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

Zig · May 7, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
If Jaime Reyes is representative, no. The scarab wouldn't be able to control the host's soul any more than it could control his mind.

But if we assume that they've got a magic-capable population somewhere who still have some sense of self, they've still got the problem that space is mostly thaumically inert and they certainly haven't left magic R&D intact anywhere.

I was thinking more of Green Beetle who was functioning 100% on mode and had all of his powers. I was also considering the mind altering soda from canon season 2, but I don't remember if that was 100% a reach invention or if the Light helped make it.

Lord Ernest · May 7, 2021

Zig said:
I was thinking more of Green Beetle who was functioning 100% on mode and had all of his powers. I was also considering the mind altering soda from canon season 2, but I don't remember if that was 100% a reach invention or if the Light helped make it.

The Martian abilities of Green Beetle are biological functions, though, even the psychic ones. So the Scarab was just puppeteering the body, while Barsoom (I can't recall the actual name of the character, just the inspiration) was just locked inside his mind, same as Jaime I think.

The Reach drink was a Reach technique but developed by the Light, I believe. If I understood correctly, the Light just seemed to want to learn the Reach techniques in chemical mind subversion practices, since afterwards they just introduced the same drink under a different name.

Mr Zoat · May 8, 2021

12th August 2012
14:38 GMT

I sigh as Pren remains silent.

"Yes, yes, I get it. You don't like me and I don't like you. But you need to be able to do this if you want to be able to use an orange ring without going insane."

I throw up my right hand.

"Heck, for me, you going insane is perfectly fine. I'm pretty sure that you sticking around is only going to make my life difficult, and if I can justify sticking you in a lunatic asylum my life gets measurably easier."

He looks at me suspiciously.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you think that me remaining active in Vega will make your life difficult?"

"Because I plan to conquer Vega. Because I'm working with Alonzo and have no interest-" He blinks in surprise. "-in helping you or Kalista getting home and taking control. I don't want Euphorix contesting our suzerainty and I don't want our access to their skilled personnel disrupted."

"Why are you.. just telling me that?"

"Because you're going to find out eventually anyway and I'd rather it didn't come as a surprise." I shrug. "You can't really do anything about it until after the other Grayven is dealt with, and I don't want you distracted."

He snorts, shaking his head.

"Why wouldn't I just let you kill each other?"

"Because I'm using tamaraneans. Have you… Spent a lot of time with tamaraneans?"

"Zirral of the Omega Men was tamaranean. I'm familiar with the culture."

"Right. Can you imagine them embracing slavery? Using intelligent beings as test subjects?"

"I suppose it seems unlikely."

"Someone's got to be in charge. I pick us. We have the strength to establish an order beneficial to all, and the social dynamics of tamaranean society will cause them to integrate weaker cultures rather than simply repressing them." I shrug. "So shall we try again?"

"Alright. For the longest time my greatest desire was to destroy the Citadel/Psion alliance and liberate Vega. And when that was achieved, I… Thought that I would play my part in keeping together whatever alliance of Vega's people achieved it. Instead, you pulled it down without reference to me or the other Omega Men at all."

"Yes, I know you ended up being almost entirely irrelevant; it's why I resent being in this position with you. But, hey: if I didn't turn up something like that might have ended up happening. Maybe."

"You should give me that yellow ring: I'm living my greatest fear."

I raise my left eyebrow.

"Greatest? Really?" I glance over to where Kalista is struggling to rise from the ground with her ring. "Because…"

He shakes his head. "Kalista and I both knew that we could die. We were both willing to die if that's what it took. And if we died without achieving that aim, we could at least pave the way for the success of our successors, striking a blow…"

He bows his head slightly.

"Instead, we helped.. some people, and we provided the Crown Imperium with intelligence, and we were brushed aside. We could have stayed on Euphorix and events would have taken place in almost the exact same way."

"Much as I.. hate to buck you up here… There's no way you could have known that was going to happen. And you're… What, in your twenties? Younger than me, certainly. Plenty of time to find a noble cause to die for. Heck, once we've sorted out things with Other Grayven, I'm sure that the Controllers will snap you up." I smile encouragingly. "Probably give you a better ring than the undead version I'm going to be giving you."

"I'm sure that the Reach are perfectly vile, but Maltus isn't my home."

"Oh, come on! Euphorix never gave a damn about the Citadel! Once Tamaran fell they just stuck the shield up and forgot the rest of the universe! You think anyone really wanted you to leave? I've been to Euphorix. The people don't cringe whenever they look at the sky. They don't pay it the slightest bit of attention. There's no serious debate about the rightness of leaving it up."

"Then it's up to me to inspire them."

That sounded pretty definite, but the ring lying on the table between us doesn't even glimmer.

I make a shrugging gesture with both arms.

"That wasn't it. It's a ring of avarice, Pren. Noble intentions don't mean a thing."

"That explains you, at least."

"No, Apokolips explains me and coincidence explains the rings. You can tell me that you acted for the glory of Euphorix, you can tell Oswin, Kalista, everyone on your homeworld… Even Alonzo. But if you try telling yourself that, you'll never be able to use that ring."

He considers that for a moment.

"What do you want?"

"I want to build. I want to guide and control. I want to kill my father and end the threat he poses to all life. I want to grow in power and help my subjects, servants and allies do the same. I want to look upon what I create and know that it is good."

I raise my left hand and show him my now-blazing ring.

"See? Like that. It's not complicated, but it requires… Honesty."

I frown. We can't get access to the Element of Honesty, and I doubt that Applejack would have anything useful to contribute here, but perhaps Pren could… I don't know, pray to the Tree of Harmony or some-

Pren snatches the ring from the table, rises and walks away. And not towards Kalista.

-thing?

I guess he's got some thinking to do.

"Does that mean it's my turn?"

Duke Oswin descends through the sky and lands in front of me. He's a natural. Honestly, he's taken to it faster than most of our tamaranean recruits do. I'm not completely sure why, but at least we're getting one decent Lantern out of this.

"I'm not sure that you need it."

"Nonsense!" He takes the chair that Pren abandoned, leaning back in it completely at ease. "If we're going to be fighting together against a foe that can actually threaten us, we should get to know one another better!"

"Alright." I shrug. "Tell me about your desires."

"I was born the third son of a minor baron, and I wasn't happy with my station in life. So I worked hard and paid attention to my tutors, took a position in the duchy fleet under my father's overlord and worked hard until I got a recommendation to the royal fleet. Once there, I volunteered for every job the time-serving officers who thought themselves my contemporaries didn't want and worked my way upwards that way. Becoming an admiral and then a duke was the next logical step, and now I rule the largest duchy in the Crown Imperium."

"And the queen is single."

"Mmmm. No. I thought about it, but then I realised that I have far more power as the duke of a new duchy than I would as king-consort. And I'm going to enjoy building the place up. I created myself through my own efforts. Why would I stoop to sponging off someone else now?"

"Good for you." I slump slightly "Any ideas on how to help Pren make that sort of realisation?"

"I'm a naval officer, not a miracle worker."

Vaermina · May 8, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
12th August 2012
14:38 GMT

So... Why doesn't he try powering a power ring with the Elements of Harmony instead of the emotional spectrum?

Darko · May 8, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
That wasn't it. It's a ring of avarice, Pren. Noble intentions don't mean a thing."

I'm reminded of that conversation Paul had with Dick about healing his uncle.

Mr Zoat said:
"That explains you, at least."

Hah, he's not wrong.

Mr Zoat said:
Does that means it's my turn?"

'mean'

Mr Zoat said:
together against a foes that can

'foe'

Mr Zoat said:
hard until got a recommendation

'I got'

w34v3r · May 8, 2021

Vaermina said:
So... Why doesn't he try powering a power ring with the Elements of Harmony instead of the emotional spectrum?

Because they don't mesh.

Honesty wasn't put on the table to power the ring, it was there as a possible escalation of the training in order to help a recruit overcome a block.

The elements of harmony can and do have their uses for a ringslinger, but they themselves don't power or direct the rings.

BlueMangoAdea · May 8, 2021

Hm. Nice contrast with Paragon's attempt at helping someone become better at using the Orange Light.

Ashaeron · May 8, 2021

Vaermina said:
So... Why doesn't he try powering a power ring with the Elements of Harmony instead of the emotional spectrum?

Because he's not a... Ringsmith? He didn't make the rings and as this is Grayven not Paul, would struggle making more of them. He doesn't have anywhere near the same investment in understanding the mechanics of the lights specifically.

Mr Zoat · May 8, 2021

Darko said:
'mean'
'foe'
'I got'

Thank you, corrected.

Queshire · May 8, 2021

Vaermina said:
So... Why doesn't he try powering a power ring with the Elements of Harmony instead of the emotional spectrum?

Well, the teal lantern interlude suggests that using non-standard emotions requires some heavy metaphysical changes to the universe. Not, technically, beyond the various Paul's abilities, but currently they'd probably have to be made on the other side of the mirror.

From Alan's blue ring we've got an idea of how much of an emotion is needed to make a power battery. Namely nearly an entire planet's worth. The elements themselves might work as a power battery, but unless they create the equivalent to central power batteries that's still limited to one ring per element.

Of course if the goal is to just replicate the effects of a ring that's a lot easier. Order magic in particular seems like a good option for replicating the feats of a ring.

DrThoth · May 8, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
"Because I'm using tamaraneans. Have you… Spent a lot of time with tamaraneans?"

"Zirral of the Omega Men was tamaranean. I'm familiar with the culture."

Didn't Ryand'r/Wildfire also join the Omega Men in this fic? Or was that only in one of the timelines?

If Pren's greatest fear is being irrelevant, having all his efforts be ultimately futile, I think that could translate into a desire/ambition of being relevant in current Vegan dynamics, and a power ring (even a knock-off one) provides the opportunity to do that. Actually, wouldn't wearing the ring itself stimulate his avarice and desires, even if they're buried deep? Orange light exposure should normally be quite impactful in that regard.

I feel like his sentence about it being up to him to inspire Euphorix should have had some emotion behind it; will or hope could both make sense, and I feel that being Omega Men and constantly taking on a vastly superior force should require a constant drive that could make them good for will and hope. There aren't any Blue Lanterns in the Renegade timeline, but now that the reason for the Green Lantern Corps' lack of presence in Vega is gone, perhaps Pren or Kalista can be selected to be a Green Lantern.

I'm not familiar with the Omega Men in any significant way (my current impression is a grittier/darker take on the MCU Guardians of the Galaxy) but I do feel sympathy for them to a degree; it's hard to figure out what to do after a near-literal Deus Ex Machina resolves your main problems.

Chojin Patriarch · May 8, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
12th August 2012
14:38 GMT

I sigh as Pren remains silent.

"Yes, yes, I get it. You don't like me and I don't like you. But you need to be able to do this if you want to be able to use an orange ring without going insane."

Nice to get these things out in the open before they fester, after all. A pity I doubt Pren has enough anger for a red ring, though. And it looks like he doesn't have much in the way of Avarice, either...

I throw up my right hand.

"Heck, for me, you going insane is perfectly fine. I'm pretty sure that you sticking around is only going to make my life difficult, and if I can justify sticking you in a lunatic asylum my life gets measurably easier."

Okay, Grayven, there's such a thing as too much honesty, you know...

He looks at me suspiciously.

"Why?"

Care to clarify that a little? I don't think we have time for a debate on the purpose of all existence... It's to sell comic books, duh!

"Why what?"

"Why do you think that me remaining active in Vega will make your life difficult?"

Because you're a whiny prat with no clear idea of how to really run a resistance group? After all, did your 'Omega Men' do much of anything to impede the opressive forces in the sector?

"Because I plan to conquer Vega. Because I'm working with Alonzo and have no interest-" He blinks in surprise. "-in helping you or Kalista getting home and taking control. I don't want Euphorix contesting our suzerainty and I don't want our access to their skilled personnel disrupted."

"Why are you.. just telling me that?"

Because there is absolutely nothing you can do about it?

Face it, Pren. You are completely and utterly useless. There's a reason the Renegade dismisses you out of hand when he sees you...

"Because you're going to find out eventually anyway and I'd rather it didn't come as a surprise." I shrug. "You can't really do anything about it until after the other Grayven is dealt with, and I don't want you distracted."

He snorts, shaking his head.

"Why wouldn't I just let you kill each other?"

Because people would suffer in the crossfire. And you're too nice a fellow to allow that, aren't you? Pity the Renegade hasn't gone looking for the Indigo Tribe. Hell, he doesn't even realise they exist yet, does he?

"Because I'm using tamaraneans. Have you… Spent a lot of time with tamaraneans?"

"Zirral of the Omega Men was tamaranean. I'm familiar with the culture."

Huh. I didn't realise Tamaraneans came in Blonde. Too used to seeing Starfire's auburn locks, I guess.

"Right. Can you imagine them embracing slavery? Using intelligent beings as test subjects?"

"I suppose it seems unlikely."

God, does he feel strongly about anything? It's like the man has milquetoast for a spine...

"Someone's got to be in charge. I pick us. We have the strength to establish an order beneficial to all, and the social dynamics of tamaranean society will cause them to integrate weaker cultures rather than simply repressing them." I shrug. "So shall we try again?"

"Alright. For the longest time my greatest desire was to destroy the Citadel/Psion alliance and liberate Vega. And when that was achieved, I… Thought that I would play my part in keeping together whatever alliance of Vega's people achieved it. Instead, you pulled it down without reference to me or the other Omega Men at all."

Ah. You just don't know what you want now, then. You're going to have to find something, little man. This is no time to be lost in indecision.

"Yes, I know you ended up being almost entirely irrelevant; it's why I resent being in this position with you. But, hey: if I didn't turn up something like that might have ended up happening. Maybe."

"You should give me that yellow ring: I'm living my greatest fear."

Pffft. Hardly. Ringestro would break you.

I raise my left eyebrow.

"Greatest? Really?" I glance over to where Kalista is struggling to rise from the ground with her ring. "Because…"

Huh. She doesn't really have much idea of what she wants either, then? But at least she can manage something...

He shakes his head. "Kalista and I both knew that we could die. We were both willing to die if that's what it took. And if we died without achieving that aim, we could at least pave the way for the success of our successors, striking a blow…"

He bows his head slightly.

"Instead, we helped.. some people, and we provided the Crown Imperium with intelligence, and we were brushed aside. We could have stayed on Euphorix and events would have taken place is almost the exact same way."

I have the feeling neither Fear or Avarice are your colours, kid. Maybe you'd be better off running logistics?

"Much as I.. hate to buck you up here… There's no way you could have known that was going to happen. And you're… What, in your twenties? Younger than me, certainly. Plenty of time to find a noble cause to die for. Heck, once we've sorted out things with Other Grayven, I'm sure that the Controllers will snap you up." I smile encouragingly. "Probably give you a better ring that the undead version I'm going to be giving you."

"I'm sure that the Reach are perfectly vile, but Maltus isn't my home."

And yet you'd probably find yourself of more use over there...

"Oh, come on! Euphorix never gave a damn about the Citadel! Once Tamaran fell they just stuck the shield up and forgot the rest of the universe! You think anyone really wanted you to leave? I've been to Euphorix. The people don't cringe whenever they look at the sky. They don't pay it the slightest bit of attention. There's no serious debate about the rightness of leaving it up."

"Then it's up to me to inspire them."

...To paraphrase MCU Thanos: "They barely know who you are." Seriously, where you known as anything but a paramour of Princess Kalista?

That sounded pretty definite, but the ring lying on the table between us doesn't even glimmer.

I make a shrugging gesture with both arms.

"That wasn't it. It's a ring of avarice, Pren. Noble intentions don't mean a thing."

Like I said. Avarice is clearly not his colour. Not everyone can just pick up a ring and make it work, after all.

"That explains you, at least."

"No, Apokolips explains me and coincidence explains the rings. You can tell me that you acted for the glory of Euphorix, you can tell Oswin, Kalista, everyone on your homeworld… Even Alonzo. But if you try telling yourself that, you'll never be able to use that ring."

Indeed. Lying to yourself is no way to channel a great amount of any emotion.

He considers that for a moment.

"What do you want?"

Oh, don't get him started...

"I want to build. I want to guide and control. I want to kill my father and end the threat he poses to all life. I want to grow in power and help my subjects, servants and allies do the same. I want to look upon what I create and know that it is good."

I raise my left hand and show him my now-blazing ring.

"See? Like that. It's not complicated, but it requires… Honesty."

See, that is how you became the New God of Acquisition. No mere Conqueror would be so interested in his vassals' development unless it reflected upon him... And The Regenade doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks of him, after all.

I frown. We can't get access to the Element of Honesty, and I doubt that Applejack would have anything useful to contribute here, but perhaps Pren could… I don't know, pray to the Tree of Harmony or some-

Pren snatches the ring from the table, rises and walks away. And not towards Kalista.

Okay, that's not quitting. Guess he needs some 'me'-time to think about his life...

-thing?

I guess he's got some thinking to do.

Yes, yes he does. I think you actually managed to drive some sense into his marble lump of a skull and shake up that teenager's view of the world...

"Does that mean it's my turn?"

Duke Oswin descends through the sky and lands in front of me. He's a natural. Honestly, he's taken to it faster than most of our tamaranean recruits do. I'm not completely sure why, but at least we're getting one decent Lantern out of this.

The man knows what he wants. And how he wants to get it. That purity of Avarice is empowering.

"I'm not sure that you need it."

"Nonsense!" He takes the chair that Pren abandoned, leaning back in it completely at ease. "If we're going to be fighting together against a foe that can actually threaten us, we should get to know one another better!"

He's got a point. And he's had plenty of time to listen in on the Renegade's side of things.

"Alright." I shrug. "Tell me about your desires."

"A was born the third son of a minor baron, and I wasn't happy with my station in life. So I worked hard and paid attention to my tutors, took a position in the duchy fleet under my father's overlord and worked hard until I got a recommendation to the royal fleet. Once there, I volunteered for every job the time-serving officers who thought themselves my contemporaries didn't want and worked my way upwards that way. Becoming an admiral and then a duke was the next logical step, and now I rule the largest duchy in the Crown Imperium."

Yep, that's about the level of desire for advancement you'd expect from a man born to mediocrity. He'll go far, I think.

"And the queen is single."

"Mmmm. No. I thought about it, but then I realised that I have far more power as the duke of a new duchy than I would as king-consort. And I'm going to enjoy building the place up. I created myself through my own efforts. Why would I stoop to sponging off someone else now?"

Oh, he's good. Many a lesser man would have bitten that poisoned apple of a possibility... And likely found themselves discontent and contemplating spousicide-cum-Treason...

"Good for you." I slump slightly "Any ideas on how to help Pren make that sort of realisation?"

"I'm a naval officer, not a miracle worker."

Ha! Seriously, short of a visitation by the Ophidian herself, I doubt Pren will ever wield that ring.

Aw, we have to wait to see the results of OL's trolling plan? Man, how long must the commute take on Yuan? Still, getting to see Grayven give Pren a stern, ~~fatherly~~ brotherly taking-to is always good. After all, we know he has no patience for fools, and what is more foolish than Pren and Kalista's little attempt at a resistance group?

"A was born the third son of a minor baron...

"I was born the third son of a minor baron...

Darko · May 8, 2021

DrThoth said:
Didn't Ryand'r/Wildfire also join the Omega Men in this fic? Or was that only in one of the timelines?

He joined in both universes, but we only saw him in the Paragon timeline during the Jiggity Jig episode where Paul told him to go home.

And even if he did join them it's possible he and Pren haven't interacred all that much, so Pren didn't immediately think of him.

DrThoth said:
Green Lantern Corps' lack of presence in Vega is gone,

If you mean Larfleeze, then that's not the only thing keeping the GLC out of Vega in this fic.

During the Jiggity Jig episode Paul mentioned the Psions having some kind of treaty with the Guardians and now that the Psions are dead the GLC can operate in Vega.

The Psions are still alive in Vega, so the treaty may still stand.

And even if the Controllers are their bosses now, they may have still chosen to keep the treaty to keep their Guardian cousins away.

Mr Zoat · May 8, 2021

Chojin Patriarch said:
"I was born the third son of a minor baron...

Thank you, corrected.

Darko · May 8, 2021

Chojin Patriarch said:
Okay, Grayven, there's such a thing as too much honesty, you know...

He wouldn't be renegade if he wasnt an asshole.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Care to clarify that a little? I don't think we have time for a debate on the purpose of all existence... It's to sell comic books, duh!

But Zoat seems to love writing philosophical talks.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Because you're a whiny prat with no clear idea of how to really run a resistance group? After all, did your 'Omega Men' do much of anything to impede the opressive forces in the sector?

To be fair to the Omega Men, they seemed to be the only ones that actually tried to fight the Citadel while everyone else seemed to be working with them, were enslaved by them or were hiding behind a planetary shield.

We didn't really see any other resistance group.

They also probably freed a lot of slaves and killed a lot of slavers, and while that may not have done much in the grand scheme of things it was still more than anyone else was doing.

Chojin Patriarch said:
To paraphrase MCU Thanos: "They barely know who you are." Seriously, where you known as anything but a paramour of Princess Kalista?

They probably know him as either the founder, or at least a high ranking member, of the Omega Men.

Chojin Patriarch said:
and what is more foolish than Pren and Kalista's little attempt at a resistance group?

Renegade pretending to be Grayven and everything that followed that little decision, like Darkseid coming for a visit.

DrThoth · May 8, 2021

Darko said:
The Psions are still alive in Vega, so the treaty may still stand.

And even if the Controllers are their bosses now, they may have still chosen to keep the treaty to keep their Guardian cousins away.

Didn't Renegade wipe out most of the Psions too?

I'll acknowledge there are still factors that could prevent a Green Lantern presence in Vega, but ultimately the Psion treaty and other things were secondary reasons (one shudders to think of what could have happened if the Psions had somehow managed to harness the orange light, though).

The Controllers in the Renegade timeline aren't in as strong a position as they are in the Paragon, and their actual presence in Vega is relatively limited, so I could see things going multiple ways. Guardian-Controller negotiations would be interesting to see either way, and outside of the Anti-Monitor scare there hasn't been much on that front.

Darko · May 8, 2021

DrThoth said:
Didn't Renegade wipe out most of the Psions too?

He left the young ones alive, but he wiped out most of the adult Psions, except a few.

Prognostic Hannya · May 8, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
"Mmmm. No. I thought about it, but then I realised that I have far more power as the duke of a new duchy than I would as king-consort. And I'm going to enjoy building the place up. I created myself through my own efforts. Why would I stoop to sponging off someone else now?"

"Good for you." I slump slightly "Any ideas on how to help Pren make that sort of realisation?"

"I'm a naval officer, not a miracle worker."

This guy is pretty much the Euphorian version of Grayven, isn't he? Benevolent dictator with boundless ambition and genuine good intentions towards his subjects?

Darko · May 8, 2021

Prognostic Hannya said:
This guy is pretty much the Euphorian version of Grayven, isn't

The Crown Imperium version to be precise.

Handlewithcare · May 8, 2021

Hehe. If there is ever a crossover with Baylon 5 I can see the Shadows frantically running up and down as random orange rings pelt them from all sides

Vorlons would be greens, I guess.

Now I want Grayven to talk to a Vorlon...

Darko · May 8, 2021

Handlewithcare said:
Hehe. If there is ever a crossover with Baylon 5 I can see the Shadows frantically running up and down as random orange rings pelt them from all sides

Vorlons would be greens, I guess.

Now I want Grayven to talk to a Vorlon...

Zoat did once mention a potential future scenario of renegade going to the Babylon 5 universe.

Ngamer11 · May 8, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
"If I told you that I was the boss of a small construction firm in Central City, what would it change? You'd still be down there and I'd still be up here. What if I told you I was the Prince of the World?

The pictures here don't work anymore. Is there any way to get new versions?

Mastigos2 · May 8, 2021

Ngamer11 said:
I think it will be a way to lower the Reach's guard, as they will think Paul was never there and it was always a fake, before Paul reveals himself and subverts whatever they were going to use against Lantern Drusa.

Not just that. It also makes them think the Orange Lanterns are covering up OL's death and trying to play it off as "naw, our spiritual leader totally survived that assassination attempt by using his miraculous powers"

Mr Zoat · May 8, 2021

Ngamer11 said:
The pictures here don't work anymore. Is there any way to get new versions?

I think that's it.

jasonh23761 · May 8, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
"I was born the third son of a minor baron, and I wasn't happy with my station in life. So I worked hard and paid attention to my tutors, took a position in the duchy fleet under my father's overlord and worked hard until I got a recommendation to the royal fleet. Once there, I volunteered for every job the time-serving officers who thought themselves my contemporaries didn't want and worked my way upwards that way. Becoming an admiral and then a duke was the next logical step, and now I rule the largest duchy in the Crown Imperium."

"And the queen is single."

"Mmmm. No. I thought about it, but then I realised that I have far more power as the duke of a new duchy than I would as king-consort. And I'm going to enjoy building the place up. I created myself through my own efforts. Why would I stoop to sponging off someone else now?"

"Good for you." I slump slightly "Any ideas on how to help Pren make that sort of realisation?"

"I'm a naval officer, not a miracle worker."

I like Duke Oswin! That's a motivation and drive I can respect.

Prince Charon · May 8, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
"That wasn't it. It's a ring of avarice, Pren. Noble intentions don't mean a thing."

Hmm, what emotion best corresponds to 'noble intentions?' Will? Hope? Something else?

Ngamer11 · May 8, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
And maybe you'll learn from this and be less of a bitch to your own secretary in future so you actually get some warning when I turn up with the Head of Future Warfare.

Found an old error. That should be 'own secretary in the future'.

Darko · May 8, 2021

Prince Charon said:
Hmm, what emotion best corresponds to 'noble intentions?' Will? Hope? Something else?

Indigo probably.

Ngamer11 said:
Found an old error. That should be 'own secretary in the future'.

I think that's a way British people say it.

Radix · May 8, 2021

DrThoth said:
Didn't Ryand'r/Wildfire also join the Omega Men in this fic? Or was that only in one of the timelines?

If Pren's greatest fear is being irrelevant, having all his efforts be ultimately futile, I think that could translate into a desire/ambition of being relevant in current Vegan dynamics, and a power ring (even a knock-off one) provides the opportunity to do that. Actually, wouldn't wearing the ring itself stimulate his avarice and desires, even if they're buried deep? Orange light exposure should normally be quite impactful in that regard.

I feel like his sentence about it being up to him to inspire Euphorix should have had some emotion behind it; will or hope could both make sense, and I feel that being Omega Men and constantly taking on a vastly superior force should require a constant drive that could make them good for will and hope. There aren't any Blue Lanterns in the Renegade timeline, but now that the reason for the Green Lantern Corps' lack of presence in Vega is gone, perhaps Pren or Kalista can be selected to be a Green Lantern.

I'm not familiar with the Omega Men in any significant way (my current impression is a grittier/darker take on the MCU Guardians of the Galaxy) but I do feel sympathy for them to a degree; it's hard to figure out what to do after a near-literal Deus Ex Machina resolves your main problems.

I think there is some difference between Avarice and desire. Wanting to achieve something isnt the same as what fuels the orange light.

On a separate note, I can really appreciate Duke Oswin. It is the exact same mentality I have. No need to be on top, just to have something yours and have it do well.

Mr Zoat · May 8, 2021

Ngamer11 said:
Found an old error. That should be 'own secretary in the future'.

Darko said:
I think that's a way British people say it.

I'm afraid so.

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

Not too sore, are you?

At the End...

Dedicated ragequitter

Well worn.

Connoisseur.

Versed in the lewd.

Alive. For now.

Know what you're doing yet?

Dedicated ragequitter

Not too sore, are you?

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Veteran Lurker

Connoisseur.

Dedicated ragequitter

Connoisseur.

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Connoisseur.

Knight of the Yuri Crusade

Connoisseur.

Versed in the lewd.

Connoisseur.

Experienced.

Versed in the lewd.

Dedicated ragequitter

Not too sore, are you?

Just zis guy, you know?

Experienced.

Connoisseur.

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Dedicated ragequitter

Users who are viewing this thread