(RFC) Untitled SI (Nanoha)

[classicdrogn]

being a sustained effect with dirigible mobility. This should let you imitate basic E- or D-rank telekinesis, surely one of the most generally useful effects, but look much more awesome because it's an explosion elemental carrying stuff around for you, using your A-rank minimum power.

Make the spell equivalent of plasma speakers to output a music playing cantrip with energy bolts against (again) an equal ranked shield.

Stuff like that.

Edit- Tesla Speakers is apparently a brand name for the normal kind
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[ECSNorway]

Time to learn 'Tajuu Kage Bunshin Daibakuha no Jutsu', or the Midchildan equivalent....
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Bluemage]

ECS: MSC would actually be the sort of hideously complicated thing I'd never be able to cast.  Naruto gets away with it by having his clones think for themselves- I'd have to control them independently.
Also, JS isn't perfect.  He did lose, after all... and Zest wasn't all he should've been.  The man makes the occasional mistake, and I'm going to have to deal with a number of them over the next few years.
CD:  If you don't get out of my head, I'm going to start charging rent.  You've forced me to expand out a previously-written segment.
Also, if I ever did make a loudspeaker spell, it'd basically be a Divine Buster, tweaked to deliver oscillating kinetic force to a very large area... in the right frequency range to vibrate nitrogen molecules.
The problem with mutually opposing magic is that magic generates heat.  Haven't you seen how much steam Devices put out?
**********
Entry 24 (Day 94)
Tony Stark, eat your heart out.  Today, I got to see a real master at work.
I'd woken up at, horror of horrors, a relatively early hour.  It's become something of a trend, since this new body has about a metric arseload more energy than my old one ever did.  We'll see how much of that is youth as time goes on. 
Anyway, I spent the morning studying magic.  I've always been rather good at it (both studying and math), but this is actually getting ridiculous.  My reading rate is about twice what it used to be, for one thing, and I used to read between one and four hundred pages a day... while in classes.
As for math, I used to do algebra problems entirely in my head.  Calculus was a bit harder- I had to write down one step out of every three.  Now I'm solving integrals entirely in my head- not just the equations, but the graphing bits- while reading textbooks.  It's about two parts impressive, and one part disturbing.
My studies were interrupted by Tre, who curtly bid me meet the doctor in his lab.  Oddly enough, she didn't seem to be glaring at me any longer.  Maybe she's forgiven me?

"Ah, Mister Prefect!  Welcome!"
I inclined my head in a polite nod.  "Doctor.  Having a good morning?"
Scaglietti smiled, a fey light in his gold eyes.  "Of course, dear Ford!  How could I not?  Today is a day of creation, another chance for me to bring a marvel into the world!"  With a dramatic gesture, the room exploded with light.  A workbench snapped into existence in the center of the room, followed by a series of monitors floating in a half-circle behind it.  The walls, tubes, and other equipment around the room faded from sight, obscured by darkness... then, one by one, equipment of all different shapes and styles rezzed in, floating at the edges of the workspace.
His arms spread wide, the doctor took a slow turn in place.  "Today," he said, sounding very satisfied, "we create you your partner, your weapon... your right hand.  Today, we craft you a Device."
I didn't have the heart to tell him I was left-handed.

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[Dartz]

It's this that's keeping me reading. There's a hint of something tantalising and disturbing in this...
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[classicdrogn]

You've forced me to expand out a previously written segment.

Just as planned. MUAHAHAHAHA!

Heat generation in a benefit in this case - you can build in a third layer for temperature control, and not be pumping so much power to cause collateral damage if the shield part of your 'explosion elemental' servant is disrupted somehow. Or just let the length of the "anchor lines" and surrounding air serve as insulation. As for the vapor wisps, I always figured that was a similar kind of busywork fx,
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[classicdrogn]

softening the onset of the surge as a cartridge is loaded, or the backlash pressure of a major spell rather than having it shock the user's system. You never see someone flinch away from them like they're hot, at any rate.

Hmm hmm hmm, so what form factor will your Device take? One like Jail's is actually really good for not getting snatched or knocked out of your grip, and naturally as a powerglove it's SO awesome. A reverse Unison Device that absorbs you into an armored adult-size humanoid, even more so
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[robkelk]

His arms spread wide, the doctor took a slow turn in place. "Today," he said, sounding very satisfied, "we create you your partner, your weapon... your right hand. Today, we craft you a Device."

I didn't have the heart to tell him I was left-handed.

Considering how closely he's studied your body, I think he already knows. Ponder his words carefully... failing to do that is what got you into (part of) this mess, after all.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Sirrocco]

I'd note that there's a simpler way to get low-powered spells. Build an appropriate storage capacity into your Device and have them powered entirely off of stored power (which you can then recharge trivially). Mind you, if Jail is the one creating the thing for you, he may throw the Turned Up To Eleven And The Numbers Don't Go Below 8 factor into your device too, but....

[Bluemage]

Sorry for the short segment today.  A scene later on is giving me severe Writer's Starlight Breaker Target.
Dartz: That's part of the framing device, which will be expanded upon when this hits SB.  I will mention that this was originally going to be a trollfic, but the Prime Mover's role has changed significantly since then...
Also, if that's the only thing keeping you reading, I'm doing something wrong.  What do I need to change?
CD: My perception of the Nanohaverse has been significantly shaped by Admiral Tigerclaw's MSLN Test Dummies, at least in the way magic and Devices work.  One of the bits in that has high-level magic hitting the mage and their Device with quite a bit of heat.  I thought that that was logical, so I kept it.
Rob: There should be a way to fit Doktor and his collection of left hands into that somewhere...
Also, JS spends half his screentime being a GIANT HAM.  The trick of dealing with him is figuring out when he's being literal, when he's being theatrically metaphorical, and when he wants to dissect you FOR SCIENCE!, and selecting the proper response for each.
Adam Jensen social battle, anybody?
Sirrocco: Doesn't work that way.  We don't really know how they're supposed to work, but my headcanon is that the Device works by tying itself into the mage's linker core while active, so it can do some of the math and serve as a focal point for spells.  Having it store linked mana is like saying 'Hey, let's lock some of this explosion up in that antenna you're carrying, and save it for later!'
Also, the original plotbunny for the fic was something like 'what if the SI could do Full Power Total Destruction, and nothing else?'
**********
The possible Devices floated over to where I was standing, arranging themselves around me by type.  I just stood there, a silly grin in my face; it's sort of hard to be aware of the world when you're trying your hardest to restrain a rather unmanly squee.  Five seconds later, the grin faded, my eyes refocused, and I started feeling rather hemmed in.
If anything, Scaglietti's smile grew wider.  "The first step, young Mister Prefect, is for you to choose a battle form for your Device.  Magically speaking, no form is better than any other- what matters is how familiar the weapon is to you, and how well it fits your position in my forces."  He paused, thinking.  "You were interested in providing long-range fire support, correct?  You may want to consider a staff or a gun, simply because of how easy they are to aim."
I thought that over for a bit, looking over all the equipment the doctor had conjured.  "You have a point, Doctor," I said, pacing as I thought over the issue.  "I need something that can be easily aimed... something I'm familiar with... but also something I can fight with in close quarters, if need be."  I stopped moving, closing my eyes as I thought.
"Can I assume that each of these represents a general type of weapon, rather than a specific design?," I asked, not even opening my eyes.  The doctor gave me an affirmative grunt in response, letting me continue my train of thought.  "How would I remove types from consideration?"
I heard the sound of a few keys being pushed, and then a response.  "The constructs will respond to you.  Move them out of the circle, and they will disappear."
I nodded, opening my eyes.  "Good."  Walking around the circle of options, I began removing the least fitting of them.  No interest in the axe... sorry, Vita, but it's not Hammer Time... shields?  Why would I have a shield?!...
After one lap, there were just a handful of options left- the gun, the staff, the bow, and the sword- spaced evenly around me.  After a moment of thought, I pulled the bow from the circle, and threw it as far as I could.  Aww... I was hoping it'd break when it hit the wall.  Anticlimactic derez is anticlimactic.  The sword soon followed, bouncing off the floor once before turning into a cloud of sparkles and vanishing.
I reached out to the staff, running one hand up and down its length.  It actually feels real- cool, smooth, and metallic!  Very impressive...  Then I took it in both hands, spun it around a bit (almost smacking myself upside the head), and set it down on the ground.  ...just not my thing.
All that was left was the gun.  Before I could ask to see subcategories, the gun divided into two, then four, then six.  Pistol, SMG, assault rifle, battle rifle, sniper rifle, and rocket launcher.  Well, the SMG is first to go; never liked those stupid things, anyway.  Pistol next- it might work for Teana, but I'm a gun of a larger caliber.  I removed those two from the circle, then dragged the other four forward into a line.
Assault rifle is all about small bullets at mid-range, and doesn't really work as a physical weapon at all.  Fails on both counts.  Battle rifle?  It's at least a better spear than the AR, not that that's saying all that much.  Doesn't feel right, somehow... that, and I've lost too many games of Halo to BR-snobs to pick one up now.  Dropping those two from the line just left the sniper rifle and rocket launcher, and neither of those quite felt right, either.  The RL has the right 'big gun' theme to it, but it's just too clumsy- too large and too awkward to use.  I'd get owned up close.  The sniper rifle isn't much better... but it lacks something else.  Can't quite put my finger on it... wait a second!  In a flash of inspiration, the perfect design came to me.  Snapping my head up to look the doctor in the eye, I grinned.  In my best innocent voice, I asked "Hey, Doctor?  Why do these all look like mass weapons?  Don't you have anything more... futuristic?"
He blinked.  "What did you have in mind?"
My grin changed, becoming less innocent and more predatory, as I began to describe my idea.

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[classicdrogn]

Yeah, I always loved the rifle form Lazertag Starlites too - the originals, not the clunky reboot versions. Those things were sleek and sexy and probably not what you have in mind but this is my happy little dreamtime so nyeah.

You could also go for the VF-27 Quantum Beam Rifle - tuning fork guns are always cool. The gunpod designs from Macross II are also worthy of a look...

Test Dummies is a fun fic, I liked it better than SWTG if I'm being honest. But, the muse moves as she will.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[Bluemage]

The design of my Device has actually shifted a couple of times, over the writing of this 'fic.  The original idea was clunky as hell, despite being true to its namesake.
The current idea, while much more usable, actually resembles something from an entirely different franchise, which both amuses and disquiets me.
CD:  I have no idea what that looks like, actually.  As for the VF-27, it's entirely too new-model Macross for me.  Too much anime, not enough robot... though I'm always a fan of tuning fork weapons.
**********

"...that looks just about right," I said, stifling a yawn.  It'd taken a good long while to get the shape out of my head and into 3D in front of me, and I was feeling a bit worn out.  Less so than I would've- if I were still my older self at this point, I'd have talked myself hoarse by now.  "Is it possible?"
The doctor thought for a few seconds, rubbing his chin with one hand as he contemplated the design.  Finally, he nodded.  "I've never seen a Device quite like that before.  The basic design is sound, though some of the alternate forms will require significant development time to create."  With a superior smirk on his face, he waited a second, and then said "Might even take me a day or two."
He thought a bit more.  "You won't be able to use its complete form to its fullest, you know.  No Device built could handle all the calculations."  I opened my mouth to respond to that, and he cut me off.  "Before you say it, dividing the design into two Devices would pose its own problems.  Even I would have problems making it combat-effective."
I cocked my head to one side.  "So a single Device doesn't have the computational power to handle the entire design, and splitting it into two Devices would cause what, harmonization issues? 
You'd have to synchronize them, and that'd limit when and how they could draw mana, right?"
Scaglietti seemed a bit shocked, but quickly recovered.  "In the most basic terms, yes."That couldn't be...  "So nobody's ever invented a multi-core Device, then?"I could practically see his mind racing at the concept, so I decided to expand on the idea.  "Maybe use three Device cores- here, here, and here," I said, tapping three spots on the design.  "This one is the primary core, responsible for machine intelligence, power management, data synchronization, and basic utility casting through this system, here.  The other two would basically be modified Storage Device cores, slaved to the primary.  They just handle spellcasting calculations for their respective elements, and pass information back up the chain."
The doctor gave me an odd look.  "I may not know magitech, but I know computers.  I used to build multi-core and multi-CPU computers all the time!  The tech is different, but the principle should carry over."
I paused for a beat.  "If logic is any guide, then nobody's explored the concept because it draws too much power for most mages, and doesn't really give them enough control to be worth it."This got a chuckle out of Jail.  "What?," I asked, indignant.
"You really thought we hadn't tried that before?  How precious!"  I looked down, abashed.  Should've figured.  No good idea escapes invention, after all.  "You're right about the drawbacks, and how they apply to you, but the basic idea dates back to Ancient Belka.
...I'm actually slightly surprised I didn't think to use it, myself."  Taking another look over the design, he nodded.  "Yes, that should prove most effective.  It'll take some time to design, and more to program, but it'll work."  With a wave of the doctor's hand, dozens of windows appeared around him, all showing technical details well beyond my skill to comprehend.  "You're dismissed, Mister Prefect."
Who can argue with that?  I certainly couldn't.  So I left.

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[classicdrogn]

You don't have to even watch one episode to drool over the mecha designs, you know. I mildly dislike the VF-25 series that are the hero units, even more so the 29, but the 27 doesn't use the wing designs I hate on its kin, and totes around a "miniature" (only a little taller than the mecha!) sniper rifle version of the Macross class's main gun, complete with lightning dischages between the split barrel when it charges. The models even come with a clear plastic insert to pop in with molded lightning IIRC.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[Bluemage]

Let me rephrase.  The designs are too anime, and not robot enough.  I like mecha that have a bit more obvious functionality to their design.
Incidentally, when you get your budget computer figured out, I'm going to have to brainstorm with you at some point.  You've read my mind enough that I'd like your input on some spoilery things.
**********

The Doctor wasn't kidding when he said it'd take a while to make.  Over two weeks, and not a peep out of him?  Almost unnatural, that is.
The last seventeen days had not been wasted.  Since I knew I had a Device on the way, I'd shifted gears; instead of reading about magical theory all day long, my last few dozen books had been on spell creation.
I've not absorbed all the information I've read as of yet.  A lot of it is stuff I didn't even 'read' in the classical sense; now that I have optical scanners and holographic memory, it's easier to flip through each book once, commit them to memory, and just study the book in my head.
So there I was, flipping through the last few pages of Schwartzwald's The Structure of Magic (in the original Belkan; I'd not yet learned to speak it, but I could read it just fine by now), when
Uno walked into the room.
That's unusual.  Uno's not usually on Blue-catching duty.  I looked up from my book just long enough to give her a respectful nod, then turned my eyes back to the conclusion.  "Good morning, Uno.  Did something happen to Tre?", I asked, all the while committing more pages to memory.
She smiled- not broadly, but the same sort of small, reserved grin I tend to prefer.  "She's out on a mission at the moment.  I was asked to convey Father's compliments, and ask that you attend him at your earliest convenience."Funny how that phrase means 'right the hell now', no matter where you are.
The final page (not an index, but a rant from Old Schwartz on the liberating insanity of knowing the truth) slid from my fingers.  Finished, I stood up, and gave Uno my most elaborate courtly bow.  "As Milord Doctor commands, so shall it be!", I said in my most pompous manner, before abruptly dropping it.  "Will I find him in the primary lab again?"
She chuckled -actually chuckled!- a bit, before recovering her professional demeanor.  "Not today, Ford.  He's actually down in the containment lab, waiting for you."
In the most overly-dramatic voice I could muster, I intoned "Then it's to the containment room I go!  Though the path may be long, and filled with obstacles, I shall not rest until I reach that most sturdy of rooms!"
{grumble}
Scowling at my traitorous belly, I continued without missing a beat.  "...and maybe a breakfast somewhere along the way."  With that, I marched out of the room, already plotting a route that'd take me by the kitchens.

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[classicdrogn]

Wait... (doubletake) ... is that a Panera in the middle of the secret base? They really are the new Starbucks!

At least you can get a bag of really good bagels to bring along, or a broccoli cheese soup in a paper dish or bread bowl.

More seriously, I'll be happy to help out, but nothing more definitive on the computer front than obsessive list making, cost/benefit balancing wrt various sets of options, and rtfm'ing on verious unixen is likely for at least a month.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[Bluemage]

Never been to a Panera, though I think some exist around here.  Also, I have a thing about soups- they're not me.
Oddly enough, I have that same thing about broccoli and cheese.  It's all I can do to choke it down, even with the help of a good flavor-blocking drink like milk or juice.
Pity.  I might have to put the plot on hiatus, and just post the older bits to SB while I wait.  It'd give me time to refine them just a bit, and get the framing device/personality just right.
**********

For once, I was thankful for the glacially slow containment lab doors.  They gave me time to finish shoveling down my breakfast sandwich, and wash it down with a glass of the first drink I could get- a truly disturbing concoction that was almost, but not entirely, unlike tea.
I'm quite aware of the irony of that.
By the time the doors had finished opening, the sandwich was in my gut, the drink container- still half-full- had gone down a nearby garbage chute, and I was halfway presentable.  The cavernous room was, as usual, mostly empty; the 'almost', in this case, was both Doctor Scaglietti and, to my surprise, Uno.  The doctor was directly in front of the door, facing me; Uno stood at attention on his right side, facing inward, a plastic case cradled in both arms.  So if Tre were here, would she be across from Uno, or would that spot be left empty for Due?
"Ford Prefect," the doctor intoned, "come forward."  He motioned at the space in front of them.  Not being a total idiot, I did.  Even managed to keep my eyes front, despite my natural tendency to try to look at everything.
Once I was standing in front of the doctor, Uno took one step forward forward.  The case in her arms popped open, revealing... well, not much.  I only took a cursory look at the case, since I was trying to be polite and keep my attention focused on Scaglietti, so all I saw was an ocean of black foam, and a glint of reflected light off the object inside.
"As you've already noticed," he said, waving a hand at the case, "your Device is complete, and ready for testing.  Before you do," he said, pausing for a second, "I'd like you to answer a question for me."
I nodded.  Wonder what he's going to ask.
"Who are you?"
I blinked.  That's not what I was expecting.  Start with the simple response, I guess.  "You already know my name."
Scaglietti shook his head.  "That's not what I asked.  What sort of person are you?  What sort of fighter?  What is the existence that is 'Ford Prefect', and where does he stand?"
Sounds like my standard answer to the Vorlon Question would work, with a few more facts added.  Truth, and nothing but the truth.
"Before almost anything else, Doctor, I'm a seeker of knowledge.  I want to learn everything I can- not just facts, but skills, experiences, and ideas.  I came to you because my upbringing and my biology made it impossible for me to experience magic... well, magic, martial arts, and any physical activity more strenuous than lifting heavy objects.
Even before that, I'm a creature of self-imposed limits.  There are acts I've sworn not to engage in, and principles I've sworn myself to.  To me, those oaths are a part of who I am, to a degree that I can- and have- frozen in existential panic instead of countenancing the idea of breaking one."
I looked up, having lowered my head as I talked, and met the doctor's gaze.  "I will not murder, nor will I permit those around me to murder, if I have the strength.  I will not kill without need, nor will I allow meaningless killing in my presence. 
I will attempt to prevent combat, if at all possible.  If I do have to fight, I will use any means necessary, save those prevented by other oaths, to ensure the greatest victory possible for my side, at the lowest possible cost in lives. 
I am civil towards my opponents, and face them with honor.  I am merciless towards my enemies, against whom everything is permitted."
I took a second to catch my breath, favoring the doctor with a small grin.  "The rest of my oaths are mostly related to personal vices that I refuse to engage in.  Only two others are of note to you: that I will speak no word that is not true, and that when I give my word to do something, I will see it done.  I have given my word to fight for your cause, as partial repayment for the work you've done on me, and that's precisely what I'm going to do."
As before, I could see that the two of them had monitors with medical data up, no doubt verifying the veracity of my words.  Sensible of them- trust, but verify.  Good policy.  They won't find anything, though- nothing I said was a lie.
Sure enough, the two of them took a bit of time to watch their monitors- replaying that entire little speech I'd made, no doubt- before looking at each other, and nodding.  Uno took a step forward, letting her arms drop just a bit as she walked.  The contents of her case finally came to light, and I gasped.

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[Bluemage]

When I came to this 'verse, one of the things I brought with me was my wristwatch- a cheap Casio I'd gotten after my (much nicer) last one bit the dust.  I bought it because it was the only digital watch I could find that had a metal band, and wasn't horribly gaudy.  At that moment, I resolved to toss it in the nearest trash compactor and hit the button, since I'd never need it again.
The watch inside that case was everything I'd been looking for back on Earth, a few months ago.  Made primarily of some sort of black metal I couldn't identify, it gave off the impression of being a solid, rugged piece of equipment, despite being thinner and lighter than my previous one.  Every bit of it, from the face (featureless, save for a minimalist set of lines and dots around the edges and the three monochromatic hands in the center) to the band (seemingly a single, solid piece, but actually more articulated than the old one) managed that sort of elegant simplicity that a middle-class boy like me generally doesn't get to see, much less own.
Almost without being aware of it, my hands reached out, lifting the watch reverently from its foam resting place, before settling it on my left wrist.  I fumbled with it for a bit, the Doctor apparently not all that impressed with the concept of a clasp, before the ends of the watch band came together with a snap.  I could hear it for a second or two after that- tiny mechanisms in the watch band, magnetic links and physical latches both, connecting the ends of the band together better than any clasp.
"I-it's perfect.  Thank you."  I said nothing more, too busy examining the remarkable piece of engineering from every angle.  I can't even feel that I'm wearing it!  They don't come any better than this!
The sound of a throat being cleared snapped me back to reality... only to see Doctor Scaglietti, the very picture of impatience.  "Well, don't just stand there and look at it!  Activate it!"
But how do I... oh, wait.  'First-Time Activation of an Intelligent Device'.  Now I remember."...Doctor?  Remember how I wanted my Device to have a few... unusual features to it?"  When he nodded, unsure of where I was going with this, I smiled.  "Let me show you why I wanted one of them.
Mal?  Go."
And with an oscillating tone- an A in C minor, to be precise- there was light.  Blue light, of my own personal color, surrounding me, obscuring me from the world.  I already had a firm idea of what I wanted this barrier jacket to look like, so I was able to turn my attention to... abridging... the usual transformation sequence.
It wasn't a total success, probably since I was fiddling with a set transformation, and not replacing it entirely.  I managed to avoid making any silly poses, though, and when my clothes exploded into energy, it immediately recoalesced into the form I'd chosen.
First came the bodysuit- a slimmed-down version of what the Numbers wore.  I'd dropped the gauntlets, ankle blocks, thigh plates, and shoulder pads, but kept the rest of the design.  With a thought, the colors shifted- the periwinkle inner portion, from chest to thigh, became the same navy blue as the rest of the suit... which then gradually darkened to black.  The neckpiece, the one piece of 'armor' I'd kept, became a slightly darker shade of grey.  There the process paused for half a subjective second- waiting for one detail that hadn't been programmed in- before moving on.
Over the top of the bodysuit, blue light coalesced, going from light to energy to near-solidity.  Seconds passed, the collected mana gaining definition, shimmering as it transmuted into the same brushed-black metal my Device was made of.  First came the boots, armored plates forming around the functional- if thin- shoes built into the suit.  Then came armor on the calves, thighs, and biceps, each location becoming enveloped in a single, solid block of magical metal.
The cuirass of the armor- a single piece of solid metal down to my abs- rezzed into existence next, linking up with the neck armor on the bodysuit.  Simple, rounded shoulderpads sizzled into place, starting where the neck and chest armor met, and extending out nearly to my bicep armor.  From the base of the cuirass came a set of interlocking plates, covering everything up to my thighs.
My wrists were left for last, and for a very good reason.  The watch I was wearing, the inctive form of my Device, flew slowly off my wrist, disassembling itself as it moved.  In the end, all there was was a flat cloud of parts- tiny gears and springs, the plates of its armored chassis, three hands, and all the other kibble- orbiting an improbably-large blue gem.  The cloud of parts shrank inward, speeding up as its orbit tightened, enveloping the core.  In a flash of light, both disappeared, and I felt the combination, now a back plate designed to link into my armor, settle into place.
With the Device gone, twin clouds of blue mana settled around my wrists, shifting into the form of a pair of metal vambraces.  Unlike all the other armor bits, these pieces weren't rounded all the way around; each one had a flat edge, extending from the plates on the back of my hands, all the way back over my elbows.
The reason for this quickly became apparent, as the vambrace on my left arm shifted.  The flat edge of the 'brace reconfigured itself, growing an assortment of catches and ports for the part assembling itself above my elbow- a flattened rectangle, the outer face of it studded with backward-facing steam vents.  The back end of it stretched out, narrowing down to a square face, out of which half of another blue gem protruded.
Once it was complete, the new part slammed into place on the vambrace.  Out of its front face came a rounded rectangular tube, narrower and shorter than the back piece.  As it approached my wrist, it bulged outward and upward, holding its new size for an inch or two, before sloping inward (incidentally creating a rather conveniently-placed diagonal plane) to meet up with the end of the tube.  The whole assembly extended from an inch behind my elbow, to half an inch past my wrist, protruding about two or three inches from my arm.
As a last touch, a wide-brimmed, pointy tan hat popped out of thin air above my head.  I reached up to grab it, pushing the cape that my shoulders had just sprouted out of the way, and placed it on my head.  The area below the hat dimmed, leaving only a shadow... and a pair of bright blue flames, right over where my eyes really were.
Finally, the wall of blue around me faded, and my new boots settled back onto the ground with a clank of metal on metal, my body falling into a crouch.  Note to self- add rubber soles.  Clanking is bad.
Subjective consciousness time: forty-five seconds.  Objective time elapsed: 1.2 seconds.  I should know- I clocked it.
Looking up from my crouch, I reached up with my right hand, flicking the brim of my hat up a bit.  Scaglietti's startled yellow eyes met my writhing blue flames, and I smiled.
"Doctor Jail Scaglietti, meet il numero immaginario- the phantom of the Numbers.  Imma, for short.  Oh, and this," I said, raising my left hand, palm facing me, "is Malleus Bellum."
The blue orb near my elbow lit up.  "GUTEN TAG," it said, in a deep, robotic voice, someplace between Bardiche and ED-209 in character.
The 'good' doctor stared at the two of us for a few long seconds, before a smirk crept onto his face.  The smirk became a grin, the grin a smile, and soon enough, he was laughing the laugh of the truly insane.
"...wonderful... ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!  I ACCEPT YOUR PROPOSAL!"
Uno's reaction was a bit more restrained, as I'd come to expect.  "Welcome to the family... little brother."

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[Bluemage]

Weird.  I'd posted yesterday, and it didn't update the thread timestamp or position.
Anybody ever had that happen to them?
**********

The door opened with its usual hiss, letting Ensign Alicia Matthews onto the command deck of her most recent posting.  It was actually her first posting, so the sense of nervous dread she was attempting to ignore was perfectly understandable.
After all, it's not every day that an officer-in-training meets an admiral.
By the time she reached the admiral's chair, the ensign as outwardly the picture of an up-and-coming young TSA Navy officer; composed, decisive, and energetic.
OhmygodwhatifIscrewupI'llbedemotedandlosemycommissionandmyfamilywillbesoASHAMED- don'tscrewupdon'tscrewupDON'T SCREW UPPPPPPPPP!!!
It was a remarkably good acting job, really.
Marshaling her courage, Ensign Matthews came to attention, the click of her heels letting the admiral know somebody was there, and announced herself.  "M-message for you, Admiral!"
The command chair turned, putting her face-to-face with her boss's boss's boss, the closest thing to a god on board.  It was all she could do to stay calm, and hand the envelope she held to The Power That Is... but she managed it.
"Dismissed."
Ensign Matthews, utterly relieved, managed to hold her composure long enough to leave the bridge.  Once the door had closed behind her, she sat down, her back against the nearest wall, and wiped her brow with one hand.  That actually wasn't so bad.  I might make a decent officer, after all!Back on the bridge, the admiral was running her fingers over the slightly lumpy envelope, deep in thought.
That ensign will make quite the officer... once she learns to relax a little.  Now, what are you, my little friend?  Slipping a finger into the envelope, the admiral tore open the top of it, pulling out the contents.
Interesting.  A data solid, a letter- handwritten, no less!- and what is this?  She held up the mysterious object, looking it over from all sides.  Plastic case, labeled Sandisk?  Is that a name?  A company?  A model?
... that looks like some sort of electronic connection... it extends?  Very clever!  Now, let's see what's on the solid, hmm?
Connecting the chip to her computer, the admiral quickly brought up the full contents of the card.  It wasn't much- just a handful of image files.  Interesting art style... is that *me*?  Those look like my quarters... and that couldn't be anything but Clyde.  The likeness is impressive.  And is that... it must be!  
Shocked by what she was seeing, the admiral opened the letter, and began to read.  A minute later, she set the letter down on her console, carefully picked up her customary cup of tea, and downed it all in a single gulp.
Opening a channel to her helmsman, Admiral Lindy Harlaown got right down to business.  "Plot a course to Non-Administrated World #97, and take us there with all available speed.  I've just been sent a rather important piece of evidence."  Immediately after giving the order, she closed the connection, and settled in to read back over the letter she'd been sent.  Occasionally, she brought up one of the pictures from the data solid, a thoughtful look on her face.
That evening, the mysterious envelope went in her personal safe, the letter, solid, and USB drive tucked solidly inside.  As the admiral went to sleep, the second to last thought to cross her mind was Of all the admirals out there, why did this 'Ford Prefect' dump all this on me?
Her last thought was Where on this 'Earth' planet can I find some of those tiny trees?

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[Jorlem]

So, did you send this before or after you attracted Jail's attention?
-----
Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber."  --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.

[robkelk]

Yes. (He certainly didn't send it while he was talking with Jail...)

Of course, now that Lindy knows how the future is "supposed to" turn out, she can make sure it doesn't happen that way. There might be a few more happy endings than in canon, if we're lucky.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[ECSNorway]

One suspects Lindy just got sent the quick & dirty summary of A's, prehaps?
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Jorlem]

Has Clyde died yet?
-----
Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber."  --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.

[Bluemage]

Before.  There was an oblique hint about it, back during the preparation phase of that plan.  I mentioned the existence of the flash drive, at least, and that I was filling it up.
Rob: Exactly.  That envelope was (and actually still is) my ultimate contingency plan.
ECS: To quote better authors than I:
"That's adorable.  You're adorable."
32GB flash drive.  It wouldn't hold everything I wanted to put on it.  Also, what made you think of A's?
Jorlem: Clyde died in 0054.  It's 0059 (November or December, if memory serves) right now.  Chrono was born in 0051, incidentally.
**********
Entry 25 (Day 117)
Forgive me, journal, for I have sinned.  It's been twenty-three days since my last entry, and a whole lot has happened since then.
For one thing, I now have a Device.  Scaglietti presented Malleus Bellum's initial spec to me six days ago.  He's not left my side since... and honestly, I've spent most of the time in my barrier jacket.  It's just too cool not to. 
Well, one of my barrier jackets- I had Mal designed to store two jacket styles at a time.  The first one is basically a Number's bodysuit with black armor bits added over the top, a cape, and
Black Mage's hat.  Even managed to get the shadow thing and the voice changer working, so I should be safely anonymous.
I presented it to the doctor as my 'doing his work' look, and he was quite amused.  I'm basically an honorary Number now.  Wonder how much the math pun helped?
Right now, I've been focused on spell creation.  There's an unwritten rule amongst mages; you don't use somebody else's spells.  Part of it comes from the need for security, on both ends of the situation.  Part of it is a safety issue... and the rest is some odd combination of pride and arrogance.  Sort of an 'if you can't math it, you don't deserve to cast it- and those of us who can get to lord it over you' type of thing.
I don't go in for the pride bit, but it's important to know your spells inside and out- not just the general 'mana goes here, beam comes out here' bit, but every function they have, their tolerances, and how to make them do tricks.  It's also important that your opponents not know your spells anywhere near as well as you do, for any number of reasons.
I've not yet managed a full attack suite- like that could be done in three weeks!- but I've built a handful of test spells.  Nothing combat-effective, but enough for me to see the basic principles of a few magical effects in action.  Honestly, I've learned more ways of wasting energy than I've learned ways of using it... most of them created on the fly, in hopes of preventing spells from exploding in my face. 
(I suspect I'll be using them a *lot*, because I've really only found four ways to waste unnecessary mana.  I can do things in intentionally awkward ways, when I find them, but the laws of physics aren't always so kind.  Flash is quicker to cast, easier to math out, and- more importantly- works the same way in every spell.
The third method, setting up mutually opposing magical effects, seems like the most mathematically elegant option.  Unfortunately, it tends to leave me sweating like a pig- something about forcing one's magic to fight itself exponentially boosts internal heat.
And, of course, the fourth method is plain bad math.  I refuse to do intentionally bad math every time I cast, so that won't work.)
At this point, my Device is more of a tool than a weapon.  I'm now constantly in telepathic contact with a magical computer that obeys my every order, and enjoying every minute of it.  This journal entry, for example, is being written via telepathic dictation while I study.  When I have a question, I can look up facts with a thought.  If I so choose, I'll never have to use that laptop again.
Oh, and I no longer have combat cyborgs dropping by my room at all hours of the morning.  Not sure whether that's a benefit or not.  Maybe it'll be a bit less ambiguous in a few more years.

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[ECSNorway]

32GB flash drive. It wouldn't hold everything I wanted to put on it. Also, what made you think of A's?

Power Games, mostly. I like their "body count relative to original source should be negative" meme.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Dartz]

Hopefully, whichever version it is, it gets the Music for Reinforce right
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[classicdrogn]

In #165 you have "brushed-matte black" - this should probably be "brushed, matte black" grammatically speaking, but I don't see hoe it works logically, since the brushed metal pattern is discernable by the way the light plays on tiny grooves in the metal, but matte black reflects little to no highlights. If you just mean it's a very dark metl, pitch black or jet black would be better, even inky black. Also, as you can see, I am now finally out of the potato, and able to correspond in a meaningful way if you are still so inclined.

Either message me here, or username at yahoo.com.

WRT your Device's form and Barrier Jacket... we really are rreading each other's mind. Save for your trademark hat, gun, and a palette swap, that sounds remarkably like how my RP character Daisuke looks - his armor is based on the white Danzaiver from Evil Zone, but with gold and black trim (usually, he has multiple forms like a Kamen Rider) plus a cape that's also white with long, thin black triangles edged in gold radiating out from the neck/top edge on the outside, urban camoflage mottled greyson the inside. Unarmored, he has a "device" watch with a gold bezel (his mana color... usually) called the White Brace, which has an "active mode" where the face expands to about 2" diameter and the thin wrist band becomes a set of Liefield linked-cylinders, which contain 6 Cartridges. When he wants to pull up informaiton from his info systems, glowing gold holograms appear over that arm. When he armors up, the "active mode" gem is still on that arm, if a bit closer to the elbow. The thing is, the White Brace is a fke, a common Mid child's toy fitted in a higher quality case, with a simple voice chip that repeats a few phrases when the user says them of "access denied" for anyone else. It has a dimensional layer about the sizeof a lunch vbox, which is in fact what it's intended to be, for school kids who want to grow up to be magi.

He's a cyborg, around 20% overall between bone and tissue weaves and a mana-storing implant network, the main benefits of which being about 50% more mana capacity than the normal human maximum, a variety of enhanced senses, and the ability to leap 20m from a standstill, and/or instantly move about as far in a streak of light just short of actual teleportation. (He can do that too, but isn't very good at it.) The holograms are from an implanted omnitool, as well... basically, it's alll just a bit of camoflage to fit in with what the locals expect while the dimnsion-hopping game is in MSLN space, and a misdirection if he's ever captured so enemies can take it and think they've removed his ability to cast or summon his armor. I'm afraid I'm a little inconsistent with his characterization, but then it's in genre for a sentai-type to be much more flamboyant when armored up, while his 'civilian form' normal self is much more restrained and serious, a 26-yr-old who not only became a full MD but a department head, and is used to behaving in such a way that people forget his age and take him seriously.

But that's not what we're here to read about, and there's still another update for me to read, posted while I was getting Ubuntu configured on this barrelscraper Chromebook! No time to be yammering on now!

Edit to add:

So. have you figured out how to:

a) cause a ring of 5-10mph constantly gusting winds
b) lower the ambient light level, over a more or less wide area
c) raise an extra barrier around yourself, tighter than a Round Shield but not body conformal tight
d) give yourself an eerie glow
e) cause otherwise harmless lightning strikes to land a few feet behind you?

Tack those effects onto ANY attack spell during the charging phase to just after release, and you have extra protection both while you stand there gathering energy and from the shockwave/debris of the impact, and a powerful psychological effect of "OH SHIT OH SHIT HERE COMES A BIG ONE!" to intimidate your opponents... or fake them out and make them throw up their own heavy duty, immobile defenses so you can throw a flash-bang and ABSCOND, possibly with magically boosted speed as the "real" effect of the spell.

No one expects a dude with flaming eyes in an otherwise shadowed face, who just turned the noon sky pitch black and spent thirty seconds charging power inside an impassable force field while silhouetted by lightning to turn tail and run. Sure. it'll only work the first time, but then the second time you smack them in the face with the mega-beam that has the same VFX for the charging sequence as they dash toward you to keep you from escaping like last time. And then the third time, when they're cautious but not totally forting themselves up to immobility, you have one or two of the Numbers jump them from behind while you're playing distraction, then use the super-speed version to charge in and tackle someone - you may be a little guy, but mass x velocity equals energy, all that means is Sufficient Velocity is a bit higher.

On another tangent, look into casting elemental spells. The reason most only use them if they have a capital-A Affinity is it takes so much power otherwise, and while that might not help for your main combat spells there's a whole lot of subtle effects to be done with a little air, earth, water, metal, wood... even lightning and fire, in moderation. See if you can find something either intelligent and willing to be summoned, or trainable and ungodly tough - better yet, the Familiar process can make a little puppy into a human-sized person, can it shift size the other direction?
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows