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**robkelk** · (This post was last modified: 05-28-2021, 09:45 AM by Bob Schroeck.)

http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums/s...p?tid=1681

The rules at Tristein Academy are clear - every mage needs a familiar. And there aren't any take-backs.

But ther's no way I was going to let anyone end up in the same situation that Louise and Saito are in if I could help it.

So we faked it.

Now to convince everyone else that Eimi's a familiar instead of just a friend...

Spoiler

--
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

Norgarth · 04-16-2012, 03:32 AM

Doug shook his head slightly as he looked over to where Mrs Van Luit's maid was 'petting' the hood of a old style, white Volkeswagon Beetle. Oddly, the car's engine seemed to be purring in response.
"While I do thank you for your assistance with those ruffians Colonel Sangnoir, but I really don't think that your ... modifications to the vehical is appropriate for my household. I suppose I'll have to return it to Mr Thorndyke's showroom."
"I'm sorry about that. I didn't think the local mana feild was strong enough to do this."
set shortly before the events of 'The Love Bug" (since 'Herbie' first appeared already alive)
___________________________
"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." - George Carlin

***Bob Schroeck*** · (This post was last modified: 08-27-2021, 08:49 AM by Bob Schroeck.)

I almost got there too late -- it had taken far longer to backtrack the video transmission than I had expected, even (or maybe especially) from the inside. And reassembling my body into its proper form after spending what seemed like a subjective lifetime as a living stream of electrons within the Tapestry wasted more precious seconds.

"Fuck!" I hissed softly to myself. "I am never doing that again." How the hell do electromorphs do that on a regular basis?

Once my vision cleared, I realized just how late I was. The teenager in the green outfit and the deadly little girl with purple hair were kneeling by a horrifically burned person -- the man in the black outfit I'd seen on the webcast. She was crying, and the kid in green just looked lost. "Shit. System, 'I'm Alive'. Play!"

None of them had paid any attention to my arrival, but they immediately noticed when the man in black started healing. The kid in green -- "Kick-Ass", or so he called himself -- looked up and spotted me as I started circulating through the makeshift "studio" and taking care of the mooks who hadn't been killed outright and who were healing up as well.

"Hey!" he shouted, getting the others' attention.

"Calm down, kid," I said as I snapped the neck of a guy who was tattooed to beat a Yakuza soldier. "I'm on your side." I nodded at their little group. "I'm the one healing your boss, there." I stepped past another couple of bodies to stomp the hand of a live goon reaching for a dropped pistol, before taking him out as well. "So... who was the considerate soul who threw you guys this party?"

"D'Amico," the guy in black rasped. "Frank... D'Amico."

"The local crime boss," I said, and got a nod back.

"That's... him. He ... set a trap and we... walked right into it." The older guy's speech was oddly stilted in a strangely familiar way. It wasn't a result of his injuries, as the feedback down the channels of magic told me he was back to full health and he still talked that way.

I smiled inside my helmet as I shut down the song. "What do you say we go pay him a visit, and show him what happens when you try to kill heroes, eh?"

The little girl grinned nastily as she wiped the tears from her face, knocking her obvious wig partly askew in the process. "Let's kill the fucker back!"

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Shepherd · 05-11-2012, 05:44 AM

Nice Kick-Ass nano-step. I do wonder, since the song would have healed Kick-Ass as well as Big Daddy, would it have stopped with his most recent injuries, or would it also have reversed the permanent nerve damage which rendered him virtually immune to pain?
----------------------------------------------------

"Anyone can be a winner if their definition of victory is flexible enough." - The DM of the Rings XXXV

***Bob Schroeck*** · 05-11-2012, 02:46 PM

Good question. Rob asked me one a couple years back which approached the same answer from the other side: "underneath" the story, I use the game mechanics as much as possible to model what Doug's power does. Since pretty much all damage in V&V is expressed in terms of hit points (including the effects of disease) and since Kick-Ass is long since healed from the injuries that gave him his "power" (meaning he has a new "base state" that having all his hit points reflects), any healing Doug's power does will only restore him to his body's current "full health" state, and not "undo" any previous healing to return him to an earlier "full health" state.

tl;dr version: No.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

**robkelk** · 05-29-2012, 03:01 PM

Once again, I was in a Japan that was nothing like the one back home.

Once again, I was making a living as an English teacher - this time, in a junior high school.

Once again, Eimi was helping me by keeping track of the students' grades. Which meant she knew the names of all my students.

This time, she recognized some of the students' names, and asked me not to get involved in the personal life of the maid that one of them had hired, no matter how much I might be tempted to help out. (Or, in her words, "meddle in something that's much bigger than either of us.")

But, with the abandoned hospital just up the hill turning into a war zone, I couldn't not get involved. Somebody might get hurt from all the flying debris...

Spoiler

--
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

**robkelk** · 06-10-2012, 03:12 AM

Time unknown. Date unknown. Location unknown.

I woke up in an alleyway. As alleyways went, this one wasn't too bad - it was clean, and there didn't seem to be any surveillance cameras in the area. Which might just mean I couldn't see them, of course.

Then my bike started shaking. It took me a moment to realize that it was the back pannier that was shaking. I opened it... and Eimi climbed out. Not the laptop computer, but a jumpsuit-clad teenaged girl who looked just like Eimi would if she was human. Well, except for the blue skin. "This is new," she said while looking at her hands.

Then she looked over my shoulder and gasped. I turned around to see an unusual building dominating the skyline - it looked like a cross between an office tower and a hooded cobra ready to strike.

Eimi pulled me down behind the bike. "Doug, we've got to get you some face paint, quickly." Then she added to herself, "This is bad. Very bad."

Spoiler

Spoiler

--
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

**robkelk** · 06-10-2012, 03:47 AM

Meta: Bob, when you get around to copying post 270 in the old thread to the sticky, please change "Especially when everybody else in the crowd is bigger than I am." to "Especially when everybody else in the crowd is bulkier than I am."

(And I think you left off copying somewhere around post #230-240..)
--
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

***Bob Schroeck*** · 06-10-2012, 07:20 AM

robkelk Wrote:(And I think you left off copying somewhere around post #230-240..)

Well, I left off updating the master thread around there, but I have the file in which I format everything up to date. One of these days...
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Dragonflight · 06-10-2012, 04:55 PM

A quick snippet that popped into my head when I read Rob's post up above. Don't know if it's any good, but here it is. Smile

===
I dropped behind the smashed aircar. The CPU's were taking a ferocious beating from the virals. It didn't help that this computer system's only real defender was what looked like a 14 year old kid. They were losing on all fronts, and it was everything I could do to keep pushing them back.
Mouse's idea for a firewall had been a good one, and Eimi had shared a few pointers about how to set it up so that it was self-reinforcing. But she'd taken a few too many hits from the Viral assault, and had been medevacked back to the Principal Office. Leaving me to coordinate the defense, prop up the remaining CPU's, and try to hold the Virals back while their leader made a push on the building behind me.
What sounded like some kind of energy weapon charging up in the distance was all the cue I needed. Diving over the bridge, I caught a reinforcing rod and hung just over the bridge as a massive bolt destroyed what was left of that car. I waited as most of it flew overhead, and down into the depths under the Principal Office. Flipping back up, I straightened my outfit, and waited on the far side of the flaming debris. The CPU's were badly mauled, but if I presented just the right amount of casual moxie, maybe I could make the Virals hang back. But against all the people rushing the bridge, I'd need an edge. ""
As the smoke cleared, I could see their leader. Megabyte looked like something out of a KISS concert. The dark blued-metal body, the evil green death's head icon covering most of his chest, and the metallic red highlights. He had a terminator-esque head, with what looked like an expression of satanic pleasure permanently etched on it. His eyes narrowed as he pointed at me.
"You're very persistent, Sangnoir!"
I grinned, and tossed back, "I'm also better than you!" I stepped through the remaining embers of the wrecked car and casually brushed my jacket, as the light blinked in my helmet visor.
Megabyte just chuckled. It didn't sound very friendly. "I've played that game, Sangnoir. I also won." He raised his arm again, the three claws extending one at a time. "I'm only going to offer you this chance one more time, Sangnoir. Serve me, or die!" Behind him, several Viral cars rose up, leveling rocket launchers, beam cannons, and other various items of mass destruction, while troops around him pointed rocket launchers at me.
I just grinned back, putting as much attitude as I could in the act, while actually hoping I could avoid all that firepower. "Let's ."
The helmet is designed so that competing audio doesn't affect my metagift. I can do this because the earpieces are capable of isolating me from outside sound while the music is playing. This can sometimes leave me unaware of sounds around me. But even the audio protection in my helmet couldn't hide what happened next.
As the first strains of the music poured into me, awakening my gift and creating the first of many metal balls in my hand, the whole system shook. The sky flickered several colors, and with no warning at all, music began to play from the sky above, pouring into the whole System.
I paused as what I'd done just sunk in. I'd just told the System to play my song. And since I was a User, the system did just that.
Megabyte looked around in surprise. The various Viral forces, also shocked by the event spent a few moments staring up at the sky in confusion. Not one to look a gift neohorse in the mouth (don't ask...) I attacked.
Megabyte responded with surprising speed. He smacked one of the balls aside and lunged forward, ignoring the damage the metal spheres were causing in the Viral ranks. Enemy soldiers were knocked around, weapons firing in all directions. Cars were hit and exploded in bright, video-game colors. Other vehicles, knocked off center by the metal madness, fired into the Viral forces, or into the shields protecting the Principal Office. The devastation wrought in the first few moments was impressive, to say the least.
Their leader didn't spare a moment's thought for his troops, however. He charged me, metal claws swiping, Wolverine-style, at me as he closed. I dodged, wove, and flowed around him, waiting for the moments. When I had a clear shot, I struck hard, polykev armored gauntlets smashing into the blue metal body of the Virus.
It was like punching a metal statue. I ducked a return swipe and put some distance between us, shaking my hand out. "Not as much fun as advertised." I'd barely had a moment to register the even before he was on me again. I pulled a metal ball back, but he sliced it into four pieces, and struck me hard as I tried to dodge past him.
The impact hurt, sending me flying back into the debris of that wrecked CPU car. Shaking my head at the sudden dizziness, I was treated to the business end of the claws as he held them just above my face. I almost rolled my eyes at the theatrics, but this really wasn't the time. Besides, Pinball Wizard had some nice defensive options.
Megabyte gave me a really evil grin. "Any last words?"
Before I could deliver the double-fisted can of industrial grade ass-kicking I was prepping, a blast of energy struck Megabyte in the chest, sending him flying back fifteen feet, to land in a sprawl. His claws struck the roadway, drawing sparks as he slid to a stop and surged to his feet, eyes narrow.
Eimi landed in front of me as I stood up slowly. She wore some kind of flight harness, and her 'keytool' device glowed with renewed power. She looked at me and grinned. "Back... And fully charged."
---
Those who fear the darkness have never seen what the light can do.

**robkelk** · 06-10-2012, 07:20 PM

Well, I guess this story idea is yours, now... for the low low price of ninety-nine ninety-nine ninety-nine!
--
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

Proginoskes · 06-12-2012, 08:22 AM

In some ReBoot fanfic, there are specific kinds of Virus, based on powers and temperament. Megabyte is a Control Virus: he has powers specialized for brainwashing and seizing control, and corresponding megalomania. Hexadecimal is a Chaos Virus: her powers are vast, diverse, and unpredictable; her moods and thoughts are mercurial, but she helps as much as she harms. I don't like the idea of Doug being a User (judging by what little we learn about them, Users are everything Doug hates about Celestials), but I think it might be appropriate for Doug to look to Mainframe and its residents like a much weaker (and correspondingly saner) Chaos Virus. (I said "look", and not "Doug is a Virus", because my assumption is that Doug's person is invariant in transit: he can't be transformed by a Gate. On the other hand, a biological being doesn't fit into ReBoot's world very well, so Systems have to treat him as if he were a digital entity.)
On the other hand, if Doug isn't a User, there isn't really any reason why he shouldn't be treated as a Guardian himself. Bob (Guardian 452) merged with Glitch by giving it the instruction "Download". Doug and his Keytool were never separate, though he still needs to instruct his Keytool powers.
On the gripping hand, I'm not the one writing it, am I?

***Bob Schroeck*** · 06-12-2012, 02:36 PM

Tell you what, guys, go spawn a new thread for developing a ReBoot storyline. As far as nanosteps are concerned, I'll only include Rob's -- for no reason other than brevity. I like what you've written, Dragonflight, and if you and Rob can spin a full story out of your bits, I'll be happy to put it up on the Fic-Squared page on my website.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Dragonflight · 06-16-2012, 11:45 AM

Heh. The angle I was going with the snippet really wasn't thought out as in-depth as all that. I was just considering what would happen if a human (User) showed up with what amounts to his own portable computing world with him. I mean, if you assume that inside every computer is a microverse filled with self-aware programs, then inside Doug's helmet is the exact same thing.
So what happens when he gives the helmet an order? the Mainframe system essentially misunderstands the instruction, and assumes Doug is addressing it directly. It's like how Bob can give direct network commands, which he does on a few occasions in the series, because he has a higher level of access rights. (One of the reasons Megabyte tries to recruit him early in the series.)
I wasn't going with the angle that Doug knew it would happen. Instead, he issues an order to his helmet, but because certain people with the right level of access can issue verbal commands to Mainframe itself, when he addresses a "System" command, Mainframe assumes he's addressing it, and it responds appropriately.
Edit: That said, I may look at what I can work out of that. I'd probably write it as a half-hour episode, and see where that takes me. In the meantime, I need to get back to finishing chapter 8 of Dead Bang. Bob's already seen the first half of the chapter, just to make sure I don't reveal anything I'm not supposed to. I'm just trying to figure out what order to present things in the second half.
---
Those who fear the darkness have never seen what the light can do.

**robkelk** · 07-07-2012, 06:10 PM

The space station was falling apart around us as we raced to get aboard the girls' ship. There were no fatalities - thank the gods - but with the loss of the only station in this system, the planet's economy was about to go into a depression.

It's a tragedy. It's an outrage. But... I have to agree with both of my companions. It's not our fault!

Spoiler

--
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

Pyeknu · 07-07-2012, 06:57 PM

*applauds*
A golden oldie indeed . . .

***Bob Schroeck*** · 08-01-2012, 02:51 PM

Okay, I just updated the Nanosteps thread to reflect the latest contributions.

I still have no idea what numbers 110 and 120 are, and if they were identified in the old thread, I missed them when I went searching just now. If someone could clue me in, I'd be very grateful.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Star Ranger4 · 08-01-2012, 03:32 PM

120 is Webber's Honor Harrington series.
Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky?
That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry-
NO QUARTER!!!
-- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children

Rod.H · 08-01-2012, 03:39 PM

And SR just ninja'd me. Specifically that's Shannon Foraker having yet another Oops moment - or is it the initial one.

edit
Oooh, 110 I think know of it, it's an anime less than 5 years old, a situation like Puck has with Xanatos I's believe. Show's called http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Butler]Black Butler

Pyeknu · 08-01-2012, 05:55 PM

I couldn't believe it.
I had been beaten…
…by a tiny little DINOSAUR of all things!
As I whispered to my helmet to start playing I'm Alive to help fix up the massive bruise in my stomach the mighty mite had left me after he HEAD-BUTTED me of all things, I then blinked as the little allosaurus came up to me…
…with a mouth full of freshly-caught fish!
As I gazed at him, he dropped the fish on the ground beside me, and then gazed at me.
"Gon!"
I blink-blinked several times before nodding. "Thanks…"
Once I healed up, I'd have to get a fire going…

Spoiler

***Bob Schroeck*** · 08-01-2012, 07:40 PM

Gah. I actually recognize that one.

For some reason we own a copy of Gon.

ETA: Thanks for the IDs on 110 and 120. The Nanosteps thread has been updated.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Star Ranger4 · 08-01-2012, 08:22 PM

Pyeknu Wrote:I couldn't believe it.
I had been beaten . . .
. . . by a tiny little DINOSAUR of all things!
As I whispered to my helmet to start playing I'm Alive to help fix up the massive bruise in my stomach the mighty mite had left me after he HEAD-BUTTED me of all things, I then blinked as the little allosaurus came up to me . . .
. . . with a mouth full of freshly-caught fish!
As I gazed at him, he dropped the fish on the ground beside me, and then gazed at me.
"Gon!"
I blink-blinked several times before nodding. "Thanks . . . "
Once I healed up, I'd have to get a fire going . . .
**** **** ****
You can guess the spoiler, I believe. ^_-

Does that mean if 'it' has kids you get to deal with N-Gons?
Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky?
That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry-
NO QUARTER!!!
-- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children

Pyeknu · 08-01-2012, 10:40 PM

Star Ranger4 Wrote:
Pyeknu Wrote:I couldn't believe it.
I had been beaten . . .
. . . by a tiny little DINOSAUR of all things!
As I whispered to my helmet to start playing I'm Alive to help fix up the massive bruise in my stomach the mighty mite had left me after he HEAD-BUTTED me of all things, I then blinked as the little allosaurus came up to me . . .
. . . with a mouth full of freshly-caught fish!
As I gazed at him, he dropped the fish on the ground beside me, and then gazed at me.
"Gon!"
I blink-blinked several times before nodding. "Thanks . . . "
Once I healed up, I'd have to get a fire going . . .
**** **** ****
You can guess the spoiler, I believe. ^_-
Does that mean if 'it' has kids you get to deal with N-Gons?

I would personally think ONE Gon is enough.
BTW, in case people are wondering, there is a Gon anime available now. There are speaking parts, but Gon himself -- being portrayed as a very simple child -- just chants his name every once in a while.
And from what I've seen of it so far, it's as much a laugh-riot as the original manga.

Terrace · 08-05-2012, 06:39 AM

"It's a Light Grenade. Pull the pin and set it on the ground, and when the enemy picks it up, FWOOSH. Grenade remains, person... vanishes."

Dick and Douglas looked at each other with identical I-can't-believe-I'm-hearing-this expressions.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"Who'd be dumb enough to pick it up?"

"Look upon the back."

"'Pick Me Up.'"

"Diabolical."
----------------------------------------
"Oh my god. They picked it up, one by one! Those idiots."

"How have they not managed to stupid themselves to extinction already?"

"Perhaps we're better off not knowing, Doug."

Spoiler

Dartz · 08-07-2012, 01:49 AM

The statue, cast out of bronze as black as the darkest night, loomed like a monster out of some imaginary gloom. The effect was thrilling. Whoever this guy was, he knew the value of symbolism. He had a handle on the vigilante gig that wasn't easy to come by in any world. Especially in ones as otherwise ordinary as this.

"So, who was he?" I ask.

Gordon looks at me with a sad smile on his face.

"He was the Batman."

Spoiler

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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

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