#puru

The hangar bay of the Argama had never felt so crowded.

Judau Ashta stood with his arms crossed, jaw slightly slack, watching the chaos unfold in front of him. Puru had told him she had a dad now. She had not told him she had eight siblings.

"Puru-Two, let go of my cape." The tall man with violet eyes spoke with the practiced calm of someone who had long since accepted his fate.

"No." Puru-Two tightened her grip.

Nearby, Elzero stood with perfect posture, watching the exchange with mild disdain. Elein was braiding Puru-Four's hair. Puru-Three had somehow climbed onto Elzwei's back without her noticing. Eldrei sat quietly reading, the only one behaving, though she occasionally glanced up to note which Puru was causing the most recent incident.

The mother, C.C., leaned against a bulkhead eating a slice of pizza, entirely unbothered.

"Judau!" Puru broke from the pack and crashed into him with a hug that nearly knocked him over. "You're here! Come meet Papa!"

Papa.

Judau straightened up as the man approached. He was younger-looking than expected for being the father of so many children—sharp, composed, the kind of guy who made you feel like he was already three steps ahead of you.

"So. "The man extended a hand. "You're Judau."

"Yeah." Judau shook it, eyeing him. "You're the AEUG general, Lelouch Lamperouge."

"The same." A faint, dry smile. "Puru speaks of you often. Loudly."

"She speaks about everything loudly."

"A fair point." Lelouch glanced back at his assembled family—Puru-Seven had now joined Puru-Three on Elzwei's back. Elzwei looked to the ceiling for strength. "She fits in well."

Judau watched the mess of sisters and someone's abandoned mobile suit helmet rolling across the floor. "How are you not losing your mind?"

Lelouch was quiet for a moment.

"I have faced weapons capable of destroying continents; I led the armies in those wars." He watched Puru-Two finally release his cape, only to immediately steal Elzero's. "Nothing prepared me for this."

C.C. called out from the wall without looking up. "He cried the third night. Happy tears."

"C.C."

"He did."