Chapter 3 -- The Orange Rose
The gym was extremely crowded; it was filled with people from wall to wall. Observers on the left and right sides filled with other fencers in the middle. If it were anymore crowded it would have been a fire hazard. Utena entered her high school's physical education building and grinned. Unlike most of the people there, she knew exactly the perfect spot to take a seat. She knew Mitsuru would appreciate it as he seemed to love fencing. He had asked her to come with him to watch this world famous fencer whose name eluded Utena at the moment.
"Hurry, Utena they're going to start soon!" The blonde boy had already started ahead of her excitedly.
"Yeah, I'm coming." Utena sighed looking at the large score board and the amazing art that had been painted on the walls. Hands in her pockets she walked across the wood floors over to a pop machine.
"Well? Where's this great spot?" Tsuwabuki scratched his head and gave Utena a funny look.
She frowned. "Taken." She stared at the top of the pop machine. "Look, you can sit on my shoulders or something." Utena started turning from the machine.
"Its huge though, Utena.She could share. Come on it's a great spot! All you gotta do is ask."
She didn't want to do that. Not only did she usually avoid contact with most people, this person in particular stirred a particular feeling inside of her. Inexplicable. She shook her head and looked at the girl who seemed focused on the center mat where a fencer more than likely stood ready for a challenger. Her focus was never shifting; her eyes were a blue that matched her short stylish hair.
Utena looked at Mitsuru give her a kicked puppy dogface and groaned. "Don't do that. Fine, fine, just stop already."
"Miss?" Utena tried to get her attention. She cleared her throat. "Excuse me, miss?" Her technique seemed to work.
"What?" Came a quick reply. It wasn't spat back or angry.but usually it was rude to answer to someone like that when they were trying to be polite. Not to mention that this woman made Utena want to hide under a rock. However the other girl's expression became one of slight confusion.
"You're." She didn't finish which gave Utena a chance to speak.
"I was wondering if the kid could share your spot.he's dying to see." The small blonde whispered the name to her. "To see Arisugawa Juri in her matches."
She seemed to want to growl and pounce but only narrowed her eyes, which looked more like a glare. And answered, "I was leaving anyway." She leaped off the machine. "The spots yours."
Utena didn't get a chance to thank her; she seemed to wander off through the crowds off fencers to a particular one in the corner. Well, that's what she observed from the top of the machine. Utena felt panic within in when the girl pointed her out to the fencer.
"Hey Utena?" Tsuwabuki snapped her out of her train of thought.
"Yeah?"
"Why did you quit the basket ball team?"
The question sort of pained her. She really didn't want to quit. Back in grade 10 she had made the move to try and get a spot on the team. Utena had always had a natural skill for sports but she had noticed a few problems any time she would try out. First there were the fights. Utena got into a lot of fights, even though most of the time she felt like a mouse her anger seemed to flare so easily and the adrenaline destroyed fear inside her. Or it was just the fear that made her want to fight. Either way it was what ended her basketball career at the high school. Than there were also daydreams. Usually when playing she would have a certain feeling of déjà vu and it impaired her form playing at times. It would finish in her being sent to guidance to have a "talk" about her past.
"I didn't like basketball much." She lied and watched.
The fencer who was talking to the girl in the corner walked on to the mat. It must have been her. Arisugawa Juri. She held herself tall and strong. Tsuwabuki excitingly pointed her out a few times. She readied herself and though Utena couldn't see her face she knew her expression was on of pure concentration. Her form was sturdy but she looked completely comfortable in her style. A challenger had already placed himself in front of her. His form looked boisterous, so her response to his unruly ways was to disarm him at an alarming rate.
"Next!" Came her piercing call. It reminded Utena of an eagle's song.
iClick./i Came a noise from beside her.
Tsuwabuki had timed it on a stopwatch and he looked on with an amazed expression. Utena stole a look at the stopwatch. It read basically read 2 .58 seconds.
"Not bad." Utena murmured under her breath.
The duels went on, she disarmed, defeated and embarrassed many fencers than left them to learn their lessons privately. Some she had corrected before the fight had even started. It was an amazing skill she had for handling that sword. The duels had finally come to an end after what seemed to be like a hundred fencers. People began to clear out of the gymnasium.
"Lets get going." Utena said still in suspicion from earlier on with the blue haired girl. She really didn't feel like being that pantherous fencer's pray. She hopped off the machine and helped Tsuwabuki down. Tsuwabuki thanked Utena for taking him and left her to find his parents who promised to pick him up if Utena brought him.
"Great." Utena sighed and walked to the back entrance of the gym to avoid the crowd of people leaving through the main doors. She adjusted her hat and stretched. She didn't enjoy being curled into the cross-legged position on that machine for what felt like over an hour.
"It's going to be a cold night."
Utena stalled on the spot. She didn't have to look to her left to know who it was. The eagle's song rang swiftly through her mind.
"Arisugawa-san." Utena greeted respectively looking ahead.
"We have some matters to discuss ab--."
"We have nothing to discuss." Utena cut in abruptly, she tested this wild animal. She felt to put her in a cage and see how angry she could get her by poking her with a stick. "I don't know you. There is nothing to discuss."
"I'd like to think I've grown more patient over the years, Tenjou.but I won't tolerate bullshit from you. Join me and Kozue for a drink."
What had possessed her to agree to this, she didn't know her but she did know her. It was from before and she could feel it. The question now was.did she really want to know? She had woken from a lethal wound and with no memory.did she really want to remember what she was doing to be injured the was she had been? It didn't seem like she had a choice in the matter though.the burning in her heart had caused a moment of bravery where she followed the two strangers to their car.
The gym was extremely crowded; it was filled with people from wall to wall. Observers on the left and right sides filled with other fencers in the middle. If it were anymore crowded it would have been a fire hazard. Utena entered her high school's physical education building and grinned. Unlike most of the people there, she knew exactly the perfect spot to take a seat. She knew Mitsuru would appreciate it as he seemed to love fencing. He had asked her to come with him to watch this world famous fencer whose name eluded Utena at the moment.
"Hurry, Utena they're going to start soon!" The blonde boy had already started ahead of her excitedly.
"Yeah, I'm coming." Utena sighed looking at the large score board and the amazing art that had been painted on the walls. Hands in her pockets she walked across the wood floors over to a pop machine.
"Well? Where's this great spot?" Tsuwabuki scratched his head and gave Utena a funny look.
She frowned. "Taken." She stared at the top of the pop machine. "Look, you can sit on my shoulders or something." Utena started turning from the machine.
"Its huge though, Utena.She could share. Come on it's a great spot! All you gotta do is ask."
She didn't want to do that. Not only did she usually avoid contact with most people, this person in particular stirred a particular feeling inside of her. Inexplicable. She shook her head and looked at the girl who seemed focused on the center mat where a fencer more than likely stood ready for a challenger. Her focus was never shifting; her eyes were a blue that matched her short stylish hair.
Utena looked at Mitsuru give her a kicked puppy dogface and groaned. "Don't do that. Fine, fine, just stop already."
"Miss?" Utena tried to get her attention. She cleared her throat. "Excuse me, miss?" Her technique seemed to work.
"What?" Came a quick reply. It wasn't spat back or angry.but usually it was rude to answer to someone like that when they were trying to be polite. Not to mention that this woman made Utena want to hide under a rock. However the other girl's expression became one of slight confusion.
"You're." She didn't finish which gave Utena a chance to speak.
"I was wondering if the kid could share your spot.he's dying to see." The small blonde whispered the name to her. "To see Arisugawa Juri in her matches."
She seemed to want to growl and pounce but only narrowed her eyes, which looked more like a glare. And answered, "I was leaving anyway." She leaped off the machine. "The spots yours."
Utena didn't get a chance to thank her; she seemed to wander off through the crowds off fencers to a particular one in the corner. Well, that's what she observed from the top of the machine. Utena felt panic within in when the girl pointed her out to the fencer.
"Hey Utena?" Tsuwabuki snapped her out of her train of thought.
"Yeah?"
"Why did you quit the basket ball team?"
The question sort of pained her. She really didn't want to quit. Back in grade 10 she had made the move to try and get a spot on the team. Utena had always had a natural skill for sports but she had noticed a few problems any time she would try out. First there were the fights. Utena got into a lot of fights, even though most of the time she felt like a mouse her anger seemed to flare so easily and the adrenaline destroyed fear inside her. Or it was just the fear that made her want to fight. Either way it was what ended her basketball career at the high school. Than there were also daydreams. Usually when playing she would have a certain feeling of déjà vu and it impaired her form playing at times. It would finish in her being sent to guidance to have a "talk" about her past.
"I didn't like basketball much." She lied and watched.
The fencer who was talking to the girl in the corner walked on to the mat. It must have been her. Arisugawa Juri. She held herself tall and strong. Tsuwabuki excitingly pointed her out a few times. She readied herself and though Utena couldn't see her face she knew her expression was on of pure concentration. Her form was sturdy but she looked completely comfortable in her style. A challenger had already placed himself in front of her. His form looked boisterous, so her response to his unruly ways was to disarm him at an alarming rate.
"Next!" Came her piercing call. It reminded Utena of an eagle's song.
iClick./i Came a noise from beside her.
Tsuwabuki had timed it on a stopwatch and he looked on with an amazed expression. Utena stole a look at the stopwatch. It read basically read 2 .58 seconds.
"Not bad." Utena murmured under her breath.
The duels went on, she disarmed, defeated and embarrassed many fencers than left them to learn their lessons privately. Some she had corrected before the fight had even started. It was an amazing skill she had for handling that sword. The duels had finally come to an end after what seemed to be like a hundred fencers. People began to clear out of the gymnasium.
"Lets get going." Utena said still in suspicion from earlier on with the blue haired girl. She really didn't feel like being that pantherous fencer's pray. She hopped off the machine and helped Tsuwabuki down. Tsuwabuki thanked Utena for taking him and left her to find his parents who promised to pick him up if Utena brought him.
"Great." Utena sighed and walked to the back entrance of the gym to avoid the crowd of people leaving through the main doors. She adjusted her hat and stretched. She didn't enjoy being curled into the cross-legged position on that machine for what felt like over an hour.
"It's going to be a cold night."
Utena stalled on the spot. She didn't have to look to her left to know who it was. The eagle's song rang swiftly through her mind.
"Arisugawa-san." Utena greeted respectively looking ahead.
"We have some matters to discuss ab--."
"We have nothing to discuss." Utena cut in abruptly, she tested this wild animal. She felt to put her in a cage and see how angry she could get her by poking her with a stick. "I don't know you. There is nothing to discuss."
"I'd like to think I've grown more patient over the years, Tenjou.but I won't tolerate bullshit from you. Join me and Kozue for a drink."
What had possessed her to agree to this, she didn't know her but she did know her. It was from before and she could feel it. The question now was.did she really want to know? She had woken from a lethal wound and with no memory.did she really want to remember what she was doing to be injured the was she had been? It didn't seem like she had a choice in the matter though.the burning in her heart had caused a moment of bravery where she followed the two strangers to their car.