Time for something a little different! This month, @treefrogie84 has given us The Rose Bride, a Revolutionary Girl Utena fusion, which definitely sounds like nothing I’ve read before, so let’s dive in.
Claire keeps her head up, marching ahead, weaving her way through the clumps and clusters of students that crowd the green space between buildings. Third day of classes and she’s already got half the student body staring at her. Great way to stay inconspicuous.
It might be a different universe, but that’s definitely Claire.
“If you’re not getting credit for it, why bother?”
“Because vampires don’t care about your grades when they’re chasing you,”
I mean, she’s got a good point.
Claire’s thumb worries at her ring, rubbing back and forth across metal, nail catching on the rose face occasionally. The same design is repeated everywhere across the school campus— branded notebooks, the crest, the gates and classroom buildings— and it’s unnerving.
A tall guy— blond, bulky in the decorative weight lifting sort of way— walks out, dragging the quiet girl from Claire’s class with him. They can’t hear what he’s saying, but he’s clearly angry, gripping her arm tightly— he’s going to leave bruises, Claire can tell even from here— before shoving her away.
Hello to the pairing in the tags. I find myself very much hoping for a breakup.
Admittedly, three stories up while he’s being an asshole to his maybe-girlfriend doesn’t give the best view of someone, but Claire’s pretty sure Cole’s not hot. And posting love letters he’s received doesn’t do anything redeeming for his character either. “He looks like an asshole to me. And a bully.”
Yeah...I’m with Claire on this.
Everything she knows comes from watching Princess Bride too many times, but she can get her point across, she’s sure.
Princess Bride is an excellent resource. I approve.
The staircase is weird, wide and spiraling up, there’s no way it can actually fit inside the arena she entered. She climbs hundreds of stairs, constantly drawn upwards by the occasional glimpse she gets of a castle hanging above her.
Okay, officially weird and cool
He pulls a damn sword out of her chest. “Grant me the power to bring the world revolution!” he yells, pulling the sword up and pointing it to the sky.
I’m so glad we’re meant to dislike him, ‘cause he’s very easy to dislike.
Kaia stares at her, like what she’s saying is obvious, or even reasonable. “Whoever wins the duel wins me.”
Hooo boy. That’s a whole lot to wrap your brain around.
Forty-two is a better answer than nothing at all, she guesses.
I mean, it’s the answer to life, the universe...everything.
And then Krissy turns her hand into the light. It’s the same ring that Claire wears, has worn since her parents died years ago.
None of her stuff, none of Alex’s, nothing is left except the bare furniture.
Because Claire doesn’t know why or how she knows, but she knows this is not something Kaia chose.
This looks a whole lot like eventual Dreamhunter. I am officially intrigued and I want more!
If you’re at all curious about the many details I left out, please do yourselves a favour and go read The Rose Bride by @treefrogie84 and be sure to leave a comment or kudos as a thank you. Personally, I’ll be waiting with anticipation for the sequel.
