5th duel - FOURTH WALL 2014

[revolutionarygirl]

[Catchall post was a failure last year, so we're not doing that this year.

Woah, sure is a bunch of new people here suddenly, huh? Utena will be all over the town this weekend to see if she can find anyone familiar. With such a jump in number, it's certainly possible.

Right?]

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[revolutionarygirl]

[She turns around sharply, any sort of uncertainty and embarrassment being immediately lost in anger.]

You--! Don't go acting like you know what nobility is!

[wasteddreams]

[He shrugs.] Don't have a clue, to be honest. I hear it's a fun game to play, though.

[revolutionarygirl]

I'm not playing. [She looks down to her ring for a moment, then angrily back at him.] But like you said, you wouldn't have a clue. There's no way you could be...

[wasteddreams]

There's no way I could be a lot of things. [He's just come to accept it by now. That's how it is.]

[revolutionarygirl]

Why do you have that uniform? [It's a question she's been asked by others before, but it's one she has to ask him. Because there's no way that someone like him...]

[wasteddreams]

I at least like to pretend to do my job.

[revolutionarygirl]

You're unbelievable. [Yeah, turning away from him again.] There's no way someone like you could even be put in the same category as Jean and Marco.

[wasteddreams]

[Those names catch him off guard, and then he's raising an eyebrow. Because what the fuck does that mean?]

Where did you get names like that from?

[revolutionarygirl]

Jean's my friend. [Said fiercely, as if she expects him to attack said friend's honor.] I don't Marco as well, but he's Jean's friend.

[...]

Why does it matter?

[wasteddreams]

Can't say I've ever met another Jean before. Or another Marco. Weird fucking coincidence is all.

[revolutionarygirl]

...your name is Jean?

[It can't be. It can't be. It's like what this guy is saying--a coincidence. Or--well, it's been a while since she's seen him (out of embarrassment), so maybe he was kidnapped by the Malnosso and this is what they sent him back as. Either way, there's no way her friend would ever...]

[wasteddreams]

Yeah, what's it matter to you?

[revolutionarygirl]

...yeah, it has to be a coincidence.

[There's just no way.]

[wasteddreams]

[He snorts.] Well, here I am... [And he throws together a sarcastic salute.] Jean Kirstein, proud member of the finest goddamn squad the Military Police has seen.

[revolutionarygirl]

That's not true!

[She's facing him again.]

Jean Kirstein is a member of the Survey Corps, and he would never become the sorry excuse of a person that you've ended up being!

[But Jean's original aim was the military police, and time means nothing here. Utena knows that, but she's determined to not believe this is her friend.

She sounds pretty invested in this, doesn't she?]

[wasteddreams]

[He's already fallen out of his mock salute, and he's giving her a patronizing look like she's the craziest bitch he's ever met.] Jeez, what's got your panties in a twist...

I don't know what makes you think I'm stupid enough to join those suicidal bastards, but trust me, I've never even thought about any division beside the Military Police. Why make life harder for myself?

[He says this like he hadn't put effort into his job for the first five years. Like he hadn't proudly latched onto Marco's dream of cleaning up the corrupt division, hadn't thought that what he was doing was worthwhile.

Because clearly it wasn't, in the end.]

[revolutionarygirl]

Because Jean Kirstein, my friend, told me himself. He was going to aim for the Military Police at first, but...

[She knows the only reason she's bothering to explain is for Jean himself. She can't let this guy go around saying things like he is. Even if things are a little awkward for her and Jean right now...

She'll try not to think about that.]

[wasteddreams]

Look, I don't even know you, and I have no idea what the hell you're talking about, but it ain't funny.

[revolutionarygirl]

I never said it was funny. It hasn't been funny for any of this!

[And then it finally hits her: he might not know about Luceti and how it works. But is there really any point in telling him, when he's this drunk? Would he even believe her?]

Besides, you're right. I don't know you, either. You have to be someone else.

[wasteddreams]

I can be whoever you want me to be, or whoever you don't want me to me. [He shrugs.] Can't say I give a shit.