『 000 ; application 』
OOC:
Name: Ai-chan
Are you over 16?: Yes
Personal LJ: infected_wound
Email: sakurai.no.yuuri [at] gmail [dot] com
Timezone: EST
Other contact: tatsumi owns you [AIM]
Characters already in the game: n/a
How did you find us?: app_this_plz
IC:
Character name: Lelouch vi Britannia Lamperouge
Fandom: Code Geass
Timeline: after R1, but before he regains his memories in R2.
Age: 18
~*Magical*~ abilities and strengths:
Lelouch possesses the Geass of "absolute obedience"; this affords Lelouch the ability to force an order on virtually anyone provided they have eye-contact with him and are within his range. There are limits to this ability, of course, such as the fact that the order is heavily reliant on the reciever's existing abilities and limitations ( ie. a person who can't swim, if ordered to swim, won't magically learn to swim. ) and that it must be a vocal order. Lelouch's Geass only works once per person ( though exceptions can be made if a Geass canceller is used on the reciever, then the first order is rendered null ), and does not work on those possessing the Code. Minor effects of Lelouchs' Geass include the fact that the reciever will not retain any memories of the time the Geass was placed and during the execution of the order.
...That's the gist of his ~*magical*~ abilities. Truth be told, at the point I'm taking Lelouch from, this ability is sealed and therefore... useless. Lelouch has his daddy to thank for that, but we'll get to that later. For now, it's time to focus on his other, slightly more natural strengths.
Though physically pathetic - a girl in a dress can outrun him easily, and he has virtually no stamina to speak of - Lelouch makes up for having a very sharp mind. Though mindwiped by daddy, the fact that Lelouch is Zero is an established fact. Zero not only thrived because of his Geass but because of the amazing intellect Lelouch was born with. Lelouch is capable of thinking up very complicated and long-winded strategies that end with him going "Juuuuust as plaaannnned" (srsly) at the end. The series has very many instances of these "just as planned" moments: He not only exhibits it during serious moments ( the battles of Shinjuku, Narita, and a part of the Black Rebellion to name as few instances in the first season), but in less serious settings as well (though it's later on in the second season, Lelouch shows his amazing Zerotastic abilities in... the second Ashford School Festival of the series to keep C.C. from being discovered on the pizza. ) He has great deduction skills that help him in his plotting too, a fact which Mao notes when they enter into a chess match together in the first season (since, you know, Mao can read minds and sees all of the possibilities Lelouch explored in a moment).
Lelouch is also charismatic and capable of spouting some very fabulous and awe-inspiring speeches; these may be somewhat muted though with Lelouch not exactly remembering the fact that he's Zero at this point of canon.
And, finally, Lelouch is a great household keeper! Lelouch even keeps a household account book (which Rivalz correctly guesses the existence of in R2) that is a testament of how devoted he is to the chores of the house. He's also a great cook and seems to be very well-versed in French cuisine in particular. ♥
How would they use their abilities?:
If Lelouch had his Geass, you can bet he's going to do his darndest to get his sister planet back A.S.A.P. while teaching the arrogant oppressors of the weak (you know, that kind of jazz) a lesson or two along the way. Since he doesn't remember he has the terminator eyes only visible to the viewers Geass to begin with, Lelouch will be more about doing what he can with his "limited" abilities to get his brother planet back up and running.
He probably won't show much of an interest in saving up enough money to get his planet back from that factory-planet, claiming it's too much work for a teenager like him, but he'll likely be working towards it anyway. Along the way, as his pride is very big and he doesn't like being just a mere bystander because he hates looking at bystanders who do nothing, Lelouch will use his abilities to help other people in whatever way he can. As long as it's logical to do so and isn't obviously leading to an early demise.
Appearance:
Lelouch looks mostly harmless ♥ He's your average teenager with a very good-looking face and decent build underneath that sleek Ashford uniform. Considering the fact that Lelouch is more apt to hit the books than the gym, this build is a big thanks to his Royal Britannian Family (tm) genes. The only thing that might have people second-guessing his harmlessness would be that set of purple eyes, though some may see it as a mark of exoticness. Purple just isn't a very normal color in other worlds, even if it's pretty normal in his world. He has pointy black hair too, and a very charming smile at his disposal. Oh, and long, slender fingers. Just that.
Background/Personality:
Lelouch is the eldest child of Charles di Britannia and Marianne vi Britannia, and the 11th prince of the Holy Empire of Britannia. He had a charmed childhood, living the life of a Britannian prince in need of nothing together with his only full-sister Nunnally. Heavily influenced by his mother, who was commoner-born and not nearly as haughty as other nobility are as a result, Lelouch's childhood is marked by kindness, the likes of which he retains later on in life. This charmed childhood ends after Marianne's assassination and Nunnally's injury at the hands of, others have claimed, terrorists that have somehow snuck into the Aries Palace. This is the point where Lelouch's kindness is set aside and in its place a harsher, much more realistic way of looking at matters and the world is cultivated. Lelouch becomes suspicious of the Imperial Family then, thinking early on that it was unlikely that actual terrorists could penetrate so deep within Britannia. He becomes critical of people's motives in general and more open to the harsher possibilities. He also becomes resentful towards his father, the Emperor, for his failure to protect his mother and Nunnally. Previously uncaring of the Imperial Family's politics and machinations, Lelouch becomes hyper aware of their scheming, and in particular, of how little they value the now-invalid Nunnally (who was injured in the assassination of Marianne and rendered blind) as well. When Charles di Britannia shows how little he cares for Lelouch and his sister and exiles both of them to Japan, a country which Britannia later invades, Lelouch's cynicism and hatred for Britannia and its real face ( Britannia's main tenet is that only the strong have the right to rule, the weak are meant to be oppressed. Natural selection, in general. ) is cemented.
Lelouch and Nunnally meet and become friends with Suzaku Kururugi while staying in Japan. Lelouch's anti-Britannia sentiment only grows during this time, possibly with active influence from the people he lived with, something that is alluded to by Kirihara in R1, episode 12, when he says "Has the seed from 8 years ago started to flower?"
After the war between Britannia and Japan, from which Britannia emerges victorious and renames Japan "Area 11", Lelouch and his sister are taken in by the Ashford Family. Presumed dead after the war, Lelouch and Nunnally change their surnames from "vi Britannia" to "Lamperouge" to better hide their identity. As a student, Lelouch retains his hatred for Britannia, but acknowledges the futility of his hatred without the means of acting on it. Without any real political clout, and being an exiled Prince to begin with so revealing his true identity would amount to nothing, Lelouch knows at this point that there is nothing he can realistically do to destroy Britannia or right the various injustices he sees daily (Britannian vs Elevens). Despite acknowledging this simple fact though, Lelouch is never satisfied with the status quo he finds himself in. Constantly wary of Britannia finding out about their existence, Lelouch fears that the day his father or anyone from the Imperial Family finds out that his sister and him are still alive would be the day they are taken back to be used as political pawns, essentially hostages, again like they were when they were exiled to Japan eight years ago.
Prior to receiving the gift of Geass at the Shinjuku massacre, Lelouch Lamperouge is someone who lives just to get by. His main purpose in life is to live for his sister's comfort - everything is for Nunnally's sake. The rest are just daily nuances. He has no real aspirations for success in the adult world ( the society won't be changing any time soon, aiming for the top is futile with Britannian nobles and those within the higher echelons greedily clinging onto positions of power and change). He's mentally brilliant, but doesn't care much for his studies (his grades, Shirley notes early in the first season, could be better if he paid more attention) and often skips classes. He kills time by participating in chess gambling, possibly because it's the only means he, a mere Britannian student, can emerge as a greater force than the nobles who indulge conceitedly in it. In this way, chess gambling might have been his only way of rebelling against Britannia then. Lelouch is, despite what he thinks, also naive and conceited himself at this point of time; wrapped up in ideals and pride. He looks down on people who do nothing but gawk at an accident in the first episode, but isn't particularly doing anything before that to better the system. He acts, but mostly as a result of his pride, than any real concern at first.
Things change, of course, when he makes a contract with C.C. and is given the Geass of "absolute obedience". Now armed with great power, Lelouch is able to act on that desire for vengeance, for the truth behind Marianne's death, hatred towards Britannia, and the will to protect and create a better future for Nunnally. Possessing great power doesn't only give Lelouch the ability to change things for the better though, it also steers Lelouch into committing all sorts of horrendous acts in the name of justice, and for his negative traits to flourish as well.
At the beginning of his stint as Zero, Lelouch is very much run by his ideals, the ones that he formulated while being a mostly sheltered Britannian student in the colonized Japan. "The ends justify the means" is only one of his main beliefs. This allows him to treat people as pawns - the Japanese in particular. He uses Ougi, Kallen, and the rest of their group for his own means without thinking so much about who they are as humans, for example. This is, quite simply, hypocritical though he doesn't quite realize it early on: for one, he hated the fact that him and Nunnally were nothing but bargaining chips to their father, essentially pawns, and furthermore he claims to himself that he dislikes Britannia for its treatment of numbered peoples... but he himself doesn't think anything is wrong with using the patriotic sentiments of the Japanese in his war against Britannia.
Following the path of Zero throughout the series, the first season in particular, Lelouch develops immensely: learning valuable lessons on the battlefield and from the consequences of his actions. A main theme of the second season is the turning of lies into reality to make things right, and throughout the first series, Lelouch's lies as Zero to the Black Knights and the Elevens/Japanese becomes reality. Initially disdainful of their sentimental desire to remain Japanese, Lelouch unwittingly buys into their cause and ties it with his cause. By seeing firsthand the damage he has caused as Zero to close friends (Shirley's father is among the civilian casualties of the battle at Narita mountain range), Lelouch realizes that people are not just pawns. Meeting Mao and seeing the insanity Geass can bring about has him become wary about his own abilities. Having been left with no choice but to Geass to Shirley to forget him, Lelouch begins to understand the dangers he is bringing about to himself, the meaning of C.C.'s words that possessing the power of kings brings about solitude. And the pain of losing something he didn't think was that important before (It's worth nothing that the series goes back to this, when Lelouch talks about how Suzaku, Nunnally, and him once pondered about what happiness would be if it were matter. In which case, they decided it must be glass: invisible at first, but the reflections the light casts on it are a definite proof of its existence). Euphemia's death and the massacre of the Japanese at the Seperate Administrative Zone of Nippon [SAZ] serve as an even greater reminder that his Geass a monstrous force. That it is a tragedy brought about by his Geass is something that he acknowledges and... accepts as his sin. Seeing Euphemia vehemently try to resist the effects of Geass because it is something that goes against her beliefs is also something of a reminder to Lelouch that he is ultimately imposing his will on someone who may not agree with his ideals.
It would be easy to say that Lelouch's actions throughout the series are so easily rationalized when one looks at what has happened, the effects, the consequences and the like. However, Lelouch is... quite complicated. As Lelouch, and as Zero, he seems to develop a sort of split personality, a split of ideals. His words aren't always a very good indication of what he feels. And he seems to truly be the type to turn his lies and his words into reality by sheer will alone. As Zero, for example, Lelouch wants to rely on judgment unaffected by emotions and attachments (Nunnally's involvement is always an exception, at least until the very end of the series/second season) but he never truly hits that point until Suzaku's betrayal at Kururugi Shrine in R2.
And despite all his contempt, his pride, and his hatred towards Britannia, underneath is all is someone who is kind. It's not something he ever talks about either, but a trait that other people constantly notes and shines through his actions. There is Lelouch's undeniable concern for his friends and his only family, Nunnally. Even after finding out that Suzaku is the pilot of the Lancelot, which has been nothing but a hindrance to him and his plans as Zero, Lelouch possesses a concern for Suzaku that inadvertently causes him to give Suzaku the Geass order to "Live". He learns to care and worry about C.C.'s well-being, despite the latter's immortal status. He erases Shirley's memory and willingly allows her to forget all about him, to make sure she no longer comes into danger. Lelouch's kindness isn't so perfect that it extends to everyone-he doesn't quite have the same level of compassion for the people as Euphemia did and this "kindness" seem to extend towards his family and friends mostly - but it is worth noting nevertheless as this is exactly what keeps Lelouch from being a complete and irredeemable hypocrite.
Zero is captured at the end of the first season, and by none other than Suzaku as well. The Black Rebellion fails with the absence of Zero on the battlefield. Nunnally is abducted by V.V., an event that was the main reason Zero's decision to leave the overseeing of the battlefield to Toudoh. Zero, Lelouch, is then taken by Suzaku to the Emperor... who promptly rewrites his memories.
Charles di Britannia rewrites three main aspects of Lelouch's memories: Nunnally, Zero, and his being a Britannian Prince.
The result is a throwback to Lelouch prior to being Zero, with his memories filling in the blanks to fit with what is supposed to be fact now. With his memories of Nunnally taken from him, Lelouch gains a little brother instead ( Rolo Lamperouge ) and dotes on this new brother in the same way he did with Nunnally. Very creepily. It's a bit different in that whatever intensity Lelouch has towards Rolo now isn't really supported by the experiences he had with Nunnally as a member of the Britannian Royal Family. It's likely something that he assumes came to be and is natural, but has no real defining point in the past to hold up. For example, Lelouch's care for Nunnally would have been intensified by the fact that he is her only family left after being rejected by their own father, and being seen as nothing more but bargaining chips by the rest of the Imperial Family- with no other people to really rely on, Lelouch becomes Nunnally's pillar under some truly terrible circumstances. With the loss of this aspect, since his memories were rewritten, the intensity of Lelouch's affections toward Rolo might not have as much heavy a weight as the one he did towards Nunnally. (Though, this isn't necessarily a bad thing since Lelouch has forgotten about Nunnally in the first place, and when he does regain his memories, his affections towards Rolo enters a different kind of dynamic.)
The only thing different in Lelouch this time is the fact that the feeling of restlessness seems to have intensified. His inner monologue in episode 1 of R2 has him elaborating on this. At this point, chess gambling isn't just something to kill time, but something to desperately kill time and alleviate the feeling of restlessness. This is understandable, of course, being that his memories were purposely and unnaturally rewritten by Charles. It's quite possibly a case of his mind forgetting, but the body remembering the feeling of having the power to change the world.
Why should that character be in this game: n/a
Why do you want to continue their history here: n/a
For applicants considering an alternate version of a character already in game, please use this as your chance to explain the key differences between your character and the one already in play: n/a
Have you read up on how the game works?:
Yep! It's the FlamingFerret that they use to communicate with each other. And three ways Lelouch can earn money on the ship, huh? Let's see, maybe he can challenge people into chess matches with money involved- insult their pride a little too to ensure they pay up afterwards- there's cooking and house-keeping that he can grudgingly fall back to (I suppose...), and maybe he can become a Host! smile his way into getting freebies.
1st person sample:
[ It's a videoooo- have a teenager who is trying to look calm and composed but is very clearly concerned ]
I'm looking for my younger brother, Rolo. He must have escaped with me when our world was destroyed and gotten lost on this station. He has light-brown hair and purple eyes. He's possibly wearing the same uniform as I am. If anyone of you sees him, tell him that his brother, Lelouch, is looking for him.
[ The words come quickly, but he pauses here, as if already thinking ahead to the various and very morbid possibilities that lay before his brother. Rolo could have ended up being destroyed with his world- Rolo! His only brother. He could live with the promise of maybe finding a way to get his world back through that factory planet he's heard some people talk about, but he has to have Rolo by his side now. The thought of losing his only family is simply unbearable. Finally, when the moment for serious thinking passes, he adds in quietly. ]
I'll be waiting at the Recreation Area until 18:00 hours. [ and in a softer tone ] I can be reached through this device as well, after that.
3rd person sample:
There was an earthquake the other day, the kind that warranted a newsflash that had Rivalz complaining about ruining he good parts of a late-afternoon movie as a result. It wasn't a very strong earthquake, and it certainly wasn't anywhere particularly near the Tokyo Settlement, but according to the news, it had triggered some minor landslide on the Narita mountain range. The landslide buried some houses being rebuilt there - rebuilt because it was around the area devastated by the Black Knights some time back - and Lelouch remembered the announcer carefully reminiscing about it.
Later in the evening, the newscaster lightly joked about how some psychic from the homeland warned of this being the sign of the world ending.
Lelouch wasn't exactly sure why he recalled that as he sat by Rolo's bed, holding his little brother's hand like he usually did to help him sleep better. ( It was a habit that Lelouch couldn't even remember the origins of. ) Maybe it was because of the way Rolo had gripped his hand earlier and talked about how much he loved him. As if the day after tonight was going to be any different from the day before. Lelouch had grown too used to the monotonous everyday life to expect anything different to happen in the following day. If the world did end tomorrow-
"It won't," Lelouch whispered confidently and quietly let go of Rolo's hand. A promise he had no way of keeping.
Questions?:
But. Does the S.S. Thor have Pizza Hut? :D
Did you put your characters name and fandom in the subject: I- I did. I think. :|
** revised personality/background section:
Background/Personality:
Lelouch is the eldest child of Charles di Britannia and Marianne vi Britannia, and the 11th prince of the Holy Empire of Britannia. He had a charmed childhood, living the life of a Britannian prince in need of nothing together with his only full-sister Nunnally. Heavily influenced by his mother, who was commoner-born and not nearly as haughty as other nobility are as a result, Lelouch's childhood is marked by kindness, the likes of which he retains later on in life. This charmed childhood ends after Marianne's assassination and Nunnally's injury at the hands of, others have claimed, terrorists that have somehow snuck into the Aries Palace. This is the point where Lelouch's kindness is set aside and in its place a harsher, much more realistic way of looking at matters and the world is cultivated. Lelouch becomes suspicious of the Imperial Family then, thinking early on that it was unlikely that actual terrorists could penetrate so deep within Britannia. He becomes critical of people's motives in general and more open to the harsher possibilities. He also becomes resentful towards his father, the Emperor, for his failure to protect his mother and Nunnally. Previously uncaring of the Imperial Family's politics and machinations, Lelouch becomes hyper aware of their scheming, and in particular, of how little they value the now-invalid Nunnally (who was injured in the assassination of Marianne and rendered blind) as well. When Charles di Britannia shows how little he cares for Lelouch and his sister and exiles both of them to Japan, a country which Britannia later invades, Lelouch's cynicism and hatred for Britannia and its real face ( Britannia's main tenet is that only the strong have the right to rule, the weak are meant to be oppressed. Natural selection, in general. ) is cemented.
Lelouch and Nunnally meet and become friends with Suzaku Kururugi while staying in Japan. Lelouch's anti-Britannia sentiment only grows during this time, possibly with active influence from the people he lived with, something that is alluded to by one of Lelouch's acquaintances from his time under the Kururugi Household, in R1 episode 12, when he says "Has the seed from 8 years ago started to flower?"
After the war between Britannia and Japan, from which Britannia emerges victorious and renames Japan "Area 11", Lelouch and his sister are taken in by the Ashford Family. Presumed dead after the war, Lelouch and Nunnally change their surnames from "vi Britannia" to "Lamperouge" to better hide their identity. As a student, Lelouch retains his hatred for Britannia, but acknowledges the futility of his hatred without the means of acting on it. Without any real political clout, and being an exiled Prince to begin with so revealing his true identity would amount to nothing, Lelouch knows at this point that there is nothing he can realistically do to destroy Britannia or right the various injustices he sees daily (Britannian vs Elevens). Despite acknowledging this simple fact though, Lelouch is never satisfied with the status quo he finds himself in. Constantly wary of Britannia finding out about their existence, Lelouch fears that the day his father or anyone from the Imperial Family finds out that his sister and him are still alive would be the day they are taken back to be used as political pawns, essentially hostages, again like they were when they were exiled to Japan eight years ago.
Prior to receiving the gift of Geass at the Shinjuku massacre, Lelouch Lamperouge is someone who lives just to get by. His main purpose in life is to live for his sister's comfort - everything is for Nunnally's sake. The rest are just daily nuances. He has no real aspirations for success in the adult world ( the society won't be changing any time soon, aiming for the top is futile with Britannian nobles and those within the higher echelons greedily clinging onto positions of power and change). He's mentally brilliant, but doesn't care much for his studies (his grades, Shirley notes early in the first season, could be better if he paid more attention) and often skips classes. He kills time by participating in chess gambling, possibly because it's the only means he, a mere Britannian student, can emerge as a greater force than the nobles who indulge conceitedly in it. In this way, chess gambling might have been his only way of rebelling against Britannia then. Lelouch is, despite what he thinks, also naive and conceited himself at this point of time; wrapped up in ideals and pride. He looks down on people who do nothing but gawk at an accident in the first episode, but isn't particularly doing anything before that to better the system. He acts, but mostly as a result of his pride, than any real concern at first.
Things change, of course, when he makes a contract with C.C [1]. and is given the Geass of "absolute obedience". Now armed with great power, Lelouch is able to act on that desire for vengeance, for the truth behind Marianne's death, hatred towards Britannia, and the will to protect and create a better future for Nunnally. Possessing great power doesn't only give Lelouch the ability to change things for the better though, it also steers Lelouch into committing all sorts of horrendous acts in the name of justice, and for his negative traits to flourish as well.
At the beginning of his stint as Zero, Lelouch is very much run by his ideals, the ones that he formulated while being a mostly sheltered Britannian student in the colonized Japan. "The ends justify the means" is only one of his main beliefs. This allows him to treat people as pawns - the Japanese in particular. He uses Ougi, Kallen, and the rest of their group for his own means without thinking so much about who they are as humans, for example. This is, quite simply, hypocritical though he doesn't quite realize it early on: for one, he hated the fact that him and Nunnally were nothing but bargaining chips to their father, essentially pawns, and furthermore he claims to himself that he dislikes Britannia for its treatment of numbered peoples... but he himself doesn't think anything is wrong with using the patriotic sentiments of the Japanese in his war against Britannia.
Following the path of Zero throughout the series, the first season in particular, Lelouch develops immensely: learning valuable lessons on the battlefield and from the consequences of his actions. A main theme of the second season is the turning of lies into reality to make things right, and throughout the first series, Lelouch's lies as Zero to the Black Knights [2] and the Elevens/Japanese becomes reality. Initially disdainful of their sentimental desire to remain Japanese, Lelouch unwittingly buys into their cause and ties it with his cause. By seeing firsthand the damage he has caused as Zero to close friends (Shirley's [3] father is among the civilian casualties of the battle at Narita mountain range), Lelouch realizes that people are not just pawns. Meeting Mao[4] and seeing the insanity Geass can bring about has him become wary about his own abilities. Having been left with no choice but to Geass to Shirley to forget him [5], Lelouch begins to understand the dangers he is bringing about to himself, the meaning of C.C.'s words that possessing the power of kings brings about solitude. And the pain of losing something he didn't think was that important before (It's worth nothing that the series goes back to this, when Lelouch talks about how Suzaku, Nunnally, and him once pondered about what happiness would be if it were matter. In which case, they decided it must be glass: invisible at first, but the reflections the light casts on it are a definite proof of its existence). Euphemia's[6] death and the massacre of the Japanese at the Special Administrative Zone of Nippon [SAZ] [7] serve as an even greater reminder that his Geass a monstrous force[8]. That it is a tragedy brought about by his Geass is something that he acknowledges and... accepts as his sin. Seeing Euphemia vehemently try to resist the effects of Geass because it is something that goes against her beliefs is also something of a reminder to Lelouch that he is ultimately imposing his will on someone who may not agree with his ideals.
It would be easy to say that Lelouch's actions throughout the series are so easily rationalized when one looks at what has happened, the effects, the consequences and the like. However, Lelouch is... quite complicated. As Lelouch, and as Zero, he seems to develop a sort of split personality, a split of ideals. His words aren't always a very good indication of what he feels. And he seems to truly be the type to turn his lies and his words into reality by sheer will alone. As Zero, for example, Lelouch wants to rely on judgment unaffected by emotions and attachments (Nunnally's involvement is always an exception, at least until the very end of the series/second season) but he never truly hits that point until Suzaku's betrayal at Kururugi Shrine in R2.
And despite all his contempt, his pride, and his hatred towards Britannia, underneath is all is someone who is kind. It's not something he ever talks about either, but a trait that other people constantly notes and shines through his actions. There is Lelouch's undeniable concern for his friends and his only family, Nunnally. Even after finding out that Suzaku is the pilot of the Lancelot[9], which has been nothing but a hindrance to him and his plans as Zero, Lelouch possesses a concern for Suzaku that inadvertently causes him to give Suzaku the Geass order to "Live". He learns to care and worry about C.C.'s well-being, despite the latter's immortal status. He erases Shirley's memory and willingly allows her to forget all about him, to make sure she no longer comes into danger. Lelouch's kindness isn't so perfect that it extends to everyone-he doesn't quite have the same level of compassion for the people as Euphemia did and this "kindness" seem to extend towards his family and friends mostly - but it is worth noting nevertheless as this is exactly what keeps Lelouch from being a complete and irredeemable hypocrite.
Zero is captured at the end of the first season, and by none other than Suzaku as well. The Black Rebellion[10] fails with the absence of Zero on the battlefield. Nunnally is abducted by V.V.[11], an event that was the main reason Zero's decision to leave the overseeing of the battlefield to Toudoh. Zero, Lelouch, is then taken by Suzaku to the Emperor... who promptly rewrites his memories.
Charles di Britannia rewrites three main aspects of Lelouch's memories: Nunnally, Zero, and his being a Britannian Prince.
The result is a throwback to Lelouch prior to being Zero, with his memories filling in the blanks to fit with what is supposed to be fact now. With his memories of Nunnally taken from him, Lelouch gains a little brother instead ( Rolo Lamperouge ) and dotes on this new brother in the same way he did with Nunnally. Very creepily. It's a bit different in that whatever intensity Lelouch has towards Rolo now isn't really supported by the experiences he had with Nunnally as a member of the Britannian Royal Family. It's likely something that he assumes came to be and is natural, but has no real defining point in the past to hold up. For example, Lelouch's care for Nunnally would have been intensified by the fact that he is her only family left after being rejected by their own father, and being seen as nothing more but bargaining chips by the rest of the Imperial Family- with no other people to really rely on, Lelouch becomes Nunnally's pillar under some truly terrible circumstances. With the loss of this aspect, since his memories were rewritten, the intensity of Lelouch's affections toward Rolo might not have as much heavy a weight as the one he did towards Nunnally. (Though, this isn't necessarily a bad thing since Lelouch has forgotten about Nunnally in the first place, and when he does regain his memories, his affections towards Rolo enters a different kind of dynamic.)
The only thing different in Lelouch this time is the fact that the feeling of restlessness seems to have intensified. His inner monologue in episode 1 of R2 has him elaborating on this. At this point, chess gambling isn't just something to kill time, but something to desperately kill time and alleviate the feeling of restlessness. This is understandable, of course, being that his memories were purposely and unnaturally rewritten by Charles. It's quite possibly a case of his mind forgetting, but the body remembering the feeling of having the power to change the world.
[1] In the first episode of R1, Lelouch was caught in a terrorist operation run by Kallen and Ougi, Japanese terrorists who'd stolen what was purportedly poisonous gas from Britannian authorities. The poisonous gas, that was housed in a metal container, turned out to be housing a green-haired "witch" instead. That is C.C., a woman who possesses immortality as a result of the Code she has on her forehead. It is because of this Code that C.C. is able to make a contract with and give Lelouch the power of Geass.
[2] short for "The Order of the Black Knights". This is the name of the organization Lelouch starts in the name of bringing justice to the oppressed Elevens (Japanese). Lelouch, true to his flair for dramatics, claims to the world that it is an organization built to fight the strong who misuse their powers to oppress the weak.
[3] Shirley is one of Lelouch's classmates at Ashford Academy. Since both Lelouch and Shirley are members of the student council, they know each other pretty well ( Shirley is also one of Lelouch's love interests ) and Lelouch considers her to be a part of his inner circle of friends.
[4] Mao, like Lelouch, is someone who recieved the gift Geass from C.C. through a contract. He possesses the power to read the minds of people within a certain range of him. The Geass Mao possesses has reached a point that it cannot be turned off, however, and years of solitude and having no one but C.C. eventually drove him insane. He tracks down Lelouch for the sole reason of "getting back" C.C.
[5] This is the result of a series of events that all began with Shirley's father dying. To makes things short; Shirley finds out about Lelouch's identity as Zero shortly after the battle of Narita, another individual (Viletta Nu, a Britannian soldier who was interested in finding out Zero's identity and using the knowledge to elevate her status in Britannia) finds out and Shirley shoots this individual. Later on, with this knowledge, Mao finds Shirley and eventually uses her as a bait for Lelouch. Shirley is shaken by all that transpires (the possibility of having "killed" someone, the fact that her friend killed inadvertently caused her father's death and she almost killed for this person, and then almost dying under the hands of a mentally unstable freak) and this is exactly the reason Lelouch finds within himself no other choice but to Geass Shirley.
[6] Euphemia li Britannia, Vice-Governor General of Area Eleven up until her decision to give up her rights to the throne and her status as royalty. She is Lelouch's half-sister, and someone who later on Lelouch admits could have been his first love. She is Cornelia li Britannia's (Governor General of Area Eleven) younger sister.
[7] The area around Mount Fuji which was supposed to be a neutral zone where it didn't matter who was Britannian or Eleven. An individual who is therefore an Eleven can be Japanese within this zone without suffering persecution from Britannia. In addition, no special treatment of Britannians would have been sanctioned in the area for the benefit of the Numbers.
[8] Euphemia had wanted Lelouch, as Zero, to join forces with her in order to give SAZ more suport. Lelouch, originally, wanted to Geass Euphemia to shoot him with an ceramic needle gun he had smuggled to the conference room Euphemia (after Lelouch requested that they have a meeting alone and unsupervised) had led him to. Euphemia succeeded in convincing Lelouch to join forces with her but just as Lelouch is detailing the secret of his Geass, he accidentally gives Euphemia an order to "kill all Japanese" as he jokes about how Euphemia will never be able to resist any order he gives her if he wanted to. The Geass on his left eye had become permanently activated as a result of becoming more powerful. The result is a no-brainer: Euphemia, under the Geass to "kill all Japanese", decides to order her forces to do just that.
[9] One of the latest Knightmare Frames ( Code Geass' brand of mechs) for most of the series. It is this one machine that becomes a thorn in Lelouch's side for many of his operations as Zero as unlike the normal Britannian troops, the Lancelot breaks his set expectations by being a rigged mech and having a hacked out pilot. The result is the Lancelot, often, single-handedly wiping huge swats of Lelouch's units until he recovers with some counter-attack plan.
[10] The Black Rebellion is what the Holy Britannian Empire calls the time frame in which the Order of the Black Knights were active, prior to season 1. At the start of R2, it is the time between Zero and the Black Knights' debut and the battle on Tokyo Settlement in episode 23-25 of R1.
[11] A mysterious child with long blond hair that debuts in episode 23. He introduces himself to Suzaku while claiming to know who is Zero and why Euphemia instigated the massacre of the Japanese (something which is completely out-of-character for the normally gentle and pacifistic Britannian princess) . He is later revealed to be Lelouch's uncle and the possessor of a Code like C.C.'s, which grants him immortality.