The first ominous crack jolted Utena from a rose scented dream, forgotten the moment she woke. Amid Minako's sleepy mumblings, she rolled over and buried her face in the pillow once more, just as a second, quieter but no less alarming sound came from outside the building
( ... )
A small spark flew from Kalinka's fingers and inches away from Utena's face, though it would pass harmlessly by, so long as the Slayer didn't budge. It didn't seem that the currently blonde girl had noticed Utena enter at first, but she had just as easily ignored Utena's entrance entirely.
Calmly, Kalinka lowered her hand, taking a brief pause before responding. "A thunder storm," she said simply, beneath a cloudless sky. "Is our fair Prince afraid of lightning? I'm afraid that the roof is not a very good place to hide, nor is it a wise decision to strike it back with a metal sword, were you hoping to rush out and defeat it." Kalinka's words came very seriously, though anyone with their wits about them could have easily figured out her attempt at humor.
Utena's mouth quirked slightly as she let the spark fly past her face and into the cool night air. The blade remained in her hand, dangling with false casualness by her side. She glanced upwards, eyeing the cloudless night and then looking at Kalinka once more.
"I don't usually rush up to the roof with sword in hand when it storms," she replied, flashing a tight smile at the girl. "Actually, I kind of like storms."
Looking around, the feeling of forboding remained.
"But something doesn't seem right up here. Have you seen anything strange tonight?"
Pausing, she glanced over Kalinka once more, finally noticing her blond hair. "Tired of having green hair?"
"Well, you're acting rather strangely." Kalinka said with a small smile. "Other than that, only myself."
Crossing them over her chest, the more insecure girl tugged her green sleeves over twinging arms, pulling away slightly. Besides the other reasons, it truly was still a bit cold at night, especially after a hot shower and having electricity coursing through one's body. "Believe it or not, it's not the way I was born. I just wasn't sure how I would look this age without it."
Kalinka glanced down to her arms, thinking that either the pain was from overactivity, or perhaps because of a certain Witch having a bad dream and losing her temper. It wasn't long before she looked up again, away and towards the night. "Would you prefer another color, perhaps?"
"Am I?" Relaxing her shoulders slightly, she rocked back on her heels.
Watching as the girl crossed her arms over her chest and adjusted her sleeves, she spoke in a friendly tone, even as she glanced around, feeling her own skin prickling slightly.
"Are you cold? You can borrow this if you want," Utena said, plucking at the lightweight zippered hoodie. "And it doesn't really matter what I prefer, it's your hair. But I like the green."
As the air grew less tense, the sense of alarm that had been pricking at her consciousness began to ease off, and Utena relaxed further, her posture slackening and the sword ran parallel to her leg, no longer quite so close to the guard position.
"Rainbow hair?" Grinning slightly, she eyed Kalinka. "I wouldn't mind seeing it, if you're planning to model it for me." Pausing to smile once more, she continued thoughtfully, half murmuring. "Pink and green..."
(OOC: Not so subtle reference to the dating game thread. *g* )
Kalinka wiggled her fingers freely over Utena's head, as if she were ready to begin. "I intended quite the opposite." She took on a mischievous smirk that soon fell low again. "Why are you still out here? I'm only capable of being entertaining for so long, and I never was fond of performing."
The girl mused as she glanced up again, "Unless you're simply hoping to be struck by lightning..."
"I'll pass, thanks," she replied dryly. "I guess I should head back to bed, early morning training is going to come around whether I've slept or not."
Utena turned away, then glanced back over her shoulder at Kalinka with a thoughtful expression.
"We always seem to run into each other when something weird is going on. You catching me upset after Chiba-sensei told me the truth about the Slayer trip, coming along to rescue Rei, and of course now. Maybe we should talk at a normal time, sometime. Like lunch?"
Kalinka pulled her exposed hand away, folding it into the opposite sleeve and resting both behind her head. It was mostly in her own mind that the burn-like scars were obvious without her usual gloves to further hide the marks away, especially in the dim light.
The initial response to Utena's new question was simply a sigh. "Leaving my room for lunch isn't all that usual for me." Continuing, she mumbled and tripped over low, rushed words. "The only time I bothered giving the cafeteria a chance, I even found slaughtered animals in the salad. Not that it's the only reason..."
After a pause, Kalinka's eyes moved to the side, though she couldn't quite look to Utena, and didn't bother to turn her body. Her gaze fell back down into her collar, and she spoke almost grimly. "I don't suppose you're hoping for that nonexistent date?"
Utena watched the girl thoughtfully. "Date? I don't know that I was necessarily thinking that, just because we don't really know each other." Pausing to lean down and scratch her ankle, she looked up again with a half smile. "I guess I was more thinking about a friendly, no strings attached lunch."
"Although, if you want it to be a date, I don't have a problem with that, either," she continued with a wink.
As Utena spoke, Kalinka returned her hair partway to its usual color with a motion. Though it may have represented nature, it was also used in relation to more unpleasant things.
"Oh?" Kalinka exhaled part of a laugh that was quickly snuffed out. "Maybe you should explain why you're buying Katelyn pretty dresses and doing God knows what, in that case. All whilst dreaming of others." Her weight shifted to one leg as she crossed her arms again, still not looking up. "I'd have liked to have thought you were above that Ralph fellow I, urged away from her. Both of us."
"Simply because you aren't mentioning things to anyone else doesn't mean you haven't done them. Judging by that response..."
With her mouth twitching, Kalinka turned her head as far away from Utena as she could. "I'm not a dolt, and I have no intention of being anyone's next conquest, quietly or otherwise."
Kalinka dug her fingers into her arms, though it didn't seem to help. "Don't ask me why I care," she huffed, "but I'm not going to let anyone hurt or take advantage of her, either."
(OOC: Just so you don't miss it~ Continued as another comment thread. And now I wish I'd rushed it while I was tired earlier and the usual Utena was around... ^^;)
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Calmly, Kalinka lowered her hand, taking a brief pause before responding. "A thunder storm," she said simply, beneath a cloudless sky. "Is our fair Prince afraid of lightning? I'm afraid that the roof is not a very good place to hide, nor is it a wise decision to strike it back with a metal sword, were you hoping to rush out and defeat it." Kalinka's words came very seriously, though anyone with their wits about them could have easily figured out her attempt at humor.
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"I don't usually rush up to the roof with sword in hand when it storms," she replied, flashing a tight smile at the girl. "Actually, I kind of like storms."
Looking around, the feeling of forboding remained.
"But something doesn't seem right up here. Have you seen anything strange tonight?"
Pausing, she glanced over Kalinka once more, finally noticing her blond hair. "Tired of having green hair?"
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Crossing them over her chest, the more insecure girl tugged her green sleeves over twinging arms, pulling away slightly. Besides the other reasons, it truly was still a bit cold at night, especially after a hot shower and having electricity coursing through one's body. "Believe it or not, it's not the way I was born. I just wasn't sure how I would look this age without it."
Kalinka glanced down to her arms, thinking that either the pain was from overactivity, or perhaps because of a certain Witch having a bad dream and losing her temper. It wasn't long before she looked up again, away and towards the night. "Would you prefer another color, perhaps?"
Reply
Watching as the girl crossed her arms over her chest and adjusted her sleeves, she spoke in a friendly tone, even as she glanced around, feeling her own skin prickling slightly.
"Are you cold? You can borrow this if you want," Utena said, plucking at the lightweight zippered hoodie. "And it doesn't really matter what I prefer, it's your hair. But I like the green."
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"Rainbow hair?" Grinning slightly, she eyed Kalinka. "I wouldn't mind seeing it, if you're planning to model it for me." Pausing to smile once more, she continued thoughtfully, half murmuring. "Pink and green..."
(OOC: Not so subtle reference to the dating game thread. *g* )
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The girl mused as she glanced up again, "Unless you're simply hoping to be struck by lightning..."
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Utena turned away, then glanced back over her shoulder at Kalinka with a thoughtful expression.
"We always seem to run into each other when something weird is going on. You catching me upset after Chiba-sensei told me the truth about the Slayer trip, coming along to rescue Rei, and of course now. Maybe we should talk at a normal time, sometime. Like lunch?"
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The initial response to Utena's new question was simply a sigh. "Leaving my room for lunch isn't all that usual for me." Continuing, she mumbled and tripped over low, rushed words. "The only time I bothered giving the cafeteria a chance, I even found slaughtered animals in the salad. Not that it's the only reason..."
After a pause, Kalinka's eyes moved to the side, though she couldn't quite look to Utena, and didn't bother to turn her body. Her gaze fell back down into her collar, and she spoke almost grimly. "I don't suppose you're hoping for that nonexistent date?"
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"Although, if you want it to be a date, I don't have a problem with that, either," she continued with a wink.
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"Oh?" Kalinka exhaled part of a laugh that was quickly snuffed out. "Maybe you should explain why you're buying Katelyn pretty dresses and doing God knows what, in that case. All whilst dreaming of others." Her weight shifted to one leg as she crossed her arms again, still not looking up. "I'd have liked to have thought you were above that Ralph fellow I, urged away from her. Both of us."
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"First of all, I bought that dress for Katelyn as a gift for a friend. She liked it and it wasn't expensive, so why not?"
Frowning even more deeply, her voice took on a more severe tone.
"And I don't know what you mean by 'God knows what', but what people do in private is just that, private."
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With her mouth twitching, Kalinka turned her head as far away from Utena as she could. "I'm not a dolt, and I have no intention of being anyone's next conquest, quietly or otherwise."
Kalinka dug her fingers into her arms, though it didn't seem to help. "Don't ask me why I care," she huffed, "but I'm not going to let anyone hurt or take advantage of her, either."
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