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Pahrak Model ZX

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Blog Entries posted by Pahrak Model ZX

  1. Pahrak Model ZX
    The next chapter of Beyond Ruin is finished!
     
    As I said previously, I wanted this one to focus on the Queen of Fire. In the end, the Queen of Ice also showed up. I think there are going to be more multi-Queen pieces than I originally anticipated, but I’m also going to try to change up the pairs they appear in (and maybe try showing more than two at once?), and this means there will definitely be more than just one chapter per Queen. Actually, I’m considering trying to come up with an arc if I can, but we’ll see where that goes.
     
    Next is probably going to be the Queens of the Sea and Light. After that, the only one left will be the Queen of Knowledge, and I’m thinking she’ll be getting a visit from the Queen of the Sky in her first piece. Where it goes from there I really have no idea!
  3. Pahrak Model ZX
    It took a while, but the first chapter of RoboRiders Re:Start is now up in Epics!
     
    Originally I wanted to write the whole thing out before I began serializing it, but with the deadline on fishers’s contest fast-approaching I figured I should just start putting chapters out as soon as I can. I don’t expect it to be a particularly long story, and I will try to be quick about writing it up, but no precise schedule can be given at this time. I apologize.
     
    I hope you enjoy this reimagining of an oft-forgotten classic theme!
  5. Pahrak Model ZX

    Thirteen Years

    By Pahrak Model ZX,

    As of today, I’ve been on BZPower for 13 years. Being 24 years old, that means I’ve been on this site for over half of my entire life, so I guess that’s kinda cool. Let’s see how productive this past year was for me:
     
    -Wrote An End Escaped, which I rather like
    -Hosted Slizer Mafia 2: Okotans’ Revenge, which I think went well
    -Hosted Slizer Dome US, which did not go so well
    -Finished Shooting Star Sonia 2, ending up with a 100k word story that I wrote in roughly a year while holding myself to a biweekly posting schedule
    -Wrote Slizer Mafia 2.8, which honestly I probably didn’t need to do
    -Hosted For Coronet and Cancellation [slizer Mafia 3], which was woefully short
    -Wrote Glimpse of Horizons, which I also rather like
    -Hosted Mafia XXXIX: Hotel of Okoto, which had one unique mechanic and that mechanic ended up being a flop
    -Wrote Second Star for The Legend Continues, which was fun even if it did poorly in the polls
    -Wrote Toa of Fire, which is okay
    -Wrote She Understood, which…I’m not really sure what to say about
    -Just kicking off Wall of History (Signups are closing tonight!)
     
    Well, that’s fairly productive. Rocky, but productive. You can also see how my style of Mafia hosting gradually became “the Mafia steadily wipes out the village while I play unfitting music.” Good times.
     
    It’s obviously tough to say for sure what the coming year might bring, but I already shared several things I’m working on/considering recently. Progress on Shooting Star Sonia 3 is…slower than expected, but it is happening. I was just reminded that this December is Mega Man’s 30th anniversary, so I’m considering waiting and posting the story on that day as a way to celebrate, and probably with the first few chapters close together to hopefully make up for the extra wait. On a different note the world of Olkir is also coming together, so I may just do that casting call before too long. Maybe next month?
     
    Here’s to another year!
     
    (Wow, not a single Kingdom Hearts joke.)
  7. Pahrak Model ZX

    It's Happening

    By Pahrak Model ZX,

    OH MY GOSH
     
    I wasn't sure what to make of the rumors of Kale and Caulifla fusing but it is happening and it's Potara Fusion and now I'm just so dang excited for next week holy Kanohi
  8. Pahrak Model ZX
    Unchained gave us a lot of boost Medals this month, so my Guilted Goofy now has maxed out strength and defense and minimized cost!
     
    The only way this can get stronger is if I can get a better Guilt percentage (Low Tier, so best possible is 25%). I might give that a try, but that's random so who knows.
     
    I've reduced cost on enough Medals that I could put a third 6 star medal on both Treasure Trove and Lady Luck, but...I don't know. I'm not sure if any of the Medals I have right now are necessarily Medals I'm going to want to keep for a long time (with the exception of Kairi, but being a buff Medal I've been told it might be wiser to leave that at 5 star). Meh, maybe I'll hold out and hope for some nice Reversed Medals on my next pull. (Still don't have even a single one! D: )
  9. Pahrak Model ZX
    I was expecting Square to do something involving Kingdom Hearts Unchained X, which they sort of did, making a more formal announcement of it to the Western audience, that was cool.
     
    Then they did this.
     
    So, um, okay.
     
    That's definitely a new outfit. And what looks like the Star Seeker, possibly upgraded. And Flowmotion. And more dual gun Keyblade usage. And a pegasus-drawn chariot made from a Keyblade.
     
    Also apparently that's a Tangled world they're showing, never seen Tangled but I have absolutely zero complaints.
     
    I actually did pretty well on my joking wishes for E3.
  10. Pahrak Model ZX
    Still holding off just a bit on starting the game, but I was thinking and I had a new idea.
     
    Once per round, after a promotional attempt fails, a player can reroll. As for how exactly that works, I’m still deciding. Maybe the player needs to add a few more Widgets to activate it (10% of what they tried using in the promotion?), or maybe just use the same amount of Widgets. The Widgets received would definitely be lower. The reroll might even guarantee success, but at the cost of very low Widget payout (100 W x result of reroll?).
     
    Any thoughts on this? Or anything else? I’ll probably be starting this soon (I'm gonna say mid-November at the absolute latest), so be on the lookout.
  11. Pahrak Model ZX
    I somehow managed to find time to update the Spirit Index! Goes to 1470, includes Hero Factory summer sets, HERO Model 2012, and Kyurem.
    Oh...I guess I do need to put the link to Kako on Exo's Desk, huh...
    And related to Bioni-Lords, I've been doing some thinking about VRHS, and I realized I hadn't given any thought to how to handle tracking Gemini Spirits. I mean, there are only three of them...four, if you count Kaxium V3...so I'm not sure I could justify making a separate Tracker attachment for them. And then once you find them, there's battling them two on one...of course, since they're not in Fusion they would be weaker...hm. Since there are so few, I may just leave it alone.
     
    So for a few days I've been playing Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention. It's pretty fun, but I think Disgaea 2 remains my favorite so far...but I'll be continuing my habit of turning Disgaea main characters into Spirits and make one based on Mao soon-ish.
    Also decided to pick up that Xenoblade Chronicles game everyone's been talking about. Haven't played much of it yet, but it seems okay. Although something about the characters' faces bothers me...
    I restate that this is a great year to be an American fan of JRPGs, for reasons stating previously plus The Last Story. And since Pokemon Conquest is the next big game we'll be getting, my next display name will probably be Pahrak: Pokemon Bushou.
     
    By the way, since I'm running out of ideas on what to post, starting next week I'm going to move my weekly blog posts to Saturday. That way, if nothing else, I can talk about Legend of Korra.
    My thoughts on last week's episode, may contain spoilers and nuts:
    -Thank God I don't live in close proximity to any hardcore Makorra fans. You know, those people who freak the heck out anytime Mako and Korra are just in the same scene? They must have been real...excited about last week's episoe.
    -So Amon CAN Energybend! And Tenzin stated that he shouldn't be able to, which means that, rather than a blunt retcon, there's a real reason as to why Amon can Energybend! Also good to know that the reason he wears his mask is because he was burned. That sounds mean, but I only say it because now maybe everyone will stop theorizing that Amon is some character we already know or know of that is secretly villainous.
    -Also...wondering why Mako and Amon were given similar backgrounds. Curious as to how this will be significant.
    -And apparently any Firebender can use lightning now. What the heck.
    -In related news, I just recently found out that Zuko is still alive during Legend of Korra. As such, he has to make at least one appearance, right?
    -One last thing: Bolin's false mustache. That is all.
  12. Pahrak Model ZX
    This year freaking sucked.
     
    But, the real point of this entry is to catalogue which new series I started following this year, so let’s just get on with that.
     
     
    -Bionicle Generation 2: Surprise surprise. I mean, sure I have some complaints, but I like the general feel and am optimistic about the future.
     
    -Fire Emblem: I played Awakening early this year and could not put it down. We’ll see what happens with Fates I guess.
     
    -Cromartie High School: My sister had been telling me to watch this for about a year, and I finally felt like sitting down and marathoning it. (Each episode is about 11 minutes, there are 26 total, it’s an easy one-sitting anime). My gosh. It took me quite a while to get acclimated since the whole point of the show is totally absurd humor—it has the strangest opening of anything I’ve ever seen, and I play Kingdom Hearts! Once I was warmed up, though, I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was definitely worth the time.
     
    -Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun: This one I came to like much more quickly since I enjoy seeing tropes called out and made fun of, and possibly because I related to the characters a bit more. The super-catchy opening certainly helps.
     
    -One-Punch Man: Everyone kept singing its praises and I thought it might be nice to watch something popular while it’s airing, so I caught up about half-way through the season. (Of course, I still need to catch up on the rest…) There are some funny bits, some cool stuff…I’m definitely invested, but with how popular it is I can’t help but feel like I was supposed to be more into it than I currently am. Might just be a case of overhype setting my expectations too high, so I’m trying not to be too hard on it. I really should finish it.
     
    -Dragon Ball Super: Yes, at the moment it’s just rewriting the past two movies, but it’s still been a lot of fun to watch, even with only minimal changes. Also my parakeet really enjoys the opening. I’m really looking forward to the next arc when we get totally new material—what we’ve been told about it so far is looking interesting.
     
    -While I technically started watching Steven Universe last year, it was this year that I really got into it. It’s a good show. Lots of super cool magical people with interesting powers, and it does subtle foreshadowing in a masterful way. (Though, after the plot twisting nonsense I’m used to I might just be easily impressed when things actually make sense.)
     
    -It’s kind of cheating but I have to mention Star Wars Episode VII because my gosh I love it. I got a ways into the movie before deciding whether I liked it or not, but I like it, I definitely like it. I’m sure it’s still too soon to go into the details, but…go see it.
  13. Pahrak Model ZX
    I feel like I need to use this blog more than I have recently, so here are various story ideas I have right now.
     
    -Should probably first take a moment to remind myself which ones I’ve actually started. Right of Law is the only Bionicle story I’m working on right now, and I’ve got big plans for it—I got way more into thinking about the Melding Universe than I ever thought I would and I don’t want any of that going to waste. Section II is coming along rather nicely, I think.
     
    -Other than that, I’m working on Shooting Star Sonia 3…which I’m still rather behind on. Got to get back in the groove there. Probably shouldn’t have posted the first seven chapters at once like that.
     
    -And, other than that, I am working on a Mega Man ZX fanfic, but I haven’t posted it here since I think one spot in my Recent Works block dedicated to OTC should probably be enough. (If that interests anyone you can find Mega Man ZX Termination over on FanFiction.)
     
    -So, what have I thought of but not actually started? Well, there’s, uh…ahah, oh yeah. Olkir. That, uh, that sure was set to be a thing. That never happened. Gosh I hope I do something with that someday. I want to focus all my Bionicle effort on Right of Law at the moment, though.
     
    -There’s also a G2 idea I had, Ends of the Earth, where Earth Okotans Onepu and Tehutti get caught up in a storm and end up on the island of Onan, which has some curious similarities to their home while still being very different. Fascinating as it is, the dedicated Onepu is eager to return home, but Tehutti, being a fugitive, is looking for ways to not do that. I like the idea, just not sure when I’ll get around to it.
     
    -I had a couple other vague possibilities for Mega Man stories, like a third entry in the data timeline, or a completely new timeline, or Maverick Hunter X Hunter which is exactly what it sounds like for the sole reason that the name just works too darn well to let it go to waste. I hope someone writes that.
     
    -I would really like to do something The World Ends With You related. I still love that game to bits, I missed the 10 year anniversary of the Japanese release last year, I’d like to catch the anniversary of the American release this year, and especially with Final Remix coming out…I want to do something. But I’m not too sure on the what. I was kicking around the possibility of a short reflective thing, probably titled “The World Still Hasn’t Ended”, but…it’d probably be short or get repetitive, and wouldn’t really be all that interesting. I thought of seeing where the characters might be after the game, but actually, I’m not sure I can do that as well as I would like to. Hmmmm. Maybe I should just wait until after I play Final Remix.
     
    -I’d also like to do something with Final Fantasy V. Also having a tough time figuring out where these characters would end up, though there’s the possibility of a new group of warriors facing a new threat. I also kind of like the idea of a series of oneshots featuring past heroes, the ones whose memories/souls/whatever enter the crystals and become the Jobs, but there are so many it would run the risk of getting really stale really fast. And, uh…for some reason or another…it did cross my mind to explore an FFV high school AU. Yes, stupid idea, but come on! Those dorks would fit into a series like that perfectly! Class rep Lenna, drama club member Bartz, delinquent Faris, Galuf as the teacher and his granddaughter Krile being the transfer student, it could be great! Or not. I don’t know, I just thought it was fun to think about.
     
    -I considered doing a Pokémon story, set in a new region. I still really like the idea of Alola’s four guardians, so I thought of doing a system kind of like that: trainers travel to four areas within the region, pass a test to enter the guardian’s temple, and then battle the guardian as a bigger trial. I thought that upon winning, the trainer would select one of their Pokémon to receive power from the guardian, enabling them to use the power of Mega Ascension (tentative). This allows the Pokémon to transform into a state where their abilities are augmented and they also possess the abilities of the guardian. Since I don’t want to design too many Pokémon, though, I was thinking there would only be a handful of new ones and a bunch from other generations…and maybe some regional variants, because I dig those.
     
    -One idea I had was a story about a randomized Pokémon Platinum game, with some plot changes for fun. Its name…Pokémon Insinnohty. Because that’s how I roll. I randomized a few Pokémon already just to see what I’d have to work with, and some of this is looking pretty interesting, like Turtwig becoming a Dragon/Psychic Seedot with Ice Body, and Togekiss becoming a Ghost/Flying Gallade with Zen Mode. It’s a definite possibility.
     
    -One other Pokémon idea…I feel like concept of Team Rainbow Rocket still has some unused potential, so it might be worth it to do my own take on that. Have the bosses all actually be working together, rather than just showing up in the same place for a few minutes—each could rule over their own ideal world while collaborating with the others to take over more worlds or trade resources or fight Ultra Beasts. And certainly other characters would be involved. Lillie and Gladion were quick picks, but I also realized this could be a great opportunity to write about Silver, which I’m kind of surprised I haven’t done before now. The only idea I had for a title so far was “Over the Rainbow”, but if I actually do this I might try to think of something else.
     
    -And there is that original idea I’m still working on…though mainly just in the form of brainstorming. I posted a story in OTC to test out some concepts a while ago (Glimpse of Horizons), but the idea has morphed considerably since then, and I might actually try to turn it into a novel. (I’m also thinking “Valkyrie Errant” as the new title.) We’ll see where this goes, but I really, really want it to go somewhere. Maybe I'll post something about that sometime soon.
  14. Pahrak Model ZX
    My Dad is trying to get us all out of our current house, so leading up to that, our Internet is going down Sunday night. I’ll still probably have some locations I can connect but won’t be able to as frequently until we get settled in our new apartment, so my activity might be a little lower in the near future. (Hm, now that I think about it, I really don’t post a whole lot, so maybe the change won’t be so noticeable?)
     
    As for the apartment, we’re still working out the details on that, but progress has been made and I’m optimistic we’ll be out by Dad’s deadline at the end of May. Right after that, though, there’s an anime convention the first weekend in June, so I’m going to transform into my Ultimate Weeabo Form for a few days and that could extend the lack of activity, eheheh... (It’s like a werewolf deal, you can suppress the instincts well enough most of the time, but there comes a point where you’re forced to transform, except this is yearly instead of monthly.)
     
    I’ll still have my computer, so amidst the moving I want to try to do some writing so I’ll have some content to post when I get back. I feel like I can pick up steam with Shooting Star Sonia if I push myself just a little more, and I’ve finally begun working on a new short epic giving backstory for Gen 2 similar to The Time of the Mask Makers, so hoping to present that sometime this summer. (The previous two paragraphs ended with parentheses so I wanted to do the same for this one.)
     
    And then, when the time is right, we shall awaken and clean it all. It must be cleaned. Clean it all. It must be cleaned.
     
    UPDATE: My sister and I have an apartment! We should be able to move in on the 22nd if nothing goes wrong, not sure about internet yet but it doesn't look too expensive and I already have a router, so if we don't have it up by then it probably won't be long after. I'm just so relieved, we officially have a place to sleep, and it's at a super-convenient location and doesn't look like it'll be any trouble really, today feels like a big win after a really annoying 2015 so far, thank you God. Time to pack!
  15. Pahrak Model ZX
    You might remember The Blade of Valor, a short story I wrote a while back testing out an idea about a world where humans and Bionicle characters co-existed. I’ll admit it didn’t get the response I was hoping for, but I just ended up liking the idea too much. So, now I’m working on turning it into a full-length fanfiction.
     
    However, while the Sword of Akamai and its bearer will be in the story (though all names are tentative), I will also be including a second protagonist to carry the Shield of Wairuha, so “The Blade of Valor” probably wouldn’t work as well as a title any more. For now, the working title for this story will be “The Kaita Legacy”.
     
    Bionicle characters in this world take the role of spirits, and the humans follow and look up to them as protectors. When a new threat arises to put the world in jeopardy, a priestess is given the power of three of the Great Spirits of the Elements and tasked with saving the world.
     
    Now, work schedule. I can’t really come up with a proper schedule, with school, work, and the other projects I want to work on, so I can’t guarantee when this story will be done. I’d like to finish it before posting it so that I can go over the whole thing and make edits, but I also like to have people look at my work as I go along. What I’m thinking is that I will post the chapters to Tumblr as I finish them, so whoever’s got an account over there can keep up with it. When I finish the story and make my edits, I will post the improved version here on BZP over the span of a few weeks.
     
    I don’t plan on it being a very long piece, though each chapter might seem rather lengthy on its own. Chapter 1 is currently about 14 pages long in Word, and I’m currently planning on eight chapters. I guess it’s like a special mini-series or something.
     
    The first chapter is on Tumblr now if you want to read it, but I won’t make a post here every time I finish a chapter. I’ll try to finish this in the near-ish future, which should get easier as the ball gets rolling, though with all the distractions I’d say expect the BZP version sometime in 2015 (hopefully early 2015). For now, I’ll leave you with this tiny snippet to try to draw you in!
     

    ***


     
    The creatures had reached the entryway. A few stepped into the temple while a few remained in the tunnel, and then they abruptly came to a halt. After a few seconds of eerie silence, they all spoke…all in unison.
     
    “We are Rahkshi.”
     
    Dozens of coarse voices spoke the same words, all with the same timing, the same inflection. The experience was too unsettling for Tahra to put into words.
     
    “We claim this temple in the name of Nothingness. Tahu shall fall. Fire shall be gone from this world, but that shall be only the beginning. All will end. All will become Nothing. Those who stand in our way will be the first to embrace Nothing.”
     
    “Nothing,” Vakahu said under his breath. “Do they mean to destroy us?”
     
    “…No,” Tahra said. She took a step forward. “This is not Destruction. Destruction is a part of balance, but these creatures seek to do away with balance. They do not come in the name of Makuta. They come in the name of Nothing.”
     
    She held the sword out and looked at it once more. “My name is Tahra. I am a Priestess of Tahu…and it is my Duty to protect this temple!”
     
    Gripping the hilt with both hands, she pointed the sword upward and thrust. Mustering all her strength, she screamed, “Spirits of Valor, I Will You to Blaze!”
     
    At her words, a golden aura burst out from the blade, forming a dome around Tahra. Plates of metal appeared out of thin air along the edge of the aura, orbiting around her for a moment, and then, one by one, they all flew onto her body. Gold armor placed itself on her forearms, chest, knees, and the front of her feet, while her heels, legs, and torso became adorned by red armor. Last was a curved plate made to resemble Tahu’s mask, which attached firmly to Tahra’s left shoulder. Power unimaginable rushed into her, but she paused, took a deep breath, and steadied herself.
     
    The aura faded away and Tahra looked at the Rahkshi. They showed no reaction whatsoever.
     
    “We come in the name of Nothing,” the Rahkshi repeated, still speaking all in unison. “If you stand in our way, you shall be the first to embrace Nothing.”
     
    “You have defiled this temple!” Tahra said. “That alone is unforgivable, and I expect your sins go well beyond even that! The Great Spirits have granted me their Power…so, in their stead, I will condemn your blasphemy myself!”
  16. Pahrak Model ZX
    See that? That’s what I meant about subtitles. That’s actually cool, unlike Today in Reality Avoidance 2, Today in Reality Avoidance 3, Today in Reality Avoidance 28…
     

    Here We Go Again Fullbringers:
    -Some nitpicks priorities to get out of the way here: Chad, Orihime, and anyone else who might have developed Fullbring by this point should definitely get upgrades, there’s absolutely no reason for them not to. Ichigo’s Fullbring should look more like his Inner Hollow/Arrancar form, and the Inner Hollow should awaken and conflict with him, since his residual Hollow spirit energy was supposed to be what gave him Fullbring. And I’m still unclear about the whole “shinigami can take Fullbring powers”…it was shown later that Fullbringers can share their powers, and that’s cool, and the thing about shinigami taking them could just be a lie Xcution told, but I’d like it clarified. Though this could still be a way for Ichigo to get his shinigami powers back—Zangetsu and his Inner Hollow have repeatedly been shown as being linked, so learning a new way to tap his Hollow powers would lead to tapping his shinigami powers as well.
    -As for relation to other arcs: there was some foreshadowing that there was a previous Substitute Shinigami and that it might not’ve gone too well, but I love foreshadowing so I’d like to insert a few more hints. Probably involving Urahara and the Vizard, maybe during the Turn Back the Pendulum mini-arc. I think it’d also be a good idea to put in some kind of connection to the Soul King or Squad Zero, since that’s supposed to be a major myth arc in the series and the Fullbring arc doesn’t have even a single mention to it. As for the specifics…eh, who knows.
    -So, should the setup of this arc be changed to get us out of Karakura Town? For the sake of argument, let’s say yes. Xcution might typically operate in some relatively distant location and only recently made its entrance into Karakura, probably making contact with Chad first before getting in touch with Ichigo. I think I’d like the team pretending to be good to be smaller, probably just Ginjo, Yukio (the kid with the PSP), and Riruka (the tsundere). As Ichigo develops his Fullbring, Tsukishima would show up and mess with someone’s memories before vanishing, and then Ichigo would demand they go after him. The other Fullbringers would be on Tsukishima’s side, giving us more opportunity for battles as we pursue him—this could lengthen the arc a little, but hopefully not to the point it becomes exhausting.
    -We really need more on Ginjo. What were the circumstances that led to him becoming a Substitute Shinigami? What are the details on his time as one? If he has some Hollow in him, what’s the story on that? What was his zanpakuto, and where is it now? (Well, in this version I’d probably make it so he still has it/gets it back.) I believe he wanted revenge on Soul Society, but why, exactly? And that point has a lot of potential: since Ichigo fought against them as well and might have continued to have some problems with them, they could get into a discussion about what they agree on where their views differ exactly, and the shinigami arriving to restore Ichigo’s powers is a great way of showing that the Soul Society has begun to change for the better and that Ichigo’s way of working with them is more effective than Ginjo’s bid for revenge. There are some things I really do like about this fight, and I would love to see them driven home a little more.
    -As for Ichigo and Zangetsu’s appearance being a little different as a result of the traces of Fullbring, I honestly like that. It gave a nice upgrade to Ichigo’s classic look in preparation of the new story that still lay ahead. That, I want to keep the same.
    -Come to think of it, this arc had a scene where one of Ichigo’s sisters was at Urahara’s shop stocking up on Hollow-fighting necessities. That never went anywhere. It could be neat if one or both of them got more involved, potentially even developing a Fullbring or something and earning a place in the final arc.
     
    Thousand Year…er, the final arc:
    -It may sound harsh, but I want to completely redo this. Okay, where to start…
    -Quincies as the final opponent can work. It can. But I strongly feel that it needs to be done differently. (I’m sure I’ve ranted about why I don’t feel the canon version worked so I’ll skip that part.) Here’s what I propose: the most powerful Quincy (who has a pronounceable name and looks nothing like Zangetsu) fought Yamamoto ages ago and was killed. How does he get back in this arc? Well, since ###### was only mentioned once (barring the fourth movie), let’s say that King Quincy manages to escape from ###### to add a little variety and a sense of completion to our exploration of the structure of Bleach’s world. To take his revenge on Soul Society for killing him and wiping out his people, he has refined the ability to restore Quincy powers (like what happened to Uryu post-Soul Society) into an ability to potentially grant Quincy powers to ordinary humans, with a chance that it might just kill them (in the same vein as how Rukia initially stated creating a Substitute Shinigami works). He gathers and trains a Quincy army in secret, waiting for the opportunity to strike.
    -Since this training has to involve killing Hollows, this creates an imbalance that Soul Society takes notice of. Not knowing about this new threat, the prime suspect is obviously Uryu, bringing the tension that I mentioned before to a head and probably leading to Uryu vanishing for a while. We were all expecting Uryu joining his brethren to happen, and I will admit to being legitimately happy when he revealed it was all a ruse, but I think this could be a lot more meaningful if Uryu was genuinely torn. Sure he cares about his friends, but they’re continuing to work with an organization that wiped out his people and clearly will always have the idea of doing the same to him in the back of their mind. I want this to lead to him killing Kurotsuchi (I want that abomination dead and gone) and having an intense duel with Ichigo, which was promised in the mini-arc that introduced Uryu but never went anywhere. It doesn’t necessarily need a victor, but obviously I want it to end with Uryu turning against the Quincies.
    -The bit about Yamamoto ordering several souls to be “killed” to maintain balance is interesting, but I want Ichigo to learn about it and be outraged. His battle against the rigidity and flaws of Soul Society could get a more final resolution, and this is the perfect lead-in to it.
    -By the way, Icihgo’s mother was not a Quincy. She certainly should have had great spiritual potential, maybe seeing ghosts like Ichigo did at first, or possibly being a Fullbringer—heck, I think it’d be interesting if she had also been a Substitute Shinigami for a time. Maybe she and Isshin met under similar circumstances to Ichigo and Rukia, but Masaki naturally lost her power since that’s the way the process is supposed to work. But her being a Quincy, Aizen attacking her with a super Hollow, Ichigo being a mix of literally everything…I don’t think any of that is necessary. As an extension of this, no Quincy powers for Ichigo, Zangetsu is Zangetsu and doesn’t get reforged (I like dual-wielding but c’mon, its appearance just changed, it’s too soon), and Ichigo’s Inner Hollow is what we initially thought it was: a byproduct of how Urahara restored his shinigami powers in preparation for Soul Society.
    -Another big problem I had with this arc was that the Quincies functioned identically to Arrancar. I’d prefer they actually stuck with bows, or at least mostly projectile weaponry—I remember one of them had a sniper rifle, that was a good idea. Giving them all extra powers is fine, though perhaps more of them should center around their arrows, and the super mode…I don’t know. I do love power-up transformations, but this was the main thing that made them seem like Arrancar clones, so maybe if there was a different way to modify the ultimate release of Quincy power it would feel a little fresher.
    -The bankai medallions are an interesting idea. As a potential tweak, while bankai must be active for the medallions to be used (since it brings the zanpakuto spirit into the real world), they could absorb the spirit entirely, leaving the shinigami with an empty, powerless sword while the Quincy integrates the zanpakuto’s powers into their own. Maybe this could be their main powerup? Urahara’s solution of lacing the spirits with Hollow reiatsu would still work (and be the reason why Ichigo and the Vizards’ zanpakuto spirits can’t be stolen), but might be saved for a little later. The shinigami would need to learn some different abilities in order to keep fighting, which would help to keep things more interesting.
    -Speaking of zanpakuto, between the Fake Karakura Town arc and this one, I’d really want to show off everyone’s zanpakuto and the bankai of everyone who has one. I’m still annoyed that certain characters who had bankai died before showing them, and that some people who must have zanpakuto were never seen with them. Yoruichi could draw her zanpakuto in her fight in this arc instead of getting that weird transformation, saying that she doesn’t use it because “against most opponents it makes fights too easy” or something cliché like that. Ukitake could show his bankai in a battle…and then get killed in that fight, rather than dying by suddenly revealing he has a god inside of him. That was just pointless.
    -I do still like the idea of the Quincies attacking Soul Society. A bit more death here could be useful (I want Byakuya dead too, he annoys me and it could further motivate Rukia), and Squad One’s lieutenant could get a full fight where we see him die instead of being done in off-screen. The Yamamoto fight is good, and I don’t particularly mind the idea of the King Quincy he fights being a fake; really, my only point on that front is that since the real King Quincy steals Yamamoto’s zanpakuto spirit, he should actually use it. Still though, this set of battles shouldn’t take too long—a smaller set of Quincy generals would help with that—and even if Tensa Zangetsu does get broken, that silly bit about a broken bankai never regenerating doesn’t need to be a thing.
    -Squad Zero would still show up and take some of the major characters to the Soul Palace, but the parts involving zanpakuto I’d like to change. We don’t really need to reforge any zanpakuto, so maybe the sword-maker has come up with a new way to enhance their abilities. My first idea would be a third released state, but that could seem a bit contrived, so maybe we should go for simpler enhancements, or additional zanpakuto-like weapons. (Maybe this is involved in the shinigami learning new abilities after losing their zanpakuto spirits.) Also, the shinigami who knows the name of everything just revealing the names of bankai is a bad idea—Renji having a different “true” bankai is pulled right out of thin air and I don’t approve, and…it’s not clear, but there’s a chance this was how Rukia got her bankai. If we still want to keep something like this, maybe the shinigami could offer to tell Rukia the name of her bankai to have her refuse and resolve to unlock it the correct way (or at least Urahara’s way), which she of course will still do in an upcoming battle. Beyond that, maybe we could provide everyone with a place where they can do some last-minute training.
    -I’m not sure if I want Aizen involved here. Honestly it might be best to just leave him totally sealed and barely even mention him in this arc, and if he does show up, I definitely don’t think he should be up and about and even more powerful than before, since that makes no sense to me.
    -Kyoraku taking over Squad One is cool. Oh, that reminds me of his lieutenant, and how instead of a regular zanpakuto she had a special one that had been passed down through her family that conveniently had the power to slay godly beings, which was revealed while they were fighting a godly being. That was bad. Let’s not do that.
    -I go back and forth on whether or not I like what happened with Unohana and Zaraki. Let’s say we’ll leave it the way it is, though I would like someone to give a proper explanation of how Unohana’s bankai works. (Not Unohana herself, though. Her unnerving silence in this fight was definitely a good call.) As for Zaraki…I do like the way his zanpakuto looks in its “true shikai”, but I want to keep the idea of the constant-release zanpakuto, so even after he learns its name it won’t change forms. It could get a new ability, maybe a literal take on his “I can cut anything” that lets him slice through things he couldn’t normally slice through, or maybe a new special attack, but probably nothing fancy. I also don’t particularly like the idea of his lieutenant actually being his zanpakuto spirit (especially since she has her own zanpakuto), and I think it might be better if Zaraki never attained his bankai.
    -I like the idea of Squad Zero opening the path to the Soul Palace and the Qunicies exploiting that, though I think Ichigo should stay at the Soul Palace and it shouldn’t be reconstructed by King Quincy. While everyone’s up there training, he could send some of his forces back to finish of Soul Society while he and his best generals make their way to the Soul Palace for the final battles. This is where Rukia can obtain her bankai and that Uryu vs Ichigo fight can happen. The fight between King Quincy and the shinigami who knows the name of everything was pretty cool, but since I don’t want King Quincy to have those “Almighty” powers that completely break the story, the conclusion of that battle might need some alteration. Perhaps the shinigami claims that he could take away King Quincy’s name and render him nothing but not actually get to do it, or one of his generals could be “erased” instead.
    -As for the dead Fullbringers reappearing…we could do without it, but if they are in I’d like them to do a little more. I’m not sure what exactly, but a tease followed by a 200 chapter wait for a sudden “Here’s how you win” statement doesn’t really work for me. Same goes for Isshin and Ryuken.
    -So…the final fight. King Quincy vs Ichigo. Like I said, no “Almighty” powers, so King Quincy would need something new. It would make sense if he had all the special abilities he granted to his generals, and again, I really want him to actually use Yamamoto’s zanpakuto spirit since he has it. I certainly don’t want this to be an easy fight, preferably it should involve at least a few of the major characters and really push them to their limits, and maybe the Soul King would have a close call for drama. (No need to kill him off, though.) In the end, though, the heroes will narrowly slay the villain, and Soul Society will begin the process of rebuilding—and perhaps reforming as something greater than it was.
    -And the hotly-contested ending. Now I don’t give a flying fish about all this shipping nonsense, but if you want my honest opinion: I like that Ichigo and Rukia don’t end up Together ™. The idea of them being very close and caring deeply about each other without it necessarily being romantic is something that I really enjoy. Now, we don’t necessarily need a skip ahead to the future, and honestly I don’t have a whole lot that I’d really like to see in one. Maybe some more clarifications on where everyone ended up. I’m not sure about Ichigo inheriting the clinic—maybe instead he’d join law enforcement so he could continue fighting to protect people? I also wonder a bit about Chad being a boxer, but I don’t have any other suggestions so hey, okay. But I definitely approve of Rukia becoming the new Captain of Squad 13! That is one thing about the ending I absolutely love and have no notes on, aside from a scribbled in “That’s freakin rad” and a smiley face.

     
    Something I should say: it is by far easier to alter something with the advantage of hindsight than to come up with and execute new ideas in real time, especially over the course of several years. I seriously doubt I’d do well running an original manga (my gosh, I would implode) and I’m impressed that Tite Kubo was able to do as well as he did, and definitely still glad that we got Bleach.
     
    See, the reason I keep thinking about Bleach is because at one point Bleach was my favorite anime. I loved it so much, and I’ve always wanted to love it again. Unfortunately, I think it’s time for me to let go of that hope, but I wanted to try to turn my complaints into something more constructive. This is that.
     
    Who knows, maybe Kubo will put out a new series sooner or later and it turns out really interesting! I’d like that.
  18. Pahrak Model ZX
    I rambled a while back about another dumb idea I had. It got worse.
     
    Right now the working title is Amalgam Atlas. This story takes place in a dimension that constantly expands by taking in pieces of other universes, and an organization known as the Pioneers exists to chart these places as they appear, as well as set up a network of warp stations so that this massive world can be traversed far more easily. In addition to taking in pieces of these worlds, powers and weapons from them also materialize, and people have learned to tap into these “Sources” and use them to transform and battle.
     
    The main characters will be a sibling duo working for the Pioneers. Diane is an experienced explorer who uses crystal and gemstone-based Sources she has collected during her travels, and now that her younger brother Rick is old enough for duty, he has joined her on her latest expedition. The only Source that Rick currently possesses is the Mega Spirit, given to all beginning Pioneers as its abilities make acquiring Sources much easier.
     
    The plot will be structured in arcs, so I’m thinking I may just post each arc as a separate story. My original idea was that I would just post (likely short) chapters every week, but if each arc is posted separately I might reconsider. For the first arc, I was thinking the most logical choice would be a journey into the Bionicle world to acquire some of its Sources—probably not a lot, but there’s nothing stopping us from coming back or maybe just bringing in other Sources from here later on. The current plan is to adapt the basic “Find the Masks” plot of 01 and 15 and probably have an antagonist using a Source that gives them (some of) Makuta’s power, but I feel like that’ll only last a chapter or two unless I expand it a bit.
     
    The main point here is really just so I have another story where I can toss together as many series as I want and see what happens. I’m pretty set on the Bionicle world arc, the Mega Spirit is obviously the power of Classic Mega Man, and Diane’s powers as a whole are a reference to Steven Universe though the individual abilities may pull from various things (I’m sure Pokémon is going to get referenced by at least one of these gem abilities, and I know Final Fantasy is going to get involved too). Since it’s me, I’m positive Kingdom Hearts is going to show up soon, but since the main character of this idea’s predecessor used Keyblades all the time I’m going to try to hold back just a little for now. And, since Steins;Gate is still my favorite anime, I’m already working on a way to incorporate that.
     
    I think it’ll be fun.
  19. Pahrak Model ZX

    Quick Update

    By Pahrak Model ZX,

    I just posted Sekai Chapter 111, which begins the Volt-Isle arc. Selina takes on Thunder-Lord Tonnira.
     
    The websites have been updated, too. Although I now have a few more Spirits who should be on the list soon...ish.
     
    I've written out the entire Volt-Isle arc, which goes through Chapter 118, and I'm almost done with Chapter 119, which is the only chapter of the Lost Continent 11 arc. Chapter 120 will start Draco-Isle.
     
    We also have a Technic Coliseum tournament going on right now, which has potential for some interesting matches. Once this tournament is over we'll be recruiting the Vahki, the "Fire Villains", and Evo and Nex (1.0), plus we'll be getting the Core Transplant which will let Hero Factory heroes upgrade to 2.0.
     
    I haven't done work in Forgotten Bond for a little while, trying to wait until I get a really good idea of how things need to proceed. Hopefully I can continue it soon.
  20. Pahrak Model ZX
    But first, I actually managed to update the Bioni-Lords Spirit Index after all this time! It's a very Technic Coliseum-inspired update, with FanonRiders and Cosmic Slizers and RoboRiders OS. No word yet on if this has motivated me to actually kick myself back into writing the darn thing, but...
     
    Anyway, E3. You’ve probably all heard the news. I’m just gonna mention the stuff I care about.
     
    I kinda had a neutral opinion about the idea of a new Smash Bros, but now that Mega Man is going to be in, I’m buying it. Even if I’m not that familiar with Classic Mega Man, I was worried about him and his franchise, so seeing him do something like this is quite a relief. Also looking forward to Wii Fit Trainer becoming the lethal joke character.
     
    Originally I wasn’t paying attention to Final Fantasy Versus XIII, but now that it’s Final Fantasy XV I guess I will. *shrug*
     
    Development on Kingdom Hearts III has begun. Keywords: “development” and “begun.” It still probably won’t be out for a while, but that’s okay. At least I know which platform to buy for it. As for my emotions on this…they’re complicated, but you’ve probably heard my rant on that before, and it’s not important. But I do want to know why Sora has the Master Keeper. Also Kairi should be playable. Or at the very least, finally become the super-awesome superwoman we’ve always known she can be.
     
    A ton of new Pokémon news! Game Freak has been so generous these past few months. New features and new Pokémon are always interesting to see—Talonflame and Noivern in particular look like something I might put on my team. The Fairy-type…I have no complaints about the new type being “Fairy,” actually, but the idea of bringing in a new type is something I’ve never been particularly open to. Also, I’m not sure I agree with weakening Dragon. I actually think Steel, if anything, needs some more weaknesses. Meh, I’ll get over it. Also interesting to see that the player character of the opposite sex appears, but apparently they lose their hat when not serving as the playable character. I know hats are the symbol of main character status in Pokémon, but…
     
    Was hoping for something The World Ends With You related, since the teaser image in the iOS remake was revealed last August and they haven’t given us anything else since. But I‘ll be patient. Hey, I was always okay with the possibility of no sequel since TWEWY stands on its own so well, but with that teaser image there’s gotta be something in the works…right?
  21. Pahrak Model ZX
    Because I woke up today and decided "you know what forget homework I'm going to write a nearly 4,000 word essay about a fictional weapon."
     
    ...It seemed like a good idea at the time.
     
    Anyway, like the title says, it's me rambling about the Keyblade and how I assume it to work, plus a few mini-theories sprinkled throughout. It does contain a lot of spoilers, and some of the jargon and situations referenced aren't fully elaborated on so it might not make complete sense if you're unfamiliar with Kingdom Hearts. (I mean it might not even make complete sense if you are familiar with it but you know what I mean.)
     
    So yeah, that's my contribution to the world for today, maybe tomorrow I'll do something that actually benefits society!
     
    Probably not.
  22. Pahrak Model ZX
    How do you suppose a wedding planner would react if I asked him/her to plan a fictional wedding?
    ...Cause...I got the idea in my head to actually write out Khadaz and Amy's wedding someday, but I know nothing about weddings...
     
    ...
     
    ...Anyway, the Spirit Index has been updated. Exo's Desk will get an Elemental Rarity update soon-ish (maybe, see below). Currently tossing around a few more Spirit ideas...think I might skip making a Chronicler 11 since not a whole lot happened in the Bionicle story last year. Oh, and I'm in talks to finalize the last King Bohrok!
     
    Oh, and, uh...Final Fantasy XIII-2 was released, so...I probably won't get a whole lot of extra work done anytime time soon. Eheheh...
     
    Like I said, I've been writing some Bioni-Lords-related stuff for one of my classes this semester, and since you guys went all of January with no Kako material, I thought you might be interested to see some of this stuff. Below is my attempt at an exercise in scenery, though it turned into a dialogue with some character development...hope to include it in Kako, but we'll have to see.
     
    Tahra turned her back on the ocean and shrugged, saying, "Eh, it's not so great."
    "You think so?" Kytan replied. "I don't know...I kind of like it."
    "You need to see some more scenery."
    "Such as?"
    "Such as the finer sights on my island."
    Kytan paused, eventually asking, "Could you be more specific?"
    Tahra gave him a sideways glance and asked, "Is it that important to you...?"
    "You don't have to share if you don't want to, but...I'm curious."
    "Alright," Tahra said dismissively, turning back around. "Well, one of my favorites is the charred forest."
    Kytan immediately remembered the vast cluster of dead, black-shelled trees that rose out of the red dirt on Ta-Isle. "Really?"
    Tahra gave him an impatient look, but very calmly said, "I'm not finished yet."
    Now that Kytan knew not to interrupt her, she continued, "It might not be much normally, but it's gorgeous when the sun breaks through the clouds after a heavy rain, when the magmist is still dispersing."
    A confused look crossed Kytan's face, and when Tahra noticed it she said, "Magmist? Volcano fog? You don't know about that? Huh, thought you would. I trust you remember the giant volcano on the island, at least? Well, when there's a lot of tain over the volcano, the water hitting the lava creates a whole bunch of steam that rolls over the top, down the slopes, and out into the charred forest. Not really sure why it stays so low--might have to do with the winds or the atmosphere or something. But anyway, it's called volcano fog, or magmist if you're lazy or like slang. It's from 'magma' and 'mist', by the way. When you're on the slopes of the volcano looking down, and the rain has stopped, and some sunlight punches through the clouds, it's a real nice scene."
    As she went on, both her tone and expression began to gradually soften:
    "The light's gentle, and it makes your view just clear enough to see the magmist swirling slowly, like its crawling steadily along the ground. Soon you lose it in the trees, but the branches intertwine to form a quilt that adds an extra layer to the scene, and they also cast this intricate shadow that keeps changing as the mist it falls on changes. That's when it starts to rise--it's quick but not too quick, and it seems to slow down when it twists around the branches...it kind of looks like the trees are alive again, with white leaves that look sorta...mystical agaisnt the black bark and the red ground. By then there's more sun, which makes the whole place light up, and as you see the mist make the last stretch of its trip upwards, you think back and realize it was like seeing snow fall in reverse, especially with how it thins out. And when it's over, even though you're just looking at a bunch of dead trees...the sunlight has come such a long way from where it started that the forest looks more hopeful than it's ever been. Maybe you expect the reversal of the seasons to keep going--leaves to jump up on the trees and turn green..."
    For the first time, Kytan saw Tahra smile; not a sarcastic smile, or amused, or teasing, but a soft smile that could only be generated by a genuine happiness that Tahra usually didn't seem to possess.
    "...Dad would always go to check on the volcano after a really bad rainstorm, and eventually I convinced him to take me with him. After seeing that view just once, there was never a single time I let him go without me..."
    Tahra suddenly jolted, as if she had just now realized that Kytan was there, and she immediately turned her head so that he wouldn't see the blush rising in her cheeks.
    "So, uh...yeah, that's it. You should see it sometime. It's way better than this lame ocean. Seriously, who cares? It's just water. I hate water..."
  23. Pahrak Model ZX
    I'm going to need some time to put into words how unbelievably happy this makes me. For now just watch, I'll edit this later with more detailed thoughts.
     
    But first things first, look at Sora, Donald, and Goofy. They look like constraction sets,
     
    MAYBE...?!
     
    EDIT: OKAY SO
     
    -The trailer starts showing bits in Olympus and Twilight Town. We see Sora using a new shooter-style attack while rail-grinding, and some combination of Shotlock and Flowmotion to ascend a series of blocks. The dual gun Keyblade transformation, now named Double Arrowguns, reappears, and now shifts Sora’s outfit to blue, which we haven’t seen in III before. Seems this is a magic-focused form? Well, the super cannon upgrade is now called Magic Launcher, so…probably. I give Wisdom Form a lot of crud, but it still has some nostalgia for me, so yeah, I’m glad to see the blue threads back.
    -The Rock Ogre Heartless is on-screen, and it still looks awesome.
    -Aaaaaaaaaah, I love this. I love this so much. I’ve wanted a Toy Story world ever since I started playing Kingdom Hearts, and it looks gorgeous—I know they’ve been saying the Kingdom Shader is designed to make worlds look just like their respective movies, but it really does! I love it!
    -And again: Sora, Donald, and Goofy look like constraction sets. A bit more on the Galidor side, maybe, but it’s still ridiculously endearing, and I love it. I would love it even more if Disney actually asked Lego to make these into constraction sets, but…that’s probably not going to happen, huh? There are going to be models released of these forms, apparently. Lego would still be better.
    -Apparently this is an original story, where Andy and several of the toys have disappeared after Young Xehanort and the Heartless have appeared in this world. Not sure about timeline placement, but I’m super excited about this—the press release says this story was held to the same quality as an actual Pixar movie, and if that holds up, man…
    -Look at that Keyblade! The guard is Buzz Lightyear’s spaceship box! The blade is a cactus with a rope and a bandana and a cowboy hat! It has the Star Command emblem and the sheriff badge! And it transforms into what can only be described as King Dedede’s rocket hammer, or alternatively a giant toy drill! Look at Sora massacre stuff with that awesome and whacky weaponry! I desire it.
    -I can’t quite get a clear look at those new Heartless, but they look pretty cool. I’m excited to see what other new breeds might turn up.
    -So you might be thinking “Okay, is the part member going to be Woody or Buzz?” The answer is “Both. Both is good.” The display shows both of them, plus Sora, plus Donald and Goofy. That’s a party of five, all at once. That’s incredible. I cannot wait.
    -You go to a toystore and fight a bunch of mech suits. Beat them, and you get to jump inside the mech suit and use it to beat up the other mech suits. This is exactly the kind of stupid anime trash that gets me out of bed in the morning and I will love every second of it.
    -Young Xehanort shows up. I don’t think he’s been turned into a toy? Not really surprising, Xehanort breaks the rules of worlds all the time, plus it’d be…kind of weird to see him as a toy…
    -You know, back when KHIIFM came out, people dug through the files and found incomplete models for a Buzz and Woody Summon! Now it’s a full-on world, not to mention the very first Pixar world! This opens the door to an entire new group of world possibilities, and it’s the perfect one to do so! Gosh I hope they incorporate that lamp somehow, it’s only right.
    -Can we fight Zurg? I really, really want to fight Zurg.
     
    Thank God for this. I’ve been really stressed out lately and this makes me truly, legitimately happy. I just…I love this. I know I’m repeating myself, but I love this. So much.
  24. Pahrak Model ZX

    Must...update...

    By Pahrak Model ZX,

    To be honest...I have nothing prepared this week.
     
    Let's see...Kako is moving along, though kinda slowly. I kept forgetting to look up stuff I needed for Onu-Isle...but I just wrote the first scene where we get cameos of Original Element-Lords, and I rather like it (even though it's not important...at all). And I decided on "The Lucky Ghekula Casino" as the location where we encounter a new King Bohrok. If you get this reference, I applaud you. I applaud you very much.
     
    Hm, is anything important happening in the next week...? Oh yeah, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is being released in Japan! It's basically Final Fantasy DDR on the Nintendo 3DS. I can't wait for them to release it in America...
     
    Which reminds me, they released the boxart for Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance!
    ...Of course, I know I'm the only one particularly excited by that.
     
    What's that? Valentine's Day is next week? Who cares?
    I refuse to celebrate Valentine's Day. It may not come out much in my stories, which have a bunch of cliche romance, but I don't believe in romantic love. /pessimism
     
    I'll try to have something for next week's entry, I promise!
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