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

Chojin Patriarch · Jan 26, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
4th October 2012
08:10 GMT

"Legion craft, you are cleared for descent. Remain within the indicated corridor."

Havania has nothing like the number of ships standing guard as Thanagar itself does, but it does have several large military defence stations and near-planet shipyards. The stations appear to be under the control of the Empire's military rather than local officials.

Well, that's ominous, but hardly unusual, I suspect. Thanagar seems to be the kind of Empire that likes to keep a close grip on the reins of power in its colonies where it can. Having control of their local space would go a long way to helping with that.

"L.E.G.I.O.N. acknowledges, Havania control. Course entered."

And down we go, into the atmosphere. Our ship is perfectly capable of maintaining a steeper angle of approach and a higher velocity, but quite understandably they don't want to take a chance on us suicide ramming something. Especially not the home of the planet's ruler.

Ah, the old Kzinti Lesson: 'The more efficient a reaction drive is, the better a weapon it makes'. Admittedly, that's more 'We turned our ship around to point the fusion torch drive at them' than 'hypersonic orbital kamikaze'. But still... Remember the Holdo manoeuvrer?

"Why does she live in a castle?"

"It's not exactly a classical castle in the European style. The insides are perfectly modern. But when Thanagarians first came here they wanted defensible structures at high elevation, and it was easier to quarry stone using local corvée labour than to bake bricks or mix concrete. Now, it's tradition."

And it's classy as fuck.

"'Corvée'."

"Technically."

Corvée, for the record. Essentially, enforced community service. A decent landlord using it would pay the workers with food and drink during their shifts, often better than they'd usually get. Still not all that popular, because it often took serfs away from their land during important times, like seeding or harvests.

"Given how badly you reacted to Zatara being enslaved, I'm a little surprised at how little you care about it."

"I reacted badly because I like Zatanna and respect Zatara, and because of the form his enslavement took. The Havanian native population were primitive hunter-gatherers before the Thanagarians arrived, and now they have access to technology they wouldn't have had for thousands of years, if at all."

Ah, double standards. An Orange Lantern's best friend, after their ring. He got pissed at Fate because Zatara was his, in a second-hand sort of connection... The locals? He doesn't know any of them, and poking his nose in would probably piss off the Thanagarians.

"At least you're honest about being an imperialist. Didn't Truggs come back in time to stop that happening to Earth?"

"That was because it was the Reach. You know that anyone occupied by them gets exterminated eventually. Under the Thanagarians, the size of the native population has increased from the level it was at the start of colonisation due to better medicine and agricultural technology, as well as the elimination of internal violent conflict. It's like Britannia and Roman Empire. Besides, who around here is actually worth getting conquered by? The Ungarans?"

So it's okay because they're getting a good deal out of it... Not sure the logic stands up to close examination, but, hey, it's OL.

Logic doesn't really enter into it.

"Xudar?"

"Barely. They're mostly isolationist, so there's no access to any great trade network. They aren't especially skilled at societal management, and that's mostly what holds Earth back, so there's no benefit there. Now if Krypton was still a going concern then we'd have something to talk about."

Ungarans, by the by, are Abin Sur's people. Xudarians are Tomar-Re and Tomar-Tu's race. Neither are particularly into the conquest thing.

That gets a raised eyebrow.

"Wouldn't Krypton have conquered us effortlessly?"

Yes. In more than a few Elseworlds, they did. Good thing for us they didn't notice Humanity.

"Yes, because they were still empire-building a century or so ago. But they didn't really colonise in depth, so we'd get limited access to their technology without having to worry about our culture being destroyed."

"A century or so?"

Which hews closer to more recent versions than some where Krypton was isolationist for generations. Still, Humanity is not particularly good at bowing its' collective knee without quite considerable force on our necks.

"Yes?"

"So when the British Empire was at its peak?"

...How coincidental.

"Ah… Probably. Maybe slightly after its peak?"

Jade smiles faintly as she double checks our final approach vector.

So many layers to pick through in that little smile...

"Landing zone sited. What should I wear?"

"This isn't a state visit. Whatever you like."

I think she meant in terms of protective gear. Just in case, you know?

"I'd like to wear my exo-mantle."

"You could. Thanagar is very proud of its military, and they won't be offended if you feel the same way."

So, formal military dress uniforms are not out-of-place as casual wear, huh? Then again, continuities vary on what the formal dress uniform looks like. Anything from classic pulp sci-fi jumpsuits to heavy formal robes to 'putting on the Reich'...

"But Bleez won't."

"Thanagarian intelligence assets don't have a uniform. There's a formal mode of dress for Havanian nobility, but I doubt that she'll wear it. Oh, and-."

I'm guessing it's either very overblown, very silly-looking or both.

A minor eye roll.

"I'm not going to mention that you know that she's an informant. But do you want me to mention it if she knows that you know?"

...Oh god, espionage double-talk. Let's hope it doesn't get all 'Dune inner monologue' in here... Seriously, the book was laden with that kind of over-analytical reflection...

"I'm pretty sure that she knows that I know."

"Then do you want me to mention it if she knows-"

Please, stop know before you slip into a comedy routine...

"-that I know-"

"-that she knows?"

"I don't know. I don't know."

Third Base!

Jade lets out an amused snort as we land. Local custom dictates that nobles should only speak face to face while other communications are relayed via servants. Since we don't have a servant with us… Though I suppose that my construct lanterns would probably have counted. I think I could get away with direct personal communication, but now that we're here I want to give Princess Bleez the opportunity to decide how she wants people to see us.

Jade switches the ship's systems into standby and stands, taking a moment to shake out her outfit.

Does OL even still have any Construct Lanterns right now? Ones he'd want to show off, anyway?

I raise my left hand slightly.

"Do you want me to-?"

It's not a break form the Ring, after all, just 'work'.

"She's going to fly out wearing a bikini, isn't she?"

"Technically, no. Thanagarians aren't big on swimming."

I rather expect they weigh a little more than a duck. Nor are nearly so elegant in the water as a swan (on the surface, anyway.)

…

"But as I've said, it's not a competition. Unless you want it to be, in which case, you win."

Right answer, OL. Ah, Empathic visions, allowing you to cheat at relationship questions.

Jade takes in a deep breath, then snorts it out in a sharp exhalation. "She's pretty hot, isn't she?"

"Yes."

Not quite Tamaranean hot, but still... Her Red Lantern version certainly fills out that classic leotard in all the right places.

"Basic laundry, then-" I'm already running a laundry beam over her as we both get up and head towards the airlock. "-let's go."

"Have you got a flight-?" She pulls her blouse aside slightly to show me her kinetic belt. "Good show."

Kind of rude to expect him to carry her around everywhere. She certainly wouldn't want to be that reliant on someone else, after all.

The airlock swings open and Jade confidently walks out, her eyes moving to take in as much of her environment as she can without getting distracted from-.

"Hey!" Bleez descends through the air from one of the upper dowers, wings flared and body covered in what is basically a cut down halter top and a thong with streamers. She lands just in front of Jade and smiles warmly at her. "You're Jade, right! Paul's told me so much about you!"

...So, basically a bikini, with decoration.

Bleez makes a wing gesture of trust, extending the wing tips slightly in front of her so that she wouldn't be able to fly away quickly if Jade attacked her.

"It's so good to finally meet you!"

At least she's smart enough to try and butter Jade up. I don't doubt Jade's read up on Thanagarian postural intricacies and their meanings.

"I'm happy to be here."

Bleez turns her head to pout at me. "And I thought you were avoiding me."

He's been busy. There's a war on, you know?

"Perish the thought."

"Now you're here, we can-"

At least he's polite about it.

"Bleez? Where are you?"

"-get out of here before Mother catches up. Humans can fly, right?"

...Ah. Good timing, then.

Well, off to a good start. Running and hiding from the overbearing mother. Sucker's bet that Bleez is very glad for the escape route. I guess we'll see tomorrow how the ladies get on together. Though now I have the amusing image of Bleez, OL and Jade zooming along, a flotilla of bodyguards trying to keep up while the trio try to ditch them. Unlikely we'd see that, but still...

Old Knife · Jan 26, 2022

néocorvinus said:
Sinestro Corps: So incompetent that an entire corp was formed with the people they failed to kill. Also, good at making Green Lanterns fall to the Dark Side, sadly, to the wrong dark side

Fear leads to Hate indeed.

Darko · Jan 26, 2022

Chojin Patriarch said:
So it's okay because they're getting a good deal out of it... Not sure the logic stands up to close examination, but, hey, it's OL. Logic doesn't really enter into it.

Yeah, Paul may seem like a Vulcan sometimes, but he's really not.

He tends to fail a lot of basic logic skills that no self-respecting Vulcan would ever do.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Which hews closer to more recent versions than some where Krypton was isolationist for generations

Ehh, a few generations in a century is basically the norm.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Still, Humanity is not particularly good at bowing its' collective knee without quite considerable force on our necks.

And Kryptonians would have a lot of force.

Chojin Patriarch said:
...Oh god, espionage double-talk. Let's hope it doesn't get all 'Dune inner monologue' in here... Seriously, the book was laden with that kind of over-analytical reflection

The first movie made it worse.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Does OL even still have any Construct Lanterns right now? Ones he'd want to show off, anyway

Well he has 666 Nabu and Morrow, both on Earth, and I think he may have that fish guy that the Ophidian assimilated.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Not quite Tamaranean hot

Not a lot of things are attractive on that level

Chojin Patriarch said:
Though now I have the amusing image of Bleez, OL and Jade zooming along, a flotilla of bodyguards trying to keep up while the trio try to ditch them. Unlikely we'd see that, but still...

I'm reminded of the JL episode with Diana and that princess.

Ngamer11 · Jan 26, 2022

Darko said:
Well he has 666 Nabu and Morrow, both on Earth, and I think he may have that fish guy that the Ophidian assimilated.

There're also the Reach thralls.

Doccer · Jan 26, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
"So when the British Empire was at its peak?"

"Ah… Probably. Maybe slightly after its peak?"

Jade smiles faintly as she double checks our final approach vector.

I know there is subtext here but I don't know anywhere enough about the British Empire to know what.

Darko · Jan 26, 2022

Doccer said:
I know there is subtext here but I don't know anywhere enough about the British Empire to know what.

Jade was implying that if the Kryptonians invaded during the peak of the British Empire then said Empire would just be reduced to a small piece of territory for a much more powerful government instead of being the most powerful thing in the world.

Mr Zoat · Jan 26, 2022

transhumansage said:
how depressing. i hope they got punished later on.

Yes. I mean, not by the people involved or specifically for that, but yes.

Ah.

Except Sinestro. He's doing fine. And Arkillo. He temporarily lost his tongue, I think, but he got better.

Sojiko · Jan 26, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
"-get out of here before Mother catches up. Humans can fly, right?"

Those humans can, thankfully.

Mr Zoat said:
"Who ya tryin'n get crazy with, ese?"

That link is now dead. Or restricted or something. Took me a while to figure out it was a link to Insane In The Brain by Cypress Hill. Here's a version without the censorship ruining things. Or maybe you want to use the official (censored) version, either with just the music or the full music video.

Mr Zoat said:
Heh. "If the drones I had on guard duty actually hit anything I'll pay compensation. It was really just supposed to be a warning shot."

"You can pay compensation to a dead woman, Mister Grayven?"

What? "What?"

"Queen Bee is dead, Mister Grayven."

I want to say that this part is one of my favourite parts of the entire story. Especially when Grayven calls her a stupid cow. It's made even better by Brain showing why he's one of the villains I like most in this story.

Clell65619 · Jan 26, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
Bleez descends through the air from one of the upper dowers

- Upper towers?

Rafin · Jan 26, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
"Given how badly you reacted to Zatara being enslaved, I'm a little surprised at how little you care about it."

"I reacted badly because I like Zatanna and respect Zatara, and because of the form his enslavement took. The Havanian native population were primitive hunter-gatherers before the Thanagarians arrived, and now they have access to technology they wouldn't have had for thousands of years, if at all."

"At least you're honest about being an imperialist.

Being away from SV must be freeing.

Prince Charon · Jan 26, 2022

Rafin said:
Being away from SV must be freeing.

Yeah, that is certainly one of the places where 'want the end, want the means' (and other aspects of Zoat's personality and moral/ethical systems) would be a serious problem on SV.com.

ForeverShogo · Jan 26, 2022

I've never really been a fan of Bleez's appearance as a Red Lantern, mostly because I think the fleshless wings thing is stupid. Ditto the little demon wings on her mask. But yes, Bleez as she used to be and as she is in this story? Pretty damn hot.

And for an idea of what she is wearing . . .

Radix · Jan 26, 2022

Well it's nice that there is someone (almost) calling Paragon out on his bullshit. Slavery is only wrong when it is his friends or maybe someone he knows. Especially if it is "for their own good".

Mr Zoat · Jan 26, 2022

Ngamer11 said:
I think that should say "Now that you're here, we can-".

It means the same thing.

Sojiko said:
That link is now dead. Or restricted or something. Took me a while to figure out it was a link to Insane In The Brain by Cypress Hill. Here's a version without the censorship ruining things. Or maybe you want to use the official (censored) version, either with just the music or the full music video.

Ah, but it wasn't Insane in the Brain by Cypress Hill. It was Insane in the Brain by Richard Cheese.

Clell65619 said:
- Upper towers?

Thank you, corrected.

Rafin said:
Being away from SV must be freeing.

I'm racist against demons, and I'm proud of it.

Radix said:
Well it's nice that there is someone (almost) calling Paragon out on his bullshit. Slavery is only wrong when it is his friends or maybe someone he knows. Especially if it is "for their own good".

Slavery generally sucks for the individuals involved, but it can be beneficial for a people of the long term. Romans civilised England, improved every aspect of our technology and connected us to continent wide trade networks.

Cuchulin · Jan 26, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
Slavery generally sucks for the individuals involved, but it can be beneficial for a people of the long term. Romans civilised England, improved every aspect of our technology and connected us to continent wide trade networks.

Correction, they "civilized" most of Britian and it was already connected to continent wide trade Networks as it had been for centuries if not since the Bronze age. The Greeks, the Phoenicians and the Carthaginians traded for Cornish tin. Also, I remember reading that British Woolen goods were prized even in Caesar's time and I know that even in the Bronze age European trade networks connected the Mediterranean to Scandinavia.

Vaermina · Jan 26, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
4th October 2012
08:10 GMT

Your daily reminder that Paragon's kind of a horrible person...

pervyshyguy · Jan 26, 2022

Cuchulin said:
Correction, they "civilized" most of Britian and it was already connected to continent wide trade Networks as it had been for centuries if not since the Bronze age. The Greeks, the Phoenicians and the Carthaginians traded for Cornish tin. Also, I remember reading that British Woolen goods were prized even in Caesar's time and I know that even in the Bronze age European trade networks connected the Mediterranean to Scandinavia.

Got links or cites? I wanna read that

Doccer · Jan 26, 2022

Vaermina said:
Your daily reminder that Paragon's kind of a horrible person...

A person who cares but doesn't know
vs
A personn who knows but doesn't care
Which is preferred the most I wonder?

Cuchulin · Jan 26, 2022

pervyshyguy said:
Got links or cites? I wanna read that

Well to for some basic info there is Cornwall, Atlantic Bronze Age, Cassiterides or Tin Islands, Wessex culture, British Iron Age and this (DOC) Celtic Clothing During the Iron Age- A Very Broad and Generic Approach | heather smith - Academia.edu indicates that at the very least the pre-Roman Celts were creating very fine woolen fabric.
Also, if Celts of Iron Age Britain didn't have stuff worth taking and didn't trade with the rest of Europe Ceasar would never have invaded.

Radix · Jan 26, 2022

Last I checkes someone could be broight into a trade network without being conquered and enslaved. The Mediterranean had plenty of trade before the Romans and Greeks.

Simply interacting causes cultural osmosis that leads to technological advancement. The fact that a group is "better off" after their enslavement doesnt justify enslaving them when that could be achieved without enslaving them.

Michael Vonica · Jan 27, 2022

Did anyone here ever say that slavery was the best option? I think that the argument that was presented in the story was that it wasn't the worst thing that could have happened. Which, from some perspectives, is true. They weren't all killed, after all. Which is what the Reach would have eventually done, after enslavement, were they the ones to conquer these people. Also, did Thanagar, a space faring civilization, really need to enslave the local hunter gatherer population of a colony world? I might be wrong here, but it seems to me that an advanced civilization like that would have an easier time of things by just ignoring, displacing, or removing of the locals, and letting their own industry take care of things. Which, for Thanagar, might just be slave based anyway, but still.

When comparing benefits, the enslaved locals get societal stability, access to Thangarian technology, modern infastructure built to their specification, and knowledge and training on, at the very least, how to do the jobs that Thangarians don't want to do. And the Thangarians get... slave labor? That they could have just imported from one of their other enslaved species, or simply replaced with technology, like any reasonable space aged civilization would? The standard of living for the locals must be taken into consideration, but I have too little information on this.

Feel free to tell that I'm wrong about something, but if the Thangarians were feeling particularly diplomatic, they could have come down and bartered with the locals for the land and natural resources they wanted. And that's all the Thangarians would want, seeing as how the locals would have little else of value. After striking a deal, the locals would get some food, rudimentary weapons, low level tech they don't understand, and pretty things, while the Thangarians would likely be able to get as much land as they wanted. This situation would probably be worse for the locals than the slavery option, as they wouldn't have any of the benifits provided by the Thangarians to their slaves, and would probably still have little more freedom than the actual slaves (slaves we have yet to see, so I can't be sure).

If the Thangarians were really kind, they would have come down, conquered the locals, set up a stable local government managed by the local people, and then left, while making sure to maintain a good relationship with the new government through healthy investment and trade. And from this, the Thangarians would have gained nothing that could not be gained by simpler means, except self satisfaction in their own good nature. Which is something that Thangarians don't seem to value much.

The enslaved locals can also always eventually become free. As for Paul's choice of not dealing with that right now, there are already some good reasons posted already.

Old Knife said:
That's the thing. It's not that bad elsewhere in the empire, and tipping the beehive would make it an earth vs thanagarian empire thing.

They literally don't even have a space force finished, they can't fight an entire empire's worth of industrial capacity.

Also Paul would lose a bunch of reputation and wreck his relationships for behaving so rashly.

The Reach is different because they have made themselves the enemy of the Controllers and all the planets they're trying to screw over.

Thus Paul can fight them with a space navy

lol why aren't you calling for an invasion of Apokolips?

Hell's Razer · Jan 27, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
Landing zone sited.

Shouldn't this be "sighted"?

Mr Zoat · Jan 27, 2022

4th October 2012
08:32 GMT

Bleez tosses a blanket down on a pondside rock, then stares at its wrinkled lay for a moment before taking the time to pull it out flat.

"I usually get Toroz to arrange things for me before I get here, but he'd totally tell Mother where I went, you know?"

The rocks are far too regularly shaped and conveniently placed to be naturally occurring, but it's clear that whoever landscaped this area made an effort to include only plausibly natural elements. The depression in the side of the mountain could be natural, but ring scans are showing me where the rock was worked with chisels before all sign of that work was covered in vines and mosses to completely obscure it. The improbably mini-waterfall is similarly worked, dug channels funnelling rainfall from a large portion of the mountain into multiple streams which converge in the same place. For that, ring scans show that there is an option to turn it up by using the castle's systems to pump water into the channels, but it's currently not running. As a result, the fall is a background trickle rather than a wildlife shower.

Jade sits on the next rock along, giving her head a small shake as I raise my left hand and mouth 'want a blanket' to her. No, she wouldn't be relaxed enough to do something like that just yet.

"Is he your butler?"

"Hm? Noo." Bleez sits down on the edge of her blanket-covered rock and then leans back, supporting herself with her left arm while brushing her hair out of her face with her right. Then she tilts her head up and arches her back, posing for-.

She's posing, milking every action for everything it's worth as if this were a magazine photo shoot. I wonder why?

She twists around to kneel on the blanket with her wings slightly flared, then leans forward until she's on all fours and arches her back again. Then she lays down with her head supported by her bridged hands and her lower legs pointed upwards, her wings again slightly raised to that someone looking at her from the side would have an unobstructed view of the curves of her body while also seeing that her feathers and flight muscles were in excellent condition. Then her wings drop, and I see that the rock bier is just high enough that when she completely relaxes her flight muscles the tips of her wings don't quite reach the ground.

"He's my body slave."

I frown. The native species of Havania are raniform and about a third of the size of a standard pattern humanoid, so she can't mean-.

"You know, like a personal attendant who's bound to you for life?"

"I can't say that I do."

Bleez rolls her eyes and looks away.

"I didn't pick him, okay? He's just been, like, there, my whole life. That's one of the reasons I prefer performing off-world. His people aren't allowed to leave Havania so he can't come with."

"Bleez, why are we hiding from your mother?" Her shoulders droop slightly. "On Earth, dodging the lady of the house would be quite rude."

"Uh. I came back after my tour finished so I could work on some new songs, or maybe some adaptations of the kryptonian and human stuff you sent me? I haven't even put my bags down before she's trying to bundle me off to meet 'an excellent suitor of good breeding, I will not let your father's lineage die with you, he sacrificed too much building this sanctuary to let it go empty and become ransacked by the commoners below'."

She pulls herself up slightly as she mimics her mother's voice, sneering as she finishes.

Jade turns her head to carefully judge the distance to the glade's points of egress.

"Is that likely to happen?"

"No one's going to ransack anything. If I died without an heir the military would probably take it over. Not that that's going to happen."

I smile. "Oh? You have an eye on someone inappropriate and you want to wait until she's really desperate?"

"No… It's…" She frowns at me and then looks around. "Hey, could you check this place for monitoring equipment real quick?"

"Is that what you were posing for?"

She blinks in confusion. "'Posing'?" She checks her stance, then sags. "Uhr, I've been doing that so long it's just automatic now." … "I'm pressing my boobs together with my upper arms, aren't I?"

"I hadn't notic-"

"Yes."

"-ed."

"And done. They're just going to see us sunbathing and talking about music."

Bleez frowns. "Wait, there actually are-?" A frustrated exhalation. "Of course there are. Mother probably put them there."

"You are next in line to rule the planet. It wouldn't be too surprising that the Empire's government wants to keep an eye on you."

"Though if it was your mother, she knows where you are."

"If she remembers to look."

"I don't think you've spoken about your father much."

She makes a small wing-shrug. "He was one of the people who got Hyathis to cure the Equality Plague, and after she got thrown out he negotiated the settlement we have now with the government of Thanagar. They put him in prison for a while for working with her, which was total guano."

"Where is he now?"

"Oh, he's dead. And I'm his only child, which is why Mother is so fixated. If she wanted a bigger family, why couldn't she just remarry? I wouldn't have cared!"

"So there isn't someone inappropriate?"

"There will be. Probably. It's just-. I don't think she and I want to do the same things, you know? So she'll never accept anyone I actually want to marry, someone who wants the same things as I do for Havania." Another small shrug. "And since my marriage needs her approval, I.. just have to wait until she's dead."

"I hadn't realised that you actually had a manifesto."

She looks at me with an expression of faint disappointment.

"I've known that I was going to end up ruling Havania since I was three. Of course I've got plans. And the reason why I'm spying on you -and yes I know that you know that I know- is that I want to make sure the military give me the space to change things without throwing me in prison. That's why I learned to perform at all: so regular Thanagarians would have a positive image of me."

Jade smiles faintly. "What is it you want to do?"

"Abolish all legal restrictions on the aboriginals. Increase the size of our civilian economy and start trading outside the Empire. Remove travel restrictions so that all the dispossessed of the Empire can come here. Develop an actual culture outside of military service. And marry a man who wants the same things as I do and wants to change the Thanagarian Empire into something less brutal. Because it's really brutal. I mean, you saw Downside, but you only saw a bit of Downside and there's a lot more to it than that. They actually dump prisoners from the newer colonies there, did you know that? Any of the aliens who do something wrong gets taken away from their home and dumped Downside with no way back."

"And you want to fix it?"

"I just want to fix my little bit of it. And don't even think about giving me a power ring. The government will never let me do any of it if I've got a power ring."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Until the end of my holiday, anyway.

Mr Zoat · Jan 27, 2022

Hell's Razer said:
Shouldn't this be "sighted"?

Thank you, corrected.

hance1986 · Jan 27, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
The rocks are far to regularly shaped and conveniently placed to be naturally occurring, but it's clear that whoever landscaped this area made an effort to include only plausibly natural elements.

' too '

Prognostic Hannya · Jan 27, 2022

Everything's italicized

néocorvinus · Jan 27, 2022

Wow... Pretty bird just got a lot more interesting. Also, hard to remember after reading that, that Thanagar is one of DC's kindest/least evil space empires

Darko · Jan 27, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
usually get Toroz arrange things for

'to arrange'

Mr Zoat said:
She's posing, milking every action for everything it's worth as if this were a magazine photo shoot. I wonder why?

Do you really wonder why?

Seriously, it's difficult to tell with you.

Mr Zoat said:
relaxes her flight muscles the tips of her wings don't quite reach the ground.

'muscles, the tips'

Mr Zoat said:
make sure the military give me the space to change things without throwing me in prison.

'gives me'

Mr Zoat said:
"I just want to fix my little bit of it. And don't even think about giving me a power ring. The government will never let me do any of it if I've got a power ring."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Until the end of my holiday, anyway

Ohh, Paul, you never change.

Mr Zoat · Jan 27, 2022

hance1986 said:
' too '

Darko said:
'to arrange'

Thank you, corrected.

'muscles, the tips'
'gives me'

No, I think those are okay.

Chojin Patriarch · Jan 27, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
4th October 2012
08:32 GMT

Bleez tosses a blanket down on a pondside rock, then stares at its wrinkled lay for a moment before taking the time to pull it out flat.

"I usually get Toroz arrange things for me before I get here, but he'd totally tell Mother where I went, you know?"

Ah, the joy of your people being paid by your mother. Assuming they're paid at all. They feel kind of obliged to follow her orders, even if they'd like to help you. Such is the fate of serfs.

The rocks are far too regularly shaped and conveniently placed to be naturally occurring, but it's clear that whoever landscaped this area made an effort to include only plausibly natural elements. The depression in the side of the mountain could be natural, but ring scans are showing me where the rock was worked with chisels before all sign of that work was covered in vines and mosses to completely obscure it. The improbably mini-waterfall is similarly worked, dug channels funnelling rainfall from a large portion of the mountain into multiple steams who converge in the same place. For that, ring scans show that there is an option to turn it up by using the castle's systems to pump water into the channels, but it's currently not running. As a result, the fall is a background trickle rather than a wildlife shower.

So, a considerable amount of effort to make a seemingly natural picnic spot. No doubt the only way up here on foot is a narrow track that the native workers who got recruited to build it hated trying to walk up...

Jade sits on the next rock along, giving her head a small shake as I raise my left hand and mouth 'want a blanket' to her. No, she wouldn't be relaxed enough to do something like that just yet.

"Is he your butler?"

More likely her mother's butler, if anything. If he's native, it's probably less dignified a named position, but...

"Hm? Noo." Bleez sits down on the edge of her blanket-covered rock and then leans back, supporting herself with her left arm while brushing her hair out of her face with her right. Then she tilts her head up and arches her back, posing for-.

She's posing, milking every action for everything it's worth as if this were a magazine photo shoot. I wonder why?

Force of habit? Assumption that Jade will be interested - no telling what an alien's attracted to, after all? Trying to distract the inevitable observers with arousal?

She twists around to kneel on the blanket with her wings slightly flared, then leans forward until she's on all fours and arches her back again. Then she lays down with her head supported by her bridged hands and her lower legs pointed upwards, her wings again slightly raised to that someone looking at her from the side would have an unobstructed view of the curves of her body while also seeing that her feathers and flight muscles were in excellent condition. Then her wings drop, and I see that the rock bier is just high enough that when she completely relaxes her flight muscles the tips of her wings don't quite reach the ground.

Maybe its like a cat, stretching and squirming to find just the right spot to sun themself? I can see her using the spread-eagled position to shed or soak up heat through her wings.

"He's my body slave."

I frown. The native species of Havania are raniform and about a third of the size of a standard pattern humanoid, so she can't mean-.

That's apparently 'Froglike', for reference. I'm picturing something like this, or a bit slimmer. On the other hand, I'd expect them to be good with their tongues.

"You know, like a personal attendant who's bound to you for life?"

"I can't say that I do."

Construct Lanterns kind of fit that, but I wouldn't call them 'personal attendants'.

Bleez rolls her eyes and looks away.

"I didn't pick him, okay? He's just been, like, there, my whole life. That's one of the reasons I prefer performing off-world. His people aren't allowed to leave Havania so he can't come with."

Ah, he's always been there annoying you with 'your duties, mistress' or tattling to her mother about her ignoring them?

"Bleez, why are we hiding from your mother?" Her shoulders droop slightly. "On Earth, dodging the lady of the house would be quite rude."

"Uh. I came back after my tour finished so I could work on some new songs, or maybe some adaptations of the kryptonian and human stuff you sent me? I haven't even put my bags down before she's trying to bundle me off to meet 'an excellent suitor of good breeding, I will not let your father's lineage die with you, he sacrificed too much building this sanctuary to let it go empty and become ransacked by the commoners below'."

Dear god, I can just imagine the voice. I can't even describe it, but I can hear the haughty tone. Something... Something akin to Majel Barret-Roddenberry as Lwaxana Troi.

Yesssss...

She pulls herself up slightly as she mimics her mother's voice, sneering as she finishes.

Jade turns her head to carefully judge the distance to the glade's points of egress.

And hide a sly chuckle at the image? Subtle.

"Is that likely to happen?"

"No one's going to ransack anything. If I died without an heir the military would probably take it over. Not that that's going to happen."

Well, at least she has plans for the future.

I smile. "Oh? You have an eye on someone inappropriate and you want to wait until she's really desperate?"

"No… It's…" She frowns at me and then looks around. "Hey, could you check this place for monitoring equipment real quick?"

I don't know, that sounds kind of like Work. Might need Jade's okay...

"Is that what you were posing for?"

She blinks in confusion. "'Posing'?" She checks her stance, then sags. "Uhr, I've been doing that so long it's just automatic now." … "I'm pressing my boobs together with my upper arms, aren't I?"

...Um, well, I wasn't going to say anything, but...

"I hadn't notic-"

"Yes."

"-ed."

Heh, Jade bringing the brutal honesty. And a successful deflection roll by OL.

"And done. They're just going to see us sunbathing and talking about music."

Bleez frowns. "Wait, there actually are-?" A frustrated exhalation. "Of course there are. Mother probably put them there."

No doubt trying to catch any 'indiscretions with unsuitable persons'... So she can yell at Bleez more.

"You are next in line to rule the planet. It wouldn't be too surprising that the Empire's government wants to keep an eye on you."

"Though if it was your mother, she knows where you are."

Probably expected her to head right to this spot after that argument.

"If she remembers to look."

"I don't think you've spoken about your father much."

Yes, good, change the topic, pronto. This was supposed to be fun.

She makes a small wing-shrug. "He was one of the people who got Hyathis to cure the Equality Plague, and after she got thrown out he negotiated the settlement we have now with the government of Thanagar. They put him in prison for a while for working with her, which was total guano."

"Where is he now?"

Let me guess: Killed while imprisoned, probably by another 'inmate'. If not, well, I doubt imprisonment was particularly pleasant for him...

"Oh, he's dead. And I'm his only child, which is why Mother is so fixated. If she wanted a bigger family, why couldn't she just remarry? I wouldn't have cared!"

"So there isn't someone inappropriate?"

Phrasing, OL. It sounds like you're offering to be that inappropriate someone...

"There will be. Probably. It's just-. I don't think she and I want to do the same things, you know? So she'll never accept anyone I actually want to marry, someone who wants the same things as I do for Havania." Another small shrug. "And since my marriage needs her approval, I.. just have to wait until she's dead."

"I hadn't realised that you actually had a manifesto."

Huh, she's actually taking her future role seriously, then. Anything she plans on will have to dance a fine line between pleasing the Empire and benefiting the people, though.

She looks at me with an expression of faint disappointment.

"I've known that I was going to end up ruling Havania since I was three. Of course I've got plans. And the reason why I'm spying on you -and yes I know that you know that I know- is that I want to make sure the military give me the space to change things without throwing me in prison. That's why I learned to perform at all; so regular Thanagarians would have a positive image of me."

How very... Machiavellian of her. Not sure he'd have approved of the royal position, but her intentions...

Jade smiles faintly. "What is it you want to do?"

"Abolish all legal restrictions on the aboriginals. Increase the size of our civilian economy and start trading outside the Empire. Remove travel restrictions so that all the dispossessed of the Empire can come here. Develop an actual culture outside of military service. And marry a man who wants the same things as I do and wants to change the Thanagarian Empire into something less brutal. Because it's really brutal. I mean, you saw Downside, but you only saw a bit of Downside and there's a lot more to it than that. They actually dump prisoners from the newer colonies there, did you know that? Any of the aliens who do something wrong gets taken away from their home and dumped Downside with no way back."

Wow, okay, not planning on doing things by halves, huh?

"And you want to fix it?"

"I just want to fix my little bit of it. And don't even think about giving me a power ring. The government will never let me do any of it if I've got a power ring."

Too bad it's hard to be discreet with a Power Ring.

Would be amusing if he managed to poach another Lantern from a Corps that hasn't even formed yet...

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Until the end of my holiday, anyway.

Because that's Work, and Work things are for later.

An interesting insight into Bleez. I wonder how much of that is from her comics characterisation? I mean, in the comics, she's a Red Lantern, so subtlety in her desires is even less of a thing than it would be for an Orange. Still, it's good to see she's more than the pampered princess playing at pop-star prestige.

I'm kind of rooting for her success now.

...portion of the mountain into multiple steams who converge...

...portion of the mountain into multiple streams who converge...

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

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