[KnM][RGU][MH] Revolutions
Revolutions – Chapter 8 (First Contact, Blue-Green Eyes)
A Kannazuki no Miko, Revolutionary Girl Utena and Mai Hime X-Over Fanfic
January 28, 2013 – February 17, 2013
Word Count: 8,500
NOTES: The characters from Kannazuki no Miko (KnM), Revolutionary Girl Utena (RGU), and Mai Hime (MH) that appear in this fanfic do not belong to the author and are being used without permission from their owners, who include TNK for KnM, J.C. Staff for RGU, and Bandai for MH.
The main story takes place a few weeks after Mai Hime, about 15-16 years after the end of RGU, and about 15-16 years after the end of KnM.
More Author's notes follow at the end. Comments and Criticisms are greatly appreciated!
*FIVE YEARS AGO*
The sound of her dressing room door opening and then clicking shut told Juri that it had to be Daidouji Tomoyo who had entered. No one else would have dared to disturb her, after the disaster that had just occurred on the set, not if they wanted to keep their heads attached to their necks.
"Juri-san..." Tomoyo said softly, in apologetic tones.
"You're fired." Juri replied flatly, not looking up from where she was seated in front of the well lit mirror, shielding her eyes with one hand.
Tomoyo sighed. "You can't fire me, Juri-san. I'm your boss. I hired you."
"You also hired the most insulting, smarmy, asshole piece of gutter trash photographer in the entire industry."
"I did, and I am sorry. I'll take full responsibility for that." The designer said quietly. "He's already been escorted off the premises by security. You'll never have to see him again." She paused. "How are you feeling?"
"How would you be feeling?" Juri snapped, finally looking over at the other woman, her blue-green eyes still ablaze with fury.
"Juri-san..." Walking over to the flame haired model, Tomoyo wrapped her arms around Juri's head and pulled her into a hug. Juri's eyes widened at the unexpected gesture and she would have bodily shoved Tomoyo away, except that the purple-gray haired woman's soothing words reached her ears first. "I'm sorry, truly, I am. That was a severe lapse in judgement on my part. Suzuki came recommended by a list of designers as long as my arm, but I should have realized something was wrong when we couldn't get a single model to work with him, which was the only reason why I asked you to step up in the first place..."
Still simmering, Juri let herself be held for a few more moments before she finally calmed down enough to gently escape from Tomoyo's embrace, and looked up at her friend's worried blue-grey eyes. "So what happens now? Do we have to cancel the shoot? Now there's a fortune down the drain." Juri had known that the fashion industry was brutal when she'd first decided to accept her long-time friend's proposal to start up a fashion line of their own, but she hadn't counted on everything that could go wrong, actually going wrong.
"Well, there is a backup photographer," Tomoyo admitted. "If you're up for it. She's new, and she doesn't have very many credits at all to her name, but, I gotta say, I did get a very good feeling from her when I first met her."
Juri thought about it for a moment, and then nodded. "Alright. I'll give it a try." Standing up, she tightened her dressing gown about her waist, and followed Tomoyo out of the dressing room and back out onto the set where Miracles was about to shoot for their first catalogue. Wanting to make a splash with their inaugural issue, it had even been Juri's idea to feature Tomoyo's lingerie line. Sex sold, after all, and Tomoyo had then managed to convince Juri to put her professional image on the line with the modeling.
The mood on the set was tense, to say the least, none of the crew members making eye contact with Juri. That suited her just fine. They'd all seen super model hissy fits in their time, but the way Juri had been handled, they could almost understand her melt down.
A small woman with long, tawny colored hair tied back with a bow was kneeling on the set, various lenses down on the floor in front of her. She put one onto her camera, looked through the eye piece, and then took it off to try another one.
"Kurusugawa-san," Tomoyo said gently. "Could you come here?"
The small woman looked up upon hearing her name, and then quickly got up to go to them.
Juri froze as the other woman approached.
She had the most marvellous purple eyes. They reminded Juri of Shiori instantly, back when they were children, young children, before puberty hit and everything went crazy. Shiori's eyes may have been a deeper shade of purple, but they had that same, innocent, guile-free purity about them.
Suddenly, on her way walking over, the woman tripped and those marvellous lilac colored eyes went wide as she began to fall forward.
Reacting by instinct, Juri quickly stepped forward and caught the photographer before she could destroy her very expensive equipment.
"Oh!" The small woman gave a cry of surprise when she was caught. She looked up into Juri's face, and those eyes, those beautiful, beautiful eyes, locked onto Juri's blue-green own.
They stared at each other awkwardly for a few moments, before Juri came back to herself, and furrowed her brow. "Watch it," she snapped. "Where's your head at?"
"Sorry!" The woman peeped, quickly getting back to her feet. She bowed profusely. "Thank you! Um, my name is Kurusugawa Himeko! Pleased to meet you!"
"Arisugawa Juri," Juri replied back, coolly. "Let's just get this over with." Stalking passed the other woman, she climbed up onto the set, and narrowed her eyes when the bright lights prevented her from being able to see anything.
"Ah, hai!" Quickly following after Juri, Himeko adjusted the lights as quickly as she could so that they didn't blind the model and then gave some instruction to the crew regarding some of the other settings. Finally turning back to Juri, Himeko raised her camera. "Okay, Arisugawa-san. Whenever you're ready."
Juri clenched at her dressing gown protectively for a few more moments, until an aid came by to take it from her. Gritting her teeth, she reluctantly doffed the gown and handed it to him, leaving her standing in nothing more than orange and white, nautical themed bra, panties and high heels.
"Hai, thank you, Arisugawa-san." Looking through her lenses at Juri for a few minutes, Himeko frowned ever so slightly as she walked back and forth, studying the woman from a variety of different angles. Every once in a while, she'd ask the crew members to adjust various things about the set. Juri could feel the scowl on her face deepening as she wondered what was taking so damn long. But before Juri could snap the question, the photographer simply lowered her camera, and flashed her a reassuring smile that took the bite right out of Juri's mouth.
"Um, everyone!" Himeko raised her voice a little, so that the crew could hear her high, bell-like voice. "Could I trouble everyone to leave the set for maybe twenty minutes please?"
There was a murmur of confusion as the various crew members looked at each other and then, shrugging, did as the photographer asked them to do.
"Thank you! Oh, except for you, Daidouji-san, could you come here please?" Himeko smiled politely at the designer, tilting her head.
Looking amused, Tomoyo came over. "Yes? What is it, Kurusugawa-san?"
"You're wearing your own line of intimates at the moment too, aren't you?"
Tomoyo's eyebrows rose. She smiled faintly. "And what if I am?"
"Um, would you mind taking off your clothes?" Himeko asked, blushing a little bit at the brazen request. "I think it might make for the best result if you were in the shot with Arisugawa-san because... um, well, for several reasons. This is the first issue for your joint company, right? And you are the designer after all. Would you be able to stand behind your work for the camera?"
The designer laughed. "Is that what you want to see? What about makeup?"
"I can help you with that." Himeko replied, heading towards the makeup stand.
On the set, Juri couldn't help but feel a smile come onto her somewhat shocked face as Tomoyo turned around and regarded her with an amused smile. "Did you put her up to this, Juri-san?" Tomoyo asked.
Juri shook her head.
"Hmm." Tomoyo laughed, a little embarrassedly. "Well, since you are effectively challenging me on the quality of my work, I suppose I can't really say no." She started to unbutton her shirt.
The next twenty minutes went by quickly, and comfortably. Juri was amazed by how painless the entire experience was. Actually, 'painless' wasn't the right descriptor, she realized. She might have even had fun. By the time the crew had returned, both owners of Miracles were back in their dressing gowns and sitting in chairs off to the side of the set, talking quietly between themselves.
"Thank you, Arisugawa-san, Daidouji-san." Himeko said. "I'll just go get these uploaded right away and will send them off to you for your review." Bowing respectfully again, Himeko turned to go.
"Wait," Juri called after her.
The tawny haired woman turned around. "Hmm?" Those marvellous amethyst eyes trained on Juri's own.
For some reason, Juri felt her heart skip a beat. She was wordless for a moment, before she blinked. "Next time we meet," she finally said, "feel free to call me Juri."
Himeko looked surprised for a moment, and then a shy smile came to her face. She blushed again. "Alright, Juri-chan. Please feel free to call me Himeko then." Bowing once more, she left the set.
Tomoyo chuckled as she looked at the expression on Juri's face. "Juri-chan?" She echoed. "Even I can't call you that."
Juri gave her business partner a sardonic look. "Well, I suppose you could too, if you wanted to."
*FOUR YEARS AGO*
"Bowling?" The look that Tomoyo gave Juri was decidedly incredulous. "Really?"
Juri gave Tomoyo a somewhat flat stare. "Is there something wrong with bowling?"
Tomoyo laughed. "No, nothing at all, it's just," she giggled, "I haven't gone bowling since I was fifteen! I wasn't even aware people bowled anymore. Oh, no offence, Juri-chan." She paused. "You... are still trying to court Himeko-chan, aren't you?"
The flame haired fencer frowned. "Why are you asking me that?"
"Well..." Tomoyo looked discretely to the side.
Juri sighed. She sat down heavily in her chair. "Is bowling really so lame?"
Tomoyo really didn't have the heart to answer her old friend, so she asked a question instead. "Well," she said gently. "How much luck have you had so far with this... strategy?"
Juri frowned. "I've never brought anyone down to the lanes before. It's just normally something I do alone."
Now it was Tomoyo's turn to be surprised. "Something you do... Juri-chan, do you bowl regularly?"
"Regularly?" The flame haired woman gave a hollow laugh. "Tomoyo, I've been the district's ten pin champion for the last three years."
"Oh." Tomoyo laughed. "Juri-chan, are you good at everything you do, or do you only do things you are good at?"
Juri didn't dignify the question with a response. It wasn't like this was the first time someone had asked her something along those lines anyway.
"But in any case, that changes the situation a bit," Tomoyo hid an amused smile behind a hand. "Since it is an activity that you regularly engage in, then I think it is not necessarily a bad idea to show Himeko-chan such a side to you, as I'm sure she'll be pleasantly surprised by it. You should still come off as sexually viable to her afterwards, although, to be perfectly honest with you," and now there was a hint of exasperation in Tomoyo's voice, "there are dozens of other date activity alternatives and I'm somewhat disappointed in you for not coming up with something better."
The fencer gave the designer another hooded stare, before lightly rapping her on the head with her knuckles. "This isn't a date, but thank you for the observations from the peanut gallery," she said sarcastically.
*THREE YEARS AGO*
Juri paced back and forth in her living room, scowling and perturbed. She kept this up for several minutes until finally, her irritation getting the better of her, Juri sat down in her chair and brought out her cellphone to send Tomoyo a text that most lesbians in the fashion industry received regularly from their closest friends: You bitch.
Shortly thereafter, the designer wrote back. Okay, did something crawl in your dinner and die?
Juri frowned. As if the other woman even had to ask. You. For asking Himeko out on her birthday before I could.
Tomoyo's response only prompted Juri's frown to deepen. What are you talking about? Isn't she with you?
It didn't take Juri long to put two and two together. Getting out of her chair, she grabbed her jacket and buzzed down to the concierge to know that she'll be requiring her car. As she drove over to Himeko's hotel, she made a pit stop at a wine store and bought a bottle of red and a bottle of white (as she wasn't sure what the other woman preferred). After a few more moments of thinking, she decided it was probably safer to also get the bottle opener and a couple of glasses too; she didn't think the photographer would have even these essentials. Oddly, she wasn't angry at the other woman for lying to her (though with anyone else, she probably would have been livid). Instead, there was a curious sensation of fluttering butterflies in her stomach.
Cautious hope.
That the small, tawny haired woman had refused her invitation likely meant that she was aware of Juri's attraction for her. That much, Juri was quite certain.
That Himeko would then come up with an excuse about other plans, rather than simply saying she didn't feel attraction for Juri, suggested to her that, maybe, there was a chance Himeko was indeed attracted to her. This, she was less sure of.
That the photographer would then try to use Tomoyo as a cover for her, and then try to use her as a cover for Tomoyo, rather than another friend, suggested that there really wasn't anyone else in Himeko's life at the moment. Or that she was simply, a terrible liar. Juri decided that both of those things were likely true.
Arriving at the hotel, she made it up to Himeko's room and knocked on the door (a task not quite as simple as it sounded as she held two bottles of wine in one hand, and two wine glasses in the other).
Himeko answered the door wearing a simple tank top and a pair of shorts and her eyes went wide. "Oh!" She swallowed. "Juri-chan! Um, w-what are you doing here?"
Juri opened her mouth to say something witty, but to her surprise, she couldn't come up with anything; the sight of the other woman, despite being so casually dressed, simply took any words she might have had out of her mouth. Instead, she held up the glasses and the bottles and gave the other woman the most heartfelt smile she could muster. It was actually quite brilliant. "Happy Birthday?"
"Oh!" Obviously trapped by her poor attempt at lying, Himeko hedged for a moment, before finally opening the door further. "T-thank you," she stammered out, accepting the bottles. Her hands were too small to also grab the glasses. "Um, do you want to come in?"
"Yes." Stepping into the hotel room, Juri looked about it and noted that it was apartment style – meant for longer term stay – so it had a kitchenette as well in the room. Despite this, and the fact that Himeko had already been staying there for several days, there was no evidence of her really living in the space. The lights were dimmed, but neither the television nor the laptop were turned on. Instead, on the coffee table in the room, there was what looked like a simple photo album – the only personal effect in the entire room – opened to the middle somewhere.
As Juri looked at the photo album, Himeko quickly walked over to it and closed it. Then, she came back over to Juri, blushing to her toes, and Juri mostly forgot about the photo album, greatly distracted by the other woman's comeliness. She idly wondered why she found the other woman so attractive when she blushed; she was quite certain that she herself just looked like a tomato, on the rare occasion that she found herself red-faced. "I take it Tomoyo cancelled?"
Coloring further, Himeko looked at her feet. "... I'm sorry I lied," she said in a very small, very sheepish voice.
Sighing, Juri simply set the glasses down on the counter, and then gently took the bottles of wine from the other woman too, also putting those down. "That's alright." Juri looked around the empty hotel suite. "Do you really prefer to spend your birthday alone in your room than with me?"
"No, of course not," Himeko replied quickly, and Juri was glad to hear the open honesty in the other woman's voice. "Here, can I take your jacket?" Taking the item from Juri, she went to the closet to put it away before coming back. "I just... well..." Himeko continued to blush. "I was just scared. I guess."
"Scared?" Juri stifled a groan. Honestly, was she really as bad as everyone said she was? She frowned. "Do I still scare you?"
Himeko looked up, confused. "Still scare…? Oh, no." She shook her head emphatically. "No, Juri-chan, you've never scared me." She smiled meekly. "It's hard to find someone scary when they're in their underwear the first time you meet them."
Juri smiled sardonically.
"No, it's just... this." Himeko waved her arms about in front of her with a somewhat helpless expression on her face. "This scares me." She bit her lip and looked away, obviously still feeling awkward.
Juri raised an eyebrow. The sardonic smile on her face softened into a kind one. "... would it help if we opened the wine?" She brought the bottle opener out of her purse.
"Gods, yes, please," laughing weakly, Himeko accepted the tool and went to the kitchen. "White or red?"
"Your choice."
Himeko went with the red, and came back a few moments later, handing a glass back to Juri. Juri ended up sitting on the couch while Himeko curled up in the chair in front of the now-closed album. Himeko took a (surprising large) taste of her wine, and then looked at it appraisingly, playing with the stem of her glass. "This is nice, Juri-chan," Himeko said. "Pinot?"
"I never would have guessed you'd know anything about wine," Juri admitted, smiling as she took a sip of her own.
"Oh, I don't, really." Himeko admitted. "But I did spend a little bit of time in a small border town between Italy and France a few years back, at a vineyard. The owner was really nice, and taught me a little bit about wine." Himeko thought about it for a sec. "Oh, what was her name again? Altena-san? Ah, yes. Altena-san, I think."
"Oho. And what were you doing in this little border town?"
"Hmm? Well, I guess I was just looking for a few good shots. I was still trying to submit to a couple of nature magazines at the time, and it really was picturesque there. A friend I met in France suggested I go there if it was photos I was looking for, now who was that..." Himeko's face screwed up in concentration as she thought. "Ah! Mireille-san. I haven't talked to her in a while. I should look her up, next time I go back."
"Next time?" Juri smiled, happy to be learning so much about the pale haired photographer. "Are you going back to Europe soon?"
"Oh, no," Himeko shook her head. "I'll be going to America next, I think. I've got a shoot lined up at the Kaleido Stage, with Layla-san."
"Layla-san..." Juri raised her eyebrows. "Do you mean, Layla Hamilton?"
Himeko nodded.
Juri was impressed, having met the formidable woman once herself. "How did you meet her?"
"The Ogasawara zaibatsu booked a special show at the Kaleido Stage once, for Sachiko-san's birthday." Himeko laughed. "It was very cute. She invited almost all of her old classmates and acquaintances from Lillian to the performance, and I knew Tsutako-san from the photography club."
They laughed and chatted, animated and happy for the next several hours. Himeko regaled Juri with all sorts of tales about all sorts of people she'd met as she had traveled the world, while Juri told Himeko about what the Olympics had been like, how bittersweet silver was. They traded horror stories about the catwalk, and even talked a little bit about their families. Juri was sad to hear that Himeko's parents had passed away early on in a car accident, and Himeko was sympathetic when Juri let Himeko know how poorly her own family had reacted to her preference.
It was late into the night, and both of them were feeling a bit tipsy, when Himeko finished her last story, leaning in conspiratorially and whispering, "... never visit the Chilean hotsprings alone with Shizuma-san again!"
Juri shook her head in disbelief, chuckling weakly. Whoever this Hanazono Shizuma was, she decided, the woman was absolutely ridiculous.
The laughter was contagious, and Himeko couldn't help but share in the fit of giggles.
Eventually, the fit died down, and both women leaned back in their chairs, satiated.
"I can't believe you've been to more places than even I have," Juri said softly. "Himeko, why are you always traveling? What are you looking for in all these places?"
Unexpectedly, as Himeko twirled her empty wine glass, her eyes grew soft, and sad. She looked down at the still closed photo album on the table, and tapped her fingers idly against the cover.
Feeling the shift in the mood, Juri leaned forward. "Himeko?"
The photographer didn't answer right away, simply continuing to tap her fingers on the album. "Blue-green eyes." She said, softly.
Juri raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"
But Himeko didn't repeat herself. Instead, she continued to look pensively at the album, as though Juri wasn't even in the room. She traced her fingers over several worn grooves in the book's cover.
"... Himeko?" Juri finally asked, softly.
The photographer sighed, and opened the album. Turning it around, she pushed it in front of Juri.
Juri stared at the photos. They were old, at least a decade old, and not taken with a professional camera. Giving Himeko a curious look, she flipped through the pages, and could see picture after picture of... nothing. They were pictures of various parts of a school, of a garden, and some of them even had Himeko herself in them, though mostly they did not. The camera must have been broken, because the pictures always seemed to be focused on something that wasn't quite there.
"Himeko, what's this?' Juri asked softly, suddenly getting the feeling that the photographer was sharing something intensely private with her.
Himeko continued to be silent, looking immeasurably sad as she gazed down at the pictures. "Blue-green eyes," she finally repeated softly, though she avoided looking at the set that could be described as such in the room.
Juri swallowed, suddenly feeling her heart beat a little faster. "Himeko?"
The lilac eyed woman remained silent for a while longer. When she finally spoke, there was obvious longing in her voice. "I'm sorry about lying to you, Juri-chan. About being busy tonight." Himeko finally said. "I just... I normally spend my birthdays at home, by myself."
Juri considered this. "Is that by choice, or necessity?" She asked softly.
Himeko paused. "Some years by necessity," she finally admitted. "Some years by choice. But this year..." Himeko trailed off.
The silence in the room was not uncomfortable, so Juri waited for Himeko to speak. It took her a while, and Juri wondered if the other woman was going to say anything at all, but then Himeko finally blurted, "Juri-chan, why are you so interested in me? I'm not... I'm not beautiful or smart or interesting. You could have any woman in the world. So why… why me?"
Juri blinked. "You are a fool," she said, quite quickly, and quite honestly.
Himeko frowned, and looked away.
Cursing her unusually clumsy tongue, Juri put her glass down, and gently took Himeko's hands after removing the other woman's glass from them.
Juri's voice was soft, but clear. And honest. "You are a fool, to think that you are neither beautiful nor smart nor interesting. Himeko, you are all of the above, in spades. Maybe not stunning, but lovely, certainly. Maybe not shrewd, but sensible, yes, of course. Maybe not suave, but charming, most definitely. And I cannot be the only one who has told you this."
Himeko bit her lip, and looked away.
Juri frowned. "You're kidding me. No one has told you this before?"
"... because I've never let myself be told that before," Himeko finally admitted, a hint of desperation in her voice. "I've... I've never gone out on a date before. I've... I've just... been waiting. So long."
The frown on Juri's face deepened. "Who for?"
"... someone special. Just for me." Himeko closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, and looked Juri in the eyes, Juri could see the loneliness, the heartache. Almost a decade, Himeko had spent, trotting around the world. Searching. Hoping. Alone. "I don't know." Himeko said softly, "But I always thought they'd have blue green eyes. Very much like yours."
Juri's heart stirred. "How do you know it's not me?" She asked.
Himeko seemed surprised. "What?"
Juri's grip on the other woman's hand tightened. "How could you know, when you've met this person? This, 'someone special, just for you'?" Juri swallowed. Her heart was pounding so much. "You've never gone on a date before, never even let yourself go on one. So how could you know who it is you're looking for, what you like? How can you be sure you haven't already met them?"
Himeko's brow furrowed. "I-"
"Her eyes were purple too."
"What?" Himeko's eyes widened. "Juri-cha-"
"I waited years." Juri continued. "I waited and I pined and I broke my heart and I never looked at anyone else, and I didn't even know a damn thing about who she really was." Subconsciously, her hold on Himeko's hand got tighter and tighter. Juri didn't realize how hard she was squeezing Himeko's hand until a look of pain came onto the other woman's features. Hastily, she unhanded the other woman. "Sorry." She muttered.
"It's... okay," Himeko assured softly.
They were silent for a long time.
Suddenly, Juri got up, surprising Himeko with the action. Putting her hands on the coffee table, she pushed it away from the both of them roughly, causing the photo album, and both glasses to fall to the ground. The book simply clattered, while one of the glasses broke where the stem met the head. Juri didn't care.
Kneeling down in front of the tawny haired woman where the table once had been, Juri's blue-green eyes brimmed as they fully captured Himeko's amethyst own.
"Don't waste your life." Juri pleaded. There was desperation in her voice. It sounded so foreign to Juri's ears, and it must have sounded strange to Himeko as well. Juri was not one used to begging.
"Take it from someone who's been there, who spent years waiting for someone else to come around. It's just not worth wasting your youth and happiness waiting for a miracle. They may happen, but you still have to reach out to grab one for yourself, and you, you're not even reaching. Please, Himeko, you don't have to give me a chance, but you have to give yourself one. If you don't, one day, you'll wake up, look at yourself in the mirror, and not recognize the bitter old woman looking back at you. The regret will change you, twist you into someone else, kill who you were meant to be. And I... I couldn't bear knowing that I could see that coming, and still let that happen to you."
They continued to stare at each other, longing, so evident in both their eyes.
Himeko looked away.
And Juri felt her heart sink.
*TWO YEARS AGO*
The soft tapping sound of stiletto heels on hardwood prompted Juri to look up, and a vision of absolute beauty captured her rapt attention.
Himeko stood shyly at the top of the stairs of Juri's two story apartment, one hand steadying herself on the banister, the other one holding a crystal clutch, and looked down at Juri, blushing slightly. Her recently cut, now shoulder length tawny colored hair had been expertly styled, and curled around one side of her face, held into place by the diamond encrusted hair piece Juri had given her earlier in the evening. Her makeup was so impeccable, it was as though she was wearing none at all, leaving her skin almost luminescent under the chandelier's light.
She wore a wine red, silk spaghetti strapped dress with a plunging neckline that hugged her petite frame in all the right places. It reached to about her ankles, allowing the sparkling ruby red stilettos to peek out from the hem. Completing the image of sophistication and class were drop style diamond earrings at her ears, along with one elegant platinum bracelet around her left wrist, and matching white ring around her right middle finger.
Juri's breath caught in her throat.
"You look ravishing," she breathed, when Himeko carefully made her way down the stairs successfully, a feat in and of itself, even for women gifted in balance, given the height of the heels, let alone the notoriously clumsy photographer. Standing just before Juri, the normally smaller woman was almost the same height. Juri supposed, she wouldn't even have to tilt her head down very much, to capture the other woman's lips.
Though that would be far too presumptuous of her.
It was, after all, their first real date.
"Thank you," Himeko said softly, obviously pleased but also obviously embarrassed. "You... you spent way too much money on me, Juri-chan," a small, admonishing smile crept onto her face. "I'm wearing more tonight than I made the last two years combined!"
"Then obviously Tomoyo isn't paying you enough," Juri teased. She let her eyes wander slowly down Himeko's body, relishing in the way Himeko's skin seemed to redden just a little bit from the attention, before bringing her eyes back up to meet Himeko's own.
Juri knew that she herself looked exceptional as well. She was decked out in a midnight black power suit Tomoyo had tailored specifically for her, the designer's expert eye knowing exactly where to dart and where to cut to accentuate Juri's naturally lean, yet fully feminine figure, full of mystique. Her hair had been perfectly curled into her trademark ringlets, and though she didn't have quite as much visible jewellery as her date tonight (their first), for Kaoru Miki's orchestral concert (incidentally, his first as well, with the Tokyo philharmonic), what she did wear had been made specifically for her by Sebastian Dior himself and would be the envy of every collector in the hall.
Juri didn't have any doubt that every eye in the place would be able to pick her out... but even she couldn't hold a flame to the Venus that was Kurusugawa Himeko tonight.
There really was only one item out of place.
Around Himeko's neck, a simple, pink seashell hung from a necklace made of yellowing metal.
But Juri could fix that.
Taking the jewellery box out of her pocket, Juri smiled when Himeko's eyes crinkled questioningly. Opening the box, she brought out an elegant, delicate necklace made of a stylized weave of platinum links. She presented the item to Himeko, and asked, softly, "... may I?"
Himeko's eyes grew troubled, as Juri knew they would. Instinctively, the tawny haired woman's hand reached for the simple pink seashell around her neck and held onto it protectively.
"I'm not going to take it from you," Juri explained softly. "But I thought your pendant would look better on this necklace."
Despite the explanation, Himeko continued to look troubled. It wasn't until Juri frowned a little, did the photographer finally nod, ever so slightly, and turned around.
Carefully, Juri worked at the old, worn clasp holding the necklace around Himeko's neck, and slipped the careworn accessory from the other woman's body. As soon as the item left her skin, Juri could detect a slight tremor go through the other woman.
Juri couldn't help but frown. Quickly slipping the seashell pendant off of the old necklace, she worked it onto its fancy replacement, and slipped that as quickly and as carefully as she could back around Himeko's neck. The other woman visibly calmed when the pendant was finally back against her skin.
"Turn around. Let me see?"
Complying with the request, Himeko turned around again, and Juri was pleased to see the shy but happy smile on her face as she absently played with her new necklace.
The flame haired woman nodded. Putting the old necklace in the jewellery box, she offered the fancy box (the box alone was worth many times more than the necklace it contained) back to Himeko.
The tawny haired woman stared at the box for a moment, her eyes growing sad. "Juri-chan..." she said softly. "... would you mind keeping that for me? For now?"
Juri raised an eyebrow. "I can do that." She moved to slip the box back in her pocket.
"Actually," Himeko interrupted, her eyes still on the box. "Not just for now, but until... until you feel like you have to give it back to me."
Juri's eyes widened, just a little bit. Then the smile on her face grew a little shy too. "I might not ever give it back to you."
Himeko returned Juri's shy smile. "... that's... okay with me too."
Juri felt her heart soar. The smile on her face grew wider, and she finally put the box back in her pocket. She offered her other hand to the beautiful woman. "Shall we go?"
Himeko looked at Juri's hand for a few moments, seeming, somehow, lost.
And then, Juri thought she could see determination sparkle in those marvellous lilac depths...
... when Himeko finally reached out, and took her hand.
*ONE YEAR AGO*
Himeko trembled. Curling up into a tiny ball, facing away from Juri, she closed her eyes and desperately tried to will the tears gathering at the corner of her eyes from falling.
"... Himeko?" Juri asked softly, almost timidly, her naked body warm against Himeko's equally bare back. Hesitantly, the flame haired woman kissed Himeko's shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Himeko couldn't respond. She wasn't sure if she was.
"... did I hurt you?" Juri asked softly. It was the obvious worry in the other woman's voice that finally prompted Himeko to take a long, deep, shuttering breath and rub the tears from her eyes. She rolled over, curling up under her patient, new, finally-a-lover's chin, hugging her tightly.
"No, you didn't hurt me. It didn't hurt at all." Himeko replied softly, absently playing with a lock of Juri's fine, orange red hair.
She just couldn't help thinking that it should have.
*THAT MORNING, (AT THE END OF SUMMER HOLIDAYS)*
At a busy intersection in the middle of downtown Fuuka, Himeko stood at a crosswalk. The summer heat was almost unbearably hot, so she had worn a short, white pleated tennis skirt, as well as a sleeveless blue top. Juri had meetings at the school, so Himeko decided to go do some shopping by herself. Her girlfriend had just sent her a text to meet at a café they frequented. As usual, Himeko was running a little behind. It was a completely average day, with nothing out of the ordinary. She stood at the crosswalk, with many others, waiting for the light to switch.
It was a day just like any other.
Until they met.
It was the pink seashell pendant she noticed first.
Himeko's eyes went wide as she stared at the piece of jewellery, recognizing it instantly.
The pink seashell pendant – her pink seashell pendant – was suspended by a necklace of beautiful, fine silver links, draped across a long, beautiful neck, framed by perfect, alabaster white skin.
Openly staring, mouth slightly agape, Himeko was afraid to let her eyes leave the ornament for fear it would disappear on her, but hope, and faith, and courage finally allowed her to slowly lift her gaze upwards, to see a perfect chin, beautiful pink lips, sharp, delicate cheekbones and nose, and maddeningly familiar –
WRONG.
Himeko almost jumped out of her skin, confused and disoriented, when her eyes finally met the eyes of the striking, blue-black haired girl who was walking towards her, who had stopped in her tracks, an expression of shock and surprise and painfully obvious recognition clear on her beautiful, young, face.
But her eyes were wrong. Completely, and utterly and terrifyingly wrong.
Her left eye was a sharp, menacing, bright golden yellow that seemed almost to glow in the sunlight, the pupil elongated, almost reptilian. Her right eye, also yellow, was dull, lifeless, and seemed, somehow, to sport a jagged, diagonal crack through the iris.
The most ancient of instincts – the one responsible for humanity's survival across the ages – started going crazy in the back of Himeko's mind, chilling her instantly against the summer heat, causing even the fine hairs on her arms and the back of her neck to rise. Revulsion and terror bubbled up in the pit of Himeko's stomach.
Those eyes were unnatural, somehow dead, and yet filled with wrath at the same time.
They were eyes that meant to do harm.
Instinctively, Himeko took a step back.
Everything about those eyes, particularly the menacing, bright yellow left one, was telling her instincts to run, to flee, to escape while she could, and never look back.
And yet, she found herself rooted to the spot, for though the feelings she got from those eyes were of pure malicious intent, the expression on the girl's face, the furrow in her brow, the slightly agape mouth – the rest of the girl's body language was screaming nothing but recognition, and vulnerability.
Please! The girl's body language's seemed to say, in desperation, please! Don't go! Please!
So Himeko remained stuck, frozen in place, her heart and her head at such instinctive conflict with each other, that the rest of her could not even move.
Suddenly, a car honked.
And that broke the spell.
Almost having a heart attack, Himeko jumped in surprise and instinctively looked at the source of the noise. The driver in the sedan gave her a rude gesture, and honked again.
Blinking confusedly, her heart still racing at the sudden and loud noises, Himeko hesitantly turned her attention back to the girl, and stared, flabbergasted, when she realized that the pink seashell pendant that had caught her attention in the first place... wasn't even there at all.
Himeko felt her heart sink into her stomach, her mind go completely blank. She stared at the other girl's neck, willing the seashell pendant she could have sworn was there but a moment ago to return.
But it did not.
It was never there in the first place.
But the girl still was. The beautiful girl – she looked to be in her late teens or maybe early twenties – with frightening yellow eyes and long blue-black hair was still standing there, still staring back at her, that same look of recognition clear as day on her face, but now it was tinged with anxiety, and fear.
And Himeko was suddenly scared too. Absolutely terrified.
Because she just couldn't shake the feeling that she knew the girl somehow.
"Lady, MOVE IT!" Screamed one of the drivers as he slammed his palm into his horn and let the loud, rude noise blare.
Wincing at the noise, Himeko gave a quick, apologetic bow and hurried towards the other girl.
She ran right passed her.
Making her way to the other street corner safely, Himeko's heart threatened to stop beating as she ran passed the girl, so close by to her, she could almost feel the heat from her shoulder against hers as they moved silently passed one another.
Himeko stopped at the sidewalk, breathing hard, and not understanding why.
She turned around.
The girl was still standing in the middle of the street, facing away from her. She hadn't moved.
Himeko's heart started to ache as she stared at the back of the girl's head. Now that those fearsome, fearsome eyes were turned away from her, she could not help but feel her heart yearn at the familiarity that was the girl's silhouette, leaving her speechless, and dumbstruck.
Turn around, Himeko thought desperately.
Despite the fearsomeness of the girl's eyes, she wanted to see the girl's face again. She wanted to make for damn sure that the seashell pendant really wasn't there…
... and then, Himeko's phone started to buzz in her pocket, causing her to jump in surprise. Pulling the item out of her pocket, she could see the message Juri had sent her.
Where are you?
She stared at the innocuous message for what felt like an eternity. For some reason, she could not quite seem to comprehend those words. Why did they suddenly seem so complicated? Why did her heart suddenly feel like it was twisting into knots?
The implication didn't seem to make it into Himeko's head for a long time, until finally, a voice seemed to whisper in her ear: … Juri-chan is waiting for you…
Only then, did Himeko blink, and suddenly realize that she was keeping her girlfriend waiting. She shook her head, trying to clear it of sudden cobwebs.
Swallowing, she put the phone back in her pocket, and willed her shaking legs to keep moving, one foot in front of the other.
So intent was she on telling herself to just keep walking that she didn't notice the tall, handsome, dark-skinned man in the fine white suit with light lavender hair leaning against a ledge, a little ways away from the intersection, as she walked quickly passed him too.
He smiled.
Standing by herself in the middle of the empty intersection, frozen to the spot, Chikane began to shake. She closed her eyes and desperately tried to keep herself together.
C-Curious, Chikane thought, trying her best to remain detached, I always thought the collapse of the world would be... noisier...
Because certainly, to her, that was indeed what had just happened.
All her life, all 15 years of it, every day, she had dreamed of the moment, of meeting Himeko again, and while she had thought that 15 years of running every single possible scenario through her mind could have prepared her for the best, and the worst, having one of the worst cases actually come to pass...
Chikane realized that it was stupid of her to think she could possibly have readied herself for that.
Silent tears spilled from the corner of her eyes.
Himeko.
A voice she did not want to hear laughed loudly and maniacally in her head.
Do not be so unhappy, Orochi! The collapse of the world has not passed you by, for you can most definitely be assured that it will be noisy when it does!
Chikane's yellow eyes snapped open as she heard the taunt of the Obsidian Lord from somewhere inside her mind. Shut up. Chikane commanded. I am not Orochi.
The Obsidian Lord laughed and laughed and laughed. This you keep insisting, Lunar Miko! But you are wrong! The Solar Miko did not even recognize you! She walked right past you like any other stranger on the street! But, worry not! There is a way that you can still be with your beloved! You know this! Destroy the Hime! Raise the pillars! Summon the Hime Star and your wishes will-
Chikane grit her teeth. "Shut up." She whispered softly. She balled her hands into fists. With supreme effort, she was able to shut the words of the Obsidian Lord from her mind, though, unfortunately, as that sound faded, it was replaced several times over by the much louder volume of several angry and honking drivers.
Her completely frayed composure finally snapped.
Lips twisting from a mere grimace into an outright growl, she whipped her head up to glare balefully at the cars, yellow eyes gleaming menacingly. "Shut up!" She snarled savagely.
The car directly in front of her was suddenly and inexplicably pushed back, smashing into the car behind it with a force so great that the second vehicle was driven into the one behind it as well. People started screaming, drowned out by the screeching of metal against metal and the shattering of glass.
Before anyone could know what happened, there was a four car pileup in the middle of downtown Fuuka.
The teenaged girl at the center of it all stared at the destruction, stunned.
She quickly wiped away the tears in her eyes, and walked away before anyone could notice her shaky, trembling departure.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Himeko was definitely looking for a very particular character archetype as she travelled around the world. Altena & Mireille are from Noir. Layla Hamilton is from Kaleido Star. Sachiko is from Maria-sama ga Miteru. Hanazono Shizuma is from Strawberry Panic. Who am I missing? =P
Juri always struck me as a woman who preferred pants, which is a bit of a pity to me. I think she's also the only major female character in Utena to not wear the rose-bride dress (hmm... did Nanami ever wear one?). I remember seeing her show up to Nanami's party wearing that god awful white top, purple pant getup covered in gaudy golden jewellery and could not understand at all why everyone thought she was the height of sophistication. I could have sworn she got dressed in the dark.
Just as a heads up, a pretty big storm that I'd been expecting at work has finally hit, so the next two weeks are going to be pretty horrifying for me. It might take a while for the next chapter to come up, as I'm still making tweeks to it. I will be shooting for the end of February 2013. Thank you for your patience!
Cheers,
jen-chan
jen-chan-shaw. livejournal. com
OMAKE I: Yes, THAT Somethingsomething Dior
[JURI and HIMEKO are decked out in their finest, ready to go to MIKI's concert.]
JURI: Wow, Himeko, you are looking FINE!
HIMEKO: Oh, thank you, Juri-chan. There's like, a quarter million dollars of bling on me right now.
JURI: Hmm, there's just one thing missing. Here! [Hands HIMEKO a massive, fancy jewellery box that says somethingsomething DIOR on it]
HIMEKO: [Gasps!] Omigosh, is that what I think it is? [Excitedly opens the box.]
[Inside is a giant, opulent, bulbous cowbell. In the distance, NANAMOO and HARUKOW can be heard mooing as streams of tears wobble down from their eyes.]
HIMEKO: ...
JURI: ...
HIMEKO: ... this is part of the running joke, isn't it?
JURI: ... I have no idea what the author's deal with cows is, I really don't.
OMAKE II: Mo Ikkai Mai-Hime Style Preview of Next Episode
[MAI's voice can be heard doing the voice over top of a series of fast paced clips edited together very confusingly and with deliberate misrepresentation so brazen the producers should be ashamed of themselves.]
MAI: Next time, on Revolutions, a Kannazuki no Miko, Revolutionary Girl Utena and Mai Hime X-over, I, um... [she can't quite finish her voice over, as she keeps looking over to CHIKANE, sobbing wildly in the corner]... um... oh, dear. [Runs over to CHIKANE and gives her a big hug]. There, there, Chikane-chan! It's okay, it's alright, everything's going to be okay...
CHIKANE: Buwaaaaaaaa! My life is over! What else is there to live for?! [Sobs into MAI's ample bosom]
MAI: No, really, I think it will be okay. I think the next chapter is supposed to have a fancy party or something! There, how about that? You like parties, don't you? Don't you?
CHIKANE: [Wails some more] That got pushed back! The stupid author realized she really needed to spend a bit of time explaining what happened at the start of summer break, so the Gala's not gonna happen until Chapter 10 or maybe even Chapter 11 at this point!
MAI: [Sweatdrops] Oh, well, it's a fancy party, isn't it? I think the stage ninjas and plot bunnies are going to take a while to set it up, so why don't we go see how they're doing? Who knows, maybe the food's there already? Oh! There might be ice cream!
CHIKANE: ... [Hestitantly] ... ice cream? [rubs her eyes] I... can haz ice cream?
MAI: [Smiles kindly] I'm sure you can! Okay! Let's go! Please stay tuned for the next chapter of Revolutions, Chapter 9 – 'At the Gala…' I mean, right, that got pushed back, didn't it? What's the new title again? [Flips through her script]. Oh, right, Chapter 9 – The New Orochi. [Sweatdrops]
CHIKANE: [Starts bawling again] That doesn't sound like good times at all!