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

Stsword · May 27, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Sunset went to a magic school with a cutie mark in magic, aced a magic test to be allowed in and was offered the opportunity to learn magic from Princess Celestia. She therefore expected to be learning magic, which I think is a pretty reasonable expectation on her part given that no one told her otherwise and -as far as I can tell- there isn't a field called 'harmony magic' that she could have picked up at any point.

Uhm Zoat, you made up that Sunset's cutie mark talent being magic. Equestria Girls never stated what Sunset's cutie mark talent actually is.

Considering Celestia once told Twilight that she was the most magically powerful unicorn she'd ever seen and that in one of the later EG movies Sunset admitted that Twilight is better at magic than she is, it's safe to say that Sunset's talent whatever it does, does not even make her Twilight's equal in magic.

Going by the clues, I suspect Sunset's cutie mark is probably social in nature- She ruled the high school with an iron fist, Demon Sunset used mind control powers to gain an army with the intention of conquering Equestria, the magic talent she later got was telepathy, when she looked into the magic mirror in the comic book she didn't just see an alicorn but "Somepony that could rule Equestria," and word of god is that Sunset possesses the Element of Harmony Empathy.

Nothing definitive but the pattern is suggestive.

Galacticplumber · May 27, 2024

Stsword said:
Uhm Zoat, you made up that Sunset's cutie mark talent being magic. Equestria Girls never stated what Sunset's cutie mark talent actually is.

Considering Celestia once told Twilight that she was the most magically powerful unicorn she'd ever seen and that in one of the later EG movies Sunset admitted that Twilight is better at magic than she is, it's safe to say that Sunset's talent whatever it does, does not even make her Twilight's equal in magic.

Going by the clues, I suspect Sunset's cutie mark is probably social in nature- She ruled the high school with an iron fist, Demon Sunset used mind control powers to gain an army with the intention of conquering Equestria, the magic talent she later got was telepathy, when she looked into the magic mirror in the comic book she didn't just see an alicorn but "Somepony that could rule Equestria," and word of god is that Sunset possesses the Element of Harmony Empathy.

Nothing definitive but the pattern is suggestive.

Except for the fact that most cutie mark talents aren't, in fact, your element. Apple-bucking isn't honesty, parties aren't laughter, gem-cutting isn't generosity, high speed air maneuvers isn't loyalty, animal husbandry isn't kindness. While Celestia and Twilight try to make the case that friendship=magic this is proven faulty enough to only be tangentially accurate at best. That would be all those times high-friendship characters lose or tie in direct contests of magic with friendless psychopaths.

Further still we want to argue magic via social is the preferred path to power? Empathy is the ultimate friend-making tool with a master who isn't gaslighting you. Even if we want to argue Twilight is the superior mage, being banished to a magic free zone rather stunts your development, and Sunset was still PLENTY good enough at magic while ignoring friendship to pass every test. That too is an argument against friendship being the scientific equivalent of magic by the way. Unless you'd like to tell me all the other ponies in those years who did worse than perfect ALSO had zero friends.

Darko · May 27, 2024

Galacticplumber said:
Except for the fact that most cutie mark talents aren't, in fact, your element. Apple-bucking isn't honesty, parties aren't laughter, gem-cutting isn't generosity, high speed air maneuvers isn't loyalty, animal husbandry isn't kindness

At least two of those do share a connection to their elements.

Laughter and parties are very often connected, and taking care of animals implies kindness.

Stsword · May 27, 2024

Galacticplumber said:
Except for the fact that most cutie mark talents aren't, in fact, your element. Apple-bucking isn't honesty, parties aren't laughter, gem-cutting isn't generosity, high speed air maneuvers isn't loyalty, animal husbandry isn't kindness. While Celestia and Twilight try to make the case that friendship=magic this is proven faulty enough to only be tangentially accurate at best. That would be all those times high-friendship characters loose or tie in direct contests of magic with friendless psychopaths.

Further still we want to argue magic via social is the preferred path to power? Empathy is the ultimate friend-making tool with a master who isn't gaslighting you. Even if we want to argue Twilight is the superior mage, being banished to a magic free zone rather stunts your development, and Sunset was still PLENTY good enough at magic while ignoring friendship to pass every test. That too is an argument against friendship being the scientific equivalent of magic by the way. Unless you'd like to tell me all the other ponies in those years who did worse than perfect ALSO had zero friends.

There is a reason I typed "Nothing definitive but the pattern is suggestive." Even if I agreed your assessment the pattern would still hold with the five other parts.

And an actual scientific study of MLP magic would notice the emotive element that is all over the place. Like Dark Magic that is explicitly stated to be tied to negative emotions, or the Elements of Harmony-The emotive forces of the Elements of Harmony are powerful magic. The Changelings literally feed off of love. Feeling unappreciated demonized Luna.

Sunset only found that MLP magic works like Atlantean magic because Zoat used his authorial prerogative to ignore both how magic is shown to work in MLP and how Atlantean magic was shown to work in YJ, but since I'm pointing out that Zoat didn't confine himself to MLP canon, arguing that something Zoat's Sunset did shows that canon is wrong is a nonsensical argument.

You are free to like Zoat's version better, but it is Zoat's version.

Galacticplumber · May 27, 2024

Darko said:
At least two of those do share a connection to their elements.

Laughter and parties are very often connected, and taking care of animals implies kindness.

X is connected to Y is not the same statement as X=Y. Further still you could make precisely the same connection argument for empathy as friendship. The two concepts are hardly far from each other. Further Further still two in six, simplified to one in three is not exactly a strong argument.

For the reply that came up while I was writing this, emotion=magic would, in fact, be a much more defensible hypothesis than friendship=magic. This is because the show itself absent any involvement from Zoat doesn't directly evidentially refute it on a regular basis. That being a successful argument would still vindicate Sunset, and make a mess of Celestia's position. This is because Sunset in the chapter doesn't actually advance a position on what the magic variable equals. She's vindicated that friendship doesn't equal magic.

Vaermina · May 27, 2024

Galacticplumber said:
Except for the fact that most cutie mark talents aren't, in fact, your element. Apple-bucking isn't honesty, parties aren't laughter, gem-cutting isn't generosity, high speed air maneuvers isn't loyalty, animal husbandry isn't kindness. While Celestia and Twilight try to make the case that friendship=magic this is proven faulty enough to only be tangentially accurate at best. That would be all those times high-friendship characters lose or tie in direct contests of magic with friendless psychopaths.

Further still we want to argue magic via social is the preferred path to power? Empathy is the ultimate friend-making tool with a master who isn't gaslighting you. Even if we want to argue Twilight is the superior mage, being banished to a magic free zone rather stunts your development, and Sunset was still PLENTY good enough at magic while ignoring friendship to pass every test. That too is an argument against friendship being the scientific equivalent of magic by the way. Unless you'd like to tell me all the other ponies in those years who did worse than perfect ALSO had zero friends.

This feels a bit like it's ignoring the forest to nitpick the tree's.

The forest in this case being the fact that Zoat built his whole Canon argument for this on the Non-Canon Cutie Mark he invented.

Mr Zoat · May 27, 2024

8th April 2013
18:58 GMT -5

"So if it weren't a magic giant, how come she's throwin' knives atcha?"

I lean back in my construct recliner, overlooking the stadium below us. The surviving sports venues got repurposed after-. Well, during and after the Anti-Life blanketed the Earth, though thankfully this one wasn't used for anything too gristly. Sporting events are just starting up, though between the economic collapse and the collapse of the leagues they're just opening them up to local amateur teams just to get some use out of them.

"Beatrice is a fairly passionate woman, so-."

"Hey." Guy waves his artisan beer bottle at me. "You passed."

"I meant as in 'intense', not 'amorous'."

"That's Latinas for yeh."

"She's Roman-?"

No, he means 'from below Texas'. I mean, yes, I know 'Latin America' is how United Statesians refer to South America, but whenever I hear someone say 'Latina' I think they're talking about a pokemon. It doesn't even make sense; the Romans never went to South America, and neither did the Italians. It's all Portugal and Spain.

Guy stares at me in disbelief. "Yer jokin', right?"

"No."

He snorts, taking a mouthful of popcorn and going back to watching the game below.

"I'm not sure. The genetic alterations could be affecting her mood, but it's just as likely to be a product of prolonged intense stress. You and I can go home and rebuild a good deal more easily than she can."

"Mm." He nods absent-mindedly. "An' if it is genetic?"

"Then there's not much we can do about it. Anger management classes, maybe?"

Another nod. "So what next?"

The landlord didn't know anything, the account the rent was paid from has been closed down, the woman who manned the counter didn't know anything beyond the fact that the shop manager wasn't particularly talkative and we couldn't trace the manager. Which would worry me if it weren't for the fact that medium grade wards were commercially available for months before the Anti-Life broadcast so that doesn't necessarily indicate a high level of opposition.

"Put out an alert and wait, I'm afraid. We could try a sting operation… Assuming that this is someone targetting metahumans, but every metahuman we actually know is probably better actually… Doing stuff."

"Think they'll try clonin' her?"

"Best of luck to them if they do."

Guy smirks.

"But seriously, no. Cloning is hard. Cloning adults is harder, and… If you can clone a kryptonian, why would you clone anything else? For their innate abilities, I mean."

"No offense to yer boys, but that didn' go quite right. An Bea was hittin herder today than she use t'. Howsabowt checkin' up on laboratories, things like that?"

"It's a big planet. The chance of us stumbling over something is next to nothing. And the opportunity cost is pretty high."

Guy nods, his expression slightly sombre. "Yeah. Good thing we don't have lives, right?"

"On the subject of our lives outside of our work… I have been asked to relay-."

"She wants me to pick up aftah myself more."

"Yes."

He sighs, sitting back in his own construct chair. "It ain't that I don't-. I live on my own, an' not havin' weaponised O.C.D. like you got, I jus' don't think about it."

"Well, obvious solution."

"Get my ring to page me?"

"Marry Tora."

"U-uuuh. That's…" He glances at me. "Kinda weird, you puttin' it like that."

I shrug. "Sorry if that's a bit intrusive, but if Jade was based on Earth I'd have married her by now. If her sense of self-worth would have allowed it, I wouldn't have mentioned the Darkstars. I can literally see how much the two of you love each other-"

He looks away. "Fergot abowd that."

"-and since you're both superheroes there isn't any sort of increased risk to her safety by being associated with you. I'm really not seeing any reason not to."

"You wanna make Bea homeless that badly?"

"I could put her up, if it came to it. Wouldn't be hard to add a teleport system to my place in Bir Tawil. Is there..? Some sort of..? Problem?"

"Yeah." He chuckles grimly. "Self-sabotage. Me worryin' abowd how this is gunna go wrong."

"Guy. If I don't worry about that, you've got nothing to worry about."

"I don't know that tracks, but… Thanks."

"Alright, I think that's as far as I can go before we both need emergency testosterone injections. Talk to me if you want to, or your sister, or… Carol?"

"Which one?"

"Dame Carol… Do you know the other one?"

"Yeah." He nods. "We're not close or anythin', but Hal an' me werked together fer three years before I got put on a bus. I knew his girlfriend an' boss 'cause I had t' cover fer him."

"If you were trying to get on the bus, you missed."

"Any landing you can eventually walk away from…"

"You even sound like Jordan."

He snorts again, but this time his amusement is more genuine. "Bea have any other complaints?"

"She wasn't complaining about you not marrying Tora, if that's what you're implying."

Guy thinks for a moment. Then he stands, dismissing the chair construct.

"Oh, we done? Too much-?"

Guy tilts his head back, raises his fists… And… Beats his chest in a staccato rhythm.

"Aaaah-ahhhh-aaaghaaahaaaaaghaahhhh!"

I frown, a.. little concerned. "Guy, the.. baseball players are staring at us."

"What can I say, Orange? When you're right, you're right. What kinda ring you think I should get?"

Firewillreign · May 27, 2024

Wedding Bells are ringing!

... So, who wants to bet on what catastrophe will interrupt their wedding and call for an all-hands-on-decks situation?

Last time we got Swamp Thing in Gotham with Bruce and Talia, so... Sinestro Corps attack? Something?

C'mon people, start rolling!

Cool10007 · May 27, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
product of prolonged.

Prolonged what exactly?

Darko · May 27, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
So if it weren't a magic giant, how come she's throwin' knives atcha?"

Guy, thus is Paul you're talking to.

There are thousands of reasons to throw knives at him.

Mr Zoat said:
her mood, but it's just as likely to be a product of prolonged. You

"prolonged exposure to Anti-Life"

Mr Zoat said:
"Put out an alert and wait, I'm afraid. We could try a sting operations

"operation"

Mr Zoat said:
"But seriously, no. Cloning is hard. Cloning adults is harder, and… If you can clone a kryptonian, why would you clone anything else? For their innate abilities, I mean

Kryptonians may have some impressive powers, but they don't have all the powers in the universe.

Mr Zoat said:
literally see you much the two of you love each other-"

"see how much the"

Firewillreign · May 27, 2024

Darko said:
Kryptonians may have some impressive powers, but they don't have all the powers in the universe.
the"

Not all of them no but they do have one of the most well rounded power sets with wide range of variety and exceptionally high thresholds for peak performance

Ngamer11 · May 27, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Guy tilts his head back, raises his fists… And… Beats his chest in a staccato rhythm.

"Aaaah-ahhhh-aaaghaaahaaaaaghaahhhh!"

I frown, a.. little concerned. "Guy, the.. baseball players are staring at us."

"What can I say, Orange? When you're right, you're right. What kinda ring you think I should get?"

The fact that this came out of nowhere makes this even funnier. Hopefully Paul can attend the wedding and that any problems are easily managed.

NightmareWarden · May 27, 2024

I doubt they are going to elope quickly. Therefore Paul has a few months to organize some presents that will rival the ones at Iris and Adom's ceremony.

…Paul wouldn't give Guy the exact bus that hit him, would he? No, that isn't his style. Maybe a fishbowl with an animatronic green whale?

Chojin Patriarch · May 27, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
8th April 2013
18:58 GMT -5

"So if it weren't a magic giant, how come she's throwin' knives atcha?"

I mean, OL does seem to engender that reaction in a lot of people he's met. Sometimes because he screwed up their plans with his blundering inquisitiveness, sometimes because they've taken a dislike to his personality. There are many reasons...

I lean back in my construct recliner, overlooking the stadium below us. The surviving sports venues got repurposed after-. Well, during and after the Anti-Life blanketed the Earth, though thankfully this one wasn't used for anything too gristly. Sporting events are just starting up, though between the economic collapse and the collapse of the leagues they're just opening them up to local amateur teams just to get some use out of them.

Judging by the timestamp, he's in the US. So, baseball, most likely, given Guy's preferences. Though I don't doubt the amateur teams are getting a kick out of being able to play a game in places like Wrigley Field or Yankee Stadium.

"Beatrice is a fairly passionate woman, so-."

"Hey." Guy waves his artisan beer bottle at me. "You passed."

A fiery temperament can cut in multiple directions, Guy. In this case, literally.

"I meant as in 'intense', not 'amorous'."

"That's Latinas for yeh."

I'd argue, but given that 'hot-headed Latin woman' is such a trope...

"She's Roman-?"

No, he means 'from below Texas'. I mean, yes, I know 'Latin America' is how United Statesians refer to South America, but whenever I hear someone say 'Latina' I think they're talking about a pokemon. It doesn't even make sense; the Romans never went to South America, and neither did the Italians. It's all Portugal and Spain.

Yeah, language is weird. Apparently the whole 'Latin America' thing is something about Spanish and Portugese being derived from classical Latin, or some such.

Guy stares at me in disbelief. "Yer jokin', right?"

"No."

Hey, like I said, language is weird, and English triply so. Even a Power Ring might have trouble interpreting it all.

He snorts, taking a mouthful of popcorn and going back to watching the game below.

"I'm not sure. The genetic alterations could be affecting her mood, but it's just as likely to be a product of prolonged exposure. You and I can go home and rebuild a good deal more easily than she can."

Plus, they're able to set up on other planets if they feel like it. Other humans, not so much.

"Mm." He nods absent-mindedly. "An' if it is genetic?"

"Then there's not much we can do about it. Anger management classes, maybe?"

Another nod. "So what next?"

Better hope her future therapist is smart enough to get a fireproofing enchantment or something.

The landlord didn't know anything, the account the rent was paid from has been closed down, the woman who manned the counter didn't know anything beyond the fact that the shop manager wasn't particularly talkative and we couldn't trace the manager. Which would worry me if it weren't for the fact that medium grade wards were commercially available for months before the Anti-Life broadcast so that doesn't necessarily indicate a high level of opposition.

In other words, you didn't find shit despite combing for clues.

"Put out an alert and wait, I'm afraid. We could try a sting operations… Assuming that this is someone targetting metahumans, but every metahuman we actually know is probably better actually… Doing stuff."

"Think they'll try clonin' her?"

I still have a feeling this'll tie into the original canon idea of the Reach abducting metahumans. But it's probably easier to clone and try to replicate the original empowering than work with ornery adults.

"Best of luck to them if they do."

Guy smirks.

If her clones are anything like her, any lab might end up cooked.

"But seriously, no. Cloning is hard. Cloning adults is harder, and… If you can clone a kryptonian, why would you clone anything else? For their innate abilities, I mean."

"No offense to yer boys, but that didn' go quite right. An Bea was hittin herder today than she use t'. Howsabowt checkin' up on laboratories, things like that?"

He has a point. Cloning kryptonians was not easy or entirely successful. Wouldn't be surprised to learn the kryptonian genome has certain anti-piracy traits engineered in.

"It's a big planet. The chance of us stumbling over something is next to nothing. And the opportunities cost is pretty high."

Guy nods, his expression slightly sombre. "Yeah. Good thing we don't have lives, right?"

No, just endless duties in your case, and endless diversions in OL's.

"On the subject of our lives outside of our work… I have been asked to relay-."

"She wants me to pick up aftah myself more."

I'm guessing she'd had a few previous attempts to get the message across.

"Yes."

He sighs, sitting back in his own construct chair. "It ain't that I don't-. I live on my own, an' not havin' weaponised O.C.D. like you got, I jus' don't think about it."

So, like most long-term bachelors. Until it all piles up to the point you can't stand it. Or can't climb over it anymore.

"Well, obvious solution."

"Get my ring to page me?"

I suspect using your Ring for housecleaning might be considered a minor case of misuse of Corps resources.

"Marry Tora."

"U-uuuh. That's…" He glances at me. "Kinda weird, you puttin' it like that."

Well, it's clear how into her you are, Guy. Especially with empathic vision. Honestly, if you weren't Enlightened, it might well have disrupted your ring at some point.

I shrug. "Sorry if that's a bit intrusive, but if Jade was based on Earth I'd have married her by now. If her sense of self-worth would have allowed it, I wouldn't have mentioned the Darkstars. I can literally see you much the two of you love each other-"

He looks away. "Fergot abowd that."

Even though you should have some similar measure of emotional perception, Guy. I guess he's not as into the more esoteric aspects of Ring usage.

"-and since you're both superheroes there isn't any sort of increased risk to her safety by being associated with you. I'm really not seeing any reason not to."

"You wanna make Bea homeless that badly?"

Well, where would you two end up living? Bea can have the other place.

"I could put her up, if it came to it. Wouldn't be hard to add a teleport system to my place in Bir Tawil. Is there..? Some sort of..? Problem?"

"Yeah." He chuckles grimly. "Self-sabotage. Me worryin' abowd how this is gunna go wrong."

Certainly, having a live-in guard might help protect against future cases of breaking and entering.

"Guy. If I don't worry about that, you've got nothing to worry about."

"I don't know that tracks, but… Thanks."

To be blunt, Guy: You're more likely to stick with it, good or bad. It's in your nature.

"Alright, I think that's as far as I can go before we both need emergency testosterone injections. Talk to me if you want to, or your sister, or… Carol?"

"Which one?"

Heh. Of course he'd be passingly familiar with the local Carol Ferris.

"Dame Carol… Do you know the other one?"

"Yeah." He nods. "We're not close or anythin', but Hal an' me werked together fer three years before I got put on a bus. I knew his girlfriend an' boss 'cause I had t' cover fer him."

...Huh. Guy knows TV Tropes?

Well enough to quote a trope name, anyway. I suppose it helps him understand what OL talks about sometimes.

"If you were trying to get on the bus, you missed."

"Any landing you can eventually walk away from…"

And back to the good-natured ribbing. This really is a good friendship for OL...

"You even sound like Jordan."

He snorts again, but this time his amusement is more genuine. "Bea have any other complaints?"

Good to see your moods lifting after such heavy discussion.

"She wasn't complaining about you not marrying Tora, if that's what you're implying."

Guy thinks for a moment. Then he stands, dismissing the chair construct.

Don't tell me he's going to go pop the question right now?

"Oh, we done? Too much-?"

Guy tilts his head back, raises his fists… And… Beats his chest in a staccato rhythm.

"Aaaah-ahhhh-aaaghaaahaaaaaghaahhhh!"

Not a perfect Tarzan yell, but that can be excused.

I frown, a.. little concerned. "Guy, the.. baseball players are staring at us."

"What can I say, Orange? When you're right, you're right. What kinda ring you think I should get?"

Between you and OL, you could make one hell of a custom piece for her.

So, another pair of heroes tying the knot in this timeline.

And really, given the current cultural state of America, I'm surprised more people aren't tying the knot, looking for a little stability after all this chaos. Then again, unless OL's involved in either the proposal or the wedding, we're not likely to see any relationship upgrades except through someone mentioning it to him. Such is the limitation of a first-person perspective.

Mr Zoat · May 27, 2024

Stsword said:
Uhm Zoat, you made up that Sunset's cutie mark talent being magic. Equestria Girls never stated what Sunset's cutie mark talent actually is.

True.

Considering Celestia once told Twilight that she was the most magically powerful unicorn she'd ever seen and that in one of the later EG movies Sunset admitted that Twilight is better at magic than she is, it's safe to say that Sunset's talent whatever it does, does not even make her Twilight's equal in magic.

Sunset spent an indeterminate amount of time in the humanish world, during which she had no access to magic. Twilight also got her arse kicked in magic combat against Starlight Glimmer while an alicorn.

Going by the clues, I suspect Sunset's cutie mark is probably social in nature- She ruled the high school with an iron fist, Demon Sunset used mind control powers to gain an army with the intention of conquering Equestria, the magic talent she later got was telepathy, when she looked into the magic mirror in the comic book she didn't just see an alicorn but "Somepony that could rule Equestria," and word of god is that Sunset possesses the Element of Harmony Empathy.

Nothing definitive but the pattern is suggestive.

Except that we know that she didn't do any of that in Equestria. What she did do in Equestria was whaw people with her magical ability, and fixate on getting better at magic. Later, she tried to analyse magic in a way which only Twilight Sparkle was shown to do. As for the mirror vision, at the time the only known alicorns were Celestia, who had ruled Equestria for over a thousand years, and Cadence, who got the title 'Princess' because she was an alicorn. In my version that entitlement was a source of animosity, though I don't think there's a canon statement regarding how Sunset felt about it.

Also, there isn't an Element of Empathy.

Mr Zoat · May 27, 2024

Cool10007 said:
Prolonged what exactly?

Darko said:
"operation"
"see how much the"

Thank you, corrected.

Chaoswind · May 27, 2024

@Mr Zoat it's reality being tampered?

Bea rage fire did show a magic reaction the first time Paul checked, but after that Paul has been behaving as if that didn't happen and the next time he checked there was no magic reaction... Someone mentioned this was a continuity error, but you have kept going with it, so was reality overwritten?

Darko · May 27, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
I still have a feeling this'll tie into the original canon idea of the Reach abducting metahumans. But it's probably easier to clone and try to replicate the original empowering than work with ornery adults

Didn't consider this.

Paul did catch the Free Lancers, the ones giving Earth supervillain tech to the Reach, but he didn't catch whoever was giving the Free Lancers the tech.

This could be the Light testing out ways to empower metahumans.

We know they used magic for some of that in canon.

Heck, this might not have even been magic, just disguised to look like it.

Chojin Patriarch said:
I suspect using your Ring for housecleaning might be considered a minor case of misuse of Corps resources

We have seen Green Lanterns use their rings to clean up after disasters.

I'm guessing Guy's apartment can qualify as a disaster area.

Chojin Patriarch said:
So, another pair of heroes tying the knot in this timeline. And really, given the current cultural state of America, I'm surprised more people aren't tying the knot, looking for a little stability after all this chaos

Less marriage and relationships may honestly be for the best.

The last thing people need is to enter into serious relationships while they're still traumatized, since their emotional problems may make their partner reconsider and leave the relationship, and that could easily lead to the person developing further emotional problems.

It's honestly better if they wait until they're sorted out.

King of Frost · May 27, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
14th April
17:45 GMT -6

"Hey!" Miss Shimmer looks irritated while Miss Amane looks [color=#0040ff ]like she just got a reprieve from death row[/color].

Was reading the story only thread from the beginning and I found this broken color text.

Ngamer11 · May 27, 2024

Found an error in the story only thread.

Mr Zoat said:
Artemis frowns. "Wasn't that were the last piece got stolen from?"

That should say 'where'.

Edit: Found another error.

Mr Zoat said:
"Orange Lantern." Beton Brute pads forwards as Canis hails me with his right hand. "Do you have pencil and paper?"

That should say 'Brut'.

Mr Zoat · May 27, 2024

Chaoswind said:
@Mr Zoat it's reality being tampered?

Bea rage fire did show a magic reaction the first time Paul checked, but after that Paul has been behaving as if that didn't happen and the next time he checked there was no magic reaction... Someone mentioned this was a continuity error, but you have kept going with it, so was reality overwritten?

It's really more me writing it one way, having a better idea, going back and rewriting it and missing some things. If there's something that I've missed rewriting, please point it out and I'll change it.

King of Frost said:
Was reading the story only thread from the beginning and I found this broken color text.

Ngamer11 said:
Found an error in the story only thread.
That should say 'where'.
Edit: Found another error.
That should say 'Brut'.

Thank you, corrected.

ForeverShogo · May 27, 2024

Oh, the Latin America thing isn't something we Americans came up with. You can blame the French for that.

The Romance languages, otherwise known as the Latin or Neo-Latin languages, are all derived from an evolution of spoken Latin in the era of the Late Roman Republic. That being said, they're still more closely related to each other than the actual spoken Latin of that time.

The languages in question being Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian. Though Sardinian Italian is supposedly the purest.

Some French philosophers decided to start promoting the idea of a Latin race, and that all the Latin peoples should work together to oppose Teutonic Europe, Anglo-Saxon America, and Slavic Europe.

Napoleon III really embraced that idea, coining the term Latin America as part of his attempts to create a French Empire in the Americas. Didn't really work out for him. He attacked Mexico and set up a puppet regime that very quickly collapsed once America started supporting the Mexicans after we settled our civil war.

At around the same time, some figures in Central and South America also started using Latin America as a kind of rallying cry. They wanted the peoples of that region to unify into one big nation as they saw it as the key to resisting European colonialism. As a bit of fun, these figures actually excluded Mexico and Brazil from their concept of a unified Latin America.

Steelplaza · May 27, 2024

Let me take a crack at this Beatriz mystery.

We assume that this was something directed at the superheroine Fire, but perhaps they weren't even aware of her heroic identity or at least it wasn't important. What if the intent was to test a new technology able to manipulate non-magical genetic-based superpowers quickly and minimally invasively? The only physical interaction that Bea observed was a single needle pricking her finger. They might have had machinery in the other room while distracting her with the ritual, but if so it was something portable enough to move in and out of a storefront. They didn't need her to climb into some tank for weeks or submit to days of testing and analysis so that the process could be adjusted specifically to her. So let's assume that the process is not specific to her and is something that will apply to a wide range of powers.

The people behind this wanted to run their tests, but they also worked hard to obscure the trail so no one would realize that had happened. The Logi story was very plausible... even OL would have been fooled if he hadn't bothered to investigate further, and he only did that because Bea was suffering some psychosomatic side effects.

So what do we actually know? There is a person or group out there with the ability to massively boost low level superpowers to something much more dangerous. (Remember, Bea's new flames were actually able to melt power ring generated shields.) Hmmmm. You know, the way that Bea's powers were originally enhanced in the comics was when the Dominators triggered a "gene bomb" during the Invasion crossover. And of course, one of the war goals of the invasion was to kidnap a bunch of humans with the metagene who could have it activated and turn them into useful superpowered slaves.

So is it possible that the reason the experimenter was trying so hard to go unseen is that they were a Dominator agent doing some testing in preparation for the bigger Invasion to come? The Dominion is certainly aware of Earth, and you could imagine a logic of, "We have to attack the Earth now while they're at a low point before they can grow in power and live up to their potential."

Sckarred · May 27, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
the Romans never went to South America, and neither did the Italians. It's all Portugal and Spain.

There was a big italian immigration wave to Brazil in the end of the 1800s, start of the 1900s if we want to get pedantic

Stsword · May 27, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Except that we know that she didn't do any of that in Equestria. What she did do in Equestria was whaw people with her magical ability, and fixate on getting better at magic. Later, she tried to analyse magic in a way which only Twilight Sparkle was shown to do. As for the mirror vision, at the time the only known alicorns were Celestia, who had ruled Equestria for over a thousand years, and Cadence, who got the title 'Princess' because she was an alicorn. In my version that entitlement was a source of animosity, though I don't think there's a canon statement regarding how Sunset felt about it.

The looking in the magic mirror and seeing "Somepony who could rule Equestria" was in Equestria, being a prequel comic showing before she came to the human world, and it showed that she wasn't interested in magic for the sake of learning magic but sought magical power to leverage that into social power.

So the pattern of her wanting social power started while she was still Celestia's apprentice.

Mr Zoat · May 27, 2024

Sckarred said:
There was a big italian immigration wave to Brazil in the end of the 1800s, start of the 1900s if we want to get pedantic

Huh, that's interesting. Why Brazil?

Stsword said:
The looking in the magic mirror and seeing "Somepony who could rule Equestria" was in Equestria, being a prequel comic showing before she came to the human world, and it showed that she wasn't interested in magic for the sake of learning magic but sought magical power to leverage that into social power.

So the pattern of her wanting social power started while she was still Celestia's apprentice.

My though on that was that in the pony psyche 'alicorn=ruler' and that she thought that Cadence was too inept for the job.

Ardy · May 27, 2024

Before I forget:

Mr Zoat said:
"Last year I talked one of Earth's more isolationist communities into sending a theatre troupe outside their country on a tour. Aside from an unfortunate event during their first performance, it went rather well. I'd quite like to do an exhibition on Tamaranean culture and history, give the people of Earth a look at what's going on off their world. I'm afraid that it probably won't lead to any new trading opportunities; the distance is just too great."

"I'm sure that we can put something together. Do you benefit in some way from such an exhibit?"

"I own a company which is making a role play game based on recent Vega history. A group of aliens visiting would be an amazing piece of advertising."

"Role play game? I understand the words, but I suspect that you are referring to a specific artefact."

"Ah, how to explain it..?"

Hoping we get Tamaraneans visiting to advertise the game

Ngamer11 · May 27, 2024

@Mr Zoat, will we learn what happened to Swamp Thing any time soon? I ask because I'd like to see his reaction to Euanthe basically usurping/replacing the Parliament of Trees.

Mr Zoat · May 28, 2024

9th April 2013
11:02 GMT +1

I walk into the… Ruined church with a frown. This doesn't look recent. Some people exposed to the Anti-Life attacked the sacred, but there wasn't really an organised campaign as far as I've been able to tell. There were a few occasions where Mannheim threw aside an altar and had a congregation worship him, but that was a dominance thing rather than a serious attempt to realign Earth religious practice.

He's been attending church a little more regularly recently.

Chantinelle is doing the metal album thing of praying at a ruined statue in the middle of the ruin. I… I don't really know why. I've checked up on her a few times since we…

What's a polite way of saying 'mutilated'..?

Realigned her soul. And she was making herself useful in a variety of minor ways, acting as a counsellor at large to people who her new magical senses tell her need it. I have no idea what she did while the Earth was under the influence of the Anti-Life or why she's here… But if I want to track John down she's probably at least a part of the solution.

I don't muffle my steps, but I do hang back a little and wait for her to finish her prayers.

After thirty three seconds she stands, her wings morphing into a long coat and her more inhuman features concealing themselves. She looks me over for a moment.

"I didn't think you could find me."

"I can't scan for you directly, but your magic has a unique signature. Indirect detection and crude sensors work fine."

She nods. "What do you want?"

"What were you..? Doing?"

"Praying."

"What for?"

"I want to help more. I want to earn my way into heaven. I want to-. Be more right."

"Remind me. You didn't fall, right? You were born in Hell?" She nods. "Ah, well, I don't think prayer does anything in and of itself, but if it helps you, go for it. Is there anything that I can do to help out?"

"Perhaps… If you could find people in need for me. Nothing else. I need to earn this myself."

"I'm not a theologian, but I don't think that's how it works. You're judged based on who you are, not what you've done. Striving to help others is good, destroying yourself isn't. But I do have a friend who might benefit from talking to you, so there's that. Oh, and the producer of Queen Hera's old television series needs a new star. You might find it a little commercial, but she made a lot of people happy."

"I've been helping reunify families that lost each other during the… Dark time. Or comforted the bereaved. Mid-day television isn't quite the same."

"A public platform can be used to further virtuous causes, but if you want something hands-on then it isn't for you."

"Why have you come looking for me now?"

"Why do you want to get into Heaven, specifically? I'd have thought that you'd find Zamaron more satisfying. As you are now."

"Tali would have gone to Heaven. And so would our child."

"We.. could just ask Zauriel for some clarity on that. The Angel Kings have been rethinking a lot of things recently."

"Death is part of existence. I don't want to pull Tali's soul away from God. I just want to.. see for myself that he is alright."

I snort, shaking my head. "Sorry. I think I'm too far into the orange part of the spectrum to comprehend that answer. As long as you're happy, I guess."

Not as if I actually need her there to ask Zauriel myself.

My face falls as for a horrible moment I consider the idea that Noriel is their offspring. No. No, she's far too old. And there's no demonic magic in here. We checked.

I'm going to double check.

"I'm not. But I will be, someday. What do you want, Paul?"

"The island John Constantine was on hasn't reappeared. Given your long history with the man, I was hoping that you'd have some insight."

She frowns. "Didn't you help him become a Lord of Chaos?"

"Yes. And a Lord of Order."

"Then I think he'll turn up when he wants to."

"Right, and if he wants an indefinite holiday in the Lands In-Between then he can just go back there once we've checked up on him. But he wasn't the only person on that island, and the others aren't super-powerful wizards."

Though, being Amazons, they might appreciate the change of pace. But maybe John Constantine is a bit of a steep 'change of pace' curve.

"I don't know what you think I can do. You know him better than I do."

"If I could find him using my own resources then I'd have done that by now. I have an approximate idea what he can do. You understand how he thinks better than I do."

"I'm not sure that's true anymore. But… The other people on the island. Are they Amazons?"

"Yes."

"Then I might be able to find them through their bonds." She frowns. "Why haven't you asked the Star Sapphires?"

"Neither of them know anything about magic. And they haven't met any of the people involved. But if it'll help then I can ask them to come."

And it.. might actually be worth asking them to have a look at her as well. Just in case I got something wrong.

"Do you think that it would be better if he wasn't found?"

"No."

She studies my face for a few moments.

"Having obtained ultimate power, John Constantine has no one watching him. Does that sound like a good idea to you?"

"No." That gets a small smile. "It doesn't."

"Are you available now, or do you want to schedule it for later?"

"I'm volunteering at a local primary school. But I can try finding John this evening."

I nod. "I'll come and pick you up. Thank you."

I-.

"Paul, before-. You go. The father of one of the children got one of his arms torn up by the sheeda. It's giving his daughter nightmares."

"I suspect it's more the association than the lack of an arm, but if you think it would help I'm happy to replace it. Why don't you introduce us?"

Cuchulin · May 28, 2024

Ardy said:
Before I forget:
Hoping we get Tamaraneans visiting to advertise the game

I second this, especially if Princess Koriand'r visits...

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

Versed in the lewd.

Not too sore, are you?

Connoisseur.

Versed in the lewd.

Not too sore, are you?

Well worn.

Dedicated ragequitter

Not too sore, are you?

I can't see in this damn thing

Connoisseur.

Not too sore, are you?

Experienced.

Versed in the lewd.

Veteran Lurker

Dedicated ragequitter

Dedicated ragequitter

Lord of nonsense

Connoisseur.

Wishing I was somewhere colder no doubt.

Experienced.

Dedicated ragequitter

Not too sore, are you?

Custom Title

Getting out there.

Versed in the lewd.

Dedicated ragequitter

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Experienced.

Dedicated ragequitter

Versed in the lewd.

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