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

Reader mode
Ah, further resolution to one of my favorite Renegade story lines. Seeing his slow domination approach is great, as is seeing more people fall unwittingly under his sway. And watching it all fall apart will be glorious.
 
Man, that son really had to worry about mind control now.
 
Grimnar said:
Kettles are enshrined in human rights. Hell, the penny pinching military makes sure kettles are available in most military vehicles to keep the grunts supplied with essential bevereges. To do otherwise is inhumane, and we're the people who invented concentration camps.

The poor state of the american people brings a tear to my eye.
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To be fair, water is such a critical need that it makes sense for soldiers to have something that can purify water from local sources if they run out.
 
Really though, the major difference between governments now and then is that we're run by merchants instead of royalty. A leader has to be able to sell themself as a product to get a position.

Though really a popular revolt like Morgan is planning is still a viable method of gaining power - and a lot easier to accomplish now if one has the backing.

She has money, charisma, and experience in leadership, if this was America she could run for President and win.

Would "make Britain Great again" be a good campaign slogan?
 
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Chojin Patriarch said:
...twisting then in accordance with your natured, turning them to your ends.
...twisting then in accordance with your natures, turning them to your ends.
"If you so glad to be rid of Hecate's boon now...
"If you are so glad to be rid of Hecate's boon now...
I'll be Prime Minister within a month." Geoff smiles faint. "God help me."
I'll be Prime Minister within a month." Geoff smiles faintly. "God help me."
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Thank you, corrected.
Mquz said:
Would "make Britain Great again" be a good campaign slogan?
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'Putting the 'Great' back in Britain' was already tried. I don't remember who started it, but I don't remember it lasting.
 
Mr Zoat said:
'Putting the 'Great' back in Britain' was already tried. I don't remember who started it, but I don't remember it lasting.
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It's not a call to action? "Putting the 'Great' back in Britain" seems too passive.

Say what you want, but it was a great slogan.

Though it might sound a bit imperialistic to work for Britain.
 
Mr Zoat said:
"Because of your insistence that you are the rightful ruler of Britain."

Morgan turns to face Geoff. "Do you feel threatened? Is your grip on power less solid than you hoped it would be?"

"The Conservative and Labour parties are facing total annihilation at the forthcoming General Election. All reliable polling says that we'll have a Reform landslide. I'll be Prime Minister within a month." Geoff smiles faintly. "God help me."

"But not king."

"I still can't grasp why you're so fixated on that title."

"Because it was denied to me by a usurper. Regardless of what you tell me of the changes Britain has undergone-." She stops.

"Have you any idea how often royal dynasties have been overthrown since you retreated into Albion?"

"No." She looks around at us. "That is not what this is about. You wish to make me an offer. You wish for me to renounce my claim."

"You don't have a claim. There are multiple acts of parliament covering the royal succession and none of them mention you. Yes, at one time you could have argued your case, but that time was a very long time ago. That said, I would rather that you pursued whatever outcome which you think that you deserve peacefully than make assaults upon the country."

"What manner of nation is it that gives a claimant the freedom to call for the overthrow of their monarch?"

"The fact that you don't know is an ample demonstration of why you're unsuited to the office." Geoff pauses for a moment. "We've.. settled things with Buckingham Palace. The succession is being altered so that the people involved with the Caligula club won't inherit. In exchange, the people who were involved won't be prosecuted. The press aren't happy, but they learn to live with it."

"And the new Crown Prince is unwed?"

"No, he's married. But his son isn't. We don't arrange marriages for royals these days. Whether or not he weds your daughter is up to him."
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Grayven seems to gave gained enlightenment
 
Chojin Patriarch said:
If I remember correctly, when OL returned from space, he ended up making contact with Quinn during an investigation. Quinn claims John Constantine gave him the helmet then disappeared into whatever hole he's been in since the big fight.
The readers have just assumed this is John's alternate counterpart, 'Golden Boy', who has all the good luck Constantine's been missing all his life, and made himself into a big deal in his world's magical society. Until Mr Zoat reveals the truth, it's just speculation.
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THANK you. i was furiously reading comments hoping somebody would refresh our memories, hoping to avoid a "can somebody give me a rundown on these guys" post.

I feel like, aside from the brief interaction when OL returns from space that you reference, nothing has been said in reference to this whole situation. I forgot about (the real) Constantine becoming a LoC, I knew Nabu was dead but that the Helm of Fate still granted Order-related power. But honestly when this "angelic-Constantine-lookalike"/"my name is John"/Welsh John/Quinn character showed up, I was fairly confused. I forgot about the handoff of the helmet and thought that this guy was a new, 'order-ized' upgrade version of Constantine, the Mr. Zoat version of Gandalf the White appearing after we've last seen Gandalf the Gray.

Then, in the comments I get reminded of Constantine becoming a LoC while Quinn has the HoF, I started thinking that Constantine had somehow split himself in half (again?) and divided himself into his Order and Chaos halves and that this guy was the Order half.

It's been quite the rollercoaster for me and my bad memory.

Regardless, I enjoy it all. Thanks Zoat.
 
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Ganurath said:
As a reminder for those that aren't keeping score, Morgana (the daughter) is a Constantine by blood, so if she does marry the royal heir...
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To be fair the British Royal Family is mostly a glorified tourist atraction nowadays, not the one making most of the choices on how to rule the U.K.
 
Pinklestia said:
Is John the one who is cursed, and his descendants by blood, not his predecessors. John's brother doesn't hate his whole family, just John and any decendants he has or will have.
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I wasn't refering to any 'curse' by john's brother, so much as the general Constantine mojo that plenty of his ancestors have had.
 
iamnuff said:
I wasn't refering to any 'curse' by john's brother, so much as the general Constantine mojo that plenty of his ancestors have had.
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He's referring to Golden Boy's luck draining thing, which I assume isn't so much of a curse as much as the guy actively doing it?
 
Quick question, where was the christmas rant between the Amazon queen and paul located i can seem to google it. Thanks.
 
Angelic (part 12)
  • Threadmarks
    • 28th January
    12:43 GMT -5

    John Quinn as Doctor Fate floats a short way off the ground, levitating the book Ms Bowen handed over at head-. Or rather, at helmet height as he looks through it. Tula has entered the building with the forensics team, in order to keep them away from anything thaumically active rather than to do any sort of examination herself. Demon magic is the one area where the surface world is actually more sophisticated than Atlantis.

    The small crowd on the other side of the police barricades grew once the news got around that a member of the Justice League who hasn't been seen in public in over six months had put in an appearance, but it's dropping off now that it's clear that he isn't going to do anything interesting. A few of the police are taking the time to stare at him, but I can't really begrudge them that. There isn't a lot happening, and expecting them to remain fully alert at all times is simply unrealistic.

    "Rocket, check in?"

    "Rocket here. We're about halfway through the list."

    "Any trouble?"

    "How do you mean 'trouble'?"

    "Are they cooperating?"

    "You mean, are they cooperating with the police officers arresting them for soliciting and substance abuse?"

    "Yes. Though I believe that the arrest warrant also includes mind control."

    "Some of them have kids. One had a boyfriend who didn't know what her job was."

    "And I'm sure that they'll be very glad that she's not going to get dragged into Hell." I take a breath. "Rocket, I don't think that laws against prostitution are sensible, saving in that they make profiting from people trafficking slightly more difficult. I have two friends who are former prostitutes. If it wasn't for the demon magic I'd probably turn a blind eye to the whole situation but they're using demon magic so I can't. Also, they were deliberately altering the minds of their clients in order to secure repeat custom."

    "Yeah, I get it." She sighs. "Those friends of yours. Who are they?"

    "Holly Robinson and Selina Kyle."

    "How did they.. get into it?"

    "Gotham City Child Services."

    "They were running a pedo ring?"

    "No, they were just really bad at their jobs. It's not exactly a well-funded department in most cities, and with Gotham's economic decay and graft they never really had a chance. Low educational attainment, no home support, poor diet, no safety…" I frown. "No offence intended to Dakota, but is this sort of thing really novel for you?"

    "Icon doesn't think prostitution should be illegal, either. He doesn't think government should have social policy. His 'grandfather' fought prohibition and internment."

    "And you?"

    "It's not like I don't get that banning it doesn't suddenly give the women doing it new jobs, I just…"

    "Okay, you don't like it. How would you fix it? What do you want?"

    "To suddenly give every woman working in the sex-."

    "Just the women?"

    "Most-. Yeah, okay, everyone working in the sex trade a better education. High school graduate level. And-."

    "Do you have good data on what proportion lack that level of education? As opposed to taking it up due to a lack of employment opportunities and sticking with it due to the relatively high tax free pay?"

    "No, but I can't fix the whole economy."

    "If not you, then who?" I shrug. "Education is an easy enough fix. The genomorphs are looking for volunteers for their telepathic education experiments. If you can get me their contact details I'll put their names down. No charge."

    "I don't really know them personally. I'll definitely put out some fliers, though."

    "Might be worth asking them what they're paid per hour, so you can work out what sort of employment you'll need to create to replace it."

    "And how am I supposed to do that?"

    "I don't know. Wasn't Hardware moaning about Edwin Alva owning his inventions? Get him to make something with civilian applications and site the factory in Datoka. Look at it as homework."

    "Ah… Yeah, okay. I'll look into it. Anything else?"

    "No. I'll check in with you in another half hour. Let me know if you run into any difficulty."

    "Got it. Rocket out."

    John turns a page. He clearly still has a way to go, but if he isn't shouting anything yet I'm going to assume that there isn't an immediate need to panic. Since there's nothing I can really add to his investigation, I turn away and walk over to where Artemis is talking to Chief Clayborne. She notices me approaching and hurries in my direction to intercept me.

    "Yes? Something the matter?"

    She makes eye contact with me, then pointedly glances at John. "Did you ever… Check him out?"

    "Magicians have ways of confusing their trails. At least some people who'd been where he claimed to be remembered interacting with someone fitting his description. And he's helped me out."

    She gives a slight shrug with her right shoulder. "Right. So what's our next-?"

    The street explodes in white flame! I throw up a construct bubble around Artemis and myself as white hot fire pours from the heavens! Artemis crouches as the torrent of fire envelops us, anti-magic arrow already on string. I hear explosions as car petrol tanks cook off all around us, and the crash of glass as windows explode!

    "Artemis, moving to the police line. Ring, what's happening?"

    Artemis nods and we start jogging towards where I hope the police cordon is. Damn it, we haven't evacuated the prisoners yet!

    "Incendiary attack launched from above. No prior chemical alteration in local air. Fire otherwise performing as conventional fire. Supposition: fire is conjured."

    "Possible, but this would take stupid amounts of power."

    A pact with the Parliament of Flames is a possibility, but a magic generalist who could conjure this amount of fire on their own recognisance would have far better ways to kill a few people. It isn't pure elemental fire because that has anomalous behaviours my ring can spot. It isn't divine fire because it's the wrong colou-.

    We break through the curtain of flame, the burning wrecks of the police cars in front of us. I can see where the police and civilians have fallen back, convection making the area almost unbearably hot. Several are sporting burns, and a few have been laid down and are being tended to by medical personnel.

    "There!"

    Artemis points upwards and I follow her finger. Yes, there's someone up there, throwing flame down at us. Magnif-.

    There's what looks like an explosion from the figure's location, and the spray of fire ends. Immediately I turn, cold gun constructs forming and shooting the still-burning buildings on either side of the street.

    "Aquagirl, status!"

    Artemis switches to flame-retardant arrows and joins my cold guns. The street still radiates heat, the air too hot to breathe.

    "One severely burned. I'm administering a healing potion. I got a water shield up before anyone else could get hurt."

    "Good reactions. Fate?"

    A golden ankh appears in the air, John appearing in the air a moment later.

    "Fate is well, though I am afraid that the book was entirely destroyed."

    Darn it. Temperatures normalised, I cease fire with my cold guns.

    "What the hell just happened?"
     
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    • Mr Zoat said:
    Demon magic is the one area where the surface world is actually more sophisticated than Atlantis.
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    And isn't that a depressing thought?

    If it wasn't for the demon magic I'd probably turn a blind eye to the whole situation but they're using demon magic so I can't. Also, they were deliberately altering the minds of their clients in order to secure repeat custom."
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    Yeah, not really the best showing.

    "It's not like I don't get than banning it doesn't suddenly give the women doing it new jobs, I just…"
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    "It's not like I don't get that banning it doesn't suddenly give the women doing it new jobs, I just…"

    "Do you have good data on what proportion lack that level of education? As opposed to taking it up due to a lack of employment opportunities and sticking with it due to the relatively high tax free pay?"
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    Or those who took it up because they enjoy it?

    "Might be worth asking them what they're paid per hour, so you can work out what sort of employment you'll need to create to replace it."
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    As opposed to forcing them onto welfare, which would be the most likely result. That or webcam shows.

    She makes eye contact with me, then pointedly glances at John. "Did you ever… Check him out?"
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    Well, I suppose he does have a decent ass. Oh, you didn't mean that kind of checking out?

    The street explodes in white flame! I throw up a construct bubble around Artemis and myself as white hot fire pours from the heavens! Artemis crouches as the torrent of fire envelops us, anti-magic arrow already on string. I hear explosions as car petrol tanks cook off all around us, and the crash of glass as windows explode!
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    Okay, who cast Flame Strike?!

    "Artemis, moving to the police line. Ring, what's happening?"
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    "Artemis, get moving to the police line. Ring, what's happening?"
    (or simply 'move to')

    Artemis nods and we start jogging towards where I hope the police cordon is. Damn it, we haven't evacuated the prisoners yet!
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    Possibility of them being the target?

    There's what looks like an explosion from the figure's location, and the spray of fire ends. Immediately I turn, cold gun constructs forming and shooting the still-burning buildings on either side of the street.
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    Great, fireball and run. The worst kind of scry-and-die mage.

    "Fate is well, though I am afraid that the book was entirely destroyed."
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    Welp. There goes that lead.

    "What the hell just happened?"
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    That's the $100,000 question, isn't it?

    Clearly someone didn't want Fate finding something in that book. The person responsible for the parlor's owner getting it, perhaps?
     
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    I realize it's just Rocket being rocket, but she is really starting to get on my nerves.

    On one hand I love it because it means she's well written enough that she can, on the other I'm annoyed even more because I've about worn a hole in my shoes whilst jogging to help deal with the tension and sheer frustration she inspires every time she opens her mouth and spouts off with the same dime a dozen line.

    so kudos mr Zoat, love your writing and your characters, I'm going to go make the holes in my shoe bigger after reading this chapter. :)
     
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