The Re:Apotheosis update and news thread

RobertBMarks 2023-01-20 15:03:16 UTC #61

Chapter VIII of The Odyssey of Daiki Yamato is live! Trapped in her own information stream, Aquila faces her past and the vast entirety of the multiverse.

RobertBMarks 2023-01-24 14:08:26 UTC #62

A preview of Friday's chapter of The Odyssey of Daiki Yamato:

“If you’re trying to hide that you’re from another world, you can stop,” Alara said. “We know.”

Daiki almost choked on his coffee. The others stared at her.

“He’s the only one of you who is dressed like he could be from this world,” Alara said, pointing at Daiki. “The rest of you aren’t even trying to blend in. That’s fine – you’re all pleasant and courteous guests, so we don’t care.”

Aquila shrugged and shoveled some egg into her mouth. “Okay then, they know. It’s all true – other worlds, powers of a god. These eggs are delicious. Can we get the recipe when we leave?”

Alara blinked. “Sorry, did she just say ‘powers of a–’”

“Don’t worry about it,” Cap said.

“And coffee,” Aquila added. “I’d like some coffee. Kasumi drinks tea, though.”

“I’ll bring some,” Alara said, a confused look in her eyes. She shook her head and made her way into the back.

“I got caught in my own information stream,” Aquila said, swallowing. “Some of it I’m...probably not going to be ready to talk about for a while. But, the important thing is that while I was in there, I saw the multiverse.

“It was...almost indescribable. Entire galaxies of worlds attached to their hub world, intermingling with each other. Just trying to process it is – I really don’t know how to describe it to you. Let’s just say that I did get a sense of just how far off course Daiki could have been sent. And based on that, and how far we’ve travelled, I think we’re close. Very close.” She looked Daiki in the eye. “In fact, I think our next stop is probably your world.”

RobertBMarks 2023-01-24 14:19:27 UTC #63

Also, a bit of news - the first draft of book 3 is now FINISHED! It comes to just over 93,000 words, and should be releasing sometime in November.

RobertBMarks 2023-01-27 14:23:54 UTC #64

Chapter IX of The Odyssey of Daiki Yamato is live! Reunited at last, Daiki Yamato, Captain Infinite, Aquila and her creator Kasumi enjoy a brief moment of respite in a quiet world. While they are there they must make their preparations, for the next stop will be Daiki’s home.

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RobertBMarks 2023-01-31 14:26:04 UTC #65

A preview of Friday's chapter of The Odyssey of Daiki Yamato:

“Daiki Yamato is dead!” shouted Daisuke, the Legendary Hero of the Crossbow. “He disappeared from the world weeks ago! The seers confirm it - he is not anywhere on this world. If he was alive, he would be back by now. It is time for you to pick a new party!”

Athena shook her head, her eyes blazing.

“The Devil King’s forces are at the borders of the kingdom,” Denki announced. “This is a time of war – not a time to be pining after your lost puppy love!”

Daiki glanced at Cap, Aquila, and Kasumi with alarm.

“We’ve got your back,” Cap said. “Do whatever you need to, and we’ll cover you.”

Daiki took a deep breath, and started walking forward. The Legendary Heroes and their parties ignored him.

“We’ve been in communication with the royal court,” Daisuke stated. “They are in agreement with us. If you do not pick one of us to join, we are to place you under arrest for desertion. You are as powerful as any of the Legendary Heroes – your place is on the front line, whether you like it or not!”

“Choose one of us to join, or be dragged back to the capital in chains,” Denki said. “Do it now. We’re done waiting.”

RobertBMarks 2023-02-03 15:16:50 UTC #66

Chapter X of The Odyssey of Daiki Yamato is live! At long last, Daiki Yamato has returned to the world he protected with his fiancee Athena. But Athena is not alone – the other heroes have come to her with an ultimatum: join them or be carried away in chains...

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RobertBMarks 2023-02-07 14:36:09 UTC #67

A preview of Friday's chapter of The Odyssey of Daiki Yamato:

“I want to set a ground rule,” Cap stated. “No matter what, we aren’t doing The Magnificent Seven.”

Daiki blinked. “What’s The Magnificient Seven?”

Aquila shook her head. “I haven’t heard of that.”

“Neither have I,” Kasumi added.

“It’s an old movie,” Cap explained. “A village is being attacked by bandits. They hire seven mercenaries to protect them, and there’s a battle. The village is saved, but most of the mercenaries die. I don’t want to do that – I’ve lost enough friends. So, all of us survive.”

“Sounds like Seven Samurai,” Daiki said. “I can agree to that.”

“I don’t know what Seven Samurai is either, but I’m all for none of us dying,” Aquila added.

Kasumi stared at Aquila. “Definitely. None of us die.”

RobertBMarks 2023-02-10 15:18:02 UTC #68

Chapter XI of The Odyssey of Daiki Yamato is live! The Devil King is coming to kill the Legendary Heroes and win his war. On the eve of the battle, Daiki Yamato, Athena, Captain Infinite, Aquila and her creator Kasumi race to prepare defences that might hold the Devil King’s armies at bay.

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RobertBMarks 2023-02-14 14:32:55 UTC #69

A preview of Friday's chapter of The Odyssey of Daiki Yamato:

Daiki looked back out at the approaching army. They were now close enough to make out the gap between the marching columns. And they were starting to enter the kill zone in front of the barbed wire.

“This is going to be a long day,” Athena muttered, shaking out each arm and then picking up her great shield.

Daiki nodded and freed the Black Sword from its scabbard. He opened the interface and started sifting through the ranged attacks, selecting the ones most likely to do mass damage.

“Time for our first fair fight,” Cap said, rising into the air.

“You’ll have to tell me what that means later,” Aquila said, rising into the air a few feet away from him. Three spinning rings of longswords flashed into existence around her, criss-crossing in their orbits. Daiki felt a wave of fear sweep over him at the sight of it. “So, do we wait for them to take the first shot?” she asked.

“No,” said Cap, blasting full force with his laser eyes. In the distance, a line of demonic soldiers screamed as they were incinerated.

RobertBMarks 2023-02-17 15:07:36 UTC #70

Chapter XII of The Odyssey of Daiki Yamato is live! The battle against the Devil King begins. Facing off against an army of tens of thousands, Daiki Yamato, Athena, Captain Infinite, Aquila and her creator Kasumi will never be the same again.

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RobertBMarks 2023-02-21 14:05:06 UTC #71

A preview of Friday's chapter of The Odyssey of Daiki Yamato:

Aquila opened her eyes. She was lying in a cot inside what appeared to be a large tent. A warm blanket covered her legs and belly. Sticking out of her arm was a plastic tube attached to an empty blood bag on an elevated stand. A couple more empty bags lay discarded on the floor. Sleeping on a chair, her head resting against Aquila’s side on the cot, was Kasumi. A privacy curtain had been drawn around them.

A dull pain throbbed through her leg. Aquila frowned. Kasumi stirred and looked up at her. Her eyes were red and puffy.

“Thank the gods, you’re finally awake,” Kasumi said, taking hold of Aquila’s hand and squeezing.

Aquila winced. The pain was getting worse. “Where am I? Why does my leg hurt so much?”

“You were wounded,” Kasumi replied. “You’re in a tent at the aid station.”

Aquila frowned again. She searched her memories, but nothing came up.

Kasumi’s eyes teared up. “You almost died three times last night. They needed two healers to keep you alive. They nearly had to amputate the leg too.”

Aquila blinked and pulled off the blanket. A jagged scar marked the inside of the back of her right thigh. “I got hit?”

Kasumi nodded. “Cap cauterized the wound and brought you in.”

Aquila searched her memories again. Still nothing. “I’ll have to thank him for that, I guess.”

Kasumi buried her head in her hands. “Please stop doing this. I’ll do anything.”

RobertBMarks 2023-02-24 12:51:21 UTC #72

Chapter XIII of The Odyssey of Daiki Yamato is live! The battle is over, but Aquila has been wounded and the Devil King’s army remains intact. It is now up to Daiki Yamato to bring the war to an end and create a happy ending for everybody.

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RobertBMarks 2023-02-28 15:15:02 UTC #73

A preview of Friday's chapter (and grand finale) of The Odyssey of Daiki Yamato:

“You know, he was probably as desperate for a way out as you were,” Cap said. “You could see it in his eyes. He was in a war he couldn’t win, and he knew it.”

“He was going to beat us,” Daiki pointed out.

“True,” Cap said. “But he still had to fight everybody else afterwards. Nobody can take on an entire world, no matter how powerful they are.”

Daiki sipped his tea and stared at the table. “I guess that’s how Akari Soto wanted this story to end. Negotiate with the Devil King and end the war. I tried to make my own path, and followed her outline anyway.”

Aquila shook her head. “You really didn’t.”

Daiki blinked and stared at her.

“I read your character description when we met, remember?” Aquila said. “Akari Soto put a lot of extra information in there, including how your story was supposed to end. You were supposed to kill him. And then, you were supposed to discover that you had fallen in love with this world, and spend the rest of your life with Athena protecting it as the Legendary Hero of the Sword.” She sipped her tea. “The other heroes and their parties were supposed to die in the final battle, too. This isn’t your creator’s story any longer – it’s all yours.”

“Wait, so the author of this story was going to put a twelve thousand year-old civilization to the sword for the sake of a bit of extra tragedy in the ending?” Cap asked.

Aquila nodded. “She created a twelve thousand year-old civilization to put to the sword for some extra tragedy in the ending.”

RobertBMarks 2023-03-03 15:20:37 UTC #74

Chapter XIV and the Epilogue of The Odyssey of Daiki Yamato are live! His journeys and struggles over, Daiki Yamato finally takes his fiancee Athena home to Osaka, where they find their happy ending. And, at Blue Lotus Academy, “Detective” Natsuki and her friends are living their own private hell as the harem in a harem comedy, until Aquila, Kasumi, and Captain Infinite appear with an offer that will change all of their lives forever...

It's the final episode of this story, but there is at least one more short adventure to come, so please comment, like, share, and subscribe!

RobertBMarks 2023-03-25 14:47:53 UTC #75

We have some news!

Writing of the bridge stories between books 2 and 3 has commenced, and they will be appearing on Tapas (most likely starting in June). There are three stories planned featuring Aquila, Kasumi, Captain Infinite, Natsuki, Sayori, Yuri, and Yukari, and they are:

Labyrinth - Aquila, Kasumi, Cap, and Natsuki and her friends have been ambushed by slavers! Stopping the slavers isn't a huge problem for this group, but escaping from the magical labyrinth in which the slaver base is located is. Will they find their way out, or will Aquila have to ask for directions? This one will be a light comedy.
The Wedding of Daiki Yamato - The happy day is finally here! As Daiki and his beloved Athena get ready to tie the knot, Natsuki faces the uncomfortable prospect of coming face-to-face with the woman whose fiance she crushed on, and Aquila faces the moment she dreads more than any other: having to wear a maid of honour dress. This one will be a light comedy with a bit of drama.
Anime Club - Checking out a story world she was curious about, Aquila has made a dreadful mistake about its genre: it's not science fiction...it's horror. Now Aquila and her group will discover the terrifying secret lurking behind the doors of the local high school's anime club. The first draft of this one is written (it comes out at around 6,000 words), and it's inspired by Doki Doki Literature Club and the most recent two Higurashi: When they Cry anime series, so it's almost certainly going to get a mature content warning.

Note: titles are subject to change.

They will probably be published under the overall title of Tales from the Information Stream. In the meantime, both the first book and the main story of book 2 have finished their serializations, so if you haven't checked them out yet or haven't finished checking them out or just want to relive the adventure, this is a great time to do so before the new content comes online!

RobertBMarks 2023-04-03 14:44:11 UTC #76

Some news - the working cover for the bridge stories is now done!

Art is by Dabdab. And, the stories should be starting to appear on Tapas sometime around the end of May/beginning of June.

RobertBMarks 2023-04-19 14:35:12 UTC #77

There's news...a brand new Re:Apotheosis series starts on Saturday! This one is a comedy, and the title is Aquila and Kasumi watch...

And here's the blurb:

Aquila is a former god of destruction with a penchant for military coats and popped collars who waged a personal war against the world of her creator. Kasumi is her creator, who Aquila saved through a miracle and is now Aquila’s partner in all things. Now that Aquila has atoned for her actions, she and Kasumi are touring the story worlds with their friends...while taking a bit of time to watch some TV and movies.

Come join Aquila and Kasumi on the couch for a nice chill chat as they talk about the latest thing they’ve sat down and enjoyed.

And here's the cover art, created by Dabdab:

(The title layout is still being tweaked, but that should be done by Friday. What is on the series page right now is a temp cover and banner.)

While there is a degree to which this series exists to help keep active Re:Apotheosis content in play while the main storyline transitions out of serialization to the book series in print and e-book formats, there's a bit more to it than that. I really love these characters, and I love having them chattering away in my head. But, every time I finish writing a book or story with them, they leave my head along with the story. So, this is a way to let these characters stay in my head, with Aquila going on delightfully wild and bizarre tangents while Kasumi tries to keep up and remain a voice of reason.

Now, this is planned for a weekly schedule, but unlike a serialized story, these are reviews of recent shows and movies, and as such it's not possible to do as much in terms of creating a queue. I'm going to try to maintain a weekly schedule, but there may be disruptions, and if it has to move to every two weeks, so be it.

This is also a series based in positivity. I don't like the meanness of spirit that exists in pop culture commentary today, and I would much rather poke gentle fun at a good series that I like than tear down a bad series that I don't. So, if Aquila and Kasumi talk about a movie or show, it means that I enjoyed it and I think it's worth watching - it IS an endorsement. There will be no tear-downs here.

As I said, the series goes live on Saturday morning, and the first show Aquila and Kasumi will be sitting on their couch to discuss will be season 3 of Star Trek Picard...and Aquila has thoughts about it!

clarissapattern 2023-04-19 15:23:34 UTC #78

sounds like a lot of fun

Headypigeon4180 2023-04-19 17:14:11 UTC #79

This looks fun i'll go give this a read ^^

RobertBMarks 2023-04-20 18:20:47 UTC #80

And here's the finalized from cover for Aquila and Kasumi watch...:

(The link for the series won't be visible until the first installment goes live at midnight Pacific time on Saturday morning.)

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