Noir

By spheeris1

Pairing: Utena/Anthy [others implied]

Warnings/notes: See 'Teaser' & 'Ichi'

~~~

[An Interlude Wrapped In A Dream]

Everyone uses a catch phrase sometimes. A nice little line that just sums up a moment in time, something you swipe from a book or movie or even another person. We all do it now and again.

A soundtrack runs along in our brains, giving us the music to live day-to-day life to…and then the monologue begins.

Talking to yourself, a never-ending Q&A session inside your head.

You want life to play out like a screenplay?

So be it.

~

'I am so not in Kansas anymore…' Utena says as she stands unmoving, blocking the others from getting in. A few unkind requests to shuffle it along jolts her out of the stupor.

Utena was used to the silly daydreams of her youth. Gonna be famous, gonna be rich…gonna fall in love…yadda, yadda, yadda.

Utena was even used to the disturbing dichotomy of images that plagued her nighttime playground: ordinary activities tinged with surreal hues…solutions to eon-old problems that fade with the dawn.

But this one…this one is a real doozy.

Utena checks herself out in a full-length mirror.

Black tux, looking a little worse for wear, fits her snugly. Utena knows she does not own a tuxedo, but this is a dream…so who cares?

'Here's your number, Tenjou-san.' A young girl says, handing Utena a small ticket of paper.

'Thirty-nine…' Utena murmurs. The girl, who looks a lot like someone Utena should know, winks and grins.

'A lucky number that one, Tenjou-san…can I show you to your regular table?'

'Yea…sure.'

Utena follows the girl in, who keeps looking back and grinning. Utena grins back.

'Here you go. I'll have your drink brought over in just a second.' Still grinning.

Utena snatches her arm and pulls her closer. The girl blushes, a nice pink spreading over her cheeks.

'What's your name again, lovely?'

'You really are such a joker, Tenjou-san…' a playful slap on the wrist '…you know my name is Wakaba.'

And with that, she darts off.

Utena scans the crowded restaurant. Some of the faces are familiar to her…almost bizarrely familiar…

Two men sit at the bar, the same dapper attire on them that Utena herself wears.

One is smiling lazy-like, his hands slipping through the hair of some young girl…and he touches her skin like it is heaven.

The other guy knocks back something in a shot glass and loosens his black bow-tie.

Utena can tell without being up-close that the girl and the alcohol is not the main attraction for these two.

The eyes are watching everything too much. Too attentive.

A drink is put down in front of her and Utena follows the arm up.

'I know you right?' Utena smiles.

The woman smiles back and sits herself down. Orange curls frame her face as she leans forward, kissing Utena's lips like it is normal.

'You play dangerous games, Utena. Coming here after being thrown out…you must like getting burned…' She coos breathlessly. Utena just keeps on smiling.

'I like fire. Don't you?'

'Sometimes. And sometimes…' she stands up and offers her hand '…I like to play things cool. Dance?'

Utena takes her hand and allows the woman to take the lead. The woman snaps her fingers and the music begins, soft jazzy piano coming from the dimly lit stage.

Others join the floor, swirling couples and fancy dress and cigarette smoke.

'They have not seen you yet. You can still get out.' The woman whispers into Utena's ear. Utena holds her tight.

'Maybe I don't want to get out…'

And the woman laughs, it ripples throughout her body. It's a nice feeling to Utena's fingertips.

'You did always love giving those two the runaround.'

And Utena glances at the two men at the bar. They are watching her now.

One with red hair. One with green hair. They whisper to each other and nod to each other. Like friends…

'Tell me something…' Utena looks at the woman expectantly. The woman smiles and rolls her eyes.

'Juri. Trust you to forget.'

'Tell me something, Juri…how often do I come here to play?'

Juri loses the smile, her eyes grow distant and Utena feels as though she is holding air instead of a person.

'Too often.' Juri answers as the lights go down and everyone returns to their tables.

Utena watches her walk away, merging with the people and leaving by a door next to the stage.

The piano player has his eyes closed.

His fingers glide over the keys, giving heart to meaningless sound…Utena is sure that she knows him as well. The paleness of his face, his thin fingers, his disheveled blue hair…

A clock tolls and he smiles out to the crowd of people.

'Time for our star, ladies and gentlemen. The lady who makes you keep coming back, the lady who has won all our hearts--our very own songbird, the Rose Bride.'

Everyone begins to cheer, whistles echo through the people. The light forms a perfect circle of hazy purple to reveal the reason for the applause.

Surrounded by glittering bars of gold.

Rose petals covering her bare feet.

Wave upon wave of violet hair, seeming to sparkle under the glare of spotlight.

Spaghetti-strap red dress of satin that her body swims in.

And she pulls the microphone down, cupping its lifeless metal and wires to her lips…

…and the piano player begins to play once more…

'Please…release me…let me go…' Rose Bride croons, her voice slipping over Utena like velvet.

And Utena is up once more, walking past the tables and ignore the commands to sit back down. She ignores the two men, leaving the bar and rushing toward her.

All Utena can see is the singer, the lady in a cage, The Rose Bride.

But as soon as she gets near, the curtain is drawn. The lights go up. The doors bust open and Utena spins around.

Everyone is running to the exits. Utena stops Wakaba.

'What's going on?'

'Raid. C'mon…I'll get you out…'

'But what about the Rose Bride?'

'She knows the way out, Tenjou-san. She always has.'

Utena lets herself get dragged away, her eyes still watching the shielded stage.

Just behind the curtain, just right behind it…

As the door begins to slam shut, Utena can still hear her singing. But it is no longer a song…it is a plea.

'Please release me…let me go…'

~~~

TBC