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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. RichardWhereat

    RichardWhereat Aia airëa Fëanáro.

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    Yep. Next chapter has either Hades, Persephone, or Paul running recklessly off to rescue her and earning both of their ire.
     
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  2. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

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    Well, being in the former orbit of Pluto is kind of far from Erebos. It's a long way from any natural mystical field.

    Yes, we know. Or rather, it's as dead as it can be, given the nature of its physique is as much geology as biology.

    I see she's familiar with Howie's work. General cultural osmosis?

    Of course, 'living thing' has a wide definition throughout the DC Universe. Given that Stars can have anthropomorphic embodiments. That date mortal entities.

    Well, she didn't say that. I'm sure there's all manner of interesting things about the big dumb starfish.

    If nothing else, there would be a lot more 'wanting' dreams floating around for some time. And possibly nightmares about snakes. Plus, he probably stinks of Dream's sibling Desire.

    Ah, the rational, scientific explanation for dreams... A pity the DC Universe is neither entirely rational or scientific.

    Won't know until you try an experiment. and that kind of thing gets looked upon poorly by Dream.

    I notice she didn't answer the question. At least, not directly...

    Not that long, I'm sure. Admittedly, it depends on what Persephone would have to say about letting him take a road-trip with her.

    Yeah, figured as much.

    And when Persephone is upset, Hades has reason to be upset.

    Well, this probably is the most attention Melinoë has gotten in centuries...

    What, no professional interest in what something like it could have nightmares about? Solar-sized fishermen, maybe?:p

    Come on, OL, is it that important? Really?

    Yeah, but they find you useful. Or amusing, in Eris' case.

    The 'donation' of millions of alien souls might have gone a decent way to getting on his good side too.

    Eh, I suspect there's a limit to how much she'll trust you...

    Yeah, kind of getting ahead of yourself, OL. Still leaping before you look. Or even decide which way to leap.

    And he would know, what with the whole 'god of the hunt' thing he has.

    How rude, OL. Poking and probing a lady, especially after her mother is already put out with you.

    To quote the Tenth Doctor: "What? What? What?!"

    OL! Do something! ...No, wait! Get someone else to do something, you've already meddled enough!

    Oh, well, that's not worrying at all. Either the Mother Star's brains slurped her up, she's going for a walk in its remaining dreamscape, or she bounced clear into the Dreaming (in which case, Dream's likely to make an appearance.) Whichever it is, OL is going to have some 'splainin' to do to her momma.
     
  3. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    She is very specifically the Goddess of Death in DC comics.

    [​IMG]

    Specifically Sandman.


    That silence is the sound of vindication.
     
  4. Ngamer11

    Ngamer11 Experienced.

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    This will have repercussions. Will Paul get facetime with Dream? Is another Olympian going to declare Paul their eternal enemy?

    Also, I wouldn't be opposed to this somehow leading to Paul getting his own version of Jarro, if only because I love Jarro.
     
  5. jaelin910

    jaelin910 habitual lurker

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    It's a god to stellar starfish
     
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  6. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Maybe she has interest in works of literature that feature dreams as a prominent subject.

    The Ophidian may technically qualify as one of Desires subjects, and Paul having a piece of her as a soul could also qualify.

    We know that Dream doesn't exactly like his brother/sister all that much.

    The mages on Mandate Earth managed to get that city that Dream was given to preserve back into the material universe, so maybe he wouldn't be all that upset about some experiments.

    However if he thinks that Paul is working with Desire then he may be upset.

    Yes.

    This also isn't the Sandman comic universe, so Zoat can just decide to make her a Goddess of Disease in his story.

    He's already changed some of the things that were said in the Sandman comics, like gods needing prayer just to survive, in his story.

    Here they need prayer to affect the world in big ways, but they can exist without it.

    She could also be the goddess of death in this story, but Zoat just mentioned one of her domains.

    Vindication for what?

    Deathstroke better watch out!

    It's still doesn't make much sense.

    Anyone else think that if Paul and Melinoe had a child that said child would be a God/Goddess of Tsunderes.

    Hear me out.

    Melinoe is already something of a tsundere herself, plus Paul's weird attitude and interaction with people could potentially lead to them having a child that grows up to embody Tsunderism.

    There have been gods that embody weird things.
     
  7. moralrelativity

    moralrelativity Recovering pendant.

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    takes -> take

    Hahahahaha.... it looks like Paul's desire to avoid the Endless isn't going to turn out that way. Has Eris been sensing Paul's desire and decided to throw him right in? Even if she isn't involved I think she'll be happy about it.
     
  8. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Thank you!:D

    Also try to remember what I said about assuming the power of Shazam can be used on such a large scale, when it is possible it can't be, m'kay.
     
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  9. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    For Persephone wanting to keep Paul far far away from her daughter.
     
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  10. Awkward

    Awkward Know what you're doing yet?

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    whoopsie

    Getting kidnapped (diety-napped?) is TIGHT.
     
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  11. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    It's a perfectly cromulent sentence. It is a starfish from the stars, i.e. deep space.
    Thank you, corrected.
     
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  12. Tzeentch

    Tzeentch I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Like the beginning of Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp, no?
     
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  13. Rebu

    Rebu hey, little Anna, you're the one

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    Her priests would be incredibly popular in Japan.

    But don't get me wrong, it's not like I like your idea or anything, baka!
     
  14. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Baka!

    Japanese culture has been gaining increasing power in the West too, so she would have priests there too.
     
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  15. Rebu

    Rebu hey, little Anna, you're the one

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    They'd have very tasteful shrines.

    With hug pillows.
     
  16. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    And giant sized objects to hit people with
     
  17. nick012000

    nick012000 Gone for Good

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    What's that from? The Comicvine page on him as a comic book character doesn't list him as appearing in any DC Comics properties.
     
  18. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

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    It's from Planetary, a Wildstorm series. It's from an early special, I believe, involving a crossover with the Authority, which they shared an Earth with. The 'negro eggs' thing were actually alien superweapons that later hatched, if I remember right.
     
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  19. Chaoswind

    Chaoswind Lord of nonsense

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    So a starfish God dies in space (its soul is likely lingering on there) and Paul doesn't think some precautions should be taken before he takes the weakened son and daughter of a major death God to the "remains" of the planetoid sized dead starfish God?

    OK.

    Things being death doesn't mean they are no longer dangerous, even more so when we are talking about the planetary sized corporeal manifestation of a God.

    Anyways this excites me a bit as the previous conclusion with the mother star was very underwhelming, so I am once again in wait for next update.
     
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  20. Pinklestia

    Pinklestia Well worn.

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    So... who else is actually interested more in Alt Paul like Grayven that main Paul at this point?
     
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  21. Siskulous

    Siskulous Know what you're doing yet?

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    It's probably a good thing Zagreus is along to tell Persephone that Paul didn't do anything.
     
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  22. infinityDivided

    infinityDivided ******** of Doom

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    You think she'll CARE? She was already suspicious of Paul, then Melinoë disappears while doing a job for him. She's a worried mother, logic is going to go straight out the window if Paul doesn't present her with an itemized list of possibilities that could have happened to Melinoë AND methods of recovering her for every single one.
     
  23. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Don't forget a magic oath to never go near her little girl again.
     
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  24. Chaoswind

    Chaoswind Lord of nonsense

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    The logic is that Paul IS a hero and heroes get involved with things that outclass them every other Thursday...

    God's have a huge ego, but they have a track record of keeping their head down to avoid attracting the attention of things stronger than them... Letting Paul drag her daughter around is probably the most dangerous thing that has happened to Melinoe in several centuries and thus has Persephone worried even if Paul swears to not do anything to her.

    Paul in particular smells like danger, considering everything he has been involved with and how he has a shard of the Ophidian in his soul... Persephone has ample reasons to want her daughter to stay home and not go outside with Paul, Paul is a bad boy TM that is involved in a dangerous life and Melinoe is the equivalent of a home schooled rich white girl that has been sheltered her whole life... Or at least that is how Persephone likely sees it.
     
  25. PDV

    PDV Revelation That Uncertainty Is Itself An Answer

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    "OK, I didn't think this was a possibility. And if Queen Persephone takes issue with it... it's a fair cop."
     
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  26. Stsword

    Stsword Versed in the lewd.

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    You missed two other appearances in DC, by the by.

    Lovecraft appeared in Vertigo- Lovecraft in 2003, and that got him a mention in the Vertigo Encyclopedia.

    It turns out Lovecraft's stories are wards that make it harder for all things squamous and non euclidean to manifest on Earth, a spell repeated every time someone reads one of his stories.

    And all the rituals in his works are also wards, so if any wannabe mythos cultist edgelord enacts any of the rituals from a Lovecraft work, that just makes it even harder for things squamous and non euclidean to show up.

    However I would expect that the Goddess of Madness would know this, so Zoat would seem to not be including that little tidbit.

    I find the idea funny, myself, Lovecraft's writings keeping the horrors he writes about away. Reminds me of Blue Devil's origin post flashpoint. His uncle was a maker of low budget schlocky movies. It turns out that his uncle uses real magic items in his movies, and depowers them by putting them in his movies. Everyone knows they're just props and so they become just props....
     
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  27. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    Or she doesn't want Paul to know about it for some reason.
     
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  28. Threadmarks: A Week in the Life of (part 11)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    15th April
    06:14 GMT -5


    John Quinn looks at the three of us through the entrance to the Tower of Fate.

    "Is there a punch line..?"

    Zagreus takes a moment to regard his right fist before lifting his eyes to John.

    "There can be."

    "Melinoë was taking a look at the Mother Star at my request and she disappeared. I would very much appreciate your help in working out what happened."

    "Melinoë… You lost the Goddess of Nightmares and Madness?"

    "I lost the Goddess of Nightmares and Madness in an incident related to a giant telepathic starfish god. As I'm sure that you can understand-."

    "Yes, we should get on this right away." He steps out, closing the door behind him. Then he turns back to the Tower and opens it again. "Follow me."

    We troupe through, and rather than the stony entryway that was on the other side of the door a moment ago, now we're wandering through his library's reading area. Koriand'r's head jerks around, her eyes open wide as she tries to take in everything with clear fascination. Zagreus just ignores it, marching ahead of John and sitting down hard on a leather upholstered bench.

    "What do you need to find my sister?"

    John walks over to a reading table and picks up a small… Ring box? Snuff box?

    "Orange Lantern wanted Melinoë to take a look at the Mother Star. His mission report said that it had two different sets of memories relating to a species the Star Conquerors enslaved." He looks at me. "You thought it came from the Dreaming."

    I nod. "It's a possibility I want to eliminate."

    "So you went to the person you know who understands dreams the best and it blew up in your face." He smiles. "Very Constantine."

    "No, no one's died yet."

    "Early days. So you think she's in the Dreaming, and you want me to help find her."

    "There's a portal to the Dreaming in Erebos, but we have no way to track her."

    "A piece of the starfish would probably do it. You're the God of Hunting, aren't you?"

    "I can't track through the Dreaming. Not reliably. The terrain isn't stable enough. I need someone who can impose order on it. And don't think for a moment I don't know what's in that box."

    Koriand'r's head snaps around, staring at the box John pointedly isn't trying to conceal.

    "What is in the box?"

    "A little something John Constantine stole from under Morpheus's nose. Just a pinch of his powder." He looks at me. "Do you know the story? John said that you knew a lot he didn't think you should…"

    "Morpheus has three tools of power: his gem, his helmet and his powder bag. I'm not sure exactly what they all do, but at… Some point John Constantine came into contact with the bag. When Morpheus got free of his prison, he got John's help tracking it down in exchange for getting rid of his nightmares. Somehow I'm not surprised that John kept a pinch."

    "Risky. Even for him."

    "The way he told me, it wasn't so much him taking it from the bag as realising that a dream-addled addict probably spilled a lot while she was using it."

    That makes sense.

    "Does it help us? If you want something in exchange-."

    "I'm not sure I want to take the risk of receiving payment." He smiles, taking the box in his right hand and tapping it against the table. "We might be able to get Morpheus's attention with this, and he might be willing to help us. Or we could use it ourselves and try and find her without his help. Or we could enter the Dreaming physically through Erebos."

    "Which do you recommend?"

    "Does Morpheus have a grudge against any of you?"

    I shake my head, and Zagreus and Koriand'r do the same.

    "Does he have any reason to want to help?"

    "I've never met Death, and I'm not sure that my dreams relate to the Dreaming. He might find that interesting enough to indulge me. Plus, I doubt that he wants the Goddess of Nightmares and Madness in residence long-term." I turn my head to the other two. "Any ideas?"

    Koriand'r frowns. "What is 'Dreaming'?"

    "The collective universal unconsciousness made of raw magic twisted into shapes by material concepts. Just about every being partially enters it when they dream, but there are other ways to access it and a lot of ways to use it."

    John thinks for a moment, then nods. "That's a pretty good summary, actually. Skips a few pertinent points, but if we're not going there it doesn't really matter."

    "Actually… Using the Dreaming might let us build magic-based interplanetary vessels. It would be far safer and simpler than flying through Hell." John bows his head slightly. "What?"

    "So are we calling up Morpheus, then?"

    "I don't have a glass jar full of demons… Zagreus?"

    "Why would I have a glass jar full of demons?"

    "No, I mean: do you have an opinion?"

    "I have an opinion on a glass jar of demons, yes."

    "Oh, some total prat of a caliph once talked Morpheus into taking everything that made his country great into the Dreaming by threatening to break open a glass orb full of demons. Morpheus turning up in person might have been coincidental but even if it wasn't I'm not going to try and find out."

    "Good." He thinks for a moment. "I've only met Morpheus very briefly; he doesn't owe me anything and I don't owe him. But if the alternatives are trying to dream of nightmares and madness ourselves or trying to track him through that insanity, I favour politely asking for his help."

    "Koriand'r?"

    "I do not think I know enough for my view to be meaningful."

    "John?"

    He regards me thoughtfully. "You know the spells that bound him, don't you?"

    Ah. Yes, he would work that out, wouldn't he?

    "I… Might. That's the sort of spell you want to get right the first time, and I didn't understand the theory enough to know if what I saw was everything."

    He nods.

    "Don't tell him you know. Don't even refer to it. I'll set up a nice, friendly non-binding ritual space and we can ask him politely." I nod, and he makes eye contact with Zagreus and Koriand'r. "And that goes for you. Do not, under any circumstances, attack Dream of the Endless. Am I clear?"

    They nod, and he walks over to the ritual space.
     
    Last edited: Aug 30, 2020
  29. Khettien

    Khettien Perpetually confused

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    Just to be clear - Is this before Morpheus's death by Fury, or is this his replacement?
     
  30. BlueMangoAdea

    BlueMangoAdea Alive. For now.

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    Summoning an Endless? Bold move.
     
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