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
(
Beating like a hammer... )
Comments 76
But now Utena. She had refused Riza's warning and come running out into the dangers of the dark too. She had pointedly ignored Riza's warnings and come pelting out into a place she had no familiarity with to find Riza, though she had no idea where in the ruins she was.
So Riza would have to find her.
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"Riza!" Utena's voice was actually muffled by the thick mist. She highly doubted that anyone would hear her. She'd have to go deeper.
How would she find Riza? Once again, she had rushed head long into something without thinking it through. She gave a frustrated sigh. She had to come up with some sort of plan.
If people patrolled, there should be some sort of path that they follow. She scanned the outer most edges for signs of constant footfall. For once, she had a stroke of luck. There was a barely visible trail going off to the right.
She followed the trail. Perhaps Riza had done the same thing.
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With the semiautomatic in her hands, fully loaded and safety off, she ran toward the edge of the city and hoped that she didn't miss the girl in the clinging mist.
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"Riza! Where are you?"
She wondered if Riza had wandered from the path, lost in the mist. No, that was foolish. Riza was too good for such a foolish move. The air, which had a stale smell before, suddenly changed scents. Now there was a familiar smell...roses! Like her prince! But it was slightly different, something acidic, burnt almost.
It was gun powder! It had to be Riza, who else could it be? Utena forged ahead into the mist, leaving the trail and following the scent of roses and gunpowder.
"Riza!"
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"It's not as simple as you seem to think. You don't understand. And I can't explain. Suffice it to say that I accepted this fifteen years ago and I accept it now. Prices must be paid, and I paid mine."
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She can't believe what she was hearing. Just accept it? No. Utena never lived her life that way and she wasn't starting now. How could one just sit back and accept that whatever happened they deserved.
"Don't you see what this thing is doing to you? How it's affecting you?"
She turns away angrily to walk toward the door then walk back. When she reached her spot again she stopped and looked at Riza hard. Her voice becomes quiet, with a razor's edge.
"I've seen what keeping secrets like your's leads to. And trust me, it isn't good. If you won't let me help you let someone help you! I don't want to see you end the same way."
That last bit almost put tears in her eyes. She could feel them trying to well but she refused to let them show.
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When Utena began pacing, Riza's expression softened. Clearly there was something beyond her current situation that was distressing her. She could hear a slight waver in the girl's voice and she stood and approached her. First anger and now concern staved off her exhaustion enough to keep her functioning
"I don't need help, I've already dealt with this," she said softly. She reached a hand out to touch Utena's elbow in an attempt to comfort her and watched her with concerned eyes. "This won't go the way you
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She ran her fingers through her hair, frustrated at the woman before her.
"You clearly haven't already dealt with this! If you can't face me with it, how can you face others with it? Others who would understand the implications of ...whatever is on your back!"
When Riza reached out to touch her, she drew back quickly. She didn't want comfort. That was just a pacifier at this point.
"If it won't go the way I think, why are you doing all the same things? Withdrawl, denial, this supposed acceptance...it's all the same!"
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What, exactly, was so hard to get about this? She had the power, the whatever that was on her back, she had the prince she so desperately protected and gave power to, all she needed was the swords. When would they come in?
They already had. Riza, and Anthy to some extent, created her own swords. She isolated herself from potential friends and relationships, following whatever her prince said blindly. Oh, maybe sometimes she worked behind the scenes to help him out, "save" him from his "failures" but his word was always law. And when that word led to his destruction, there would be Riza, blaming herself. The agony of the swords, made real through her own power and mind.
The Rose Bride will do whatever the engaged wishes. The rule that had taunted and haunted her all throughout her ( ... )
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"Well, then. Good to know you aren't completely swallowed by the Rose Bride role."
She turned away, focused on getting a drink again. Even if it was poisoned, it hurt less than looking at Riza right now. And she felt so dry at the moment. She sat down at the table, realizing just how tired she was. She sat straight though, she wouldn't allow any hunching to clue Riza in on her fatigue.
She still had a long fight to go. It was time she accepted that she wasn't going to win it tonight. She would just have t keep telling Riza that she did deserve things, keep arguing until one of them broke. And it wasn't going to be her.
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