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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Reader mode
Mr Zoat said:
"So we've got three kryptonian-equivalents on space station. Please tell me that there won't be anyone there who can't survive in a vacuum."
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'a space'
Mr Zoat said:
"Right then. No putting off the evil hour any longer, and Lantern Steward gets grumpy when people are late for things." I generate a zeta tube construct. "This will take you to the main meeting area. I'll be there shortly afterwards."
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'Stewart'
Mr Zoat said:
"I officiate the rites of our the entire pantheon. We have fourteen principle deities, each of which plays a role in ordering our lives. I assume that young Sodam has participated in no services since you abducted him?"
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Extraneous 'our'
or
Extraneous 'the'
'principal'
 
Chojin Patriarch said:
Telling that his fear is overpowering his desire to show his independence. As for abuse, who's to say? Would he even realise anything untoward even was abuse until it was contrasted by something else?
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I didn't, and I was a boy scout. I'd read the bits on abuse at the front of the book, note how it basically described my parents' treatment of me, and repeatedly conclude that I couldn't show it to them because it wouldn't convince them to stop and trying to 'control their behavior' would result in them hurting me. It took until I was out of their house for months before I could even begin to consider the idea, because it began to feel less immediately dangerous to do so.

Then Covid happened and I ended up stuck in their fucking house again, despite desperately trying to find anywhere else I could stay. I imagine that Sodom Yat feels precisely how I felt when I tried to stay at college before they shut down the dorms.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Somehow, I get the feeling the guests aren't going to give the greatest showing, especially after Johnnie Jarkin gives his testimonial. The priest feels like he's one errant twitch from starting to hand out smitings, while the lawyer...
😏
Well. Let's hope the Daxamite party can contain themselves once the talking starts...
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I personally am hoping for an epic meltdown, and I do mean epic. My mother has thrown actual screaming tantrums in front of other people and gotten away with it; it'll take a lot for the league to wrap their heads around 'the mother is bad?', and that'll only start if the males seem unjustly threatening or she openly gropes her son's crotch. Anything short of that and she's golden.
 
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CrazyNoVa said:
A priest? What, does Cara think the priest will exorcise Sodam, or something?
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Presumably included as a cultural representative and/or leader among the community to make arguments beyond the legal.

Cara, as a (presumably) ordinary citizen, likely lacks a background in rhetoric or oratory experience. She lives Daxamite culture, she's never been in a position that needs to defend it or support it. After the initial discussion went nowhere and OL walked out, I imagine she wants an experienced speaker to make her case as best as possible.
 
Whenever Possible said:
Presumably included as a cultural representative and/or leader among the community to make arguments beyond the legal.

Cara, as a (presumably) ordinary citizen, likely lacks a background in rhetoric or oratory experience. She lives Daxamite culture, she's never been in a position that needs to defend it or support it. After the initial discussion went nowhere and OL walked out, I imagine she wants an experienced speaker to make her case as best as possible.
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Remember though, the seven Daxamites were selected and departed Daxam together. I could easily envision the priest being here as a means of controlling and confiscating proscribed technology.
 
Cappare (part 15) New
  • Threadmarks
    • 27th July 2013
    03:04 GMT

    John walks out into the meeting room like it's nothing. Cara Yat on the other hand stands stock still as her eyes lock on…

    Oh.

    Well, she looked at Sodam for a moment, but she's focusing her ire on Lantern Coutara, who's dragged one of the chairs closer to Sodam's chair and is supportively holding his right hand. She's also watching his face to see his reaction, and…

    Oh… Dear.

    Classical mix of apprehension and need. The best way to make a child dependant, cruelty and affection mixed randomly. I wish I knew more about the general standard of Daxamite parenting. I wish I had another empath here to confirm what I'm seeing. Or a regular telepath.

    Arisia's trying to look welcoming and diplomatic, but she sees my face and her expression flickers. She knows I'm an empath and that I just saw something that I don't like, but Lantern Jordan gave her a job and by Ion she's going to do it. And the other Daxamites are standing just behind her and they're blocking the corridor.

    Transition.

    I appear on the opposite side of Lantern Yat from Lantern Coutara and… Sit down. Heh. It just occurs to me that this is where Justice League members sit during meetings. Doubt that I'll ever be sitting here again. John takes the seat at the opposite end of the table from Arisia and then does a very understated double take when he realises that Cara Yat didn't just follow him.

    "Are you coming?"

    John flicks his eyes my way, but decides not to comment. Arisia on the other hand makes a very quiet huff, then redoubles her effort to appear welcoming. The Daxamites finally start moving, walking across the room in an unhurried manner. Lawyer and priest are slightly tense, but more in a normal walking-into-a-hostile-reception way. Cara Yat on the other hand is clenching her fists.

    Maybe I should have found out what her actual role is in Daxamite society as well.

    And then they get to the table and she finally actually looks at Lantern Yat. Just… Looks at him like she expects him to do something. And if that something is lean closer to his foster mother than she's in luck, but it doesn't look like it is.

    Her lawyer looks at her awkwardly for a moment, then makes a point of pulling out her chair and subtly motioning to it in an attempt to get her to sit down so we can get started. A quick glance from her to him and she does so, pulling her own chair in while the lawyer and priest sit down on either side of her. And John-. Ah, he caught sight of Lantern Yat's expression when he glared at me for my comment and he recognises his reaction. There's a moment of unguarded sympathy and then his face hardens again as he focuses on the daxamite party.

    And Arisia notices too. I raise my eyebrows in her direction, a faint smile on my lips because… What can she do, exactly, with this situation? Just about the only vaguely acceptable thing would be Cara Yat rolling up her sleeves and chipping in with the reconstruction, and trying to rebuild a relationship with her son that way. But with a reaction like that, and with Cara's general attitude, there's no way they're going to agree to that.

    "So, no doctor?"

    The lawyers face stays blank and the priest manages a confused frown, but Cara's visibly irritated. "What?"

    I turn to my right. "Lantern Yat, how would you describe your general state of health?"

    "U-um, good?"

    "No illness or injuries suffered since leaving Daxam?"

    "Well, I had to get some shots and they gave me a bit of a cold? And I'm.. really tough. Prince Ragnar got really confused when he tried sparring with me 'cause he couldn't hurt me." He looks around, eyes dipping the moment he reaches his natural mother's face before finishing on Arisia. "That's about it."

    The lawyer raises his eyebrows. "Giving a child medication not tested on his species is-."

    "Completely legal on Maltus, because our doctors predate every other intelligent species and are actually really clever. We can model alien biology perfectly well."

    Sort of essential considering all of the species who call Maltus home.

    "We would need evidence of-."

    I generate a hard copy report in kryptonese and deposit on the table in front of him.

    He opens the first page, realise that it's a highly technical document and then skims through just enough to understand what it covers before closing it again. "Thank you. We'll have to have this checked, of course."

    I make a dismissive gesture with my right hand. "By all means. But given that he doesn't appear to be injured or malnourished, do you provisionally accept that he's in good health?"

    He glances at the priest. "Good physical health." I shrug. "Yes. Provisionally."

    "Great!" Arisia smiles with well-feigned sincerity. "And what else are you worried about?"

    The priest draws himself up slightly. "His religious and social education. Our forebears journeyed to Daxam to escape the materialistic vice of Krypton. To have our children forcibly.. corrupted-"

    "Child."

    "-is our-. What?"

    "Paul." Arisia raises her right hand in my direction. "Please don't interrupt."

    "He said 'children'." I look at her, gesturing to him with my right hand. "Lantern Yat is the only daxamite I've helped leave Daxam. Am I being accused of removing multiple children?"

    "No, I meant that in general it's something that we're afraid of, not that you've abducted more than one. Did you make any accommodation for his religious education or culture?"

    "Your culture was what he wanted to leave, and his ring has a full database on Krypton's gods and how they were worshipped at different points in history. If he wanted to study it, he can."

    Arisia winces faintly. "Paul, I think.. you should let Lantern Coutara answer."

    I raise my hands, then sit back in my chair.

    Coutara looks at Lantern Yat. who looks up at her like she can make all his problems go away. And then she looks across the table.

    "In my culture it was our custom to remove a girl's eyes when she becomes a woman. In Lantern Ratchet's culture anyone who tries to touch another is mutilated. In Lantern Xor's culture it was normal for orphan children to be turned into slave soldiers, and in yours it is normal to murder aliens who crash land on your world. I do not think that the fact that a culture exists is a good enough reason to sustain it. If my son thought that there was anything of your people worth knowing, then he would not have wanted so strongly to leave."

    Cara Yat's right hand clenches through the table. "Bitch."

    "You were a failure of a mother. I only hope that you have done better with your other children."

    Arisia's face freezes, and she raises her hands. "Okay! I think we need to calm-"

    "I spent every waking moment to make sure that Sodam was raised in the proper way!"

    "A shame that was not a good way."

    Arisia sags. "-down."
     
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  • New
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    • Roughly speaking, over what sort of range can Sodam Yat call his ring remotely if he were separated from it?

    Also, how long have the Daxamites been on their own planet, vs how long would it take for a thaumosphere to generate its first god/s? Does it make a difference if the culture is pre-established as a variant of a prior world?
     
    Last edited:
    Mr Zoat said:
    27th July 2013
    03:04 GMT

    John walks out into the meeting room like it's nothing. Cara Yat on the other hand stands stock still as her eyes lock on…

    Oh.

    Well, she looked at Sodam for a moment, but she's focusing her ire on Lantern Coutara, who's dragged one of the chairs closer to Sodam's chair and is supportively holding his right hand. She's also watching his face to see his reaction, and…
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    Well, that's a good start, if she wants to lose custody. Not even at the meeting table and practically trying to kill Coutara with a look. Fortunate that she hasn't manifested heat vision yet, or this would have taken a very different turn.

    Oh… Dear.

    Classical mix of apprehension and need. The best way to make a child dependant, cruelty and affection mixed randomly. I wish I knew more about the general standard of Daxamite parenting. I wish I had another empath here to confirm what I'm seeing. Or a regular telepath.
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    I take it Johnnie Jarkin hasn't arrived yet, then. I suppose it would be a stretch to imagine he could get to Daxam, find out what OL needed, and get back in under ten hours.

    Arisia's trying to look welcoming and diplomatic, but she sees my face and her expression flickers. She knows I'm an empath and that I just saw something that I don't like, but Lantern Jordan gave her a job and by Ion she's going to do it. And the other Daxamites are standing just behind her and they're blocking the corridor.
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    And she doesn't have the training or aptitude to perceive emotion herself yet, and likely not anything but Will without focusing harder anyway.

    Transition.

    I appear on the opposite side of Lantern Yat from Lantern Coutara and… Sit down. Heh. It just occurs to me that this is where Justice League members sit during meetings. Doubt that I'll ever be sitting here again. John takes the seat at the opposite end of the table from Arisia and then does a very understated double take when he realises that Cara Yat didn't just follow him.
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    Always wonder if Transitioning a short distance like that looks like a flash step. Literally blinking from place to place in a pulse of Orange Light...

    "Are you coming?"

    John flicks his eyes my way, but decides not to comment. Arisia on the other hand makes a very quiet huff, then redoubles her effort to appear welcoming. The Daxamites finally start moving, walking across the room in an unhurried manner. Lawyer and priest are slightly tense, but more in a normal walking-into-a-hostile-reception way. Cara Yat on the other hand is clenching her fists.
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    Yeah, the two of them can tell this is not going to be fun. Mommy Cara, though...

    Maybe I should have found out what her actual role is in Daxamite society as well.

    And then they get to the table and she finally actually looks at Lantern Yat. Just… Looks at him like she expects him to do something. And if that something is lean closer to his foster mother than she's in luck, but it doesn't look like it is.
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    ...Oh, that is a good point. I'm betting it's something highly-placed, at least on the local level, to pull something like this.

    Her lawyer looks at her awkwardly for a moment, then makes a point of pulling out her chair and subtly motioning to it in an attempt to get her to sit down so we can get started. A quick glance from her to him and she does so, pulling her own chair in while the lawyer and priest sit down on either side of her. And John-. Ah, he caught sight of Lantern Yat's expression when he glared at me for my comment and he recognises his reaction. There's a moment of unguarded sympathy and then his face hardens again as he focuses on the daxamite party.
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    Yeah, he and Arisia probably both saw that, I'll bet. He's wise enough to recognise it, and I would hope Arisia would at least have the training to have some idea.

    And Arisia notices too. I raise my eyebrows in her direction, a faint smile on my lips because… What can she do, exactly, with this situation? Just about the only vaguely acceptable thing would be Cara Yat rolling up her sleeves and chipping in with the reconstruction, and trying to rebuild a relationship with her son that way. But with a reaction like that, and with Cara's general attitude, there's no way they're going to agree to that.
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    She's a little stuck having to play impartial arbitrator, after all.

    "So, no doctor?"

    The lawyers face stays blank and the priest manages a confused frown, but Cara's visibly irritated. "What?"
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    Heh. That is another good point observed. She brought a lawyer and a priest, not a doctor to examine her son...

    I turn to my right. "Lantern Yat, how would you describe your general state of health?"

    "U-um, good?"

    "No illness or injuries suffered since leaving Daxam?"
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    Given that he's been under organelle-friendly yellow sunlight for a lot of that time... Injuries would be next to nil. And illnesses, well...

    "Well, I had to get some shots and they gave me a bit of a cold? And I'm.. really tough. Prince Ragnar got really confused when he tried sparring with me 'cause he couldn't hurt me." He looks around, eyes dipping the moment he reaches his natural mother's face before finishing on Arisia. "That's about it."
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    ...Maltusian medicine is crazy good. And that reflexive avoidance of his mother's gaze... That's telling.

    The lawyer raises his eyebrows. "Giving a child medication not tested on his species is-."

    "Completely legal on Maltus, because our doctors predate every other intelligent species and are actually really clever. We can model alien biology perfectly well."
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    And Kryptonians are a known quantity. I wouldn't be surprised if they corrected or mitigated his species' issue with heavy metals in the process.

    Sort of essential considering all of the species who call Maltus home.

    "We would need evidence of-."

    I generate a hard copy report in kryptonese and deposit on the table in front of him.
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    Yeah, the lawyer is not going to be able to play silly buggers with points of order or claims of 'hiding evidential material' with Lanterns around.

    He opens the first page, realise that it's a highly technical document and then skims through just enough to understand what it covers before closing it again. "Thank you. We'll have to have this checked, of course."

    I make a dismissive gesture with my right hand. "By all means. But given that he doesn't appear to be injured or malnourished, do you provisionally accept that he's in good health?"
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    Again, Kryptonian in yellow sunlight. Him being in ill-health is basically nigh-impossible..

    He glances at the priest. "Good physical health." I shrug. "Yes. Provisionally."

    "Great!" Arisia smiles with well-feigned sincerity. "And what else are you worried about?"
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    Yes, moving on...

    The priest draws himself up slightly. "His religious and social education. Our forebears journeyed to Daxam to escape the materialistic vice of Krypton. To have our children forcibly.. corrupted-"

    "Child."
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    This is no time for a sermon, preacher. Do contain yourself?

    "-is our-. What?"

    "Paul." Arisia raises her right hand in my direction. "Please don't interrupt."
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    Yeah, he might have blundered into something really damning for his case.

    "He said 'children'." I look at her, gesturing to him with my right hand. "Lantern Yat is the only daxamite I've helped leave Daxam. Am I being accused of removing multiple children?"

    "No, I meant that in general it's something that we're afraid of, not that you've abducted more than one. Did you make any accommodation for his religious education or culture?"
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    Oh, yes. Very easy to talk in general terms and make people go into 'Think of the children' mode. Wrong crowd for that, though.

    "Your culture was what he wanted to leave, and his ring has a full database on Krypton's gods and how they were worshipped at different points in history. If he wanted to study it, he can."

    Arisia winces faintly. "Paul, I think.. you should let Lantern Coutara answer."
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    ...Good point, she is his legal guardian. OL doing all the talking kind of sets a bad example.

    I raise my hands, then sit back in my chair.

    Coutara looks at Lantern Yat. who looks up at her like she can make all his problems go away. And then she looks across the table.
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    Oh, the Greenies will have noticed that. An emotion Sodam hasn't shown one wit of towards his mother, notably.

    "In my culture it was our custom to remove a girl's eyes when she becomes a woman. In Lantern Ratchet's culture anyone who tries to touch another is mutilated. In Lantern Xor's culture it was normal for orphan children to be turned into slave soldiers, and in yours it is normal to murder aliens who crash land on your world. I do not think that the fact that a culture exists is a good enough reason to sustain it. If my son thought that there was anything of your people worth knowing, then he would not have wanted so strongly to leave."
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    Ooof. Making her intentions very clear.

    Cara Yat's right hand clenches through the table. "Bitch."

    "You were a failure of a mother. I only hope that you have done better with your other children."
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    And Cara's definitely taking issue with them, it seems.

    Arisia's face freezes, and she raises her hands. "Okay! I think we need to calm-"

    "I spent every waking moment to make sure that Sodam was raised in the proper way!"
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    There we go. Showing her true colours. And apparently they include a bit of red.

    "A shame that was not a good way."

    Arisia sags. "-down."
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    She's gonna need to assert herself a lot more if she doesn't want this to come to blows this quickly...

    Getting a definite feeling this is more about Cara feeling like OL stole something belonging to her than it is about Sodam. At least she's making it clear, with all that anger. If she keeps this up, OL's case will basically be a gimme. ...Until she loses her temper bad enough and jumps through the table at someone. Then it'd get messy.
     
    Signaller said:
    Roughly speaking, over what sort of range can Sodam Yat call his ring remotely if he were separated from it?

    Also, how long have the Daxamites been on their own planet, vs how long would it take for a thaumosphere to generate its first god/s? Does it make a difference if the culture is pre-established as a variant of a prior world?
    Click to expand...
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    It wouldn't really need to generate any gods, the daxamite are offshoot of Kryptonians and worship the same gods. So going from one place to another wouldn't make a duplicate set, from my understanding, the gods would simply have to wait for the worlds thaumosphere to be habitable then move there.
     
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