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. BlackCoat13

    BlackCoat13 I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2019
    Messages:
    833
    Likes Received:
    9,554
    Apparently John got jealous over Paul's multiverse convergence adventure where he met like 160 other versions of himself.


     
  2. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,136
    Likes Received:
    320,310
    Maybe he could end up making his own little Rogu.

    Then when he eventually betrays Rogu, Rogu can make him pay.

    And thus the Constantine line can be ended.

    Because it just does.

    Mist can fly but maybe he's not doing it now due to fear of being detected or because the magic in the place is interfering.

    He already snorted Santa Claus.

    Or is just more dangerous even without magic.
     
  3. ZzzSlothzzZ

    ZzzSlothzzZ The Giver of warm hugs

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2020
    Messages:
    564
    Likes Received:
    4,330
    Yeah. One Constantine is bad enough.
    And on that note...

    Oh you sweet summer child.
     
    Xmaster3000 likes this.
  4. Huttj509

    Huttj509 Getting sticky.

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2019
    Messages:
    50
    Likes Received:
    316
    I think the point is that either there is no "actual" John right now, or "actual" John is both Quinn and the shapechanging other demon, depending on how you define "actual."

    I'm reading 4x Constantine right now.
     
    BookZone, Vorian, Ngamer11 and 4 others like this.
  5. Windona

    Windona Beetle Queen of Crackshipping

    Joined:
    May 9, 2022
    Messages:
    330
    Likes Received:
    1,103
    Damn it John. If he couldn't cope he should have found someone who could, but then he wouldn't be Constantine now would he.

    Presumably a Lord of Balance would be possible, but it would require someone very wise and good at harmony. Which Constantine is not. Theoretically Balewa or Richard Dragon or someone like them could pull it off, but I don't think that will happen here.
     
    kerleth and Vorian like this.
  6. Assblaster5000

    Assblaster5000 I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Jun 7, 2020
    Messages:
    738
    Likes Received:
    4,308
  7. Stsword

    Stsword Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2017
    Messages:
    1,714
    Likes Received:
    9,868
    Zoat seems to have made it harder in his cosmology here than it is in the comics.

    The Hector Hall Dr Fate was a Lord of Balance, not because of any great enlightenment, but just because he was reincarnated as Hawk and Dove's son, who were blessed collectively by the Unity- The Lord of Order Terataya and Lord of Chaos T'Charr who are in love (yes, the Unity is their couple name!), and so blessed Hank Hall and Dawn Granger so that their children would embody cooperation between order and chaos.

    The fact that they originally blessed two brothers either shows they were a little fuzzy on how human reproduction works or they changed their minds on the end goal at some point.

    Likewise back when Power Girl was Atlantean her grandfather Arion arranged for his great grandchild to be fathered, artificially thank goodness, by a chaos demon so said child would be both Order and Chaos- Equinox. Although the Brave and Bold version seems more inspired by the In-Betweener though.

    And in one of the possible futures of Armageddon 2001, Hank and Dawn's daughter inherited their blessing and took up the identity of the Unity, and although the issue ended before her fight with Monarch ended, it actually looked like she was winning when the vision ended. Which considering Monarch supposedly killed all the supers of Earth to establish his reign, suggests truly impressive power levels.

    Edit- Oh and post flashpoint, Harley was approached by the Lords to become an Angel of Chaos and Order, she ended up convincing them to give the job to a Tamaranean gal she met, Mirand'r.
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2022
    kerleth, BookZone, Vorian and 7 others like this.
  8. 0zymandias

    0zymandias Making the rounds.

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2020
    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    374
    It seems that John Constantines’ are somewhat like buses, we’ve been waiting long while for one and then 4 come round all at the same time.

    I wonder if we could lure in Zatanna into this clusterfuck if promise that he could murder at least one John, maybe throw the shapeshifting demon Constantine under that bus.
     
    kerleth, Vorian, Ardy and 1 other person like this.
  9. Windona

    Windona Beetle Queen of Crackshipping

    Joined:
    May 9, 2022
    Messages:
    330
    Likes Received:
    1,103
    Fair enough. Though hopefully a child doesn't need to be specifically conceived to become Unity here, and it can follow in the steps of some of the other examples.
     
    kerleth, Vorian and DrThoth like this.
  10. DrThoth

    DrThoth I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2016
    Messages:
    697
    Likes Received:
    2,976
    What happens in the issue? Someone calls him that or he's put in the physical/metaphysical position of the Hanged Man?
     
    kerleth likes this.
  11. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,700
    Likes Received:
    729,297
    No, they use a tarot deck and the Hanged Man represents him. In issue 40 he merges with the Golden Boy and the text on the card gets overwritten with 'Magus', which was Golden Boy's card.
     
  12. Ardy

    Ardy I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2017
    Messages:
    641
    Likes Received:
    3,472
    Based on a very long reread, I say Dr. mists accent comes out when he’s stressed and retroactively say the longer he deals with Paul the more stressed he gets
     
  13. Prince Charon

    Prince Charon Just zis guy, you know?

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2014
    Messages:
    9,741
    Likes Received:
    38,266
    Well, he also happens to be capable of getting women to sleep with him. Even looking like Sting, there's only so much that hatesex can explain.
     
    Vorian, Ardy, kerleth and 2 others like this.
  14. Threadmarks: Tower Offence (part 19)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,700
    Likes Received:
    729,297
    8th November 2012
    12:25 GMT -5




    "That makes a horrible amount of sense. So, what was the plan?"

    "Each part of himself would grow into their power, and then at some point in the future the two would be brought back together. When they were more accustomed to their power."

    "Why doesn't the Demon version remember that? Why did he end up in Belle Reve? And where-? Are they?"

    "There wasn't much I could see from here, and the Order aura makes it hard to me to perceive what was happening with my magic. If you're asking for my best guess, it would be that John Constantine doesn't much like John Constantine at the best of times."

    "Okay, Quinn beats The Other Demon down and sticks him in Belle Reve in place of the original. Then he carries on with his project of learning to use Order magic fully. At… Some point he gets exposed to the Anti-Life, and without specific protections he gets infected. So if he ever intended to reassemble himself, he certainly isn't going to do that now."

    "Oh? Why not?"

    "Adding new thoughts would risk throwing off the Anti-Life's control. At least for long enough for him to either use his own magic to expunge it properly or teleport to us."

    Except… This whole structure is live.

    Xander.

    "This thing is stopping them becoming a single person. It didn't force them apart; it's keeping them apart. And killing him… Ah… He's still plugged in, so they'd probably just merge again."

    The Golden Man nods. "John Quinn would have to expose him to the Anti-Life first."

    Sanderson takes a closer look at the booth. "Do you want us to break you out?"

    The Golden Man shakes his head. "I never existed. This edifice is dedicated to maintaining my paradoxical existence."

    "Could you exist in the Dream?"

    "Possibly, but I like to think that I had a positive effect on John after joining with him. When we merged he was on a very miserable path." He shakes his head. "The world is more than my existence. Do not concern yourself with me unless every other problem is dealt with first."

    But we don't know where Quinn or Demon 2 are. If that 'void in the world' person is the ultimate source of the Anti-Life infection-.

    I fly down, then up towards The Demon.

    "Mist, Demon, can we use this machine to bring Quinn and the other Demon here? Because it can't take that long for Quinn to take him to his Anti-Life source and we don't know where that is."

    "Not easily. John Quinn is a mortal man, and his connection to Order is not strong enough to reliably bring him here with this beacon."

    The Demon doesn't say anything.

    "The Golden Boy is locked up at the other end of the machine. According to him, John Constantine used this to turn himself into two people using Demon One and him as counterweights, or… Something." Dr. Balewa nods thoughtfully. "The machine is holding them apart. Which I'm hoping means that they're still tied to it in some sort of magic sense you can use."

    "Let… Let me… Think."

    "Demon, I know that you hate John Constantine as much as John Constantine does at his worst, but if he gets Anti-Lifed then he won't exactly be himself any longer. And if he's not himself then he's not suffering because there's no him."

    "I worked that out. Thing is, I've also worked out how to make this thing do what you want."

    "If you want to do some sort of trade, there's a pretty hard limit on what I'm prepared to offer. The other Demon was getting a pot plant."

    "Not the problem. There's probably some dead clever way to make this work, but you're on the clock. You don't have time. Or there's the quick way."

    "Talk faster."

    "That's the thing, isn't it? I don't know if I want to." He smiles at me with a mouth full of broken teeth. "'course, we both know you could fix that."

    "John Quinn has already been exposed to the Anti-Life. As such, the situation isn't severe enough to-."

    "I didn't see him using the full power of a Chaos Lord. Which we both know John was. So why might that be?"

    "I'd been assuming that The Other Demon got the Chaos magic. If John made him forget about it-."

    "Give over, mate. Being a Chaos Lord is pretty fucking obvious. Even if he forgot everything he knew about Chaos magic-."

    "Yeah, yeah, okay. Go on then. Show me how clever you are."

    "Chances are, John Quinn is all of John Constantine's wisdom, and skill with higher concepts." He looks around for a moment. "Demons aren't really creatures of Order or Chaos, so there's no real reason to split them down the middle. Not when the whole point is to learn to use them together. If he channels most of the power into this place, Quinn could learn to use mid-level Order and Chaos magic."

    "Okay, but-?"

    "What's my double for?" He shrugs, the chains not allowing him a great deal of movement. "Don't know for sure, but I'd guess that John wanted a bit of him to stay weak. To keep his unwise personality somewhere safe so it wouldn't get overwhelmed."

    That… Might explain why he wanted to soak up John's psychic residue… If his whole function is to maintain John's personality…

    "And Quinn stuck him in prison because that's the wisest thing he could do." Sounds… Plausible. I glance at Dr. Balewa, who gives me a tentative nod. "So?"

    "So it's not just that this place is holding them apart, it's literally where most of the magic is going. So you've got a few choices. You could blow the whole thing up. Do that, they merge back together with the full power of Order and Chaos." Another attempt at a shrug. "Might get rid of the Anti-Life. Might not. Or you can just wait here. He-. They, are gunna want their full power back some time, and they'll have to come here for that. You're a bright lad, you could probably find someone else to channel all that power into."

    "Or we could do some sort of ritual with you and The Golden Man."

    "The other two were created using us. There's an ongoing thaumic link through this machine." His eyes seem to glow slightly. "Get it right, you might not even have to fight him."

    "I.. don’t know-" I glance at Dr. Balewa again, but he's deep in thought. "-what sort of ritual that would be."

    "Me an' Goldy would merge together. Dead easy to make it ritually equivalent, an' doing it here can easily bring them right back." He looks away for a moment. "John asked about that once, y'know. Merging the two of us back together. I said 'no', but that's probably when I hated him least."

    "Are you willing?"

    "Am I willing to die for John Constantine? Hm." He relaxes into his chains. "Do I want him to suffer so much that I'm willing to cease existing to give him back my misery?"

    He grins fiercely.

    "Fuck it. Let's do it."
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2022
  15. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,136
    Likes Received:
    320,310
    It really doesn’t.

    No shit.

    "find someone"

    "Balewa"
     
  16. Cherico

    Cherico Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    May 12, 2017
    Messages:
    14,382
    Likes Received:
    1,764,599
    This is completely in charater John hates himself that much.
     
  17. AmericanNumbers

    AmericanNumbers Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2021
    Messages:
    302
    Likes Received:
    2,834
    So is this a reversal of fortune where it's Constantine's friend (Paul) that ends up fucking him over?
     
  18. Tyrantviewer

    Tyrantviewer lord of all I survey

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2015
    Messages:
    189
    Likes Received:
    864
    Lets be honest, 1 Paul kind of fucked him over with the results of the Nabu showdown and 2 this situation is so off and convoluted that anyone would struggle not to screw over constantine in some way in the course of resolving things.
     
  19. NightmareWarden

    NightmareWarden Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2015
    Messages:
    1,093
    Likes Received:
    5,098
    Paul. This is the same Demon who led you and Constantine by the nose and helped arrange the death of 5/6ths of the SABBAC sponsors AND the 1st of the Fallen. He arranged for that damnably clever outcome AND for Human-Constantine’s planning.

    This guy, though he is stuck in a jar, is smarter than you… and is pressuring you to make a snap decision. Plus you already know there has been a mental effect manipulating your thoughts away from contacting Constantine. Who knows who is on the other end of that spell? Glares at Demon Constantine
     
  20. Signaller

    Signaller Know what you're doing yet?

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2019
    Messages:
    128
    Likes Received:
    562
    Just to check - are there more Constantines or Supergirls at the moment?
     
  21. Radix

    Radix Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2020
    Messages:
    496
    Likes Received:
    2,079
    I mean it seems like it has gotten to the point where it is so convoluted that he screwed himself over. I am only surprised that this held together for about 16 months.

    Actually looking back I am surprised it has only been a bit over a year. It feels like longer. But we are just at the end of season 5 now. And 3 episodes after this big one, so should be interesting.
     
  22. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2019
    Messages:
    2,150
    Likes Received:
    33,442
    And boy, it's gonna have to be a royal doozy to make all of this make any sense. It feels like someone's been playing Xanatos Speed Chess with the Constantines... And even if it does all make sense, there's still the matter of who Anti-Lifed Quinn.

    One thing at a time, OL. Though that first part does make some measure of sense. It's still a bad plan, so it's perfect for a Constantine.

    To be fair, this plan wouldn't have taken much of a wrench to go completely tits-up.

    So they won't be likely to be facing a recombined Demon II/Quinn combo. Not if whoever's pulling the Anti-Life's strings has any say in it. Some small comfort...

    Ah, that eclectic collection of metaknowledge.

    In order to maintain the psychological balance. And effectively square the effect of the Anti-life against the remerged powers of Order and Chaos...

    Ha! I knew it. He's effectively John's imagined version of 'what would I be like if my life wasn't shit', in this scenario. Enough metaphysical weight due to the split timelines to be a separate person, but ultimately just a shade.

    ...Wow, a selfless Constantine. That's... Almost inconceivable, if he weren't standing right there.

    Time for a second opinion, even if it's one that loathes the man.

    At best, you might end up with the helmet in hand. But I doubt the connection is that strong either...

    Rule of Contagion. If something was part of something else, then it remains so, magically speaking.

    Heh, appealing to his spite? That might get him on the same page, at least.

    Great, so they're literally going to have to make a deal with a devil.

    Quick. Safe. Effective. Pick any two, huh? There's that masochistic streak, I see.

    I mean, what does the Demon want? John suffering, that's a given. His freedom? Unlikely. So what else can they offer?

    That'd be like trying to pour an ocean into a teacup. And while Utgard-Loki might have managed that with a drinking horn, I don't think it's possible here.

    True, his ego probably wants some stroking. Since he's not likely to get any other kind in this situation.

    So this machine is partly functioning as a siphon. Keeping the power from overflowing its vessels.

    And we've already seen how unwise the other Demon is, with the Baghdad thing. Not the smartest plan at the best of times.

    Though I doubt you're hesitating to put yourself forwards for that, the answer would be a hard 'no.'

    ...And what's the bet the Demon already has something in place to shift things in his favour when their plan goes off?

    Well, he was probably a little worried about what you were getting up to, so it was understandable.

    Right, stupid question. Moving on...

    ...Oh, fuck, he almost certainly has something planned.

    Well, this is going swimmingly, then... For a 'Hellblazer' plotline. Which means someone is going to get fucked over a barrel, and it won't be a Constantine. I would really counsel for more study and preparation, but Quinn and Demon II are likely already en route, along with their black sponsor. Because whoever it is, I don't see them being happy about losing their golden goose.
     
  23. Radix

    Radix Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2020
    Messages:
    496
    Likes Received:
    2,079
    We have Angel hybrid, Ex-Nazi, Classic flavour, & pre-crisis. Dana was exiled to the Legion future I think. So tied atm.
     
  24. Cuchulin

    Cuchulin Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2019
    Messages:
    1,977
    Likes Received:
    7,722
    You forgot Demonically possessed.
     
  25. AmericanNumbers

    AmericanNumbers Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2021
    Messages:
    302
    Likes Received:
    2,834
    I mean it's multiple Constantine's working against each other while trying to hold off Paul and the Anti Life and possibly Johnny Sorrow are involved. Oh and Dream's meddling too.

    Of course it's convoluted.
     
  26. Whenever Possible

    Whenever Possible Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    May 19, 2016
    Messages:
    1,954
    Likes Received:
    28,495
    It is completely in character that John hates himself that much, but it's also in character for John to try and fudge the potential re-combination ritual in some clever and stupid way that would end up making everything significantly worse.
     
  27. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,700
    Likes Received:
    729,297
    Thank you, corrected.
     
  28. Bud-E

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

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2020
    Messages:
    879
    Likes Received:
    4,051
    Was being a Lord of Order and Chaos killing John or just hurting him?
     
  29. Handlewithcare

    Handlewithcare Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2019
    Messages:
    1,289
    Likes Received:
    12,979
    John Constantine.

    A man with issues s strong and complex they walk around and plot ways to undo themselves to make him more miserable.

    He needs an army of super-therapists.
     
  30. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2015
    Messages:
    5,522
    Likes Received:
    20,892
    Remember, LePaul is pretty much incapable of recognizing that someone is smarter then him due to Orange Light corruption.
     
    fappingtoyourpost likes this.
Loading...