"The Purple Rose Saga": An otakufic by King Reanna

Episode Six: "Ohtori is a Character Gallery"

Written Dec. 5, 1999, with modifications made Dec. 28-29, 1999

[Scene: Utena and Anshi’s dining room. Grams: "Gakuen no Lyric." Anshi, Juri, Utena, Nanami, Touga, Miki and Akio sit around the table eating curry]

Touga: Well, Utena, thank you for inviting us to dinner.

Miki: I can’t think of when I’ve had better curry, Himemiya. It’s a good thing you perfected your recipe. (He glances at Anshi knowingly and smiles)

Anshi: It’s a shame Reanna couldn’t make it… Why was it again?

Utena: Well, when I called her… she said she just wasn’t feeling well. Maybe she’ll be feeling better tomorrow.

Miki: Oh, I hope so. You don’t think she’s sick, do you?

Akio: Most likely, she is simply caught up in affairs of her own.

Juri: Affairs?

Akio: Personal affairs. I sometimes find myself in similar situations.

Utena: It was very good, Himemiya. Tasted… different. Is this a special recipe?

Anshi: Well, I did add a few things into this batch. I should have written down exactly what I did to make it taste so good.

Title: "Ohtori is a Character Gallery"

[Scene: An elevator. Grams: "Densetsu: Kami no Na wa Abraxas." The silhouettes of Juri, Miki, Touga and Reanna appear, one by one. Reanna is on crutches]

Touga: If it cannot hatch from its shell, the chick will die without being born. We are the chick; the world is our egg. If we don’t crack the world’s shell, we will die without truly being born. Smash the world’s shell…

All: For the Revolution of the World!

(We see everyone sitting at chairs. Reanna’s crutches are leaning up against her chair. Everyone has a drink by them on the table)

Miki: Reanna-sempai, what happened? You don’t come to school for two weeks, then you come back on crutches. Did you break your leg?

Reanna: …It’s okay. I just… had an accident. I’ve never broken anything before.

Touga: Anyway, I don’t know how Chu-Chu got a Bara no Kokuin, but he is now the new duelist champion. I can’t believe the Bara no Hanayome is engaged to that thing!

Juri: That really is no way to talk about the champion of the duels, Touga-sempai.

(Miki gives Reanna a lascivious look. Reanna looks puzzled. He squeezes Reanna’s leg, causing her to "eep")

Reanna: Micky! What was that for?

Miki: (not at all like Miki) It was for you, my little Shining Thing.

(Reanna gasps. We only see Touga and Juri as Touga speaks)

Touga: Well, *anyway*, Micky-kun has challenged Chu-Chu recently. Reanna will be spotting the two of them.

Reanna: (offscreen) Micky! What’s gotten into you?!

Miki: You have…

(Touga and Juri look on)

Touga: Reanna, I would think that by now you would be used to Micky-kun acting like this. You’re acting *really weird*!

Reanna: Micky never acts like this! Touga, is something wrong? You’re acting… kind of unusual.

Juri: Are you not feeling well, Reanna-sama?

Reanna: "Sama?"

Juri: Perhaps you should lay down.

Miki: I’ll join you…

Reanna: Micky!

Touga: Micky-kun, lay off already! Anyway, Reanna, Micky-kun, the duel will be at two o’clock. The meeting is adjourned.

Reanna: Touga? Is… something wrong?

Touga: Of course there’s something wrong! I just realized that I’m late for lunch with my wonderful little sister! (Touga gets up and runs offscreen)

Juri: (smiles pleasantly) Well, Touga-sama sure was in a hurry.

Reanna: Since when is Touga eager to have lunch with Nanami?

Miki: He’s *always* had that "little sister" complex. I feel sorry for him. And for Nanami.

Reanna: (to herself) "Little sister" complex?

[Scene: The outdoors eating area. Grams: "Panorama Ranman." Nanami sits at a table drinking something. She looks very calm. (Touga-like, in fact) Touga runs onscreen]

Touga: I know I’m late! Forgive me, Little Sister!

Nanami: Hello, Touga.

Touga: (sits down) You really are the greatest, Little Sister.

Nanami: How did I get such an adoring Oniisama? (smiles slightly)

[Scene: The Rose Garden. Grams: "Bara no Tameiki." Reanna walks by and decides to go in. She sees Juri watering the roses]

Reanna: Hi, Juri… What are you doing here? Where’s Anshi?

Juri: Well, she said she didn’t feel like watering the roses, so I offered to do it for her. It really is beautiful in here, don’t you think, Reanna-sama?

Reanna: Uh… hai. Well, I had better get going… I’m supposed to be the witness at Micky’s duel.

Juri: All right. I’ll see you later, then.

Reanna: Yeah… (Reanna exits the garden and is slapped suddenly by a classmate, so hard that she falls to the ground. She reaches for her crutches, but they are kicked away)

Classmate: What did you say to him? Why won’t our Micky play the piano anymore? All he does now is flirt with older girls! And all Touga-sama does is hang around his little sister! We know it’s your fault! Weird things have been happening ever since you got here!

Reanna: … … (thinking) Could I have been responsible for all this? (speaking) I didn’t mean it!

(The girl looks like she’s going to slap Reanna again)

Akio: (offscreen) You there! What are you doing?!

(Enter Akio. He’s holding a stopwatch and a notebook)

Girls: Akio-sama!

Akio: I… don’t want to see you hurting anyone again.

Girls: Of course not, Akio-sama! (They run off)

(Akio offers Reanna his hand. Reanna looks up at him fearfully)

Reanna: What do you want?

Akio: To help you up. Is… that okay with you?

Reanna: You… promise you won’t try to… kiss me or… take my clothes off or anything?

Akio: (blushes!) I… I’m not sure I know what you mean.

Reanna: Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about! Who do you think you are?

(Akio hands Reanna her crutches)

Akio: I… don’t really know what you’re talking about, but if I ever did anything to humiliate or hurt you in any way, I’m truly sorry. (clicks the stopwatch) I’ll go now. (Begins to walk away)

Reanna: Akio, wait. (Akio turns)

Reanna: (as she gets up) Arigato. (looks at her watch) If you’ll excuse me, there’s… somewhere I have to go now. Bye. (leaves)

(Akio looks after her, confused. He clicks the stopwatch again [6:66])

[Scene: Next to the dueling arena. Reanna observes the start of the duel.]

(The dueling arena: Anshi stands to the side. Chu-Chu, holding a tiny Sword of Dios, stands facing Miki, who stands with his fencing sword. Chu-Chu’s rose is lavender. The bells ring, a song begins, and the duel begins)

(Miki charges Chu-Chu and swings, but Chu-Chu dodges and swings. Miki parries, but with difficulty; it’s obvious that he has trouble dealing with such a small target. Chu-Chu jumps up impossibly high and swings at Miki’s rose, but is blocked)

(We now see Reanna watching the duel)

Reanna: (to herself) So, does the Sword of Dios adjust itself to whomever possesses it? Where did Chu-Chu learn how to swordfight well enough to beat Utena and be a match for Micky, anyway? And where did he get a Rose Seal ring?

(We see Miki swing his sword. Lavender rose petals fly everywhere. The bells ring once again. Miki is the new duelist champion. We see Reanna wearing a surprised expression)

Reanna: Micky-chan!

[Scene: A certain wall at a random sunset. Grams: "Kashira Seijin." The Kagee Shoujo-tachi appear]

A-Ko: Kashira! Kashira! Gozonji kashira!

B-Ko: Oh, dear girl, what’s happening now?

A-Ko: Everything is changing! Everything is changing so quickly!

B-Ko: Yes, yes, but what of the girl? Can she change quickly enough?

A-Ko: Or will she be left behind?

B-Ko: Time will tell, and sooner than you think!

(Fade out)

(Eyecatch)

(That evening, at Reanna’s dorm. She is talking on the phone)

Reanna: Hello, Akio? Hai, this is Reanna. I just called to ask you if anything unusual happen last night or this morning? You went where for dinner? Well who all was there? … Oh… Oh, no reason. Hai, you have a pleasant evening, too. Bye.

(Reanna hangs up with a thoughtful expression)

(The next morning. Grams: "Jab Up Beauty." Anshi, Miki and Utena are walking to class. Utena is eating [more like devouring] a sandwich, and holds another in her other hand. Reanna comes onscreen, still on crutches)

Reanna: Ohayou, guys. (looks straight at Anshi) Anshi, do you remember when you invited everyone to dinner the other night?

Anshi: Hai. That was the dinner you said you were too busy to come to.

Reanna: Hai, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it, but… listen… the curry you served… what did you put in it?

Anshi: Curry? I… honestly don’t remember, Reanna-sempai.

(Reanna facefaults. Anshi gives her the infamous, patented "Ice Queen" stare. Reanna shivers)

Reanna: Well… is there any left over?

Utena: (chomps into her sandwich) If there is, it’s mine!

Anshi: I think there was one bowl, but it’s still at Utena’s dorm. I thought you didn’t like curry.

Reanna: Anshi, I know this will sound really dumb, but…

Anshi: Reanna-sempai, it’s too late for you to worry about sounding dumb.

Reanna: (sweatdrops) Well, listen, could you invite me, and everybody you had over the other night, to dinner at Utena’s dorm?

Utena: Sounds good to me!

Anshi: Baka…

Miki: Now, now, Anshi. That’s not such a bad idea. I do enjoy your curry. Do you know what else I would enjoy?

Anshi: If you can get Miki to stop coming on to me, I’ll do it.

Reanna: You’ll do it? You really will?

Anshi: Do I have to invite my brother?

Reanna: … Yes. Akio has to be there.

Anshi: All right. I’ll do it if it means you’ll leave me alone.

Miki: Alone with me, you mean…

(Reanna sweatdrops)

Reanna: Oh-kay! Arigato, Anshi! (She goes off on her crutches)

Anshi: (As soon as Reanna is out of earshot) I wonder if all Americans that weird?

(Utena just shrugs and takes another bit of her sandwich)

(That night, we see the dining hall of Utena’s dorm. All the same people sit around it)

(We now see the kitchen. Bowls of curry are laid out. Reanna enters)

Reanna: Anshi, Akio wants to speak with you.

Anshi: (sighs) What does he want? (Walks out)

(Reanna quickly goes to the fridge and finds the bowl of leftover curry sauce. Hastily, she puts a spoonful over each bowl, and puts it away, just as Anshi walks back in)

Reanna: Hi Anshi!

Anshi: (raises an eyebrow) Is… something wrong, Reanna-sempai?

Reanna: Nothing. Nothing at all. (Yawns) You know, I’d love to stay, but I am dead tired. I’m going home.

Anshi: You’re the one who wanted me to do this whole damn thing again!

Reanna: Sorry, Anshi, but I really am tired. (exit Reanna)

(We see Reanna in her dorm. She’s wearing pajamas. She gets into her bed, putting her crutches next to it. She looks around her room for a moment, then lies down. She sighs, loud and long)

(Fade to "To be continued" screen)

Preview of next episode:

(Grams: "Jikai Yokoku." We see Reanna crumpling a letter, Reanna talking on the phone, looking concerned, and Reanna and Miki dueling)

V.O. Reanna: Christmas is coming. I’m really excited but I really don’t want to duel with Miki on Christmas Eve.

V.O. Utena: Would you really refuse to duel?

V.O. Reanna: …I don’t know …

V.O. Utena: Do you think you’ll even be able to refuse?

V.O. Reanna: I really don’t know. My first duel. I’m really scared.

V.O. Utena: Next time on "Shoujo Kakumei Utena:" "The Christmas Storm!"