Day 47: Greenhouse (2nd Shift)

[himetsuru]

Why couldn't she get it out of her mind? It was a stupid white dress. So what if it was visual evidence that she was a princess? It should not be bothering her this much. It was a just a dress

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[roseoverture]

After the difficult breakfast with von Karma, Utena was more than ready for some fresh air and the scent of roses. She followed the other women to the greenhouse, stretching her arms behind her head as she walked. It was hard to believe that it had only been a week since she had first met and talked to Harley here. Her arrival in the Institute had only been a little before that. It couldn't have been such a short while, could it have? With the way days and nights passed here, it felt closer to a year than a week.

"Any time at all spent here is too long in my books," Utena said to herself with a short sigh as she entered the greenhouse. She spotted Himemiya and an older blonde woman talking. Though she couldn't hear what they were talking about from the greenhouse door, it was still good to see the girl with other people. Despite how the whole business with Touga and whatnot had turned out, Utena still wanted Himemiya to make more friends. It just didn't seem right that she was either alone or with just Utena so much of the time, be it here or at Ohtori. Sure, now Utena knew not to force that desire for friendship on her, but that didn't mean she couldn't keep hoping for it to be realized on its own.

Though she didn't really want to move away from the roses, Utena thought it best to let Himemiya and the other woman continue talking uninterrupted. She moved to another part of the greenhouse, putting a few rows of plants between them. She could ask later how the conversation had gone. For now, she would find something else to tend to. "Hmm, what looks like it could use a little extra care?" Utena wondered aloud, idly walking down a row of various flowers. Eventually, she came upon a small bunch of poppies - a brilliant shade of red, which reminded her of a certain someone just a little bit. Her cheeks flushed slightly without her noticing. They really were the exact shade of that shirt he always wore. She wondered if he was wearing it even now, wherever they let the "visitors" spend their off time.

Utena had to grit her teeth at the thought of Akio's brainwashing. He wouldn't have to wait much longer for her, she reminded herself. She was getting to that third floor one way or another, and when she did, the first thing she was going to make Landel do was release all the "visitors." No, it wouldn't be long now. It wouldn't be.

The poppies were drooping slightly. Colour aside, that seemed as good a reason as any to settle on them for the shift. "Let's see if we can't perk you guys up some, huh?" she said with a shake of her head, fetching a nearby watering can. She could see why Himemiya might have taken to gardening in the first place; it seemed like an easy thing for a person to focus on in place of whatever might be bothering them. Goodness knew the Rose Bride probably had things to be bothered about that Utena couldn't even fathom.

[Free! Snagged by Franziska.]

[iwhipthefool]

"This is a waste of time." Or so she tried to tell her nurse. The infernal woman seemed hellbent on getting her to dirty her hands in 'honest labor' or something like that. And as much as she wanted to just hit Janet until she bowed to Franziska's superior will and allow her to go back to the Sun Room, the man with the needle standing right behind Janet? That probably wasn't going to go so well with him.

"Here, why don't you sit with Yomi? I'm sure she can teach you all sorts of things, Wilhelmina." The nurse deposited Franziska at the table and then ran before the prosecutor could turn and slap her for using that horrible name again. Bloody woman. She always seemed to think that Franziska needed more 'friends' which was a completely preposterous idea. Franziska needed no friends. She needed underlings and people willing to listen to her orders.

But now she was stuck here unless she wanted to risk sedation and the complete destruction of her day. Turning sharply, she eyed the pink haired girl in front of her and raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. She seemed to be caring for a few potted poppies, red in color. "And? Your real name is?"

[roseoverture]

Utena's ears caught the name "Yomi" nearby, and she grimaced. The nurses had really stepped up in using her "real" name around her since the day she had been brainwashed. They probably thought that if they kept it up for long enough, Utena would suddenly snap back to that state one day. So far, all it had gotten them were more determined attempts to ignore their words.

This time, though, the name wasn't being spoken to her directly. Rather, a nurse was saying it to another person as they moved in her direction. It seemed she wanted the two of them to make friends, or at least play nicely together for the shift. Utena bristled at this. It wasn't that she was averse to making friends, really. For all she knew, this older girl could be a nice person (she doubted that from the look on her face, though). She did find it weird to have the prospect of friendship just forced on her, though. Didn't they think she could make her own choices about these sorts of thi-

Oh.

Utena turned her head away for a moment, feeling her chest tighten just a bit. Maybe that was how Himemiya had felt whenever she had insisted the girl needed more friends. Sure, Utena hadn't tried to force a specific person onto her, but she had been pretty persistent about the idea for a while there. That really does sound kind of bad when I think about it that way. Forcing friendships, huh? she thought, idly running her fingertips along the side of the watering can.

She didn't have much time to feel bad about her past actions, however, before the older girl demanded to know her name. Looking back over her shoulder, Utena tried to put on a smile, though it came out a little awkwardly. "Oh, it's Tenjou Utena," she answered as she turned back to face the girl. "Sorry, I was kind of zoned out there for a bit. What's your name?" And why do you look kind of familiar for some reason? she added in her mind.

[iwhipthefool]

Tenjou Utena. The name was filed away, and if it wasn't for the girl's obviously young age, Franziska would have asked her occupation. At her age, Franziska had been prosecuting cases already, but not everyone was like her - as unfortunate as that was. More people could spare to have the drive and motivation she did. The attainment of perfection and the pursuit of justice no matter what. Still, she supposed she should ask eventually. It was likely just going to be something mundane like 'student,' but knowing every detail about a witness - or companion, really - was important.

Rather than take a seat like the nurse had wanted her to, Franziska remained standing and glanced around the greenhouse. A pitiful few number of people were in here, testifying to the uselessness of this activity. She'd have to lodge a complaint with the activity directors to implement a more useful schedule.

"Focus on the task at hand, Tenjou Utena, or you will never be able to succeed in anything," Franziska chided, one hand gripping her sleeve in annoyance. She turned her gaze to the girl seated in front of her, eyes scrutinizing her appearance as if committing it to memory - every last detail. "I am Franziska von Karma, the prosecuting prodigy of Germany. And your occupation?"

[roseoverture]

Utena raised an eyebrow, not all that pleased that the older girl would say something so critical within thirty seconds of meeting her. Sure, getting lost in one's head too often wasn't good, but everyone did it sometimes, right? She was about to wonder if the girl saying that meant she thought she'd never lost focus on her own tasks. She didn't have to when the girl, Fransizka apparently, went on to describe herself as a prosecutor. That got Utena's attention. If she was already a prosecutor at her age, then maybe she really hadn't lost any focus in her life. Her interest perked up a bit, as did her attitude.

"Well nothing as impressive as prosecution yet. That's amazing that you can do something like that already! How long have you been doing it for?" she answered, hoping to maybe turn this conversation away from the negative. Maybe she would turn out to be someone like Juri - a little withdrawn and cold in her prodigy, but not impossible to get along with. "Anyway, I'm a student right now, but I'm aiming to become a prince someday. I haven't lost focus on that goal, at least," she added with a determined-looking smile. If there was anything that could take Utena's mind away from her problems at a moment's notice, it was being reminded of the promise she had made to herself so long ago. Her gaze strayed down to the Rose Seal on her finger out of habit for a moment; the embossed crest glinted in the wintery sunlight from outside. The scent of roses from across the greenhouse caught her senses, and Utena felt a brief burst of warmth in her chest as she looked at the ring. Never lose your nobility, even when you grow up . . .

When she looked back up at her would-be companion, the familiarity of Franziska struck her again. Just where had she met someone like her? Then it clicked. Her mind actually registered the family name Franziska had given. "Wait, did you say your family name was von Karma? You're not related to the other von Karma here, are you? Manfred, I think he said his name was?" she asked, suddenly a little more wary. She could see now where Franziska might have gotten her cold attitude from.

[iwhipthefool]

"I prosecuted and won my first case at 13," she said, with more than a little pride. Until she had gone to America, she'd never lost a case either. She'd always seen to it that the guilty party was convicted and sent to their rightful punishment. She'd been an unstoppable force until...him. But Franziska still refused to acknowledge his victories as real. Each and every case had turned into such a sham until her final actual victory over him was just hollow. He'd been happy at having lost to her and had robbed her of her real triumph. Even if she respected him for his absurd talent, that didn't mean she necessarily liked him.

But as suspected, Utena was a student studying to be a--

...

A what?

"A prince." The repetition was flat, no contempt or disbelief, just a simple repeat to be sure she'd heard correctly. It wasn't the strangest thing she'd ever heard, but to have it come from a girl no older than she was when she began beating judges into submission was a bit of a shock. Franziska had to admit though; she liked the idea of a woman becoming a prince rather than a princess. Utena's honesty gained a small smile, no more than a quirk of her lips, but a smile nonetheless. "An admirable goal. But say it as you mean it - you will be a prince. Do not aim, Tenjou Utena. Achieve."

And if she ever did? Franziska would congratulate her. She enjoyed seeing women overcome the walls in society. For a woman to be named Prince would be a grand feat indeed. If she could get that star-struck look out of her eyes, of course. The smile disappeared when it seemed Utena was lost in nostalgic revelry and Franziska took a seat. She wasn't interested in the flowers in front of her, but she could at least stop standing so the nurses stopped looking in her direction.

She was a little taken aback when Utena asked about her father and it showed in the way Franziska snapped her head around, eyes narrowing. "When did you meet him? Tell me immediately."

[roseoverture]

[OOC: Is it wrong that I heard her "A what? from the "Boot to the Head" video? XD Also, want to backthread a little?]

"Oh wow, that young? That really is amazing! I guess I shouldn't be surprised, though. I know a prodigy that age at my school. He's a genius-level intellectual, professional fencer and world-class pianist, and only in first-year middle school. Heck, he tutors me in math!" Utena smiled warmly at the thought of Miki. It was odd the people she was starting to miss the most in this place. Sure, she missed the obvious people like Wakaba and Akio, but strangely, she also missed the Student Council. Miki, Juri were maybe understandable; Miki was just incredibly sweet and friendly, while Juri had been with her in the institute for a little while, sharing her frustration with the place. Even the more unpleasant members, though - Saionji, Nanami, even Touga - were quickly becoming faces Utena wanted to see again. She couldn't quite put into words why that was. Maybe it was just that seeing them again would mean that she had made it back home. Still, it was weird to think about. Who would actually want to be berated by Saionji or Nanami, or be subjected to Touga's annoying, sometimes creepy flirtation?

A girl with a bad case of homesickness, I guess, she thought with a little smile.

That smile managed to grow at Franziska's reaction to her wanting to be a prince. As she had hoped, maybe the girl wouldn't be all that bad, even if she was a little hard on the outside. "You're definitely right. I should have said it more clearly," she said, her smile bright and confident. She put her hands on her hips at that, and made a familiar declaration: "I will be a prince. No matter what." A wisp of a forgotten memory tickled the back of Utena's mind for the briefest of moments after she spoke, sending a shiver down her back. The memory was gone before she could consciously realize what it was, leaving only that strong sense of determination in its wake.

And then came the part about the girl's last name. The mention of the older man got Franziska's attention right away, it seemed. Her sharp turn caught Utena slightly off-guard, causing her to take a half-step back. "Well I only got his name just now at breakfast. I 'met' him last night, though. He and another woman were being attacked by a dangerous creature on the second floor, and I had a sword, so I went in to help them," she explained, wondering why Franziska had to know this information so immediately.

[iwhipthefool]

[Pffffft that's awesome. And I don't mind backthreading! o/]

Th way Utena seemed to reminisce about some boy she knew garnered no extra emotion from Franziska. Prodigies existed all over the world. The mark of whether they would make it, however, was what they did with their talents. If the one she knew was still in school, then he was likely still lacking in something, regardless of how impressive his other skills were. Of course, Franziska was rather lacking in some things, having only focused on the study of law and the international criminal systems, but she liked to gloss over that fact. Utena, on the other hand, seemed rather normal save for her aspirations. Normal enough to lose herself to memories of something or another more than a few times over the course of their conversation.

Franziska almost felt like reprimanding her. How could she expect to be a prince if she kept daydreaming about something or another? She needed a sharp focus and an unbendable will. Perhaps she had the second, but she could use some work on the first. "Youth has nothing to do with accomplishment," she finally said, pushing the flowerpots out of the way so she could take out her journal and begin writing notes on Utena. "It is all a matter of focus and hard work."

Her pen paused as she jumped down a line to write: MvK recovered from prior condition. Approach later as a reminder to herself. Apparently, whatever had changed her father the day she'd met him was now gone. It made sense, considering that the rest of the patients were back to normal, but it helped to know that he was alright. Mostly. He was still on the move as always and Franziska was still struggling to keep up. Tonight, she'd head to the kitchens to find matches, create her fingerprint powder and...something. Bother. "Then I owe you my gratitude, Tenjou Utena, for saving my father."

[roseoverture]

Ah, she had started to get an inkling that maybe that was how the two were related. The age difference was about right. She wondered if she ought to correct Franziska on the saving part, though. It didn't seem right to take that kind of credit, even though her attack had been a bold move. "I don't know if I 'saved' him so much as gave him an opening to run away faster," Utena pointed out, putting one hand back on her hip out of habit. "He was already looking ready to bolt when it attacked. Taura, the person he was with, seemed more in danger."

[OOC: Sorry for all that wait for such a short post. I tried to make a longer one, but it was sounding forced. ^^;; Also, my backthreads in general are moving a bit slowly right now.]

[iwhipthefool]

[No worries. :x ]

Her father? Run? Franziska gave a huff that could have been interpreted as a derisive snort of disbelief if she'd give such a thing. She continued to write her notes, describing Utena's appearance, her assumed age, aspirations, current occupation and Franziska's own observations about the girl's personality. Even as she wrote, she continued to hold the conversation, but did not look in Utena's direction. "A strategic retreat is not 'running away.' One implies intelligence and the other implies foolishness. My father is no fool."

She crossed a t decisively and sat up a little straighter as she turned an eye toward Utena. This Taura - she'd seen her name written before, usually in connection to her father. If she was one of her father's allies, then it would be wise to find out just who she was and what sort of association they had. "If he was not in danger, then I was premature in thanking you. The woman, Taura. Describe her."