Code: PIRULUK

Yukine Most people are given gifts on their 18th birthdays, some sort of memento to commemorate their maturation as an adult. Yukine, however, had something taken away on that very day. It would be a lie to claim she recieved nothing: she recieved her first client on that day. Her first paycheck, her first tip. But what she lost - dignity, freedom, purity - that was so much more. She cried, tears of sorrow, clutching the old, large, well-worn book to her naked body, curling up under the sheets where the unloving man had taken her, then left her. A stinging wetness tinged her cheeks, a companion to the uncomfortable wetness of sweat and fluids that covered the rest of her light skin. Clutching the book closer to herself, Yukine lamented. She cried at the rape of her dignity, her chastity, her humanity. Would her mother be proud? She certainly hoped not. That weak woman, who watched her own daughter be raised as a whore, yet never did anything, said anything to try to protect her child; Yukine had naught but contempt for that woman. Would the management care about her pain? Certainly not. Perhaps they would allow her tears for now, provided it did not affect her next client. Yukine slowly sat up into a seated position, hugging the blanket, feeling the stale air in the dark room on her skin. All she wanted - for even in her current state of humiliation, her last vestiges of human dignity still permitted for desire - was for someone, anyone, to care. To care about her and her pain. To care about her not out of obligation, not out of professional concern, not because she was worth something or other, but simply because she was human. At this moment, a red-hot pain seared through her skull. Purpose, meaning, knowledge and impulse possessed her all at once. Her mind as numb as it was from her recent experience, naturally submissive as a result of her upbringing, she followed the impulse that overtook her, giving herself to it freely. Locking the door to the room, she searched throughout the room for anything sharp, settling on a long, solid, steel hairpin. clutching it tightly, she inscribed a magic circle on the wooden floor of the room, scratching the pattern into the grain, following the images that came with the impulse guiding her. With the pattern finished, she raised her left hand over the circle, and, with her right, plunged the hairpin into her palm, creating a momentary gush, then a steady trickle, of blood into the centre of the magic circle. Taking a deep breath, she spoke the words that had materialised in her mind. "Let silver and steel be the essence. Let stone and the Archdukes of Contract be the foundation." As she reached the midpoint of the chant, her own conscious mind took over for a split second. Not enough for her to cease what she was attempting, but enough for some of her true desires to leak into the spell. "...An oath shall be sworn here. I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven. I shall have dominion over all evils of all of hell. I will devote myself to you. I will not betray our cause. You will serve as my companion, to befriend and to confide. From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!" ((note: The added bit of the chant is just to add more to Yukine's character, it doesn't have to affect anything at all, though if Servant-san wishes to play along, I will be more than happy and grateful to oblige.))

It's a shame, but my true waifu isn't from anime or manga. Flandre Scarlet Best Gril ^^

But wait Hilda I thought Ame was your waifu?

It's okay, there's enough versions of her to go around <3

Gasai Yuno is my waifu.

I HATH BEEN SUMMONED. I'm just going to list my faves in several categories, in order of decreasing love. Idols 1) Aikatsu! This show is one that goes under the radar pretty often, partly because it isn't marketed much outside of Japan, and some of the art quality leaves much to be desired. But the series has an entire convention dedicated to it in Japan, which should suggest that it does at least something right; and it does. The characters are fun, the plot - while episodic in nature - is good enough to keep you watching, and the humor is rather well done as well. Granted, it's not brilliant comedy on the level of Amagi Brilliant Park, but it's enough to tickle most audiences. The CG is rather well done, and the music is pleasing as well. But what makes this show my fave in this category is how warm it makes you feel after each episode. It's about cute girls, doing their best to do cute things, and more often than not, failing. It paints a nice picture of the troubles and professionalism that come with being an idol, while still making you feel just happy. I would strongly recommend this show to anyone with a moderate interest in idols, it's just so much fun to watch. Granted, it lacks the drama that crowns several other shows, but it makes up for it with a host of characters that somehow never manages to bore me, even at 140+ episodes and ongoing. 2) Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls Yes. Cinderella Girls. Not the 765 ones. I consider CG to be better than the original 765 because the character personalities are much more varied and just overall more interesting. Granted, there are some characters that grate on the nerves (namely Mio), but as a whole, I find the cast to be much more enjoyable, with personalities such as Ranko ("Oh, the tyranny of the Sun strikes upon us on this day!"), Anzu ("If you work, you lose") and Anya ("Спасибо"). The troubles they face are much more realistic as well, compared to those faced by 765. Let's face it, it's not likely for a professional sound crew to sabotage a performer's stage on request from an unaffiliated production company without there being major legal repercussions. Corporate reforms, on the other hand, are far more common. 3) Idolm@ster That said, the original im@s is still a good show that you should not miss if you're into this category. With well-done drama and great camerawork, I would strongly recommend this show. 4) AKB0048 (+ Second Stage) Now, this is where I might draw some hate, especially considering what I ranked under this. Many people refuse to watch this show on the sheer virtue of the fact that it has "AKB" and "48" in its title. While that's a sentiment that I understand, I'm sorry to say that they're missing out on a great show. I mean, where else can you watch idols with lightsaber microphones and homing missile lightsticks(Except maybe Macross?)? One thing to note in particular is that they did a great job using AKB's music. One major problem with many shows developed to promote music groups, is that there's a tendency to just toss in the songs whenever a soundtrack could ostensibly be required. Thankfully, AKB0048 avoided this problem. While watching the show, I never once felt that any of the insert songs was out of place. That's a mark of good directing and excellent sound production. While the plot is far from airtight, it does resolve itself nicely by the end of Second Stage, and the characters are all unique and differentiated enough to make this a show that manages somehow to sneak its way into my top 5 idol anime, despite personally not being an AKB fan. 5) Love Live! Okay this is the bit where I probably draw flak. Let me start off by saying, I enjoy Love Live! I liked the show, I liked the humor, I loved the characters. A gander at my sig banner should inform you that I find Eri in particular extremely horosho. I love the concept, I love the characters, and while the CG certainly isn't much to write home about, it's not a pain to watch either. So why is this the lowest on my list? Because of the plot. Objectively speaking, the plot of LL is terrible. It's filled with cliches and bad plot devices. A lot of the "plot twists" are either predictable or so strongly telegraphed that the viewer is often left going "Yeah, saw that coming...". The other thing which LL does horribly wrong is melodrama. A bit of drama is good - it fosters character development and creates conflict and tension. LL, however, takes melodrama to an extreme, with characters often often experiencing dramatic wrenching of the heart over the smallest of matters. Anyone who watched the ending of S1 should know what event I'm referring to. Even in S2, the bit with the umbrella and the snow is so overdone, it crosses the boundary between "dramatised" and "unrealistic". That said, LL is still a pleasure to watch, but eventually I believe most people feel this way: We stay for the girls, not the plot. Mahou Shoujo 1) Puella Magi Madoka Magica Did anyone honestly expect something else to go here? PMMM is touted as a revolutionary anime that re-defined the genre, and for good reason. This show takes all assumptions anyone had about mahou shoujo anime and utterly destroys them, deconstructing the genre and reconstructing it as something so much more meaningful, a mission aided by a wonderful OST composed by Kajiura Yuki. Hype train aside, being overrated aside, this is the one show I consider a must-watch for anyone even remotely interested in Mahou Shoujo, and perhaps even a few who want nothing to do with the genre. This is one of the anime that serve as a valid argument for how anime can be treated as a work of literary art. 2) Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha ( + A's + StrikerS) Because the power of friendship is unstoppable. Okay, jokes aside, Nanoha stands out among its brethren in several ways: first, the emphasis of magic as a form of technology, rather than something that just exists. Next, the consideration of magic as a military asset. Third, the notion of the big picture. In most mahou shoujo, the heroines are isolated warriors, fighting for their lives against large monsters in a pocket dimension where no others can see them. In Nanoha, these heroines are supported by an actual military force, along with with all the benefits (giant space battleships) and detriments (bureaucracy, regulation) that said support entails. With a likeable cast of characters and villians with believable motivations, Nanoha is a series which is sure to not disappoint. 3) CardCaptor Sakura So, possibly the first thing you'll notice about this show is that it falls under the Tsubasa River Chronicle IP, meaning that you'll only gain maximum enjoyment from this show if you're familiar with said IP. However, on it's own, it still stands tall as a show with depth, a good plot, meaningful characters, and a strong focus on romance that manages to avoid being contrived or boring. As a good, well-balanced blend of light-hearted and serious, the show is a marvel of animation, and definitely deserves a watch. A classic. 4) Kill La Kill Yes. I consider this show a Mahou Shoujo anime. It has transformations, flashy fight scenes and over-the-top weaponry. It qualifies. A show greeted with mixed reactions, some hate it, some love it. It has an interesting thematic focus on clothing and nudity, as well as notions of dependence and maturity. As a whole, this show seems ridiculous and over-the-top at first glance, but carries a wealth of depth, if you're willing to put in the effort to think about it. Some plot devices may seem contrived/cliched/predictable, but as a whole the show does an amazing job with regards to direction, execution and pacing. Watch the first few eps and then decide if you feel like it's too painful to carry on. 5) Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-Bu LOVE! (Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!) Well... it's not really anything special, but... just watch it. You'll see. SPECIAL MENTION: Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha De Aru (YuYuYu) I haven't actually watched this yet, plan to soon , but from what I've heard, it's good. Maybe worth adding to your list, if you have one. Romance (Usually dramatic, not comedic) WIP Slice of Life WIP Fantasy WIP Shoujo WIP Other WIP This Season 1) Akagami no Shirayuki-hime WIP 2) Gakkou Gurashi! WIP 3) Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls WIP 4) Charlotte WIP 5) Overlord WIP

Helen was simultaneously amused yet discomfited by the larger armored man clamoring around her shoulders to get at the rum bottle in Cojiro's grasp. After silently observing for several moments, she reached up and stroked the tail of the bird gently, whispering in a soft, coaxing voice: "Come on now Cojiro. Give the good man his rum back. A sailor without alocohol is like a ball gown without a corset: saggy and boring. Come on now." ((Is this the bit where I roll a d20 to do a charisma check))

Helen tilted her head in curiosity as the large, colorful bird perched on her shoulder. "Well, you're a cute little one, aren't you?" The bird extended its tail around Helen's neck, prompting Helen to stroke it gently. She almost moaned in satisfaction at the tactile impression of the bird's soft feathers against her fingers. As a large, intimidating figure stepped out in front of them, Helen's first thought was: "Oh wow. More armor." Her second was "An overcoat over a suit of armor. Not to say anything of the redundancy of the coat, but wouldn't it get just, really hot in there?" Ah well. Strange fashion was still fashion, and the man's unusual getup at least fulfilled the function of drawing the room's attention to him, which was - ultimately - the basis for fashion. Nor was it as aesthetically assaulting as what the previous armored person wore, so Helen decided that she did not quite hate this particular dressing style. As the man told the bird - Cojiro, it seems - to "leave the lass alone", the lass in question smiled and replied, "It's fine, isn't it? He's pretty. And cute. And I consider myself an ally of all things pretty and cute." "In any case, I presume you're Ignacio? A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I would curtsey in greeting, but then I'd run the risk of accidentally throwing Cojiro here off my shoulder, and I'd rather not affront such a beautiful avian."

So I have officially decided that Gunther will only sing duets from now on

Rein nodded and tottered over to the indicated cabinet. Unfortunately, the second half of the nurse's explanation had been rather vague. Rein had no idea what might constitute "everything that looks like it might be used at your standard checkup." Hence, she loaded up her small arms with transfusion packs, a stethoscope, a sphygmomanometer, a thermometer, and everything that seemed like it was designed to be stuck into the human body. The sheer amount of items piled up to a stack that towered a good seven centimeters above her head, obstructing her vision. Very slowly, very carefully, she made her way back to the nurse.

I'll probably get something up tomorrow, am super busy today. Also yes Ilya is super adorabubbles.

Uhhhh Huk, please note that I'll have no internet from tomorrow night all the way through the week, until 2nd August, so I won't be able to read or respond to anything within that timeframe :x

"The Tale of These Darkened Hands." " その黑キ手の物語 " (sono kuroki te no monogatari) "Blood-colored Shields" ”血色盾”　(chiiro tate) "Heroes in the Darkness" 　”闇中英雄”　(yami naka eiyuu) All around the idea of fighting a secret war to protect humanity. Also, are signups still open?

pm Zeph and split the parts up between yourself, then post "concurrently", with descriptions of your characters' reactions to each other, in simultaneous time. Also, I'll be out without internet from 26/07 to 01/08, so Kagari will be sitting this one out. Also if you finish the song before then just wait for me to be back :x

Zephyr-chaaaaaan~ The madwoman that killed Ayla is now singing too. Thought it weird that she wouldn't make a note of that.

A loud, racuous singing echoed throughout the library, carrying the voice of a croaky adult man. The song was a sailing tune, too. Based on what she knew, Helen readily concluded that the man searching for something or other was Ignacio; the Knight who was apparently meant to be her mentor. Well, he was singing. That's usually not a sign of a bad person. It seemed a bit odd to have him singing alone, though. The song was a sailing tune. It was meant to be chorused by a cacophony of voices, not a single searching soul. Helen shrugged. She guessed it couldn't do any harm. She took a breath, then sang a response in a clear, lyrical voice, resonant and pure, with the clarity of a well-cut diamond and the sparkling life of cider: "Off the deck, and in the water! Off the deck, and in the water! Off the deck, and in the water, Went the drunken sai-lor!"

Hmmm :/ Can't help but feel a bit disappointed...I had planned to have my character defect to the evil team's side if she got in, too... But ah well, c'est la vie. Gratz to everyone who made it ^^

@Dobby *senior, not superior.

IKTF. I think Mawile is the cutest thing, but Hilda's terrified of it for some reason :/