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

[Darko]

He brought in a planet to help fix their planet. Also ended racism forever

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Well helped start the process that would see it be removed from Martian society.

 

[Ardy]

Well helped start the process that would see it be removed from Martian society.

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It was a joke

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

Back Seat

4th July 2012
14:01 GMT -2

"…afraid that with the war kicking off, I'm not going to be available for team missions or training."

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That's putting it mildly. And with that, the Team will fade further into the background, outside of a major Event... Or at least, that's how it would usually go. Who knows what will really happen?

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

Kaldur nods. "I understand. Are you sure that you can spare the time to tell me in person?"

I give him a mildly reproachful look. "Ow, Kaldur. Ow."

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Dude, when you can step across the universe with barely a thought, distance is largely irrelevant in matters like this.

He looks away. "That was not what I meant."

"Clarissi Dox wants me as a mobile reserve, so I can jump in if things start to go pear shaped. And since I can appear and disappear at will on our side of the front line and could get blocked on the Reach side, being on Earth is actually better than being on the Reach side. Besides."

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Makes sense. So he's not going to be in the field too often, I guess. Given that he's basically the Corps' Nuclear option, that's understandable...

We both look over to where officials from various Atlantean city states-. And Venturia, are monitoring the counting of the votes in the plebiscite.

"I really think this sort of thing should be monitored by all of the interested parties so that no one can argue about it later."

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Because that kind of argument often leads to wars. Not right away, of course. Years down the line, when the resentment and hard feelings have had time to simmer into anger...

This is actually the first time I've seen Proconsul Ptra, heir presumptive of Venturia. Presumed by Poseidonis, and presumed very incorrectly. King Cyprian greeted her with the exact minimum amount of enthusiasm not to give direct insult, and hasn't said a word to her since. She seems somewhat morose. I suppose she'd rather assumed that returning the wayward city to her stepmother's control was something she'd do just by existing, and here she is being told not merely by her cousin but by… About ninety eight percent of the adult population of her 'home city' that she was dead wrong.

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Can't get much clearer than that. We can but hope that she accepts that and decides to work at finding her way back into her people's lives the slow way.

I'm empathetic, but… Actually, not sympathetic. This situation could easily have been avoided. If they hadn't wanted me to shoot the hawk, they shouldn't have left it there.

"Lord-. King Cyprian has been scrupulously honest in his dealings."

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I see it's taking time for the rest of the Atlantean states to get used to that shift in Venturia's leadership, eh.

"Good show. I assume that there's been discussion on the Atlantean end about how to handle trade, and an official border? Because there's two ways this can go, and not planning for one of them wouldn't be very clever."

"There are… Several outlines. For the most part, Atlantean cities do not greatly concern themselves with unclaimed territory outside of the city limits."

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Still, they should have a clear idea of where those borders lie. After all, they might not be the only folk in the sea someday... And if other cities get the Secession bug, borders could become very important...

"Right, but they were all Atlantean city states. If the United States build an underwater colony I imagine that exactly where the border was would be rather important."

"Though they will be a separate country politically, culturally Venturia is still Atlantean. We still have more in common with them than with America, so they do not arouse the same degree of concern."

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Doesn't mean there won't still be arguments over patrols along the border straying a little too far across the line...

"I don't really know Atlantean inter-city politics. How much is this shaking things up?"

"King Orin has been quite… Vocal, about not wanting to be blindsided like this again. He intends to tour all of the Atlantean city states and confer in person with their leaders."

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Hopefully not looking to intimidate them into staying allied. I know Arthur isn't the most level-headed fellow, but...

I raise my eyebrows-.

"He made such a tour when he first succeeded to the throne, but usually such things are left to the members of the national senate to bring to his attention if a problem arises. Given what happened here, he believes that he needs to become more directly involved."

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Ah, he's taking their Secession a little personally, huh? Probably sees it as a failure of his weak statecraft skills.

"He's right." Kaldur glances at me. "He wouldn't have let this lie if he'd known about it, would he?"

"He would not."

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Still, would you have him be any other way? A cold and distant king? A master statesman who founders in battles? A mad tyrant? Honestly, this is about the best king you could have...

He sighs, and looks around the counting hall once more.

"How is the war progressing?"

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Ah, changing to a lighter subject, eh? Don't think we can't see what you're doing, Kaldur...

"The first day went about as well as it could have. On the other hand, we always knew that the Reach response to an attack would be weak to begin with, and that if the Reach Empire was the size of this room, the bit we've taken off them would be about the size of-"

I reach up and pull a single hair out of my head, then hold it out.

"-my hair. We've literally shaved a hair's breadth off their territory."

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Two systems out of thousands. Hardly a significant amount indeed. And the Reach's response will come, sooner or later...

"It has only been a day."

"I know. I just want to manage expectations."

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This is not going to be quick. Short of some miraculous conversion amongst the Reach population, they will fight to hold onto every last scrap they've claimed...

Looks like the counting is drawing to a close. The last of the ballot slips are being tabulated, three people signing off on each batch to make finding out who was at fault for any irregularities a little easier. That was a bit of a sticking point, actually. Cyprian was fine with a ballot, but had a little trouble with the concept of a secret ballot. He thought it seemed inherently dishonest, and… Having thought about it, I can sort of see where he was coming from. King Orin -coming from America- naturally assumed that ballots would be cast in secret. But in the end, we came up with a registration system which they could both live with.

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Though a public ballot is closer to the Roman system, isn't it? No point having the right to vote if you haven't the conviction to have your name attached to your vote, no matter how controversial...

Senior functionaries confer briefly, then the fellow from Shayeris whom the competing parties compromised on to oversee the whole thing approaches the two kings. I don't hear what they say, but from the relief on King Cyprian's face and the slight strain on King Orin's I don't think there's been any sort of surprise. But they shake hands, and I suppose that's as much as we can really hope for.

"Is Cheshire participating in your war?"

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Boy, Kaldur is a little stuck in his ways, isn't he? How long has it been since she bothered to use that name?

"Jade is, yes. Killed her first Scarab Warrior yesterday."

"You told us that they were what the Reach used to counter Lanterns during their war with the Green Lantern Corps."

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Yup, looks like I was right about her being the one to take the kill-shot on the Scarab. I doubt things will be so easy in a few years, once the Reach start to learn their new tactics and develop countermeasures to their new toys.

"Yes, but they didn't do that by letting the Green Lantern Corps ambush them one at a time. In the early stages of the war Green Lanterns who'd been properly briefed took out the Scarabs on bodyguard duty fairly easily. Now that they know we're coming for them I'm sure that the Reach will be redeploying their elite warriors. I imagine we'll see… Clone infiltrators with implanted scarabs on our supply worlds within a few weeks. Ambush packs on worlds we liberate who will only go active if they get an Orange Lantern or L.E.G.I.O.N. officer on their own. They'll learn the most effective weapons to use against us, and… It'll get harder. And we managed this hair by bringing pretty much the entire Corps to bear on a single narrow front."

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And then NEMO will make countermeasures to detect and defeat the Reach's countermeasures... It's a never-ending cycle.

"And you cannot replicate that."

"We can, but that would mean leaving a colossal volume of space without Lantern support." I shake my head. "It wasn't really what I wanted, but we're probably going to have to copy the Green Lantern training system; bring people to Maltus for basic training and then have a field-mentorship with a more experienced Lantern."

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Hopefully one who can shut a freaking-out rookie down without hurting them. Though anyone who makes it to the field will probably have shown their general reliability with the Orange Light...

Well. Field mentorships, because sending out a single neophyte with a single veteran is asking for the veteran to get mobbed and the new Lantern to be left panicking and unable to do anything. I suggested squads of five to Dox, one actual veteran, two with some experience and two just out of basic. He responded that a fixed number just told our enemies how many they had to watch out for, and he's not wrong. Reach intelligence on us is as bad as we can make it, but they're really good at keeping track of what's happening in their own territory and sharing that information. Data compilation and utilisation is their greatest strength, which is why my next stop is Mars.

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So you're employing your network of contacts to fight the Reach's networks. It's a never -ending cycle of escalation, isn't it? Let's hope it doesn't go the Lensman route. The last thing we need are warriors throwing planets at each other...

"Will you speak to our other friends while you are here?"

"Of course. I'm not going to leave long-term without saying anything. And I need to talk to M'gann about the situation on Mars anyway."

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Given that people like what'shizface... Z'onn Z'orr? That Renegade dealt with months ago have been working freely behind the scenes... I rather expect things are going to be a little tenser there.

"Do you believe that there has been a new development?"

"I hope not, because I want to borrow a lot of Manhunters, in the same sort of way that I'm borrowing Venturia's wizards."

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Assuming you can overcome the Guardian conditioning against leaving their world... And that will also weaken the government's ability to deal with rebellious parties...

"They may be reluctant to involve themselves in a war with the Reach."

"Then I won't involve them in that. There are a lot of uses for networked telepaths, and they do rather owe me."

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Like bringing down the Computer Tyrants of Colu? Because that sounds like a worthy cause to be involved in...

A slow opening as usual. Nice to see Venturia making a peaceful break from Atlantis. Hopefully it remains peaceful. Now, to wonder what that title refers to...

 

[frommerman]

They do? What do they owe him for?

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Informing them that their entire civilization and history are a lie crafted by the Bobbleheads, then helping to end the inevitable conflict this spawned reasonably peacefully.

 

[Someguy Somewhere]

They owe him for information on the Guardians tinkering with them, they owe him again for helping with J'onn's brother and hyperclan. But mostly they owe him for having Mother of Mercy show up to help with their geological issues regarding their planet core. Getting that to spin up gives them a magnetosphere that will aid in rebuilding the planet atmosphere, to make the surface habitable.

 

[Darko]

That's putting it mildly. And with that, the Team will fade further into the background, outside of a major Event... Or at least, that's how it would usually go. Who knows what will really happen?

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

Dude, when you can step across the universe with barely a thought, distance is largely irrelevant in matters like this.


Makes sense. So he's not going to be in the field too often, I guess. Given that he's basically the Corps' Nuclear option, that's understandable...


Because that kind of argument often leads to wars. Not right away, of course. Years down the line, when the resentment and hard feelings have had time to simmer into anger...


Can't get much clearer than that. We can but hope that she accepts that and decides to work at finding her way back into her people's lives the slow way.


I see it's taking time for the rest of the Atlantean states to get used to that shift in Venturia's leadership, eh.


Still, they should have a clear idea of where those borders lie. After all, they might not be the only folk in the sea someday... And if other cities get the Secession bug, borders could become very important...


Doesn't mean there won't still be arguments over patrols along the border straying a little too far across the line...


Hopefully not looking to intimidate them into staying allied. I know Arthur isn't the most level-headed fellow, but...


Ah, he's taking their Secession a little personally, huh? Probably sees it as a failure of his weak statecraft skills.


Still, would you have him be any other way? A cold and distant king? A master statesman who founders in battles? A mad tyrant? Honestly, this is about the best king you could have...


Ah, changing to a lighter subject, eh? Don't think we can't see what you're doing, Kaldur...


Two systems out of thousands. Hardly a significant amount indeed. And the Reach's response will come, sooner or later...


This is not going to be quick. Short of some miraculous conversion amongst the Reach population, they will fight to hold onto every last scrap they've claimed...


Though a public ballot is closer to the Roman system, isn't it? No point having the right to vote if you haven't the conviction to have your name attached to your vote, no matter how controversial...


Boy, Kaldur is a little stuck in his ways, isn't he? How long has it been since she bothered to use that name?


Yup, looks like I was right about her being the one to take the kill-shot on the Scarab. I doubt things will be so easy in a few years, once the Reach start to learn their new tactics and develop countermeasures to their new toys.


And then NEMO will make countermeasures to detect and defeat the Reach's countermeasures... It's a never-ending cycle.


Hopefully one who can shut a freaking-out rookie down without hurting them. Though anyone who makes it to the field will probably have shown their general reliability with the Orange Light...


So you're employing your network of contacts to fight the Reach's networks. It's a never -ending cycle of escalation, isn't it? Let's hope it doesn't go the Lensman route. The last thing we need are warriors throwing planets at each other...


Given that people like what'shizface... Z'onn Z'orr? That Renegade dealt with months ago have been working freely behind the scenes... I rather expect things are going to be a little tenser there.


Assuming you can overcome the Guardian conditioning against leaving their world... And that will also weaken the government's ability to deal with rebellious parties...


Like bringing down the Computer Tyrants of Colu? Because that sounds like a worthy cause to be involved in...

A slow opening as usual. Nice to see Venturia making a peaceful break from Atlantis. Hopefully it remains peaceful. Now, to wonder what that title refers to...

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Actually Mars in the paragon side may be more peaceful than renegade side.

The information of what the Guardians did was not released to the public, I think Zoat mentioned that Martian ruler Paul talked to has been making laws that benefit Whites and convinced others to also do it, and their rebuilding their ecosystem.

 

[FreeGod]

This is not going to be quick. Short of some miraculous conversion amongst the Reach population, they will fight to hold onto every last scrap they've claimed...

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Well once they get deeper into reach territory there become less and less reason to not use big and bad weapons of mass destruction. The Reach don't really have "civilians" in their long held worlds. It's mindcontrol and robots all the way down.

 

[Agent Orange]

Now, to wonder what that title refers too...

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Well it looks like he's going to Mars, and psychic powers are still that one weakspot that will never get patched so maybe OL will get mind-controlled by some Martian? Put in the 'Back Seat' of his own body you could say.

 

[NightmareWarden]

Paul says he's looking for Manhunters, but they might not be the only martians joining him... This is the first realistic opportunity Martians might seriously consider a colony off their home world! Transportation difficulties and the behaviors of humans kept them away from Earth, but this potential group will get a taste of interstellar civilizations! They won't have to make a world exclusive to their race, guys!

Please, Mr Zoat? Surely they can't ALL be as culturally hamstrung as DC's humans, riiiiiight?

 

[moralrelativity]

into her people's lives the

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"her people's"??? Nah, not any more. Fuck royalty.

Probably sees it as a failure of his weak statecraft skills.

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It hurts because it's true.

Let's hope it doesn't go the Lensman route. The last thing we need are warriors throwing planets at each other...

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Nice reference. I **loved** the Lensman series. How every book escalated the amount of power the Lensmen weilded. Honestly, I'm hoping for planets to be used as ballistic weapons against the hardest reach targets. I'm sure best snek would love to do that.

 

[Agent Orange]

They won't have to make a world exclusive to their race, guys!

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Why would they want to share their hypothetical colonies with a bunch of filthy, mind-blind aliens? No. Making Mars great again is a far worthier endeavour. /s

 

[FreeGod]

Hopefully one who can shut a freaking-out rookie down without hurting them. Though anyone who makes it to the field will probably have shown their general reliability with the Orange Light...

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When it comes to fighting the Reach at least rookies that freak out might actually be useful. Just have to pick rookies that will freak out in the right way. Cuts down on training time and a freaking out OL is it's own sort of weapon of mass destruction.

 

[Vaermina]

I don't think what worked for the Green Lanterns is going to work very well for the Orange...

Paragon said it himself, Orange work best when they can follow their desires.

 

[FreeGod]

Mr Zoat : Is it still the case that Orange Lantern corp have more rings then they have people to use them or has recruiting manage to find people for every ring? Wondering if the limiting factor on recruitment is still finding people or if it is now making more rings.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Mr Zoat : Is it still the case that Orange Lantern corp have more rings then they have people to use them or has recruiting manage to find people for every ring? Wondering if the limiting factor on recruitment is still finding people or if it is now making more rings.

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The bottleneck is finding people who can safely handle the training. Ring production isn't fast, but it's okay.

 

[Citizen]

I'm not sure what shooting the hawk is supposed to mean.

 

[Darko]

I'm not sure what shooting the hawk is supposed to mean.

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I think it meant that if they didn't want him to do something, then they should not have left it there to be done in the first place.

 

[keflyn]

I've found nobody move part 21.... are there more of this? I looked through the threadmarks and the various omake lists but couldn't find anything.

 

[Darko]

I've found nobody move part 21.... are there more of this? I looked through the threadmarks and the various omake lists but couldn't find anything.

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No, that was the only one.

 

[keflyn]

No, that was the only one.

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bother, thanks for that though, so is it just three parts for Indigo Paul then? Bereave 1,7 and Nobody Move 21?

 

[Darko]

bother, thanks for that though, so is it just three parts for Indigo Paul then? Bereave 1,7 and Nobody Move 21?

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Yep, pretty much.

 

[Osserumb]

Nice reference. I **loved** the Lensman series. How every book escalated the amount of power the Lensmen weilded. Honestly, I'm hoping for planets to be used as ballistic weapons against the hardest reach targets. I'm sure best snek would love to do that.

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If war with the Reach would escalate to Lensman levels, weapons used will be anti - mater galaxies.

Used to destroy evil galaxy in alternate dimension, full of planet - firing interdimensional cannons. Commanded by evil masters, using their puppets to steer the conspiracy, that is the hidden power behind the Reach.

Where all the foes Paul has fought till this day, were influenced by one of those Multi - Level Evil Marketing entities.

 

[Twilight666]

bother, thanks for that though, so is it just three parts for Indigo Paul then? Bereave 1,7 and Nobody Move 21?

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Yep, pretty much.

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Actually he is also part of the Crisis event a few episodes back

 

[Radix]

What is the Atlantis situation in both timelines again? Also which episodes deal with these developments? I have always liked these kinds of plot.

Renegade: Clea is alive thanks to Renegade, and Venturia is still part of Atlantis, albeit with weakened central authority.

Paragon: Clea died and her nephew ascended. They took a vote and are now independent?

 

[Bramble Thorn]

Mr Zoat

Terrible news. There was a new rule instituted about word usage today.
https://forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/rule-9-on-the-topic-of-words.13654/

I went in to try and get a ruling about a possible future incident in advance concerning the word trap, but the thread had already been closed.

So, in the interests of gathering data, I wonder if you would be willing to use the term 'trap' in your story to describe someone who has a physical gender the opposite of their publicly assumed physical gender. And when/if someone comes in to complain, post a meme with a picture of a treasure chest full of gold, and the captions 'personally, I identify as a mimic' at the top, and a bubble caption of Admiral Ackbar saying 'It's a Trap! at the bottom.

I. Dare. You.

 

[Mr Zoat]

What is the Atlantis situation in both timelines again? Also which episodes deal with these developments? I have always liked these kinds of plot.

Renegade: Clea is alive thanks to Renegade, and Venturia is still part of Atlantis, albeit with weakened central authority.

Paragon: Clea died and her nephew ascended. They took a vote and are now independent?

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Nearly. The already considered themselves independent, and the vote is just a way of denying Poseidonis legitimacy if they want to try forcing things.

Mr Zoat

Terrible news. There was a new rule instituted about word usage today.
https://forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/rule-9-on-the-topic-of-words.13654/

I went in to try and get a ruling about a possible future incident in advance concerning the word trap, but the thread had already been closed.

So, in the interests of gathering data, I wonder if you would be willing to use the term 'trap' in your story to describe someone who has a physical gender the opposite of their publicly assumed physical gender. And when/if someone comes in to complain, post a meme with a picture of a treasure chest full of gold, and the captions 'personally, I identify as a mimic' at the top, and a bubble caption of Admiral Ackbar saying 'It's a Trap! at the bottom.

I. Dare. You.

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Stupid as that rule is, I don't have another website to move to and rarely describe real 'sexually creative' people in this story. Due to the whole mess which resulting in my exile from Sufficient Velocity, I'm absolutely excluding such people from the story on the grounds that it's not worth the aggro.

 

[Pez]

Stupid as that rule is, I don't have another website to move to and rarely describe real 'sexually creative' people in this story. Due to the whole mess which resulting in my exile from Sufficient Velocity, I'm absolutely excluding such people from the story on the grounds that it's not worth the aggro.

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I'm sorry, but what about the rule 9 clarifications is an issue? It doesn't allow calling real life people traps (unless they refer to themselves as such), but is perfectly allowed for fictional characters. So, if Wally suddenly started to wear female clothes and appear as a female, but keep the a male personality, it would be fine to call him a trap, in story. But if you call user "Pez" a trap, or 'Kim Jong-un' a trap, that would be a violation (unless, of course, either of us refer to ourselves as one).

 

[Mr Zoat]

I'm sorry, but what about the rule 9 clarifications is an issue? It doesn't allow calling real life people traps (unless they refer to themselves as such), but is perfectly allowed for fictional characters. So, if Wally suddenly started to wear female clothes and appear as a female, but keep the a male personality, it would be fine to call him a trap, in story. But if you call user "Pez" a trap, or 'Kim Jong-un' a trap, that would be a violation (unless, of course, either of us refer to ourselves as one).

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Any explanation I could give would involve modern day real world politics, and hence be prohibited under QQ rules.

 

[Kojivsleo]

Ya'll better not start shit on this again, I just wanna read my daily fanfic updates.

 

[Megaolix]

Mr Zoat

Terrible news. There was a new rule instituted about word usage today.
https://forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/rule-9-on-the-topic-of-words.13654/

I went in to try and get a ruling about a possible future incident in advance concerning the word trap, but the thread had already been closed.

So, in the interests of gathering data, I wonder if you would be willing to use the term 'trap' in your story to describe someone who has a physical gender the opposite of their publicly assumed physical gender. And when/if someone comes in to complain, post a meme with a picture of a treasure chest full of gold, and the captions 'personally, I identify as a mimic' at the top, and a bubble caption of Admiral Ackbar saying 'It's a Trap! at the bottom.

I. Dare. You.

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Do not try to stir up shit with bullshit.

Stupid as that rule is, I don't have another website to move to and rarely describe real 'sexually creative' people in this story. Due to the whole mess which resulting in my exile from Sufficient Velocity, I'm absolutely excluding such people from the story on the grounds that it's not worth the aggro.

Click to shrink...

Fictional people still have no rights. As Elgee said in that thread, we simply codified what we already did. Nothing is actually new, so carry on as you did before.