exsilium | duel two (video.)

[The screen flickers on to show Utena sitting on the foot of her bed. Said bed is unusually rumpled, and she looks bleary-eyed and tired. Her hair is disheveled too, but when she turns to the camera, she manages a sleepy grin. It's only a little forced.]

Uh, hi, to everyone who's been here, and all the new people. I think this is around the time new people show up, is that right? For everyone who doesn't know me, I'm Utena Tenjou. I'm fifteen years old...I think. [She rubs the back of her neck, and sheepishly adds:] My birthday's gone by since I got here, but I'm not sure if that counts. It's good to meet you all.

[Her voice sobers some, and she slows down.]

Ah, I wanted to thank everyone who helped me and Himemiya out a few weeks ago. It means a lot. I wasn't really myself then, so...sorry for any trouble. [It almost looks as if she'll stop the message there, but she continues after an overlong pause:]

Say, I was wondering, well, when I was, ah...well anyway. I noticed there's a lot of buildings around here that are run-down. That big greenhouse in the city looks pretty bad, and I thought maybe a bunch of us could get together and help clean it up a little. Y'know, get all the glass fixed, and plant flowers. Where I'm from, there's gardens everywhere, so I miss it a little.

[Her gaze drops. She looks off to the side, and then starts a little, as if suddenly remembering something:] Oh! And to everyone I asked about sports the last time, there's a way we can play without finding a field. I asked around, and that VR machine'll make any kind of field or court we want. That's great, huh? I wanna host a game soon. Maybe we can have something like that once a week. It gets dull around here.

Mm, that's all. [She rests her hand against her mouth, looks and sounds thoughtful. Mumbled:] If anyone's interested in a game or in helping with the greenhouse, you can find me around anywhere, but I stay in room 705.

I had one last question. Does anyone know how to cook? I wanna learn. There's not a lot of instant stuff to eat here, and I'm not so good at cooking from scratch yet...

[After a while:] Hey, Nanami-kun. Are you still here?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That sounds pretty dangerous. Is it the same with everyone in your world?

Not everyone. Only some people are Gates--people with the capability to become wizards. Some of them go their entire lives without finding out, some defeat their point of despair and become wizards, and... some lose. They're eaten from the inside out by their Phantoms.

I fight Phantoms--all they want to do is create more Phantoms, so every gate is in danger while they're around.

I guess it might be dangerous, but there's no one else.

[He shrugs, casual.]

I guess there's no magic in your home?

Wow...

[So he's a superhero, basically. Utena has miraculously, not met any of those yet, other than Korra.

At the mention of magic in her world though, she frowns, contemplative.] I'm not sure. There's a friend of mine...but I don't know what she can do.

It's not that amazing...

[A beat.]

Okay, maybe it is. But I'm just doing what has to be done.

[His eyebrows rise.]

Your friend from when you were small, or someone else?

It sounds pretty amazing to me.

[It was not every day that she met superheroes. But at the mention of Anthy, her expression falls a little, becomes difficult to read.

A small nod.] And yeah, that's the one. Himemiya.

[He catches the change in expression, but he's not totally sure what it means--obviously it's attached to Himemiya, but...

Right. For what it's worth, personally magic is just a tool. It doesn't change who you are, really. If she's your friend, she's your friend.

It's not that.

[She's quick to say that.] I'm not sure. I don't know a lot about her, I think. I thought I did, but since that time...

[...She realizes she is oversharing, and quickly backtracks.] Sorry, I got carried away.

'That time'...?

[He's interested, now, but she looks uncomfortable, so he pulls back himself.] It's fine. If you need to talk, though, you know where to find me.

[He smiles.] Helping people's part of what I do, after all.

Huh?

[It sounds like something she would say to a stranger, honestly, but the same courtesy is rarely extended to her.] But you don't even know me.

[His eyebrows arch.] Do we have to be friends for me to offer to help you out if you need it?

Huh? Ah-ah... [She's flustered, suddenly.] It's not really that. It's just not anything I expect people to say.

duel two (video.)

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