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. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2015
    Messages:
    5,514
    Likes Received:
    20,548
    The things that protected those people from escalation were The Rules.

    But The Rules wouldn't protect Paul, and his ring wouldn't protect him either. Because Shadow and Vorlon weapons would cut through Light like it wasn't even there.

    As to the Malthiusans being equal to the First Ones, that would make things worse. Because the other First Ones aren't actually allowed to act, it's in The Rules.

    Its in The Rules to the point that The Shadows and Vorlons would both hunt Paul down with their biggest most advanced guns.

    Even if Paul showed up after the First Ones left the only real result would be Lorien showing up and taking him away.
     
    Cuchulin likes this.
  2. Threadmarks: Back Door (part 7)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,694
    Likes Received:
    728,852
    9th July 2012
    00:27 GMT


    This time, I called ahead.

    "Yes, we handled that transaction."

    The local woman opposite me shrugs. For a short sit-down meeting a local café suffices, apparently. This one has the advantage of being in the same building as her office. And a number of similar offices. Most of the tables around us are occupied by people engaged in similar activity, though the sound suppressors mean that I'd have to exert myself to eavesdrop on what they're saying.

    "Our planet's rules on donations to politically active entities are intended to make it possible to trace anyone who makes a questionable donation. Of course, what it… Actually did was encourage the use of firms like mine to act as the 'end-donor' so that our name goes on the records and the… 'Indirect' donor avoids scrutiny."

    "I'm a little surprised that you're being so open about it."

    She taps the side of her right horn. A disinterested shrug.

    "It's common knowledge. There are… Eighteen? Proposed modifications to the process progressing through our political system at the moment. Our legislative process is neither fast nor agile."

    "So how did this planet become a L.E.G.I.O.N. affiliate so quickly?"

    "That didn't require legislative change. The Proconsuls handle foreign relations with executive power, and by the time any of the legislation trying to cork their horns makes its way through the committee stage, the war will probably be over."

    "It's probably going to be a long war."

    "The meetings of department committees are open to the public. If you want to stop by one, you'll see what I mean."

    "Can I request that you tell me who the original donor was?"

    "Yes, but as my law firm is not a 'politically active entity' I don't have to tell you."

    "Can I persuade you to tell me?"

    "Hmmm. I'm not saying no, but I don't see how our planet's economy could survive you giving us the amount of money it would take. You've got the fines for breaking client confidentiality, and then there's the lost business relating to the fact that we broke client confidentiality, and then there's the impact on my career…"

    "Are you working towards something or is that a long-winded 'no'?"

    "It's a long-winded 'no'. But…" She slides a card across the table towards me. "Here are my direct contact details if you want to ask me anything else."

    I pick it up and subspace it as she gets up.

    "Thank you, but I'm afraid that the Orange Lantern Corps isn't currently interested in doing any counter-lobbying-."

    "Anything." She reaches towards me with her right hand and lightly rubs my right horn with her forefinger. "Anything else."

    She smiles, then struts away. Hm. I.. suppose this body must be fairly attractive by local standards.

    Or maybe she's just-.

    My original ring blinks.

    "Yes?"

    "Data acquired."

    "And retroactively justified. Is it another clearing house law firm?"

    "An investment corporation specialising in property transactions, on behalf of a trust."

    "Okay, so-."

    "Do you wish to give each party along the chain the option of being honest, or may we simply skip to the end?"

    "We'll have to come back and test everyone…"

    The waitresses at this café are… Staring at me. Huh.

    That doesn't happen on Earth. That I've… Noticed. I mean, I… Don’t go to cafés all that much..

    "Everyone, but I suppose we need to prioritise. Where are we heading?"

    "Second moon of the fourth planet."

    I look… Down. "Got it. See you there."

    A moment of disconnection

    and then I appear. This moon is interesting. Unusually high metal content, and they've essentially decided to take it apart. It's now visibly non-spherical due to the huge quantities of material they've removed, and the extensive metallic hydrogen extraction systems processing material from the gas giant it orbits has made this the prime ship-building location in the system. An appreciable chunk of the ships in the docking cradles are L.E.G.I.O.N. export models, which…

    I've had a big impact. Not just in blowing things up. Building things and enabling other people to build things as well.

    Huh. Surprising how good that feels.

    Lantern Gozzi appears next to me.

    "Do you wish to speak with the garrison?"

    "No. Not much point. I exist to back them up, and at worst we're going to be dealing with a few suborned locals and maybe a scarab. Got the address?"

    "Can you not see them?"

    "The programming they use for long term infiltrators isn't as obvious as that."

    I take a look around anyway, just in case. A lot of people around here. The locals went tall rather than broad when they left their homeworld. There aren't many in other systems but they're spread out across all of the small rocky bodies in their home system. Probably why foreign relations is an executive function; until recently they haven't really needed to have any. Not seeing anything that strikes me as particularly Reachy. Self interest? Again, nothing monoptically destructive. Moderately self-destructive, but mining is a physically demanding career and it's not like regular intoxication is statistically unusual.

    "I'm happy that I can be of use."

    I turn to face her, smiling. "Really? Are you?"

    "I.. think you may be reading too much into that statement. I intended it as social lubricant, not as a declaration of my life goal."

    "You can just be honest around me. I'm not easily offended."

    "Alright then. I think that you're being unproductively soft in the way you're conducting this investigation and that increased ruthlessness and haste would serve L.E.G.I.O.N. better."

    I nod. "You could be right. Please lead the way, and we'll see what we see."

    She accelerates in the direction of one of the supply centres, and I dutifully follow on behind her.
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2021
  3. Idkusername

    Idkusername Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2019
    Messages:
    1,463
    Likes Received:
    13,992
    OL, you smooth talker, you.
     
  4. Handlewithcare

    Handlewithcare Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2019
    Messages:
    1,289
    Likes Received:
    12,971
    Ah yes. Thst annoying moment when you go for "non threatening local" and accidentally hit "super model". Happens everytime. Smh.

    Good for Paul to get some validation of his activites. Everyone, but especially an Orange Lantern, needs that from time to time.
     
  5. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,285
    Looks like the Spider Queen has a new rival for Paul's affections.

    Hot damn, I'm imagining his form looks like this species version of Diarmuid.

    [​IMG]

    It's nice to know that even after he had weird tentacle ring sex with Jade, and had a baby with a giant spider, that Paul is still that oblivious guy he was at the start of the story.

    maybe 'Unusually'

    Down boy.

    Honestly thought this would be his chance to get some green space babe action, but oh well.
     
  6. DrThoth

    DrThoth I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2016
    Messages:
    697
    Likes Received:
    2,975
    He's sexually monogamous with Jade, so the time for that has passed.

    Though part of me wonders if everyone is staring at him because they're secretly drones for the Reach or something, but I'm sure he'd detect that.
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2021
  7. Vice Xarno

    Vice Xarno Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2020
    Messages:
    1,648
    Likes Received:
    5,859
    when was that i would like to know for, reasons
     
    ChestBurster, FourthPear and JoTa34 like this.
  8. Signaller

    Signaller Know what you're doing yet?

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2019
    Messages:
    127
    Likes Received:
    557
    Zoat, have you read Dark Money by Jane Mayer?
     
  9. Queshire

    Queshire Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2019
    Messages:
    466
    Likes Received:
    2,768
    Hmmm.... I wonder if OL accidentally gave himself unusually big... horns.
     
    Eld_Tiger, ChestBurster, Rebu and 6 others like this.
  10. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,285
    Maybe they're both drones and attracted to him.

    In YJ Abridged Khaji Da was so attracted to Nightwing that he eventually took over Jaime's body to have some of that perfect circus boy ass, so I don't see why something like that can't happen here.

    During the Vega Baby episode he rubbed a sexual organ of the Queen.

    In the Resolution episode he and Jade fucked.
     
  11. Maxx Crowley

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

    Joined:
    May 10, 2017
    Messages:
    873
    Likes Received:
    4,337
    Well now...*licks lips* I can work with that.
     
  12. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2019
    Messages:
    2,149
    Likes Received:
    33,423
    Ah, the joy of learning! I am impressed he was able to get a meeting on such short notice, though. Presumably based on being a L.E.G.I.O.N Operative greasing the wheels of bureaucracy...

    No doubt supplied by those having meetings here, unless the cafe itself caters specifically to serving as neutral ground. Evidently it's a good business to get into. A safe place to discuss business and good food? You'd be raking it in...

    It doesn't sound like any kind of secret. I'm sure a large number of the other meetings around them are similar brokers...

    I wonder how old the furthest along is? Years? Decades? Not knowing their lifespan, that may be blisteringly quick.

    Ah, so a form of Dictatorship, albeit one along Roman lines.You know, where the men (or women) in charge are patriotic and honourable enough that they give up power when their term concludes. I'll bet they've had a few bad apples down the centuries, though...

    And now I'm picturing those various national assemblies that have a high tendency to descend into shouting matches, if not full riots... It's that or old representatives droning on trying to filibuster their way into irrelevance...

    Obstructiveness isn't helpful, if said donors are an enemy nation... That's the sort of thing that tends to forcibly override the client's right to privacy...

    Boy, she's chirpy about it. No doubt she's been in this position before. I wonder how many times she's had this conversation with the local law enforcement...

    Well, OL. When a lady gives you her number...

    Given that the people in charge have declared for L.E.G.I.O.N, that's unlikely... Especially if any legislation getting debated now is facing a long, long discussion period...

    Oh, good grief. It is good to see that oblivious OL again. I'm wondering if that gesture would be very aggressively sexual to their culture. :p Like, the equivalent of a slap on the ass...

    Ah, business calls, no alien booty call even if he were willing to be unfaithful...

    I'm guessing that's been a running occurrence in their investigation...

    So, more or less the same thing: Deniable funnelling of funds through third-, fourth- or even fifth-parties...

    Eh, let the local law enforcement cover that. This is only the first major investigation you've got to handle...

    Staring and trying not to drool? Evidently he's got those movie-star looks... Bet there was that lingering hint of 'I want to look handsome' running under the ring's command...

    Heh, bet that confused everyone watching him...

    No small process. This is an impressive reminder of how advanced the locals are...

    Enjoy it, before you end up back on Earth where you're just 'The Cake Man' and people are actively opposing your best efforts.

    And if he can't solo a Beetle, then he doesn't deserve the title of Illustres. Though by now every little bit of information about him the Reach has will have been worked over, and tactics to counter him distributed to the farthest reaches of the Periphery.

    Wouldn't be very much use for infiltration if it wasn't.

    Work hard, play hard. And if some guys walk into the locker room the next morning with a few bruises, that's their business. Good to see some things are truly universal.

    OL, turn down the sarcasm, would you, it's creepy... :confused:

    True, that. And if he is offended he'll let you know.

    And again, he gets to see how she thinks as she works. OL definitely trains better in this kind of one-on-one back-and-forth...

    A small town (or as small as a moon being dismantled for raw material can get) possibly playing host to enemy Fifth Columnists? That's not a worrying situation at all. ;) Bets on how many chapters until the explosions start?
     
  13. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,694
    Likes Received:
    728,852
    Thank you, corrected.
    No.
    He's not being sarcastic.
     
  14. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,285
    If so then he may file a complaint for harassment, assuming this planet has something like that.

    Or maybe he likes that.

    He's had ring sex with Jade and had a kid with a spider chick he pleasured, so we know he's into some weird shit.

    Or as I posted previously, the looks of an Irish demigod.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    After the Sheeda they may be taking him more seriously.

    To a human, yes, but to a Coluan it may be something they like.
     
    ChestBurster, Cuchulin, Ardy and 3 others like this.
  15. Sockmonkey

    Sockmonkey I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2016
    Messages:
    579
    Likes Received:
    3,032
    IIRC it's like a running joke/meme/general fan theory that nightwing has the best ass in the DC universe, and thus transcends the species barrier of attraction.
     
  16. DrThoth

    DrThoth I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2016
    Messages:
    697
    Likes Received:
    2,975
    Not sure how familiar you are with Fate, but Diarmuid's sexiness is actually a superpower of sorts (the result of a magic blessing in his youth, I believe), though one responsible for a lot of the tragedy in both his life (his liege lord's wife fell in love with him and geased him into running away with her, which eventually and semi-indirectly led to his death) and death (summoned as functionally a ghost familiar, his summoner's fiancee fell in love with him too, which caused a fair amount of strife).

    It apparently lead to an upsurge of Google searches of Brenton Thwaites' ass after he was cast as Nightwing in Titans to see if he had the 'assets' for the role, according to TV Tropes.

    I feel like we haven't had the chance to properly see the effects of this yet in-story, so I hope we do soon. It's mostly been internal narration about how the world has been affected.

    Tangentially related to that, but will Euanthe develop into a genius loci of sorts for the new Accala nation/territory (or is she already one at this point)? I was wondering about the national embodiment of Brazil (assuming they had one) and what the possible impact of recent events was; did the embodiment metamorphose into a new kind of being to reflect the new dominant culture?

    The Parliament of Trees are located in (or can be accessed from) Brazil, IIRC, so with Euanthe in play things could be interesting on that front.
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2021
  17. The Unaligned Player

    The Unaligned Player Agony that desires to meet Extinction

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2019
    Messages:
    205
    Likes Received:
    1,256
    Diarmuid does not possess the Divinity passive skill. You are likely thinking of his Stay Night counterpart Cu Chulainn who possesses the skill at a B rank.
     
    ChestBurster likes this.
  18. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,285
    I always found that to be very weird.

    His father is a death god and he was raised by a god of love, and in the myths he is a demigod, but somehow he lacks divinity.
     
  19. DrThoth

    DrThoth I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2016
    Messages:
    697
    Likes Received:
    2,975
    Medea is a similar case of someone who really should have Divinity; Servant Skills and Statistics aren't always logical, I guess.

    Has there ever been Word of Zoat regarding an SI in the Nasuverse?
     
    Otto von Saurion and Darko like this.
  20. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,285
    Zoat said that he hasn't watched any of the Nasuverse anime and may not do so.

    Which is a pity, because if this chapter showed us anything, it's that Paul is a harem protagonist.

    Though there may be a Konosuba version sometimes.
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2021
  21. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,694
    Likes Received:
    728,852
    It's pretty unlikely. I was offended by their dreadful cultural appropriation.
    The existence of female friends and colleagues does not make a person a harem protagonist.
    Since that would require an encounter with Truck-kun, there probably isn't.
     
  22. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,285
    Pity, he and Shirou may have shared some things, like cooking tips and talked about their weird history with women.

    And given Shirou's desire to be a hero and help people, he may have been capable of wielding an orange ring.

    True, but the amount of weirdly sexual encounters he has had with women, like the thing with the Spider Queen and the woman in this chapter, do kinda point to the harem protagonist route.

    And he has had several weirdly romantic or intimate moments with his teammates.

    He could show up due to weird multiversal shenanigans.

    Though I'm also now imagining him somehow dying and ending up in that universe for some reason.
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2021
  23. Bramble Thorn

    Bramble Thorn Verified Silhouette

    Joined:
    Dec 9, 2015
    Messages:
    667
    Likes Received:
    4,406
    Dude. You are fucking English. Your country stole the statues from off the frigging Greek Parthenon itself and had them carted off to your national museum. Plus, the whole imperialism thing.

    If you wanted to get snooty about 'cultural appropriation' you'd have to start with the Queen and work your way down to the most newborn of your fellow countrymen before you ever got to the lore in a Japanese game universe. Be careful now, the high horse you are on looks to be so high you're liable to break your neck if you slip.
     
  24. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,694
    Likes Received:
    728,852
    Obviously I'm not offended by it when my country does it. That would be ridiculous.
     
  25. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,285
    Ahh, hypocrisy.
     
  26. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,694
    Likes Received:
    728,852
    It's not hypocrisy when I do it.
     
  27. BlueMangoAdea

    BlueMangoAdea Alive. For now.

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2019
    Messages:
    4,734
    Likes Received:
    17,221
    Impeccable logic, sir.
     
  28. Valint

    Valint I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2018
    Messages:
    799
    Likes Received:
    4,951
    There is something amusing about a Japanese guy essentially being a teaboo.

    It's a Japanese work in which King Arthur is the face and Camelot is treated as far more important than any Japanese heroes. The setting has the center of the magical world in London, with the headquarters of the Mage's Association literally located in the British Museum, and Japan is considered a provincial backwater.

    ... though, to be fair, it's a London in which people walk around with names like McDonell Elrond and Rocco Belfeban, but that just makes it even better.
     
  29. PDV

    PDV Revelation That Uncertainty Is Itself An Answer

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2018
    Messages:
    387
    Likes Received:
    1,466
    Hey, he's improved! Now he has noticed he's oblivious!
     
  30. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,694
    Likes Received:
    728,852
    Eh, we used to be pretty close. The the Second World War happened.
     
Loading...