Chaoswind
Lord of nonsense
- Location
- Latin America
The name thing was probably caused by something else, IE being a soulless monster from another dimension not bound to destiny or any of the other endless.
With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Twelve)
- Thread starter Mr Zoat
- Start date
- Status
The name thing was probably caused by something else, IE being a soulless monster from another dimension not bound to destiny or any of the other endless.
- Location
- Somewhere out there
Confirmation bias. You already know it's relevant, so it jumps out at you. If you came across that phrase without already being aware of the compulsion, it would just feel at most slightly awkward in its cadence, but not suspicious. One might have even chalked it up to the SI putting a unique value on the ring, so that it is "THE ring" instead of just "my ring" which suggests that it's noteworthy only by virtue of it being the particular one that belongs to him. Or you might have considered it the SI personifying it to an extent, identifying it as a peer and an entity instead of as a possession.
The latter hypothesis doesn't hold quite so well when the SI emphasizes "THIS ring" when picking it out in specific from a group of multiple rings (e.g. comparing it to a Green Lantern ring) but that could be interpreted as making it a point of how it's a property of the ring itself (instead of a different kind of ring) as opposed to a property of it being the ring that he uses (instead of a ring wielded by a someone else).
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Xavier Bronze
The Avatar
- Location
- Metropolis
The real source and reason for SI's namelessness is that Zoat doesn't want random people off the internet being able to find him in other places. Which is perfectly reasonable.
Empiricist2
Let's play doctor!
- Location
- Baton Rouge
What's funny is that this story has given far more information about Zoat than googling his name does. I learned his name a while ago, and some cursory searches showed that his name alone doesn't really give you much unless you're willing to pay. The sum total of what I've learned from google that I couldn't learn from this story: his middle initial, an article about his dad's retirement, and a FOIA request he wrote for work. That's it. Without knowing what his relatives' names are in advance I wouldn't have been able to get even that much.
In contrast, my name, which Zoat knows, gives my home address and phone number within about 5 minutes.
Yes, but Zoat could just as easily have his SI's "real" last name be different from his actual one.
- Location
- Ashtabula
I just used the find option in my browser, and went through each story only page. "My ring" pops up less in a lantern fic then you might think. Alan and Hal gave me the first few false positives.
Control (part 11)
- Location
- Hampden Park
17th July
03:23 GMT
"The Guardians have -at various times- reached the conclusion that there are groups whom… It's not that the Green Lantern Corps couldn't beat them. In most cases. It's that the casualties they'd take doing it and the devastation that would be unleashed are such that… They decide it isn't a good idea to take things that far. One such group are the Reach. As long as they capture systems through negotiation the Guardians won't stop them."
"You have a problem with that?"
"When the definition of 'negotiation' can be stretched to include drugging the planet's population so that they believe everything you say and when accession eventually results in the subjugated species being broken up for parts, yes."
"Oh dear. That wasn't a clever contract."
"I'm too far away from the time to judge it properly. In any case, the Controllers -via the medium of their Darkstar agents- are contesting the Reach's expansion. I think they could do better if they had a Lantern Corps to use either instead of or as well as."
"More to the point, we ourselves would be more powerful. But I'm not hearing why that matters to you."
"I have certain beliefs about the way the universe should operate."
"We've all got those. You still aren't-." Her eyes widen.
"What?"
"Nine. Only nine of them left."
"The.. Guardians? Yes."
"When we parted company there were thirty three. Even after the Manhunters did their level best to kill us." She winces, her right hand going to her forehead. "I should have.. realised that some of my old colleagues would have been killed. It simply shocks me that it's been so many."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
She lowers her hand. "You didn't know them well enough to be saddened by it." She twitches in irritation. "And they're all names and faces I recognise, they haven't recruited at all. Or had babies. Foolish."
"And that's one of the reasons why it's so important to put you on an equal footing. As peers, you could call them out on their follies. I tried asking my local Green Lanterns about what they would do if the last of the Guardians died and they couldn't come up with an answer."
"Yes, we're a stubborn people. But I think Ganthet at least would listen to me. What's in it for you?"
"Self-actualisation. I used a-."
"Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Interesting concept, though I don't think it's accurate. Not for all species, at least."
"I used it as a tool. Early on, structuring my desires helped me cope with the orange light. The point is, having dealt with most of the basic things, I'm left with… Altering the universe to be more pleasing to me. The fact that places like the Reach exist does not please me. They destroy the sorts of things I value existing, affront ideals I hold to be true. And if what a few time travellers have told me is accurate, they'll be coming for my homeworld… Ah, Earth Sixteen-"
"You can use standard notation!"
"-is due to be invaded by them at… Some point. I like my homeworld. My friends live there. I keep my stuff there and we're doing some really interesting arcanotechnological research and development… I've invested in the place and I'm not having someone mess it up for me."
"You want to deal with them while they're someone else's problem because they'll eventually become yours."
"You could put it like that. I doubt that the species about to be overrun by the Reach will be all that fussed. Look, I thought I made a pretty good guess about what the Controllers would want out of this. Given that you can see how mentally stable I am I really don't understand why we're still discussing this."
"Because putting you on the back foot is advantageous to me."
I blink, my mouth opening slightly and then closing again. "Thank you for letting me know. "
"And I'm interested in the sort of person the ring I created found. I'll have a look, later. See if I can track down that 'Earth Prime' of yours."
"You see? A convergence of interests. We both want things and the other can supply them. This is how a properly composed Orange Lantern Corps should work."
She tilts her head slightly to the side. "You don't have the Orange Light Fountain yet. It's a little premature to speak as if this is a done deal. There were reasons why the Guardians were reluctant to press Larfleeze after he killed Ogandu Onna Oslan."
"Which is why I'm talking to you rather than just taking it from him." I frown. "And why are you calling it a Light Fountain?"
"Haven't you noticed how much smaller it is than the Green Central Power Battery? According to the database you acquired the Green Central Power Battery is fifteen metres tall. The device Larfleeze clasps to his bosom is little larger than a normal personal lantern. Did you think all that extra mass was decoration?"
"I… Hadn't really thought about it."
"The green light was… Least complicated. It did as we willed it. Even the Manhunters could use it without experiencing further.. disruption to their systems. And their emotional range was extremely limited." She turns away, heading towards another piece of equipment. "Our studies in harnessing the orange light were far less advanced. It certainly wasn't ready for… Ring application."
"What do the extra mechanisms do?"
"Oh, thousands of things. Stopping the power constantly radiating outwards, for a start. I see that Larfleeze has had some interesting… Visitors, over the millennia? We could also make the flow of power a little less… Corrosive to the minds of its users. Not.. completely. We focused our efforts on the green-" She reaches the device and waves at it, a shimmer passing through its numerous spines. "-light for good reasons."
I remember Richard and Jade's reactions. "That would be helpful. Would it help Larfleeze?"
"Would it-?" She turns to me with a frown. "Help. Larfleeze?"
"Would it?"
She blinks. "An immortal marinated on the orange light for three billion years with only his own madness for company?" Her face relaxes slightly. "It would make a fascinating case study, but I honestly have no idea. Perhaps…" She strokes her chin with her right hand. "If we created a shielded environment and weaned him off it…"
I take a neural chaff generator out of subspace and float it over to her. "I was thinking… If we used something like this? Interfered with his mind so he couldn't use his power, then stuck the Battery-. Ah, Fountain, in something that blocked it off..?"
The chaff generator shimmers and disappears, reappearing in front of her. "Hm. No, this wouldn't work on his brain. Not anymore. Still, it's not a bad approach. Assuming you don't want to try wresting it from his cold dead hands..?"
"Knowing his life story, I just feel sorry for him. If I had to kill him I'd do it. He's too much of a menace to leave as he is, regardless of other considerations. But if taking him alive is a possibility…"
Another shimmer, and the chaff generator opens up in an exploded view.
"What a fascinating device…"
"So..? Is this something we can work on together..?"
"Perhaps. I'm certainly interested. Tell me how you see our working relationship developing in future."
03:23 GMT
"The Guardians have -at various times- reached the conclusion that there are groups whom… It's not that the Green Lantern Corps couldn't beat them. In most cases. It's that the casualties they'd take doing it and the devastation that would be unleashed are such that… They decide it isn't a good idea to take things that far. One such group are the Reach. As long as they capture systems through negotiation the Guardians won't stop them."
"You have a problem with that?"
"When the definition of 'negotiation' can be stretched to include drugging the planet's population so that they believe everything you say and when accession eventually results in the subjugated species being broken up for parts, yes."
"Oh dear. That wasn't a clever contract."
"I'm too far away from the time to judge it properly. In any case, the Controllers -via the medium of their Darkstar agents- are contesting the Reach's expansion. I think they could do better if they had a Lantern Corps to use either instead of or as well as."
"More to the point, we ourselves would be more powerful. But I'm not hearing why that matters to you."
"I have certain beliefs about the way the universe should operate."
"We've all got those. You still aren't-." Her eyes widen.
"What?"
"Nine. Only nine of them left."
"The.. Guardians? Yes."
"When we parted company there were thirty three. Even after the Manhunters did their level best to kill us." She winces, her right hand going to her forehead. "I should have.. realised that some of my old colleagues would have been killed. It simply shocks me that it's been so many."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
She lowers her hand. "You didn't know them well enough to be saddened by it." She twitches in irritation. "And they're all names and faces I recognise, they haven't recruited at all. Or had babies. Foolish."
"And that's one of the reasons why it's so important to put you on an equal footing. As peers, you could call them out on their follies. I tried asking my local Green Lanterns about what they would do if the last of the Guardians died and they couldn't come up with an answer."
"Yes, we're a stubborn people. But I think Ganthet at least would listen to me. What's in it for you?"
"Self-actualisation. I used a-."
"Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Interesting concept, though I don't think it's accurate. Not for all species, at least."
"I used it as a tool. Early on, structuring my desires helped me cope with the orange light. The point is, having dealt with most of the basic things, I'm left with… Altering the universe to be more pleasing to me. The fact that places like the Reach exist does not please me. They destroy the sorts of things I value existing, affront ideals I hold to be true. And if what a few time travellers have told me is accurate, they'll be coming for my homeworld… Ah, Earth Sixteen-"
"You can use standard notation!"
"-is due to be invaded by them at… Some point. I like my homeworld. My friends live there. I keep my stuff there and we're doing some really interesting arcanotechnological research and development… I've invested in the place and I'm not having someone mess it up for me."
"You want to deal with them while they're someone else's problem because they'll eventually become yours."
"You could put it like that. I doubt that the species about to be overrun by the Reach will be all that fussed. Look, I thought I made a pretty good guess about what the Controllers would want out of this. Given that you can see how mentally stable I am I really don't understand why we're still discussing this."
"Because putting you on the back foot is advantageous to me."
I blink, my mouth opening slightly and then closing again. "Thank you for letting me know. "
"And I'm interested in the sort of person the ring I created found. I'll have a look, later. See if I can track down that 'Earth Prime' of yours."
"You see? A convergence of interests. We both want things and the other can supply them. This is how a properly composed Orange Lantern Corps should work."
She tilts her head slightly to the side. "You don't have the Orange Light Fountain yet. It's a little premature to speak as if this is a done deal. There were reasons why the Guardians were reluctant to press Larfleeze after he killed Ogandu Onna Oslan."
"Which is why I'm talking to you rather than just taking it from him." I frown. "And why are you calling it a Light Fountain?"
"Haven't you noticed how much smaller it is than the Green Central Power Battery? According to the database you acquired the Green Central Power Battery is fifteen metres tall. The device Larfleeze clasps to his bosom is little larger than a normal personal lantern. Did you think all that extra mass was decoration?"
"I… Hadn't really thought about it."
"The green light was… Least complicated. It did as we willed it. Even the Manhunters could use it without experiencing further.. disruption to their systems. And their emotional range was extremely limited." She turns away, heading towards another piece of equipment. "Our studies in harnessing the orange light were far less advanced. It certainly wasn't ready for… Ring application."
"What do the extra mechanisms do?"
"Oh, thousands of things. Stopping the power constantly radiating outwards, for a start. I see that Larfleeze has had some interesting… Visitors, over the millennia? We could also make the flow of power a little less… Corrosive to the minds of its users. Not.. completely. We focused our efforts on the green-" She reaches the device and waves at it, a shimmer passing through its numerous spines. "-light for good reasons."
I remember Richard and Jade's reactions. "That would be helpful. Would it help Larfleeze?"
"Would it-?" She turns to me with a frown. "Help. Larfleeze?"
"Would it?"
She blinks. "An immortal marinated on the orange light for three billion years with only his own madness for company?" Her face relaxes slightly. "It would make a fascinating case study, but I honestly have no idea. Perhaps…" She strokes her chin with her right hand. "If we created a shielded environment and weaned him off it…"
I take a neural chaff generator out of subspace and float it over to her. "I was thinking… If we used something like this? Interfered with his mind so he couldn't use his power, then stuck the Battery-. Ah, Fountain, in something that blocked it off..?"
The chaff generator shimmers and disappears, reappearing in front of her. "Hm. No, this wouldn't work on his brain. Not anymore. Still, it's not a bad approach. Assuming you don't want to try wresting it from his cold dead hands..?"
"Knowing his life story, I just feel sorry for him. If I had to kill him I'd do it. He's too much of a menace to leave as he is, regardless of other considerations. But if taking him alive is a possibility…"
Another shimmer, and the chaff generator opens up in an exploded view.
"What a fascinating device…"
"So..? Is this something we can work on together..?"
"Perhaps. I'm certainly interested. Tell me how you see our working relationship developing in future."
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- Location
- madison
oh she is going to love earth. well, once she stops sputtering at seeing insanity like a high-end combat robot running on vacuum tubes.
- Location
- Florida, United States
Our. Not out.
Aww yeah a chance for Jade to become a proper Orange Lantern Corps member.
StitchLips
Cannot be killed in any way that matters
- Location
- Around
- Location
- New Jersey, USA
Empiricist2
Let's play doctor!
- Location
- Baton Rouge
Talking in front of Red Tornado:
"No! You shouldn't work! You were made before transistors! Before the concept of artificial intelligence made it out of science fiction books! The field of computer science had hardly been conceived of by your species yet! Next you'll tell me that some brilliant idiot was making nuclear reactors to power mechanical horse drawn carriages while the printing press had yet to be invented!"
My thoughts near exactly.
Emerald Oracle
Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force
- Location
- The Else
Goddamn. Y'know, this is almost too good to be true? I mean, it's what I'd expect of a Sane Maltusian, and those are rare as hens teeth really. I'm almost waiting for the other shoe to drop, she's just so damned reasonable!
- Location
- madison
That would be an interesting reason for her to spend time on earth. It would also be very smart and canny creature trying to figure out what the actual fuck is up with the place.
- Location
- New Jersey, USA
She can join the rest of us. Humanity has been trying to figure that out since we crawled out of our caves
- Location
- Hampden Park
Thank you, corrected.
Huh... So Earth technology can be fascinating to Maltusians. I am surprised she's not gushing about Paul's tattoos, really. I mean, from her (and, really, my) perspective they are technology (application of skill and knowledge to create devices to change the world), and creating perpetually growing souls on demand + perfect scry protection should be VERY interesting. I mean, scry invisibility itself could probably be adapted into emotional spectrum shielding. If active remote scans are protected from (and they are), then scry invisibility shields can act as shields against emotional light. Perfect shields.
Also, jovium, orichalcium, mythril samples should fascinate her. And if she (and other controllers) are actually interested in the universe and improving themselves / upgrading stuff they have / advancing further than they are, I could see them establishing actual no joke trade with Themyscira for the stuff.
Also, jovium, orichalcium, mythril samples should fascinate her. And if she (and other controllers) are actually interested in the universe and improving themselves / upgrading stuff they have / advancing further than they are, I could see them establishing actual no joke trade with Themyscira for the stuff.
Be careful when you bring up the subject of Magic.
The Controllers used to be Guardians, so it's likely that they might still harbor a dislike for anything exceedingly supernatural, which goes against their desire for a safer, static, "reality".
Avalon Aurora
Eldritch Horror
- Location
- Unspecified Quantum Location
I wouldn't be too sure of that, if the White Light and it's entity is a thing in this setting, and the Controllers are aware of it, they may be wary of developing too noticeable a connection to Earth, for fear of drawing dangerous groups to pay too much attention to it and discover the White Light and try to misuse it. Plus, I think it was implied that magic is weaker in general throughout most of the galaxy than it is on Earth (there are of course, other exceptional areas when it comes to magic, earth isn't the only one, but it is still an exception to the norm), so a lot of magic stuff may be less powerful and reliable after spending some time away from higher magic areas, making trade of magical stuff only work best with other high-magic zones.
- Status