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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. Buggy123

    Buggy123 I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Bulletproof vests can easily give you severe bruising, internal bleeding, and broken ribs or bones when used.

    Do they require training? Or special warnings? Would you rather get shot without one?

    If they face so much magic that burning a hole in their chest is a serious risk, they'd still rather have them because whatever that much magic is doing, they would be fucked 10 times over without it.
     
  2. Coda

    Coda Versed in the lewd.

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    They don't have to be deeply devout. They merely need to know that it's a holy symbol, and then it affects them. But I think they have to know it's there; having it tucked under your shirt probably doesn't do much.
     
  3. Queshire

    Queshire Not too sore, are you?

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    Has that been established for the WTR-verse? Personally I like the Dresden Files version where it's the faith of the person with the holy symbol that matters the most, though given how Zoat does things I reckon it's likely a function of heavenly magic here?
     
  4. Stsword

    Stsword Versed in the lewd.

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    Yes. Paul met Looker the psychic vampire.

    Well I'll be interested to see how this goes.

    On one hand, Buzz is a demon, and unlike say Petey the demon, he has the behaviors one would expect from the species.

    On the other hand, Buzz's boss Beelzebub has always been a real dick to him.

    Buzz sold his soul to get his wife back from Caligula, well happy reunion, then his wife kills him for letting her get kidnapped and raped. As Beelzebub planned.

    Then the Lord of Flies promises to reunite Buzz with his wife (who he still loves, despite the whole murdering him thing), if he corrupts a butcher.

    The butcher became Jack the Ripper, and Buzz was reunited. After she was dead, because she was one of the Ripper's victims.

    So the demon Buzz's big evil motivation? Be with the woman he's loved for about two thousand years now.
     
  5. Queshire

    Queshire Not too sore, are you?

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    Side note; just realized that talking about holy symbols instantly made my brain jump tracks from demons to vampires. Oops
     
  6. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    Yes... They do...
     
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  7. Buggy123

    Buggy123 I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Huh. Okay, I was wrong there, I was banking on them not requiring training but I didn't actually check.

    But I think my point is still reasonably sound; even if you have hardly any idea how to use it, you're still better off with the bulletproof vest. It's next to impossible to hurt yourself with it more than you would be if you weren't wearing it.
     
  8. Queshire

    Queshire Not too sore, are you?

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    How tight are bulletproof vests? 'cause I've heard some horror stories about sleeping in binders, and if a bullet proof vest is something like as tight as those you could probably do some damage to yourself from wearing them too long.

    Note: this should not be a sign that I'm agreeing with Vaermina.
     
  9. Buggy123

    Buggy123 I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Not... sure, actually. I think they would only need to be tight enough to avoid shifting significantly, but it would vary based on which kind they are. I'd suspect that designs that use ceramic plates wouldn't even need to be tighter than a sweater... but i'm definitely not a expert here.
     
  10. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    ...

    I have no idea what you people are talking about. Crucifixes generally provide no arcane protection at all.
     
  11. Queshire

    Queshire Not too sore, are you?

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    The bullet proof vest point was a comparison to the spell eater's OL provided and their tendency to heat up when overly stressed.
     
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  12. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    It heats up when he comes up against epic level magic effects. Against street magicians it barely gets warm.
     
  13. Queshire

    Queshire Not too sore, are you?

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    I expected as much. Wasn't quite sure where the Jizzers fell on that scale, but Vaermina is gonna Vaermina.
     
  14. rdfox

    rdfox Know what you're doing yet?

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    Nah, I was (sort of) gonna bring up that point myself, though more along the lines of suggesting "training" on a level of, "They get warm as they absorb magic, the stronger it is, the warmer they get. If it gets hot enough to be uncomfortable, you should probably fall back and call us in instead." No training needed to use it, but a quick briefing needed to know its limits and how to identify what the hell's going on when it does get hot.
     
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  15. Soul Shocker

    Soul Shocker Not too sore, are you?

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    A poor rate of Magic to heat energy conversion :p

    Could you make spell eaters insulated by, say Fibreglass and don't bother with the heating at all?

    For the OL own use, I'd even run a water cooling system to chill it.
     
  16. nick012000

    nick012000 Gone for Good

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    In the last federal election a month or two ago, there was a "Love Australia or Leave" party whose party logo was an outline of the country with the word "FULL" inside it. I'll admit, after seeing that, I was half-surprised that there wasn't an "Aussie Shitposter" party whose logo was the Aussie shitposter meme from 4chan.

    But then, I think we might be veering close to breaking the "no politics" rule, here.
     
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  17. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    The heat effect is intentional, a way of notifying the wearer that they're under attack. Otherwise they would be none the wiser until the spell finally overloaded it.
     
  18. DrThoth

    DrThoth I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    It seems like a notification system that has some danger in its own right; perhaps they can update it to a color-changing or sound-based mechanism instead.
     
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  19. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    They could. However, those have their own problems. You'd have to notice the colour change in something that works best when held against the skin, and you may well be in a noisy fight when it starts absorbing spells.
     
  20. DrThoth

    DrThoth I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Maybe copy smartphones and have a vibrate setting then :). And while the other options have issues, it’s less dangerous than having heat be the indicator. But as you’ve said the heat levels are only high when dealing with major magic, it shouldn’t be an issue for most mainstream uses of wards.

    This does make me wonder about how the Queen of Fables got through Paragon’s Spell Eater on the plane without him or his ring noticing temperature changes; maybe you explained it in a post but I was just reading Story Only back then.
    Also does the Queen of Fables have any connection to the Dreaming since, you know, stories? Seems like a plausible bit of canon welding.
     
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  21. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    You Can't Stop Stage One.

    She replaced it with a prop. He did notice, then she altered things so that he hadn't.
    Everything has a connection to the Dreaming.
     
  22. PrinceJonathan

    PrinceJonathan Versed in the lewd.

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    I Googled Seriously Serious Party and got McGillicuddy Serious Party which was a satrical political party in New Zealand back in the 1990's.

    Then there is apparently an actual Official Monster Raving Loony Party.

    Like I said, politics in the United States suck. We don't so much as even have a Sweet Rave Party! Just Fatasses, Jackasses, (looks at California) and Dumbasses.
     
  23. Norgarth

    Norgarth Making the rounds.

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    as far as oddball political parties go, Canada had the Natural Law Party who ran candidates for several national elections as well as several provincial elections in Ontario and Quebec back in the '90s and early 2000s.

    and if we're discussing silly parties, this is obligatory:
     
  24. Mquz

    Mquz Versed in the lewd.

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    California definitely isn’t the worst example of Jackasses in America. Actually, we here kind of seem like we have some of the most moderate politicians. And for dumbasses, we have Florida ... enough said. I don’t remember the last time I saw a California politician being an obvious dumbass.

    This has been accurate for quite a while (at least a decade), so I don’t think saying it is against the rule.
     
  25. Threadmarks: Angelic (part 7)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    28th January
    11:17 GMT -5


    Raquel frowns at me as the police move one of their suspects into an interview room. Sara Birchall, seventeen years old and dressed like an almost stereotypical 'bad girl'. From all the yellow I can see I think this whole 'getting arrested while your leader legs it' experience has been a real eye-opener. She has volunteered to speak to us without a lawyer being present, which is convenient but not really very sensible.

    "So… You, Robin and Aqualad are leading teams."

    "Yes."

    "Why is it you three?"

    "Robin has the most experience of any team member, while Kaldur and I are both military officers. When the team was founded we were also somewhat more mature than our colleagues."

    "Why not Miss Martian or Artemis?"

    "Despite her age, M'gann is only as emotionally mature as a human in their mid-teens. She also had no experience of combat before joining the team. Artemis… Wasn't in the right frame of mind to lead people. Though she could probably do a passable job now."

    Hm. Have to ask if Paula would mind tutoring her.

    Raquel nods slowly. "Aren't Tula and Garth in the Atlantean military? Tula said something about their magic being more advanced because they stayed in school or.. something."

    "Yes, but they're on the battlemage track rather than the officer track. Their knowledge of magic is far greater, but their studies didn't -don't- focus on strategic or tactical planning. Kaldur's lessons with King Orin did."

    "So what do I have to do to lead a team, join the army?"

    I frown. "There isn't a formal process, though I… Suppose we could run exercises with different people in charge. Though I would remind you that we are technically all amateurs, and joining the army might actually be a better option."

    "So I have to go to officer training school."

    I shrug. "Green Two Eight One Four A joined the marines as an enlisted man. These days, there are grants for non-commissioned officers who want to undertake officer training." I smile unpleasantly. "Or if you'd prefer, there are several Lanterns under my command with extensive military experience. I have the authority to order them to train you."

    "What's with the smile?"

    "The sort of officer who becomes an Orange Lantern is usually from a martial culture, where commanders are expected to lead from the front. The training would be extremely intense, but it would make a man out of you."

    She rolls her eyes. "I'm fine being a girl, thanks."

    "We might be able to sort something out with the g-gnomes, but-"

    A police lieutenant sticks her head out of the interview room and beckons us over.

    "-we haven't…" I shrug. "Back to work."

    We walk across the room and through the door into the interview room, Sara Birchall's eyes widening as I sit down in the chair opposite her.

    "Ah… Hey."

    I smile warmly at the would-be cultist. "Good morning, Miss Birchall. I'm Orange Lantern, and this is my colleague Rocket."

    "Yeah, I…. I know who you are?"

    "Well. I don't like to presume. Now, I need to make you aware that this conversation will be recorded, and that you can -at any point- end this interview and/or request the presence of a lawyer. Do you understand?" She nods. "Alright. Now, I've read your initial testimony, and… Well, I suspect that your general approach of keeping quiet was sensible if not helpful. May I ask why you've decided to become more open?"

    "Yeah…" She shifts on her chair. "Buzz… I thought it was just… Fun? But.. if.. superheroes are getting involved… It's way more serious than just smoking pot or whatever."

    "Theoretically speaking, making no reference to any one person in particular who may or may not have smoked marijuana, yes, it's a good deal more serious."

    "What's he supposed to have.. done?"

    "Presently, he is wanted for immigration offences and maleficium."

    "What?"

    "Since demons are treated as 'human' under the law, communicating with them isn't a crime, any more than speaking to someone on the telephone is. However, the United States places certain restrictions on the ability of people who are not citizens of the United States to enter the country, and most acts of summoning break those laws."

    "No, I get-. What's malla.. fictum?"

    "Virginia's Puritan founders imported quite a few anti-witchcraft laws from England, and with one thing and another they've never been fully repealed. A variety of types of magic are covered, and the punishments are quite severe. Now-" I take a rune stone out of subspace and lay it on the table between us. No reaction. "-I know perfectly well that you're not a magic user yourself, but I'm afraid that Mister Buzz is in quite a lot of trouble."

    She nods sombrely.

    "Alright, so let's start… Do you know his real name?"

    She shrugs, shaking her head.

    "What does he look like? Where's he from?"

    "He sounds English? Blonde, short hair-" I wince, and take a picture of The Demon Constantine, Gordon Sumner, Ambrose Bierce and Welsh John out of subspace. "-kind of a thin face…"

    I lay the pictures on the table in front of her and push them towards her. "Do any of these men look familiar?"

    She looks them over, her eyes hesitating on Mr Sumner for a moment, before shaking her head. "No, he's younger than them. And his hair's longer and.. brighter?"

    Lucky escape for Mr Sumner. I return the photographs and rune stone to subspace.

    "Did you ever see him perform any acts of overt magic?" I shrug. "Levitation, conjuration or alchemy?"

    "Ah… What counts as alchemy? Because -. Ah, I think some of the others might have been… On something?"

    "When you say 'on something'-?"

    "There was this white powder some of-."

    Raquel snorts. "That's not alchemy."

    "It might have been! I didn't try it!" I give her a somewhat sceptical look. "I didn't!" She slumps, sighing. "Look, it wasn't like I was super close to Buzz or anything. The.. whole.. group was just somewhere to relax, have some fun. You should really try and find that midget guy or Linda."

    "Linda?"

    "Linda… Danners?"

    "Danvers?"

    "Maybe? I didn't really know her either, but I think she was Buzz's girlfriend or something."

    Linda Danvers. A young woman I checked up on a few weeks after first arriving on this Earth so that I could eliminate the possibility of her being a kryptonian.

    "We'll try and find her. Specifically, did you ever see Buzz hand out any sort of vial or syringe to his followers?"

    She shakes her head, and I nod.

    "Then in addition to some people consuming narcotics, what exactly was the.. special draw of the group? I mean, was it just a social gathering, or-."

    "It was…" She blushes faintly, her eyes dipping. "Somewhere to get away from our.. parents, you know? Try… Things out."

    I frown, then take a look-.

    I nod.

    "I understand completely. Thank you for your help."
     
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2019
  26. TheLunarwolf

    TheLunarwolf Making the rounds.

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    Who better to run a sex-cult than a Roman...
     
  27. doug89

    doug89 Versed in the lewd.

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    Linda
     
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  28. Handlewithcare

    Handlewithcare Versed in the lewd.

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    Huh. That's a lot more...mundain than I would have expected.

    Also no drug charges against Buzz? Or enticing minors to use them? Is that a thing?
     
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  29. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Thank you, corrected.
     
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  30. DiceArt

    DiceArt Not too sore, are you?

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    It is speaking as someone who lived in virginia for sometime. Soliciting Minors to commit a crime is against the law. Depending on how young Linda Danvers is and how far they've gone he may or may not also be guilty of Statutory rape, hell even groping and fondling her would get him counts of sexual assault because it would be seen as molestation if she was as young as say 15.
     
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