[Closed] May 6th, Night
Who: Utena Tenjo princely_calyx and Riza Hawkeye firebornfidelis
When: Late night, Thursday. Aftermath of this.
Where: Pathway to the ruins from outlander apartments, ruins
Format: Paragraph, past-tense
What: Utena runs to Riza's aid after a disturbing network post. She gets more than she bargained for in the ruins.
Warnings: Possible language and violence, mist effects abound
Utena ran past the various shops. Riza was in trouble, she had to go help her! The video, that terrible video, didn't give many clues to Riza's location. She must be somewhere in the ruins; she patrolled there. And this was usually when she patrolled, too.
She was vaguely aware that her Forge was going off but the network had been abuzz with many voices tonight. None with the information she needed. She had heard Riza tell her to stay away but still Utena ran. "Stay away" weren't words that Utena paid much heed to anyway. Himemiya had told her the same thing. She couldn't see something bad happen to another friend. And something bad was happening.
Though it probably wasn't the most direct route, Utena ran the same path Riza had taken her through on their tour of Anatole. She could spot a few landmarks here and there as she sprinted past. The market, which had thrived when she had walked through last, was closed and empty. It was eerie, cold. In the dim light of the lamps and the haze of the mist, Utena wove her way through the barren stalls.
Up ahead was the carnival, the moon-what there was of it through the mist- reflected off the Ferris wheel. The air was getting thicker. Utena wasn't tired yet from running but she was beginning to have trouble catching her breath. Some broken pavement caught her foot and she stumbled to one knee.
As she shot back up, she heard the faint tinkling of calliope music. She stopped dead, turning towards the carnival grounds in surprise. Nothing was illuminated. And she heard no more music. Just hearing things then. She turned back and started to run again but the music came back louder and lights burst on. It was the carousel! The ride was lit up, fully functional, spinning its endless race. Something was very wrong though. It didn't look like the carousel she had passed by with Riza a week ago. No, she had seen this carousel before. It was the one from the last duel, where her prince, the one who saved her life, told her to give up. To just leave Himemiya to her fate. Utena took a step back, inhaling a shuddering breath. How could it be here? She was worlds away from Ohtori, all that should be behind her now. The carousel continued spinning, mocking her. Her quest to become a prince was just like that carousel, ever circling, getting nowhere...
No!
She shook her head. She wouldn't think like that; she couldn't! Riza was in trouble and Utena had to go help her. She turned away from the taunting attraction. She gave it one last look over her shoulder and snorted. Away she ran, off to the ruins, deeper into the mist.
In that last look, she had seen something that definitely shouldn't be there. Dios, her erstwhile prince, had been sitting on the white horse. She ran faster. She pushed him from her mind. He was gone, she was the prince now. And someone needed her help somewhere in the ruins. The hairs stood up on the back of her neck as she went deeper in.
It felt like Dios was still there. Watching her, emotionless.
When: Late night, Thursday. Aftermath of this.
Where: Pathway to the ruins from outlander apartments, ruins
Format: Paragraph, past-tense
What: Utena runs to Riza's aid after a disturbing network post. She gets more than she bargained for in the ruins.
Warnings: Possible language and violence, mist effects abound
Utena ran past the various shops. Riza was in trouble, she had to go help her! The video, that terrible video, didn't give many clues to Riza's location. She must be somewhere in the ruins; she patrolled there. And this was usually when she patrolled, too.
She was vaguely aware that her Forge was going off but the network had been abuzz with many voices tonight. None with the information she needed. She had heard Riza tell her to stay away but still Utena ran. "Stay away" weren't words that Utena paid much heed to anyway. Himemiya had told her the same thing. She couldn't see something bad happen to another friend. And something bad was happening.
Though it probably wasn't the most direct route, Utena ran the same path Riza had taken her through on their tour of Anatole. She could spot a few landmarks here and there as she sprinted past. The market, which had thrived when she had walked through last, was closed and empty. It was eerie, cold. In the dim light of the lamps and the haze of the mist, Utena wove her way through the barren stalls.
Up ahead was the carnival, the moon-what there was of it through the mist- reflected off the Ferris wheel. The air was getting thicker. Utena wasn't tired yet from running but she was beginning to have trouble catching her breath. Some broken pavement caught her foot and she stumbled to one knee.
As she shot back up, she heard the faint tinkling of calliope music. She stopped dead, turning towards the carnival grounds in surprise. Nothing was illuminated. And she heard no more music. Just hearing things then. She turned back and started to run again but the music came back louder and lights burst on. It was the carousel! The ride was lit up, fully functional, spinning its endless race. Something was very wrong though. It didn't look like the carousel she had passed by with Riza a week ago. No, she had seen this carousel before. It was the one from the last duel, where her prince, the one who saved her life, told her to give up. To just leave Himemiya to her fate. Utena took a step back, inhaling a shuddering breath. How could it be here? She was worlds away from Ohtori, all that should be behind her now. The carousel continued spinning, mocking her. Her quest to become a prince was just like that carousel, ever circling, getting nowhere...
No!
She shook her head. She wouldn't think like that; she couldn't! Riza was in trouble and Utena had to go help her. She turned away from the taunting attraction. She gave it one last look over her shoulder and snorted. Away she ran, off to the ruins, deeper into the mist.
In that last look, she had seen something that definitely shouldn't be there. Dios, her erstwhile prince, had been sitting on the white horse. She ran faster. She pushed him from her mind. He was gone, she was the prince now. And someone needed her help somewhere in the ruins. The hairs stood up on the back of her neck as she went deeper in.
It felt like Dios was still there. Watching her, emotionless.