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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. Pinklestia

    Pinklestia Well worn.

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    Any engineer would slap him silly.

    Not enough redundancies.

    Fun Fact: The first mind trranfer tech to ever exist in DC transfered a male mad scientist mind into a woman's body.
     
  2. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

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    Not unusual. Especially if the city expanded around the factory. But an abandoned factory just smacks of 'trap'. I would be taking entry very carefully and very slowly.

    It's clearly something Constantine-related, isn't it?

    Ah. Okay, earlyriser, you called it! Now, to see whether he's acting alone, working on something for Mammon or pulling a revenge play on John Constantine...

    I would keep investigating. This may be a side-plot, Simpson taking advantage of the weird stuff to make his own play.

    Probably a good thing she doesn't know details. But at least she'll be on her guard.

    Death is such a trivial side-trip to some people's lives... In DC, people don't always die when they are killed, to borrow the meme...

    Don't be so eager, little missy. What if he wants to flay you alive? Or worse, use you as bait for your uncle?

    Gemma, the man has quite possibly the greatest tool in the universe on his finger, powered solely by his wanting something. There are always multiple ways to do something when that's involved.

    Argh. Teenagers.

    Yes, and that's why he's saying this. Simpson is not someone you want to trust with anything, unless you have him on a very short, very painful leash. And even then, be wary.

    At least 'surprise Kryptonian interrupt' is a good trump card.

    Yes, that's not worrying at all. Someone has prepared their ground very well, and the snare has bait in it... Unfortunately, the only option seems to be setting off the trap and surviving.

    Because of course Simpson has set up in there...

    Laying it on thick, huh? This is going to suck.

    Heh. Now I picture Succubuses wearing metal plates futilely trying to get his attention as he assembles a robotic love doll...

    Which makes it a little annoying when you hear someone refer to one as an android, because it sounds fancy and sci-fi-y... :rolleyes: Usually because some writers tend not to deal with things outside their knowledge base well...

    ...You hope. Not that you want her to know that...

    Remind me, has he branded Simpson before? Surprised he doesn't just go for it from out here...

    Oh, don't tell her that... She'll want...

    ...Some of her own. To be fair, she's a Constantine, and very much like her uncle.

    And there's more chance of Mammon calling up asking about the sudden snowfall Down Below before that happens...

    To be honest, above a certain point, all technology tends to look the same, and not just in trends of form factor and user interface... Even under the hood, things tend towards a standard...

    Just watch out for something big enough to cause backlash. Remember what happened to Dox? (Yes, I know, not Empathic vision, but still...)

    Well, she is a Constantine. Smarts and sneakiness go hand-in-hand in that line.

    Even then, he'd have to go through the ward to get anywhere, whether by charm or by force. And she's too wary to allow anything.

    Crap. He has backup? Or is someone else coming to this party? Could it be John, having picked up on the threat to his blood?

    Yes, turn up the sleaze. That's surely going to make her do what you want, Simpson.

    Heh, he actually sounds surprised. Not sure why, OL was bound to have warned her when he saw where they were.

    Welp, evidently he wanted bait for John... Lets see if he's about to bite off more than he can chew. Because someone is about to crash this party. Now, to wonder who it might be? Mammon's people, presuming Simpson ducked out without leave? Enemies of John looking for a chance to grab leverage? A group working for John, as unlikely as that might sound? ;) Hopefully we get to find out tomorrow!
     
  3. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    But she's such a pleasant person to meet.

    Nope, I think the only demon he branded was Mammon.

    Simpson probably has some defences set up and Paul may be worried he'll escape.
     
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  4. Sockmonkey

    Sockmonkey I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Yeah, really starting to miss Common Sense OL.
    He should have called in Zuariel the second he saw the connection to Simpson.
     
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  5. King of Frost

    King of Frost Wishing I was somewhere colder no doubt.

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    There were apparently a bunch of these that got fixed but there's still one.
     
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  6. NightmareWarden

    NightmareWarden Versed in the lewd.

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    Remember when demon-Paul was trapped by a mere circle of salt laid by mister blood? Is it really so ridiculous the the niece of Constantine would make a protective salt circle around herself before obeying a clock-possessing magical creature? Regardless of if it was a demon?


    This might go poorly.
     
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  7. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    So it's just your average Demon plot... How utterly disappointing...
     
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  8. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    I'm totally blaming the website for that.
     
  9. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    It's not overconfident if you never lose or even suffer more then a minor inconvenience.

    It's pattern recognition.
     
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  10. Pez

    Pez Spaceman

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    Paul died. Then came back with a zenkai boost. Plus, on Earth he has allies he can quickly call upon if needed.
     
  11. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Sorry, someone asked about Invincible a few days ago. I don't know all that much about either the comic series or the animated series. The fights I've seen in YouTube clips appear to be equipment-light low skill affairs, with characters whaling on each other until someone breaks. Heck, with how much they appear to have weakened Omni-Man from the comics, he's probably dropped to non-threat level to a skilled Lantern.

    Your question gave me a half-baked idea for an omake where the SI is Rex Splode's foster father, but I doubt that I'll ever actually write it.
     
  12. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    Showing Zoat hasn't actually watched Invincible or even the clips.



    It's actually the opposite of that, comics Omniman lost his powers during this time and even getting them back needed Rebel help to conquer the planet, while Cartoon Omniman didn't loose his powers and soloed it in seconds.
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2021
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  13. Maxx Crowley

    Maxx Crowley I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Well not even that. But this is John's niece....OL should clearly know that she'd be bait.

    I'm not even saying she's actually in danger, in the sense that he will be unable to help fast enough.

    If I didn't know better, I'd say he was deliberately trying to get her into a dangerous situation to draw John out.
     
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  14. Threadmarks: Maladaptive (part 13)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    22nd July 2012
    19:36 GMT


    "Yeah. Sorry about this. Nothing personal, but I'm in the middle of something important and I don't want John getting involved. So I'm going to stick you somewhere out of the way and feed him clues about where you are until I'm finished."

    The ring shows me… I'm not sure that they're cultists, but the colour-associations seem to-. Yes. Looks like Richard answered an arcane plea for help during the Sheeda invasion and they're happy to pay him back by working for him rather than something more extreme. When you owe a debt to a demon, you're lucky if they don't just drag you into Hell because they got bored.

    "But I don't know where Uncle John is. He disappeared."

    "Then look at this as a holiday."

    "Okay, I'm leaving. Weirdo."

    "Don't you want to know where he is?"

    "You just told me that you don’t know."

    "That's true. I don't. But if I tell enough people that I've taken you, he'll hear about it. And then he'll come to get you, and we'll both know where he is."

    "Or he won't, because he's not listening."

    "Okay. What do you want?"

    "What do you mean, 'what do I want'?"

    "I don't want to make this any harder than it needs to be. And I don't want to hurt you. OrI mean, I wouldn't exactly be broken up about it, but I'm not aiming to hurt John. I just want him distracted. Once I'm finished, you'll both be free to go. So what do you want, that'll make you go along with it?"



    "What have you got?"

    Because she wouldn't be a Constantine if that sort of offer wasn't near-irresistible.

    "I'm Overlord of The Odium. A whole circle of Hell does what I tell it to. Magic? Knowledge? Technology? Whatever I've got, in exchange for you disappearing for a week or two."

    "You're a demon."

    "I'm... Currently a demon, yes. But I used to be a man. And demons might be nastier, but they're also a lot more honest."

    "Honest. Really."

    "I know, it doesn't sound very likely. But demons are actually pretty rule-abiding. If we make a pact, I'll have to stick to it."

    "Or what?"

    "I just have to. It's built in. Hasn't John told you about this?"

    "… No."

    "Really? This is basic stuff. Why did you think demons bother with pacts in the first place?"

    "Same reason why cats play with birds they've caught. What are you trying to do, anyway?"

    "I don't-. … If you agree to be bound so you can't tell John, I'll tell you."

    "If you're such a powerful demon, how come you're so worried about Uncle John?"

    "Because he's a Lord of Order and a Lord of Chaos! I'd love to try and work out how he did it, but if there's anything I've learned in Hell it's that there are things and people you don't mess around with if you can avoid it. And he's both."

    "Both? How's that work?"

    "I'm happy to explain it to you. If-."

    "If I agree to help you."

    "It's not as if you'll be doing anything. Just keeping out of the way for a few days."

    "And you won't hurt Uncle John?"

    "I don't really think I could. But sure. I won't try to hurt him."

    "Or tell other people to?"

    "You're a sharp one, aren't you? Not that I'd have tried anything serious, but if John's really angry I'd still like to be able to, you know, throw a minion or two at him to keep him away from me. And it's not really fair to them if I tell them they can't hurt him."

    "Is Uncle John really that-?"

    The door behind me opens as the first cultist strolls in.

    "…handle a-."

    He sees me, his eyes widen, then his body locks up as a filament usurps control of his peripheral nervous system. And march him out of the way. I'm assuming that Richard is monitoring them by magic, but my tattoos should still prevent him from seeing me. If Gemma has his full attention then he shouldn't immediately notice that his minions are distracted.

    "Gary? What-?"

    A filament each for each of the other three, who will soon be facing Attempted Kidnapping charges with their ropes and chloroform as evidence. In case Richard is monitoring them I slowly puppet-walk them towards the control room. The rest of the cultists appear to be spreading out throughout the building, covering doors and other likely escape routes.

    "I… Suppose that… Sounds fair."

    "Great! Pick your finger and bleed a little on the screen, and we'll have a pact."

    "If it's just my blood, how is that supposed to bind you?"

    "Because I'm using my magic. My consciousness is magic-based. Demons only have blood when they're supporting their material avatars with sympathetic magic."

    "I don't believe you."

    "Okay. This is..." I hear him sigh. "What guarantee do you want?"

    "I want you here in person."

    "That doesn't-. I don't work like that. I've got a distributed consciousness. If-."

    "I don't believe you."

    "And this is it? If I come to you and we bind our agreement with our blood, you'll accept it?"

    "Yeah?"

    "Okay. Cabinet on the right. Get a few multi-sockets out, plug them into each other to create a circle and then put in on the floor."

    "Okay?"

    "Then put the clock radio down in the middle and take a few steps back."

    "Okay."

    "And then give me a minute because this is a right mind-bender."
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2021
  15. BlueMangoAdea

    BlueMangoAdea Alive. For now.

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    Lmao. Yeah, John must be really scary for demons right now.
     
  16. Idkusername

    Idkusername Versed in the lewd.

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    Okay, I had to like just for that.

    He..he he.. hahaha!! The size tag strikes again!

    ...What? What’d you think I meant?
     
  17. Cuchulin

    Cuchulin Versed in the lewd.

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    Umm dude? If you want to know how John became both a Lord of Order and a Lord of Chaos you might want to talk to Orange Light using guy who helped make it happen.
     
  18. Handlewithcare

    Handlewithcare Versed in the lewd.

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    I want to say Richie seems kinda decent, but that's solely because he knows what happens if he hurts Gemma.

    And he's going to be so pissed when he realises he could have gotten away with it if not for being overcautios.
     
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  19. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    She should get a refund from her travel agent.

    Or Paul.

    And you'll have a Lord of Chaos gunning after you.

    Smart move, demon shit.

    'I dont'

    The Constantine family.

    Predisposed to stupid things.

    'bother with'

    Lawyers.

    Even demons fear them.

    So he's both?

    I just though he was a Chaos one.

    Remove '[/size]'

    She's a Constantine.

    They're equal parts idiot and genius.

    'Demons only'

    Oddly enough I think he's telling the truth.

    About the magic consciousness thing, the binding with her blood may be false.
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2021
  20. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    He probably doesn't know who helped John, so he would have no idea about Paul.
     
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  21. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Thank you, corrected.
     
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  22. PDV

    PDV Revelation That Uncertainty Is Itself An Answer

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    Nope.
     
  23. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Are you joking? A chance to learn about magic without her parents trying to stop her? If the SI wasn't there she might well just say 'yes'.
    Thank you, corrected.
    I hadn't clicked save yet because I was doing the other corrections.
     
  24. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    She really is a Constantine.

    Messing with magic shit she really shouldn't be messing with and getting said shit from someone she really shouldn't be involved with.

    John would either be proud or hate himself for getting her interested in magic and potentially dragging her through the same shit he was dragged through.
     
  25. Sceptic

    Sceptic Critical Irrationalist

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    It's not the size, but how you use it. And evidence suggests that Zoat uses it erratically. ;)
     
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  26. Irked

    Irked Experienced.

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    The ritual that turned him into a Lord of Chaos was also the ritual that yoinked Nabu's mantle (and freed Zatara), so he gained that as well as they had nowhere else to put it.

    He went from being a low-mid level magician who had a bunch of tricks to help him punch far above his weight class to being a Metamagical WMD that would have 99% of the people/monsters/villains/demons he used to deal with shitting bricks from his presence alone.
     
  27. l---erddad---l

    l---erddad---l Wait, google can see this?

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    TBF, she's actually kinda galaxy braining this. Getting him to come in person means it's easier for OL to intervene.
     
  28. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    I remember that, but I thought he stopped being an Order Lord after he gave the Helmet to Quinn.

    Seeing as he was having difficulty using both forms of magic at the same time I thought he'd just stay with one.
     
  29. DrThoth

    DrThoth I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    If all this technological stuff happening around the world is due to Ritchie Simpson, shouldn't there be clear traces of infernal energy? I'm not sure how easy it is to mask demonic magic, especially from a god's senses or such high-end artifacts like the Orb of Nabu. I don't know if demons can use non-infernal/earthly magic, or there's just more going on that we don't know about yet.

    I have to say though, John's reasons for staying away from things even after the Silver City and Sheeda invasions better be good (unless he was involved from the shadows or something).

    Knowledge of Paragon's relationship with Mammon isn't common in Hell, right? I wonder if he'll get involved at some point.
     
  30. Tzeentch

    Tzeentch I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    And knowing John, he likely hasn't been idle in putting all that power to good, or rather, morally grey/ambiguous use.

    One wonders as to how many old foes, mortal or otherwise, the new Lord of Chaos has been curbstomping, and inflicting cruel/cool and unusual punishments on since his ascension....
     
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