Necratoid: your input is priceless.
Actually, you know what the hell of it is? I was going the same direction you are here. I've just been giving the broadest strokes of the character at
this point, so once I'm done developing him the way I want you should be able to lose that "KillitKillitKillitQUICK!" reflex.
Anyhow, I'll go over the points you've brought up in turn.
Dear sweet Kami, man! You've nailed the guy on the head! Nonconformist (which is pretty damn funny considering who his father is), not many friends,
moves too much to build friends network/social skills, reads A LOT! (two walls in his room are dedicated to nothing... but... BOOKS), somewhat short attention
span (OOH! Shiny! leads to broad range interest in Engineering), and never believes it's Someone Else's Problem (to the point of Utena-like righteous
indignation).
Yep, this is going to be especially true once his paramours figure out how smart he really is and the
LEAN on him to do better. Given that they're all Type A personalities, it shouldn't be too much trouble for them.
This is pretty much my original motivation for making him partially Native-American - it was not just for the
sake of extra Win. I haven't decided on any specific background yet - its something that I'm going to need to research for a bit, but I'm leaning
towards Cherokee as theirs is one of the most prolific tribes to this day.
His Grandfather is going to be referred to quite a bit as Our Hero spent his early summers with the Shaman after his Mother passed away. Definitely like the
idea about setting up mentors through the grape vine - I hadn't thought about that and it's the perfect excuse for having a broad range of knowledge
without a particular mastery. Once he starts studying with Rei and Youko, though...
Yeah, can you say, "Technomage"?
As for the bits and pieces... He'll have a piece or two of simple, understated jewelry (a pendant he wears becomes his gift to Youko to seal his half of
his contract with her). Most of it is going to be in the form of curios he keeps as part of an altar of sorts in his room. This way, it is nifty but
out-of-sight most of the time.
Well, I always thought that Japan would be an awesome place to visit ever since I read Edward Clavelle's
Shogun. Though in my character's case, that would work as well (interesting culture PLUS awesome spiritualist stuff). I hadn't thought about
that connection with Rei either and I now feel kinda stupid for not realizing it myself.
Not really an SI, so the whole thing between him and Lum isn't going to be like that at all - and he is most definitely going rules-lawyer on Lum for the
rubber science.
Oh? So not a political arrangement to save grace?
MYTHRIL wants something they're calling a Field Technologist. When they find a strange new piece of
overtech, he's going to be the guy that susses it out. They want Rei and Lum because they have displayed the ability to kick epic ass. Because,
don't'cha know it, it gets pretty damn hard to hide all that collateral damage those girls in the Fukus and their enemies cause.
MYTHRIL is not only looking at Our Hero as a valuable asset - they're also looking at him as a way to get at Rei and the other Senshi, whoever they may be.
They're looking at this as a potential weapon and they do not want it falling into the hands of someone like, oh say, Gauron. *Shudders*
Sorry I haven't mentioned any senshiness. I've been thinking of setting this at an advanced point in their story - sometime before Stars takes place
(but I'm not going there since I don't know the source material).
Rei is the Senshi for Mars. I believe Mikuru was Neptune. (Wonder how Uranus
and Neptune are gonna react to the idea of all these other girls coming after this guy. Setsuna would simply say that
Our Hero is fated as such.
highly driven, highly motivated, pure of heart... ripe for the picking.
instead merely had fits of pique. Imagine if he also had a daughter, a daughter he named Youko and doted upon very much. Youko loves her father very much,
but can see what sort of danger he poses, so despite her love for her father she helped the Inukami seal him away. Of course, he eventually got out... Big
surprise when they all saw that he actually seemed very modern and metropolitan. This will be included, but to make sure he doesn't go leveling entire
countries just because he doesn't like the way they part their hair, Youko threatens him with sealing - this time getting help from Our Hero who seems to
possess substantial spirit energy that he isn't really going to miss anytime soon. (Not like he can't replenish it over time anyhow.)
idea of making her into a Kami that SCIENCE! has improved upon. (Yes, Our Hero will be doing the SCIENCE! thing now and then. Muah-ha-ha-ha-ha!) The racial
thing will still be there - thing is that in Akikan it was limited to Aluminum vs. Steel - that's not quite as bad, I think.
As for what role she'd fulfill? Simple, really. She's a Scrapper. Lum's the Tank. Rei, the Mage. Teletha is the Engineer. And Youko is the
Blaster. Note that I do not use any one particular convention here, but the titles speak for themselves.
do fully intend to open up each universe, fully and completely, not only on Our Poor Pitiful Hero, but everyone else in general. I'm an evil bastard,
aren't I? And getting poor Sosuke involved like that is a stroke of pure genius.
Which reminds me, since I'm removing Teletha from the picture for him, I might as well gift him with an item or two in return. I'm thinking Minako
(aka Sailor Venus) and Yell (Sports Drink Akikan with the 'Isotonic Sword'). Kanami can have Budoko (I'm a sadistic bastard, aren't I?). That
said, the only characters I'm not really carrying over are the others from Akikan, simply because I feel there's no more damage they can do here.
That, and their roles would only get trampled under everything else that's going on. I might include them as background characters, but that's all
they'd be at the most.
Anyhow... *Checks out To-LOVE-Ru at Wikipedia* Hrm... We already have the Ninja/Assasin angle covered. In all this mess we forgot about running into Nanoha,
and by extension, Miyuki, who becomes absolutely smitten. In addition, Nanoha becomes a roving island of calm as everyone else in the harem sees her and has a
KAWAI! attack - except of course when there's baddies for Little Miss Bikini Atol to unleash a most rightous smack down upon. Our Hero is going to be
studying Rising Heart as much as Nanoha will allow him. So, anyhow, I'll have to look at To-LOVE-Ru and see if it would really fit in.
Sosuke and Our Hero as buddies. That is going to be awesome.
"Do you know anything about something called a Harem Comedy?"
"It's a popular trope in anime, manga, and games where one poor sorry example of a male has two or three, usually more, females that want him for one
reason or another."
"I see. So it is very much like the situation you and I are in."
"(O_o Sosuke, please excuse me for a moment."
"... Rei, why is he doing that?"
"I saw this once in one of his movies. It was called True Genius and I think the language he's using is Latin. If he's reinacting that
scene then he'll be done in a moment. By the way, what were you two talking about?"
I'm tempted, just for kicks, to crossover with Ranma now and then, because one wrecking crew is bound to run into another - no further romantic
entanglements involved, plenty as it is. The pure mayhem, however, may simply be too much and possibly be jumping the shark. What do you think?
Actually, you know what the hell of it is? I was going the same direction you are here. I've just been giving the broadest strokes of the character at
this point, so once I'm done developing him the way I want you should be able to lose that "KillitKillitKillitQUICK!" reflex.
Anyhow, I'll go over the points you've brought up in turn.
Quote: Necratoid said:
First off there is the 'iconoclastic' thing... from what is written he sounds like he sits around
calculating how much he fits into any particular group and does something that will put him not so much of that group. He also does it to the level that it
scares people to the point the girls are all avoiding this OCD 'needs to be a nonconformist' nutjob. As far as I can tell he has no old friends,
either burned all his bridges or kids just didn't like him enough to try. Which means to me he is 'brillant', because, he reads, watches, and/or
studies like mad at everything that catches his attention for 5 seconds, until something else catches his attention, because he hasn't had anyone his age
to attached to. His father's background does indicate he doesn't actually stay anywhere for longer than a year or two and that probably doesn't
help with his lack of social skills. Having a high ranking Navy officer as a dad he has been constantly exposed to lines like 'All it takes for evil to
win is for good men to do nothing' and the very Japanese idea of not actually bothering to get involved... he lacks the Someone Elses Problem mind set
and would consider developing one to be joining a national stereotypical clique. Which makes him that guy in a Japanese class that is an entertaining train
wreck to live through vicariously.
Dear sweet Kami, man! You've nailed the guy on the head! Nonconformist (which is pretty damn funny considering who his father is), not many friends,
moves too much to build friends network/social skills, reads A LOT! (two walls in his room are dedicated to nothing... but... BOOKS), somewhat short attention
span (OOH! Shiny! leads to broad range interest in Engineering), and never believes it's Someone Else's Problem (to the point of Utena-like righteous
indignation).
Quote: Necratoid said:
His usual intensity with randomly shifting focus was just to much in America. However, he is currently spending his first semester on a jam packed with
all the GenEd and prerequisite course time allows (at least half again as many or twice as many as normally taken). That this is actually eating up much of
his spare time by default. Thus forcing him to actually focus. Which is when combined with his need to ace everything is ironing some of the most jarring
focus switches of his.
Yep, this is going to be especially true once his paramours figure out how smart he really is and the
LEAN on him to do better. Given that they're all Type A personalities, it shouldn't be too much trouble for them.
Quote: Necratoid said:
As the Indian (feathers, not dots) background, as presented so far, make it seem like an excuse for massive mass of previously useless spiritual powers
from nowhere this much be addressed. So we have a partial ancestry of some undefined Indian background to deal with. First off, I'd make his mom half and
half... this will give him the connection he needs not to be some totally lame, born with super spirit powers SI. I'm guessing his dad moves him around
with him and does so every year or two so he doesn't have to deep specific routes with any particular group of Indians. However his grandfather a shaman
type that started teaching him and sets him up with a new teacher through the grapevine each move... so he has lots and lots of training in the basics, power
expansion meditation, and the like but can't actually Do anything useful to speak of (barring seeing spirits and minor things that aren't that
complicated.) Only this gives him a large amount of unfocused energy in ever increasing amounts.
This is pretty much my original motivation for making him partially Native-American - it was not just for the
sake of extra Win. I haven't decided on any specific background yet - its something that I'm going to need to research for a bit, but I'm leaning
towards Cherokee as theirs is one of the most prolific tribes to this day.
His Grandfather is going to be referred to quite a bit as Our Hero spent his early summers with the Shaman after his Mother passed away. Definitely like the
idea about setting up mentors through the grape vine - I hadn't thought about that and it's the perfect excuse for having a broad range of knowledge
without a particular mastery. Once he starts studying with Rei and Youko, though...
Quote: Necratoid said:
So we have an engineering mind set with a load of unfocused power behind it. The engineering mind set involves taking things apart and seeing how the
work on a basic level. Also, a need to understand stuff at that level. The more defined detail the better. Which means item maker... in his case he mostly
makes things that consume lots of power but do little to nothing. That will fulfill his needs as an engineering mind for understand of small details and
micromanagement. He figures he can do something more useful later after college. This also means he has lots of notes sitting around and won't radiate
'eat me I'm yummy' vibes constantly. Also having him were nifty Indian (feathers, not dots) themed stuff (bracers, an amulet, and/or belt) under
his shirts will let him have a touch of background linkage without him obsessively pointing it out every ten lines.
Yeah, can you say, "Technomage"?
As for the bits and pieces... He'll have a piece or two of simple, understated jewelry (a pendant he wears becomes his gift to Youko to seal his half of
his contract with her). Most of it is going to be in the form of curios he keeps as part of an altar of sorts in his room. This way, it is nifty but
out-of-sight most of the time.
Quote: Necratoid said:
So he heads off to Japan, 'They got all kinds of spiritual stuff to study and not only in far off monasteries with no electricity' is his
reason for wanting to go rather than 'anime good' thing going on. Which means he has something to talk with Rei about and keep them meeting each
other for the months it takes for her to become intrested without making it a sudden thing.Then comes in the Lum thing and with him being an engineering mind
set so that he has a valid reason to go all rules lawyer on her. That will also avoid him start channeling the foreknowledge of SI goodness vibe. Also, the
do good things tendancy of his with place nicely into the model that gets her to stake claim on him... I mean her dad has issues with understanding she wants
a humaniod husband.
Well, I always thought that Japan would be an awesome place to visit ever since I read Edward Clavelle's
Shogun. Though in my character's case, that would work as well (interesting culture PLUS awesome spiritualist stuff). I hadn't thought about
that connection with Rei either and I now feel kinda stupid for not realizing it myself.
Not really an SI, so the whole thing between him and Lum isn't going to be like that at all - and he is most definitely going rules-lawyer on Lum for the
rubber science.
Oh? So not a political arrangement to save grace?
Quote: Necratoid said:
MYTHRIL wants Our Hero and his paramours to work for them, for obvious reasons. The question of why Rei would be wanted is completely and utterly
unexplained here. To the point of not making any sense. As stated this seems rather a case of 'screaming "Look over there" followed by running
away' level hand waving. Rei isn't a Whispered. They can't have a bonfire on ship, sacred or not, for her preistess tallents. Oddly you have
stated nothing to confirm or deny any actual Sailor Senshiness involved. Considering you have a magic princess of Neptune, who lives there no less, who is
going to visit Lum... I can't see not using it.
MYTHRIL wants something they're calling a Field Technologist. When they find a strange new piece of
overtech, he's going to be the guy that susses it out. They want Rei and Lum because they have displayed the ability to kick epic ass. Because,
don't'cha know it, it gets pretty damn hard to hide all that collateral damage those girls in the Fukus and their enemies cause.
MYTHRIL is not only looking at Our Hero as a valuable asset - they're also looking at him as a way to get at Rei and the other Senshi, whoever they may be.
They're looking at this as a potential weapon and they do not want it falling into the hands of someone like, oh say, Gauron. *Shudders*
Sorry I haven't mentioned any senshiness. I've been thinking of setting this at an advanced point in their story - sometime before Stars takes place
(but I'm not going there since I don't know the source material).
Rei is the Senshi for Mars. I believe Mikuru was Neptune. (Wonder how Uranus
and Neptune are gonna react to the idea of all these other girls coming after this guy. Setsuna would simply say that
Our Hero is fated as such.
Quote: Which means you have to decide which group of enimies are going to be currently facing the Senshi. If its the Dead Moon Circus its going to mean Lum is goingI like the Death Busters angle - it's pretty much what I was thinking of at the time. Little unskilled human with loads of spirit energy,
to report the giant invisible circus tent that is hogging airspace. Lum is literally a legal alien to Earth. She actually has a valid visa and renews it at
one point. If its the first season I'm guessing the one other surviving planet in the solar system is going to be full of not happy when they learn Beryl
is back. Though your lead male does fit the targets of the Death Busters... Pure heart (focused on the task of getting a complex multipart degree and all) so
I can see that being the type chasing him into the shrine. (Taking off his power wasting stuff would provide the burst of spirit power at that time for the
kitsune to note without making him a complete demon magnet.)
highly driven, highly motivated, pure of heart... ripe for the picking.
Quote: Not knowing that series off the top of my head (I can vaguely think of 4 with that general theme going on) I can't be really specific there. But I canInukami? Okay, this should simplify what Youko is... Imagine what the Kiyubi no Kitsune would be like if he wasn't raging all the time and
tell you to remember to decide if Youko is an alien like Lum or an actual demon. Lum kinda has most 'demons' end up as alien tourists of old and the
like.
instead merely had fits of pique. Imagine if he also had a daughter, a daughter he named Youko and doted upon very much. Youko loves her father very much,
but can see what sort of danger he poses, so despite her love for her father she helped the Inukami seal him away. Of course, he eventually got out... Big
surprise when they all saw that he actually seemed very modern and metropolitan. This will be included, but to make sure he doesn't go leveling entire
countries just because he doesn't like the way they part their hair, Youko threatens him with sealing - this time getting help from Our Hero who seems to
possess substantial spirit energy that he isn't really going to miss anytime soon. (Not like he can't replenish it over time anyhow.)
Quote: As for why Rei is on the sub, lets just say that Rei can't see invisible battlemechs and they can see her transform. Rei refuses to explain why she isYep, pretty much what I was thinking earlier.
there and Teletha won't be clear on the reason. It appeals to MITHRIL to have someone that is useful against the super natural.
Quote: Melon is the one I'm real dubious on... largely because its going to take a lot of effort to use such a different character to give her the sameMelon is kind of the one that doesn't quite fit in, I'll agree, and making her caffinated isn't too far out. And I simply love the
personallity and upbringing... and make it make sense. Go to far from the base character and you might as well use a different soda. I'd suggest making
her caffinated soda (needs caffine to keep up with the course load he is going with.).
The real weirdness comes in when you actually concider what Melon is racially. She is one of those spirits of a random object kamis. The kind found in random
rocks and twigs as well as mountains and rivers. Only her kind has been heavily modified. As a can of soda is totally disposable the spirits of them should
be so weak that they can't even manifest outside the can and are only a carbonation bubble or two high... only they have been modified so that only one
kami can manifest for the entire type of soda... on a global level. This makes them capable of tossing of attacks that can obliterate steal beams and make
craters a dozen or four feet wide. They also power up through an act of canabalism. This is from a regional soda... try to imagine what it would be like if
this happened with Pepsi or Coke. Think MG with DBZ powers and an extreme racial hate of each other (though it could be a hostile rivalry). Which is what
people are going to think Melon and her kind are. This is going to make the spiritally aware harem members freak a bit. Depending on how they see her is
going to mix things up a lot. I mean you pretty much have to make the Epically, flamingly gay guy into a duel whispered between making the Melon like race
and being really, really flamingly gay to add it to the series. And someone will think of the Kami of Pepsi and Coke and Mountian Dew and Dr. Pepper and the
like. I can see Gauron gleefully demanding people 'Kneel before Tab'.
idea of making her into a Kami that SCIENCE! has improved upon. (Yes, Our Hero will be doing the SCIENCE! thing now and then. Muah-ha-ha-ha-ha!) The racial
thing will still be there - thing is that in Akikan it was limited to Aluminum vs. Steel - that's not quite as bad, I think.
As for what role she'd fulfill? Simple, really. She's a Scrapper. Lum's the Tank. Rei, the Mage. Teletha is the Engineer. And Youko is the
Blaster. Note that I do not use any one particular convention here, but the titles speak for themselves.
Quote: I also guessing that Rei and Kanami go to the same school.Just remember that any harem member has to bring at least some of their collection of idiots withI love the idea of Rei and Kanami as class mates - Kanami is just going to wig out when her life starts getting even stranger than before. And I
them and you already opened up the universe on him. Can't make things to easy on him. Though him not being anywhere near as durable as as most harem
masters. I'd suggest having him learn shielding spells after the youma chase mess. Lets him use that power and walls are something engineers unstand how
to make.For a suggestion as a logical extension of the harem to torment him I'd go with Golden Darkness from To-LOVE-ru only need to have the doctor work
at one of the schools. I can see one of Lum's stalker wanna-be-husbands hiring her. Then totally screw things up and thinking Sosuke is your male lead...
causing Sosuke fighting her (misery loves company). I mean he is the only listed male that could end up as his male friend... the one that points out he has
formed on of those 'stereotypical cliques' from those harem animes. His class mates brought up the topic and he noticed the similarities so he asked
the lead about it later. Cue freak out by the lead.
do fully intend to open up each universe, fully and completely, not only on Our Poor Pitiful Hero, but everyone else in general. I'm an evil bastard,
aren't I? And getting poor Sosuke involved like that is a stroke of pure genius.
Which reminds me, since I'm removing Teletha from the picture for him, I might as well gift him with an item or two in return. I'm thinking Minako
(aka Sailor Venus) and Yell (Sports Drink Akikan with the 'Isotonic Sword'). Kanami can have Budoko (I'm a sadistic bastard, aren't I?). That
said, the only characters I'm not really carrying over are the others from Akikan, simply because I feel there's no more damage they can do here.
That, and their roles would only get trampled under everything else that's going on. I might include them as background characters, but that's all
they'd be at the most.
Anyhow... *Checks out To-LOVE-Ru at Wikipedia* Hrm... We already have the Ninja/Assasin angle covered. In all this mess we forgot about running into Nanoha,
and by extension, Miyuki, who becomes absolutely smitten. In addition, Nanoha becomes a roving island of calm as everyone else in the harem sees her and has a
KAWAI! attack - except of course when there's baddies for Little Miss Bikini Atol to unleash a most rightous smack down upon. Our Hero is going to be
studying Rising Heart as much as Nanoha will allow him. So, anyhow, I'll have to look at To-LOVE-Ru and see if it would really fit in.
Sosuke and Our Hero as buddies. That is going to be awesome.
"Do you know anything about something called a Harem Comedy?"
"It's a popular trope in anime, manga, and games where one poor sorry example of a male has two or three, usually more, females that want him for one
reason or another."
"I see. So it is very much like the situation you and I are in."
"(O_o
Sosuke, please excuse me for a moment.""... Rei, why is he doing that?"
"I saw this once in one of his movies. It was called True Genius and I think the language he's using is Latin. If he's reinacting that
scene then he'll be done in a moment. By the way, what were you two talking about?"
I'm tempted, just for kicks, to crossover with Ranma now and then, because one wrecking crew is bound to run into another - no further romantic
entanglements involved, plenty as it is. The pure mayhem, however, may simply be too much and possibly be jumping the shark. What do you think?