(no subject)
Second to last batch! Yes. Yes, really.
Remember!
- Applicants, respond anonymously.
- If you're going to do the whole "ask me why I voted you out!" thing, please state who you voted out.
- No speculating about the identity of the applicants!
Now VOTE. Closed!
Character name: Mele
Series: Jyuuken Sentai Gekiranger
Age: Never expressly stated, but most likely late 20s.
Job: Deep, Obsessive Love Counselor
Canon: Many moons ago in ancient China, there was this guy, Brusa Ii, that developed a form of martial arts that he named jyuuken. Inevitably, there was a fallout among his students over how best to use jyuuken, splitting it into the evil RinJyuuken and the just GekiJyuuken. RinJyuuken gained power through human suffering while GekiJyuuken focused on training and possession of a righteous heart. Both sides gathered followers, had it out in a big war, and eventually the RinJyuuken users were all sealed away and/or killed. Fast forward quite a bit, and you meet the GekiRangers, modern practitioners of GekiJyuuken. This also marks the reappearance of RinJyuuken, now under new leadership. The GekiRangers are thus tasked with fighting evil and saving the world from despair and destruction.
Enter Mele. Back in the day, she was a RinJyuuken user who died during the war and stayed pretty dead for a while. Then, the wonderful Rio resurrected her to be his right-hand lady. She, of course, was totally fine with this because she decided that he was her one true love and they were destined to be together. Mele lives for that love, basing her entire re-existence on her profound obsession for him: alternately fawning over him or coming up with more ways to go terrorize humans to try to please him. She can be very focused, but when things don't go her way she'll tend to pout and come across as more annoyed than anything. However, she isn’t the type to give up, and failure simply sends her right back to the proverbial drawing board to try again. She is also, at times, just a bit arrogant. She very rarely fights herself, though when she does it’s always with an announcement about how the other side will lose. Despite her stance as a vaguely evil villain, she does have her own moral standards. While she's perfectly fine causing despair and committing various acts of mass destruction, she draws the line at lying, cheating, or stealing. Just because she's a villain doesn't mean she can't also be a fine, upstanding citizen, you know.
Sample Entry:
So, you’re my first session here, Mr. Gorilla? Mr. Rilla, that sounds better. Anyway, you aren’t actually a camper, but that’s okay. I, Mele, am a warrior of love. And now I’m also a counselor of love, so there’s no way I could ignore your need. I know you’re a bit anxious, that’s normal. Anyone in love knows the feeling. Being in love is hard work, but you look like you can handle it.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that love transcends time, space, living status, species; it knows no boundaries. That will be especially useful in your case. I know it’s tough, loving a zombie can’t be easy. Just be confident! The more you love her, the more she’ll notice you. Yes, yes, you love her so much already. The way you’re beating your chest really illustrates how much your heart... beats for her. You just have to prove it to her to win her heart, oozy and half rotted as it may be. That’s the starting point. Be proactive! If she doesn’t know who you are, she won’t realize how you feel. Get to know her, let her know it was you who’s been pining from afar all this time. Don’t wait! Love won’t come for losers who sit around and don’t try.
You’re certainly not a loser, are you? From the determination in your beady eyes, I can tell you have what it takes to see this through. There’s no need for words, now. ...grunts. Whatever. Just listen to what I’m telling you. Ask her out to dinner. If you have to, lure her in with the promise of brains. Girls love a man with brains, her more than others in this case. I promise, it’s much easier than you think. Your feelings are pure; your will is absolute. Never doubt yourself. If you can do that, this should be easy for you. Women want a man who is confident and strong. You’re both and more, I can tell. She’d be a fool to turn you down, and with discerning tastes like yours, there’s no way you’d pick a fool. After that, get to know each other on a more personal level. Let her know your interested in more than what she has to offer physically. Which, granted, isn’t much. Mostly bones and some flesh here and there, but I’m sure she has a great personality that no one else gets to see.
Remember, if you really love someone, there’s no way you can fail! Now go show her how much she means to you, Mr. Rilla! Mele is here cheering for you! Ah, blooming love is the most wonderful thing to see. Look, he’s already going right for her, and--oh, that didn’t look good. Maybe it wasn’t that bad of a bite? No, no, that’s definitely blood. Everywhere. Aaaand down he goes. Well, that isn’t technically a failure; he did die for her! Poor guy. At least they can become one this way, right? Right. Anyway, I have other cases to get to. Let’s see, who’s next... Miss Marcy, was it?
Poll Vote!
Character name: Rio
Series: Jyuuken Sentai Gekiranger
Age:Early 20’s, physically.
Job: Counselor of Attaining Ultimate Power
Canon: Long ago there lived a man that decided to make his own type of martial arts, and, from this desire, JyuKen was born. The trouble started when he tried to teach this to his students. Three of them got really mad at the other seven, turned to the path of evil and decided to change the way that Jyuken was done and taught. From there it split into GekiJyuKen for the seven and RinJyuKen for the three. In the present, one of the seven decided to finally teach GekiJyuKen to a privileged group that showed promise. One of his students, Rio, defected from the path of GekiJyuKen to learn and lead RinJyuKen because he wasn’t becoming strong enough with just Geki. That is when the GekiRangers were born: to defend the world from Rio’s strong desire to become the most powerful (at the usual cost of human suffering and screams). Mature of him, isn’t it?
Now, let’s get down to our villain for most of the season, known as Rio the Black Lion. At first glance, he is a quiet, ruthless, single-minded individual who is only concerned with satisfying his thirst for power and more power. The lion does have a set of morals and beliefs that are only paper thin and as hard to break through as a wet paper bag. All it truly takes is one good, believable lie and a mentioning of a means to one end or another, and he is a fish wiggling on your hook of power. Nowadays, though, he’s traded in his thirst for power in exchange for the occasional warm kindness, a shy streak, and a desire to do what’s right and protect the people that matter to him. He isn’t the Black Lion for nothing, you know.
Sample Entry:
I am not the kind of person who teaches other people, much less in “How to Attain Ultimate Power”. When has something so uncommonly sought come to be needed as a simple talent to learn at camp? It’s almost insulting, but I’m personally unsure if it’s because of the subject or because it’s made out in a way that might say I can do nothing else... However, I suppose Ms. Sayre had a point when she said that a leader needs to train competent help. Not that I need it anymore; after all, I gave that life up. Since I have experience with zombies, you’ll do for a first student. It obvious you have quite a problem.
If your entire issue truly is that you ate a gorilla that was in love with you, that is irrelevant to me. The only worthwhile part about you, I find, is that insatiable hunger in your eyes. Seeing as you just finished eating an entire gorilla, I’d hope for your sake it isn’t a desire to eat me as well, but more that you hunger for raw power and might. You have blood all over you, and I can even see disgusting bits of what might be left of him around your mouth and between the few teeth you still have. Next time, you should swallow your meal whole so that their power is preserved and at your disposal. Regardless, I will take this hunger of yours and turn it into strength.
Have you ever thought of learning a martial art? You may be slow and not as limber as you were when you were alive, but I’ve known plenty of zombies that have attained great power through RinJyuKen--what happened to them is not the important part, even if they died in horrible ways. No, how they got that strength is what I am discussing with you. It might be a good idea for you to also look into your spirit animal. No, I’m not kidding. Miss, I doubt it’s a gorilla; you’re only basing this on the fact that you’ve just eaten one. Your one true animal will come to you in time. Until then, diligently train your body and think of nothing other than the need to become stronger.This will not be difficult for you since, in my experience, zombies of your stage can only think about so many things at once anyway.
This concludes our first lesson. There are no shortcuts in ultimate power. It wouldn’t speed things up if you tried to eat me, either. The only thing that would accomplish is your second death, because I promise you no hesitation in thwarting that plot. You dying permanently is no problem for me, but it’s something you should consider as a ‘bad idea’.
Poll Vote!
Character: Hikoma Kusakabe
Series: Samurai Sentai Shinkenger
Character Age: Early 60s.
Job: Samurai Trainer
Canon: There are those who risk their lives in the forefront of battle, using all the skills and abilities in their disposal to ensure safety of the civilians and victory over the enemies. These people are the Shinkengers. Led by their leader, Takeru Shiba, they are the ones who face the Gedoushu, a group of sinister individuals whose primary goal is to fill the Sanzu River with the flood of tears brought about by human pain and misery.
Then there are those who work behind the scenes, alerting the Shinkengers of the presence of the Gedoushu, ensuring that the heroes are fit for every battle, and caring for their wounds once they've returned from a fight. These are the responsibilities of the kurokos, the Shiba clan's masked servants, and of Hikoma Kusakabe, the current lord's guardian and the vassals' mentor. He is strict and meticulous, unafraid of disciplining wayward vassals with words and, sometimes, even striking at them with his fan. And yet he can also be very encouraging and supportive, most especially to Takeru, whom he practically raised as his own. A true samurai who knows no fear, Hikoma will not hesitate to join the fight especially when the team is in danger - and nothing, not even a horde of armed enemies, or his chronic hip problem, could stop him from coming to the Shinkengers' aid every now and then.
Sample Entry:
Ah. Intrigued by the samurai life, are you? Or perhaps, you wish to learn how to defend yourself or your friends? Then you have come to the right place, though I feel that I should warn all of you: the life of a samurai isn't easy. It is one fraught with sacrifice and hardship. One simply cannot pick up a sword or swing it and be immediately considered a samurai. Oh, no. Training is an integral part of this craft. More often than not that a samurai begins his lessons at an early age. Why, the 19th Shiba Clan Head started his when he was only four years old. He hadn't even stopped sucking his thumb, and yet he'd already learned the basics of--
--hmm, what's this? You seem a little dead, young man. Am I boring you with my words? Such impertinence will not permitted. Respect is something I will teach you, boy, as without it you will not succeed. Yes, even as a zombie. And the rest of you! Stop gnawing at your practice swords! Be grateful that they're not real, or all of you would have been decapitated by now. Did you honestly think that I will allow any of you to be within a hundred feet from such a deadly weapon? Ha! Not today! Only when I think of someone worthy and skilled enough to be trusted with a sword will I personally hand him one to use. And that, I believe, will be years and years from now. For everyone here.
Oho? You, sir, already know how to use a sword? Well. This is most interesting. Perhaps you shouldn't be here in the beginners' section. Perhaps I should place you with the advanced, alive students... that is, if you will be able to defeat me in battle. The same goes for the rest of you! Oh, do not insult me by thinking I am too old. I can assure everyone that my skills are not to be underestimated. Now choose your weapon, boy, and show me how you fight!
--No. Don't just swing your sword as though you only have half a brain! Every strike should be concise! Every movement should be with definite purpose! Like this. See? And for your sake you'd better stay down, lad, and think about why I'm not going to transfer you yet. I believe the answer is quite obvious to everyone here.
Tomorrow, we will formally begin our lessons. Latecomers will be punished! Dismissed!
...er, before you go, I will need someone to carry me to the infirmary. I--I seem to have dislocated my hip.
Poll Vote!
Character: Shinobu Morita
Series: Honey & Clover (manga/anime) [The drama and movie make significant changes to plot and characterization.]
Character Age: 26
Job: Friendship Expert
Canon: Honey and Clover is a coming of age story about 5 art school students living in Tokyo. The series deals with their trials and tribulations such as unrequited love, eating on a poor college student's bank account (SUPER IMPORTANT) and of course, trying to graduate. And there’s no student who should graduate already more than Morita.
Morita has been doing his undergrad for 8 years, but don’t let that fool you, he’s actually incredibly talented at anything he does. The problem is his personality. He’s pretty much an example of the belief that geniuses are kind of bizarre, but in his case, Morita is the very definition of an ‘eccentric’ going at his own pace. He is usually intolerably cheerful, an obnoxious man-child who freeloads off his friends. Morita is very erratic; his attention span can be incredibly short, his train of thought is all over the place, and his mood can change at the drop of a hat. Completely shameless, he is not above being completely self-absorbed and flamboyant, and will throw temper tantrums full of crying, yelling and threats of lawsuit over the littlest of things. But aside from that, even his closest friends don’t know much about him or what he does when he disappears for extended periods of time and comes back with huge wads of cash. Why is he such a money maniac if he doesn’t spend any of it? With a personality like that, it’s a miracle that he has friends who tolerate him and instructors who haven’t given up on him. There’s something about Morita that just draws people towards him: maybe it’s his talent, his rare enigmatic serious side... or his threats that he’ll haunt you from beyond the grave.
Sample Post:
Hello friends! I am Shinobu Morita, artist extraordinaire, Academy Award winning Computer Graphics coordinator, Enka singer and performer. But I am none of those here! Today I'm the Shinobu Morita who is here to be your resident friendship expert. Isn't that great for you? Now you might be thinking "Oh, Shinobu, what can you teach us about friendship?" Plenty! Who thought that?! I see you , Toucan Sam. En garde, non believer, I will challenge you to a duel. I'll defeat you with the power of ~friendship~ and my tin foil hat, my secret weapon which will block out your psychic mental powers. Haha, flying away means I win, Birdy. Victory for Shinobu! S-H-I-N-O-B-U spells VICTOLY.
Okay time to start, time is money, so go go go! Lesson one, friendship means sharing. Sharing is caring! I know my friends are more than happy to share things with me, so I don’t even ask. right now, I’m wearing Mayama’s clothes. I just helped myself because we’re friends. Even if his mouth says no, his eyes and his heart say “Sure thing, Morita-san! Anything for you, Morita-san! You’re so great, Morita-san!” I’m even wearing his underwear, wanna see?
Lesson two, friends always help each other out. Your friends shouldn’t even have to say anything, you should just do it. That’s what I do. I lent my expertise to my dear friend, Takemoto, by giving him a haircut and charged him only 1000 yen without him saying a word. That’s true friendship! Ah, Takemoto, he really knows the meaning of friendship. Many times his bank account helped me out without even him knowing it. That's because I know his PIN. That’s lesson three. Friends know everything about each other.
And lucky for you, starting today, I’ll be your new friend including all those benefits. ♥ That’d be 40,000 yen upfront or else I’ll be seeing you in court!
Poll Vote!
Character: Itou Kamotaro
Series: Gintama
Character Age: Around 25.
Job: Good Leadership Adviser
Canon: Samurai! Anachronisms! So much meta that it might make your head spin! These are some of the things that mix together to form that lovely show known as Gintama, the story of a plucky threesome of a loli alien, a megane otaku, and a samurai with a natural silver perm, doing their jobs as the Odd Jobs Trio as the alien Amanto try to take over the future state of Edo. But this story isn't just about them. The other significant group running around is none other than the Shinsengumi, the police that do their best to keep the order in Edo while following the shogunate's orders. While their commander is well loved, he's also considered something of a goofball, and struggles with the business side of being a military commander.
Itou Kamotaro is brought in as an adviser to the Shinsengumi, and basically functions as a go-between between the Shinsengumi and the shogunate. An exceptionally smart man, and a highly convincing speaker, he already has the commander of the Shinsengumi calling him "Sensei" after only a year in the police force. As a result, he doesn't fit in with the Shinsengumi at all, which creates a split in their ranks. Unlike most of the characters in Gintama, he doesn't have a comedic aspect to his character at all; he is serious and composed. He is also supremely confident in his own abilities, something that has been helped along by the praise of his teachers throughout his life. However, his superiority complex has also left him struggling to make connections with other people, but eventually he finds that he already had those connections he so desired.
NOTE: For the reference of any canon familiar readers, Itou is going to be taken [post death].
Sample Entry:
Greetings, class. I have been brought here today to lecture on good leadership techniques. You seem like a diverse group of ... well, I don't necessarily feel comfortable calling you people. Being a person requires certain parameters to be met, and some of you don't live up to them. It takes all types to lead, and it doesn't matter where you're from or how mottled your skin is for me to teach you how to do this. I will do my best to explain to you how you all can lead effectively, even when you barely seem to have any direction at all. Take out your pens and take good notes--I don't want to see any mucus stains on these notes when you turn them in at the end of the seminar. Please listen closely.
The first rule for good leadership is good communication. And no, being able to stick an extra ear on your comrade is not the first step--more ears don't make for better hearing! You can't just assume that everyone is going to know what they are supposed to be doing without being told about it first. If you don't communicate what you want in an effective way, it could result in botched orders and a bigger mess to clean up. Even more than that, it could result in physical danger to you or to the people who follow you. If you don't think your commands are clear, they probably aren't.
Number 30, I can see you nodding off to sleep in the back. Do you really think you'd be able to get away with that? Please come up to the front of the room and repeat what I just said for the rest of the group. Yes, that's right, word for word. And no, that incoherent muttering does not count. Even if I was patient enough to pick through that drivel that you're trying to say, I won't stand for this kind of behavior in my classroom. This seminar is how I'm going to prove that I'm capable enough for this place. I am not going to scrape by on this evaluation, even if most people find this acceptable. You might think I'm too uptight for saying this, but I need to do this and do this well. Please remove yourself from this lecture if you're going to make a fool of me.
Thanks to that distraction, we are going to have to cut this lecture a little bit short. Please listen closely to this last point. The most important rule of being a good leader is to take initiative. Rome wasn't built in a day, and the idea to build that great city didn't just appear in somebody's head. It took centuries for that city to rise to greatness, but it won't take that long for you. Do some deep soul searching--even if I'm not sure if the zombies among you have them. Look deep down for the greatest motivation for your actions, and then use that to move forward. And most importantly of all, make me proud. Because even a good evaluation isn't worth it if this seminar didn't produce any results.
Poll Vote!
Character: Nikola Tesla
Series: Sanctuary
Age: 140 or so
Job: Camp Electrician
Canon: Remember the monsters under your bed? Well, it turns out they’re real. Referred to as ‘abnormals,’ they include the full spectrum of anything not quite human, from mermaids to giant spiders capable of causing massive tectonic shifts. But wait, you say! If the world is full of monsters, how come we haven’t seen them? That would be thanks to the Sanctuary network: a global network of safehouses designed to protect abnormals from humans and vice-versa.
Nikola Tesla is, in no particular order: not actually dead, yes that Tesla, and a vampire. Unfortunately, this is about the best that can be said about him. He might be thoroughly brilliant, but he also happens to be an arrogant, self-centered asshole. He also has something of a tendency to try a find a to see his race returned to glory, which has never really endeared him to people, least of all the Sanctuary. Basically, he’s that guy everyone loves to hate.
Note for the canon familiar: Tesla is coming from before the events of “Sleepers”
Sample Post:
Well, this is new. An isolated village out in the middle of nowhere hiding some deadly secret? Oh yes, like that hasn’t been done already. Nice work on the EM shield though. Most people wouldn’t think to phase-shift it that way. Something about not being able to understand how the basic equations have to change to hold it. It’ll certainly keep your problems out of the way for a long time, though. Oh yes. A very long time indeed.
There’s just one thing I’m not getting, though. Why build a cage only to bring more people into it? That shield will hold for years with enough power, so it can’t possibly be to actually maintain anything here. Unless... No, that can’t be it. The sheer scope of something that size would take years. We’re talking decades here. At the least! And really, let’s be honest with ourselves, here. What you have so far? Not very impressive. Children could do better. I don’t want to hear that rot about not having time, either. If you had time maybe the place would actually look nicer. It’s not just the buildings either. Whatever these shambling corpses were supposed to be, they’re an eyesore. For everyone. If you’re going to be keeping us hostage here, the least you could do is actually make it comfortable.
...Yes, very funny, thank you. Does anyone else have an inclination towards the class clown? No? Good. Maybe we can actually start trying to make some progress, assuming someone here still has the brains they were born with. Yes, yes, I know, it’s foolish of me to even assume, but is it honestly too much to ask that at least someone here has even the slightest modicum of sense? Or should I just consign myself to the unwashed masses now and be over with it?
Poll Vote!
Remember!
- Applicants, respond anonymously.
- If you're going to do the whole "ask me why I voted you out!" thing, please state who you voted out.
- No speculating about the identity of the applicants!
Now VOTE. Closed!
Character name: Mele
Series: Jyuuken Sentai Gekiranger
Age: Never expressly stated, but most likely late 20s.
Job: Deep, Obsessive Love Counselor
Canon: Many moons ago in ancient China, there was this guy, Brusa Ii, that developed a form of martial arts that he named jyuuken. Inevitably, there was a fallout among his students over how best to use jyuuken, splitting it into the evil RinJyuuken and the just GekiJyuuken. RinJyuuken gained power through human suffering while GekiJyuuken focused on training and possession of a righteous heart. Both sides gathered followers, had it out in a big war, and eventually the RinJyuuken users were all sealed away and/or killed. Fast forward quite a bit, and you meet the GekiRangers, modern practitioners of GekiJyuuken. This also marks the reappearance of RinJyuuken, now under new leadership. The GekiRangers are thus tasked with fighting evil and saving the world from despair and destruction.
Enter Mele. Back in the day, she was a RinJyuuken user who died during the war and stayed pretty dead for a while. Then, the wonderful Rio resurrected her to be his right-hand lady. She, of course, was totally fine with this because she decided that he was her one true love and they were destined to be together. Mele lives for that love, basing her entire re-existence on her profound obsession for him: alternately fawning over him or coming up with more ways to go terrorize humans to try to please him. She can be very focused, but when things don't go her way she'll tend to pout and come across as more annoyed than anything. However, she isn’t the type to give up, and failure simply sends her right back to the proverbial drawing board to try again. She is also, at times, just a bit arrogant. She very rarely fights herself, though when she does it’s always with an announcement about how the other side will lose. Despite her stance as a vaguely evil villain, she does have her own moral standards. While she's perfectly fine causing despair and committing various acts of mass destruction, she draws the line at lying, cheating, or stealing. Just because she's a villain doesn't mean she can't also be a fine, upstanding citizen, you know.
Sample Entry:
So, you’re my first session here, Mr. Gorilla? Mr. Rilla, that sounds better. Anyway, you aren’t actually a camper, but that’s okay. I, Mele, am a warrior of love. And now I’m also a counselor of love, so there’s no way I could ignore your need. I know you’re a bit anxious, that’s normal. Anyone in love knows the feeling. Being in love is hard work, but you look like you can handle it.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that love transcends time, space, living status, species; it knows no boundaries. That will be especially useful in your case. I know it’s tough, loving a zombie can’t be easy. Just be confident! The more you love her, the more she’ll notice you. Yes, yes, you love her so much already. The way you’re beating your chest really illustrates how much your heart... beats for her. You just have to prove it to her to win her heart, oozy and half rotted as it may be. That’s the starting point. Be proactive! If she doesn’t know who you are, she won’t realize how you feel. Get to know her, let her know it was you who’s been pining from afar all this time. Don’t wait! Love won’t come for losers who sit around and don’t try.
You’re certainly not a loser, are you? From the determination in your beady eyes, I can tell you have what it takes to see this through. There’s no need for words, now. ...grunts. Whatever. Just listen to what I’m telling you. Ask her out to dinner. If you have to, lure her in with the promise of brains. Girls love a man with brains, her more than others in this case. I promise, it’s much easier than you think. Your feelings are pure; your will is absolute. Never doubt yourself. If you can do that, this should be easy for you. Women want a man who is confident and strong. You’re both and more, I can tell. She’d be a fool to turn you down, and with discerning tastes like yours, there’s no way you’d pick a fool. After that, get to know each other on a more personal level. Let her know your interested in more than what she has to offer physically. Which, granted, isn’t much. Mostly bones and some flesh here and there, but I’m sure she has a great personality that no one else gets to see.
Remember, if you really love someone, there’s no way you can fail! Now go show her how much she means to you, Mr. Rilla! Mele is here cheering for you! Ah, blooming love is the most wonderful thing to see. Look, he’s already going right for her, and--oh, that didn’t look good. Maybe it wasn’t that bad of a bite? No, no, that’s definitely blood. Everywhere. Aaaand down he goes. Well, that isn’t technically a failure; he did die for her! Poor guy. At least they can become one this way, right? Right. Anyway, I have other cases to get to. Let’s see, who’s next... Miss Marcy, was it?
Poll Vote!
Character name: Rio
Series: Jyuuken Sentai Gekiranger
Age:Early 20’s, physically.
Job: Counselor of Attaining Ultimate Power
Canon: Long ago there lived a man that decided to make his own type of martial arts, and, from this desire, JyuKen was born. The trouble started when he tried to teach this to his students. Three of them got really mad at the other seven, turned to the path of evil and decided to change the way that Jyuken was done and taught. From there it split into GekiJyuKen for the seven and RinJyuKen for the three. In the present, one of the seven decided to finally teach GekiJyuKen to a privileged group that showed promise. One of his students, Rio, defected from the path of GekiJyuKen to learn and lead RinJyuKen because he wasn’t becoming strong enough with just Geki. That is when the GekiRangers were born: to defend the world from Rio’s strong desire to become the most powerful (at the usual cost of human suffering and screams). Mature of him, isn’t it?
Now, let’s get down to our villain for most of the season, known as Rio the Black Lion. At first glance, he is a quiet, ruthless, single-minded individual who is only concerned with satisfying his thirst for power and more power. The lion does have a set of morals and beliefs that are only paper thin and as hard to break through as a wet paper bag. All it truly takes is one good, believable lie and a mentioning of a means to one end or another, and he is a fish wiggling on your hook of power. Nowadays, though, he’s traded in his thirst for power in exchange for the occasional warm kindness, a shy streak, and a desire to do what’s right and protect the people that matter to him. He isn’t the Black Lion for nothing, you know.
Sample Entry:
I am not the kind of person who teaches other people, much less in “How to Attain Ultimate Power”. When has something so uncommonly sought come to be needed as a simple talent to learn at camp? It’s almost insulting, but I’m personally unsure if it’s because of the subject or because it’s made out in a way that might say I can do nothing else... However, I suppose Ms. Sayre had a point when she said that a leader needs to train competent help. Not that I need it anymore; after all, I gave that life up. Since I have experience with zombies, you’ll do for a first student. It obvious you have quite a problem.
If your entire issue truly is that you ate a gorilla that was in love with you, that is irrelevant to me. The only worthwhile part about you, I find, is that insatiable hunger in your eyes. Seeing as you just finished eating an entire gorilla, I’d hope for your sake it isn’t a desire to eat me as well, but more that you hunger for raw power and might. You have blood all over you, and I can even see disgusting bits of what might be left of him around your mouth and between the few teeth you still have. Next time, you should swallow your meal whole so that their power is preserved and at your disposal. Regardless, I will take this hunger of yours and turn it into strength.
Have you ever thought of learning a martial art? You may be slow and not as limber as you were when you were alive, but I’ve known plenty of zombies that have attained great power through RinJyuKen--what happened to them is not the important part, even if they died in horrible ways. No, how they got that strength is what I am discussing with you. It might be a good idea for you to also look into your spirit animal. No, I’m not kidding. Miss, I doubt it’s a gorilla; you’re only basing this on the fact that you’ve just eaten one. Your one true animal will come to you in time. Until then, diligently train your body and think of nothing other than the need to become stronger.This will not be difficult for you since, in my experience, zombies of your stage can only think about so many things at once anyway.
This concludes our first lesson. There are no shortcuts in ultimate power. It wouldn’t speed things up if you tried to eat me, either. The only thing that would accomplish is your second death, because I promise you no hesitation in thwarting that plot. You dying permanently is no problem for me, but it’s something you should consider as a ‘bad idea’.
Poll Vote!
Character: Hikoma Kusakabe
Series: Samurai Sentai Shinkenger
Character Age: Early 60s.
Job: Samurai Trainer
Canon: There are those who risk their lives in the forefront of battle, using all the skills and abilities in their disposal to ensure safety of the civilians and victory over the enemies. These people are the Shinkengers. Led by their leader, Takeru Shiba, they are the ones who face the Gedoushu, a group of sinister individuals whose primary goal is to fill the Sanzu River with the flood of tears brought about by human pain and misery.
Then there are those who work behind the scenes, alerting the Shinkengers of the presence of the Gedoushu, ensuring that the heroes are fit for every battle, and caring for their wounds once they've returned from a fight. These are the responsibilities of the kurokos, the Shiba clan's masked servants, and of Hikoma Kusakabe, the current lord's guardian and the vassals' mentor. He is strict and meticulous, unafraid of disciplining wayward vassals with words and, sometimes, even striking at them with his fan. And yet he can also be very encouraging and supportive, most especially to Takeru, whom he practically raised as his own. A true samurai who knows no fear, Hikoma will not hesitate to join the fight especially when the team is in danger - and nothing, not even a horde of armed enemies, or his chronic hip problem, could stop him from coming to the Shinkengers' aid every now and then.
Sample Entry:
Ah. Intrigued by the samurai life, are you? Or perhaps, you wish to learn how to defend yourself or your friends? Then you have come to the right place, though I feel that I should warn all of you: the life of a samurai isn't easy. It is one fraught with sacrifice and hardship. One simply cannot pick up a sword or swing it and be immediately considered a samurai. Oh, no. Training is an integral part of this craft. More often than not that a samurai begins his lessons at an early age. Why, the 19th Shiba Clan Head started his when he was only four years old. He hadn't even stopped sucking his thumb, and yet he'd already learned the basics of--
--hmm, what's this? You seem a little dead, young man. Am I boring you with my words? Such impertinence will not permitted. Respect is something I will teach you, boy, as without it you will not succeed. Yes, even as a zombie. And the rest of you! Stop gnawing at your practice swords! Be grateful that they're not real, or all of you would have been decapitated by now. Did you honestly think that I will allow any of you to be within a hundred feet from such a deadly weapon? Ha! Not today! Only when I think of someone worthy and skilled enough to be trusted with a sword will I personally hand him one to use. And that, I believe, will be years and years from now. For everyone here.
Oho? You, sir, already know how to use a sword? Well. This is most interesting. Perhaps you shouldn't be here in the beginners' section. Perhaps I should place you with the advanced, alive students... that is, if you will be able to defeat me in battle. The same goes for the rest of you! Oh, do not insult me by thinking I am too old. I can assure everyone that my skills are not to be underestimated. Now choose your weapon, boy, and show me how you fight!
--No. Don't just swing your sword as though you only have half a brain! Every strike should be concise! Every movement should be with definite purpose! Like this. See? And for your sake you'd better stay down, lad, and think about why I'm not going to transfer you yet. I believe the answer is quite obvious to everyone here.
Tomorrow, we will formally begin our lessons. Latecomers will be punished! Dismissed!
...er, before you go, I will need someone to carry me to the infirmary. I--I seem to have dislocated my hip.
Poll Vote!
Character: Shinobu Morita
Series: Honey & Clover (manga/anime) [The drama and movie make significant changes to plot and characterization.]
Character Age: 26
Job: Friendship Expert
Canon: Honey and Clover is a coming of age story about 5 art school students living in Tokyo. The series deals with their trials and tribulations such as unrequited love, eating on a poor college student's bank account (SUPER IMPORTANT) and of course, trying to graduate. And there’s no student who should graduate already more than Morita.
Morita has been doing his undergrad for 8 years, but don’t let that fool you, he’s actually incredibly talented at anything he does. The problem is his personality. He’s pretty much an example of the belief that geniuses are kind of bizarre, but in his case, Morita is the very definition of an ‘eccentric’ going at his own pace. He is usually intolerably cheerful, an obnoxious man-child who freeloads off his friends. Morita is very erratic; his attention span can be incredibly short, his train of thought is all over the place, and his mood can change at the drop of a hat. Completely shameless, he is not above being completely self-absorbed and flamboyant, and will throw temper tantrums full of crying, yelling and threats of lawsuit over the littlest of things. But aside from that, even his closest friends don’t know much about him or what he does when he disappears for extended periods of time and comes back with huge wads of cash. Why is he such a money maniac if he doesn’t spend any of it? With a personality like that, it’s a miracle that he has friends who tolerate him and instructors who haven’t given up on him. There’s something about Morita that just draws people towards him: maybe it’s his talent, his rare enigmatic serious side... or his threats that he’ll haunt you from beyond the grave.
Sample Post:
Hello friends! I am Shinobu Morita, artist extraordinaire, Academy Award winning Computer Graphics coordinator, Enka singer and performer. But I am none of those here! Today I'm the Shinobu Morita who is here to be your resident friendship expert. Isn't that great for you? Now you might be thinking "Oh, Shinobu, what can you teach us about friendship?" Plenty! Who thought that?! I see you , Toucan Sam. En garde, non believer, I will challenge you to a duel. I'll defeat you with the power of ~friendship~ and my tin foil hat, my secret weapon which will block out your psychic mental powers. Haha, flying away means I win, Birdy. Victory for Shinobu! S-H-I-N-O-B-U spells VICTOLY.
Okay time to start, time is money, so go go go! Lesson one, friendship means sharing. Sharing is caring! I know my friends are more than happy to share things with me, so I don’t even ask. right now, I’m wearing Mayama’s clothes. I just helped myself because we’re friends. Even if his mouth says no, his eyes and his heart say “Sure thing, Morita-san! Anything for you, Morita-san! You’re so great, Morita-san!” I’m even wearing his underwear, wanna see?
Lesson two, friends always help each other out. Your friends shouldn’t even have to say anything, you should just do it. That’s what I do. I lent my expertise to my dear friend, Takemoto, by giving him a haircut and charged him only 1000 yen without him saying a word. That’s true friendship! Ah, Takemoto, he really knows the meaning of friendship. Many times his bank account helped me out without even him knowing it. That's because I know his PIN. That’s lesson three. Friends know everything about each other.
And lucky for you, starting today, I’ll be your new friend including all those benefits. ♥ That’d be 40,000 yen upfront or else I’ll be seeing you in court!
Poll Vote!
Character: Itou Kamotaro
Series: Gintama
Character Age: Around 25.
Job: Good Leadership Adviser
Canon: Samurai! Anachronisms! So much meta that it might make your head spin! These are some of the things that mix together to form that lovely show known as Gintama, the story of a plucky threesome of a loli alien, a megane otaku, and a samurai with a natural silver perm, doing their jobs as the Odd Jobs Trio as the alien Amanto try to take over the future state of Edo. But this story isn't just about them. The other significant group running around is none other than the Shinsengumi, the police that do their best to keep the order in Edo while following the shogunate's orders. While their commander is well loved, he's also considered something of a goofball, and struggles with the business side of being a military commander.
Itou Kamotaro is brought in as an adviser to the Shinsengumi, and basically functions as a go-between between the Shinsengumi and the shogunate. An exceptionally smart man, and a highly convincing speaker, he already has the commander of the Shinsengumi calling him "Sensei" after only a year in the police force. As a result, he doesn't fit in with the Shinsengumi at all, which creates a split in their ranks. Unlike most of the characters in Gintama, he doesn't have a comedic aspect to his character at all; he is serious and composed. He is also supremely confident in his own abilities, something that has been helped along by the praise of his teachers throughout his life. However, his superiority complex has also left him struggling to make connections with other people, but eventually he finds that he already had those connections he so desired.
NOTE: For the reference of any canon familiar readers, Itou is going to be taken [post death].
Sample Entry:
Greetings, class. I have been brought here today to lecture on good leadership techniques. You seem like a diverse group of ... well, I don't necessarily feel comfortable calling you people. Being a person requires certain parameters to be met, and some of you don't live up to them. It takes all types to lead, and it doesn't matter where you're from or how mottled your skin is for me to teach you how to do this. I will do my best to explain to you how you all can lead effectively, even when you barely seem to have any direction at all. Take out your pens and take good notes--I don't want to see any mucus stains on these notes when you turn them in at the end of the seminar. Please listen closely.
The first rule for good leadership is good communication. And no, being able to stick an extra ear on your comrade is not the first step--more ears don't make for better hearing! You can't just assume that everyone is going to know what they are supposed to be doing without being told about it first. If you don't communicate what you want in an effective way, it could result in botched orders and a bigger mess to clean up. Even more than that, it could result in physical danger to you or to the people who follow you. If you don't think your commands are clear, they probably aren't.
Number 30, I can see you nodding off to sleep in the back. Do you really think you'd be able to get away with that? Please come up to the front of the room and repeat what I just said for the rest of the group. Yes, that's right, word for word. And no, that incoherent muttering does not count. Even if I was patient enough to pick through that drivel that you're trying to say, I won't stand for this kind of behavior in my classroom. This seminar is how I'm going to prove that I'm capable enough for this place. I am not going to scrape by on this evaluation, even if most people find this acceptable. You might think I'm too uptight for saying this, but I need to do this and do this well. Please remove yourself from this lecture if you're going to make a fool of me.
Thanks to that distraction, we are going to have to cut this lecture a little bit short. Please listen closely to this last point. The most important rule of being a good leader is to take initiative. Rome wasn't built in a day, and the idea to build that great city didn't just appear in somebody's head. It took centuries for that city to rise to greatness, but it won't take that long for you. Do some deep soul searching--even if I'm not sure if the zombies among you have them. Look deep down for the greatest motivation for your actions, and then use that to move forward. And most importantly of all, make me proud. Because even a good evaluation isn't worth it if this seminar didn't produce any results.
Poll Vote!
Character: Nikola Tesla
Series: Sanctuary
Age: 140 or so
Job: Camp Electrician
Canon: Remember the monsters under your bed? Well, it turns out they’re real. Referred to as ‘abnormals,’ they include the full spectrum of anything not quite human, from mermaids to giant spiders capable of causing massive tectonic shifts. But wait, you say! If the world is full of monsters, how come we haven’t seen them? That would be thanks to the Sanctuary network: a global network of safehouses designed to protect abnormals from humans and vice-versa.
Nikola Tesla is, in no particular order: not actually dead, yes that Tesla, and a vampire. Unfortunately, this is about the best that can be said about him. He might be thoroughly brilliant, but he also happens to be an arrogant, self-centered asshole. He also has something of a tendency to try a find a to see his race returned to glory, which has never really endeared him to people, least of all the Sanctuary. Basically, he’s that guy everyone loves to hate.
Note for the canon familiar: Tesla is coming from before the events of “Sleepers”
Sample Post:
Well, this is new. An isolated village out in the middle of nowhere hiding some deadly secret? Oh yes, like that hasn’t been done already. Nice work on the EM shield though. Most people wouldn’t think to phase-shift it that way. Something about not being able to understand how the basic equations have to change to hold it. It’ll certainly keep your problems out of the way for a long time, though. Oh yes. A very long time indeed.
There’s just one thing I’m not getting, though. Why build a cage only to bring more people into it? That shield will hold for years with enough power, so it can’t possibly be to actually maintain anything here. Unless... No, that can’t be it. The sheer scope of something that size would take years. We’re talking decades here. At the least! And really, let’s be honest with ourselves, here. What you have so far? Not very impressive. Children could do better. I don’t want to hear that rot about not having time, either. If you had time maybe the place would actually look nicer. It’s not just the buildings either. Whatever these shambling corpses were supposed to be, they’re an eyesore. For everyone. If you’re going to be keeping us hostage here, the least you could do is actually make it comfortable.
...Yes, very funny, thank you. Does anyone else have an inclination towards the class clown? No? Good. Maybe we can actually start trying to make some progress, assuming someone here still has the brains they were born with. Yes, yes, I know, it’s foolish of me to even assume, but is it honestly too much to ask that at least someone here has even the slightest modicum of sense? Or should I just consign myself to the unwashed masses now and be over with it?
Poll Vote!