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

Discussion in 'Creative Writing' started by Mr Zoat, Jan 27, 2019.

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  1. Pinklestia

    Pinklestia Well worn.

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    It would be hilarious if Grayven ended conquering Mars by "accident".
     
  2. Maxx Crowley

    Maxx Crowley I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Do they have a flag?
     
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  3. Valint

    Valint I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Eh, I'm hoping there's actually a reason for their racism.

    If it just comes down to "Stupid aliens are stupid in a way that even we enlightened humans have moved past, to make us feel better about the fact that we're inferior physically by making us morally superior", I'd find that unsatisfying.

    To me, there are better explanations for "shapeshifters deeply care about what color skin you were born with" than "they're morons". My personal favorite is that it's not that they were born with skin of a particular shade, it's that being [White] or [Green] or [Red] is about being born with a certain mindset, one that you in part inherited from your parents in the womb, and the skin color is just a manifestation of who you are.

    Perhaps being White means that you're warrior caste: Your enjoyment of conflict and crushing your enemies was a necessity way back when Mars was wild and unfriendly, but a detriment now that it's a peaceful communitarian society. Your mindset and values are simply different from most people around you, and they shun you because, on a pretty basic level, you live in a society that isn't designed for people like you, and there's good and solid reasons why everyone else has moved on from the kind of society you'd be happy in and doesn't want to go back to that.
     
  4. 2 Hot Crown Subdues the Sinful

    2 Hot Crown Subdues the Sinful Aris

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    I Ship It!
    That's why I said "omake". Someone's gonna write some.
     
  5. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Not exactly. Kalibak's big secret is that he likes nature. Stick him in the Everfree and make sure that Darkseid didn't find out about it and he'd be about as happy as he could be.
     
  6. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    I see the real Light has made it's first move.
     
  7. Phrexia Unbound

    Phrexia Unbound Oooh...that's good.

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    Now I just want an Omake of him having tea with Fluttershy...also he was turned into a Yak by the portal because it followed the same principal of universal adaptation as a Boom Tube and also because I wanted to make a pun. (Geddit, Kaliyak...Oh never mind.)
     
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  8. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Even at his most reformed, Kalibak wouldn't interact socially with a Lowlie like Fluttershy. Or drink tea.
     
  9. Maxx Crowley

    Maxx Crowley I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    I am curious as to what OL will do to upgrade himself/his weapons/his power after suffering that curbstomp murder. His railgun ammo has been rather...stagnant I'd say.

    Which makes me wonder....okay, so I've watched some TotalBiscuit recently, and he was playing some Warhammer 40K games. To be honest, his excitement and passion for parts of the games is what is making me very curious about 40K to begin with.

    But on that point, OL does seem to know what 40K is (I swear literally every English youtuber is a fan) so...why not fabricate some sort of Heavy Bolter? Which, as I understand it, basically fires armor piercing explosive rounds (and I love everything about that.)

    Too much ring power? OL doesn't like to break things per the usual?

    So far, we are seeing a lot of caution, but not (as of yet) much proactivity. Being proactive has been such a cornerstone of OL's character, him not being so, is at least partly what makes me think something is wrong with him/something's been done to him during the resurrection.

    And now I've got a big ol' pile of Grayven. And a pony.
     
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  10. Sceptic

    Sceptic Critical Irrationalist

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    Isn't that what the sidearm on Zatanna's Sororitas costume is?

    Edit: wait, never mind, that's a standard bolter.
     
  11. Buggy123

    Buggy123 I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    The problem is, while you can demonstrably make something like a bolter, there's no telling if that's actually a efficient design in the DC universe. It might not even be all that efficient in 40K, given that humanity has been technologically stagnant for a long time there.

    Zatanna has a bolter, but it's perfectly possible that if you decided to get rid of the thematic design and change how it works a bit, you could get a gun that's smaller and more powerful. Same with railguns, maybe; a good go-to ring weapon needs to meet a lot of criteria, some of which are a bit strange and poorly defined given how power rings work. So a heavy bolter might not be all that useful compared to a railgun or other exotic weapons.
     
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  12. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    You're over-estimating Paul's abilities and drive by a couple orders of magnitude.
     
  13. Maxx Crowley

    Maxx Crowley I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    I don't know if Zoat is using it, in fact I think he isn't, but last I knew, Emotional light Powered Ring's constructs do what they're creator thinks what they should do. Hence why Hal can make hard like missles that actually explode.

    Granted, OL seems to be very light on construct use. Mostly "Make gun" and "Make thing to hold in place while I shoot with gun."

    Might be his more practical mindset, but he has shown a tragic lack of imagination.

    I was mostly using it as a reference for a much heavier, powerful round. As it stands I think OL has Normal slugs, Anti-magic rounds, and Angel feathers. Thus, in my mind at least, a round designed to penetrate the target and then blow the hell up (Which is what I have been led to believe a Heavy Bolter does) seems like an escalation of force.

    He's the current Illustries (or however it's spelled) of the Orange Corps, primarily set for ring user recruitment and training. Agent Orange, the Ophidian's chosen champion. Unofficially Orange 1 (The very first of the true Orange Corps) and has shown himself to be more capable in his application of the ring then John Stewart, Hal Jordan, and Guy Gardner....none of which are exactly rookies when it comes to ring slinging. OL casually did shit they hadn't even thought of.

    I know that OL is stated to not to like to break things, and would probably prefer just to stay in his room and play with his toys. But if he can't up his game, then he doesn't deserve any of those titles, roles, or duties.

    He just got casually, and I do mean casually, murdered by an Angel while being completely and utterly helpless to do anything about it. If that doesn't give him drive, not only does he deserve to die again, but nothing ever will.
     
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2019
  14. Valiran

    Valiran Seeker of fluffiness

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    They were all xenocidal psychopaths, and their telepathy ensured that their offspring picked this up in the womb. Modern Martians don’t have that issue.

    That’s certainly an interesting idea, but I don’t think Martian racism is a way to make humans feel superior and enlightened. It’s a societal flaw that just happens to be more prevalent on Mars than it is on Earth.

    Boltguns have been around for a long time, and originated well before the Imperium’s technological decline set in. I once heard Chapter Master Valrak - sorry, Arch Warhammer - describe them as mass-producible weapons developed for the purposes of killing anything humanity might encounter, and that’s a job they perform quite admirably.

    Mind you, there are probably still weapons in DC that would be more effective “kill anything” options that don’t drain his ring, so the point is likely moot.

    That’s a fair assessment. Maybe small antimatter charges?
     
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2019
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  15. Maxx Crowley

    Maxx Crowley I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Hasn't OL already used something like that, only for it to be casually tanked?

    Or am I still thinking singularity/gravity attacks?

    Hell, I just remembered...he has a god damn Weaponer working for him. Upping his arsenal ought to be a chinch.
     
  16. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    That's the thing, he doesn't deserve any of those titles, roles, or duties.

    He's pretty much been coasting on general DC metaknowledge the entire time with the occasional brief exertion to pick up something shiny that's waved in front of his face. (Metaknowledge about canon which Paul's really lucky Zoat rewrote in places to make Paul right about.)
     
  17. Maxx Crowley

    Maxx Crowley I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    He's pretty much the universe's leading expert on Orange Light usage. I'd say that counts for something.

    Well, knowledge IS power.

    Personally, I think you're just needlessly down on OL for reasons that are unknown to me. Me, the person that considers OL to easily be the weakest protag of anything I'm reading right now.

    He's being beaten by a Puppeteer Naruto for goodness sake.
     
  18. Buggy123

    Buggy123 I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Ah, yes.

    I'm sure metaknowledge was the only reason he managed to merge with the embodiment of all Avarice in the universe, and then find harmony with his desires to come out of it not only unscathed, but more powerful than before.

    Oh, and becoming the favorite of that embodiment in the process? Pure metaknowledge. He knew what kind of treats she liked right off the bat.
     
  19. Sceptic

    Sceptic Critical Irrationalist

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    I was momentarily excited at the thought of a Known Space crossover before I realised what you actually meant by that...
     
  20. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    No, he thinks he's the leading expert, but the truth is that he knows almost nothing about the science behind the Orange Light itself.

    Further, the correct saying for this particular case is "knowledge can be power", with emphasis on the "can". Because a lot of the knowledge Paul has, he just doesn't bother to use or follow up on past a cursory glance.
     
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2019
  21. Maxx Crowley

    Maxx Crowley I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    I have no idea what a known space crossover is....so we're even?

    Well, it's between him and Larfleeze. One has been fairly productive with the Orange light, and one sat in a cave gorging himself in various ways for like....all the years.

    Ah, I think I see. This is one of those, if OL doesn't do or prepare for absolutely every single thing you can think of, and then do all that shit at the EXACT same time, then he's a fool, things isn't it?

    Yes, I'm beginning to remember the pattern.
     
  22. Sceptic

    Sceptic Critical Irrationalist

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    The bar is set lower than a gnomish pub, so he's not necessarily wrong (if you exclude the Controllers and possibly Dox, obviously).
    Ah yes, all that knowledge. One of his problems is that he doesn't necessarily know what's accurate, and some of what he does know is imprecise.

    We shouldn't be expecting Spacebattles competence from him. Of course, we should also bitch about what an idiot he is if he hasn't started fixing at least some of the problems revealed by the theurgic beatdown he got, but I suspect that'll be coming up in the next episode (or this ones supplementals).
    Known Space is a sci fi setting by Larry Niven, and one of the races is a bunch of proactive cowards called Pierson's Puppeteers.
     
  23. Maxx Crowley

    Maxx Crowley I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    And also because he is supposed to be, you know, a human being. Not a literary Terminator who spends every moment of every day plowing his way through a cosmic checklist.

    Occasionally he bakes.

    Never heard of it. That being said, I'm also extraordinarily picky about what I read or look for. Most, and by most I literally do mean 99%, published works are of topics I'm utterly tired of, and do not contain what I'm actually looking for.
     
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  24. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    You're confusing ring skill with Orange Light knowledge.

    Paul has never really bothered to learn anything outside of the "comic knowledge" about the Orange Light he uses.

    Which is why sensible people would have sat down with their AI and systematically eliminated each every thing till they knew what was and what wasn't.

    Given he's perfectly happy with his Orange Light soul that should, if we are following the canon rules for the emotional spectrum, go "poof" the moment someone decides to hit him with Blue Light that seems rather unlikely.
     
  25. Maxx Crowley

    Maxx Crowley I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    No, that's what machines do. Or clinically obsessed and compulsive people perhaps.
     
  26. Sceptic

    Sceptic Critical Irrationalist

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    Ah yes, because Dox is obviously a candidate for "leading expert in ring skill"... :rolleyes:

    Canon rules? Phhhht.

    Someone actually versed in the comics will probably point out a bunch of stuff that contracts that being a consistent canon rule, but I'm going to point out instead that that's not actually a thing in this story. Not to mention the whole thing about his soul being built out of more than just orange light.
     
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  27. Coda

    Coda Versed in the lewd.

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    I feel reasonably certain that OL's always-on orangeness is actually a disadvantage when it comes to raw construct power. He's efficient with his ring use because he uses constructs in ways that most Green Lanterns don't -- his techniques don't seem imaginative to us now because he's settled into a few staple moves, compared to his earlier phase of experimentation where he was trying out various constructs and giving them "cool" names. But his raw construct strength hasn't yet been shown to be all that much stronger than it used to be, and I think that's where his enlightenment is a disadvantage: by knowing his desires and balancing everything automatically, he doesn't have the primal "channel unmitigated greed" power behind his constructs.

    Having a default set of constructs he falls back on is, in general, actually a good thing. A lack of innovation is not a sign of weakness -- ask any significantly-experienced martial artist; having a well-rehearsed repertoire of reliable techniques is stronger and safer (for the user) than coming up with new, untested ideas on the fly. That leaves your cognitive effort available for paying attention to your opponent and choosing the appropriate technique for the situation at hand.

    While this was historically true, it should be noted that he's going out of his way now to try to learn more about it.
     
  28. alid610

    alid610 Light of the Revolution

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    I woukd tjink that the reds have racial instincts that make them naturally have distain or hate for tgeir severely alterd version.

    So like reds were least altered and whites were most altered so the reds have the racial hate of burnings in them but low key enough that seeing a horrificly neutred form like whites sets off that instinct.

    And bieng red naturally makes other martian submit to them as a subconcious desire especially seeing as they would be rulers as they retain their powers and the artificial fear of fire could have been used in early martian rebirth by the reds to become rulers.


    Where was this. And in what comic? That sounds insane and as all hell.
     
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  29. Stsword

    Stsword Versed in the lewd.

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    Sandman: Endless Nights.

    It's why Dream has such a bad relationship with Desire.

    Desire thought it was hilarious.

    Dream, understandably, less than amused.
     
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  30. Threadmarks: Field Trip (part 3)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    3rd January
    20:12 GMT -5


    I look around the circle. "So how much was she bullshitting me?"

    M'gann slumps, and J'onn doesn't look much happier as he activates the table's holographic display. "There have been significant instances of civil unrest in all Martian cities."

    An image of Mars appears, covered in markers showing the locations of cities. Most of the markers are the 'X' I associate with the Manhunters, each one split in colour between red and white. A handful of others are marked by a red circle surrounded by a gold ring. M'gann's eyes widen as she takes in how bad the situation has become. On my right, Ghia'ta's eyes dart from marker to marker, clearly astonished at the level of societal decay. On my left, Komand'r looks almost… Irritated?

    J'onn points to the globe. "Red indicates the degree of government control, and the extent to which society continues to function normally."

    I nod. That only gives a rough idea, but it looks like the central government has lost control of about a quarter of each city. On average; there's quite a range. The capital is about nine tenths red while other places are up to two thirds white.

    I point to a red sun emblem. "What are these?"

    "In most places, White Martians are reacting against centuries of sanctioned oppression. They have legitimate grievances, particularly now that we know our true origins. It was my hope that once the initial shock has died down all parties might reach a negotiated settlement. Martian society would have to change, but it would survive."

    He presses a button and the image of Mars shrinks and moves to the side, images of a group of White Martians taking centre stage. Um. I can just about tell them apart. There are very slight differences in build. But the most notable feature is that they all wear the red circle emblem.

    "These are members of a terrorist group called the Hyperclan. White Martian agitators in favour of violently overturning the Red Martian government and establishing a White only government have used that name for a significant period of time. In the past, they have limited themselves to occasional assassinations, but with the current break down in civil order they have begun acting more openly."

    He points to a red circle.

    "The Hyperclan is now in control of these cities. My ability to give you further information is limited, as there is no Manhunter presence inside of any of them. The last refugees to leave Kriglo-" He points to one of the red circles. "-reported that they killed every government official, but allowed the rest of the non-White population to evacuate. However, when Xan'Xie fell to their control, no such evacuation was permitted."

    I nod. "Hostages?"

    J'onn bows his head. "That is my hope. The Hyperclan are known to be the most extreme part of the White Rights movement, but it is unlikely that the majority of their new recruits share their fervour."

    I have a quick look for their home city of Mel'dilo'rn. Hm. A mere thirty percent unrest, give or take. Though given that they have mixed colour couples…

    "Put it in… Human terms for me. How badly are White Martians treated?"

    M'gann shakes her head. "It isn't.. uniform. Different cities had different levels of oppression. I just thought that… Knowing where we came from would reduce prejudice, not set off a civil war!"

    "M'gann…" I shake my head. "If a civilisation oppresses people, it really shouldn't be surprised if they rise up in violent revolt. I'm confident in my own mind that something like this was inevitable."

    She nods reluctantly, clearly unconvinced. "Some.. cities are like Apartheid South Africa. Whites are banned from going to some places or taking some jobs by law. In other places there aren't laws supporting it, but it's still very unusual for White Martians to work in certain industries."

    I nod. "And your government is theoretically a meritocracy but in practice no one who isn't Red… Who wasn't born Red can occupy the higher tiers."

    She nods again. "Something else I thought would make people happy. I don't know a single natural Red who can cope with fire as well as I can, but apparently I still don't count!"

    "So… You're complaining that your people's racism doesn't work in your interests?"

    "No, Grayven, I-." She glares at me. "That isn't funny."

    "No." Komand'r leans forwards. "It's revolting. Is this what becomes of peoples without an external enemy? They simply turn upon one another?"

    I smile wryly. "Amongst humans, the mere establishment of a group at some level is enough to cause outgroup discrimination. Formalised oppression is a little more unusual."

    "Should I expect this obscenity from Tamaranians in future?"

    I shrug. "Probably not. You had rivalries between demesnes after the Citadel conquest, didn't you?" A small nod. "Societies under stress fracture along previously extant lines. With Tamaran on the rise, I doubt that you have much to worry about. Which is not to say that you shouldn't be sure to involve people from all regions in the restoration."

    A slightly more definite nod. "As you did when you recruited your Lanterns."

    "The point wasn't to establish.. quotas. To make everyone equally involved. But I did want to ensure that everyone had some stake in things." I gesture to the image of the Hyperclan. "This is what happens when a group has no stake, no way to improve their position and someone who is very clearly to blame."

    She frowns at J'onn. "What are your military doing about this?"

    "Little. The Manhunters are more frequently deployed as police than as soldiers. Naval assets have been deployed to contain the Hyperclan, but this sort of civil uprising is… Unprecedented. And since we are not certain how their more… Exotic abilities function-."

    "Wait." I frown. "Wait. You come from a species of telepathic telekinetic shapeshifters but they've got something else?"

    "Yes. A wide variety of abilities, not unlike those of metahumans. I would like to know whether or not the Light had any contact with them."

    I shake my head. "Not as far as I know. It would rather go against their ideology… And there wasn't an obvious 'face' for it. Not impossible, though. Certainly, there weren't any operations I was aware of that involved the use of martian operatives." He nods. "So to return to my original question..?"

    "She did not lie concerning the sanctity of the monastery. Members of the Hyperclan delight in violating the taboo against attacking Red Martians. But the majority of demonstrators in the city you are visiting are far more peaceful. It is unlikely that you will be troubled."

    "And the school trip?"

    He dismisses the image of the Hyperclan and brings up an interior view of the city of Mel'dilo'rn. "The school you selected has a mixed population, and is located in a city which has historically been less colourist than many other places. There have so far been no violent demonstrations near it." He sighs. "However, I would advise that anyone who visits does so with an armed escort, and that you are prepared to return them by boom tube at short notice."

    I nod. I wanted to introduce some of the Center's older children to their martian contemporaries, to broaden their horizons and perhaps to give Doctor Williams access to better teaching techniques. The martians have actually systematised that sort of thing, while he's been forced to puzzle things out as he goes. I'll… Have to check that everyone and their parents understand the potential risks.

    "J'onn, what is your government doing to resolve this?"

    "There have been negotiation attempts. But the disunited nature of the opposition means that there is no one person with whom negotiations could be undertaken. I am… Concerned, that the situations will deteriorate to the point that the ruling council will order an attack. If that happened, even if it was successful, Martian civilisation would never recover."

    No. It wouldn't. "Ghia'ta, how good are your telepath baffles?"

    "I can prevent a telepath of Miss Martian's ability from detecting my presence."

    I nod. "Good. This… Is a Martian internal matter. However, a bloodbath isn't in anybody's interests. Take a look at the cities the Hyperclan have taken over." She nods. "Don't report on their defensive measures, but do report on the general conditions within."

    "I understand."

    "Thank you. So, J'onn, who in your government is pushing for what?"
     
    Last edited: May 21, 2019
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