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. Silverias

    Silverias Know what you're doing yet?

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2016
    Messages:
    191
    Likes Received:
    2,038
    This is more of a Britishism. Americans would say "get along" or something a bit blunter.
     
  2. The Froggy Ninja

    The Froggy Ninja The Blade Will Never Die

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2016
    Messages:
    7,701
    Likes Received:
    30,917
    Asclepius would probably have a better shot than Apollo. Especially if the insanity is physical brain damage.
     
  3. Siskulous

    Siskulous Know what you're doing yet?

    Joined:
    Jan 29, 2019
    Messages:
    230
    Likes Received:
    842
    I've asked V that exact question before. I don't think he answered it then

    I dunno. "It's magic so it is" is pretty sufficient explanation for a soft magic setting. And magic settings don't get any softer than DC. (Or, for that matter, more inconsistent.) Mind you I much prefer hard magic settings (and hard sci-fi also for that matter), but DC's "magic does whatever and works however this week's writer wants it to" approach works surprisingly well for them.

    I've neither seen it nor read the reviews, but in my experience when there's a huge difference between critic and audience reviews, go with the audience reviews. Critics sometimes lose site of what regular people want out of movies and/or have reasons for pushing or suppressing a given movie that have nothing to do with whether or not most people would enjoy it.

    Knocked him unconscious (or that part may have been Eris, it's been a while) and helped Eris throw him off a Themescarian city wall into a pig pen. After telling him off to his face if I remember correctly.

    To be fair Apollo was being an absolute git at the time and deserved it.
     
  4. Steelplaza

    Steelplaza Custom Title

    Joined:
    May 12, 2015
    Messages:
    181
    Likes Received:
    946
    Bob Chipman has a rather different set of criticisms.

    https://www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/2019/10/02/joker-review-escape-to-the-movies/

    His take is, it's technically well-made but a misfire. "Empty, unoriginal, and boring," are his criticisms.
     
    Cuchulin likes this.
  5. jonasquinn

    jonasquinn I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2016
    Messages:
    983
    Likes Received:
    2,826
    Eh, everyone is entitled to their opinions

    I think he’s dead wrong and being pretentious but he can be wrong and pretentious if he wants to be
     
  6. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,693
    Likes Received:
    728,846
    Thank you, modified.
    [​IMG]
     
  7. fluffy

    fluffy Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2019
    Messages:
    360
    Likes Received:
    1,682
    Why was POLs first thought for gods who could heal madness apollo and not asclepius. I mean asclepius even has two daughters who fit the bill, Iaso (goddess of recuperation from illness) and Panacea (goddess of universal cure).
     
    LollipoPReapeR and DAT_NOOB like this.
  8. Gantradies

    Gantradies Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Jan 29, 2019
    Messages:
    329
    Likes Received:
    1,407
    oh, that is so very true >.<
    Gaming's mine- there's this specific level of distraction where you can still focus on talking, but your brain is too heavily loaded to second guess itself...

    ...im really liking the back and forth the two have going here- i cant quite finger it, but it feels..well,satisfying watching them affably and efficiently work through the info like this..
     
    DAT_NOOB and Buggy123 like this.
  9. Threadmarks: Guys from Gotham (part 4)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,693
    Likes Received:
    728,846
    16th February
    21:38 GMT -5


    I stroll through the Iceberg Lounge's entrance without being stopped by the bouncers, though the thinner one started muttering into his microphone rather urgently once he thought that I was out of listening range. Still too early in the evening for this place to be at anything like capacity, and this is a school night. A cross section of Gotham's rich young things are scattered around the bar area and dance floor, presumably the minor thrill of osmotic criminality making up for the classical tone of the music. I recognise a few of the faces-. And there's Jacopo Inzerillo. He looks up at me like he's completely confused by my presence; not offended, just like it's a thing that doesn't make any sense to him. I politely raise my right hand in a small wave and he nods back before returning his attention to his conversation.

    Nice that no one's fleeing, though I suppose it's only been a few moments.

    O.. kay. Mr Cobblepot himself makes regular tours of the main hall, making sure that his guests feel valued. However, his position as owner and proprietor means that he spends most of his time in one of the offices. Richard will be working on sneaking in… I need to draw a degree of attention without wrecking the place.

    Hm.

    I increase power to my environmental shield, float over the railings and drift slowly towards the bar. Getting a few stares and a little pointing, but no one's doing-. Well, after Commissioner Gordon brought up the religious crazies, I've been keeping half an eye out everywhere I go and it doesn't look like any of this crowd are going for their crozius arcanum just yet.

    I land just in front of the bar, and smile politely at the young lady working there.

    "Sarsaparilla, please."

    "Certainly, sir." She turns away, heading for a mini fridge. "Would you like ice with that?"

    "No, thank you."

    She removes a bottle, removing the cap using the bar's built-in bottle opener with her right hand while picking up a glass from a rack with her left.

    "We also do a range of non-alcoholic cocktails, if you're interested?"

    "I somehow doubt that I'll be here long enough for a second drink, but I'll try and be a little more adventurous next time I'm here."

    She puts the glass down on the bar and I pick it up and take a sip. I'd never had sarsaparilla before I came to Earth 16, and its taste… It's growing on me, slight tint of dentist-water not withstanding.

    I take another sip and turn around, looking around the room-.

    There's a quiet 'bang' and a rapid series of thumps from the direction of the offices, the momentary stab of alarm swiftly quashed and focused as Oswald 'The Penguin' Cobblepot is informed that I've arrived and heads out to deal with me. Either that, or Richard really bungled the infiltration-. No, there he is. Hm. Thinking about it, it won't be all that long before he'll be able to come here as Richard Grayson. I wonder if he's given any thought to the sort of shell persona he wants to develop to throw people off the Robin-scent?

    Another 'bang', and Mr Cobblepot slows from quick-march to stately procession as he enters the room. And he's not going to head to me immediately. No, he moves slowly, greeting four guests by name and holding a short conversation with the fourth. The fact that I'm an empath isn't a secret. And I don't just mean that I haven't been shy about telling people; it's actually online.

    Which means that this isn't for my benefit. He knows full well that I know that I'm the reason why he got up and came out here. But while he might think that his short term survival depends on keeping me happy, these are the people his long term survival depends upon. Customers, business partners, not-entirely-clean political leaders willing to make deals with a mostly-legitimate businessman.

    He moves away, stopping briefly to speak to one of his waiters before apparently by chance ambling towards the bar. His eyes pass over me, but his gaze is disinterested. Mildly curious at best. It's a lie, but if I couldn't look inside him I doubt that I'd spot it. He arrives at the far end of the bar and speaks briefly to the head barmaid, then turns and ambles in my direction, grinning.

    "Orange Lantern! So good to see you!"

    "Mister Cobblepot. I do hope that I'm not dragging you away from anything important?"

    "Oh, I've always got time for my guests. Particularly guests as well known as yourself. Do you think you'll have time to have your picture taken? We're got quite a collection."

    "I'd be happy to." I assume that's his excuse to get me off the floor so that we can have a work-related discussion somewhere private. I half-turn. "Do you have a studio-?"

    There's a flash as a woman carrying an old-fashioned flashbulb camera takes our picture, and I realise that Mr Cobblepot is close enough and smiley enough that it looks both naturalistic and semi-posed. I broaden my smile a little and raise my glass in a salute, but the picture-taker is already heading away.

    "So, what brings you here this evening?"

    "A difference in epistemology. I'm direct; the Bats are indirect. If I want something from someone then I'll either ask for it or trade for it... Or just take it, because there's almost no one who can threaten me."

    "Only 'almost'?"

    "No one's invulnerable. There was this alien warlord last month…" I shake my head. "Batman is indirect because he can't survive being repeatedly shot. I'm direct because I can. I don't criticise him for that; it's a rational use of his abilities. But it's not me."

    I put my glass down.

    "I'm sure that we're both very glad that Mister Napier is in Arkham Asylum. Unfortunately, someone has decided that in his absence there's a gap in the market for a Smilex supplier. I hit a laboratory earlier this evening, but I only caught one chemist."

    "Smilex is a dreadful product."

    "Why kill your own customers?"

    He coughs quietly. "I sell alcohol, Orange Lantern. I merely remark on the dreadful personal and social consequences of the abuse of illegal drugs."

    "Mister Cobblepot…" I shake my head. "If an individual wishes, in private, to consume a narcotic which harms no one but themselves, I struggle to come up with a reason to stop them. I don't indulge myself-" I raise my glass slightly. "-but all the evidence I've seen is that marijuana is less dangerous than beer."

    "Even before I reformed, I avoided Smilex. Even ignoring the risk from the Clown, it's cheap, unreliable and prone to all sorts of side effects that draw police attention. My segment of the market wouldn't have anything to do with it."

    "Oh, Mister Cobblepot, I don't think for a moment that you're directly involved. But… You have old friends, who I'm sure that you're trying to shoo back onto the strait and narrow. And perhaps one of these friends might have been involved in an.. apparently legitimate transaction involving second hand laboratory equipment, or heard something about a theft and… Perhaps they want to pass information on in confidence, before friends of theirs get themselves into more trouble than they've bargained for."

    "You see, I was there when Mister Napier was arrested for that whole 'Injustice League' business. I had to talk Teth Adom out of killing him, and… I'll be honest with you, I'm not sure I made the right decision by doing that. I agree with you, Smilex is one of those things that just.. doesn't need to exist."

    I make eye contact with him and smile politely.

    "I really don't want it to exist."

    "No sane person does."

    I pass him my card.

    "So if you should hear something about.. anything associated with this, I would very much appreciate it if you could pass it on? I'm sure it would save you quite a bit of bother in the long term."
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2019
  10. thebishop8

    thebishop8 Umm, ackchyually...

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2019
    Messages:
    360
    Likes Received:
    2,255
    Should that be "muttering"?
     
  11. thepsyborg

    thepsyborg Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Messages:
    428
    Likes Received:
    3,393
    Or "nattering".
     
    Buggy123, Navi-Hank and Cuchulin like this.
  12. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2019
    Messages:
    2,149
    Likes Received:
    33,423
    Boy's learned not to mess with the big dogs.

    As long as nothing explodes, anyway. The scene's only just begun!

    It'd be kind of conspicuous anyway. And I doubt Cobblepot tolerates weapons in his premises.. that don't belong to his security, certainly.

    How badass. :D

    Not that he'd get drunk unless he wanted to.

    It's certainly an acquired taste. But a good sarsaparilla is quite nice.

    All the while thinking 'crapcrapcrap, what's he want?'

    Correction: 'keeping me happy'

    Ah, the theatre of respectability.

    Sheesh, the Penguin's a fan? Also the cachet of saying 'Even heroes drink here!'

    A veiled warning. 'Don't force me to take what I want, please.'

    At least, for now. I still hope this ends up with the Bats getting Dannered somehow...

    That's putting it mildly.

    I repeat my comment about what people choose to insert into themselves...

    No comments on this, please. Think of the thread!

    'Friend of a friend', eh? Gives him a nice out if he's hiding any involvement.

    Oh, dear. that would be terrifying...

    I doubt his associates would give him any guff for flipping, once they cool off.

    So far, so good. All very polite and friendly. Which has me looking around for the knives.. or the bombs... Someone might get it into their head to do some backstabbing...
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2019
  13. Ngamer11

    Ngamer11 Experienced.

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2019
    Messages:
    2,860
    Likes Received:
    17,208
    I could see Penguin becoming an informant of OL. And by that I mean they could use double talk while sharing drinks.
     
  14. Simonbob

    Simonbob Really? You don't say.

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2014
    Messages:
    1,003
    Likes Received:
    11,007
    "Mister Cobblepot? I'm about to make you an offer you can't refuse."
     
  15. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,693
    Likes Received:
    728,846
    Thank you, corrected.
     
  16. RichardWhereat

    RichardWhereat Aia airëa Fëanáro.

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2016
    Messages:
    2,842
    Likes Received:
    15,026
    It's a shame Batman hasn't been upgraded against his will by some well meaning prick. Not OL of course, someone else, working for OL, without OL's permission. Then continue to spread the information that Batman can't survive being repeatedly shot until one day someone actually does get him dead in the face with a .50 cal, and surprises both of them that Bats survived.
     
  17. Khettien

    Khettien Perpetually confused

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2016
    Messages:
    442
    Likes Received:
    3,698
    Isn't the Batsuit (and by extension, the various other Bat-family suits) bulletproof? At least, it was by the 80's version, IIRC.

    I suppose that wouldn't help if someone shot where the target isn't covered, but that'd be some serious marksmanship.
     
  18. Sockmonkey

    Sockmonkey I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2016
    Messages:
    579
    Likes Received:
    3,032
    Heh, this one was fun. One of the interesting and refreshing things about this fic has always been OL's ability to actually get along with villains when they aren't trying to kill him.
    You jest, but it's kind of true. It also highlights how OL's practicality-based approach to dangerous people has a bit of a mafia-ish flavor to it.
    It's armored to a point. He's not going to compromise his stealth or agility, so I wouldn't count on the non-rigid sections of it reliably stopping anything more than a .38 or a knife.
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2019
  19. PrinceJonathan

    PrinceJonathan Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2016
    Messages:
    1,602
    Likes Received:
    16,661
    So..how much of Gotham's Criminal Underworld is going to love OL simply because he "asks politely" instead of sneaking into your bedroom while you're sleeping or in the middle of sex?

    Batman comes home and everyone is like "Can we have OL back more often? He's less face-punchy."
     
    WargWolf, Bramble Thorn, Nai and 12 others like this.
  20. rthomas2

    rthomas2 _

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2018
    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    81
    ...I’m just gonna leave this here:

    [​IMG]
     
  21. Imperator Pax

    Imperator Pax Talon Master

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2019
    Messages:
    5,437
    Likes Received:
    66,721
    Actually given the level of material sciences we see its entirely likely Bats has soft armor equivalents to IIIA since we have real world examples of that. Most likely probably better still.
    No one really grades using 38 anymore, so 9mm + P SMG ammo or 44 mag are the more likely stuff Bats is likely to run into
     
    Cuchulin likes this.
  22. Handlewithcare

    Handlewithcare Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2019
    Messages:
    1,289
    Likes Received:
    12,971
    I almost feel a little bad for Cobblepot.

    Few people deserve OL talking to them in calm-but-could-change-any-minute way.
     
  23. AidanMorgan

    AidanMorgan Essentially Overworked

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2017
    Messages:
    568
    Likes Received:
    10,130
    I'm ready with the thing.

    And the second thing.

    Because it's really perfect for if someone tries to take advantage of OL being polite.
     
  24. Mquz

    Mquz Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2018
    Messages:
    2,117
    Likes Received:
    8,237
    I kind of like how the Arkham game series made his armor. It’s enough to get hit by one sniper round, or a round or so of machine gun fire, but not more than that without repairs. I remember dying a lot in Arkham Asylum during predator sections as a kid, since it was my first stealth genre game.
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2019
    Ngamer11, zeebza, Lord Ernest and 2 others like this.
  25. Nioz

    Nioz Know what you're doing yet?

    Joined:
    Mar 17, 2016
    Messages:
    207
    Likes Received:
    565
    Heh, given that Paul’s an Orange Lantern, this sentence, combined with the comments about Napier, might be the harshest veiled threat I’ve ever read. Even if it isn’t directed at Mr. Cobblepot directly, perhaps especially so!
     
    WargWolf, Ngamer11, DAT_NOOB and 10 others like this.
  26. Aeess

    Aeess I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Nov 16, 2018
    Messages:
    632
    Likes Received:
    3,591
    Didn't the SI give Batman a kinetic belt to integrate into his costume? So Batman shouldn't really have any Problem with being repeatedly shot.
     
  27. Zeushobbit

    Zeushobbit I use my mind and yours doesn't matter.

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2018
    Messages:
    2,056
    Likes Received:
    12,369
    That is an awesome easter egg. Well spotted.
     
  28. Mquz

    Mquz Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2018
    Messages:
    2,117
    Likes Received:
    8,237
    So just one thing ... Sarsaparilla is mostly non-alcoholic. This is the equivalent of confusing root beer or ginger beer with actual beer. So then why does she ask if he wants a non-alcoholic cocktail? Is this supposed to be alcoholic, or does she think he’s underage?
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2019
    DAT_NOOB and Cuchulin like this.
  29. Flux Casey

    Flux Casey The Colonel

    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2016
    Messages:
    4,773
    Likes Received:
    235,350
    I'm confused. Did someone think it contains alcohol? The story post was pretty clear everyone was on the same page in that regard, OL calling non-alcoholic cocktails "more adventurous".
     
  30. Ace Dreamer

    Ace Dreamer Questioning The Nature of our Realities

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2019
    Messages:
    601
    Likes Received:
    2,662
    Should that be 'our'?

    Nice meeting with out 'feathered friend'... :)
     
    Mr Zoat likes this.
Loading...