Heads around the table of the Council meeting room nodded silently.

"Since then, we've all had this proposal rattling around in our brains, and it's come up again every so often, each time with less dissention. So, what I'd like now is the present opinion of the Council."

One member, an older looking man in an immaculately pressed suit, stood. "When this plan was first proposed, it was laughable because it seemed so unnecessary. We still had control. Our level of control has now decreased dramatically. I'm sure that we still have influence over a few of the Guardians, and therefore their Otaku, but we're losing even that."

He sat back down, and all eyes returned to the man at the head of the table. With a sigh, he stood, then nodded to an assistant near the door. The assistant dimmed the lights, and pictures were projected onto the far wall.

"When we started this Game, the idea was to have eight girls fighting for the glory of a Bishounen from the pages of Fushigi Yuugi." A group picture of every man from the series who was worthy of an Otaku -- significantly more than eight, of course -- came onto the wall. "However, our plans were first put on the skids here--" the new picture was one of the girls standing on the Main Street of Disneyland, just after Celly had called her Bishounen, Endymion. "--in Disneyland. Celeste, who was supposed to be either Amiboshi no Otaku or Tamahome no Otaku, revealed herself as Endymion no Otaku."

Another picture flashed on the screen.

"Even more outrageous is this alleigance change. Nakago no Otaku is no longer Nakago no Otaku. We think that she is Shaw no Otaku, which is especially outrageous in that Tommy Shaw, her supposed Bishounen, is not an anime character at all, but a man of flesh and blood."

Again, the picture changed.

"The case is similar to that of Susanne. First, we thought she was dead. She's been recently seen in Los Angeles, with Roger, who is also supposed to have died." At this point, he glanced at the woman with short, blonde hair who sat at the table. She was staring intently at the photograph, apparently taken in a residential neighborhood late at night. "Though she was slated to be Hotohori no Otaku, she has now declared her Bishounen to be Jackson Browne. Again, a man of flesh and blood. This alone represents an unusual case, since she is already on the record as being out of the Game. There is no sign that she is reentering the Game, but given the fact that at this point, she is one of five Otaku known to be in Los Angeles, I'd say there's a possibility. Since she is officially dead, we have no jurisdiction over her or Roger, as I'm sure they are both very aware."

Once again, the picture changed.

"Anaera is also in California, though she is up North, still at a relatively safe distance from the others. And she also seems to be changing alleigances. Her opsition as Chichiri no Otaku is in question."

"As for Remy--" the picture again changed, showing Remy with the three Bishounen following her like obedient puppy dogs, "--she's been having Snapple issues for the entire Game. When she eventually does declare a Bishounen, there's literally no telling who it will be, or from what series."

"Kristsi is still Bishounenless, as far as we all know, Meredith... well, again, as far as we know, she'll remain Keisuke no Otaku. Mercy's undying devotion to Tasuki is well known, I'm sure."

"So," he said as the last picture faded and the lights came back on, "just to refresh everyone's memory, the proposal is this: That the Council break all ties with and disavow any knowledge of the current Game, concentrating instead on the next one. In other words, we can't control what these girls will do anyway, so instead of being held responsible, we pass this motion. All in favor?"

A chorus of voices responded with, "Aye!"

"All opposed?"

After a brief silence, someone said, "Might as well mark that as one, considering we know how Artemis would vote if he were here."

"Duly noted. Anyone have anything to add?" After a brief silence, he nodded. "Very well. The motion is passed." He turned to his assistant. "Please take those photographs, as well as the minutes from this meeting, and anything else that pertains to this Game, and destroy it. We have a Game to plan now, people, let's get it together!"

With that, the Council members stood and filed out of the room.