Gather around the barbecue, folks.   Grab a shish kebab and listen to the story of how revolution was brought to the University of Chicago Japanese Animation Society.

It all started about a year ago, as the year began at the university whose mascot is a phoenix.  One night, after the weekly anime screening and subsequent meeting of the Animekai, the president made an unexpected announcement.  In her mailbox that morning she had found a set of envelopes with no return address.  The envelopes were addressed to the members of the Animekai -- and each was closed with a seal bearing the sign of the rose.

The envelopes proved to contain rings embossed with roses.  They were toe rings, but still.  And that night the rings' recipients each received an email from someone calling himself End of the World.  There they read that the rings marked them as Duelists fighting for the power to revolutionize UCJAS.  End of the World, who had a Gmail address, added that the revolution of UCJAS was symbolized by the "Rose Bride," but did not reveal the Bride's nature. 

But before the next meeting of UCJAS, the vice president of the Animekai received a new email sending him to the shadowy depths of the Regenstein Library, where he would meet and claim the Rose Bride and set off the duels.  In a neglected corner of the library's Japanese literature collection, the vice president discovered a battery-operated robotic Chihuahua wearing a pink T-shirt.  She had a remote control that allowed him to make her walk or bark at his whim -- truly, an automaton with no will but her master's.  The vice president brought the Rose Bride to the next Animekai meeting to face a challenge from the UCJAS librarian... and the duels were off and running.

Each week during that first season (namely, fall) UCJAS held a new duel.  The duels were held according to rules, different each week, sent to the Kaichou by End of the World.  End's diabolical genius decreed that the duelists would settle the Bride's ownership through charades one week, a battle of cliches the next, and seeing who could say "mokushi kushimo shimoku kumoshi moshiku shikumo" the fastest the week after that.  The librarian claimed the Bride in the first duel, then defended her until the duel named Soi -- when he lost her to the evil UCJAS acquisitions officer.  Victory in the first season belonged to Acqs.

But when the Animekai returned to session during the second season (winter), something entirely different happened.  A challenger from outside the Animekai appeared, wearing a black rose seal.  Drawing a sword that looked suspiciously like a packing tube from the chest of the Kaichou, he announced himself to be a Black Rose Duelist bent on taking the Rose Bride and delivering her to an unknown master.  He subsequently opened the sword (turns out it was a packing tube after all) and took out duel instructions sent by one Souji Mikage.  Thus did the second season's duels begin.  The Boy of the Black Rose won the initial duel and announced his intention to kill the Rose Bride, but his master stayed his hand.  End of the World, writing angrily to the Animekai to chastise them for their loss of the Bride, explained that Mikage was searching for a way to metaphysically extract the power of Dios from the Rose Bride, claiming revolution for himself and killing the Bride in the process.  The Animekai would have to win the Bride back from the black rose's champion before Mikage succeeded in his plot.  Many tried and failed.  At last the UCJAS Webmaster wrested the Bride away, only to lose her again to a new challenger of the Black Rose.  None won her back in time to prevent the sinister Geoff from turning the Bride (bound, gagged, and dangling by her remote control cord from a gallows) over to Mikage himself, appearing in the flesh for the first time.  But just as he was about to destroy the Bride, Mikage melted away like a bad memory (read: graduated).  The Bride disappeared, and the future of the revolution was in doubt.

But soon Geoff revealed that all was not as it seemed.  This turncoat for the Animekai had stolen the Rose Bride's batteries before turning her over to Mikage!  This twist kept hope alive as the Animekai waited for the third season (spring) to begin.

And at length it did.  End of the World disclosed that the Rose Bride was recovering from her traumatic experience in his tender brotherly care.  In her absence, the duelists were to choose their own brides and duel for the Batteries of Dios (which were Duracel).  The Batteries changed hands many times in the following weeks, and with each week End of the World's duel announcements took on a more apocalyptic flavor.  Dios stirred in his sleep, red cars flew by on two wheels, and somewhere in the distance, bells were ringing.  At last End of the World announced the duel called Révolution.  That week, he would finally reveal himself and take the sword from the Champion Duelist -- the unassuming UCJAS secretary, Cat.

True to his word, at the Animekai meeting End of the World rose and announced himself, declaring his intention to take the Rose Bride and win his freedom from the cage of the University of Chicago.  Standing in front of the Champion Duelist, he demanded the sword.  Overcome by his intense personal charisma, she relinquished the sword without question.  The Rose Bride lay in a wooden coffin on a nearby podium.  Using the Sword of Cat, End of the World struck the coffin with all his might until he could strike no more -- but the coffin's lid would not budge.  Disgusted and with shoulders slumped, End declared the failure of world revolution.  He returned Cat's sword to her and drew his own (made of collapsible cardboard for easy transportation).  As a repetitive refrain evoking motorcycles, conveyor belts, and fallen princes began to play, a duel ensued which took the Champion Duelist and her opponent up stairs, over desks, and onto the floor.  At last Cat's sword knocked the rose from End's chest and he lay on the ground, breathing heavily.  But her victory was meaningless, End declared.  Her sword had already failed.

But with serenity did Cat reply, "I need no sword."  With those words she cast her blade to the ground, strode to the coffin, and straining mightily, opened its lid with her bare hands.  The music swelled.  From the coffin Cat removed the Rose Bride, restored the Batteries of Dios to their sockets, and cradled her close.  And as the music came to an end, Cat walked across the threshold of the Animekai meeting room with the Bride -- the Champion Duelist, a true prince, and the bringer of the revolution of UCJAS.

And what became of End of the World, you ask?  You might as well ask what became of any of them.  UCJAS was never the same after the revolution.  Many of the Animekai left campus altogether.  In their place arose others, new faces knowing nothing of what had transpired sub rosa at the meetings of the previous Animekai.  End of the World was one of those who left campus; none have seen him since.  But Cat -- she is the new Animekaichou, and her reign, while young, shows great promise.  With her strength and nobility, she will guide UCJAS into its new age, and prepare its initiates for the day when they too may pass out of the university whose mascot is the phoenix and begin their lives in the world of reality.  And I... I shall await them here.

Brian

End of the World, emeritus

Last edited by satyreyes (12-09-2006 02:12:24 AM)