1. Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. For prospective new members, a word of warning: don't use common names like Dennis, Simon, or Kenny if you decide to create an account. Spammers have used them all before you and gotten those names flagged in the anti-spam databases. Your account registration will be rejected because of it.
    Dismiss Notice
  3. Since it has happened MULTIPLE times now, I want to be very clear about this. You do not get to abandon an account and create a new one. You do not get to pass an account to someone else and create a new one. If you do so anyway, you will be banned for creating sockpuppets.
    Dismiss Notice
  4. If you wish to change your username, please ask via conversation to tehelgee instead of asking via my profile. I'd like to not clutter it up with such requests.
    Dismiss Notice
  5. Due to the actions of particularly persistent spammers and trolls, we will be banning disposable email addresses from today onward.
    Dismiss Notice
  6. A note about the current Ukraine situation: Discussion of it is still prohibited as per Rule 8
    Dismiss Notice
  7. The rules regarding NSFW links have been updated. See here for details.
    Dismiss Notice
  8. The testbed for the QQ XF2 transition is now publicly available. Please see more information here.
    Dismiss Notice

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

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

Loading...
  1. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Experienced.

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2016
    Messages:
    3,608
    Likes Received:
    29,694
    "Ugh! You're even more hideous in person than my receptionist described. How did you even get this far alien? I have to fire someone for not reporting you."
     
  2. Stsword

    Stsword Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2017
    Messages:
    1,714
    Likes Received:
    9,865
    Huh well Zoat seems to have left out a funny little quirk of Euphorix.

    They are elves in SPACE...ACE...ACE.

    The cities of Euphorix in the comics, you see, are tree cities.

    Like tree houses but whole cities. On a single really big tree.

    Well the woodwitches are elves in space.

    In the comics, Euphorix is split between two cultures- The hightech with magic woodwitches who live in the tree cities, and the farmfolk who are subsistence farmers with shamanistic beliefs.

    Psychic powers like Primus' are common among the woodwitches, but unknown to the farmfolk, so poor Primus was originally kicked out by his family and exiled for being a freak until a farmfolk shaman claimed that the spirits blessed Primus with his powers to be "stronger than any of the woodwitche's hexmagic."

    Probably for the best that Zoat doesn't use the woodwitch/farmfolk divide. Medieval style peasants on a planet with interplanetary level technology is a bit hard to explain. Certainly not impossible, but still weird.
     
  3. Bramble Thorn

    Bramble Thorn Verified Silhouette

    Joined:
    Dec 9, 2015
    Messages:
    667
    Likes Received:
    4,406
    Now I know it implied he was using his ring to make him pass for a harmless unarmed local, but I'd like to imagine it ans one of those candid camera skits. Like the producers put a man inside a crab-man suit, dress that crab man in some local clothing, add on some glasses, toupee, stick on eyebrows and such, and then send him somewhere to see what happens.

    So basically the receptionist sees this comically bad act of an alien trying to be all nonchalant walk inside.
    Now obviously, someone is trying to take the piss at her expense.
    But she is not some green unter the gills receptionist, no!
    She is a seasoned veteran with many years of service, and will not break her professional no matter how much someone want to get a laugh out of her. So, the alien-trying-pass-for-a-local-very-very-badly in this skit has a message for the regent. From the queen who is locked outside the barrier. On Paper. And need to be let through tp deliver it personally. Truly only the very best taking-the-piss can be allowed when pranking the royal palace.

    Now a lesser receptionist would simply turn them away out of hand. "No, Mr. Crab-Man-In-A-Trenchcoat, I am not letting you in to see the Prime Minister so you can show him your 'Package'. That would be ludicrous."

    But I am made out of sterner stuff, this seasoned receptionist thought. There is an actual procedure for things like this. Not the Crab-man thing, but for verifying official correspondence. So let's just scan that prop seal, find out all the ways it doesn't pass muster, and that tell the Crab-Man that you would love to send him in, but the color of the wax is 2% off hue along the blue part of the RGB spectrum or something. See if he comes back later with a better colored seal. Then mention another of the wrong specifications. And when he gets close, then and only then notice that he is in fact a crab-man in a trenchcoat and refuse to allow him entry.

    ...except, the scanner reads the seal as completely legitimate, and it turns out the queen really did send a message via obvious alien trying to pass as a local...
     
    Cuchulin, Finerc, rdfox and 11 others like this.
  4. DrThoth

    DrThoth I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2016
    Messages:
    697
    Likes Received:
    2,976
    I kind of hope we get an explanation for what the wards were intended to do, since no one seemed to react to Paragon until they scanned the seal. Maybe they were just for passive detection.
     
  5. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Experienced.

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2016
    Messages:
    3,608
    Likes Received:
    29,694
    I like this. I like this interpretation very much. OL doing a Hugh Mann (badly applied) rubber-forehead alien routine fully convinced that he's actually fooling the locals.
     
  6. moralrelativity

    moralrelativity Recovering pendant.

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2016
    Messages:
    873
    Likes Received:
    3,602
    He's still acting like a courier. Off-world, sure but just a courier, and not the strongest Lantern in the universe.
     
    Chojin Patriarch likes this.
  7. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,696
    Likes Received:
    728,981
    Thank you, corrected.
    Because -while the Shinto 16 gods are perfectly happy to expand their pantheon- the Renegade hasn't joined it.
    Thank you, corrected.
    DAMN YOU, WIKI!
    It was a 'does this person mean us harm' sort of thing.
    Whoa.
     
  8. Sockmonkey

    Sockmonkey I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2016
    Messages:
    579
    Likes Received:
    3,032
    It's a name we can trust!
     
    AngelicKnight. and Agent Orange like this.
  9. Pinklestia

    Pinklestia Well worn.

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2015
    Messages:
    5,553
    Likes Received:
    29,972
    Someone been reading too much Asterix
     
    Chojin Patriarch likes this.
  10. Tembu

    Tembu Trying to read here

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2017
    Messages:
    61
    Likes Received:
    114
    Filler chapter with zero to little plot progression. Still I appreciate any consistent updates. Thanks for the chapter
     
  11. Chaoswind

    Chaoswind Lord of nonsense

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2019
    Messages:
    1,168
    Likes Received:
    7,088

    We know who this guy is. He had dealings with Grayven and spoke with him on good terms. So this shouldn't be going to hell unless Kalista wrote in her message something that would instantly classify Paul as an enemy.

    The shield ISN'T going down and Alonzo and most of the aristocracy don't want the queen back... Heck Grayven noted that Alonzo was ruling by a democratic decree of the aristocracy and for the people of Euphoris seemed to prefer him over Kalista.

    Honestly she is a mid-low tier magic user with extremely little to offer as the people of her world on average don't really give a fuck about her, so for Paul Alonzo is orders of magnitude more useful than Kalista.
     
  12. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,293
    She did however play a part in the destruction of the Psions and in the Vega Alliance, so she does have that going for her.

    She's probably one of the most popular figures in Vega now, and has influence in the Alliance, so by helping her Paul may improve his relationship with the Alliance.

    Plus I remember that a member of the Crown Imperium stated that they were considering trying to form a political marriage to gain influence in Vega and Kalista was a candidate.

    Maybe Paul can convince Alonzo and her to work together, that way everybody wins.

    And I don't think it was ever stated how powerful of a magic user she was in this story, though I could be wrong.

    Also they may decide to lower the shield if they find out the Citadel and the pirates have been dealt with.

    That was probably their main reason for using it and now that they're gone the shield may be seen as a waste of energy.
     
    Finerc and Bramble Thorn like this.
  13. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Experienced.

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2016
    Messages:
    3,608
    Likes Received:
    29,694
    Yes? We do. I am not really sure why are you responding to me. This was a joke post about Alonzo's reaction to Paul's attempt to pass himself off as a local courier one chapter after he noted how visibly (and uncannily) different Euphorixians (?) are from humans Terrans.

    That being said, you ain't wrong. I very much doubt Paul cares one bit who he deals with or who sits on the throne as long as he gets his psychics, mages and magical psychics. If Alonzo offers him a better deal Kalista will be dropped in an instant (he might deliver a 'I respectfully decline to acquiesce with your request your majesty' letter on his way out just to say he fulfilled his part of the deal).
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2021
    Bramble Thorn likes this.
  14. rdfox

    rdfox Know what you're doing yet?

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2019
    Messages:
    167
    Likes Received:
    916
    Or good old Washington, DC.
     
    Finerc and Chojin Patriarch like this.
  15. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2015
    Messages:
    5,520
    Likes Received:
    20,757
    So wait... That was a mistake on your part?
     
  16. Pinklestia

    Pinklestia Well worn.

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2015
    Messages:
    5,553
    Likes Received:
    29,972
    So... will Zoat ever do female Paul? DC does have a gender reversed universe and that.
     
  17. Aabcehmu

    Aabcehmu Confusion As a Natural State of Being

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2015
    Messages:
    486
    Likes Received:
    434
    This may be a false memory, but I feel like I remember there being an interlude with a sex-swapped Paul, who proceeded to swap back to male with his ring because having a female body was unpleasant for him.
     
  18. infinityDivided

    infinityDivided ******** of Doom

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2016
    Messages:
    991
    Likes Received:
    5,367
    I don't it ever actually happened, but that might be what Zoat SAID would happen.
     
  19. Threadmarks: Back Seat (part 14)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,696
    Likes Received:
    728,981
    5th July 2012
    02:27 GMT


    Regent Alonzo Dulak steeples his hands on the other side of the desk, which combined with his red clothing/albino physiology colour scheme makes him look so totally evil that I scan for vampirism. No. Do Euphorians see on different wavelengths to humans? Not significantly.

    Guess it's cultural, then.

    He glances at the opened letter on the desk next to him

    "The only thing I don't understand is why -having broken through our shield- you're pretending to be an ignorant courier."

    I straighten my stance slightly, prompting my escort to tighten their grips on the weapons slightly. His office is pretty plain, considering he's spent a decade or so as the ruler of all he surveys. There's an oil painting of a group… A young Kalista and a few other people I assume are her immediate family. No Pren, but it could well have been before they met. No pictures of his family, and the stone statue in the corner has been in place long enough to have faded where the ceiling light shines on it.

    "Because while I'm obviously not what I appear, no one knows what I am."

    "You're biological. More creative than the vat-creatures the psions usually make… No, I can't see them allowing someone this amount of independence. The Crown Imperium, perhaps? I'd be surprised if they had teleportation technology advanced enough to bypass the shield, but it's not impossible."

    "May I ask if you've read the letter?"

    "Yes. And I have." He moves his hands apart, laying his left flat on the table and drumming the fingers of his right on the letter itself. "Did you?"

    "Not the letter, no."

    "The Gordanian Empire and the Wombworld have been destroyed, and we are to lower the shield and resume contact with the wider universe. The seal is accurate, the writing matching both Queen Kalista's penmanship and lexicon and the letter is composed as a royal dictum." He moves his left hand, picking up a small scanner and waving it over the letter. "Finger prints and genetic traces from both Queen Kalista and Lord Pren-. Is he still calling himself Primus?"

    "Yes."

    He shakes his head dismissively. "Nonsense like that is why the late Queen never approved Queen Kalista's marriage. What sort of person starts out on a quest for justice by changing their name? The man's a complete chuuni."



    Today is a good day.

    "I couldn't possibly comment."

    I take a data stick containing the rest of their messages -as well as a summary of the situation in the Vega Systems- out of my pocket and-.

    And roll my eyes at a guard who was a little ahead of the game and pointed her gun at me the moment I moved, then offer it to her.

    "The rest of the messages. To be released or not as you see fit."

    Alonzo looks puzzled.

    "I doubt that your instructions included 'as you see fit'."

    "I offered to convey the letter. I'm not here to make sure that someone with no obvious incentive to remove themselves from office obeys the content."

    "I don't appreciate your tone."

    "But you do appreciate the content?" He moues and I shrug. "I'd like to employ Euphorians from specialist professions, but it's hardly the end of the universe if I can't."

    "What professions are those?"

    "At the moment, telepathic specialists. I've got a job to do that requires a great deal of telepathic involvement, and even if my other negotiations go very well I'm going to need more. And I can't get them unless the shield comes down."

    "If you want to access the contents of a person's mind, there are far easier ways to do so. I can build…"

    I shake my head.

    "I need to move sixty billion consciousnesses from a radio telepathic network. Do you have a device that can-?"

    "No."

    "I'd also like to employ a necromancer."

    "We.. have those, but why? They can't operate on a thaumically dead world."

    "I know. My homeworld and our immediate neighbour are both thaumically active. We've just never really developed a tradition of sophisticated necromancy."

    "It's a minority interest amongst a small segment of our population, but I assure you that those who master the subject are perfectly sophisticated." He looks away, sighing. "No, there's no getting around this. If the fighting is over, I'll have to lower the shield. I'll need a few days to go over the data and come up with a form of words to use to convey what's.. happened to the general population."

    I nod politely.

    "That's probably sensible."

    I can see perfectly well that he didn't want them to return. As far as I can tell he'd rather assumed that they were gone permanently the moment the shield went up, something he regarded as a good thing. As far as I can see he hasn't done a terrible job of running the planet in Kalista's absence, and… How disconnected from the goings on in the rest of Vega are the Euphorians? Will they care about a Queen who left them for a decade, when set against the man who kept them safe and ruled them wisely?

    Isn't it great that it's not my problem?

    "Would you like to send a message back?"

    "Yes, I probably should."

    He pulls a sheet of paper out of his desk drawer and picks up a.. fountain pen analogue, then writes a hurried reply. I wait while he finishes, then lowers the pen and waves a device over the paper to dry the ink. Then he folds it and then applies his seal to the join. Lastly, he picks it up and holds it out to me.

    "Fine. Deliver this into Queen Kalista's hand."

    "Certainly." I lean forwards and take it from him.

    "And-." Something occurs to him. "Since the shield will most likely come down in a few days, would you like to speak to one of our necromancers before you leave?"

    "No need. Back in a second."

    I raise my right hand to my forehead,

    head towards Kalista and Pren's shared desire to return home and then

    return to the material universe.

    "Here." I jab at her with the letter, and she instinctively takes it. "He wants a few days to prepare."

    "W-?"

    And then it's

    back to Euphorix.

    "But I would appreciate it if I could speak to one now."
     
    Last edited: Jan 5, 2021
  20. Nervaqus987

    Nervaqus987 Well worn.

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2014
    Messages:
    5,377
    Likes Received:
    45,155
    Well, I can't say that it isn't a valid concern.
     
  21. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,293
    Maybe he didn't redecorate when she left and those things are just hers.

    And we thought the 'white best friend' thing was going to be the only similarity aliens had to humans.

    But you want to.

    Well superheroes, and technically New Gods.

    Supervillains may also count, if only because their quest for justice has the end goal of destroying justice most of the time.

    But you know what they say, hating someone shows that you consider that someone important.

    'to need'

    'want them'

    The fact that she played a part in the destruction of two evil groups that made them go into isolation may be seen as admirable amongst her people, and could potentially help her.

    Plus she also has allies in the Vega Alliance, so she could help them reconnect with the rest of their system, who may not be all that big fans of the Euphorians for hiding, even if it's something they themselves may have done if given the chance.

    Missing an " at the end.
     
    Last edited: Jan 5, 2021
    Ardy, jonasquinn, Gilhelmi and 15 others like this.
  22. Someguy Somewhere

    Someguy Somewhere The Critical Fumbler

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2019
    Messages:
    590
    Likes Received:
    3,905
    Now that's just showing off.

    Not a bad thing, per say, but the fellow is already rather unhappy. Still, its a decently blunt demonstration that the shield isn`t going to stop things from progressing if he doesn`t get on with things in a timely manner.

    Hmm.

    This whole mess, while involving OL, is a bit like his issues with the Thanagarians....they`re sophisticated and resourced enough to solve their own problems without him sticking his oar in uninvited. It really isn`t his problem, and Vega`s in a state that it should be able to deal with anything odd coming out of here on its own, with local resources, including local lanterns.
     
  23. Handlewithcare

    Handlewithcare Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2019
    Messages:
    1,289
    Likes Received:
    12,974
    Paul is really enjoying himself, isn't he?

    I'm wondering how much of this behaviour is a reaction to stress.
     
  24. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,293
    To be fair the Thanagarians haven't exactly dealt with evil gods, while Paul has.

    And Paul also knows several Forge Gods, and it was his actions, like getting them more interested in working again, that brought their attention to the Thanagarians, who needed Nth Metal and couldn't make it themselves.
     
  25. Doccer

    Doccer I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Jul 21, 2019
    Messages:
    876
    Likes Received:
    2,251
    sighing
     
  26. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,696
    Likes Received:
    728,981
    Thank you, corrected.
     
  27. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2019
    Messages:
    2,149
    Likes Received:
    33,434
    I guess the choices of colour are just cultural, then. Maybe with local dyes, red was a more difficult colour than purple, so it became the colour of royalty or rulership? Maybe the combination he has isn't culturally aligned with horror mythos like their equivalent to Dracule? Or just maybe he likes the colour. :p

    It's fun? What, OL can't have a little fun while he works?

    Presumably he's professional to keep that sort of thing in more private offices, where he gets the real work done, instead of his 'receiving' office...

    Still concerned it's an enemy plot? He certainly hasn't heard of Orange lanterns, of course, given the lack of communication. Properly paranoid, at least.

    :rolleyes: As if OL really cares what it says, beyond 'it's safe, turn the shield off.' He's a professional, after all.

    I know, it sounds like fiction. But with so many signs of it being genuine, well...

    :eek: I really hope that's a translation of some local term for stupidly edgelord teenage nitwits... I love the audible disdain you can sense in his dismissal of Pren's foolishness, too.

    I bet OL never thought he'd find a kindred spirit here of all places.

    Including info on the new powers in the sector, I hope. Like Orange Lanterns. It won't take long for Alonzo to make the obvious connection...

    Well, she's either twitchy as fuck, or really keen about her duty. Hell, why not both? Commendation for reaction time, if nothing else.

    He's not working for Kallista. He's just a messenger. I doubt he much cares if the shield drops or not, beyond the obvious interference with his goals...

    But it's so obvious, my dear Regent. I bet if he could ever read the Discworld novels, he'd feel an immense kinship with Lord Vetinari...

    Heh. Being able to get some off-world contracts even before the shield goes down would be quite a feat...

    Too small a scale, my good man. Just wait until you hear this...

    Yeah, I don't think anyone's got that kind of technological grunt. Even Earth!

    That won't be a problem. I rather suspect they'll have to adjust their spells to reduce the energy intake, depending on the saturation difference between Euphorix and Mars...

    'Perfectly sophisticated', eh? So, not dressing in the chuuni-worthy stereotypical outfits, then? And I see he's smart enough to consider the public's reaction to something like the Shield dropping.

    You're really liking this fellow, aren't you, OL? He actually thinks!

    I suspect Kallista won't be happy with things, either. I foresee some trouble as they settle back in.

    Until it escalates into something you have to come over and deal with personally.

    Oh, yes, that's the tone of a man who sees his career about to descend into the shitter by way of stupidly childish royalty.

    Estimated delivery time: two seconds. Would you like a reply too?

    Ah, at least he's able to look past his imminent demotion to more useful business.

    Which is probably really bright at this point. Easy to navigate by, this close.

    No time, business calls, gottago!

    Haha! I bet that gets the old Spock eyebrow as Alonzo takes it in. And he's sharp enough to note that OL could have done that from the start, yet was polite enough to play along with the whole security escort drill.

    ...Is it just me or is anyone else getting a strong Vetinari vibe from Regent Dulak here? I mean, he's got things running smoothly, comfortably stable in his position, and then along comes the absent rulers looking to just step back in like it was yesterday?
    If Kallista's got even half a brain, she'll realise Alonzo's got things well in hand and decides to take the figurehead route, living a life of leisure and relaxation. Or maybe she'll let him get on with it and go back to space? ;) We can but hope she's that smart...
     
  28. Chaoswind

    Chaoswind Lord of nonsense

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2019
    Messages:
    1,168
    Likes Received:
    7,088
    Alonzo won't have a problem lowering the shield to let the queen return, but the rest of the aristocracy probably will.

    Also her position in the Vega alliance ought to be a joke one with no actual power, the Omega men are less than a few dozen terrorist with delusions of importance. Heck her position in the alliance probably rest sorely on the implied idea they "have" the right to use euphorix resources and armies... Something the actual people of Euphorix may strongly disagree with. Then again Paul washed his hands off Vega for the most part and is only back because of a side quest, so maybe I should take a similar stance and not care about what is happening right now.
     
  29. ForeverShogo

    ForeverShogo Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2016
    Messages:
    453
    Likes Received:
    2,723
    So on the earlier question about a genderbent DC universe.

    Yes, DC has universes with genderbent versions of the characters we're familiar with. There's at least one where it's a complete reversal. Where male and female characters have been genderbent. I think it's actually more common for there to be universes that roll with the idea that all the heroes and villains are female. In that universe, heroes/villains who would otherwise be male are instead female . . . And then the ones that would be female are still female.

    I think Zoat said a version of Paul actually ended up in one of the universes where he'd be the only male super. Don't think it's ever been suggested there is a "Paula" out there somewhere.
     
  30. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,293
    I remember an omake that someone made of a Violet Lantern Paul who ended up in such a universe.

    Power Girl was flirting with him and well remember early Paul and how he reacted around someone who flirted with him.

    Though in the Fools Day episode he mentioned something about Diana meeting a male counterpart of hers.
     
    Cuchulin, TopHatWearer, Ardy and 2 others like this.
Loading...