❀ Episode 10 ❀ [Dictated] - Backdated to June 8th

[therealrisette]

[Well, after a week of being small enough to fit in standard toddler clothing sizes, Rise is finally back to normal again! And the castle didn't even prank her this time! She just woke up returned to normal, as if it never happened.

Well, except it did. She'll have to talk to some people about that...

But right now, she has one thing she wants to address to the castle in general.]

Hey, did anyone here know Sophie-chan?

I think... she's gone. Unless I got her room number wrong, or something.

[But she knows she didn't. She sounds kinda sad, but she doesn't want people to worry. So she tries to perk up a little bit and sound more encouraging.]

At least she's back home with Cheria-san and Asbel-san! She really seemed to miss them a lot...

... Anyway, I just thought everyone should know.

[She rushes to end the announcement and closes her journal for a while. This is the first time she's announced someone going home, unless she counts the time she asked about Yukiko, and she's not really sure how to go about it. It's not like Sophie's dead or anything, she's just gone home. But they might never see her again, too...

Once her head clears a little bit later in the day, she finally opens her journal again and starts a couple of filters.]

[Elizabeth]

Hey, it's Rise!

[Wow, this feels kinda awkward. She didn't think much of it when they were spending time together, but Elizabeth probably won't even recognize her right now. How could she explain...?]

... You know about losses, right?

[There's one way to start the conversation. Every way she can think of to explain how they met starts with "I was on a loss", so she needs to make sure of that first... and hope she doesn't die of nerves and embarrassment before she responds.]

[Utena]

[Unlike with Elizabeth, Rise knows the other girl she met this week has been in the castle for a while, so she just takes the plunge.]

Hey, this is Rise! I dunno if you remember, but we went to the beach together a few days ago!

Um... thing is, I was kinda on a loss? So I just wanted to let you know I'm back to normal now...

[She pauses for a minute before continuing, a bit reluctantly...]

Would you be okay with meeting again? It's okay if you're not free today! But I wanna introduce myself properly this time!

Comments

[whistles_the_blues]

...Thanks for the update.

[Well that sucks.]

[therealrisette]

[Wait... she knows that voice, doesn't she?

... She can't really place a name or face to it, though. Maybe not.]

Did you know her?

[whistles_the_blues]

[he unfortunately cannot remember the spin of Rise's voice. That data was lost when the fragmented and corrupt hard drive that made up his memory was returned to normal at the end of that little event.]

I did. One of the first people I met here.

[A majority of those people had gone now too. It didn't bother him, he was used to being alone. Or at least that's what he told himself.]

[therealrisette]

[It's okay, she can't remember him either. She just knows his voice is vaguely familiar.]

Oh, you were friends?

[This may have already improved her opinion of the strange voice...]

[whistles_the_blues]

[Normally Blues wouldn't admit to having friends, but well... It was hard to deny that when there was a tree out in the garden that said otherwise. That friendship pact certainly ruined his whole lone wolf act.]

...Yeah, I guess we were.

Rise

[birdorcage]

Rise? You... sound a little different.

And yes, I've heard about them. [Is this going where she thinks it's going...?]

[Elizabeth]

[therealrisette]

[Rise breathes a sigh of relief.]

Oh, good! I thought you might not believe me...

[Belatedly, she realizes Elizabeth is probably a bit worried at the mention of losses. They can get pretty extreme.

So Rise rushes into an explanation. Of sorts.]

It's just... I look a little different now, and I was worried you wouldn't recognize me!

[And she really had gotten to like Elizabeth a lot. It'd feel all kinds of awkward (for Rise, at least) to have to start over completely...]

Rise

[birdorcage]

There's a lot that I'll believe. [She's seen some crazy shit, let her tell you.]

I'm not talking to a little girl, am I?

[Elizabeth 4ever]

[therealrisette]

[Rise's heart sank just a teensy bit. She already figured it out... which just makes her feel like she's been lying to someone who was really nice to her when she desperately needed it.]

... Not exactly...

[Oh man, how can she explain this?]

I wasn't really when we met, either! The castle just made me look that way for a while...

[She pauses for a beat, but she's afraid of what Elizabeth will say if she leaves it at that. So she hurriedly continues.]

I mean, it was my birthday... I was supposed to be turning seventeen but I woke up in the library like that, and you were so nice over the journal and I didn't want to spend my birthday alone but...

[She's getting herself so worked up over the simple fact of not telling Elizabeth something she had no idea how to bring up in the first place! But she does have to breathe, so she's going to have to stop for a moment...]

[birdorcage]

Easy, easy. Do you--do you think I'm upset? I'm not. I do understand that the castle does things to us, and you didn't take advantage of being a child, I don't think.

[therealrisette]

But...

[Part of her was so sure Elizabeth would think she had been pretending, or at best that the castle made her act like a child as much as she looked like one. Another part of her wanted people to think she was normally more grown up than that.

But she'd been herself the whole time. A bit fragile, and desperate and frustrated at the loss the castle forced on her, but still herself.]

... I guess not.

[She didn't take advantage of being a child because she was too busy being frustrated at certain people treating her like one. She hadn't minded with Elizabeth, though... she hadn't been patronizing or condescending at all. She wished she'd had more grownups like her around when she was really that young...]

...... You're really not upset I didn't tell you?

[birdorcage]

I could see why you wouldn't. [She doesn't like lies, but this was more of an omission, wasn't it?]

How old are you now?

[therealrisette]

[Rise's totally starting to blush again. Not that Elizabeth can see it.]

... Seventeen.

[For what it's worth, she's not particularly mature for her age...]

[pint_sized_carnivore]

Sophie-chan is gone now too...? Jeez. That. That sucks...

I was looking forward to us cooking together some more [A nervous laugh, seeing as they both suck at cooking]

[therealrisette]

[Rise's voice is horrified when she answers...]

You didn't...?

[Please tell her you didn't subject poor innocent Sophie to your cooking, Chie!!!]

[pint_sized_carnivore]

Didn't what?

Filtered to Rise

[princelyspirit]

[She sounds...different, somehow, though she can't point her finger on what, exactly changed. Well, there's one way to find out, at least...]

Sure, if you'd like to. Where do you want to meet up?

[OOC: Sorry for the late response! I wanted to get a bit further in the other thread before replying here]

[Forever filter!]

[therealrisette]

{ooc: No problem! I was waiting for the other thread to get a little further too. Was going to ping you on Plurk or something tomorrow. xD;}

Um... is the lobby okay? Or if it's closer, you could come to my room. I'm on the seventh floor... room 725.

[Now that Utena's responded, she suddenly feels a little more apprehensive about this. But it's best to get it over with, right? It's not like it's her fault the castle decided to mess with her before they met...]

[princelyspirit]

I live in one of the towers, so the lobby's just fine. Anyway, I'll see you soon, alright?

[And, when Rise gets there, there she'll be! Though, she might not recognize her at first glance, for obvious reasons...]

[therealrisette]

[Fortunately, Rise recognizes Utena! Even if she still looks kinda different from this much higher...

As she approaches, she notices two things. First, Utena's still taller! If only by about ten centimeters or so. And second, she looks a bit younger than she did from Rise's perspective before... it's hard to tell if she's around her age or a couple of years younger...

Of course, she doesn't get much time to think as she draws closer. Smiling a bit nervously, she tries to get the girl's attention.]

Utena-chan?

[And there Rise is, in all her sixteen-seventeen-year-old glory! Her youthful clothing style and twintails (not to mention her height) probably even out any apparent age difference between them, but she's certainly not the child Utena met a few days ago...]

1/2

[princelyspirit]

[The voice catches her attention instantly. Hey, it's-]

Rise?!

[Instead of the cute little kid she expected, she saw a girl her own age...no, maybe older, in fact. Utena gaped openly at her, her eyes as wide as saucers and her jaw dropped so far down that somebody could fly a biplane through her mouth. This is...she shakes her head, trying to get her thoughts together]

Geeze... I know the castle messes with people, but I didn't think it would do something like this! I expected...God, I didn't even know what to expect! Just-

2/2

[princelyspirit]

[...she's rambling. She's rambling and she knows it. Utena takes a deep breath, and looks back at Rise, a little embarrassed]

...well, first off... I guess I owe you an apology, don't I?

1/2

[therealrisette]

[Well, at least she recognizes her! But she does kind of blush a bit as she nods.]

Yeah... it's me.

[It's still a little weird finally seeing her like this. She was convinced Utena was older than her when she was on the loss! ... Actually, she supposes she was, in a way. Losses are weird...]

2/2

[therealrisette]

[She was distracted by her own thoughts for a minute, but when she catches up, Rise gives Utena a questioning look. The mention of an apology totally caught her off guard...]

Huh? What for?

[Shouldn't she apologize for not saying anything? She can't think of anything Utena did wrong!]

[princelyspirit]

Well...for treating you like a kid. I mean, it couldn't have been fun, right? Heck, even kids don't like being treated like kids...