OOC: Profile and Contact information
PLAYER INFORMATION-
Name/Nickname: Neeeeb
AIM/E-mail/Contact: NebbieQ
LJ: nebulaqueen
CHARACTER INFORMATION-
Canon Character and Series: Utena Tenjou, Revolutionary Girl Utena
In-Game Name: Utena Tenjou
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Position & Ship: Seaman, Fiertia
Appearance: If there's one thing you can say about Utena Tenjou, it's that she stands out in a crowd. At first glance, one of her most notable traits is her long, vibrant pink hair. Combined with her pointed features, high cheekbones, and wide, bright blue eyes, she almost has a delicate, fae like appearance at times. However, that doesn't mean she's fragile; while she has a slender figure, her active life has blessed her with lean muscle that gives her a more athletic appearance.
Utena's attire is another thing that makes her stand out, although it was more audacious at her school than it would be on a mercenary ship. She favors more masculine clothing, typically in shades of red and black, with simple designs that focus on simplicity and ease of movement. However, on occasion she'll don more ornate garb, complete with princely accoutrements such as epaulets, braiding, and lace. This is not done for vanity's sake; as impractical as it may seem, wearing these garments is actually a symbolic action tied to her "princely" demeanor. Like the saying goes, clothes make the man...or the woman, in this case.
Personality: In normal situations, Utena seems calm and at ease, and walks through life with a relaxed sort of confidence. She's friendly and helpful, if a bit distant, and is always willing to lend a helping hand when she can. Just... don't expect her to get too close, okay? While she's not cold by any means, it usually takes some time for her to get truly intimate with another person; part of it is due to a mostly independent upbringing, while part of it is caused by a slight ignorance of other people's feelings (and, to a certain extent, her own). However, when she does connect with a person, that bond is near unbreakable
Despite her distance, though, Utena harbors a strong hatred of injustice. A passionate and courageous spirit lurks underneath her calm, cheerful demeanor, and she will rise to the defense of her few, close friends or anyone else she sees victimized. She will rarely (if ever) back down from a fight, be it literal or metaphorical, and she'll continue to battle for those she has sworn to defend even at great personal risk to herself. This is a young woman who's been to hell and back, and all past attempts by others to control her or break her down have only strengthened her stubborn resolve.
Abilities/Weapons: Physically, Utena is athletic and quick. While she's not particularly cunning, her fighting style is more focused on finesse, speed and agility than pure, brute strength. Not only is she skilled in standard fencing moves, she also adds a good bit of acrobatic flair to her duels, including graceful backflips, nimble dodges, and long leaps and lunges across the battlefield. She also has far more stamina than one would assume, and is able to survive injuries that would completely incapacitate a normal person, such as ...say, a literal stab in the back.
This isn't a matter of physical stamina, however. Her inhumanly hearty constitution is a facet of a latent supernatural power, based on her courage and strength of character. The closer she comes to reaching her ideal of a brave, noble prince, the stronger and more resilient she becomes. Her power manifests most strongly in the form of a mystical sword that, despite the boundaries of biology and physics, seems to reside in her chest. It requires someone very close to her to draw it out; acquaintances and casual friends simply won't do. It has to be someone she knows and trusts implicitly. In other words, in order to touch her heart physically, one has to be able to touch her heart metaphorically. When it's drawn and held in her hands, she's capable of great feats, such as being able to cut through solid steel objects.
How well can your character hack?: Utena's never felt the need or desire to learn how to hack; her mind was always focused on more important things (to her, at least). All she knows how to do is set up her filters, and that's it.
Weaknesses: Oftentimes Utena sees the world in overly simplistic terms. She's no black and white zealot, but she tends to take things at face value without much further consideration. What she sees is what she gets, right? While she's learned the hard way that there's more than meets the eye when it comes to people, and the world in general, old habits die hard. In short, while she has compassion, in the past she lacked empathy. It's a trait she's slowly beginning to learn.
Another flaw is her stubbornness. While it can pull her through some emotionally harrowing times, it also means that she'll stick in dangerous situations more sensible people would have left long ago. She finds it difficult to give up on anything (be it battles or people), despite the risk to herself.
She also has her limits, both physical and metaphysical. Her "inner sword", the most potent form of her supernatural abilities, can only be pulled out by those truly close to her; she can't tap into this herself. Furthermore, even though she can survive serious injuries better than the average human, that does not mean she's invincible. She can't just shrug off a sword through the gut, for example; even if she manages to survive, she will still be incapacitated.
History: Utena's story nearly ended before it began. Orphaned at a young age, the loss of her parents left a hole in the young child's heart. Their death made the world seem like a much darker place, full of pain and sorrow, and if that was the way the world really was...then well, she didn't want anything to do with it. Grief stricken and inconsolable, she snuck away to the funeral parlor and hid in an empty coffin, determined not to come out ever again.
However, her story was not to end there. For reasons she didn't realize at the time, a mysterious young man with the regal bearing of a prince came across her coffin. He lifted the lid and pulled her out, and, after he kissed away her tears, he told her to never forget her "noble spirit". The prince left soon afterward, but not before giving her two things: a signet ring in the shape of a rose, and a promise that one day, that ring would lead her back to him. Even though he left like a ghost, she was so touched by his kindness and so impressed by his demeanor that she decided that one day, she would become a noble prince just like him.
Afterward she was taken in by aunt, and her life was ...well, not exactly normal, but it was as normal as one could expect with a girl as eccentric as that. Utena lived with the woman until her teens, when she was accepted into the illustrious Ohtori Academy in Melior. She made very little in the way of actual friends, but she had her fair share of acquaintances, while her bold demeanor and rebellious nature drew more than a few admirers (and caused quite a stir amongst the faculty).
It didn't take long, though, for her life to take a turn for the strange. One day, she caught a glimpse of an older student slapping his girlfriend. She was too far away to do anything, but she watched as another boy reprimanded him. The image of the trio stuck in her mind, but she didn't think anything of it...until she saw a commotion in the halls. Through the gossip and chatter, she found out that they were gawking over a love letter posted publicly - a love letter one of her friends dared to give to a student out of her league. Furious, she went to confront the recipient, only to find out that he was the same abusive student she saw earlier. This only further incensed her, and as the argument escalated, she challenged him to a duel. Amused, he accepted.
The match was far stranger than expected. Instead of a normal sparring match between two students, their battle took place in a strange arena, and her foe had his companion - Anthy Himemiya - in tow. The girl pinned roses to their shirts, and Utena was only given the briefest explanations of the duel's rules: whoever slashed the rose off of the other's chest would win the fight. Afterward she fell into a trance, where the boy pulled a mystical sword out of her chest. Surprised and outclassed, Utena was quickly forced to think on her feet and find a way to defend herself with only a wooden practice sword ...or rather, after one well aimed attack, the splintered stump that was left behind. Despite his skill and superior weaponry, however, she managed to dodge and weave past his attacks, and refusing to give up, she continued to fight.
One well timed jab was all she needed, however; just when it seemed he was about to get the upper hand once and for all, she cut off his rose. Now victorious, she prepared to leave ...only to be followed by Anthy, who informed her that as the winner of the duel, she belonged to her now. Despite Utena's protests, Anthy continued to follow her and eventually became a constant companion. This only brought more troubles to Utena, however; soon she became embroiled in a world of school conspiracies, occult mystery, and dueling matches held by the mysterious Student Council members. Each one wanted possession of the Anthy, otherwise known as the Rose Bride, and her power. Despite her reluctance, Utena continued to fight them ...not for control of Anthy, but in the hopes that she could eventually free her. There were other motives, as well; the more involved she became in the mysteries of Ohtori, the more hints she seemed to receive about the mysterious prince she met so many years ago.
Her life only became more complicated when she met Anthy's brother (and fiance to the daughter of the school's chairman), Akio Ohtori. In between her search for truth and her constant battles to defend Anthy's freedom, she grew close to the charming young man, eventually falling in love with him. Unfortunately, their budding relationship created a rift between her and Anthy, and jealousy and resentment began to rot their friendship at its very core. Utena was almost prepared to turn her back on Anthy completely, until a tragic attempt to take her own life showed Utena how much she misunderstood her friend, and just how much Anthy suffered under her role as the Rose Bride. At the end of their confessions, it seemed that the girls had come to terms with each other at last, and Utena was emboldened once more to help Anthy any way she could.
Soon she would get her chance to follow through with her decision; the next day, she had one final duel ...not with another student, but instead, with the man who was the mastermind behind the entire conspiracy that damaged so many lives. She and Anthy traveled to the dueling arena to fight with this mysterious stranger, only to discover that this man was actually Akio Ohtori all along. Hurt, shocked, and furious, she demanded answers out of him, only to have her own doubts, flaws, and human hypocrisies tossed in her face in an attempt to make her break down and surrender. His plan was unsuccessful, however, and undettered he and Utena began to fight in what would be the duel of her life. Not only did she fight for Anthy's freedom; this time, she was fighting for the freedom of the entire school, and herself as well.
The match was the most difficult one of Utena's short life. In between Akio's effortless blows and parried, he demanded that she hand over her current weapon - not the Sword of Dios that resided in Anthy's heart, but a blade that came from her own being. She refused to give in to his demands, and for a moment, it seemed like she was on the verge of victory-
...that is, until Anthy crept up behind her, and stabbed her through her back.
The moments afterward were a haze. All she remembers is a flash of images: a giant stone door, covered with thorny vines, and a relief of a rose peeking underneath; a vortex of swords in the sky, with Anthy in the middle; Akio leaping across a crumbling stone bridge that stretched over nothingness; Akio at the rose door, slashing at the vines with her sword, only to have the sword shatter into pieces. Delirious, she begged him to stop it, to stop the chaos he started and to save Anthy, but was ignored. However, despite being on the verge of death, something from beyond the door called to her. She knew not what lay behind it, but somehow, every fiber of her being screamed that whatever it guarded was vitally important. Despite her pain, despite Akio's taunts about how she should just give up and die quietly, she stumbled and dragged herself across the floor to reach the door. Where Akio had given up, she desperately, foolishly, recklessly teared at the vines that kept the door sealed shut.
All throughout her struggle, he continued to tell her it was impossible; after all, how could a mere half-dead girl succeed where a grown man and his blade had failed?
His arrogance turned to horror when the impossible happened: the vines had been torn away, and with the last of her strength, Utena had opened the heavy stone door....and inside was a coffin, much like the one she crawled in as a child, with Anthy curled up inside. All around them the floor and walls began to crumble, and regardless of all that had happened, Utena smiled back - tired, exhausted, and relieved - and held her hand out to Anthy. After some hesitation, she grabbed it ....
...only to fall away with the coffin and the stones that supported them. Utena now lay alone on the crumbling remains of the arena, waiting to fall. There was a clatter from up above, and she looked up.
The swords were falling down.
That was the last thing she remembered before she awoke in the medical ward of an airship. She was found on an uncivilized island, the doctor claimed, and just in time, too: the crew had been searching for treasure, and found her in the wilderness. If they hadn't had brought her back, she would have been a goner. The group of treasure hunters and explorers allowed her to stay long enough to heal, and, in order to pay back the debt she felt to them, she joined in on some of their adventures. After some time she left them to rediscover herself and her goals, and in the past few years, rumors of a mysterious vigilante swordswoman popped up all over Reial....
SAMPLES-
Third Person (roleplay): Utena didn't regret her current life, really. In a lot of ways, she felt freer than she ever did at Ohtori; no longer was she bound by the faculty's regulations or the arcane rules of the dueling matches, nor did she have to worry about the machinations of some would-be mastermind lurking behind the scenes. She was her own woman now, free to go wherever she wished and to pursue justice whenever the need arose.
However, there was one thing she missed about her years at Ohtori: food. Oh, and a roof over her head. Okay, so there were two things she missed about Ohtori.
She sighed, and stuffed her hands in her pockets as she walked down the street. Golden light streamed through the small city; a pleasant warning that the sunset was around the corner, followed by darkness and a cold, cold night. She should find a place to stay soon, but with what money? Utena barely had enough to eat after that disastrous trip to Boston in the fall drained all of her (meager) savings.
So the lesson of the day: the life of the wandering adventurer, while emotionally satisfying, was not enough to cover practical needs. Maybe it's time to find a new job she thought to herself. Go to port, find a ship in need of workers, stay there for a while until -
Her train of thought was derailed by a sharp cry from the alley. She turned her head immediately, before she dashed forward and ducked behind a nearby building. Still hidden (mostly), she peeked her head out and stole a glimpse at the scene in front of her: a small child, no older than twelve or thirteen, was surrounded by a group of older youths. She was able to catch words and phrases from their argument, their demands for money and the child's denial, before one of them delivered a sharp punch to his gut.
Well, that was enough for her. She gripped the hilt of her sword and stepped forward, shouting, "Hey! Why don't you kids pick on somebody your own size?"
First Person (journal):
[Private; paper journal]
It's strange. The doctor said that my wounds were fresh when they first found me, like I had just been attacked, but the island was on the other side of the continent - miles and miles away from Melior, or any other city in Ivona. I should be dead right now, not on a ship on the other side of the skies. What's worse, though, is that they still want to know what happened. How can I answer that when I don't know that myself? I don't remember much, and what I do remember seems like something out of a dream. If I just told them, they'd think I was insane; maybe they would be right. The doctor would call it delirium or hysteria or something like that.
That can't be right, though. It couldn't just be a fantasy; something happened at the dueling arena with Akio. Maybe I should keep the ring a little longer. It's sort of funny - once I wore it to find my prince, but now I'm keeping it to find everybody else. Maybe I'll find the other duelists again, or maybe somebody else from Ohtori.
[There's a black spot on the page, as if the tip of the pen rested there for some time. It's inky and smudged, as are the letters following it.]
Maybe I'll see Anthy again, too. Maybe she'll know what really happened. I just hope that she's okay now.
Name/Nickname: Neeeeb
AIM/E-mail/Contact: NebbieQ
LJ: nebulaqueen
CHARACTER INFORMATION-
Canon Character and Series: Utena Tenjou, Revolutionary Girl Utena
In-Game Name: Utena Tenjou
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Position & Ship: Seaman, Fiertia
Appearance: If there's one thing you can say about Utena Tenjou, it's that she stands out in a crowd. At first glance, one of her most notable traits is her long, vibrant pink hair. Combined with her pointed features, high cheekbones, and wide, bright blue eyes, she almost has a delicate, fae like appearance at times. However, that doesn't mean she's fragile; while she has a slender figure, her active life has blessed her with lean muscle that gives her a more athletic appearance.
Utena's attire is another thing that makes her stand out, although it was more audacious at her school than it would be on a mercenary ship. She favors more masculine clothing, typically in shades of red and black, with simple designs that focus on simplicity and ease of movement. However, on occasion she'll don more ornate garb, complete with princely accoutrements such as epaulets, braiding, and lace. This is not done for vanity's sake; as impractical as it may seem, wearing these garments is actually a symbolic action tied to her "princely" demeanor. Like the saying goes, clothes make the man...or the woman, in this case.
Personality: In normal situations, Utena seems calm and at ease, and walks through life with a relaxed sort of confidence. She's friendly and helpful, if a bit distant, and is always willing to lend a helping hand when she can. Just... don't expect her to get too close, okay? While she's not cold by any means, it usually takes some time for her to get truly intimate with another person; part of it is due to a mostly independent upbringing, while part of it is caused by a slight ignorance of other people's feelings (and, to a certain extent, her own). However, when she does connect with a person, that bond is near unbreakable
Despite her distance, though, Utena harbors a strong hatred of injustice. A passionate and courageous spirit lurks underneath her calm, cheerful demeanor, and she will rise to the defense of her few, close friends or anyone else she sees victimized. She will rarely (if ever) back down from a fight, be it literal or metaphorical, and she'll continue to battle for those she has sworn to defend even at great personal risk to herself. This is a young woman who's been to hell and back, and all past attempts by others to control her or break her down have only strengthened her stubborn resolve.
Abilities/Weapons: Physically, Utena is athletic and quick. While she's not particularly cunning, her fighting style is more focused on finesse, speed and agility than pure, brute strength. Not only is she skilled in standard fencing moves, she also adds a good bit of acrobatic flair to her duels, including graceful backflips, nimble dodges, and long leaps and lunges across the battlefield. She also has far more stamina than one would assume, and is able to survive injuries that would completely incapacitate a normal person, such as ...say, a literal stab in the back.
This isn't a matter of physical stamina, however. Her inhumanly hearty constitution is a facet of a latent supernatural power, based on her courage and strength of character. The closer she comes to reaching her ideal of a brave, noble prince, the stronger and more resilient she becomes. Her power manifests most strongly in the form of a mystical sword that, despite the boundaries of biology and physics, seems to reside in her chest. It requires someone very close to her to draw it out; acquaintances and casual friends simply won't do. It has to be someone she knows and trusts implicitly. In other words, in order to touch her heart physically, one has to be able to touch her heart metaphorically. When it's drawn and held in her hands, she's capable of great feats, such as being able to cut through solid steel objects.
How well can your character hack?: Utena's never felt the need or desire to learn how to hack; her mind was always focused on more important things (to her, at least). All she knows how to do is set up her filters, and that's it.
Weaknesses: Oftentimes Utena sees the world in overly simplistic terms. She's no black and white zealot, but she tends to take things at face value without much further consideration. What she sees is what she gets, right? While she's learned the hard way that there's more than meets the eye when it comes to people, and the world in general, old habits die hard. In short, while she has compassion, in the past she lacked empathy. It's a trait she's slowly beginning to learn.
Another flaw is her stubbornness. While it can pull her through some emotionally harrowing times, it also means that she'll stick in dangerous situations more sensible people would have left long ago. She finds it difficult to give up on anything (be it battles or people), despite the risk to herself.
She also has her limits, both physical and metaphysical. Her "inner sword", the most potent form of her supernatural abilities, can only be pulled out by those truly close to her; she can't tap into this herself. Furthermore, even though she can survive serious injuries better than the average human, that does not mean she's invincible. She can't just shrug off a sword through the gut, for example; even if she manages to survive, she will still be incapacitated.
History: Utena's story nearly ended before it began. Orphaned at a young age, the loss of her parents left a hole in the young child's heart. Their death made the world seem like a much darker place, full of pain and sorrow, and if that was the way the world really was...then well, she didn't want anything to do with it. Grief stricken and inconsolable, she snuck away to the funeral parlor and hid in an empty coffin, determined not to come out ever again.
However, her story was not to end there. For reasons she didn't realize at the time, a mysterious young man with the regal bearing of a prince came across her coffin. He lifted the lid and pulled her out, and, after he kissed away her tears, he told her to never forget her "noble spirit". The prince left soon afterward, but not before giving her two things: a signet ring in the shape of a rose, and a promise that one day, that ring would lead her back to him. Even though he left like a ghost, she was so touched by his kindness and so impressed by his demeanor that she decided that one day, she would become a noble prince just like him.
Afterward she was taken in by aunt, and her life was ...well, not exactly normal, but it was as normal as one could expect with a girl as eccentric as that. Utena lived with the woman until her teens, when she was accepted into the illustrious Ohtori Academy in Melior. She made very little in the way of actual friends, but she had her fair share of acquaintances, while her bold demeanor and rebellious nature drew more than a few admirers (and caused quite a stir amongst the faculty).
It didn't take long, though, for her life to take a turn for the strange. One day, she caught a glimpse of an older student slapping his girlfriend. She was too far away to do anything, but she watched as another boy reprimanded him. The image of the trio stuck in her mind, but she didn't think anything of it...until she saw a commotion in the halls. Through the gossip and chatter, she found out that they were gawking over a love letter posted publicly - a love letter one of her friends dared to give to a student out of her league. Furious, she went to confront the recipient, only to find out that he was the same abusive student she saw earlier. This only further incensed her, and as the argument escalated, she challenged him to a duel. Amused, he accepted.
The match was far stranger than expected. Instead of a normal sparring match between two students, their battle took place in a strange arena, and her foe had his companion - Anthy Himemiya - in tow. The girl pinned roses to their shirts, and Utena was only given the briefest explanations of the duel's rules: whoever slashed the rose off of the other's chest would win the fight. Afterward she fell into a trance, where the boy pulled a mystical sword out of her chest. Surprised and outclassed, Utena was quickly forced to think on her feet and find a way to defend herself with only a wooden practice sword ...or rather, after one well aimed attack, the splintered stump that was left behind. Despite his skill and superior weaponry, however, she managed to dodge and weave past his attacks, and refusing to give up, she continued to fight.
One well timed jab was all she needed, however; just when it seemed he was about to get the upper hand once and for all, she cut off his rose. Now victorious, she prepared to leave ...only to be followed by Anthy, who informed her that as the winner of the duel, she belonged to her now. Despite Utena's protests, Anthy continued to follow her and eventually became a constant companion. This only brought more troubles to Utena, however; soon she became embroiled in a world of school conspiracies, occult mystery, and dueling matches held by the mysterious Student Council members. Each one wanted possession of the Anthy, otherwise known as the Rose Bride, and her power. Despite her reluctance, Utena continued to fight them ...not for control of Anthy, but in the hopes that she could eventually free her. There were other motives, as well; the more involved she became in the mysteries of Ohtori, the more hints she seemed to receive about the mysterious prince she met so many years ago.
Her life only became more complicated when she met Anthy's brother (and fiance to the daughter of the school's chairman), Akio Ohtori. In between her search for truth and her constant battles to defend Anthy's freedom, she grew close to the charming young man, eventually falling in love with him. Unfortunately, their budding relationship created a rift between her and Anthy, and jealousy and resentment began to rot their friendship at its very core. Utena was almost prepared to turn her back on Anthy completely, until a tragic attempt to take her own life showed Utena how much she misunderstood her friend, and just how much Anthy suffered under her role as the Rose Bride. At the end of their confessions, it seemed that the girls had come to terms with each other at last, and Utena was emboldened once more to help Anthy any way she could.
Soon she would get her chance to follow through with her decision; the next day, she had one final duel ...not with another student, but instead, with the man who was the mastermind behind the entire conspiracy that damaged so many lives. She and Anthy traveled to the dueling arena to fight with this mysterious stranger, only to discover that this man was actually Akio Ohtori all along. Hurt, shocked, and furious, she demanded answers out of him, only to have her own doubts, flaws, and human hypocrisies tossed in her face in an attempt to make her break down and surrender. His plan was unsuccessful, however, and undettered he and Utena began to fight in what would be the duel of her life. Not only did she fight for Anthy's freedom; this time, she was fighting for the freedom of the entire school, and herself as well.
The match was the most difficult one of Utena's short life. In between Akio's effortless blows and parried, he demanded that she hand over her current weapon - not the Sword of Dios that resided in Anthy's heart, but a blade that came from her own being. She refused to give in to his demands, and for a moment, it seemed like she was on the verge of victory-
...that is, until Anthy crept up behind her, and stabbed her through her back.
The moments afterward were a haze. All she remembers is a flash of images: a giant stone door, covered with thorny vines, and a relief of a rose peeking underneath; a vortex of swords in the sky, with Anthy in the middle; Akio leaping across a crumbling stone bridge that stretched over nothingness; Akio at the rose door, slashing at the vines with her sword, only to have the sword shatter into pieces. Delirious, she begged him to stop it, to stop the chaos he started and to save Anthy, but was ignored. However, despite being on the verge of death, something from beyond the door called to her. She knew not what lay behind it, but somehow, every fiber of her being screamed that whatever it guarded was vitally important. Despite her pain, despite Akio's taunts about how she should just give up and die quietly, she stumbled and dragged herself across the floor to reach the door. Where Akio had given up, she desperately, foolishly, recklessly teared at the vines that kept the door sealed shut.
All throughout her struggle, he continued to tell her it was impossible; after all, how could a mere half-dead girl succeed where a grown man and his blade had failed?
His arrogance turned to horror when the impossible happened: the vines had been torn away, and with the last of her strength, Utena had opened the heavy stone door....and inside was a coffin, much like the one she crawled in as a child, with Anthy curled up inside. All around them the floor and walls began to crumble, and regardless of all that had happened, Utena smiled back - tired, exhausted, and relieved - and held her hand out to Anthy. After some hesitation, she grabbed it ....
...only to fall away with the coffin and the stones that supported them. Utena now lay alone on the crumbling remains of the arena, waiting to fall. There was a clatter from up above, and she looked up.
The swords were falling down.
That was the last thing she remembered before she awoke in the medical ward of an airship. She was found on an uncivilized island, the doctor claimed, and just in time, too: the crew had been searching for treasure, and found her in the wilderness. If they hadn't had brought her back, she would have been a goner. The group of treasure hunters and explorers allowed her to stay long enough to heal, and, in order to pay back the debt she felt to them, she joined in on some of their adventures. After some time she left them to rediscover herself and her goals, and in the past few years, rumors of a mysterious vigilante swordswoman popped up all over Reial....
SAMPLES-
Third Person (roleplay): Utena didn't regret her current life, really. In a lot of ways, she felt freer than she ever did at Ohtori; no longer was she bound by the faculty's regulations or the arcane rules of the dueling matches, nor did she have to worry about the machinations of some would-be mastermind lurking behind the scenes. She was her own woman now, free to go wherever she wished and to pursue justice whenever the need arose.
However, there was one thing she missed about her years at Ohtori: food. Oh, and a roof over her head. Okay, so there were two things she missed about Ohtori.
She sighed, and stuffed her hands in her pockets as she walked down the street. Golden light streamed through the small city; a pleasant warning that the sunset was around the corner, followed by darkness and a cold, cold night. She should find a place to stay soon, but with what money? Utena barely had enough to eat after that disastrous trip to Boston in the fall drained all of her (meager) savings.
So the lesson of the day: the life of the wandering adventurer, while emotionally satisfying, was not enough to cover practical needs. Maybe it's time to find a new job she thought to herself. Go to port, find a ship in need of workers, stay there for a while until -
Her train of thought was derailed by a sharp cry from the alley. She turned her head immediately, before she dashed forward and ducked behind a nearby building. Still hidden (mostly), she peeked her head out and stole a glimpse at the scene in front of her: a small child, no older than twelve or thirteen, was surrounded by a group of older youths. She was able to catch words and phrases from their argument, their demands for money and the child's denial, before one of them delivered a sharp punch to his gut.
Well, that was enough for her. She gripped the hilt of her sword and stepped forward, shouting, "Hey! Why don't you kids pick on somebody your own size?"
First Person (journal):
[Private; paper journal]
It's strange. The doctor said that my wounds were fresh when they first found me, like I had just been attacked, but the island was on the other side of the continent - miles and miles away from Melior, or any other city in Ivona. I should be dead right now, not on a ship on the other side of the skies. What's worse, though, is that they still want to know what happened. How can I answer that when I don't know that myself? I don't remember much, and what I do remember seems like something out of a dream. If I just told them, they'd think I was insane; maybe they would be right. The doctor would call it delirium or hysteria or something like that.
That can't be right, though. It couldn't just be a fantasy; something happened at the dueling arena with Akio. Maybe I should keep the ring a little longer. It's sort of funny - once I wore it to find my prince, but now I'm keeping it to find everybody else. Maybe I'll find the other duelists again, or maybe somebody else from Ohtori.
[There's a black spot on the page, as if the tip of the pen rested there for some time. It's inky and smudged, as are the letters following it.]
Maybe I'll see Anthy again, too. Maybe she'll know what really happened. I just hope that she's okay now.