tampered | log; complete

log; complete

When; Sept. 11, immediately after this conversation.
Rating; PG-13
Characters; Tenjou Utena (

thegirlprince ) & Himemiya Anthy (

hime_ja_nai )
Summary; The prince and princess ( err.. prince.. atm ) reunite. The evil king has disappeared.
Log;

She couldn't sit still. In the last ten minutes, Tenjou Utena was fairly certain she had paced from one end of her apartment to the other and everywhere in between. The pink-haired teenager looked a bit frantic, robin's egg blue eyes wide and mouth set into a toothy smile. She might've even been muttering things to herself under her breath. Who knew? She didn't. She was too busy thinking about the fact that he was gone. He was really gone, and she could finally be with Himemiya. FINALLY!

Right before seeing the post on the network, Utena had been on her way to play basketball. Once the plans changed, she hadn't even thought of changing back into her uniform. So she was stretching in her living room, full-out lunges back and forth in a T-shirt and gym shorts. Pink bangs fell messily before her eyes. Playing the wait game. Just how long did it take Himemiya to get from her building to Utena's anyway?

This was all too much, wasn't it? Could she really hope to believe that.. He was gone? Really?

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Akio's disappearance had made itself known fairly quickly. She had just known.

And now, she wasn't sure what she was doing... part of her said that she should continue to keep distance between them. But at the same time without End of the World present it didn't matter.

The fact of the matter was... she missed Utena.

She moved to Utena's apartment fairly quickly. The fact that she had taken on a boy's form honestly didn't phase her at all. She had done this very thing herself in her own world countless of times.

Granted, they had been under her control by the direction of her brother, but it was still an occurrence that happened enough that this little "swap" didn't alarm her. In a way it was almost amusing to her.

She moved easily to the door, and rapped twice, standing as she would have in her natural form, not caring if it looked odd.

The gentle knocking on the door jarred Utena out of her reps, and the enthusiastic teen very nearly tripped over her own feet mid-lunge. This was an entirely different feeling than the one she'd had back at Ohtori. After realizing what was meant to be.. that she and Himemiya would be together far away from the school.. the most wonderful calm had slipped around her entire existence. It was the most peaceful she'd felt in her entire life. Currently, however, she was bursting with excitement. She wasn't entirely sure what accounted for the difference, but it was there nevertheless.

The girl prince made her way to the door and fumbled with the deadbolt for a second or two before opening it. Then she was looking at... a very pretty boy with dusky skin and violet hair. Utena blinked, a little taken aback to actually be seeing this with her own eyes. She openly evaluated this new body, as if searching for something to confirm this was indeed who she knew it to be. The build was similar, the hair color the same, the skin as she remembered. She was obviously lacking some.. things.. but that really wasn't on Utena's mind in the first place. Her gaze lifted to the boy's face, and Utena paused as she noticed the eyes. The prince's emotions were always so clearly readable across her expression, and this time the pure, unadulterated joy that hit her was very nearly all-encompassing. Those eyes hadn't changed.

"Hi-Himemiya!"

And Utena reached out and pulled the girl-boy to her body, hugging the slim frame tightly. Hands grabbed fistfuls of the back of her shirt, and Utena inhaled the heady and familiar scent of roses. Her body relaxed, but she kept holding on.

"Himemiya.." quiet. A murmur.

She didn't say anything when Utena opened the door, simply watched to see what the other girl would do. She wasn't surprised when Utena embraced her, yet her eyes still widened for a moment.

Before she had been hesitant... because her brother was watching.

But now? Now, Akio was not here. She did not have to watch her step so closely.

And the thoughts of her actions during that curse... where she had done things of her own accord. Not because of her brother's ulterior motives, but for the simple fact that it was her choice to do them...

What was this girl doing to her?

After a moment her arms lifted to touch Utena's arms and let her eyes close.

Utena's internal monologue was a lot less complex. She was still on cloud nine.. euphoric even. They were free. Free! They could do anything! Together! It was something she had been fighting for since she'd met the other girl, and now it had finally come to pass.

When she felt Himemiya return the embrace, a wide smile broke out across her face. It was so nice to be touched. Since coming here, it had been something she had to get used to.. Himemiya being so distant. Her alternate version had always been very grabby with the girl prince.

She pulled back from the hug and smiled at the girl-boy, hands still around Himemiya's back.

"I'm so happy."

She gave a small smile. Not the empty smile she always gave. But a true smile. Small, and hesitant.

It had been so long since she had allowed herself to feel anything that to do so... seemed alien to her. What was she feeling? That, she couldn't say.

She paused a moment before finally speaking, her voice, despite being affected by a switch in gender, sounding nearly the same as before, the timbre only a slight bit lower.

"I'm glad."

Her smile was wide, exposing pearly white teeth to the other's eyes. Her toe was tapping against the floor, eventually getting strong enough to bounce the rest of her body in place. The excitement really was overwhelming. She felt like she needed to run laps.. or play a big game. Or something!

"You must be happy! C'mon, y'know? You're free! He's gone!" she enthused, squeezing Himemiya's biceps gently. "You can do whatever you want! I'll bet you're more excited than I am!"

She laughed then. Utena was so innocent... so... simple... Perhaps it was this light that drew Anthy to her... Perhaps only someone so pure was capable of breaking through the darkness she'd been surrounded by for so long...

Excited? No... Excited definitely wasn't the word... Now... afraid... that could be it. She was about to venture into something wholly unknown...

And what had happened to her the last time she did something so daring?

"Witch! Accursed witch!"

She tried to push it away. For now... for now she would try to be what her Utena had wanted her to be all along. Her own person. And right now... underneath all the lies and deception and confusion... she wanted to be in this Utena's presence.

"Hai," she said quietly, the small smile widening slightly.

Utena watched Himemiya's expression, blue eyes focusing closely. She had to do pay close attention so that she didn't miss something. And with someone as.. er.. well.. closed off as this Himemiya.. it was rather important to pay attention to what wasn't being said. Still, when she saw the change in that smile, she let out a loud "whoop!" of joy and bounced back into her apartment.

She spun around and placed her hands on boyishly thin hips. Letting out a huff of air, she grinned across the space at boy!Himemiya.

"We should celebrate! We should do something!" She paused as if to think through the option, head tilting to one side and eyes lifting to the ceiling. After a minute or two, her attention blinked back to her companion. "What do you want to do, Himemiya?"

She smiled again. It still felt awkward... but it was an awkwardness she could get used to.

"What would you like to do, Utena?"

She honestly didn't care. She had made her mind up to simply be with this person. Whether they sat in silence together in a room--though she was fairly positive there would be no silence with Utena as she always seemed to be speaking--or if they were out physically doing something. Right now... she just wanted to be in Utena's presence. Just to be with her. With no ulterior motives, no intricate schemes, no plan... Just herself, and Utena.

The girl prince was quiet for a few moments, her expression clearly thoughtful. She idly paced around the floor of the apartment, clicking her tongue as she scrolled through a mental rolodex of ideas. What to do, what to do. She hadn't even spent that much casual time with her Himemiya. Between the duels and her own demons, the only time they'd ever spent alone came.. well.. at night.

As she rounded behind the couch, an idea hit her. She whirled around and stared at Himemiya with wide blue eyes. She ducked down and disappeared for a split second before reappearing with an orange ball spinning on her index finger.

"Did your Utena ever teach you to play basketball, Himemiya?"

"She never taught me. I'm not terribly athletic. I enjoyed watching her play though," she answered.

She was never one to play physical games. Psychological games? Yes, of course. But it seemed it was a day for revolutions. Why not?

She grinned and tossed the ball gently across the room to Himemiya.

"Well, today I'll take her place and teach you. You'll be great, I'm sure! And it's fun!"

Utena bounded across the room and disappeared into her bedroom for a few moments. When she reemerged, she had a gym bag slung over one shoulder. Blue eyes scanned the room as she made sure there wasn't anything she was forgetting. Then she moseyed back over to Himemiya. Leaning forward, she pressed a quick kiss to the boy-girl's cheek.

"Let's go, Himemiya!"

She caught the ball easily enough. "If you say so."

Her eyes widened slightly at the kiss before the slightly surprised expression gave way to that same gentle smile.

"Hai~"

She ushered Himemiya out the door and shut it behind her. The long-limbed Utena ambled down the stairs at a surprisingly fast pace, and she managed to do it without tripping over her own feet. She might've even been humming a song under her breath. She glanced over her shoulder at Himemiya and smiled brightly.

As she burst out into the afternoon sun, she released a loud sigh. "Ah! It's so nice out, ne, Himemiya?"

"It is," she answered, following easily. She went through the motions as usual... To an onlooker it would seem just a normal day of Himemiya Anthy tagging along with Tenjou Utena. Other than the fact that currently Himemiya Anthy was in a very male body, of course.

But... the presence of free will... That changed everything... didn't it?

Perhaps... if she found the strength to defy her brother here in this world... even if it had been as little as it was... maybe... if she retained these memories in her own...

She closed off that line of thought. That was thinking too far into the future. And for now? She just wanted to enjoy the moment.

Because... how long would it be until her brother came back? They had both been in this place before. Meaning they had left the City, and returned.

It was possibly too hopeful to think he may not come back at all. Fool hearty even.

One day at a time. Wasn't that what she had said to herself for so long?

She would enjoy her time now, while it lasted.

Utena continued down the street, smiling brightly. She adjusted the strap of her gym bag before she slowed just so she could walk next to Himemiya. It was a bit.. weird.. walking next to this boy. She knew it was her Himemiya.. but still. Every so often she had to remind herself. Despite the slightly surreal feeling, the girl prince reached out and took her companion's hand.

It was fairly obvious that Himemiya had retreated back into her mind. In any world, it seemed to be the girl's favorite place. Sometimes ( okay, most of the time ) Utena wanted to know what she thought about while at the same time being slightly terrified of what those findings might be.

Still.. she had to ask.. because she was fairly certain that this time.. she would get a real answer.

"Oi! Himemiya!" she squeezed the girl-boy's hand gently. "What are you thinking about?"

She liked it when Utena took her hand. It was always so... innocent. Another smile tugged at the edges of her mouth. She looked up, pulled from her thoughts again, her eyes rounded slightly.

And then she smiled again. It did seem to be becoming easier.

"I'm thinking about... the present," she answered, quite truthfully.

"The present, huh?" she parroted back, obviously not planning on joining Himemiya in her philosophical pursuits. Still, she wasn't dismissing the notion either. "And what is the present?"

She glanced back to her companion, absently taking note that Himemiya was a little bit taller in this body. The girl prince gently swung their joined hands between them.

"Right now," she answered, squeezing Utena's hand gently. "Not the past, not the future. Just right now."

Because that is all I can control at this point.

Utena smiled, actually feeling a warmth on her cheeks as they pinked. Himemiya sounded different.. more.. at peace than she'd sounded.. ever. She could see the basketball court in the distance and smiled. She hoped the other girl would have fun. It would be something fun for the two of them to share together.

"And do you like right now?" she asked, turning her head to look in the boy's direction.

"Hai."

If Utena ever did have the misfortune of tuning into Anthy's thoughts she would know that plainly. After all, it was the girl-prince's presence that had brought this change in her, hadn't it? It was her actions and her words that had... given Anthy a purpose to truly strain against the cage she had been in for so long... as quiet and outwardly invisible as that straining was...

"Good!"

As they neared the court, Utena released Himemiya's hand and bounced over to the nearest bench. She dropped the duffel down on the bench and rifled through it before producing two water bottles. Taking a quick drink, she then started stretching. It was a common routine, and she performed it mostly through muscle memory.

"All right, Himemiya!" she said, clapping her hands together. "Let's go! Come over here and take a shot."

She walked calmly over, still carrying the basketball, every movement screaming at how little experience she had in sports. Granted, in her experience she certainly knew the game, or at least the principle of it. But she had always had more important things to concentrate on than frivolous games.

She glanced first at the ball, then at Utena, then at the basketball hoop, and with all the grace of a three year old, threw the ball toward the basket...

... and didn't even get it high enough to touch the backboard...

Utena smiled, not even feeling the slightest urge to chuckle at what could have been a funny situation. She hadn't figured the girl would have much experience in the way of basketball, but Utena was more than happy to be teaching her. It was like putting together the prince's two favorite things.

She nodded as she jogged over to collect the ball. She idly sank a lay-up just because she could and caught the ball as it fell through the hoop. She turned back around to look at Himemiya.

"That's all right," she said happily. "Practice makes perfect."

She moved to stand next to the girl and handed the ball over. She then mimed the perfect shot form with her free hands.

"Try it like this," she advised. "And follow all the way through the motion."

She watched keenly. She didn't feel disappointment or embarrassment in the least over the bungled shot. When Utena gave her the ball back she studied Utena's movements before mimicking them, sending the ball into the air again.

This time it reached the backboard but bounced off the rim.

"Good!" Utena called out, hurrying over to collect the ball. This time she bounce passed it back to Himemiya. She kept her spot under the goal so she could more easily return the ball.

"Try again. I'm sure you'll get it. You're a natural, Himemiya!" She smiled encouragingly.

She gave a small chuckle, catching the ball. Could it be... she was actually starting to have fun with this? It wouldn't be surprising. Utena's attitude was rather contagious.

She repeated the stance and launched the ball again--essentially repeating the same results again, only in the other direction...

"It's all right!" she called out, reaching out a long arm to collect the ball before it bounced off the court. Utena dribbled over to where Himemiya was standing. She placed the ball down onto the asphalt and moved behind her companion. "Just try this."

Utena's arms moved around the thin body so that one hand laid itself flush against the back of Himemiya's. Her other hand wrapped around the girl's other wrist. Then she went through the motions, emphasizing the follow through of the wrist flick.

"Once you push the ball out of your hands, you have to completely follow through. It's steering the ball basically. You don't want your wrist to go to one side or the other because it will mess up your shot."

She guided Himemiya through the motions one more time before she bent down and tossed the ball up to the girl.

"Try it again."

She looked at Utena's hands over hers again. That warm feeling she had begun to get in the girl's presence coming up again... It was... odd...

You have to completely follow through.

Perhaps... if and when she was returned to her world... there would be a better course of action than she had begun to take... one... where they could both be saved...

Because... she didn't want to give up this feeling now that she had it...

She caught the ball again, and centering herself as Utena had shown her, she launched the ball again, and this time, it went straight down through the net.

"YOSH!"

Utena leaped into the air, long limbs flailing as she fist-pumped. She laughed boisterously as she landed, turning to wrap her arms around Himemiya's body. She picked the girl up and spun her around in a hug.

"See, Himemiya! That was great!"

Her eyes went wide in surprise as she was spun around, before smiling and letting out a small laugh.

Utena put her back down and beamed at her companion. She pumped her fist in the air yet again before hurrying over to collect the ball. "I knew you'd be good at this."

Unlike socializing. And cooking. And communicating. And.. well.. you get the picture.

She smiled again. It was getting easier. It felt... nice...

Itsuka isshouni...

She didn't know how long this was going to last...

But she hoped for a while at least...

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[you see a boy in this icon I say]

I see nothing! I KNOW NOTHING!

<3