Revlis
Getting sticky.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2015
- Messages
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- 374
Is he exposed to be saying his name here?
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Thank you, corrected.
That was deliberate.
Indeed. Sadly it's likely not going to be the sort of conversation where he then kicks lex into space.Cool, it's been a while since Paul and Lex have had a conversation.
I did not need one chapter like that in my life and the longer we go without another one the less Zatanna gets traumatized.
Sounds like Lady Isis has been keeping herself busy?7th April
17:48 GMT +2
I look around at the surprisingly green scenery of South Kahndaq.
Something from the recommendations of her empowering deities, I suppose?"Not that I want to come across as a total doomsayer, but is this self-sustaining?"
Adrianna nods confidently. "It will survive. The plants are evolved for the desert. The roots of larger plants stabilise the soil and store water, while the smaller plants can survive under their protection"
From what I hear, they're ornery bastards when they want to be... Sounds fair."I heard about the goat ban."
Slightly before Adom put it into practice.
"Goats ravage marginal land. If they were allowed to graze here then they would undo my work in a generation."
I bet the Green was happy about something old being restored."I don't recognise all of the plants. Have you been talking to Swamp Thing or Doctor Isley?"
"I spoke briefly with Swamp Thing. But these plants are merely… Old. They are not my creations." She pointedly looks out across the verdant scrubland and towards the gleaming metal structure that wasn't there yesterday. "Why is that here?"
Because Manga Khan is an idiot, but he's a politically savvy idiot."It's a trade post-."
"Yes, I know. I -and everyone else in Kahndaq- heard the mental broadcast. Why is it here?"
It's not like nature cares about arbitrary lines drawn in the sand. And her reputation as Teth Adom's partner probably protects her from being bothered by locals for whatever unsavoury reasons."Because -as I understand it, technically- this territory isn't part of anyone's country. Unless you're saying that you've de facto annexed it with your plants."
"No. I am not limited the blessings of Isis to helping only the people of my nation. But isn't this part of Zambesia?"
Grateful because that would have set some nasty precedents about superpowered leadership of a country..."It's-. Whatever the opposite of 'disputed' is. Before Adom took over Kahndaq and Zambesia couldn't agree on exactly where the border was and they both said that this was part of the other country. Adom's been clear that he isn't planning on expanding Kahndaq's territory -and I'm grateful about that- but… Because of that and because he's had better things to do, who owns the southern border area hasn't been settled."
Always a smart idea to check your facts before starting something that might piss off some obnoxious folks. Or the people you work with, if they're not part of the former."Oh." She frowns. "So I could have done whatever I wanted without creating a diplomatic incident."
"Maybe, but doing that might have been seen as the Kahndaqi government accepting the Zambesian government's preferred interpretation of the border, and you should probably talk to a few people before doing that."
So, there it is. The whole crux of his argument. That and "I don't want to." And that counts a lot for an Orange Lantern, even an Enlightened one."And you should talk to the one who built that."
"I don't think I should. I don't think I should. Just because the leader has an orange power ring, that doesn't mean that it's my job to find some sort of magical solution that makes everyone happy."
'Hmm... I wonder if anyone would object to me overgrowing it with the plants...'She doesn't look impressed. "Would it be my job if he didn't have an orange power ring? Because I haven't seen him use it yet."
She considers for a moment.
Well, technically. based on access alone, anyway. I doubt the greenies would bother unless something criminal occurs."You know more about interstellar economics than anyone else on Earth."
"No, I… Don't think-" I frown. Who… Would..? "-I do."
Boy, he really is serious about not wanting to do anything about Manga Khan... It's almost amusing, except to just about everyone involved...Wait. Arnus would. I mean, I.. think he was more a corporate lawyer than a criminal lawyer anyway. Sure, he'd be a little out of date, but the broad principles should be the same. And Ploutos should be able to fill in the gaps. Yes, I can dump it on the pair of them.
Ooh, that puts a damper in that plan.
Really?
I wonder if she's busy? She sounds a little annoyed..."In progress."
I raise my left hand to the side of my head as it rings.
"Yeah?"
Oh, yeah, she was doing that, wasn't she? Something else for people to bother OL about."Rocket, Paul h-."
"Are you why Nazigirl's been followin' me around?"
Well, that's about as good as he could put it, I suppose. I can just see him slump his shoulders..."Only indirectly. You're-. Um."
"Yeah? You wanna finish that sentence?"
"The most admirable black person she's met, and she thinks that you alone can break decades of racist cultural programming?"
And I'm sure Rocket could quote some better examples at her anyway.I hear her huff.
"Okay, yeah, great, but the economy in Dakota City ain't so great and most a' the criminals I arrest are black too. It's not.. like, the best image she could get."
"Okay, but every criminal she's ever arrested before was white, so I doubt that she'll draw a conclusion based on that."
Geez, OL. Passing the buck onto your teammates? Just bite the bullet and tell Manga Khan to go easy..."Fine. What were you callin' for?"
"It occurred to me that Arnus' experience with interstellar relations would make him the man to take a lead on this whole business with ClusterCorp. Do you have any way to contact him?"
A what? Was he about to say something that'd get him slapped?
...Maybe because you're being an ass about things here?"I'm not supposed to contact him. Ah. Especially if you're asking."
"Why?"
Seriously, man, take the hints..."I ain't suppose to tell you unless the world's ending. Is it?"
"No, this isn't even-. Do you know if he's coming back soon?"
I wonder if Ploutus will be as unavailable..."Paul…"
"Okay, I-. Clearly don't know what's going on here. If you get in contact with him please mention the ClusterCorps situation?"
I can just feel his annoyance rising...
Really? Lex is here to do some shopping?Well… Darn. Don't know what's going on there, but I don't-.
A jet plane with.. the LexAir logo on the side flies over the Red Sea and.. uses its directional jets to perform a near-vertical landing on the trade post's landing platform. A group of armoured figures move out to greet…
Oh, stow it. You know you'd have ended up getting dragged in sooner or later anyway. Better now, before the explosions start.Lex is here. Of course he is. The only surprise is that he's come in person and without a camera crew.
"Alright, fine, I'll meet with him. But I'm doing this under protest, and if anyone complains afterwards I'm going to take great pleasure in reminding them that I wanted nearly anyone else to handle this."
And this is why you don't go around burning bridges."I'm not supposed to contact him. Ah. Especially if you're asking."
"Why?"
"I ain't suppose to tell you unless the world's ending. Is it?"
You aren't fooling anyone... You're only doing this now to spite Lex Luthor..."Alright, fine, I'll meet with him. But I'm doing this under protest, and if anyone complains afterwards I'm going to take great pleasure in reminding them that I wanted nearly anyone else to handle this."
... and thus, he is doing a good deed.You aren't fooling anyone... You're only doing this now to spite Lex Luthor...
Which magical contacts did he screw up?Why did he even need to hire mages from an underwater city again?
Ah right because he screwed up with any other magical contacts he had.
I'm pretty sure it wasn't his contract at all. It was the eye-gouging priests' (or rather their probably long-dead predecessors') contract, that he stopped because it was evil.
I did not need one chapter like that in my life and the longer we go without another one the less Zatanna gets traumatized.
I'm pretty sure it wasn't his contract at all. It was the eye-gouging priests' (or rather their probably long-dead predecessors') contract, that he stopped because it was evil.
EDIT: For those who want to be pedantic, yes, he did arrange to have it stopped, rather than stopping it directly, but he basically knew what the women he gave power rings to were going to do, and approved of it, with good reason.
So you did. I need more sleep.
So you did. I need more sleep.
I do agree with your question, though, I'm not sure which magical contacts he actually screwed up with before going to Ventruria.
Honestly, OL's resistance to getting caught up in this is getting silly. I know, I know, he doesn't think it's his job... But when everyone else is saying 'do it'... Sooner or later, you give in just to shut them up. Wonder how many of the League members think he's being a typical teenager?
I did say before going to Ventruria. That's a relationship that he probably screwed up by going to Ventruria.Sephtian who works for Poseidonis and may be banned from speaking with the SI.
Him and possibly every single other Atlantean city, who are probably more advanced than Venturia due to the fact that they haven't went into isolation.
I did not need one chapter like that in my life and the longer we go without another one the less Zatanna gets traumatized.
Is Icon on a mission for Dharma or something? Is the Shadow Cabinet even a thing on Earth 16?"It occurred to me that Arnus' experience with interstellar relations would make him the man to take a lead on this whole business with ClusterCorp. Do you have any way to contact him?"
"Ah… No."
"Raquel, I don't like to call a team mate a-."
"I'm not supposed to contact him. Ah. Especially if you're asking."
"Why?"
"I ain't suppose to tell you unless the world's ending. Is it?"
Probably, but not necessarily in Dakota City.Is Icon on a mission for Dharma or something? Is the Shadow Cabinet even a thing on Earth 16?
It's certainly going to be interesting to see the fallout from that.Sephtian who works for Poseidonis and may be banned from speaking with the SI.
Him and possibly every single other Atlantean city, who are probably more advanced than Venturia due to the fact that they haven't went into isolation.
The basic essence of being a Hero is sticking your nose into where it doesn't belong.
It's very much his job, unless his actual job is to be an Orange Lantern.
Why are you assuming that's what Paul is doing instead of the much more likely probability that he just doesn't want to deal with it?If the world governments and Justice League utterly fail to find a solution, the world stands on the brink of total collapse, and he STILL doesn't want to interfere, then you would have a stronger point. But in this case, Paul is trying to push existing power structures to adapt and overcome a threat that is entirely within their power to deal with and simultaneously drawing a line with what he is and isn't willing to do.
Is the Team assigned to deal with the issue? If not then literally not his job.
In a sense this is an excellent training mission for Earth's entry to the galactic economy - if anything gets too squirrely then OL is there as a backboard.
Unfortunately, he's expecting DC politicians who aren't supers to be competent. I mean, I agree that it's needed, but he's really pushing a boulder up a steep hill, here.If the world governments and Justice League utterly fail to find a solution, the world stands on the brink of total collapse, and he STILL doesn't want to interfere, then you would have a stronger point. But in this case, Paul is trying to push existing power structures to adapt and overcome a threat that is entirely within their power to deal with and simultaneously drawing a line with what he is and isn't willing to do.
The basic essence of being a Hero is sticking your nose into where it doesn't belong.
It's very much his job, unless his actual job is to be an Orange Lantern.
In which case Batman needs to drop him from the team- if he's not a Hero, he doesn't belong.
Is Icon on a mission for Dharma or something? Is the Shadow Cabinet even a thing on Earth 16?
Why are you assuming that's what Paul is doing instead of the much more likely probability that he just doesn't want to deal with it?
"Why are you trying to be so hands off with this?"
"Because this is Earth's first contact with an extra-terrestrial political entity and I -may I remind you- have no legal authority to act. I have the capacity to act-."
Kal-El nods. "But you don't want us to get off on the wrong foot."
"It's not that I'd mind being made King of Earth…" I frown. "No, I would. I'm not even comfortable making a joke about it. But… You've been openly kryptonian for… What, fourteen years? If no one's got a plan for dealing with this sort of thing by now then it's trial-by-fire time because they've had plenty of notice."