maskormenace | Duel 01; Video

[There aren't any questions about what this place is or what it's like. Utena's already gotten used to all of that. She does, however, have a question about something else that's been on her mind: employment. She flops on her new bed and turns on her device, and the network will see a zoomed in image of her eye before she stretches her arms and raises her communicator, showing her from the shoulders up]

So. The government gives us these jobs when we get here, right? But what do you do when it's something you're not cut out for? Like...

[Okay, recording like this isn't very comfortable after all. She stops and rolls over on her side, and adjusts the camera so it's focusing mostly on her face]

I'm supposed to be a teacher, sort of. Or maybe instructor is a better way to put it? ...anyway, I'm supposed to give fencing lessons now. And it's not that I'm bad at it, but...

[She bites her lip and glances away for a moment, uncertain of how much she should (or how much she even wants to) explain about the duels.]

Well, I'm not really used to "standard" fencing matches. I mean, I've fenced before, but the last time I did the rules were kind of weird, and as soon as I got used to it the game would change again. The only real advice I could give is, "hey, don't get stabbed," but that's not really good advice, is it? I mean, that's what swordfighting is all about, I guess, but...

[She sighs, and flops back on her pillow]

I'm not really sure what I should do about this. I still need to talk to them - the people who run the lessons, not the guys who gave me the job - but... I guess I'm just worried that they'll expect more from me than what I can give them. That they'll expect me to be some master fencer from a movie or storybook or something like that. Has anyone else had to deal with that? With their bosses expecting them to be something they're not, I mean.

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[Utena can't help but cringe, and she grows more and more tempted to just change the channel]

I don't think it's that - if they needed help that badly, they could go to a counselor or something. It might be the money, but I don't know if there'd ever be enough money to make me do something that embarrassing.

[Change the channel, Utena. This is not a good first impression regarding television for Cinders.]

I'm hardly going to judge them. After all, I'm not from this world. Maybe this is normal for them.

Well... maybe it's normal for them, but it's not normal for everyone here. If it was, this kind of thing wouldn't get so big. It's like... well, one of the reasons why people watch tv is so they can watch stuff they don't get to see every day. Like this-

[Boop! Let's see what's on the sports channel... oh, hey, college baseball! It's not too exciting, but it's a better example than... whatever that was.]

Not everybody can play games like this, and they can't always go and watch them in person, either. So, they watch them on television.

[Cinders eyes the sport, cocking an eyebrow.]

Why are they hitting balls with sticks?

[Yeah, she doesn't get that at all.]

Edited 2017-05-24 03:29 (UTC)

[Hrm, how to explain this...]

It's a part of the game. You score by running all the way around the base, see? But the guys on the other team are trying to get you out - uh, out of the game, that is. They do that by tagging you with the ball. So the farther away they hit the ball-

[She punctuates this by miming a batter swinging at an illusory baseball]

-the longer it takes for them to catch it, and the longer it takes for them to catch you.

[And people like doing this stuff? Well, to each their own.]

I see. Are there other pastimes like these?

Oh, yeah, there's a ton of them. Baseball's just-

[Utena stops as she overhears the announcer going wild. The outfielder chases after a ball as it sails through the air, but it's for naught. It clears the fence and the crowd erupts into cheers! It's a home run!][...oh, wait, they were talking. Utena tears her gaze away from the tv and goes back to their conversation]

...sorry. But baseball's just really big here, especially when it gets warm.

[Cinders watches as the man runs around the bases, still more than a little confused.]

Do you play?

[Don't think she hasn't noticed your enthusiasm, Utena.]

Oh, yeah. But nothing like that, though - I'm not even part of a team. I just played with the boys back at school-

[Before she gets all nostalgic, though, she realizes that she might have to explain this a little more]

It's part of how school is, nowadays. They don't just want to teach kids academics, but they want them to be healthy, too. So there's a pretty big focus on health and athletics - they even have classes dedicated to this stuff.

I'm unfamiliar with the concept, I'm afraid. My father taught me everything, when I was growing up. Academies and the like don't often happen in small towns like ours.

[So that's how it was back then, huh? She's more interested in her family life, though]

That must have been really nice, though, spending that much time with your father. He must have known a lot to teach you like that.

It was. But my father was a dreamer, too.

[She smiles fondly.]

So, does that make you a dreamer, too?

Something like that.

[She’s much more realistic than her father ever was.]

Well, you're in good company, then. Some people might think it's silly, but there's nothing wrong with having a dream.

And what's your dream, if I may ask?

My dream, hmn...

[She runs her thumb under the back of her duelist's ring and breathes in, thinking of how to answer this]

Ever since I was little, I dreamed of meeting my prince again. And I don't mean the perfect guy or anything like that - I mean my prince. He told me that if I remained strong and brave, we'd meet again someday. I guess...

[She falters for a moment, and for once in her life she's plagued with doubt. For a brief moment her gaze flickers back to the ball game, but the distraction offers her no comfort]

I guess, more than anything, I wanted to show him that I kept my promise. That I didn't forget about him.

[Or did she? She tries not to think about it, or the other distractions that appeared in her life over the past year]

Who is he?

[Cinders finds her curiosity peaked, listening thoughtfully as she sips her tea. She's already met her prince, but this doesn't sound like it's quite the same thing.]

How did you meet him, if you don't mind my asking?

To be honest, I have no idea who he is. We met so long ago that I don't really remember much about him. But I remember that he was there, after my parents died. If he wasn't there...

[She hesitates, staring at her ring]

If he wasn't there, I have no idea where I'd be now.

Well, it sounds like a lot of good things came about because of it.

I guess there were, huh?

[The ring has yet to lead her to her prince, but it's led to so many other things, both good and bad. But now's not the time to discuss that sort of thing]

Sorry, I guess we got pretty off topic. Do you want to see what else is on this thing or do something else?

Don't apologize. It was nice to have an actual conversation, for once.

[She smiles.]

Oh, I don't mind. Although it's going to take me quite awhile to figure everything out. All this machinery is so strange to me.

Duel 01; Video

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