Robert Meta

Star Wars: Rise of the Battlemage - Chapter 188

Despite his misgivings about me potentially making his father's… condition worse, Luke didn't hold what I had done against me. The younger Force-sensitive might want to bring his father back to the light, but he understood that, in the meantime, Darth Vader was currently a menace. It was honestly a bit concerning and made me wonder how that kind of knowledge sat in someone's mind, that their father was out there, being a horrible person, and it was up to you to stop them.

I mentally m...

The Brink and Back (Poll)

Samwise and Noah are looking for the perfect place build a vault. The options are...

Star Wars: Rise of the Battlemage - Chapter 187

The trip from our temporary deep space fleet location to Dagobah was blessedly much calmer than the departure. Lefty seemed to take our response to heart and did not ask again, which spoke volumes for their stability. We also got to the bottom of why they were already a bit strange for a droid that should have been receiving frequent wipes. I reached out to Miru using the ship's hyperwave, since the question was bugging me.

"His second in command? The one with a black arm?" Miru asked t...

Brockton Bay's Marvelous Mage - Chapter Sixty Four

Hello everyone! I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be taking December 25th through to the 31st off. The normal schedule will return on January 1st

~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the compound lit up around me, my vials of light providing a warm, constant glow, I stood there silently. After a moment, I released a long breath, feeling the magic around me hum energy. I could feel my power, feel my mana at my call. It was as if I had stepped up and advanced to a higher level of magic, if ...

The Brink and Back - Chapter Forty Six

I was up and out of my bed before I even realized my alarm was going off. I had gotten a solid eight hours thanks to the help Frank offered me, so I was feeling pretty good as I took a rushed shower and quickly got dressed. When I stepped out of my trailer, Duke was hot on my heels, almost like he sensed my excitement, following me as I quickly walked through the town. I was about to cut across the road towards the workshop when someone called for me.

"Jackson!" Kaytlyn called, promptin...

Brockton Bay's Marvelous Mage - Chapter Sixty Three

Despite the fact that I was tempted to, I did not skip sleep again that night. As excited as I was to finally get to work on a proper arcane focus, something beyond just a staff or book with the bare essentials, I did not want to push my limits too far. So far I hadn't seen any real effects from relying on my wake-up spell, but I also wasn't willing to put that to the test with the current situation. I had plenty of time to test its potency and long-term side effects when the Docks w...

Star Wars: Rise of the Battlemage - Chapter 186

Hello everyone! Welcome to December, I hope everyone's November went well! This is a warning that I will be taking the 25th-31st off from posting. Normal posting will continue on the first of January. I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays this year!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When we dropped out of hyperspace, I was surprised to find that we were almost completely alone at the rendezvous location. I had anticipated the Rebels beating us there or another Imperial ambush waiting for us, but I...

The Brink and Back (Poll)

The team will be raiding a heavy Wraith hideout. However, after the attack on the cement factory, Wraith forces may or may not have shifted around. What sort of presence do the Wraiths have now at this location?

Star Wars: Rise of the Battlemage - Chapter 185

The bridge was silent for a long time, all of us stunned at what we had just survived. Finally, after a long moment, Ahsoka reached out and took my hand in hers, pulling me against her for a long hug.

"That was... incredible, Deacon. I've seen worse strategies from trained generals," She admitted. "I know you couldn't feel it, but you really managed to get under his skin…"

I looked over at her as she talked, only to finally connect what I was really seeing to what it meant. Ahso...

Brockton Bay's Marvelous Mage - Chapter Sixty Two

While Eric relaxed and recuperated, I first helped Lady Photon, Glory Girl, and Laserdream with their gear, since they were up next to go on patrol. It took me a while to realize that it must be the weekend, a concerning thought since I had no idea. I made a note to put a calendar in the compound and start marking the days, if for no other reason than to keep track of holidays and the like. 

First up, now that her son was satisfied and declared safe, was Lady Photon, who happily ac...

The Brink and Back - Chapter Forty Five

The others seemed to understand where I was coming from, even if they didn't necessarily agree with me. I had been hesitant to discuss creating a teleporter since I wasn't sure I would get access to it, so I didn't want to start bragging about it. At the very least, Jackie seemed to believe me when I said I wasn't abandoning the town or Night City, even if I was putting the vault before a few things. 

"Samwise, Noah, the bunker is going to be a major priority. I still need to be ab...

Brockton Bay's Marvelous Mage - Chapter Sixty One

I ended up taking a short nap after soaking in the hot tub, Kali waking me up after an hour or so of rest. I was going to be spending the whole night working on New Waves gear, after all, I was due an hour to turn my brain off at least. The ability to cast a spell that washed away all the residual tiredness when I was done made the nap a viable alternative to a natural night's sleep, at least in terms of my mental health.

Once I woke up, had some dinner, and settled down, I once again s...

Star Wars: Rise of the Battlemage - Chapter 184

"A gravity well has enveloped us!" The droid behind our sensors shouted, despite the organics crew's refusal to move. "The field extends far past us! Estimated time to escape, two minutes, sixteen seconds."

I blankly stared out of the viewport, looking at a battleship that dwarfed everything we had entirely by itself. I knew somewhere inside me that these ships weren't invincible, but I could not have prepared myself for the absolute feeling of dread staring down the barrel of one would...

Marvelous Mage (Poll)

The Docks are a powder keg of tension. Who sets off the first explosion?

 (Keep in mind that conflict is most likely inevitable for all of these factions, this is just who stirs up trouble first.

Star Wars: Rise of the Battlemage - Chapter 183

Calima followed the flight path that was sent to us, diving into a slop that brought us directly to the jaws of the Lucrehulk. According to our sensors, none of the ships that surrounded the large circular starship were waking up, which was a good sign. However, sensors said that the Lucrehulk was just about fully operational. The fact that its weapons weren't charged was about the only reason I didn't order a retreat, despite the fact that things seemed to be going as well as we could hope f...

Brockton Bay's Marvelous Mage - Chapter Sixty

As much as I hated giving up my sleep, I couldn't deny that eight hours of extra time a night was going to be incredibly useful. Honestly, it was more than eight hours since I was also cutting out a bunch of prep, wind down, and in-between time as well. It sucked, but there was no doubt in my mind now that my wake-up spell was worth the time it took to develop. 

By the time I finally called it quits, putting my notebooks, calculator, and spell book aside, it was approaching nine AM...

The Brink and Back - Chapter Forty Four

By the time I had finished exploring Fallout's power systems to my satisfaction, it was only about two in the afternoon. I found myself in awe of what we had accomplished in twelve hours. The difference that the additional production speed had made when I was pushing for speed was incredible.

With a solid foundation and the remainder of the day clear, I had a lot of time to work on whatever I decided was next. Which, of course, was my first challenge. Samwise and I had put together a so...

Brockton Bay's Marvelous Mage - Chapter Fifty Nine

I spent the rest of the night designing and practicing some lower-level spells, measuring my success, and gauging how well the process worked. As I did, I solidified several theories that I had formed while perusing the information I gained, as well as when I made the flashlight spell. Perhaps the most interesting, if not the most important, was how the investment into quick casting affected the spells that I was making. 

Once I designed and cast a functioning spell, the subject wo...

Star Wars: Rise of the Battlemage - Chapter 182

The planning session went on for another few hours. While listening to General Syndulla and the other Rebels discuss resource and time management wasn't the most exciting way to spend an afternoon, it was preferable to what General Draven tried to do to us last time. Being involved with the planning from the get-go made it significantly easier to pick out any issues, rather than doing it afterward. About an hour and a half in, and we have more or less settled on a refined version of Tatnia's ...

Marvelous Mage (Poll)

How do people feel about more AU/original characters being introduced to possibly join Arcanum's "team"?

Keep in mind this is not a question that will see results immediately. It's much more of a "going forward" type poll.

Star Wars: Rise of the Battlemage - Chapter 181

The trip through hyperspace was relatively uneventful. We spent most of our time getting to know the controls for our new Saber-class tanks. We all spent at least some time at their controls, getting to know the ins and outs, even if we could only move them a few feet in each direction. We also learned about the turret controls. Obviously, we had the actual weapons disabled, so we didn't accidentally blow up the hangar. By the time we arrived at Alpha Base, we all had at least a basic underst...

Brockton Bay's Marvelous Mage - Chapter Fifty Eight

I could feel the tension in the streets as I patrolled ABB territory. A quick check of my phone showed that the PRT still hadn't announced that they had Lung and Oni-lee in their custody, but it was clear that news was spreading anyway. They would probably need to announce it soon, or there wouldn't be any point.

I couldn't tell if the growing tension was because the peace was only temporary, as people knew what it meant for the area to be undefended by Lung, or if it was just people's ...

The Brink and Back - Chapter Forty Three

I was tempted to try and explain my reference, but it was already too late. Instead, I just shook my head and shoved the slight embarrassment aside. I had more important things to deal with, even if I knew I was going to get back at them somehow, especially Riggs, whose smirk told me he knew exactly what he had done. 

"I am more curious about what sort of options he got, not what references he can make about it," Noah said, standing by the door, clearly waiting for me to explain wh...

Brockton Bay's Marvelous Mage - Chapter Fifty Seven

For a moment, I froze like a deer in headlights, not entirely sure how to react. I wasn't exactly equipped to handle an emotionally unstable abuse victim, especially one who already seemed to dislike me. Unfortunately, I couldn't exactly tell her no. Not only because it would be an incredibly insensitive thing to do, but also because, as cold and calculating as it might sound, I needed her family's help. I forced myself to move, though she definitely caught my momentary panic.

I guess t...

Star Wars: Rise of the Battlemage - Chapter 180

This chapter is a bit shorter than I had originally intended due to me uncovering a large error late in the editing process. I tried to patch it as best I could, but there was only so much I could do. I apologize and hope that you still enjoy the content.

~~~~~~~~

About an hour and one nap later, Ahsoka and I were still lying in my bed, quietly enjoying each other's company. Both of us had underestimated how much being away from each other would affect us, and once we were ...

The Brink and Back (Poll)

Jackson's first focus for Fallout tech has already been chosen. (It will make sense when you read it). What will be his second focus?

Edit: to be clear, vault tec is the tech used inside vault and adjacent topics.

Star Wars: Rise of the Battlemage - Chapter 179

Miru and I waited for a few more hours before finally saying goodbye. While watching Luke lift progressively more and more stones with his mind was rather enthralling, I did have a project to get back to. When it was time, Luke took a break from his training to see us off, shaking my hand and giving Miru a hug. We also said goodbye to Yoda, which was when I asked his permission to try something. 

"My healing abilities work in strange ways, and they are very different from the Force...

Brockton Bay's Marvelous Mage - Chapter Fifty Six

As I followed after Victoria, I stepped down into a large refurbished basement. I paused there for a moment, scanning the room and its occupants. The walls were covered with framed pictures, some of the family, some of what appeared to be publicity shots, and a few framed newspapers. In the center of the room was a large, rectangular table, big enough for two families to fit around. Victoria flew over and sat next to her sister, Amy, while Crystal flew and sat beside her father. The only pers...

The Brink and Back - Chapter Forty Two

It was about two AM when we finally left Rocky Ridge, heading to our first Wraith target. Our defensive perimeter was fully staffed with fifty-six fully armed shades manning the hard points and walking around behind the Hesco barriers. I was confident that even as I took all of our team out into the field, our home was now finally adequately defended. Looking back as we drove away, the town now cut an impressive visage, looking like a heavily defended military base than a simple town.

D...

Brockton Bay's Marvelous Mage - Chapter Fifty Five

After I finished lounging around, enjoying the side benefits of my labor, I decided that I needed to burn off some stress. Between the most recent fight and the encroaching potential issues with the E88, I could feel the anxiety clawing at my spine and brain. So, I spent the rest of the day working out some of my stress by building up my compound. It was therapeutic to build something that had no focus on violence or my work as a hero, and turning my little corner of the forest into something...