App 2.0
Out of Character Information
player name: Loki
player livejournal: spectre_rouge
playing here: n/a
where did you find us? Other players
are you 16 years of age or older?: I can legally rent a car
In Character Information
character name: Utena Tenjo
Fandom: Revolutionary Girl Utena
Timeline: Post-series
character's age: 16ish...old enough to consent and to get into fights with monsters?
powers, skills, pets and equipment: Her clothes, her ring. No sword, she'll have to find another one. As for skills she can sword fight decently (fencing and kendo style), hold her own in a regular person fist fight and has some basic cooking skills.
canon history: Wiki on Utena specfically here!
Utena's Time in Scorched:
Arrival, healed by Sakura, made friends with Riza
Started taking Kendo lessons with Byakuya
Gets a job at Nagi's noodle shop as a waitress
Made friends with Johan (Yuguioh, not Monster), Nina Fortiner, EVE, and Priscillia
Goes after Riza multiple times in the ruins (ongoing)
Befriends Dawn, starts an antagonistic relationship with Jen
Friends Yachiru, much to Byakuya's dismay/annoyance
Gets de-aged and takes over a castle
Joins the Turks, becomes better aquainted with her fellow Turks Elena and Sasori
Plans to open a bar with Jen - things get confusing between the two
Party at the Twin's manor - last event in which Utena participated
personality: Utena is a special girl. She is the one that many idolize and watch with scrutiny. Part of the reason is Utena's eschewing of the traditional "girl" role. She idolizes a prince, the one who saved her from herself and depression when she was younger -To be discussed a little later. In action she is much more like a boy, preferring to be upfront about things and acting on impulse. She's good a sports and gets into physical altercations. Much to the teachers' dismay, Utena even dresses in a version of the boy's uniform, choosing shorts and a jacket over the puffy sleeved and skirted sailor's uniform. All of this makes her very interesting to the student body and while the under the microscope view can get a little chaffing to Utena, mostly she rolls with it and even enjoys it once in awhile.
Utena can be very laid back, particularly about the whole gossip scene. She doesn't really care all that much about what people say about her. She knows the truth in terms of herself and that's what matters. It would be unprincely to bend to their vicious words and give them the satisfaction of being affected. It follows that initially she tries to stay out of others' personal matters and relationships. She witnesses Saionji slapping Anthy in the rose garden but does nothing about it on the idea that there may be more to the story and that she is too far away at the time to really do anything. Utena's main focus is to be the best prince she can be to the people close to her.
Now about that whole prince thing. When Utena was little her parents died in an unspecified accident and it sent the poor little girl into a spiraling depressed existential crisis. She was found lying in a coffin, asking to be shown something eternal. None of the "boys" who found her could do such a thing. Soon, a prince - of sorts - came by and indeed showed her that eternal thing. It is said, even by Utena initially, that the prince kissed her tears away and told her to keep that noble heart and gives her a ring, saying that it and her noble heart will someday lead her to him again. And Utena acts on this, becoming the prince in every way that she can. Only later does Utena realize that there was a deeper meaning in her becoming a prince: in order to save the Rose Bride, a girl of eternal suffering, ever skewered by swords of hate. This "eternal thing" so moved Utena that she swore that no matter what, she'd save the poor girl from those swords.
Utena is a bold and loyal friend. Promises are always to be kept in her mind, even if made flippantly. Utena never intended to get involved in the whole duel thing and was quite willing to let the student council play their games without her. However, it's because Saionji openly mocks Wakaba's love letter to him that she gets pissed and challenges him to a duel, not knowing what it really means in his world. (There's that acting without thinking thing I mentioned.) Despite Saionji being an avid practitioner of Kendo, she calls him out on his behavior towards Wakaba in front of a rather large group of people, leading to her first duel. And she duels, with a crappy wooden practice sword, even though Saionji has an demonstrably sharp, real sword. She challenged him and saw it through to the end, despite all the weird things (upsidedown castle in the sky, millions of stairs, swords pulled from girl's chests etc) that might deter a less determined and caring friend.
It should be noted that Utena doesn't seem to have any problem with the world going a little weird. This may stem from having her world turned upside down at such a young age by losing her parents. At any rate, castles in the sky and real swords pulled from Anthy's chest don't put Utena off. She questions them,certainly, but not to the degree that someone probably should. A few questions later with little to no explanation and Utena just works with it. Because really, what else can she do? Maybe it helps with the illusion of a fairy tale, or that this place needs a prince to set it right.
Being quite amiable to new relationships friend-wise, Utena learns to deal with the new acquisition of the Rose Bride as her room mate and develops a sort of friendship with her and her odd pet Chuchu. This is in spite of the Anthy's shy, odd and closed off personality. When Saionji challenges Utena for Anthy again, Utena at first thought about throwing the duel and removing her self from the whole of the nonsense. But she remembers the harsh treatment that Saionji is wont to give to the Rose Bride and Chuchu and decided that maybe Anthy is better off with her. If for just Chuchu's sake. Utena is also friends or at least on friendly terms with most of the student council in her mind and actions. Though they are all fighting for a different cause, Utena doesn't see a problem with being kind to each other outside the duel arena.
However, Utena is quite naive as well. Sexual relationships are still something that Utena is quite a "girl" about. A well spoken advance or seemingly noble sacrifice are still blush inducing. Utena was looking for her prince as well, don't forget, seeing herself as a sort of princess as well. She gets confused when Touga slides himself into that place and loses herself and her purpose briefly. And the cycle repeats when she has to deal with the chairman, Akio, brother of Anthy and a piece of the prince she was looking to find. She also demonstrates this innocent naivete in her observations on other's relationships and actions, preferring again for a straight forward solution than the games people play. Utena get's trapped in these little games rather easily and only gets out by remaining true to that noble heart, though she doesn't always come back unscathed.
Despite her seeming unflappable confidence, Utena is prone to very deep depressions. Like the earlier example of the coffin, when Utena 's internal world is shaken it has quite an affect on her. Losing Anthy to Touga (and Anthy's indifference to it) is enough to make her mope for days in her pajamas and start dressing as a girl again once she finally goes back into school. It takes a fight and some physicality on Wakaba's part to pull her back to herself and to pick up the pieces and continue on fighting. It may take a lot to move her but it is quite effective when it does.
She never stops caring about those close to her, even if they drift apart or fight. Wakaba is taken over by the Black Rose and forces Utena to duel her for, literally, the Rose Bride's life. Utena cannot bring herself to fight against her best friend of so long. And in form, Utena only defends herself from Wakaba's offensive. She'll defend Anthy with her life but also will not hurt Wakaba on principle of their friendship.
Utena's naivete is most prominent in dealing with Anthy and her Rose Bride role - princess and witch in one. Utena doesn't understand Anthy from day one and that continues up until close to the end. She thinks she knows what's best for Anthy and encourages her to do as she recommends. And though the recommendations themselves aren't bad per se, Utena didn't take Anthy's feelings into account. Eventually, Utena is able to see that she was just as bad as the other duelists, maybe even a little worse as she was hiding behind the mask of nobility. Utena realizes that she herself used Anthy as a means to her end and is ashamed of such. It makes it even worse that she had to find this out while Anthy is trying to commit suicide, trying to save everyone a lot of pain. Utena admits that she had been blind to the pain that Anthy may be in and never took Anthy's side into account.
Utena, over the course of all the duels, learn how to truly forgive and begins to look beyond the facade of people's actions. She learns that sometimes people have other motives other than what's best for themselves though it's still a lesson that needs some sinking in time. Even when Utena is actually stabbed in the back by Anthy at the command of Akio, Utena doesn't give up in her renewed quest to free the Rose Bride from her role. All those princely qualities that she had been cultivating take over - determination, kindness, caring, a true and noble heart - and she manages to reach the Rose Bride.
In conclusion, Utena is a girl, is a prince, is learning how to deal with that in the world and is okay with all of it. She accepts herself as she is and is learning how to accept others for what they are as well. She realizes that she has a lot to learn and is prone to making judgments a bit too quickly for her own good. Maybe it isn't possible to both be a girl and a noble-hearted prince but Utena is going to damn well try and will be the best she can be in the meantime.
why do you feel this character would be appropriate to the setting? Utena's curious streak and noble aspirations make her an interesting character for this setting. She interested in odd things enough to get herself in trouble and her princely nature will demand that she stand up for those that can't fight for themselves. She fought for her and others lives before and I'd like to see just how much she'll be willing to sacrifice this time around.
Writing Samples
Network Post Sample:
[The Forge blinks on. To some of you, this should be a familiar face. Bright pink hair, large blue eyes and a smile that is says this is one person to actually be happy to be back here.]
Oi! Anatole! [She laughs.] I'm back!
[An arm behind her head, she's a little embarrassed.] You'll have to tell me how much I missed, I'm not even sure how long I was gone for. Or where I was...
Jen! Did you ever get that bar going? I still get half those profits remember! And Riza, hope you stayed out of trouble! Dawn, Yachiru, Priscillia, Nagi, I can't wait to see all of you! Oh! and all the new people who must have shown up!
[She takes a breath. Calm down, there is time for everything.]
So, tell me how you've all been.
Third Person Sample:
Utena woke up to see a familiar ceiling. It wasn't Ohtori, it was her old room in the outlander apartments in the world of Anatole. A flood of memory came back to her of this place. Her friends, the enemies, the mist and the ruins. Sitting up she looked about the room. It looked about as well kept as when she had been there. It was back to being bare but she was certain it was her old room somehow. As if the small cracks in the plaster walls were familiar.
She stepped out of the bed and tested the floor, thinking that this may be some odd dream all over again. This place had a habit of making people feel like they were in a dream or nightmare. Out the window, mist rolled through the streets lazily, as it had before. It wasn't a menacing fog so it must be a good day. Though really, you could never tell. She opened the window tentatively to let in some air - the room felt stuffy already.
As a few tendrils of mist seeped in, she began to pick through the returned memories. Of Riza and her Colonel and the questionable faith she put in him. Of Dawn and ...well, being Dawn. Jennifer and the bar they were going to open - did that ever happen? A quick flush appeared on her cheeks as she remembered other things that happened with Jen. The Turks and Elena, she missed the suit already. The monsters that appeared in both human and monster form. The people who came and went. The shinigami and the "Claymores" and all their enemies. And the enemies that lie within them - the uproar that Priscilla caused by - what was it? - turning into something else and back still tugged at her mind.
More memories flooded back to her. How the Forge - yes, that's it's name. It should be here somewhere.. - managed to broadcast dreams and memories now too. The party at the Twin's mansion... Did she take over a castle at some point? That memory was still hazy. There was one more thing, one last happening that had really stuck out to her.
Some people, in it seemed like a course of the night went home and came back completely different. Yachiru, once a pink ball of never ending energy and words, had grown up. Priscilla had become ...colder. That may not have stood out for the rest like he but it was something very different for Priscilla herself. Johan had grown up to be a teacher of..some kind. Even Dawn had changed.
And she had stayed the same.
The pain that had caused resurfaced, she didn't even really know she had still been harboring it really. That feeling that this place had been teasing her, sending her friends away but leaving her behind. The absolute need to escape bubbled up again. or, at least the memory of it did. True, there had been pain, a lot of it. Did she still have it? She wasn't sure anymore. Part of her was happy to be back. This place was dangerous yes but she had made some good friends here.
How long had she been gone? How many had come and gone? Were her friends still here anymore? If so did this place change them again? There were too many questions to just stay here and wonder about things. It didn't appear to be that bad a day out, the only way she'd find out is if she left the room.
She quickly checked her self over in the mirror. The last time she had come through she had been quite the wreck. To be fair she had been skewered by swords...or something. All of that was a big mess too. Oh Himemiya, you better be okay. Wherever Utena had been she could remember any of it and it appeared that she was unscathed, at least on the outside.
So she couldn't find her way back to Ohtori, or at least to wherever Himemiya was. But she had other friends now who also needed her here. Why not give this place one more go and see what she could find? It can't be worse than... where she was before.
Satisfied that there were no holes or major injuries to herself she spun on her heel and headed out the door. There is a bright, sort of new world out there. Can't just stay inside and hope for things to get better on their own! And she's out the door.
Anything else? Utena was here for about 6 months previously and I'd like her to retain those memories. Where she was in the period in between? Well, that's a mystery to everyone. And thanks for considering me!