You exit the dormitory area.. wearing your new uniform. Which immediately gets looks from ALL over... as you see girls from all over beginning to return to their classes.. pausing..then stopping altogether when looking upon you... staring.. Utena isn't going to be embarrassed.. no way. Not any more. She grins at them cheerfully when their jaws drop. "Hi... morning... hi!" she chuckles, waving. She drifts right into the crowd, walking briskly and with focus. Feeling the eyes on her... she kind of... well, she LIKES it. She's not the girl she used to be. Everyone is just STUNNED.. wondering if your on drugs or something. Nobody can believe you're doing this as they all just stare.. incredulously stare.. of course.. the hall monitor is the first one with authority to see this.. as she blinks..turns around and looks at you.. similarly STUNNED.. Utena grins at her too. "Morning." Cheerfully walks right on by. Head high. Let the chickens cluck. And cluck she does! She looks flusted as she waves her hands around..immediately being reproachful and going on a tirade about discipline.. the second you just brush past her she says something about having the headmaster hear of this and stalks off quickly.. Utena drifts on a wave of gossip and astonished stares and whispers... right toward Mrs. Evan's class. Where she knows Touga is waiting. It's mostly... for him that she's putting on this show... okay, that's not entirely true. Him... AND herself. She feels herself like this... strong and confident and beautiful. It won't do to be anything else. As you continue back to Mrs Evan's class.. the door is open. As students are just beginning to file into class..they blink and stare at you out of course.. the wave of astonishment just doesn't seem to end.. as you turn the corner and enter the class. Mrs Evans is currently scrawling the days lessons on the blackboard..and you see a solid wall of jittering school girls around Touga's seat..unable to see so much as one red lock.. which must mean he's there.. Utena moves forward to the edge of the crowd forming that solid wall, and clears her throat. "... Ahem. Class is going to start, you know." All the girls awwwwwwwwwwwww and snivel as they begin to file away..staring at your clothing as they do so. And you finally see Touga as the multiple layers of schoolgirls walk away reluctantly. Grading papers dilligently. Not looking up quite yet... Utena slips her hand onto the table in front of Touga's downturned eyes... pressing her fingers over the paper he's grading. No words, no other action.. but she imposes. Touga looks to your hand..then smiles slowly. Looking up...expecting to see the dress he had selected for you..as his slender eyes trace up your form.. his long crimson bangs hiding the edges of those eyes in shadow..but..he pauses as he looks upon your current uniform.. his smile loosing it's edge in degrees.. the whites of his eyes widening a bit.. Utena smiles down... all the more beautiful in clothing that suits her... the soft, sculpted flow of her pink bangs around her perfectly formed face... a satisfied little smirk in her azure eyes. "I'm back." she whispers. Touga indeed..does find you beautiful as he sits up slowly.. staring at you. But not the sort of beautiful he wants.. he wants a supplicant little bride... not the independent prince he sees before him. He intones quietly, "And what happened to the dress I sent you?" Utena smiles softly. "It's where it belongs. In its box in the closet. Don't worry, I wouldn't waste such a nice dress. I just don't need to wear it, either." She turns, scented powerfully of roses, leaving it in a trail behind herself as she takes her seat... proud. Having had a small measure of victory. Touga is aware that you did walk away with some measure of victory... as his expression hardens a bit.. and now it is his turn to stare at you numbly.. Utena mildly sits, brushing a hand through her waved and shining pink tresses that fan over her shoulders. She settles back to wade through the class for the day. With an irritatingly beautiful smile. As the instructor turns around she takes ONE look at that uniform and GASPS! "Miss Utena Ten'jou! My word in heaven what are you WEARING??" o.O infront of the class. And now everyone turns to stare... whispering amongst themselves o.o o.o o.o o.o o.o Utena shrugs. "It's a uniform." Cheerful smile. Utena looks actually surprised that you could find anything wrong with it... her eyes protesting innocence :) She knows perfectly well how out of place this is. She drinks in the stares. Not egotistically, exactly, just choosing to ENJOY the reactions... to be DIFFERENT. To be HERSELF in the crowd. It's the warmest, most wonderful feeling.. it just makes her more convinced that she NEVER wants to go back. She practically stutters, "M..Miss Ten'jou go to the Headmaster's office IMMEDIATELY!" POINTING out the door.. Utena shrugs her shoulders a bit. Expecting that. "Okay.." Utena stands up and moves to the door. "Sure you trust someone as 'dangerous' as me with walking down the halls by myself..?" Mrs Evans exclaims, "Certainly not! Mr Kiryuu! Escort Miss Ten'jou to the Headmaster's office this once!" Touga glances to Mrs Evans..then back to you. Arching an eyebrow. Expertly played. Then intones, "Yes Mrs Evans." as he stands up. A wave of ' awwwww' errupts from the girls to which Mrs Evans SHUSHES. Utena waits patiently for Touga to move beside her, then puts her hand on the knob and steps out, letting him follow her into the hallway. She even shuts the classroom door behind herself... rests her hands on her hips and walks slowly. In nooo hurry at all to get where she's been sent. Looking up with a wry smile to the handsome redhead beside her. "Impressed yet..?" Utena remembers Michael's words, that Touga was in the 'dream' with her... Touga doesn't even look down to you as he escorts. Staring straight ahead as his long sanguine locks billow slightly from the motion. Hands folded behind him. He intones, "You're breaking school policy.. why would I be impressed?" as he seems to have slammed down something of an iron curtain in his expressionlessness. He doesn't like surprises. Utena doesn't lose her smile. "You don't like to be surprised, do you, Kiryuu Touga? You didn't think I could do this... you just wanted the cute, meek little Utena with the bad outfit and the braided hair. I can't be that person any more. This is who I am..." She pauses a moment, peering at you closely. "Don't you feel it..?" Utena says, "And it's not like this is even your school. You only transferred here to chase me." Touga simply continues to walk. He intones, "Perhaps." giving you that much. But not exposing any emotion with the word... staying carefully neutral. As if trying to take a few steps back from his feelings on the matter. Utena hms. Satisfied but also.. unnerved, by Touga's silence. There was definitely something between them. Something she could FEEL. She shakes her head, looking toward the approaching headmaster's door. Murmuring softly, "Does the name Dios mean anything to you...?" Touga's eyes twitch, but promptly answers, "No." Utena pauses once again, just outside the headmaster's closed door. She searches your eyes.. those bewitching eyes.. with her own.... she's not quite as meek now. She's looking for... for something, that probably neither of you know or could name. Touga's eyes are not nearly as inviting before. You can say he's making an effort to keep you out now.. but even so.. he can't help but to turn to look into your eyes as well.. briefly locking there... Utena says, "You said you were my only friend, Touga." Utena whispers, not blinking... blue to blue-violet, her eyes huge, like pools to be drowned in. "Did that only hold as long as you could use me...?" Touga honestly is captivated by your gaze... as he can't help but to stare.. deeply... Utena stares back. We could probably be like this forever... staring in a perfect locked conduit... a loop of energies feeding from one of us into the other.. captivated and bound by each other... she whispers. "Is that what it is...?" Both heedless of being still standing right outside the headmaster's door... she moves a step closer. As you take that step closer... there is something of a disturbance. As if you just crossed a forcefield sending alarms to his mind. As much as he finds this strange sensation fascinating.. he knows he can't get too involved. He already gambled on this one.. told the others he would handle it.. and his plan simply blew up in his face. There is only so much he dare do as he intones. Tearing his gaze away, "The headmaster will see you now." Utena bites her lip softly, and turns away, stepping into the office. Without you. Why do you feel so BAD about that? She's just a stupid girl.. one you know should rightfully be dead if you hadn't intervened.. and what exactly possessed you to DO that...? Touga isn't terribly sure. He thought.. she was just some harmless girl he could have a fling with. Just some silly little thing to pass the time.. he didn't realize..until now.. exactly how much it meant to him. Which he finds disturbing in the utmost. As he simply begins to walk away..leaving you to meet the headmaster in his office. Off to find some way to purify his mind of these thoughts. Utena closes the door of the office behind her, looking around, her eyes searching the room. The desk of the headmaster is before you. Effectually sitting like a monolith. A figure, shrouded in darkness sits at a chair. Looking over his papers before him. After a moment..he looks up to you questioningly. Utena rubs her hand along the back of her neck. "I was sent to see you." The reason's pretty obvious to your eyes... the black and white clothing crying out to be noticed, cut so perfectly to her figure... scandalous! Scandalous and disrespectful! Utena grins a bit wryly. "I suppose I'm in trouble." Headmaster frowns deeply as he looks upon you, Speaking up in his stern voice, "Explain yourself now Miss." steepling his fingers together. Utena says, "It's a uniform. It's not a sin to wear something different. I'm not showing anything indecent, I'm completely covered up. Why do I have to dress like everyone else? I'm different from others." Headmaster intones slowly, "This school.. has a strict uniform code. If all the girls attending this school began wearing such..such.. Garments." as he successfully doesn't say 'filth' ".. then there would be an inherent breakdown of discipline. I'm afraid you can only wear what the school deems appropriate while on campus." he states with finality, "There will be penalties for this behavior young lady." Utena narrows her eyes.. "Such as...?" Headmaster comments, "There will be a firm repremand on your permenent record for this. And do not adopt such a tone of voice with me Young Lady." his own eyes narrowing sternly. Utena says, "Oh, so it's all right to have a male teacher's assistant in an all girl's school taught by all women... but it's not okay for me to dress a little differently?" She shakes her head. "There's no reason for me to stay here if I can't be who I really am. This is what I am.. this thing." Some part of Utena cringes inside... how could she be saying such things...? She'd never have... but it's TRUE, isn't it..? It's all true. And she can't be less than true... that would be betraying the faith that's been put in her to be anything less than herself. Headmaster tells you, "Your family, whom has been paying this Finishing School handsomely for the last few years, will be sorrily disappointed in your decision young lady." as he simply begins to draw up the papers from his desk, "But this school has no room for.. irregularities such as you. Utena's eyes get bigger. "So, you're going to throw me out, then..? Over THIS?" Headmaster aahs.. filing his paper back to the desk, "So I see you do have some measure of self-restraint afterall. No.. you will not be thrown out over this." as apparently he was just making a threat, ".. But.. this behavior is inexcusable young lady. See that you return to your room, change back to something suitable then return to your class." he states with finality. Utena doesn't say anything. But she has NO intention of changing.. She just nods, and affects a sad look as she opens the door to leave. Steps out, shutting the door behind her... shakes her head. No intention of changing! None at all.. she just strides back through the halls. But she should go back to her room... and get her things together. There's no use in being here now... how is she going to do what she needs to do stuck behind desks all day? As you leave.. you notice that Touga is gone. Probably returned to class to grade papers.. Strange turns your life seems to be taking..strange indeed.. Utena just moves to her room. She's going to pack her things and leave. She doesn't BELONG here.... shaking her head tightly as she unlocks her dorm room. Utena crosses to the closet and pulls it open, reaching for a large brown bag in the back shelf. All your books and bags seem to stare mournfully at you. Afterall.. this has been your home for half a year.. so many memories.. so many expectations of you.. Utena sighs and slumps down on the edge of the bed.... yes. half a year. But sacrifices are asked of her, aren't they? She reaches over to a table by the foot of the bed and takes down a picture frame... herself, and Jane, and Windy... all in their blue uniforms... Jane and Windy are gone now. Completely gone... because of a stupid mistake in that alleyway.. HER fault. Maybe if she hadn't have fumbled herbooks staring at Touga.. they'd still be alive. Her face contorts and she brushes her hand over her eyes. Utena chokes back a soft sob. She OWES them. And she can't do anything here... She starts packing again.. with renewed purpose. Their faces almost seem to look up to you..expectantly.. the only friends you had in this school.. as you file them into your bags. How are you going to even begin to avenge them now? Utena feels tears crawling down her face. She pauses, standing still, leaning against the edge of a table. "..." It's Touga. Touga's her only link.. her only connection to what happened... but she WILL NOT surrender herself to this place... there has to be another way to get through to him. There has to be. He's all she's got. She frowns, her tears drying; she turns to walk out again.. back to the class. Not having changed, of course. She marches straight back to Mrs. Evan's room, looking for him. You march back to Mrs Evan's room.. luckly class has just been dismissed as you hear the ringing bells. A few girls file out through the doorway but as you look into the room most of them are still crowded around Touga..whom is standing now..smiling and talking with them all in turn.. apparently trying to forget about you by schmoozing with the crowd.. Utena hms. Suddenly gets a bright idea. She'll humor him. She needs him.. he's all she's got. She turns around and bolts quickly back to her room, thankfully it's not too far. Once there, she peels out of her now-beloved outfit... and reaches for the dress box at the top of the closet. She slips into the dress, arranging the ruffled skirt carefully... then hurries back. A bit breathless from the run... she walks into the class again, not more than ten minutes having passed... walks up to Touga silently... her eyes dark. "Touga." One single word spoken... you'd think you couldn't hear it above the giggles of the other girls. But it rings like a gunshot. Touga has since left the classroom as he begins to return back to his little office space. However meeting up with you again.. he glances to you just off handedly.. but doubletakes as your attire catches his notice.. slender eyes widening a bit ..... Utena crosses her arms over her chest, red in the face. "... I need your help." Her eyes look down, toward the floor... "Touga.." Utena brushes her hand along her skirt nervously. ".... If you don't help me, I have to leave." Touga smiles a bit. Now THAT'S more like it.. However.. he knows this HAS to be a setup.. could she has changed her tune so completely so quickly?... But.. my.. so lovely.. so radiant. He has a sudden urge to touch that pink hair trailing over her bare shoulder..."Such as?.." he speaks slowly.. Utena shakes her head. "... not here, Touga. My room. Ten minutes." Utena brushes her hand over your upper arm quietly. "Okay...?" She looks up at you... you can see her need of this... that you really are her last hope. It's clear in her luminous and perfect eyes as she turns them toward you. Touga smiles at that, whispering, "I am not allowed into the dormitory.. unless.. you have another option.." as he looks deeply into your eyes. He can't help but to drink of them now.. just what he wanted.. a perfect picture.. Utena sighs and looks around at the grounds... "I don't want to talk about this with other people around to hear it." She bites her lip. "The trees over there." Gesturing with her hand, pointing to a small cluster of about six trees to one side of the campus, inside the high walls. Touga whispers to you with a smile, "Of course. Ten minutes then?" Utena nods, "Ten minutes." She sets off at once, gathering her skirts up and moving away toward that small tree grove, her eyes hard as she leaves his sight. She hopes she's doing the right thing... that she's not making a tremendous mistake in this... but those eyes.... they're peering into her.. she can feel them under her skin, begging her from the picture's memory.. avenge us... avenge us.. Touga smiles deeply at this... then walks off..preparing. Utena is waiting for Touga in the small grove of trees nestled between the side of the school building and the huge brick wall that bounds the campus... frowning softly and blushing slightly as she's wearing that RIDICULOUS pink dress.. something she only did to get his ATTENTION on her... She crosses her arms over her chest, hrmphing softly, and looking around in wait. Between the trees of the small grove.. you see a figure approaching. With a small rustle of fallen leaves he steps from the shadows.. clad in an imperial black uniform.. sleek and sheer against his form. Golden adornments hang from his shoulders and clasp the front closed. Similarly dark green pants hang upon his legs.. with black dress shoes on the bottom. His long crimson locks trailing along his sides as his hands are folded behind his back. Upon seeing you the edge of his lips curls into a smile. . intoning, "Hello Utena.. I must say.. you look positively radiant in that dress..." Utena... her jaw drops a moment, even despite the faint annoyance and anger, she literally has to catch her breath, stopping a moment, not aware of anything in the world but that beautiful form in an amazing uniform stepping before her, red locks bouncing softly with his motions. She gapes a little, her mouth opening wider... "... ... Touga..." Touga chuckles.. as turn about is fair play. His smile only widens further..as he steps dangerously closer... one hand reaches up slowly.. to cup your cheek, intoning, "I have dreamt of this moment since the moment I laid eyes upon you Utena.. this is how it was ..meant to be." softly. His slender eyes looking, searching, deep into your own.. Utena tries to hold to her original intent, but... you've blown her off the ground and now she has to struggle to regain it... her eyes quiver slightly as the blush in her face deepens, darkens. "... t..." Avoiding those bewitching eyes, JERKING herself clear of them by effort, looking beside herself. Her head turns slightly, the delicate pink wavelets shifting. "That's not what I came here to talk about." Touga doesn't let you escape so easily as his other hand comes into play... touching the otherside of your cheek.. gently forcing you to look back up to his eyes.."But.. isn't it a... pleasing subject anyway Utena?" chuckling a bit, ".. I can tell.. we were meant for each other, Utena.. don't dare try to deny it.. you can feel it as well.." Utena's red face is hot to the touch when you clasp and turn her face toward you, she still looks aside, feeling cornered by you, her back pressed into the tree's rough bark. She ... would shake her head if you weren't holding her in place delicately, and her lips purse as she looks away, her eyes turning aside even if her face can't. It takes her a moment to regain her voice again, fighting back the sensation of your touches, and she says, "I'm not your doll, Touga." She lifts a hand to try and touch your wrist, unlatch your hand from her. "Whatever is between us, that's not why I'm here. I... I only came here to tell you I'm leaving. I'm leaving this school for good. You won't see me again. I wanted..." She pauses. Not so sure now why she willingly put her foot into this trap... "... Help me, Touga. Don't make me do this alone." She looks up intensely. "If there's something really between us." Touga immediately dismisses your small voice with a low chuckle. Not mockingly.. more like.. laughing at your joke, "Utena, Utena.. how little you understand. I am helping you... can't you see?" Utena narrows her eyes, shadows from her lashes changing her paler blue eyes to a deep and lambent azure. "What do you mean..." Touga smiles, "Be with me... be under my wing and I will protect you." he whispers softly, "Why do you think no one has come after you? I have stopped them all.. be with me.. do as I ask.. and I promise you that no harm will befall you.." Utena's voice becomes cold. This again.. this same game. Yes, she admits it painfully within her breast, she admires him. Dressed like this particularly... he's beautiful, he's charming... but he's keeping her from what she was asked to do. "Then there's nothing you can do for me." She raises her hands up, lower arms parallel between your outstretched arms tightly, and pushes outward with all her strength, to break the connection of touch. Angry, disappointed... even a little hurt, her blush becomes one of embarrassment. "I'm leaving, Touga." Touga's arms fly open as you remove his hands.. his smile wavers.. intoning, "... I can't protect you if you leave me... I won't be able to stop them from killing you.." Utena looks back over her shoulder, over the soft edge of the dress, the wind ruffling her skirt. "I have the power of Dios. God is with me. I'm not afraid of you any more." She smiles a little. "You can't even imagine." And resumes walking away... back to her dorm room, for the last time... Touga is confused as to what you could possibly mean. You are just some silly schoolgirl who is way in over her head.. His smile is now completely overtaken by a deepseated frown. Crimson hair fluttering in the wind as he intones after, "... you will return to me. You don't understand that now..but you will soon enough." not paying attention to your words.. figuring they're the nonsensical ramblings of a girl who'll grasp at anything just to keep her own pride intact.. so he'll wait. Simply wait for her. Once she sees the kind of world this truly is... she'll come crawling back to him. He knows it. Do you really? Are you that blind to the bitter calm in Utena's body, the way she quietly carries herself away from you with pride? She didn't fold to you, she didn't let herself be taken away from herself as she had in the past. SOMETHING must have happened. She must KNOW something... more than you thought... She doesn't look back once as she drifts away purposefully, to her room. You may believe she'll come back... but somehow you get the feeling you might never see her again, either way... either she'll die... or the unthinkable.. she'll succeed. Either way, you're going to lose her. She's out of your sight now. Her face is composed as she reenters her room, shutting the door behind her... looking at the disheveled state of things... She sits to rethink her packing a moment, pulling out of the dress and changing back to her black and white jacket, her black socks and tennis-like sneakers. Obviously she needs to pare down to ONE bag, something she can carry with her on her back. The books, the other things... they're of this world she's leaving, they don't matter. She has to try and think survival... think war. Indeed.. if his words are true.. who knows when you will be attacked... could be soon.. very soon... Utena refuses to panic, or BE panicked by her thoughts. She does however start moving around as she's redressed, emptying out all her bags except for one leather-tanned one with many pockets, almost military-style. She stuffs some clothes in there.. sweaters, a couple of pairs of slacks.. a water bottle goes into one of the bag pockets. A pen, a single notebook, her cell phone and charger... money, of course. A bottle of aspirin... and finally, last of all.. she draws out the picture of herself and her friends... pulls it from the frame and tucks it away carefully inside the bag.. then closes it, seals the buckles, and swings it onto her back. It's not too heavy. She bites her lip, adjusting a strap and sighing. At the last she thinks to fetch a small portable radio, basically a walkman. Batteries. There's other things she wants to bring, but she'll have to buy them outside- candles, a flashlight, a blanket... blanket! Ah! BEDDING. She snatches the heaviest of her blankets and rolls it up tightly, using a little bit of string to tie it into a bundle... then fitting this into a strap at the top of her backpack. Well.. this should last you a bit... but your not exactly experienced in being on the road... but there is a first time for everything.. One of the benefits of being the quiet type. You READ a lot. Utena knows this isn't enough to survive.. but it's a start, and she's at least making her best stab at covering all her bases. She looks around once more, and moves toward her door.. pauses again. Turns to close her eyes... . o O ( Michael... please help me be strong. I need to be strong and live... I want to do what you've asked. ) Then she exhales, and walks out of the door... closes it behind her. It's odd... the dorm hallway.. you've traversed it so many times before. But never before did it look so alien..so foreign. As if you realize for the first time how much you really don't belong here... so functional.. so stark. Unforgiving. Utena adjusts the weight on her back a little and looks around. The rooms passing by, faces, doors, locations blurring and melting... She's crying...? Stops. Brushes her hand along her face...surprised to feel hot tears there. Utena draws in her breath... making herself calm down.. The exit of the dorm is before you. How ominous it seems.. darkness from the late hour filtering through with long inky shadows beyond.. Utena frowns, flicking away the last of her tears. It wasn't.. this dark, before, was it? She wasn't in her room that long. Something...? She peers around, standing under a lamp on the campus grounds outside the school buildings... her hand touching the lamppost. It's late out.. maybe packing took longer than you thought... as the stars and moon are full out... Utena frowns again. It doesn't... change anything, but she is hesitant now. She pushes away from the light and follows the path toward the front gates... trying to be alert to the silence, to changes in the air.. trying to listen for she knows not what. You walk to the maingates.. which are... open? Indeed the metal ornate gateway has swung inwards...exposing the dense peasoup fog beyond... the faint orbs of light from the streetlamps beyond are visible.. Utena doesn't like this. Why are they OPEN? She tenses. And instead of passing through the gates... she pauses a moment... trying to remember the lessons given to her in the holy church... to clear her mind of fear and doubt, of this world, and to draw forth the miracle.. Yet..no miracles draw forth as you simply stand before the open gates.. the mists swirl and undulate before you.. almost waiting.. Utena's brow purses and a little damp, cold sweat accumulates on her brow. The fear... it didn't come.. she was afraid of that... She swallows and peers at the shifting white fog before her. London in this area is unkind at night... Yet, she already made her choice... she can't turn back now. The young girl steps forward. The swirling mists seem to engulf you as you step forward. And you renter that world of darkness.. only the dim light of the streetlamps and moon above ambiently light the fog around you.. barely enough to see where your feet are stepping and little more... Utena strides along the top of the fog, it swirls over her ankles and takes the heat out of her body.. she feels the chill immensely. Hard to see where she's going, she simply walks as long as she can feel pavement and stones under her feet.. looking for streetlights. No idea where she's going... except that it's into the heart of the night-draped city. Clink... the sound of chains grating against one another is heard through the thick fog. Followed by a footstep or two.. Utena freezes, whirling around, her eyes narrow in the dark as she tries to shrink back and determine the source of the sound. At first just from one direction..then you hear the sound of a baseball club being smacked into an open palm behind you... then the sound of a switchblade being openned mechanically... then the sound of a course laugh.. all around you.. Utena does an environment check. What's she got to work with, what's the terrain? Her eyes widen, gazing into the dim lighting and the mist... her head sweeping from side to side. . o O ( Touga, you BASTARD... ) Terrain? Possibly the worst. Flat and terrainless other than the street lamp nearby. A trash bin close to that.. however.. you may be surrounded on all sides. Slowly.. figures begin taking shape within the fog.. you hear the whirling of chain.. the scraping of spiked boots on pavement.. the unsavory london 'punk' gangs.. on all sides.. prehaps as many as a dozen.. Utena looks around, her eyes sliding from shape to shape as they form out of the fog... her sword's not with her. She can't run, but she's NOT going to let herself get trashed here... she makes a quick move for the lamppost... letting her instincts, powered by her fear, take over her body.. she jumps up and... miraculously? her body lifts up, and UP... and her hands close on the upper outjutting vane of the streetlight (You know, the 'branch' that sticks out from the pole near the top...) -swings- herself like a gymnast on a bar, up and over, straddles the thick bar briefly, looking down. Instantly regretting it as she gets a little dizzy... o.o The punks all rush forward the moment you jump..then skid to a halt.. two comically hitting one another.. as they all blink in the darkness.. wondering where you went until one looks WAY up.. shouting, "HEY!" and pointing..they all look up.. and wonder how you made it up a good 10 or 12 ft like that... giving you a reprieve from their wrath for the moment.. Utena looks around swiftly, trying to figure where her next move is. Are there rooftops? Somewhere she can get to from here? Well there is a rooftop nearby.. but.. it's still a pretty good jump.. The gang members all get wise and as many as possible grab hold of the pole and try to shake it.. the metal pole slowly begins to sway.. Utena winces and quickly grabs onto the pole underneath her again, swinging herself back into a tight monkeycurl arc... trying to keep her legs out of reach as she swings, aware the shaking of the post will throw her off, she has to try. She whirls a few times, backpack opening at one point, spilling its contents down on the gangbangers below her... dammit.... she comes out of the last and flings herself forward, making a grab for the edge of the rooftop.. praying she makes it. One of the smaller punks climbs on the back of the larger... and tries to SNAG you while your swinging! But with luck your bag opens and your things immediately fall on his face..from which he yelps! Falling back down to the ground.. allowing you a clear swing.. and somehow you manage to grabhold and stay that way.. as your now hanging from the rooftop.. the horde immediately shouts in frustration as they rush over towards where you are.. hoping to get to your feet before you can pull up.. Utena struggles to pull herself up, just her fingertips, a strenous exertion on her arms... she swings out a little, pushing away with her feet but holding on with her hands... like a rather lethal game of monkey bars, this is... her feet come down toes bent into the wall, and she struggles to clamber up, breathlessly, to get onto the roof. Amazingly your handholds hold firm.. as you manage to claw your way up onto the old fashioned tiled roof.. the ogres down below are currently circling around to the alleyway..heading for the fire escape... you have a temporary reprieve it seems.. Utena wastes no time. She can feel the flapping lightness of her backpack and curses softly, she'll deal with it later... starts running. She works up good speed... jumping quickly from rooftop to rooftop, counting on her legs to carry her... not really caring which direction she takes as long as it gets her out of their reach.. Luckily these bums just weren't made to go rooftop jumping.. only a scant four manage to keep up with you in the distance as the larger and slower ones lag back.. as these four keep on your trail.. following you as they bound from rooftop to rooftop.. Utena doesn't look back.. she can hear them still, that's bad enough. If she could only sprout wings and fly away.... She pushes herself to move faster, sprinting and jumping, in one case... a dangerous, almost too-wide jump that leaves her scrambling when she comes down unevenly... her breath coming fast. She's going to make it hard, goddamit. Hard as hell to catch her. She starts moving in weird sideways jumps... bounding like a crazy leprechaun or a pixie, trying to make unexpected moves that can't be followed as easily. As you make that great leap.. one falls away... impacting down far bellow noisily.. the other three continue along..until your one unexpected move causes one to slip on tiling and fall off the roof... leaving two whom are very very close behind now... panting and snarling almost like mad dogs.. Utena realizes she's too easy to see like this.. above the fog, with the moonlight revealing her passage... at the edge of the next building, she spins and grabs backward onto the ledge like Lara Croft falling off a cliff, looks down below herself quickly, hoping for a ledge or fireescape to land on, to swing herself back down.. she can lose them in the fog if she can just stay a few beats ahead. One was RIGHT behind you and the MOMENT you drop downwards one FLIES past you.. clutching at thin air as he yells! Falling all the way down.. leaving just one on your trail now.. you look down..and luckily there is a balcony only a few feet bellow you.. Utena lets go, falling down to the balcony, she scrambles again coming down on all fours, and starts tearing for whatever exit route there is, even if she has to keep hang and dropping. Unfortunately the only exit route is into the house of this third story apartment..but the glass sliding door is locked closed as it should be this time of night. Utena smacks into the glass.. *thump* like a bird flying right into a closed window... she rebounds onto the balcony and gasps... has to be another way out, or down... that last one wasn't giving up... You hear above you a few footsteps... the punk looks down.. chuckling.. as he begins to climb down slowly.. figuring he has you trapped. Hrmm..well..over to your left there is a roof drainpipe that goes all the way down...but... rather hard to climb on.. Utena will risk it. She puts her hands on it and swings her legs off the balcony... expecting that she'll slide down. And slide down you do... the metal rivets along the sides are needless to say.. HARD on your hands as they abrassively cut them open gratingly as the cold metal becomes progressively harder to hold onto...your bare legs would recieve the same treatment if you used those as well.. Utena cries out, but tries to bear the pain.. hurt hands is better than a kicked in head. She looks down behind herself, hair whipping around, to see how far she's got to go to the ground... teeth clenching with HURTING. Actually.. it doesn't hurt too bad after awhile.. as your hands are so cold they're numbed from the experience.. the real hurting comes later when the adrenaline wears off and your hands warm up again. Well.. you have a pretty open stretch of street to either side.. the mist swirling about you as usual.. you hear a clattering from up above.. as it seems the punk is following your footsteps.. Utena darts off, trying to actually USE the mist for once, to cover herself... to disappear into it while she still has some space, she deliberately heads for where the mist is thicker and harder to penetrate... racing into it headlong... her palms throbbing and aching from being rubbed and in some places cut open... but dull, bearable pain, thanks to the cold... As you run along quickly... the patch of mist is pretty thick... you hear a short echoing sound, the kind of which you hear when your a few inches away from a wall.. which is all the warning you get that you just accidently ran straight at one.. Utena throws her hands up.. but *SMACK* anyway. She manages to confine the smacking into her hands and lower arms, and not her face.. but she still hits it and rebounds... stumbling a moment, gasping for breath hoarsely, adding to the mist around her with her own frightened exhalations... tries to get her bearing. Dead end? Oh please god, not a dead end.. At first it indeed seems like a deadend.. but after a moment the mists seem to swirl and flicker..and then a open doorway appears just to the left of you.. Utena plunges into it... punching through to the left, through that door. It's.. the otherside of the wall? How odd.. it's the opposite street. But..why did someone randomly put a door there? Utena doesn't question. But she does stop a moment, her knees feeling weak, her legs aching, every muscle feeling strained... shaking violently from the adrenaline... she presses her hands along her knees, doubling over slightly, head hanging as she wheezes... needs a moment to catch her breath... As you look behind you to check and see if the punk is still following.. There isn't a door anymore... Just a solid whitewashed wall.. Utena catches her breath, struggles with it. The terrain around her is unfamiliar... but she looks for any kind of civilization, a store, a barfront, anything... just somewhere that's open, that people are in, that she can seek shelter. You look through the mists... utterly lost again... it's going to take you a good time of wandering before you can find anything.. it looks all residential..and in this day and age.. you know strangers would be turned away in a heartbeat.. if you asked for help here.. Utena is willing to wander... but she's becoming tired, running out of strength as the immediate crisis seems to be over. Her steps are slowing, her breath coming harder, the pain becoming clearer and sharper as adrenaline starts fading out of her system. She tries to be careful, honestly. But she's wearing down. She looks for an alley, for someplace dark, that she can just STOP in... melt into a shadow... and sit.. and rest. You stumble along..and the mists swirl open.. revealing a small alcove.. not an alleyway exactly.. it appears like a recessed area in a building where a statue once stood..now empty and just human sized.. Utena settles into the alcove, it's good enough. After another check... a holding of her breath to listen for sound, she lets herself sink down to sit, hiding herself in the blackness of shadows, shivering and cold... breathless. She hugs her legs tightly against her chest. And you can't help but to think.. this is just the first evening. Just the first... how much worse will it get in the future? What if they actually CATCH you next time... Utena doesn't want to give in to despair.. she doesn't. She rests her chin on her knees and gazes out from the protection of the shadowed spot... wearily. Wanting to sleep... it's going to be like this now, isn't it? Sleeping in the cold, hurting, hungry... Alone.