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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. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    Watching Paragon attempt diplomacy is like watching a train wreck...
     
  2. NightmareWarden

    NightmareWarden Versed in the lewd.

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    Reminder that one of Renegade-Paul (Grayven)’s delightful catch phrases is “Let Joy be unbound, for I am/have _____!” Though he is usually interrupted before he can finish. It makes me grin every single time.


    Actually, Mister Zoat is that a reference to something? Perhaps Doctor Who or another work I’m too uncultured to appreciate?
     
  3. moralrelativity

    moralrelativity Recovering pendant.

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    Now this... this is weird even for Paul. Eris would be pleased.
     
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  4. Cuchulin

    Cuchulin Versed in the lewd.

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    As Mark Twain once said "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." Which is also something that the late great Stan Lee might have said.
     
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  5. AverusBlack

    AverusBlack AKA Aisling

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    Jean-Luc Picard pulled that line too. It's always the juggernauts saying it, isn't it?
     
  6. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    If it was another work, I'm not sure I'd be allowed to tell you.

    But not as far as I remember.
     
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  7. Ngamer11

    Ngamer11 Experienced.

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    How useful is this trick, besides possibly giving atheistic aliens a pseudo-religious experience? Also, I love how Paul just casually reveals in-universe and to us his ability to transubstantiate.
     
  8. m_d

    m_d Fascinated by storytelling

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    I wouldn't say that I have enough data on their government and how it operates to assign even that high of an indication that this is what they are doing. Other alternatives that I would consider at least as likely:

    1) They're between two powerful forces, both of whom have strong competencies in changing people's desires, albeit through different means. They may consider it prudent to keep decision makers' direct contact with those forces representatives to a minimum while they evaluate and negotiate through go-betweens whose ability to make formal agreements can be limited. Maybe they're more concerned about shenanigans from one than the other, but they also may not want to give a strong appearance of favouring one over another at this point so as not to cause problems with their relationships with the other party that could result in escalation which could have been avoided.

    2) They could be one of the many forms of polity in which the substantive discussions and negotiations are done by the professionals in the civil service, not their notional bosses. The minister, or whoever, may have the final sign off once the details have been worked out, but may not actually really understand what's being agreed to, and that's not necessarily their job. There are lots of governments which operate this way, for various reasons, some of which are quite practical.

    3) A variant on 1 in which the senior people want to get a better idea of who these representatives are and how they operate culturally before opening more formal talks (I don't know that the Corps has done the sort of groundwork that many government or government-like agencies usually do in advance of a visit by someone of OL's seniority in terms of setting of the agenda, the terms of the questions under negotiation, protocol, etc... They may have, but I didn't get that impression from the type of briefing that OL got and the way that the interaction in this chapter went, though that may be an artifact of the story/medium's format). The people they send for the initial meeting(s) may be there to do the quick and dirty version of the above so that they can brief the people to come after (and so that they can actually prepare for meeting the sort of person they are meeting with) so that they can minimize the involvement of senior officials in the sorts of interpersonal gaffes that can come in surprise cross-cultural meetings. If lower authority people make them first, the weight and stakes of the mistakes can be much lower, for various reasons, which again, I can't narrow down, not knowing enough about Gyuanite cultural mores.

    lies _in_

    And yes, drastic oversimplification. At least in terrestrial animals there are so many non-neural network aspects to personality (by most commonly understood definitions of both of those terms, anyway). e.g.: hormone production and regulation (see: changes in horses, cats, dogs etc... after gelding/spaying/neutering), presence/absence of chronic pain, differences in how the GI tract processes food and hence increases or decreases availability of and ratios of substances in the body that can inhibit or promote various biochemical signalling chains, hormonal and otherwise, ditto the liver and kidneys, diet too, and on and on.
     
  9. BlueMangoAdea

    BlueMangoAdea Alive. For now.

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    Didn't Doctor Mist do something similar? Can't remember, going to search story only.

    Edit:
    OL himself this something similar. I still don't know what this does. Mr Zoat?

    Edit2:
    My current guess is that this allows him to channel more power, like Dr. Balewa is doing.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2021
  10. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Thank you, corrected.
     
  11. Whiteeyes

    Whiteeyes Non Breeding Bunny

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    Sorry OL, but you're probably not going to meet anyone who is high ranking for about three MONTHS. You're dealing with diplomacy now, and it is a very slow process. Normally for somebody of your rank minor diplomats would have spent the last few months setting things up for your visit which would have been largely hammering out the last few details (whoch could honestly still take weeks depending on the details) and then having a signing ceremony.

    So basically unless plot happens this is going to be a very long process.
     
  12. Stsword

    Stsword Versed in the lewd.

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    He's turning himself into an avarice construct here.

    I'm not sure how much is instinctive and how much would need to be learned but- He'd be as strong and tough as one of his constructs, and he'd be able to utilize anything he can do with a ring with his own internal energy. Edit: Including shapeshifting, just as a lantern can shape their constructs anyway they like.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2021
  13. Wivk

    Wivk Know what you're doing yet?

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    No no that isn't the same at all. When you become ethereal you are moving your physical matter to another plane of existence, the ethereal plane, that overlaps basically the entirety of the prime material plane, which is what we call the normal physical world. Becoming ethereal is either identical or incredibly similar to what martians do that puts them out of phase with physical reality, letting vibrating packets of their physical matter pass harmlessly through other vibrating packets of physical matter as long as they vibrate at a different frequency.

    Transubstantiation isn't the same at all because your physical form isn't moved elsewhere or vibrating correctly to dodge between other particles, it is transformed into magical or spiritual energy of the sort that makes up a soul. Its closer to astral projection than becoming ethereal, like when the sorcerer supreme punches your soul out and you can wander around as a ghost.

    When most people astrally project themselves their body stays exactly where it is, unmoving and insensate, connected to their soul form by a microscopic silver strand coming from their third eye. Both are weaknesses that could be exploited. Killing the body or severing the strand leave you as a powerless ghost trapped outside of physical reality. So either turning your body directly into a soul and bringing it with you, or turning your soul directly into a body and coming back, are stupid over powered on their own, being able to do both is our typcial levels of absurd from this fic that we are accustomed to.
     
  14. BlueMangoAdea

    BlueMangoAdea Alive. For now.

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    I mean, OL observed what Dr. Mist did as “transubstantiation” according to the acual text, and copied that, in the chapter the quotes come from. There’s no evidence that your definitions are actually correct.
     
  15. Pinklestia

    Pinklestia Well worn.

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    Trashed means discarded in the best meaning possible so I don't think that's the word you wanted to use there
     
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  16. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    I guess.. that's why.. I didn't, then?
     
  17. Doccer

    Doccer I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Number 2983
    Number 4413

    Whoohoo! 100000000! Wait a minute is it a good thing I came back so many times or bad thing that I died so many times?
    Heh.
     
  18. fappingtoyourpost

    fappingtoyourpost Know what you're doing yet?

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    Human political memes would be seriously poisonous to any functioning alien government, wouldn't they?
     
  19. Mastigos2

    Mastigos2 Versed in the lewd.

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    Did anything ever come of Jovium?
     
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  20. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Nothing that's had a wide social impact, but the US government is using it in a Federally funded infrastructure program to help the economy post-Sheeda.
     
  21. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    Not very smart when you think about it given the Orange Light's many many many weaknesses.
     
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  22. Sockmonkey

    Sockmonkey I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Possible continuity error: In part 13 of Gammadion, Superboy refers to his armor being orichalcum rather than Nth metal.

    With a soul of orange light, OL could do the Nabu thing and use the ring itself as a "body" as it has more than enough processing power to emulate a human brain. There's also no reason he couldn't give himself a kryptonian body as their powers are "science" based rather than magic or alchemical.
     
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  23. Threadmarks: Negetiations (supplementary, Renegade Option)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    9th August 2012
    10:12 GMT


    I look around the Tamaranean countryside, taking in the recently planted fields and the genomorphs working them.

    "Things going well?"

    Telosmere nods. He's slightly more heavily built than the other g-goblins I've met, though I don't know whether that's to do with the heavy manual labour involved in running a commercial farm or something he was engineered with. While the genomorphs have access to more advanced farming equipment they have an obvious preference for manual labour. G-trolls pull the ploughs and harvesters, and act as ladders to allow the more agile g-elves to pick fruit from their backs.

    "We are already more than self-sufficient. These farms serve as the main supply hub for the Genomorph Entire. In accordance with our agreement with the tamaraneans we have supplied g-gnomes to their schools. We will open our first mines shortly, though we will have to trade for more advanced equipment for the foreseeable future."

    I nod. "Any problems?"

    "A small outbreak of blight. It was easy to deal with. Other than that, the only problem I have is with tamaraneans who wish to mate with me when I visit the capital."

    I frown. "They aren't usually pushy once you give them a flat 'no'."

    "I decided not to do that. Sexual intimacy is a significant part of tamaranean culture, and we are trying to maintain a friendly social relationship."

    I frown deeper.

    "But you don't have genitals or.. erogenous zones. Or a sex drive."

    "No, but I have telepathy. I am not quite as skilled at telepathic illusion as the g-gnomes, but at close range it can be quite convincing. Matching the display to the desires of my paramour is an interesting intellectual challenge, and if I am successful engenders a positive association which is helpful to our ongoing habitation of their planet."

    "Well… Ah… As long as you're happy."

    "I am as happy as I am capable of being. I have productive work that challenges me while also having observable achievement milestones. I want for little that my cluster cannot provide."

    Hm. As far as I've been able to tell, g-goblins are perfectly happy to go almost indefinitely without anyone to talk to. But it… Seems…

    "You're alright with no other individual sophonts to talk to? Really?"

    He looks out across the field.

    "Individuality is a burden I bear because someone must. I have no great love for my own thoughts. I prefer to spend my time dissolved in the cluster, using my greater creative capacity to assist others."

    "Ah. Um, sorry about forcing you out of it."

    "This is my burden to bear. Do you require anything else?"

    "Do you?"

    He thinks for a moment. "Reclamation has gone well. We have room to expand further. Dubbilex or Ecksey could create another cluster and send it here."

    I nod. "I'll pass that on. Have a nice day. Mother Box?"

    "Ping."

    BOOM!

    I step through the boom tube aperture and stroll out onto the command deck of the tamaranean self-defence fleet's main command station. A few members of the command staff look around, but there are enough boom tubes around here that I get more attention than the manner of my ingress does.

    Most of the crew are tamaranean, though a few Euphorians are still around the place. While this is in theory a temporary assignment… Well. I'm pretty sure that Regent Dulak used this opportunity to get rid of the noisiest dissenters, because while a few have made noise about going back 'in a few years', I haven't really noticed any great rush. And I have noticed a smattering of interspecies marriages, and if we assume that tamaraneans are being as formal about their interpersonal relations as they usually are, a far greater number of actual relationships.

    These aren't people in any great hurry to get back under the Regent's aegis.

    I amble over to the officer of the watch, who draws herself up slightly but doesn't leave her station. Good. The.. cybernetic eyes and left arm and the greying hair mark her out as a survivor of the tamaraneans' previous fleet. Our… Experience is that those don't make good fleet officers. They tend to struggle with active combat, which given the conditions they endured isn't all that hard to understand. On the other hand, their greater experience makes them good rear echelon officers, though we'll probably replace them all once we've got people who can replace them.

    "Prince Grayven."

    "Commander Delor. Anything to report?"

    "The system is secure. Princess Komand'r's strike fleet is near Raggashoon, while the home fleet is exercising. Ship production remains on schedule."

    Raggashoon will be an interesting test case for how dominant Tamaran can be. With the pirates exterminated, the Spider Guild slaughtered, the Citadel Complex crushed to slag, the Branx undergoing planetary isolation and societal meltdown and Wombworld burned, there aren't any 'evil' factions left in the area. But that doesn't mean that there aren't any empire-builders trying to fill the vacuum. The Karnans have aligned to the Crown Imperium, but they're in no condition to extend their reach without aid that the Imperium isn't all that eager to give them.

    And so Tamaran has started colonising its neighbours.

    It makes sense, really. With all the gordanians did, large areas of Tamaran are actually less hospitable than its most primitive neighbours. Having not sustained a civilisation's rise into space, they have untapped mineral resources which in many places are readily accessible. And in the long term, more room means more tamaraneans. A core population of their new empire that share a species and a culture.

    With the more developed places, it's a little trickier. Certainly, they're used to being under someone's thumb. But there's still the question of how to integrate them. They don't have a significant tamaranean population, and their social structures are too different to integrate them into the semi-feudal structure that the tamaraneans use. I suggested a free port model, offering protection under better terms than the Citadel offered in exchange for nominal fealty, most importantly not building up their fleet or claiming other worlds. Komand'r -bless her avaricious little heart- wants something a little more domineering, but I suppose allowing herself to be argued down to my idea wouldn't be a terrible thing.

    The work of this generation will be settlement and military expansion. Building up core territory and the strength to protect it. Then with the friendly Crown Imperium ensuring the safety of one border we will be free to begin a program of annexation and conquest in all other directions.

    "Good show. Has a crew for the-?"

    "Grayven."

    I turn to face the diminutive Controller, managing a polite smile even as I see her psion acolytes following behind her. I mean, it's nice to see a Maltusian actually take some responsibility for that whole mess but I'd really rather not be in a position where there were any psions on Tamaran.

    "Hinon. Something I can do for you?"

    "On the contrary; I believe I can do something for you."

    I raise my eyebrows. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm in a relationship at the moment. Not that you're.. unattractive or anything, but I'm inclined to monogamy and you're so short that you rather-."

    "Don't be tiresome, Grayven."

    "Okay. What is it?"

    "Your… Doppelgänger." She holds out her right hand and creates a construct image of him. "It seems that he was planning on making war on the Reach."

    "A fair target."

    "Was planning. He's stopped advancing, and as far as we can tell he's recalling his forces. With boom tube technology he can travel the distance instantly but he needs time to dismantle his infrastructure."

    Ah.

    "And coming here."

    "I don't know his mind, but that seems most likely."

    I sigh. "Thank you for the warning. I will… Begin making preparations."
     
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2021
  24. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    He's got more than one suit of armour.
     
  25. doug89

    doug89 Versed in the lewd.

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    I'm not 100% sure, but I think these should all be capitalised. I can see where the inclination to leave them lower case comes from, the word human is lower case after all. But I think because both species names come from a proper noun (Tamareans from Tamaran, Gordonians from Gordane), they would.

    Like Australia and Australians.
     
  26. yingyang590

    yingyang590 Getting out there.

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    He's already killed one Graven with far less resources than he has now. What's one more.
     
  27. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Grayvenbowl in the near future.
     
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  28. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Zoat tends to do this for a lot of alien species.

    I think the only species he consistently writes with a capital letter is humans.

    True, but that Grayven wasn't all that prepared for fighting him.

    This one may be better prepared.

    I also don't remember if he still has the Sword, but if he doesn't then things may be more difficult.
     
  29. Pez

    Pez Spaceman

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    built
     
  30. Idkusername

    Idkusername Versed in the lewd.

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    The next episode is likely Renegade. I’ll be looking forward to it!
     
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