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

Coda · Jul 7, 2022

Stsword said:
You implied that the Hellblazer canon and real world mysticism disagreed on this point.

They do not.

Which is why I typed a message pointing out that they do not.

Which your response shows you did not know this, even after reading my message that points this out.

Take it in context of the message I was responding to. Vaermina was criticizing Zoat for calling the symbol the "Seal of Solomon" when the Seal was a signet ring, claiming that Zoat had not done his research. My response is that Hellblazer made it clear that the Seal of Solomon was a magical sealing diagram, and therefore Zoat's research was in fact appropriate for the setting -- the criticism was unfounded.

That said, I will concede that my second post unintentionally presented the contrast as a false dilemma through my phrasing. I could have been clearer.

BartlettMagic · Jul 7, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
No, this is really more the first time I hev truly stretched myself with new magic in longer than I can recount.

I very much enjoyed reading this line. Zoat, is Balewa excited, apprehensive, laconic...? i would hope for "optimistic/child-like joy" but i don't know the character outside of this story.

Vaermina · Jul 7, 2022

Coda said:
Take it in context of the message I was responding to. Vaermina was criticizing Zoat for calling the symbol the "Seal of Solomon" when the Seal was a signet ring, claiming that Zoat had not done his research. My response is that Hellblazer made it clear that the Seal of Solomon was a magical sealing diagram, and therefore Zoat's research was in fact appropriate for the setting -- the criticism was unfounded.

That said, I will concede that my second post unintentionally presented the contrast as a false dilemma through my phrasing. I could have been clearer.

Actually in DC comics it was also a Ring.

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Ring_of_Solomon

You might be thinking of the Circle of Solomon? Which was in Hellblazer as a blink and you'll miss it sort of thing.

Mr Zoat · Jul 8, 2022

Tower Offence

8th November 2012
19:03 GMT +3

That's a… That's a big ole storm.

It's a lot more intimidating from this side.

"Doctor Mist. Before we, um. Jump. I've got a couple of clones of myself in storage in Bir Tawil."

He glances at me. "Should I inform the authorities?"

"Last time I died, I was able to transfer myself into a clone. I don't think I lost more than a few seconds of memory."

"You were in space?" I nod. "Yes, I see. Interesting. But thet will not work here, even if the Ophidian is feeling generous."

"Ah. Well. Worth asking."

"No, it wasn't."

"I just like to plan-."

He hands me a length of rope, which I wrap around my left forearm with a sigh. Then he hands another part of the rope to Sanderson.

"Sandman, are you prepared?"

Sanderson shimmers again, staring at the picture I provided of the Tower of Fate. I hadn't really thought about it, but the angle of some of the 'external' windows meant that I did actually see some parts of the exterior. So he's got that, the probable view when looking in from outside, and all of my best wishes.

"I… I think so. I think I can-. See where I'm going to be. But I-. I can't see us there."

"Thet is because we are not yet there. Rope."

"Ah-? Oh." He ties it around his right arm. "I guess I have to go right after Mister Constantine?"

"Yes, and drive him on. We are depending on you."

Dr. Balewa pats him on the right shoulder.

Sanderson gulps. "I sort of wanted to ease myself back into being a super hero."

"Life is what happens when you are making other plans. Constantine."

"I'm surrounded by dreams and one of them's me."

I take a very deep breath-.

"Hey." Alan puts his left hand on my right shoulder. "You okay?"

"I don't like losing control like this." I shake my head. "Okay enough. Let's go."

"Remember: let your bodies and minds flow with events. Go."

Constantine jump-lunges into the swirling pink mists, Sanderson a heartbeat behind him. Alan goes next, and I'm next go go go!

There are mists, and I'm standing on a tiny platform on the edge of a canyon, barely big enough for my feet. On a platform in front of me way too far away I can see The Demon and Sanderson and this is a bad time for my vertigo to come back but Dr. Balewa said keep moving! They leap, and, ah, ah, there's a route and a path and we've all eaten figs so leap!

Mist swirls and I'm running along the dividing barrier between two lanes of roaring traffic either of which could obliterate me! Don't think about your footing don't think about your footing run run run!

"Hey!"

I glance up and see Alan running along a motorway gantry sign.

"Okay so f-."

He leaps and vanishes.

Ah.

Keep going keep go-.

"Jump!"

Jump! Where t-?

Manhole!

Fuckfalling!

The road and the cars are gone, replaced with.. land far below, wispy clouds and my falling colleagues and I think I'm falling behind a little?

I aim myself downwards and fuck that was a flying platform. That was a platform, was I supposed to get onto-?

That was another one, but I'm still moving and they're moving ahead of me so I assume that I'm going in the right direction? But the aim is movement, the idea of movement, catching the dream-wisps of movement that still exist in the storm and in The Demon's mania. Falling and distance travelled don't matter, this issue is that I'm-.

I'm seeing purple clouds intrude in the corners of my vision fuck where's the platform they're coming up too fast there leanleanlean!

Oof! Roll back on my feet platform falling to absorb impact run run leap!

Next platform there and I'm too far to the right ring?

Shit.

Ah… Angle body, air resistance. Helping but not enough. What are the others-? No time. It's a dream, try running on air. Like Wily Coyote. And it's working nearly well enough but I'm not quite I'm going to miss-.

Run along the rim, the edge, the side and the world shifts around me and down is sideways, the left side of my vision entirely enveloped by pink clouds. Am I getting further away, or is The Demon losing his grip?

Leap.

I grab a floating umbrella handle and then pull and release, flying through the air to grab onto the next one. In the corner of my eye I see the pink mist start eating the upper panels and pull and release!

I'm zooming down the side of a snow-covered mountain trail in a bath tub. Dr. Balewa's skiing on a dog a little way in front of me.

Ah, I think I-. I think I get it.

I shuffle to the back of the tub, seeing the pink mist just behind me, then dash forwards and leap, landing on the dog's tail.

"Going well so far?"

"Compared to what?"

We both crouch and then lunge, landing on a giant branch above a giant forest.

"Getting annihilated?"

"Yes, but we hev fallen behind Sandman and Constantine."

"Then we need to-" I jump grab a giant leaf and pull down to accelerate. "-go faster."

"It is not-" He copies my example. "-so simple, but I suppose thet it is a-"

Pink mist roils in from all direction, disintegrating the forest around us!

"-start."

Handlewithcare · Jul 8, 2022

Wow. It's been a long time that Paul seemed genuinely challenged by his surroundings and actually a little scared.

Also, this dream sounds like the worst kind of stress-dream, the ones were you never quite manage to be fast enough.

Genocidecles · Jul 8, 2022

Love this crazy shit. Also happy to finally be making real progress to resolving the 'Where's John?' situation.

Chojin Patriarch · Jul 8, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
Tower Offence

8th November 2012
19:03 GMT +3

That's a… That's a big ole storm.

It's a lot more intimidating from this side.

Yeah, clouds may look tiny from the kind of distances people normally see them from the ground... But they can be fuckhuge masses of vapour, resembling fog with a pituitary issue. And stormclouds? Add in crackling lightning, harsh winds and that particularly nasty shade of greenish grey, and suddenly it's a lot more intimidating.

"Doctor Mist. Before we, um. Jump. I've got a couple of clones of myself in storage in Bir Tawil."

He glances at me. "Should I inform the authorities?"

...I mean, it's not like human cloning is specifically illegal in his embassy...

"Last time I died, I was able to transfer myself into a clone. I don't think I lost more than a few seconds of memory."

"You were in space?" I nod. "Yes, I see. Interesting. But thet will not work here, even if the Ophidian is feeling generous."

And as far as Best Snek has come, she's still a long way from generous...

"Ah. Well. Worth asking."

"No, it wasn't."

Come on, man, play along here, he's trying to settle his nerves. That thanatophobia of his is coming on strong...

"I just like to plan-."

He hands me a length of rope, which I wrap around my left forearm with a sigh. Then he hands another part of the rope to Sanderson.

There's a time for planning, and a time for doing. And this is not the former.

"Sandman, are you prepared?"

Sanderson shimmers again, staring at the picture I provided of the Tower of Fate. I hadn't really thought about it, but the angle of some of the 'external' windows meant that I did actually see some parts of the exterior. So he's got that, the probable view when looking in from outside, and all of my best wishes.

Probably enough to give Alan's ring a whole percentage point of charge.

"I… I think so. I think I can-. See where I'm going to be. But I-. I can't see us there."

"Thet is because we are not yet there. Rope."

An optimistic way to look at it, Doctor. And around here, I suppose optimism counts for a lot.

"Ah-? Oh." He ties it around his right arm. "I guess I have to go right after Mister Constantine?"

"Yes, and drive him on. We are depending on you."

Hopefully it isn't as difficult as herding cats.

Dr. Balewa pats him on the right shoulder.

Sanderson gulps. "I sort of wanted to ease myself back into being a super hero."

Some hope in this life.

"Life is what happens when you are making other plans. Constantine."

"I'm surrounded by dreams and one of them's me."

"Ray has gone bye-bye, Egon. What have you got left?"
"Sorry, Venkman, I'm terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought..."

I take a very deep breath-.

"Hey." Alan puts his left hand on my right shoulder. "You okay?"

Oh, no, OL's fine. Sandman's terrified of screwing up, Doctor Mist is way too laid-back for this and the Demon is tripping balls. Perfectly normal day.

"I don't like losing control like this." I shake my head. "Okay enough. Let's go."

"Remember: lets your bodies and minds flow with events. Go."

...Ehhh... OL's not great at that kind of sudden shift. Remember his early days?

Constantine jump-lunges into the swirling pink mists, Sanderson a heartbeat behind him. Alan goes next, and I'm next go go go!

There are mists, and I'm standing on a tiny platform on the edge of a canyon, barely big enough for my feet. On a platform in front of me way too far away I can see The Demon and Sanderson and this is a bad time for my vertigo to come back but Dr. Balewa said keep moving! They leap, and, ah, ah, there's a route and a path and we've all eaten figs so leap!

Bust out the sweets, things are gonna get madcap in here. Roller coaster time!

Mist swirls and I'm running along the dividing barrier between two lanes of roaring traffic either of which could obliterate me! Don't think about your footing don't think about your footing run run run!

"Hey!"

Christopher Nolan has an erection right now and he doesn't know why...

I glance up and see Alan running along a motorway gantry sign.

"Okay so f-."

He leaps and vanishes.

Don't think, just run and hope he's fine.

Ah.

Keep going keep go-.

"Jump!"

Who do you think he is, Mario Mario?

Jump! Where t-?

Manhole!

Fuckfalling!

And someone's making the Goofy yell.

The road and the cars are gone, replaced with.. land far below, wispy clouds and my falling colleagues and I think I'm falling behind a little?

I aim myself downwards and fuck that was a flying platform. That was a platform, was I supposed to get onto-?

At least it's not the middle of a warzone. Or deep space.

That was another one, but I'm still moving and they're moving ahead of me so I assume that I'm going in the right direction? But the aim is movement, the idea of movement, catching the dream-wisps of movement that still exist in the storm and in The Demon's mania. Falling and distance travelled don't matter, this issue is that I'm-.

I'm seeing purple clouds intrude in the corners of my vision fuck where's the platform they're coming up too fast there leanleanlean!

Thankfully, you don't have to play by the rules of the waking world's physics. Mid-air direction changes-a-gogo!

Oof! Role back on my feet platform falling to absorb impact run run leap!

Next platform there and I'm too far to the right ring?

Of course, being able to cheat helps...

Shit.

Ah… Angle body, air resistance. Helping but not enough. What are the others-? No time. It's a dream, try running on air. Like Wily Coyote. And it's working nearly well enough but I'm not quite I'm going to miss-.

The only problem with toon physics is, it stops working if you look down.

And you're looking down.

Run along the rim, the edge, the side and the world shifts around me and down is sideways, the left side of my vision entirely enveloped by pink clouds. Am I getting further away, or is The Demon losing his grip?

Leap.

Super-Parkour Championship 2012, Dreaming Edition!

I grab a floating umbrella handle and then pull and release, flying through the air to grab onto the next one. In the corner of my eye I see the punk mist start eating the upper panels and pull and release!

I'm zooming down the side of a snow-covered mountain trail in a bath tub. Dr. Balewa's skiing on a dog a little way in front of me.

And only in this story and this episode could that sentence have made any sense.

Ah, I think I-. I think I get it.

I shuffle to the back of the tub, seeing the pink mist just behind me, then dash forwards and leap, landing on the dog's tail.

With This Ring: Mascot Racer when?

"Going well so far?"

"Compared to what?"

Oh, well, good to see you're enjoying yourself.

We both crouch and then lunge, landing on a giant branch above a giant forest.

"Getting annihilated?"

And believe OL, he's done that. It's not as fun as you think.

"Yes, but we have fallen behind Sandman and Constantine."

"Then we need to-" I jump grab a giant leaf and pull down to accelerate. "-go faster."

Quick, do a Barrel Roll!

"It is not-" He copies my example. "-so simple, but I suppose that it is a-"

Pink mist roils in from all direction, disintegrating the forest around us!

"-start."

...Ah, crud.

Well, that can't be good... Unless it is? Who knows, in this madhouse? And man, imagine watching an episode like this on screen, starting out with a crazy sequence like this. Minds would be blown. And this is only the first part of the episode. The opening credits haven't even started rolling! How much crazier is it going to get? I don't know, but let's keep going and find out!

"Remember: lets your bodies and minds flow with events. Go."

"Remember: let your bodies and minds flow with events. Go."

Oof! Role back on my feet platform falling to absorb impact run run leap!

Oof! Roll back on my feet platform falling to absorb impact run run leap!

Darko · Jul 8, 2022

Well, that was a real trip.

Mr Zoat said:
Interesting. But thet

Ah, so you're still writing him like that.

Mr Zoat said:
Sanderson gulps. "I sort of wanted to ease myself back into being a super hero."

"Life is what happens when you are making other plans. Constantine."

True.

Mr Zoat said:
s-? No time. It's a dream, try running on air. Like Wily Coyote

Just try not to fall.

Joelseph14 · Jul 8, 2022

Damn Paul is really facing his fears here, no control and no backup if things go wrong

Mr Zoat · Jul 8, 2022

Chojin Patriarch said:
"Remember: let your bodies and minds flow with events. Go."
Oof! Roll back on my feet platform falling to absorb impact run run leap!

Thank you, corrected.

Duke Long · Jul 8, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
but we have fallen behind Sandman and Constantine

'hev'

Mr Zoat said:
simple, but I suppose that it is a-

'thet'

NightmareWarden · Jul 8, 2022

Hey, maybe Paragon!Paul's game developers can use this setting for a platformer once the strategy game is complete. I wonder if Paul's ring is able to record stuff here? That could make this dreamscape a bit easier to process.

You know how Paul's response to Nabu led to the Justice League thoroughly reading mission reports? Someday everyone will have read Nommo and Alan's reports on this adventure, including this storm situation. Lucky them! I know my mouth would be agape at this whole situation, so this mission's report could be fun for the Leaguers to chat about.

Huh. I haven't read those future-reveals from Mr Zoat in a long time… I wonder if Sandman will join the Justice League eventually.

Mr Zoat · Jul 8, 2022

Duke Long said:
'hev'
'thet'

Thank you, corrected.

Clell65619 · Jul 8, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
Tower Offence

Ah… Angle body, air resistance. Helping but not enough. What are the others-? No time. It's a dream, try running on air. Like Wily Coyote. And it's working nearly well enough but I'm not quite I'm going to miss-.

Wile E. Coyote... Just for the record.

Windona · Jul 8, 2022

Ooo, nice. Paul having to trust in the plan knowing if he dies here there's no backup- very fun

Ardy · Jul 8, 2022

I'm going to laugh if it turns out that demon Constantine was lying and John isn't in the tower of fate

Duke Long · Jul 8, 2022

From False Dawn (part two):

Mr Zoat said:
Lord of Order, but he cannot handle it. You have seen John Quinn-.

'hev'

Mr Zoat said:
Since John Constantine is not inclined to help mass murderers, I felt that permitting this was in the interest of Earth.

'thet'

Mr Zoat said:
He would have thought, but they would not make sense

'hev'

Mr Zoat said:
The Demon claimed that John Quinn is keeping John Constantine

'thet'

I decided not to do part one, because Nommo consistently says 'that' in every instance for that chapter, and he consistently says 'hev', so I just assumed he was controlling his accent.

Mr Zoat · Jul 8, 2022

Duke Long said:
From False Dawn (part two):

'hev'

'thet'

'hev'

'thet'

I decided not to do part one, because Nommo consistently says 'that' in every instance for that chapter, and he consistently says 'hev', so I just assumed he was controlling his accent.

Thank you, corrected.

Bud-E · Jul 9, 2022

Mr Zoat I noticed that The Sphere of Gods has never been mentioned in your fic even though you've delved deep into gods and god-like abilities. Is it not a thing or has the Dreaming replaced it?

Bramble Thorn · Jul 9, 2022

Duke Long said:
I decided not to do part one, because Nommo consistently says 'that' in every instance for that chapter, and he consistently says 'hev', so I just assumed he was controlling his accent.

Mr Zoat said:
Thank you, corrected.

Have you considered that all this is actually making the story worse?
That that has gotten so bad you are talking about putting the character on a bus because you don't want to deal with this anymore?

That is accent was not actually this prevalent when the character first appeared, and having it appear every singe time, may not be a good thing? Not in terms of characterization of the doctor, not in terms of the effort it takes to make the changes?

That going from his diction slipping and accent emerging when he is under stress or distracted, to him not being able to speak without it at all is just Flanderization caused by a poster doing a blind word search without regard to context, and you are just accepting the changes blindly because that is easier than looking at each individual occurrence and deciding "should his accent be emerging here, or not"?

That sometimes, the proper response can be "Thanks, but please stop helping me and fuck off before you drive me to an early grave!"

Anyway, I was writing to say I didn't think Dr. Mists's white quote marks were white enough, and remembered seeing a glowing text function a while back. How about adding a glow to all his quotation marks to represent his Life enlightenment better visually?

Stsword · Jul 9, 2022

Bud-E said:
Mr Zoat I noticed that The Sphere of Gods has never been mentioned in your fic even though you've delved deep into gods and god-like abilities. Is it not a thing or has the Dreaming replaced it?

The Sphere of the Gods was not a thing until post flashpoint.

Zoat, as a rule with a couple of exceptions, doesn't pull from the post flashpoint stuff.

Mr Zoat · Jul 9, 2022

8th November 2012
19:05 GMT +3?

Ah, ah, magic, how you think, think 'fast'!

I leap, not really aiming at anything in particular but holding in my mind the idea of being flung forward and the trees blur past me and the mists recede. The forest is still-

A new branch and keep running!

-dying, but the part that's dying is behind me and not getting closer.

Leap! There, a hole in a trunk, aim for-. It's getting bigger but okay, through the hole and-.

And an ocean on a buoy and leap, land on a small speedboat and leap, use the time in the air to glance back-

There's a pink fog bank rolling in, but it's continuing to fall back. It's directed movement and commitment to the idea of movement, not just moving. I know that I'm about twenty seconds from being erased from existence, but this is actually kind of fun!

Leap, and I fly through the air, legs flailing in a running motion as I go and here comes the cruise liner! Land on the deck, stagger a few steps, and-.

"Paul, what's going on?"

"Alan?"

Alan drops down from the upper deck and he's not running!

"Any idea-?"

I dart towards him, wrap my right arm around his back as pink mist flows down after him and drag him into motion!

"Keep running, keep running!"

He gets the idea, but I don't think he's committing.

"Where are we running to? I can't even see-."

"We're not running 'to', we're running. This is a dream and not an obstacle course, we're existing in a small bubble made by Sanderson and The Demon. Stop thinking and hurl yourself forwards!"

"Okay, I-"

The ship tips, the world turning around us as it goes over the rimfall, stars above and beneath us as everything starts falling!

Alan tries to grab onto a railing.

"NO! Run run run!"

I'm running down the near-vertical deck, and-. And he's still not there and there's a railing and I run along that and look up and he's not running! Rope rope life ring the mist is right behind him throw!

Missedfuck!

"Al-"

The mist surges down, and-. And it hits the railing first as my ring-on-a-rope falls back towards me, and Alan falls-

"-an, intent! Faster!"

He falls clumsily for a second, then manages to kick off the deck far enough that he's actually falling-. Falling past me because I stopped-! Move! Over the railing, throw the ring, leap to the ring and kick off towards… Whatever's that way! Rock, rock sticking out of the rim. Land running around it and kick off-.

And check what Alan's managing to-.

"This is crazy!"

He's got hold of a lifeboat and is paddling it downwards, good!

"Keep doing-"

I push off directly downwards, leaping onto a falling rock.

"-that!"

"I think I got it!"

Okay, Alan knows what to do, Sanderson and The Demon must or we wouldn't still be here, and Dr. Balewa can look after-

Another leap, and I'm standing on a tiny planet in orbit around a tiny sun.

-himself.

No sign of Alan, but that appears to be how things are working. Have to meet up later.

I leap over the sun, towards a slightly larger rocky world on the far side.

I just wish I knew if we were anywhere near the end. It's like-

Another jump and I'm standing on the solid core of a gas giant.

-a boss without a health bar. I've got no real idea whether I'm actually making progress or not.

A leap and a tiny exoplanet and then a flying leap into the void and the pink mist eats the system. Stars fly past, my feet darting out to touch them one after another to maintain my momentum.

"Anybody here?!"

The blackness becomes a wall, stars vanishing and only rock remaining! I twist and land on my feet, changing my orientation and running up/along the surface.

"Anybody at all?!"

The rock cracks and I grab the closest lump and push! They're moving in a chaotic pattern, and I'm forced to switch between shoving with arms and leg and-

Ugh!

-just take the hit to my chest before inelegantly scrambling around in order to keep going. The pink mist is still there, but it's well behind me.

Okay, I'm keeping my position, but am I still doing something wrong? I'm following the path Sanderson-.

What's he seeing?

The floating rocks around me dissolve into sand, forming a black desert under a black sky. The only illumination comes from a great glowing ring in the sky.

Towards Sanderson and The Demon-.

Something erupts from the sand like a flying fish leaping from the water!

"Orange Lantern!"

Sanderson's upper torso forms the leading part, while the trunk and tail are made of the black sand that surrounds us. The Demon Constantine is stuck in the torso, his head lolling as he maintains our dream bubble.

"Sandman! Which way?"

"I can't tell! Whenever I slow down to try and work it out, the mist catches up with us? I haven't even seen Blue Lantern and Mist!"

"I have! They were fine!"

"Oh, good! But I still don't know where we're going!"

"If I carry you, will you have enough time to have a vision?"

"Maybe. But we can't leave Constantine!"

"Of course not! Shift back to human form, then put him on my back. I'll bridal carry you."

"Can you do that and outrun the mist?"

"I'll have to! We need an exit!"

"Okay. Three. Two. One!"

thebishop8 · Jul 9, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
and there's a railing and I run along that and look up and he's not running[/color]!

Your tags are showing.

Darko · Jul 9, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
haven't even see Blue Lantern and Mist!"

"seen"

Frank Iannetta · Jul 9, 2022

Oh, trippy!

Time for Paul to put those ring-enhanced muscles to work.

Handlewithcare · Jul 9, 2022

Frank Iannetta said:
Oh, trippy!

Time for Paul to put those ring-enhanced muscles to work.

Well, no. It's a dream, he runs with his mind.

Think of Towers Sanderson! Ignore the phallic implications! Or don't, I may be getting that vibe from you, but it's up to you!

Chojin Patriarch · Jul 9, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
8th November 2012
19:05 GMT +3?

Ah, ah, magic, how you think, think 'fast'!

I leap, not really aiming at anything in particular but holding in my mind the idea of being flung forward and the trees blur past me and the mists recede. The forest is still-

A new branch and keep running!

And I just realised, this part really feels like those annoyingly popular sequences in action-adventure games these days. Surely you've seen the kind: Keep pushing forwards to run, stagger or otherwise roll down a narrow corridor of stability as shit happens around you. You know, like in Uncharted or the Tomb Raider reboot series? Not saying that's a bad thing, but...

-dying, but the part that's dying is behind me and not getting closer.

Leap! There, a hole in a trunk, aim for-. It's getting bigger but okay, through the hole and-.

...There's just one annoying thing about these sequences, and I'm sure you can see why it's relevant, because...

And an ocean on a buoy and leap, land on a small speedboat and leap, use the time in the air to glance back-

There's a pink fog bank rolling in, but it's continuing to fall back. It's directed movement and commitment to the idea of movement, not just moving. I know that I'm about twenty seconds from being erased from existence, but this is actually kind of fun!

...The games tend to have a tendency to kill you if you do anything but run.

Leap, and I fly through the air, legs flailing in a running motion as I go and here comes the cruise liner! Land on the deck, stagger a few steps, and-.

"Paul, what's going on?"

"Alan?"

Sadly, I doubt Alan is any kind of gamer, in the modern sense. So a sequence like this would be very new to him. And very confusing.

Alan drops down from the upper deck and he's not running!

"Any idea-?"

Standing still very bad. Very very bad idea! [/JackieChan]

I dart towards him, wrap my right arm around his back as pink mist flows down after him and drag him into motion!

"Keep running, keep running!"

And now he's probably having a classic Doctor Who moment. At least the corridors here aren't made of wobbly cardboard and foam.

He gets the idea, but I don't think he's committing.

"Where are we running too? I can't even see-."

That's not your job, Alan. Sandy's the one handling where you're going. All you need to do is keep up.

"We're not running 'too', we're running. This is a dream and not an obstacle course, we're existing in a small bubble made by Sanderson and The Demon. Stop thinking and hurl yourself forwards!"

"Okay, I-"

And while Alan is more of a Man of Action than OL is, even he can't keep up this level of blind sprinting, I bet.

The ship tips, the world turning around us as it goes over the rimfall, stars above and beneath us as everything starts falling!

Alan tries to grab onto a railing.

Boy, whoever's dreaming this bit must be a One Piece fan, if the ocean is this changeable. Because Grand Line conditions.

"NO! Run run run!"

I'm running down the near-vertical deck, and-. And he's still not there and there's a railing and I run along that and look up and he's not running! Rope rope life ring the mist is right behind him throw!

See what I meant about running sequences killing you if you didn't run?

Missedfuck!

"Al-"

Come on, protagonist protection! No loading a save here!

The mist surges down, and-. And it hits the railing first as my ring-on-a-rope falls back towards me, and Alan falls-

"-an, intent! Faster!"

And if there's one thing a former Green lantern understands, it's intent.

He falls clumsily for a second, then manages to kick off the deck far enough that he's actually falling-. Falling past me because I stopped-! Move! Over the railing, throw the ring, leap to the ring and kick off towards… Whatever's that way! Rock, rock sticking out of the rim. Land running around it and kick off-.

And check what Alan's managing to-.

Boy, it really feels like the map is building itself moments before you reach it, doesn't it?

"This is crazy!"

He's got hold of a lifeboat and is paddling it downwards, good!

That's the spirit! Row, row like your life depends on it! Because it does.

"Keep doing-"

I push off directly downwards, leaping onto a falling rock.

"-that!"

Now, to worry about yourself, OL. Not out of the pond yet.

"I think I got it!"

Okay, Alan knows what to do, Sanderson and The Demon must or we wouldn't still be here, and Dr. Balewa can look after-

On the upside, once you are in the swing of things, it's fairly easy to keep that way... Until something distracts you and your next step ends up missing the ground...

Another leap, and I'm standing on a tiny planet in orbit around a tiny sun.

-himself.

...That's one hell of a first step.

No sign of Alan, but that appears to be how things are working. Have to meet up later.

I leap over the sun, towards a slightly larger rocky world on the far side.

And a giant leap, too!

I just wish I knew if we were anywhere near the end. It's like-

Another jump and I'm standing on the solid core of a gas giant.

-a boss without a health bar. I've got no real idea whether I'm actually making progress or not.

God, I know, right? Like in Terraria. Before the Journey's End update, and unmodded, the only way to know how much health a boss had left was to put the mouse over it. That's why one of the first Quality of Life mods anyone downloads tends to be a Boss Health Bar mod... And a lot of major content mods included their own health Bar systems...

...Digression over...

A leap and a tiny exoplanet and then a flying leap into the void and the pink mist eats the system. Stars fly past, my feet darting out to touch them one after another to maintain my momentum.

"Anybody here?!"

Ooh, walking on ~~sunshine~~ stars? Talk about a hot-foot.

The blackness becomes a wall, stars vanishing and only rock remaining! I twist and land on my feet, changing my orientation and running up/along the surface.

"Anybody at all?!"

Good reaction time. Some would probably half landed face-down and lay there stunned. Which would end poorly for them.

The rock cracks and I grab the closest lump and push! They're moving in a chaotic pattern, and I'm forced to switch between shoving with arms and leg and-

Ugh!

And now you're climbing through the playfield of 'Asteroids'... What a trip.

-just take the hit to my chest before inelegantly scrambling around in order to keep going. The pink mist is still there, but it's well behind me.

Okay, I'm keeping my position, but am I still doing something wrong? I'm following the path Sanderson-.

Maybe he's having his own performance issues. I mean, he's never done this before either.

What's he seeing?

The floating rocks around me dissolve into sand, forming a black desert under a black sky. The only illumination comes from a great glowing ring in the sky.

Ooh, ominous. Hopefully just a really moody dream and not something more symbolic.

Towards Sanderson and The Demon-.

Something erupts from the sand like a flying fish leaping from the water!

Oh, crap! Where's that Dune quote? "Stilgar, do we have Wormsign?"

"Orange Lantern!"

Sanderson's upper torso forms the leading part, while the trunk and tail are made of the black sand that surrounds us. The Demon Constantine is stuck in the torso, his head lolling as he maintains our dream bubble.

"Usul, we have Wormsign the likes of which even God has never seen!" On the upside, this is a lot nicer-looking than a Shai-Hulud.

"Sandman! Which way?"

"I can't tell! Whenever I slow down to try and work it out, the mist catches up with us? I haven't even see Blue Lantern and Mist!"

Learn to multi-task, man!

"I have! They were fine!"

"Oh, good! But I still don't know where we're going!"

...Wait, who's driving this crazy thing? Morpheus, take the wheel!

"If I carry you, will you have enough time to have a vision?"

"Maybe. But we can't leave Constantine!"

Gee, the Demon proving to be dead weight, huh? Who'd have thought it?

"Of course not! Shift back to human form, then put him on my back. I'll bridal carry you."

"Can you do that and outrun the mist?"

Man, Jade is going to bust a gut when she hears this story.

"I'll have to! We need an exit!"

"Okay. Three. Two. One!"

...And they're going to be picking sand out of everywhere for days after this, I bet.

So, while they've had a bump here and there, things are still mostly on track, I see. The hardest part would probably be adjusting to the sudden changes in setting that the ephemeral nature of dreams causes. On the other hand, having the person behind the figurative wheel being lost is probably not helping. Hopefully Sanderson can get his bearings without something going ploin-shaped.

"Where are we running too? I can't even see-."
"We're not running 'too', we're running.

Both 'too' should be 'to', right?

Bud-E · Jul 9, 2022

Frank Iannetta said:
Oh, trippy!

Time for Paul to put those ring-enhanced muscles to work.

Is Paul actually super-strong or just in really good shape thanks to his ring?

Duke Long · Jul 9, 2022

Bud-E said:
Is Paul actually super-strong or just in really good shape thanks to his ring?

I'm pretty sure he's just really fit. Maybe he kind of has some low-level super strength in the sense that he is fitter than any human could reasonably be, but he definitely doesn't have 'true' super strength.

mastermenthe · Jul 9, 2022

Bud-E said:
Is Paul actually super-strong or just in really good shape thanks to his ring?

Duke Long said:
I'm pretty sure he's just really fit. Maybe he kind of has some low-level super strength in the sense that he is fitter than any human could reasonably be, but he definitely doesn't have 'true' super strength.

The last time anything was even mentioned was when Paul got Qwa-matter-bombed, he talked about reinforcements in his body, including in his backup clones. Check there?

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

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