart, would be easy to manipulate into doing the ‘right thing’… although I didn’t expect him to jump at the chance himself. Zelia would have always followed him, I’ve gathered that much just from watching them…’ As Lumière looked at the four, he smiled. ‘So this Cartwell was always dealing with this much in his private life…'

“We’ll meet twice a month, on the first and third Sunday of each month in order to discuss various matters and plan for the strengthening of our members.” Lumière said calmly. “In the meantime, I trust that you’ll further yourself for the sake of our goal.”

“If we have a need to contact you, how shall we do so?” Juno asked, unperturbed by the thought of offending the Demon of the Garden.

Lumière felt his heart sink instantly. ‘Fuck, I didn’t think he would ask a question like that… how couldn’t I have given this any thought? Of course the servants of a Demon would wish to contact him for assistance. Moreover, all that needs to be done to contact a Demon is to invoke their honorific name in the form of a prayer, the same as you would pray to a deity… anyone would know that. This is him simply asking for my permission to do so. However, if I tell them to do that, they may do so, only to find that it will bring no response. Of course praying to me wouldn’t do anything. I’m not really a Demon, after all.’

‘What can I do?’

In an instant, Lumière felt his mind enter a spiraling turmoil as he racked his brain for ideas. Suddenly, as he was thinking, a recollection came to him.

‘I initially heard Juno’s voice when I was in a state of meditation in my nightmare. This means that while meditating, I can contact that connection that links us through the contract. Moreover, the innate personas I’ve cultivated can speak to me in waking reality. Doesn’t this mean that I can have a persona constantly listen for the prayers of these fools, and then have one of my personas relay the message to me?’ He had to desperately fight the wild grin that threatened to curl up his lips. ‘Of course, this is just a gamble as to whether it will work or not… but it’s the only option I can think of. I’ll just have to hope that it works.’

His expression unperturbed, Lumière nodded his head. “You can invoke my name at any time. Do you remember my honorific title?”

With a smile, Juno clasped his hands together and closed his eyes. “You are the grandest illusion, the venerable lie. You are the dignified spring bloom, the immortal flower. You are also the precursor of Despair, the vessel of insanity; the preeminent shadow, an exalted orchestrator of Fate. I seek your guidance, Demon of the Garden, Ophelia.”

As if on cue, Lumière’s head began to feel a little heavy, as if it had been weighed down by steel. Then, on cue, a calm, sultry voice began to speak. It sounded exactly like Lumière, as if he were speaking in a convincing tone of voice.

‘You are the grandest illusion, the venerable lie. You are the dignified spring bloom, the immortal flower. You are also the precursor of Despair, the vessel of insanity; the preeminent shadow, an exalted orchestrator of Fate. I seek your guidance, Demon of the Garden, Ophelia.’

‘That really worked?’ Lumière let out a relieved, quiet sigh. ‘I thought I was doomed to fight them all here. I’ve survived to live another day…’

He looked back towards Juno with a smile. “Precisely. If any of you have any need of assistance in the future, you can use this method to contact me. For small matters, due to our cooperation, I don’t mind helping you for free. However, for larger issues, as with any other Demon, a deal must be enacted. There will be a price to lift my hand.”

He looked at every other member as he said this.

“Thank you, honourable Lord Ophelia.” Cartwell smiled, nodding his head.

Lumière raised his hand. “There’s no need to refer to me as a ‘Lord’ anymore. From this point forward, you’ll all be using your codenames to refer to each other during our assemblies. So, I would prefer you call me ‘Ophelia’.”

As his eyes widened, Cartwell bent his head in shame. “Yes, sorry, Ophelia.”

“Good.” Lumière nodded his head in satisfaction.

‘Well, it’s actually starting to get to me… if you keep calling me a ‘Lord’, I won’t be able to deal with that shame. Just acting as a powerful figure already makes me feel strange…’ Lumière lamented humorously.

“Then, all matters for today have been settled. If you want, you can use the remaining time to discuss among yourselves. I have nothing further to say to you, unless a question is asked of me.” Lumière continued, leaning his head on his hand as he relaxed in his seat.

“Then, can we ask you more about the Phantom Syndicate?” Juno asked suddenly.