About

SHIRLEY FENETTE
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character:
Shirley is Lelouch's friend and classmate at Ashford Academy. She is in the school's swimming club and is one of the members of the Student Council. Although she despises Lelouch's gambling habits with chess games, she has a crush on Lelouch and suspects that he has a romantic interest in Kallen. She was one of the first to make friends with Suzaku, as she is the only one that sees him outside his status as an Eleven when he first attended Ashford Academy. She has even once invited Suzaku to go on a trip with her, which Suzaku declined because of military duties, but was grateful to her.

Shirley's love for Lelouch is explained when she confronts Kallen in what she misunderstands as a romance between Kallen and Lelouch. Earlier, Shirley had witnessed the two together and fearfully suspects romance occurring between the two when, unbeknownst to her, it was Lelouch simply testing his Geass' limitations on Kallen. Kallen dismisses Shirley's suspicions as false, and leaves a frustrated Shirley to Suzaku as he steps in. Shirley then proceeds to tell Suzaku how she developed feelings for Lelouch after he asks out of concern: she had been a bystander to witness Lelouch calmly diffuse a tense situation involving a car accident without speaking a word or seeking recognition afterwards. She has since become interested in Lelouch and eventually fell in love with him.

When Zero indirectly causes the death of her father during the Battle of Narita, Shirley falls into mental anguish. She is then confronted by Villetta, who proceeds to suggest to Shirley that Lelouch may be involved with the Black Knights that caused her father's death. Villetta then takes the opportunity to track and follow Shirley while Shirley attempts to find out for herself whether Villetta's theory was correct or not. Shirley eventually follows Lelouch to a battle between the Britannian Forces and the Black Knights, wherein Zero falls out of his Knightmare Frame close to where Shirley hid due to extensive damage from the battle. Picking up a nearby gun, she draws on Zero, intending to avenge her father by killing the one responsible for his murder. Zero's helmet falls and reveals Lelouch's face however, and Shirley hesitates. This gives Villetta enough time to catch up and see for herself the true identity of Zero. Revealing her plans to turn in and have Lelouch executed aloud, Shirley shoots Villetta instead to protect Lelouch. It is assumed that Shirley quickly escapes afterwards, as she presumes to have killed Villetta when she was instead rescued by Ōgi and acquires selective amnesia.

In the aftermath of the battle, Shirley becomes even more distraught. She proceeds to write an unfinished letter about her feelings on the situation, only to have it thrown aside to be rediscovered by herself near the end of the first season's storyline. Shirley is then confronted by Mao, who gouges and preys on Shirley's feelings of helplessness, guilt, and confusion to use her in his plans to lure out Lelouch. After Lelouch loses to Mao's challenge, Mao sets Shirley upon Lelouch atop a deserted skyrail station after having successfully manipulated Shirley to the conclusion that she should kill Lelouch. Shirley fires a round that nearly hits Lelouch, and her own pictures she saved of Lelouch fall out of his pockets as he loses balance and falls. The pictures were taken from her room previously by Lelouch as he searched for clues of whether Shirley knew of Zero's true identity or not, and the pictures remind her again of the romantic feelings she has for Lelouch. After C.C. prevents Mao from killing both Lelouch and Shirley, Shirley collapses into Lelouch's arms. Seeing Shirley suffer between her feelings for him, guilt from "killing" Villetta, and the events surrounding her father's death, Lelouch uses his Geass to order Shirley to forget all the memories that are tormenting her. During and after using his Geass on Shirley, Lelouch expresses regret for having to do so, and even makes the notion that he might have loved Shirley.

After having her memories of Lelouch erased, Shirley regards Lelouch as a stranger in her life, only to find out that the two have been going to classes together for some time. This new attitude of hers is questioned by Milly, but Lelouch puts it off and tells Milly that it is simply a result of an argument in which Shirley denies acknowledging him. Later, Shirley is seen finding the letter she wrote in the past about Lelouch and her father, wherein she rediscovers Lelouch's identity as Zero, but is concerned whether she actually wrote it or not, and wants to affirm the letter's facts. She tries to confront Lelouch about it, but has failed to get in contact with him due to the commemoration ceremony of the Special Administration Region and the following riots that ensued.

In the finale, Shirley is taken hostage among fellow Ashford Academy students as the Black Knights advance and occupy the school.

Code geass R2:

In the second season, Shirley, along with the rest of Ashford's students, have been brainwashed to accept Rolo as Lelouch's younger sibling in place of Nunnally. Details of the brainwashing is still unclear, as Shirley seemingly does not remember discovering her own letter and has reverted to holding a crush for Lelouch. Her previous torment is still remembered by Lelouch as he goes on a shopping trip with her.