queenofheartsrp | # video / action

[She must ...

She must not need to know.]

It's nice to see you again.

[Nine whole hours later.]

[A helpless smile. It's almost sad.] It's nice to see you again too, Himemiya.

[A moment passes, and then she removes her coat to drape it over Anthy's shoulders. She doesn't remove the scarf, however.] Did you talk to anyone else?

[Anthy lifts a hand to touch the coat, distracted.]

Besides the cat? Oh, yes.

[Quite a few people.

You might think that she would take this opportunity to describe them.]

Oh, good. [She seems relieved...at least Anthy is talking to someone.] Who'd you talk to? Er, and are you cold out here? [Utena takes this moment to tuck the coat more securely around Anthy's shoulders.]

I'm fine, Utena-sama.

[She doesn't look cold, despite the familiar, poorly insulated uniform. But her hand stays draped over the edge of Utena's coat, holding it in place against her arm.]

Oh ... there was a fox. [A moment of thought.] And some girls. Is the vine like a television station?

Something like that. It's more like a...telephone, with video and stuff. Everyone uses it to talk to each other around here.

[She stretches an arm behind her head.] That's another thing...only girls are allowed here. I haven't seen a boy yet. There's a weird lady in charge. She calls herself the Queen.

The Queen?

[Surely there was never a queen, only princes and princesses. And witches.]

Do you think maybe it's time we went back?

[Utena's expression immediately sobers. She frowns, shifts her weight from one leg to the other.]

Ah...yeah, the Queen. I've only seen her a few times. She's really odd. She says - Himemiya, we can't go back right now. No one's found a way out yet.

[For a few moments, Anthy is silent. Then:]

I see.

[Utena is (somewhat) accustomed to Anthy's unnerving calm, but this placid response throws her off considerably. She stares for a moment, uncomprehending, and then asks:]

That's all? [A pause.] Don't you have any questions?

[She blinks uncertainly at Utena, distracted from her reverie.]

What questions should I ask?

Well...[She sighs.] Anything. You're not curious at all?

[She may look different -- older -- but she's definitely Utena. Anthy obligingly asks,]

Who takes care of the flowers?

The animals do, I think. Or they take care of themselves. I never see anyone tending them.

[She slumps her shoulders, clearly disappointed. But she won't ask if Anthy has any questions again, for now. Instead she rubs at her arms, and asks:] Are you ready to go? I've got a place to stay.

[Anthy's gaze lingers on the flowers for a moment longer. They're beautifully kempt; no minor infestations, no rashes of dying leaves. Like a memory of a garden.]

Yes, I'm ready to go.

[And with that, Utena begins to walk.] Okay. Just follow me.

[She's cold, and dimly uncomfortable - restless is the word that comes to mind. There's no way Anthy's not worried or frightened, she decides, and so begins to explain things without being asked.]

There are all sorts of people here. They say they're from different worlds. The only one from Ohtori that's been here besides me was Juri-senpai...um, but she's gone now. I guess she got to go home.

[She glances over her shoulder and smiles.] So we might get home too, one day. And there are a lot of nice people here. I've made a lot of friends.

Yes.

[Said in absent agreement: you've made friends. From different worlds. Of course Utena wouldn't realize, wouldn't know that there are places in Ohtori ... Utena wouldn't remember Nemuro Memorial Hall ...

But it's strange that she couldn't place the girls, not any of them.

Anthy smiles back.]

It must have been confusing, at first.

[The smile seems to placate Utena, for the moment. She nods her head.] Yeah. Sometimes it still is.

[And here she looks away, stretches her arms out in front of her in a nervous gesture.] Things get kinda weird here. But don't worry. I'll make sure you'll be okay.

[She can't really bring herself to talk about the romantic aspects to the Gardens. Not yet.]

[In contrast, Anthy's hands are clasped demurely. She's paying very little attention to her surroundings as she walks; not as though she knows where she's going -- she's still following Utena, a half-step behind -- but as though she doesn't expect it to matter whether she remembers the way they came.]

Really?

[It's a significant walk back to civilization. Utena had forgotten this - it'd been a long while since she'd greeted a new arrival.]

Mm, it... [How to explain.] The Queen only brings girls here for a certain reason.

[Her shoulders hunch, and the line of tension down her spine is clearly evident.] So a lot of odd things happen because of that.

[Anthy blinks at her, attention caught by Utena's discomfort more than her words.]

A certain reason ... ?

[Again, Utena stretches an arm over her head, but the gesture seems to be more of an attempt to buy time than anything else.] Yeah. It's...hard to explain, but the Queen likes romantic stuff. [She is grateful to be turned away, so that Anthy won't see her blush.] She acts like a matchmaker, but since there are only girls here, well...

[Anthy listens with her usual vacant smile; they could be discussing whether to have shaved ice for lunch. When Utena pauses, she echoes,]

Well?

[Another long patch of embarrassed silence, and finally, Utena coughs into her fist.] Well, she wants to set all the girls up.

[A beat.]

Oh, I see.

[Placidly.]

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