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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Reader mode
@Mr Zoat Is this Paul in a relationship with Anissa? How's that going?
 
Ngamer11 said:
As for Silver Age Kara, I think she really is genuine.
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dw7thdoctor said:
I think this story plot is where Mr. Zoat is getting this plotline from, but I could be wrong. https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Supergirl:_Many_Happy_Returns
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Yes, Zoat literally linked a panel from that story in her introduction. But I don't buy it. She just has too many ready excuses, too many deflections, and I remind you there's still no explanation for what she's doing here. No one has ever really questioned her. I think the recent "Arion returns" arc shows Zoat isn't averse to doing a fakeout.

Silver Age Kara acts like someone acting out a parody of the Silver Age, and there are these hints that she's laughing at everyone somewhere behind the act.
 
Steelplaza said:
Yes, Zoat literally linked a panel from that story in her introduction. But I don't buy it. She just has too many ready excuses, too many deflections, and I remind you there's still no explanation for what she's doing here. No one has ever really questioned her. I think the recent "Arion returns" arc shows Zoat isn't averse to doing a fakeout.

Silver Age Kara acts like someone acting out a parody of the Silver Age, and there are these hints that she's laughing at everyone somewhere behind the act.
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I guess you are right. My first thought we she shrugged off the Kryptonite was that she was a robot of some kind, but then I looked up where that panel came from and thought well that makes sense.
 
Mr Zoat said:
Yes, and about as well as can be expected.
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Poor man, he basically can't date a human woman now without endangering her. Definitely can't let down his walls to Anissa or such a woman. Raising the eventual viltrumite children, and aiding these mothers… dang. At least this OL's Mark is improving? He's probably become more clever than the average Invincible too, which will likely matter when this situation heats up.
 
dw7thdoctor said:
I guess you are right. My first thought we she shrugged off the Kryptonite was that she was a robot of some kind, but then I looked up where that panel came from and thought well that makes sense.
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If the Kryptonite wasn't from her universe then she could have potentially been able to tolerate it.
 
Interesting. That specific incarnation of Mark wasn't one of the ones Angstrom recruited into the canon Invincible War. I wonder what made him pick him for this fic's version of that conflict.

Also, depending on how their interactions with their consorts go, exposure to human affection should actually be making the Viltrumites better people at a remarkably quick rate. (Even if by better it just means they treat each other and humans better.) For all that they mocked Nolan for being "corrupted" by the time he spent on Earth, he ended up being much more strongly willed than his brethren. It took Nolan way longer to be worn down than the others, with the likes of Anissa and Kregg crumbling in the face of receiving love and affection.

The way they live is psychologically unhealthy for them, and that speech about being lonely that Conquest gave in the show is pretty indicative of what their ideology/lifestyle has done to them.
 
ForeverShogo said:
Interesting. That specific incarnation of Mark wasn't one of the ones Angstrom recruited into the canon Invincible War. I wonder what made him pick him for this fic's version of that conflict
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From a Doylist point, it's to get the SI involved in the Invincible story.

From a Watsonian point, this version has apparently been making some minor progress in the mental health department, so he may have held onto some parts of himself before he went all Nazi, like his love of his mother and friends.

Most of the Invincibles were offered multiversal conquest, but not all of them.

The one that had the Spiderman-like mask wanted to take main Marks mother because he missed his.

The one without the mask was apparently gay and may have wanted to see William, who he may have been dating.

The one with the scars was apparently put in a Viltrumite prison by Nolan and he wanted to kill at least one version of his dad.

ForeverShogo said:
Also, depending on how their interactions with their consorts go, exposure to human affection should actually be making the Viltrumites better people at a remarkably quick rate. (Even if by better it just means they treat each other and humans better.) For all that they mocked Nolan for being "corrupted" by the time he spent on Earth, he ended up being much more strongly willed than his brethren. It took Nolan way longer to be worn down than the others, with the likes of Anissa and Kregg crumbling in the face of receiving love and affection
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When they were on Earth they were hiding what they were.

They're not doing that here.

The women know that they're ruthless monsters that can and would kill them if they do something they don't like, so they may not be so affectionate.

And at best they'd be pretending, but the Viltrumites would probably know that and just not care.

Appealing to their better nature through the power if love is probably not a realistic option there.
 
Goo-Goo G'joob (part 2)
18th June 2013
19:21 GMT -5

Seven months late…

Jade looks around the outer halls of the palace as we're led through them. She decided to dress in a sort of red and blue version of the dresses I've seen the female dream people wearing, including a sort of woven headband thing to keep her veil in place. I think it technically meets the requirements for a Darkstar dress uniform, though it's not something I've ever seen her wear before.

"Did you have that in your wardrobe ready to go?"

"No. But I know the design well enough to make a fabricator create it."

"Oh. This was.. when Ra's was a young man, wasn't it?"

That gets me a sidelong took of amused exasperation.

"I didn't meet Ra's al Ghul until I'd done my first couple of jobs. This was just a part of our training; fitting in wherever our target might be." She sighs wistfully. "It's amazing how many weapons you can fit in a burka."

"And of course the all-enveloping black fabric makes you look like a proper ninja."

"Ninjas wear whatever lets them fit in." She sidelong runs her eyes over my own outfit, which is a black suit with orange pinstripes. I haven't had a cause to wear this for what feels like ages. "It's easier to be covert if everyone isn't staring at you."

"Oh, you're worth staring at anyway."

A wryly amused left eyebrow rises. "Are you my target? Because that can work."

"Darling." I flit in front of her, take her right hand and clasp it to my chest. "I want to be your target forever."

"The longest anyone else managed was two weeks. And you resurrected him."

I think for a moment.

"I'm pretty sure I could last two weeks, but you'd be fairly sore-."

She snatches back her hand with an eye-roll, pushes me aside and continues on down the corridor.

I land with a grin and catch up with her in a few hurried steps.

"Did you ever visit Hub City?"

"No one goes to Hub City for fun, and no one there is rich enough to hire a Shadow."

"There's got to be a few misery-tourists who like that sort of thing."

"Blüdhaven is nearly as miserable, and Gotham is close by and has decent hotels." Huh. True, I suppose. "Most people who like misery like that prefer to be the ones causing it. It doesn't hit the same when it's someone else."

I raise my eyebrows slightly, and she shrugs.

"Erminia Inzerillo wasn't the first person I was hired to protect." She frowns. "Is she still alive?"

"Yes, though her father didn't make it."

She blinks. "Jacopo survived?"

"Yes, for better or worse. Spite's a heck of a motivator. I think he's actually doing better now that he doesn't need to handle polite society."

"Hm. Oh, Martyn says 'hi'."

"When did you bump into him?"

"They've started testing Effigies out in different roles. He stopped by where I'm stationed to drop off the new guy."

"Oh? They're not exactly subtle."

"The aliens on my new posting seem to think they can take Beetles without us."

"Can they?"

"Maybe if they got really lucky with their nukes. They just don't seem to understand what a single individual with the right equipment or powers can do."

I nod. "The Effigy is playing Opposing Force. Are they learning?"

"The soldiers he's beating on are. I don't know about their commanders."

"You can't help everyone."

"Why Hub?"

"If I get it right, then it's a huge boost to the local standard of living. If I get it wrong, who'd know?"

"Nn. Seriously."

"I just happened to be in Hub when a.. conversation with one of the local police officers got me thinking about what I could do with it. Um."

My eyes move to the wall as she glances at me.

"Who's pregnant this time?"

"No one. But. Ah. I may have accidentally seduced an alien queen. I was.. actually trying to set her up with Alan, but it looks like I made too good of an impression, between my combat record and how I was able to keep up with her explanation for some of her enchantments."

"You told her about me."

I hold up my hands. "First time we met. But apparently, on her world, betrothals are… They can be broken if you pay a penalty fee? Alan told her that that's not how it works during what he and I thought was a date and what she thought was a betrothal meeting with the head of my household… I just wanted to keep you in the loop."

"Do you want me to tell you about the guys who hit on me?"

"Not particularly. Not unless you think it's going to cause an organisational problem and I need to do something about it."

"Then why do you think I want to hear about it when girls hit on you?"

"Jade, she's fifteen hundred years old. She's definitely a woman."

"Girls or women. Or boys or men, just so we're clear."

"Ah… Mainly because I don't want to give you the impression that anything's… Happening that I'm keeping from you. And also because there's a certain amount of sociological evidence… That I shouldn't finish that sentence."

She smiles. "Too late."

"Alright, women seem to like it when their man is in demand because it reinforces the idea that he's 'high status', and thus she's done well to make him hers. There's no evidence that that's true for men… Ah, apart from ones who are into humiliation, which is sort of the point: it's humiliating. But it's mostly the not keeping secrets from you thing."

"So you think I like knowing that you turned down two queens for me?"

"And two princesses but that wasn't the main-." … "Do you?"

She looks thoughtfully disgruntled. "I'm not.. sure. Don't do it again to-. Try not to do it again to test it. I don't need to prove it either way."

"I will do my best."

And at that appropriate juncture we reach the doors to the Caliph's chamber, the guards on either side pulling them open.

"Your majesty-."

And there's the Caliph, ready to receive us.

And there's Morpheus, sitting on a slightly larger throne next to him.
 
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Mr Zoat said:
18th June 2013
19:21 GMT -5

Seven months late…

Jade looks around the outer halls of the palace as we're led through them. She decided to dress in a sort of red and blue version of the dresses I've seen the female dream people wearing, including a sort of woven headband thing to keep her veil in place. I think it technically meets the requirements for a Darkstar dress uniform, though it's not something I've ever seen her wear before.
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Seven months..? Or, right, his promise to visit the Caliph. Man, seven months in-universe and... How long our time? Regardless, I see she's respecting local tradition with her outfit, since the Caliphate here is technically Muslim? Though I doubt she's unarmed.

"Did you have that in your wardrobe ready to go?"

"No. But I know the design well enough to make a fabricator create it."
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A modest Islamic woman's garb, of course. Minimal exposed skin, a light veil and no doubt easy for her to fight in if needed.

"Oh. This was.. when Ra's was a young man, wasn't it?"

That gets me a sidelong took of amused exasperation.
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...He probably would find that sort of thing fashionable.

"I didn't meet Ra's al Ghul until I'd done my first couple of jobs. This was just a part of our training; fitting in wherever out target might be." She sighs wistfully. "It's amazing how many weapons you can fit in a burka."

"And of course the all-enveloping black fabric makes you look like a proper ninja."
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Eh, the all-black outfit is a cultural meme. I'm sure everyone knows, but the 'iconic' ninja outfit is a Kabuki stagehand's outfit, since some stories would feature an assassin who comes 'out of nowhere' by having a 'stagehand' attack... Then again, these days, stuff liek Naruto is more likely the popular view.

"Ninjas wear whatever lets them fit in." She sidelong runs her eyes over my own outfit, which is a black suit with orange pinstripes. I haven't had a cause to wear this for what feels like ages. "It's easier to be covert if everyone isn't staring at you."

"Oh, you're worth staring at anyway."
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Better than an all-orange tracksuit with whirlpool designs.

A wryly amused left eyebrow rises. "Are you my target? Because that can work."

"Darling." I flit in front of her, take her right hand and clasp it to my chest. "I want to be your target forever."
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Any other woman, that'd have them squirming in heir skirts...

"The longest anyone else managed was two weeks. And you resurrected him."

I think for a moment.
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...For Jade, it's just annoying.

"I'm pretty sure I could last two weeks, but you'd be fairly sore-."

She snatches back her hand with an eye-roll, pushes me aside and continues on down the corridor.
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Heh. I suppose she's heard that form way too many men. OL actually could manage it, though... And keep her healthy and hale through the whole thing too.

I land with a grin and catch up with her in a few hurried steps.

"Did you ever visit Hub City?"
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Wanting to brag to the girlfriend a little, OL? 😏

"No one goes to Hub City for fun, and no one there is rich enough to hire a Shadow."

"There's got to be a few misery-tourists who like that sort of thing."
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I think even they have limits.

"Blüdhaven is nearly as miserable, and Gotham is close by and has decent hotels." Huh. True, I suppose. "Most people who like misery like that prefer to be the ones causing it. It doesn't hit the same when it's someone else."

I raise my eyebrows slightly, and she shrugs.
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I suppose she's met a few such folk. Either as employers or as targets.

"Erminia Inzerillo wasn't the first person I was hired to protect." She frowns. "Is she still alive?"

"Yes, though her father didn't make it."
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Nice to see her work hasn't gone to waste.

She blinks. "Jacopo survived?"

"Yes, for better or worse. Spite's a heck of a motivator. I think he's actually doing better now that he doesn't need to handle polite society."
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For now, anyway. Sooner or later things will start to settle back into the old days...

"Hm. Oh, Martyn says 'hi'."

"When did you bump into him?"
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Effigy Prime? Either at a Darkstar base or a field assignment, I would expect?

"They've started testing Effigies out in different roles. He stopped by where I'm stationed to drop off the new guy."

"Oh? They're not exactly subtle."
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But sometimes you need unsubtle. Especially if there are likely to be Scarabs in the AO.

"The aliens on my new posting seem to think they can take Beetles without us."

"Can they?"
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Cocky, but unless they have kryptonian-level powers...

"Maybe if they got really lucky with their nukes. They just don't seem to understand what a single individual with the right equipment or powers can do."

I nod. "The Effigy is playing Opposing Force. Are they learning?"
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Better they learn now rather than wasting time and lives when it matters.

"The soldiers he's beating on are. I don't know about their commanders."

"You can't help everyone."
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Although I suspect the commanders will be helping themselves into an early retirement if they don't get with the times.

"Why Hub?"

"If I get it right, then it's a huge boost to the local standard of living. If I get it wrong, who'd know?"
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...Or care, really? After all, it's Hub City. At least this way, it's going to start living up to that name again.

"Nn. Seriously."

"I just happened to be in Hub when a.. conversation with one of the local police officers got me thinking about what I could do with it. Um."
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He's started projects on flimsier grounds.

My eyes move to the wall as she glances at me.

"Who's pregnant this time?"
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Hey, now. OL isn't that sort of fellow, you know that... 😏

"No one. But. Ah. I may have accidentally seduced an alien queen. I was.. actually trying to set her up with Alan, but it looks like I made too good of an impression, between my combat record and how I was able to keep up with her explanation for some of her enchantments."
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...Though he does keep stumbling into these things so many times.

"You told her about me."

I hold up my hands. "First time we met. But apparently, on her world, betrothals are… They can be broken if you pay a penalty fee? Alan told her that that's not how it works during what he and I thought was a date and what she thought was a betrothal meeting with the head of my household… I just wanted to keep you in the loop."
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Sadly, she's rich and powerful enough that "Sorry, I'm taken' isn't a deterrent.

"Do you want me to tell you about the guys who hit on me?"

"Not particularly. Not unless you think it's going to cause an organisational problem and I need to do something about it."
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And I suspect she hits back a little more forcefully than romantically. Amazing what a shot to the delicate parts of someone's anatomy will to to deter annoyances.

"Then why do you think I want to hear about it when girls hit on you?"

"Jade, she's fifteen hundred years old. She's definitely a woman."
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...Not the time for semantics, OL. Or whatever that correction was.

"Girls or women. Or boys or men, so just we're clear."

"Ah… Mainly because I don't want to give you the impression that anything's… Happening that I'm keeping from you. And also because there's a certain amount of sociological evidence… That I shouldn't finish that sentence."
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Sorry, OL, you started digging this hole, you have to finish the excavation until you taste shoe leather.

She smiles. "Too late."

"Alright, women seem to like it when their man is in demand because it reinforces the idea that he's 'high status', and thus she's done well to make him hers. There's no evidence that that's true for men… Ah, apart from ones who are into humiliation, which is sort of the point: it's humiliating. But it's mostly the not keeping secrets from you thing."
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Kind of is true for guys, technically. Trophy wives are a thing, you know.

"So you think I like knowing that you turned down two queens for me?"

"And two princesses but that wasn't the main-." … "Do you?"
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...I bet she is, but she'd rather fight a Scarab naked than admit it.

She looks thoughtfully disgruntled. "I'm not.. sure. Don't do it again to-. Try not to do it again to test it. I don't need to prove it either way."

"I will do my best."
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Heh. They've come so far as a couple for her to admit that...

And at that appropriate juncture we reach the doors to the Caliph's chamber, the guards on either side pulling them open.

"Your majesty-."
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Best behaviour, OL...

And there's the Caliph, ready to receive us.

And there's Morpheus, sitting on a slightly larger throne next to him.
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Appropriate, though, as he is of a higher position than the Caliph. Might gall the fellow to have to admit it, I bet.

Well, this promises to be an interesting conversation. No doubt Dream will have something to say about their little dream-boat. Hopefully a polite 'Please don't do that too often.' It's a pity Artemis isn't here, though, unless she's running a little behind. Then again, she might try flirting with Morpheus, which usually never ends well for the mortal in the long run...
 
Chojin Patriarch said:
Well, this promises to be an interesting conversation. No doubt Dream will have something to say about their little dream-boat. Hopefully a polite 'Please don't do that too often.' It's a pity Artemis isn't here, though, unless she's running a little behind. Then again, she might try flirting with Morpheus, which usually never ends well for the mortal in the long run...
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In the case of the mortal who immediately comes to mind (though her name doesn't, which makes looking her up harder), that was a very long run indeed (like, many millennia in Hell, for a bad break-up).
 
Mr Zoat said:
"Hm. Oh, Martyn says 'hi'."

"When did you bump into him?"

"They've started testing Effigies out in different roles. He stopped by where I'm stationed to drop off the new guy."

"Oh? They're not exactly subtle
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Wonder if Viltrumite DNA upgrades is all they got.

If Jevek scanned Eve's DNA then the Effigys would honestly be more Lantern-like.
 
Chojin Patriarch said:
I'm sure everyone knows, but the 'iconic' ninja outfit is a Kabuki stagehand's outfit, since some stories would feature an assassin who comes 'out of nowhere' by having a 'stagehand' attack...
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As I recall, the specific reasoning for this was that the stagehands, wearing black to signify they 'weren't part of the scene', would get "tuned out" by the audience's minds accordingly. Hence the stagehand-outfit-wearing ninja would - as far as the audience was concerned - literally come out of nowhere.

It's a similar mental effect to the famous 'gorilla on the basketball court' experiment.
 
What's the correct style of address for an Endless when you're following up on a 'Your Majesty'? Your Excellency? Your Endlessness?
 
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