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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. Radix

    Radix Not too sore, are you?

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    It's funny you mention the 9/11 special. It is kind of ironic becausw it has Doom crying over some people dying in a terrorist attack. He is personally responsible for terrorist attacks on New York.

    Yeah it's not a big deal in DC. In the 90s an alien blew up a major city on the Pacific Coast. They have experienced alien invasions. Gotham got hit by an earthquake; epidemic, and a few other things. A plane flying into the WTC is nothing. Especially since Superman could easily stop a plane hijacking.

    But Marvel also has that. They just pretend to be more real. Do you know what the Avengers were doing during 2001? They were in the midst of the Kang Dynasty where he invaded the Earth and starts what is essentially a world war. He blows up Washington DC in its entirity. People are rounded up into concentration camps. Spider-man is fighting an interdimensional hinter because he is a Spider-totem. A bit later "Magneto" rounds up people in New York into concentration camps.

    Marvel is not the world outside your window.
     
  2. Threadmarks: Anti-Thesis (part 11)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    11th July 2012
    06:15 GMT


    You think you're over your vertigo, then you see a giant miles deep hole in the ground heading towards the planet's core.

    The last time I saw one of these, we were all moving so fast that I didn't really think about it. And I was flying, which meant that my environmental shield made me feel like I was standing on solid ground the entire time. And the hole wasn't that big: it was one of several that got used for raw material transportation as much as anything.

    This is one of the holes they launch star ships through.

    And it's…

    Bigger.

    The area around it is fairly clean, but my armour's sensors pick up the force of the winds created by the imbalance in pressure between Inner Qward and Outer Qward. Naturally there are no guard rails, though there are lights to let the people in the surrounding area know when a ship's en route.

    I can see the other side, but between here and there the ground just vanishes.

    Kalmin doesn't look all that impressed, barely giving the area a once-over before stepping off the edge and accelerating downwards. He's still standing with his feet pointing at the distant ground, so it's a little like he's riding an invisible elevator.

    I can't see the bottom.

    Heh.

    I step off and plummet after him. And decide not to ask if Kalmin wants to play twenty questions.

    "What is your relationship to Weaponer Lysis?"

    "I was her tutor and overseer. Qwardian society can be chauvinistic. It's one of our vices. She had trouble getting a placement after completing her initial training. My foolish contemporaries turned her down. Their loss was my gain."

    Or to quote Terry Pratchett, one of the vices he thinks of as vices. The rest are just job skills.

    "Was she involved in the power ring project?"

    "Yes. Jordan actually met her, briefly, just before he destroyed the Anti-Green Lantern Central Power Battery."

    Might be worth recruiting her, then. Of course, if she was trained by Kalmin and shares his devotion to destruction… Then perhaps not.

    "Does she share your loyalty to the Anti-Monitor?"

    "She… Didn't. She was more interested in creating weapons than in their purpose. But she was talented and devoted to her work. I had every hope that she would eventually come to see things my way, but I was removed from office before I could accomplish that."

    "Kalmin, I realise that you're extremely faithful in your beliefs, but… Roughly how widespread is your viewpoint, to the best of your knowledge?"

    "Why are you asking me?"

    "It occurs to me that Varnathon didn't come out of nowhere. Even if trading qwa matter is outside of the Overton window for most Weaponers-."

    "You think we've gone soft."

    "I think that you would be unwise to assume that a majority of Weaponers are as devoted as you are. Or that those who are prepared to oppose Varnathon are doing it for the same reason that you are."

    He doesn't respond.

    "You just said that you didn't think your own acolyte was quite there. The Anti-Monitor has been gone for some time. How many senior Weaponers do you know keep the faith, rather than just paying it lip service or ignoring it in favour of personal power?"

    "You wish me to believe that Varnathon and people like him are in the majority?"

    "I haven't done any polling, but no one's killed him yet, have they? Despite him not killing you?"

    "You may be right. When I think on my time as High Weaponlord, I realise that I didn't address my people's spiritual needs at all. I only gave direction to their intellects. I had… Thought that was enough. But now… I realise that you may be correct."

    "Does that change what we're here to do?"

    "No. It just makes me aware of my own failing. I would like to put all of the fault on Varnathon, but if we've been heading this way for a while and I was simply blind to it… I am… Ashamed."

    "What exactly are the duties of the High Weaponlord?"

    "To oversee the designing of new destructive technologies to serve the Anti-Monitor's armies. But the whole point is to serve the Anti-Monitor. That's what makes us q'ardajin. Without that, we're… Just like everyone else. I might as well join the Psions!"

    "I'm afraid that you missed the boat on that one."

    "The Apokoliptians, then. I joined you because I wanted to get out of my funk before moving on to work that would actually advance the Anti-Monitor's goals. And now I find that I was never as faithful as I convinced myself that I was."

    "I could be wrong."

    "No, it makes too much sense. Aaaah, how far we've fallen."

    I look at the screen relaying what the upward-facing sensors can see. I'd say a couple of miles at this point, the Qwardian day shining down at the upper end of the tunnel is reduced to a distant point of light.

    "How do you want me to behave?"

    "Remain silent when we are in company. Attack only at my order. That's important. I fully expect to have to prove that I haven't lost my killer instinct. Having a robot fight for me might be acceptable in some circumstances, but this is a matter of spiritual importance."

    "And what happens if Sinestro's down there?"

    "No."

    "It's not like Varnathon has a problem with him, is it? If anything, Sinestro represents both an excellent sales opportunity and advertisement. As long as he pays in cash rather than future favours. And it would let him portray himself as doing something that you started."

    "If Sinestro is down there, then I will kill him myself before dealing with Varnathon and his lies. You need not concern yourself with that."

    "Oh? I thought that having.. Thunderers and people like that use your weapons was a perfectly normal thing for Weaponers to do?"

    "I'm not under any great moral imperative to kill Sinestro myself. I just want to do it for my personal pleasure."

    The image of the hole below us begins to resolve in the dim colours of the Qwardian interior for a few seconds before we both drop out. Kalmin begins slowing his descent at one, while I allow myself to continue to fall.

    Two, one…

    I hit the ground, my kinetic barrier flaring to life and absorbing all of the force of my impact.

    "Weaponer. You lead, I follow."
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2021
  3. Ngamer11

    Ngamer11 Experienced.

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    I'm now wondering if we'll finally have Paul interact with the infamous Sinestro. Has he actually heard of the OLC Mr Zoat? If yes, what's his opinion of them?
     
  4. BR549

    BR549 This is filth! FILTH!!

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    Your biggest mistake when dealing with Paul is allowing him to start talking.
     
  5. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    And I think Paragon just convinced him that their people should be more proactive in their attempts to destroy everything...

    Good job Paragon...
     
  6. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Yes, Dox directly spoke to him early on.

    He's withholding judgement until they've been around a little longer.
     
  7. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    'shares'

    Ah, you're learning not to recruit every psychopath you meet.

    You're growing up.

    They may be opposing him just because they want to be in power.

    Kinda like Melmoth and his wife, their only difference in ruling was that the they thought the other shouldn't be leading, but were otherwise the same brand of scumbag.

    Sentence sounds weird.

    Maybe 'You just said that you didn't think your acolyte was quite there'

    Or they're at least much bigger than a minority.

    'of my time'

    I'm guessing he sees them as being petty children who have all the skills of a child breaking their toys?

    Really hoping that if this happens he'll be able to forge a blue ring for Kori.

    'seconds'
     
  8. Idkusername

    Idkusername Versed in the lewd.

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    Thinking on something is a perfectly valid expression.
     
  9. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

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    Heh. There's such a time when you just need the term Cyclopean for architecture. This would be one of them.

    So easily a couple of kilometres wide. I'm starting to feel acrophobic just thinking about the view.

    Understated as usual, OL. I'm picturing an experience similar to the end of Mass Effect 1, with the walk along the outside of the Citadel's central tower, looking up at Sovereign getting larger and larger as you approach the Council Chambers...

    I suppose if it were night here, there'd be light visible from within the port... And I'm not sure if that's better or worse.

    Classy. Kalmin's fields of Fucks are entirely barren today. What happens when the gravity flips (assuming it does?) :p Will he appear to pop up out of the hole upside down?

    Let's not go with the "Are we there yet?" Routine either. I suspect this will take a little while at terminal velocity, without Ring assistance.

    Because they assumed she was inferior solely because of her gender, and you found her to be an excellent and inventive creator. I doubt he made her wear the sling bikini and gogo-boots, at any rate.

    And that is a significant question. After all, we know she created the Red Ring the Renegade provided that British Police Detective with Rage Enlightenment...

    Do you want two people like Kalmin around? Egging each other on to new heights of destructive creativity?

    Huh. Sounds like she'd make a good candidate for a new High Weaponer. Just the right mix of principles and mercenary attitude.

    Because the question is probably making Kalmin have all sorts of thoughts about his fellow Weaponer's piety... Not all of them good.

    To be fair, I suspect that window of 'acceptable practice' would be fairly wide outside of the Qwa-matter thing. But, set off someone's religious values, and that's a big old modifier.

    Let's hope he's not thinking 'Fuck, how many of these fucks am I going to have to kill before I find someone I think devout enough?'

    Or the true believers just aren't being vocal enough about matters. After all, if Varnathon would kill anyone he thinks is being seditious... (Within the limit of his ability to kill, anyway.) And how many of the hardliners prefer to just get on with the great work of designing weapons rather than politicking and mercantilism?

    Oh, gods, did you just convince Kalmin to organise a more devout leadership? Keeping in mind the omnicidal nature of their religion...

    Well, You're here and you can fix this. Let's just hope he doesn't get too carried away with things... The last thing the Matter Universe needs is the Thunderers going on a crusade of destruction...

    Ah, I see a point of irritation there. The though of not being the Chosen People really getting to you, Kalmin?

    I suppose it's too much to hope for that he decides maybe the Anti-Monitor isn't worth following and throws aside his former beliefs. But that might be a bit too much... Perhaps OL can convince him to be more moderate at least...

    Well, yes, the port is kilometres deep. :p Of course you've fallen a long way... And yes, I know what he really means.

    Well, there's something to be said for playing dumb. If you're exposed as a Human, you might claim to be his Second? In this culture, that probably extends to serving as Weapons-Caddy and body-disposal among other things...

    :oops: Oooh, trigger warning for Ol' Kalmin...

    It may seem cruel, but the possibility has to be considered. Sinestro would still be scaling up his own Corps at this point, wouldn't he? Or at least making the initials plans based on the Orange Lanterns Corps' success.

    I suspect this has little to do with any of that...

    Thought so. Some people just rub other people the wrong way, sometimes...

    Ah, Qward isn't hollow, so much as two-layered. I'm reminded of that iconic planet (Iskandar, I think?) from Space battleship Yamato there... I wonder how many layers it actually has... Must still be quite a sight, falling out of what is basically a giant cave roof towards distant ground below...

    And I'm picturing you just slamming down like a brick without even bending your knees, rather than doing the usual superhero landing. It would definitely seem more mechanical...

    Hmm... I wonder where Kalmin's doubts will lead him... The Q'ardajin are a bit too powerful for him to destroy them all out of a decision that they've strayed too far, but might we see him commit a few atrocities to set the fire back into their hearts, I wonder... Whatever happens, I foresee Qward being changed considerably by the time he's done...
     
  10. FreeGod

    FreeGod If you see a God on the road fuck it!

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    Paul is always certain. He lacks inner conflict. However that means that he often inspires inner conflict in those he talks to.

    There is a reason that paragon heroes are usually able to redeem most non-card carrying villains within a session. And Paul is more willing then many to spend time with villains without feeling a need for immediate violence.
     
  11. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Was his field even fertile to begin with?

    Azrael agrees.



    Based on their interaction he found her attire impractical, so it's a safe bet to assume he didn't make her wear it.

    I think she became this in the renegade timeline, and I think Kalmin was killed there.

    We all knew that one day Paul's ability to inspire people to be more proactive would backfire spectacularly.

    It technically already did since he convinced Luthor to be more proactive and inadvertently helped increase his wealth as well as the power of the Light.

    Chojin please answer me this question.

    Do you love Murphy?

    Because you seem to want him to come.

    You really need to break it off with him, it's not healthy to be in such a toxic relationship.

    Moderate is a relative term here.

    The Qwardians basically want to destroy everything so if Paul convinces them to just destroy a galaxy once a century then technically that can be considered as them holding back while still being horrible and evil.
     
  12. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Thank you, corrected.
    No, that's correct.
    Thank you, corrected.
    Not recruiting them isn't necessarily the good option.
     
  13. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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  14. WereDragon

    WereDragon Bookwyrm

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    Seems token evil teammate is even eviller than expected.
    Perhaps a newer model would be preferable.

    Somewhat odd they are willing to use something as slow as free fall to descend.
     
  15. Ngamer11

    Ngamer11 Experienced.

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    How about Paul specifically then? How does Sinestro feel about another upstart from Earth making waves in the Lantern business, specifically by helping start another Corps the way he is probably trying to?

    No matter how true that is, Paul will always get flak for some of his choices of who to recruit. I will admit however, that I kinda hope that Paul does walk away from Qward with at least either one more recruit in Lysis, or a more agreeable Kalmin.
     
  16. Handlewithcare

    Handlewithcare Versed in the lewd.

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    He's going to recruit Varnathon, isn't he?

    Greedy weapons maker/seller fits the OLC MO and would be rather useful against the Reach.

    Also, he probably just radicalised Kalmin and the Qward even more. Helping Varnathon would mitigate that.

    And Kalmin needs to die or reform eventually anyway.
     
  17. Prince Charon

    Prince Charon Just zis guy, you know?

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    Leaving with one Token Evil Teammate and returning with a different one would make for an interesting look.
     
  18. Maxx Crowley

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

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    OL....did you just talk a Anti-Monitor fanatic wants to destroy literally everything into a religious revival experience?
     
  19. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Sinestro is beginning to suspect that there's something very odd about Earth.
     
  20. Chaoswind

    Chaoswind Lord of nonsense

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    Kalmin dying in combat would be the best outcome. Robo Paul can then resume his final "orders" to serve Lysys in the event of Kalmin death and then leave Qward with her.

    Bonus points if Siniestro kills Kalmin.

    Then again I don't think we are heading that way, but it certainly would be objectively better.
     
  21. Laundromat2.0

    Laundromat2.0 Getting sticky.

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    LMAO this is a great point.
     
  22. Someguy Somewhere

    Someguy Somewhere The Critical Fumbler

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    One alternative to recruiting more is kalmin decides to just END the planet here and now in the name of his faith. While he did state it's rather hard to do, he didn't say it was impossible. And if anyone can figure it out it'd be him.
     
  23. PDV

    PDV Revelation That Uncertainty Is Itself An Answer

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    How would that follow?

    Ah yes, the "Rodney From God" approach.
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2021
  24. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    I remember him telling Paul that Sinestros death would give him hope and I was hoping that with that he could make a blue ring, maybe as a thank you gift to Paul for his help.
     
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  25. Chaoswind

    Chaoswind Lord of nonsense

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    Not what he said. Paul killing Siniestro was his prerequisite to even attempt to make a new blue lantern/ring as the first one was done as a challenge to his skills (can I do this). He would still have to find the raw hope elsewhere. He can probably get some from the Coluans at least currently, but once the spike of hope wanes off their civilization Paul would have to go elsewhere.

    Speaking off

    Mr Zoat shouldn't the Guardians Sayd and Ganthed (sp) have started with their blue lantern corps?

    They probably got reports about Alan current arrangement, so it would make sense for them to up the time table of their blue lantern corps in some way, I mean I expect Paul actions to have some effect on the Guardians, I mean they should also have a few green lanterns investigating the indigo corps too.


    I mean they should be smart enough to know all these lantern corps being started in such a short time frame (for them) and the anti monitor armor fragment being found are the prelude to something bigger and they ought to be more active less they are caught unaware.
     
  26. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    Does this really surprise you?

    Contrary to what Paragon might like to believe, true Evil is an actual concept that exists in DC.
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2021
  27. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    They may be able to get hope from another Reach world they liberate, either from the inhabitants or their own soldiers who are happy that they're winning.

    I think Zoat said that Ganthlet stopped or at least slowed down his attempts to make a blue ring after Alan started using one.

    He was also apparently having difficulties with it due to having green light running through him and being very green philosophically speaking so lacked some of the necessary mental discipline.
     
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  28. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Couple of problems.

    That whole thing happened as a result of a decision by DC editorial that the Guardians are now mostly villains. Since I'm not prepared to toss out everything about their previous characterisation, I'm not going down that route. In this story, Ganthet and Sayd rightly don't feel the need to guard against the other Guardians.

    The other problem is that with other colours becoming a thing, Ganthet and Sayd aren't able to cover up their own work as easily. The other Guardians aren't going to stop them, but they can't sneak off and do their own thing.
     
  29. Flightless Man

    Flightless Man Versed in the lewd.

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    Isn't Alan more in tune with Hope than anyone? If someone is going to make a new Blue Ring, wouldn't it make sense for him to make one? A blue lantern to Hope for help and a different (likely green) becomes a blue one? or make a normal lantern into a blue one?
    Kori is still spending time with Alan right? I really want that romance to work out. Either way, I can still see Alan Hoping for help and Kori Wanting a blue ring. the combination makes her lantern blue and we learn Blue Lanterns can combo with more than Green Lanterns.

    My understanding, is that it once existed but after Infinite Crisis Good and Evil was replaced by the useless extremes of Stagnation and Anarchy.
     
  30. Chaoswind

    Chaoswind Lord of nonsense

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    OK, so I guess no blue corps unless Paul manages to get another group of controllers to work on it with Hinon? Controllers are more numerous and the inherent nature of the orange light would make sense for the controllers to pick up both lights once/if they are able to (also the whole orange and blue morality angle).

    OK if the Guardians aren't going to develop blue because the characterization didn't make sense, then are they going to follow up on the hints they have about Indigo?

    I was assuming these plot elements were moving forward without Paul's involvement like the Samarrons picking violet rings thanks to the Lady Paul got from Blauls earth, or Siniestro looking for a way to start the yellow corps after his interaction with Vril Dox the second.

    I am not expecting a bunch of new Lanterns to turn up immediately, but I was expecting these plot elements to be actually moving forward even when we aren't seeing them.
     
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