Ep. 3: "Enter the Duel"

A brief glimpse of what appears to be Space. Amidst colourful nebulae and stars, three racers whiz across a floating "highway" at blazing speed. One of them tries bashing the other two off the edge, and successfully takes one off-course (along with himself). As the two racers float away into abyss, a deep masculin voice says, "Suffer, my darlings." The third racer disappears into the distance.

Anthy awakens to a phone call from the University - there are two kids waiting for her attention. When she gets there, Anthy meets the first kid: Okabe, age 19, star student majoring in Computer Science, and who says he lost his ability to dream. And because he can't dream anymore, Okabe has also lost the will to pursue his studies; he only sits in his dorm room staring at the wall with ennui. Anthy tries cheering him up, "You always have a future ahead of you." But Okabe turns away. He notes the egg sitting on her desk, and points out that he had an egg like hers, but it shattered into many pieces. Then he leaves.

The next student, Haruka, couldn't be found anywhere.

Disturbed, Anthy mulls over the incidence. She has a faint inkling the egg Quon dropped earlier has something to do with this. Remembering what Quon said earlier, Anthy tries to call her to her office, but Quon appears to have all her class timeslots occupied. Busy-body. Thus, Anthy tries to learn the significance of the egg with Woogle's(Google) help, and stumbles across a forum, titled "Wish-Granter's Foundation." Searching the forum, she learns of the secret duels organized every two weeks, at a randomly selected place in the University campus. The students who have been granted eggs are allowed the opportunity to make one of their desires come true with the Rose Bride. To fulfill their dreams, they must compete in a racing duel of up to four players. Winner take all, losers don't make the call. Testimonies include one's lifetime vacation in the Bahamas, how a friend was saved from cancer, to how one-true-pairing happened with so-and-so, and how someone gained phenomenal artistic abilities.

This is no good! The site doesn't mention much of who's behind this activity, but the next duel will be taking place tonight at the gym. 8:00 sharp. Who is this new Rose Bride?

After a nice thali with Chu-Chu, Anthy goes to the hallway outside the gym, where a red-headed exchange student girl, Asuka, also waits. Asuka jeers caustically at Anthy, but Chu-Chu crawls onto Anthy's shoulder and gives that brat a nice raspberry. *pfffty* Asuka asks what wish could Anthy possibly make, that could beat her longing to make her parents proud of her. Anthy isn't sure herself; asking for Utena back would be a little selfish of her.

Then the white-haired boy shows up, with a key in hand. ("Is this everyone?") He unlocks the gym doors, and asks the two to follow inside. His name is Ayato, and he transports them into the same Space Arena we've seen at the beginning. Anthy is bedazzled. At the start of the "highway", Ayato instructs the two to pull out their eggs, and hold them palm up. Then, they must swear the Oath to Order, and upon doing so, their eggs magically transform into futuristic-looking racers. (Just like Tron!)

Before the race begins, Ayato mentions the rules:
1. The first to reach the end of the course gets to meet with the Rose Bride, whom the winner can ask for a single wish.
2. Whoever is knocked off the skyroads, or have their eggs destroyed is "disqualified."

Anthy realises what disqualification means. It's what happened to Okabe, to Haruka and Michiru when they fell off the Border of the World. No, she must win at all costs! She decides to wish for those lost to be able to dream again.

The race is very exhilarating. At first, Asuka gains a big lead over Anthy -- how does one race these things anyway? But when the track comes to a huge loop-de-loop, we flashback to a memory where Utena is duelling with all the other students, and Anthy was watching by the side. Suddenly, Utena's passion shines through Anthy, and Anthy's racer manages a boost of great speed. She overtakes Asuka and reaches the end of the road.

In a blaze of white light, Anthy spots a blurry form approaching her. Anthy tries asking for all the losers to be restored to normal, but the Rose Bride says she can only affect up to three people at once. Thus, listing Michiru, Okabe and Haruka's names, Anthy wishes for them to be able to dream again.

The next morning, Anthy sees that her wish has come true. She sees Michiru by the foyer, daily business as usual, and - eyes meeting, they exchange a smile. Asuka is there as well, and the redhead shakes her fists, promising revenge one day.

Last edited by QQQQQ (11-16-2011 04:57:48 PM)

Anything you want.. well, as long as you're not just turning it into a giant tatter. (Keep it comprehensible.)

(I actually had to stop myself from writing a full episode, and just writing a summary.  I have multiple ideas for episodes now, so expect me to try to be more active in this thread.  I also added a couple little 'lists' other people can feel free to use in their chapters... just for the heck of it.  Actually, looking at this as it ended, I'm actually willing to write 'episodes' like this for the entire Student Council... of course, I don't want to be greedy and bogart them all for myself.  But if anyone's interested, that's the direction I'm willing to take, and how I'm willing to contribute.  Inasmuch as, instead of doing the usual and writing these episodes at home and posting them online, I'm willing to write them while I'm online, so as not to step on anyone's toes.)


[Story redacted by Yasha as per wbl.]

Last edited by Yasha (05-25-2012 10:56:40 PM)

(... no objections?)

[Story redacted by Yasha as per wbl.]

Last edited by Yasha (05-25-2012 10:58:05 PM)

Nobody else was posting.  You said it was alright to write about what you wanted, what you liked, as long as you kept it comprehensible.  I'm a fan of the Student Council and Souji Mikage.  I can't really write too well about the original characters since I'm not the one who created them.  Nobody else was posting, so I decided I'd take a shot it, and write what I knew, and what I liked.

Consider this an arc, I guess.  If there's no objections, I'll type something up for Touga on Saturday (And I'll write it while I'm online, just in case someone posts a chapter before then), then go ahead and kick back and wait.

(The 'Asuka' in Episode 3 sounds a bit like Asuka Langley Soryu.  But I'm going to treat her as if she was an original character.  And I'm trying to use those previously introduced characters, not to step on anyone's toes, but to try to tie this 'arc' in with the original three episodes, which was originally a complaint.  Also, again, anyone can go ahead and post a chapter, but I think I have one more chapter of this 'arc'left in me, tying the Student Council together, later on.  But I'm willing to hold off.)

[Story redacted by Yasha as per wbl.]

Last edited by Yasha (05-25-2012 10:58:57 PM)

Picture and link deleted.  Go to the "I Just Gotta Say" board to find out why.

Last edited by wblstudios (01-04-2012 01:50:19 PM)

I'm officially done with this thread.  It looks dead, as is my inspiration for writing it.

Sure go ahead. And in turn, might I perhaps retcon some elements of your elements for later episodes?

I'm considering writing more posts if I find the time. It's a little fascinating I find to write for a television series, an ongoing story, and it'll be interesting expressing what Utena is from our own viewpoints. This is not to say the writing you did was crummy (reading it made me laugh in light of the Student Council members' future) - I'm thinking there should be some room for variances, a "Depending on the Writer" allowance. A few things I disagree on, like turning Nanami into an exercise ball libby, that I might rectify later to give her character more depth.

Ep. 9: "The Nine Sisters (Part 1)"

Anthy asks the faculty management for more funding. There is hardly any decoration (or coffee for that matter) by her office; the bareness compared to the other offices makes her feel uneasy, and almost envious. They'll think about it, they say. In the meanwhile, she waters the pink rose at her desk.

By lunch, she walks around the postmodernist campus, greeting the students passing her by, and orders some noodles from the Sobi Noodle Kiosk - served by Yours Truly (Y.T.). In the midst of being served, Anthy spots a girl being slapped in the face by another girl-- the slapped girl wobbles, on the verge of crumbling to the ground like stacked cards, and then she runs away, burying her tears in her hands.

Anthy approaches the Meanie Girl (Keiko) - how could she have done this? Keiko tells her, Sanae has dishonoured herself and squandered her membership in Cafe Tea Étaín; what Keiko gave her was the slap of disenchantment, a rejection. Tea Etain is one of the highest ranking clubs in the university, serving drink and coffee, and to visit their services is to be touched by royalty. But to serve onboard as a member, that is an even higher honour. People will fall heads over in your presence - at least, if you keep up appearances and play your part right. In a way, you're trapped in the gilded cage of respect.

Some club, Anthy thinks. Heading back to her office, Anthy has a new appointment from one Sanae Kobayashi, tomorrow around noon.