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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. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Hey, it's longer than Paul.

    They may respect him for healing them.

    Good question.

    Ordinary New Gods go to the Source, but these guys aren't New Gods, so they either went to whatever afterlife exists on the planet, or they're ghosts now, or due to their Titan heritage they may have ended up in Erebus.

    If this is Grayven then he may have been keeping tabs on Karrakan and saw the potential they had, as well as what the Titans were doing.

    And seeing as Apokolips fought Maltusians a long time ago they may have had intel on the Sun Eaters.
     
  2. Bud-E

    Bud-E Stand up so I can push you down!

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    The fact that Sparta's entire army was radicalized child soldiers is kinda depressing.
     
  3. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    You mean the place you can't use most of your ring functions?

    That's an excellent idea... I am sure absolutely nothing bad will happen to other people because of it...
     
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  4. Prince Charon

    Prince Charon Just zis guy, you know?

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    Not all that surprising, though.
     
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  5. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Thank you, corrected.
    Sun Eaters aren't intelligent, so pretty minimal.
     
  6. nick012000

    nick012000 Gone for Good

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    Darkseid wants Sun Eaters? I guess Hellspores aren't enough for him; he doesn't just want to burn worlds to cinders, but to extinguish the very stars that give them light and life so that their inhabitants are reliant on him for life.
     
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  7. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    I think it's most likely Grayveb that's helping Sparta.
     
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  8. Massgamer

    Massgamer Not too sore, are you?

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    Oh gosh, is she gonna go scorched earth activate a sun-eater?
     
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  9. Gantradies

    Gantradies Not too sore, are you?

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    You know, the funny thing is that, from a historical view, Sparta’s name is pretty appropriate here-
    because outside of a relatively small number of Fights, over time, the Spartans essentially became Greece’s bitch- after a point,
    every time they started crap, they’d get their faces pounded in on the field by the “weak” Athenian’s/the other city-states,
    because, shocking, it turns out murdering kids for the most superficial weaknesses, and basing a huge chunk of your economy around slave labour serving an ever-increasingly lazy elite “warrior” class tends to lead to both a weak economy, and a cripplingly limited ability to replenish losses, which is especially damning when your elite/rulers are obsessed with fighting and sitting in their asses the rest of the time-their arrogance didn’t help on the diplomatic front either…

    much like the nation she was named after, Sparta was BRITTLE,charged into a fight she couldn’t cash the cheque for blindly,
    aaaandd started crumbling the moment she met resistance capable of ignoring her new-god abilities/with experience with the apokalyptian tech she was using as a crutch xD
     
  10. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Clearly, I'm cleverer than I think I am.
     
  11. hkim

    hkim Know what you're doing yet?

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    Don't forget C: Who killed (?) Phoebe? If nobody messed with her seed thingy, the gods of New Cronus would have been taken completely unawares when Sparta showed up, and if Sparta could just boom tube in and fuck with people, why didn't she? We're missing something.
     
  12. NightmareWarden

    NightmareWarden Versed in the lewd.

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    Hm. The suneater warehouse dampened magic and who knows how many other exotic effects. I hope that boom tube and those stolen Titan balls are okay! It’d be a shame if they became paper weights due to Sparta’s hijacking connection cutting out.
     
  13. Doccer

    Doccer I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Didn't Superman have a baby Sun Eater at one point? I'm thinking Superman AllStar?
     
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  14. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    Yes, there have been a couple Baby Sun Eaters across the various versions of Superman.
     
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  15. Zig

    Zig Not too sore, are you?

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    uhh guys... Vaermina made a good point...
     
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  16. Cuchulin

    Cuchulin Versed in the lewd.

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    That is as rare as Hen's teeth.
     
  17. Michael Vonica

    Michael Vonica Know what you're doing yet?

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    I've noticed that Vaermina is consistent. Consistently contrarian. Once or twice, I've seen him actually make a comment supporting OL and the story. Because it was the contrary thing to do at the time.
     
  18. Doccer

    Doccer I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    That implies a degree of sentience to them. And certainly an ability to grow intellectually. Even only as a pet there are squirrel and cat lanterns. Not even including Teeki if going by cannon examples.
     
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  19. Threadmarks: Sungate (part 38)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    11th September 2012
    21:08 GMT


    "New Cronus to Karrakanian battleship. Come in, Thiva."

    Much as I'd like to chase after Sparta, she shouldn't be able to set off a Sun Eater at will, and there's the small matter of the fighting on New Cronus to deal with. Athyns passed his place at the communication lectern over to one of the other Ascendants while Pontico talks to the commanding officers of the various cruisers. Sparta isn't quite excommunicate traitoris, but from the sounds of it everyone's going to want some bloody good answers for this.

    "Thiva here. You… Have retaken New Cronus, then?"

    "Sort of. We've got a truce. Sparta was hiding… Something, and fled rather than give an account of herself."

    "Sparta… Fled?"

    "Yeah, I don't understand it either. The gods are down, she had their power in her hands, and she refused to say which Apokoliptian traded the technology you're using to her or why she lied about it. Something weird is going on, but… I don't know what. Look, point is, don't worry about being paroled. I don't see any realistic prospect of the fighting starting up again, so you can either bring your people over or just stay where you are and work on repairs."

    "Could I..? Speak to someone..?"

    I step aside.

    "Pontico?"

    He walks over and addresses the communication system.

    "He's telling the truth. Call the support ships. We've got a lot of wounded, and… And we're treating theirs as well. This whole thing-."

    He turns his head away slightly, grimacing.

    "Pontico..?"

    "What is there to say? This was pointless!" He takes a moment to master himself. "Yes, return. The fighting's over, and it won't start again if I have anything to say about it."

    She looks at him with concern.

    "Alright. Just-. Alright."

    I see her step away from the communication system at her end before it shuts down.

    "Ah, Athyns? Can you use these Seeds?"

    A couple of the other Ascendants look up at that. He glances at them for a moment before returning his attention to me.

    "Why?"

    "By now, Sparta's in the factory. My rings barely function there."

    "You used the orbs-."

    "By using Sparta's own magic to steal control from her. Without my rings, I doubt that I'll be able to do that."

    "I have no desire to take Rhea's place."

    "But would you be prepared to if there were no other adequate candidates? Look, I don't know exactly what the gods had planned or what Sparta has planned or what Rhea had planned. But I've seen Apokolips."

    I have the hologram projector show a to-scale image of it next to Minosyss.

    "I wouldn't want to make anyone live there. I don't particularly care who helps Minosyss into the industrial era, or undoes the environmental damage Karrakan has suffered… Do you?"

    "I… Ultimately, no."

    "It's a shock, I appreciate. But I'm afraid that leaders don't have the luxury of breaking down in religious horror until after it's all over."

    He nods. "Yes, you are correct."

    "Okay, I-."

    "Illustres!" Hinon's head appears over my ring. "Respond at once!"

    "Illustres responding, Controller Hinon. Things have got a bit busy here. We-."

    "Yes, I realise that. What happened?"

    "People from the other side of a Karrakanian religious dispute turned up with a small fleet. I've got things mostly under control, but-"

    She gives me an incredulous look.

    "-the leader of one of the factions is in league with one or more Apokoliptians and is planning something. Please ask Dox to send a survey team to Karrakan to assess the damage while I finish up here."

    "Very well. What cut you off?"

    I glance at the Seeds.

    "Not entirely sure. Something about using fragments of titanic magic combined with New God technology, though it… Might only work because of whatever's going on in this system."

    "Do I have to explain to you why a New God gaining the ability to-?"

    "No, I spotted that. I'll get back in touch when I have something definite. Illustres out."

    I look at the assembled Ascendants.

    "Do any of you have an issue with Athyns taking temporary control of the Seeds?"

    There's a moment of hesitation that tells me that they're really inexperienced, then Pontico nominates himself spokesman.

    "And he will-. He will give them back?"

    Athyns shakes his head. "To who?"

    "Me." I shrug. "I have no stake in your dispute, and I can't use them myself. I can hold onto them until you reach an agreement about what to do with them going forward. I'm happy to volunteer the Orange Lantern Corps' services in helping with the resettlement of Karrakan so that you don't need them, or I can act as a guarantor of any agreement you reach. But if we're agreed that Sparta needs to be compelled to answer, we… Need them."

    Pontico bows his head, while Athyns looks at me sceptically. "You know that I don't know how to use them?"

    "How much prior exposure did Sparta have?" I shrug. "Learn quickly."

    There's a flare of light, and we all turn to stare out of the front window as a portion of the surface of the planet below… Darkens.

    "Athyns, how many people-?"

    He grabs the Seeds. "That's near the factory. The region was evacuated when we became aware of it. But the neighbouring regions-."

    "Everyone who's coming, get to the teleportarium. I'll fly down and try to keep things under control. Go."
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2022
  20. Bramble Thorn

    Bramble Thorn Verified Silhouette

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    This is not something a genre savvy end goal prioritizing rationalist should be speaking.

    It's not that monologues are bad per se, it's that giving your foes actionable intelligence on how your are countering them, and the direction they need to be looking stop that is dumb. Why is OL telling them the plan while the plan is happening and they have a chance to counter it if they know what exactly is going on?

    As opposed to:
    OL takes control of half the seeds.
    THIS. IS. SPARTA!: HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS? I Demand you tell me, or I will hold my breath like a 5 year old!
    OL: Telling you the specific details of how I'm doing it would directly counter my objectives here; better you waste time finding it out yourself, and possibly waste resources if you come to the wrong conclusion. Also, I'm not a Republic serial villain. No.

    Instead of Paul volunteering the info unprompted.
    I think corrective action needs to be taken.
    Gets out spray bottle.
    Sprays Mr Zoat on the nose with it.
    Sprays him again for good measure.

    "Bad Kitty! No villainous monologing!"
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2021
  21. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Don't assume, it makes an ass out of you and me.

    'We've'

    Maybe remove the ,

    'traded'

    'at them for'

    Through videos, since you didn't go there when the League went.

    Perfect look when dealing with Paul and his reassurances.

    'though it...'

    'to use'

    Depends if Rhea showed them to her.

    Oh no.

    Weren't Sun Eaters in the comics something like giant black clouds?
     
  22. Handlewithcare

    Handlewithcare Versed in the lewd.

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    The point here was toget Sparta to understand her posotion to get her to back down. He gives people the chance to act rationally, remember?

    I want ti say these aliens backed down to quicjly for teenagers raised in religious indoctrination, but they're aliens, so human standards need not apply.
     
  23. Stsword

    Stsword Versed in the lewd.

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    No, squirrel like alien lanterns.

    Also there was a future shown in Animal Man with a whale Green Lantern. I'm sure an oath in whale song is certainly something.

    Suneaters are depicted as animals, Animal Man can even emulate them, but DC's Space Vampire Starbreaker claimed to be what Suneaters mature into.

    Probably not true in Prime continuity because Hal snogged Starbreaker's niece, spacefaring animals that eventually evolve into sapients seem unlikely to form a society or keep track of familial relations.

    And they are extremely chuuni, planet eaters should not form a society around being Bela Legosi fanboys.
     
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  24. Dakkan Sall

    Dakkan Sall Random Encounter

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    Don't think there are any actual squirrel Lanterns. Squirrel-like aliens, yes, but those are a fully sapient, advanced species. And Dex-Starr had a Red ring, which... while he's a smart murdercat, Red doesn't necessarily require much in the way of higher thinking. Even if RedPaul's reality is the standard for all WTR Red rings (i.e. users aren't permanently set into beast/rage mode), their abilities are generally of a more straightforward sort.

    Giving an Orange Ring to an entity that has no higher motives than "There is a sun. I am going to eat it" and degrees of self-preservation is not something to do just because one can.

    More or less. Though the one from All-Star Superman was just some sort of squid-like tentacle thing.
     
  25. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

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    Shouldn't does not mean can't. The sooner you get people on the ground there capable of fighting her, the better, OL. And while I doubt the Battleship is in any shape to be involved in that fight, I'm sure those aboard might be willing.

    And that alone should tell Thiva how topsy-turvy the situation is.

    Just don't get any ideas about starting the fight back up.

    Yeah, probably best to let someone she recognises confirm it.

    Given that most of the garrison is Karrakanian, that's no great hardship. If anything, this whole tussle has felt like a very bloody fight between children.... And now an adult has stopped them fighting, they're licking their wounds and making friends...

    Good fellow. That sort of attitude will likely carry you well into whatever happens afterwards.

    ...No, I'm just imagining the slight affection there, aren't I?

    Yeah, probably a good idea to check before going haring off after her...

    Which limits him to his armour and any New God weaponry he's able to get his hands on. Which Sparta can likely subvert on sight given half a chance...

    Don't underestimate yourself, demigod. You bear the Ophidian's Heart, and I suspect an Embodiment has a little more metaphorical oomph than a mere god.

    There's a lot of unknowns in this kerfuffle, isn't there? Still, the time pressure precludes pausing to find out more.

    And I get the feeling Minosyss looks quite a bit smaller. Though it's at least not as on fire... Yet.

    And if you do, best to do it in private. Don't want to upset the morale of the troops.

    Oh, finally! OL better call for backup. Everything he can get, chop-chop!

    "And why is the Ophidian snarling and hissing in the general direction of Minosyss?"

    Come on, Hinon, it's OL. You should have expected something to happen.

    Yes, please do guess.

    Crud, he's not getting backup, is he?

    And as soon as the connection clears, Hinon begins banging her head against the desk. Even if she has to manifest one out of thin air to do so.

    If so, have your say, because I don't think you're going to have time to complain later...

    ...Given that he works for their rightful owners (as far as anyone can tell...)

    And better in the hands of one person than six. Though having additional numbers down there wouldn't hurt.

    ...For all we know, she was taught how to activate one by her sponsor, then used Phoebe's to enhance her intellect to easily make use of the rest.

    Crap, Sparta found the trigger, because that sounds a lot like a Sun-Eater's energy absorption field effect.

    Let's hope she's only nudged a juvenile awake. Because the fully-grown ones are not going to play nice with anything.

    And all hell just broke loose, hasn't it? The excrement just hit the ceiling-mounted impellor and Sparta's looking to flip the table. I have the feeling not everyone going down there is going to walk away from this. Let's just hope OL doesn't have to repeat Hal Jordan's finale performance during Final Night.
     
  26. RichardWhereat

    RichardWhereat Aia airëa Fëanáro.

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    I'm on the edge of my seat wondering what will happen to Melinoë.
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2021
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  27. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Technically only one side is largely composed of children, or teenagers.

    The Titans are at least in their thirties, about Paul's age.

    It's difficult to predict the type of stupid Paul will get involved in.
     
  28. Ganurath

    Ganurath Apologizes For Nothing

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    Paul's dispassionate, focused on the picture, and has an understated contempt for genre conventions that overpowers even Warhammer Famtasy Paul's hatred for the Chaos Gods. He is none of the things you said.

    Genre Savvy is the purview of Common Sense Paul.
     
  29. Bud-E

    Bud-E Stand up so I can push you down!

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    Has it been mentioned which seeds Paul has and which Sparta has?
     
  30. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    If the aim were to beat her in a fight, you would be correct. He's not trying to do that, he's trying to talk her down.
    Thank you, corrected.
    Depends which comic and which bit of the Sun Eater.
    Ouch. I mean, yes, but ouch.
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2021
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