♘ duel the eighth. ( voice. video. )

[ofnobility]

( voice. )

[There's no video feed at first, just a few plaintive meows and the muffled sound of a girl's voice:] Wait, can you tell me where--

--at least the basketball court? Hold on--fine, leave! I'll find them myself. Stupid cat.

( video. )

[The Vine blooms. It pans in to a sleeve of a dark blue jacket, and then a hand with a silver ring

Comments

[brustriese]

Another return, hm?

I don't think we met before, but my name is Signum. I'm interested to know what it was like to leave.

[ofnobility]

I guess so. Have a lot of people been leaving and coming back?

My name's Utena. What it was like to leave? ...Things are a little fuzzy, but I think I forgot everything about this place when I went back, and now the memories are showing up again.

[brustriese]

I see. That's consistent with what Lamia is saying. Well, at least the people who've left won't be distracted trying to mount a rescue...

[ofnobility]

Lamia? Miss Lamia, I remember her! She helped me when I first got here. She's back too?

Maybe that's the point. If no one remembers what it was like being here, then the Queen and everyone that works for her keeps everyone left here trapped.

video;

[heretolookhot]

Welcome back, babe.

I don't know anyone named Anthy, sorry.

video;

[ofnobility]

Santana! Boy, am I sure glad to see you. [a pause, and she amends, quickly:] That is, I'm not glad you're still trapped here, but it's nice that there are people who still remember me. ...Have you been okay?

Yeah, that's what everyone else told me. I was hoping she'd shown up by now.

video;

[heretolookhot]

I guess. It's the same old bullshit, really.

video;

[ofnobility]

[a helpless shrug.] I guess that's better than stuff you're not used to. All the same, I'm happy you're okay.

video;

[fatedmagia]

You were here before...?

video;

[ofnobility]

Uh-huh. A few months ago. Hey, I remember you...Madoka-chan, right?

video;

[fatedmagia]

[ She pauses, and then-- ] ... Ah. You're Utena-san!

video;

[ofnobility]

Yep, that's me. I met you right before I left.

[Video] So laaaate

[loly_poison]

...what is a basketball court?

[Video] it's all good!

[ofnobility]

[Already used to talking about this with Xion, she goes right into an explanation:] It's a place where you play a game called basketball. There's an orange ball with black stripes; that's the basketball. And the goal of the game is to shoot the ball into the opposite team's hoop on the other side of the court.

[Video]

[loly_poison]

[Loly listens, but still looks confused by part of it.]

What's the point of playing a game like that? What do you get out of it?

[Video]

[ofnobility]

Er...[Utena pauses, considering.] It's fun.

lmao oops [video]

[headedforhope]

[Something flickers in Mami's memory, makes her stop and regard Utena. It was awhile ago, their first meeting, and much has happened since- terrible things, beautiful things, powerful things that forced much else out of Mami's head until her mind could calm itself and her heart begin to heal. But after a few heavy moments, the name of this girl comes back to her, and the brief history they shared (if you can even call it that).]

...ah, Tenjou-san. Yes, I remember you; the feeling might not be mutual though, since it's been [a pause the space of a breath as Mami thinks back] a little over three months since we last met. As for your questions....I'm sorry to say that I don't know. There's certainly been no word from a girl by that name on the Vine that I've seen, but something like that isn't always conclusive.

[video]

[ofnobility]

[It's been a while, and Utena's memories of the Garden are still vaguely hazy, hard to grasp. But she remembers Mami, and notably, the magic she'd used to destroy the robots.]

I remember you, Mami-san. It's nice to see you again. Have you been doing all right? [She nods, at the mention of the length of time, having already been told by a few others, and her smile loses some of its brilliance when Anthy is brought up.] Yeah. I guess she didn't make it here with me again. She would've said something by now if she had.

[video]

[headedforhope]

[her eyebrows raise a little in brief surprise before settling- she wasn't expecting to be remembered.] Thank you, the feeling's mutual. And I'm fine. [The response is smooth, yet vague; Mami doesn't want to talk about how she's been. She's tired of thinking about that, weary of the memories, and she brushes a pigtail back over her shoulder as if idly sweeping away the question.]

She might arrive later on, of course....not much has changed since you left, I'm afraid. The Queen's as capricious about whom she spirits away as ever. [her mouth quirks into a curving, tight little grin for just a moment before her expression smooths out again into careful blankness; old habits die hard.] I'm not sure if either of you would be better off here, but that's not my business. I'm just sorry I couldn't have been of more help.

[video]

[ofnobility]

[The answer is vague, but Utena isn't much for reading between the lines (and isn't good at it anyway), so she accepts the answer. The mention of the Queen however, makes her expression darken.] And she's still making the same excuses, I bet.

[She considers if she and Anthy would truly be better off here. Arguably, Anthy would have some greater measure of freedom, the dueling games would be gone...but a garden prison isn't much better.] I'm not sure if she'd like it here or not. She's a little strange, sometimes. [An understatement.] And it's fine. Thanks for letting me know.