Pokémon Umbral Discussion 9: More Than Double the Number of RP Threads!

[Bard The 5th LW]

I guess, but how would beating up Matt make Matt think Impact is a good guy?

Whatever, operation Beating and Assailing a Secretive Teammate for Alleged and Ridiculous Developments is a go then.

[Dracorion]

Because Impact would try to stop us. Half-assedly, of course, but convincing enough to make Matt think Impact doesn't like torturing him.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Yes, that was entirely necessary! You see, I didn't want to mess up my own plans for torturing Matt, but Charlotte did, and I can't say no, less I have my legs broken. Good characters write themselves after all.

[Geminex]

If Impact passes the test, sure. But until then, and if Impact doesn't pass, Pierce will make his own attempts at leadership when he has to. But of course, he'll find it very hard to lead until after his sidequest, when he can start gaining people's trust.

Ok... so what kind of test were you thinking of?

Because yeah, I wasn't out for trust or friendship or emotional connection. Just... acknowledgment that Impact's a better leader (and, I mean, he has been proving that he's tactically quite competent), and maybe, just maybe the assumption that Impact wouldn't do anything to actively hurt the team. It might be a bit of a stretch to get Pierce to think like this, but you can find a way, I'm sure. I'll be finding a way to make Impact less... bloodthirsty and more calculating, after all.

Because you do remember, this is supposed to be a bargain, yes? I let you have rivalry, you let me have leadership? As trades go, I think it's fair, but it'll take a bit of effort from both of us.


Anyway, back to torturing matt, if we're gonna strongarm him, I really think we should go pay someone else to do it. After the party, we can invite him to meet us at a cafe or something, and have him kidnapped on the way there. We wait for a while, while they make him talk, then we make a few miraculous realizations, maybe find a few clues, maybe someone talks, and we burst into the room, take out the thugs, save Matt.

Of course, the problem is this:

And hey, now that Bard is here we can go back to discussing Matt's torture. I still say Impact does some investigating, finds out Matt has been using his ID card to access personel files and finds out that matt accessed some security footage and audio recordings involving higher-ups in PATCA. THen he recruits Charlotte and Pierce to shake him down.

If this were true, if we knew there was evidence of this, and Impact was in a position to find it, that'd be great. What we're planning on doing is justified. But as long as Dante doesn't tell us what evidence there is to find, or even if there is evidence to find, doing this would amount to GMing. If we wanna torture matt, we have to get dante to talk. Otherwise, it'd be really unjustified, because Impact would have no evidence at all. And while Charlotte wouldn't mind, Pierce might.

Edit: If we could do what you've described, if we could find evidence that makes matt look like a genuine threat, we wouldn't even have to hire someone else to do it, because then we could be motivated by the desire to keep the team safe. We'd see ourself as the good guys. But for that to happen, dante would either need to tell us what's going on, or, at the very least, whether there's evidence that could make it look like Matt is a threat. Because as long as we know that such evidence exists, I can have Impact find it, but be really vague about it, we get our justification, beat up matt. If we don't know, there's nothing I can do, really.

[Dracorion]

Originally Posted by Geminex

Ok... so what kind of test were you thinking of?

Beats the hell out of me, you're the one who first mentioned a test.

Originally Posted by Geminex

Because yeah, I wasn't out for trust or friendship or emotional connection. Just... acknowledgment that Impact's a better leader (and, I mean, he has been proving that he's tactically quite competent), and maybe, just maybe the assumption that Impact wouldn't do anything to actively hurt the team. It might be a bit of a stretch to get Pierce to think like this, but you can find a way, I'm sure. I'll be finding a way to make Impact less... bloodthirsty and more calculating, after all.

Pierce isn't acknowledgeing that Impact is a better leader until he can trust Impact. Honestly, I don't know how. Not as much as Matt, but Impact has been distant and, moreso than Matt, manipulative. Not to mention when he abuses pauses, he gives Pierce the impression of trying to hold something back. As for being tactically competent, sure, but who hasn't?

I will give you that Pierce doesn't yet believe that Impact is actively trying to hurt the team.

Originally Posted by Geminex

Because you do remember, this is supposed to be a bargain, yes? I let you have rivalry, you let me have leadership? As trades go, I think it's fair, but it'll take a bit of effort from both of us.

Yyyyeaaah, that's the problem. I can't see Pierce giving up rivalry or his bid for leadership. Not unless Impact puts up a really elaborate act (and stops looking like he's holding something back when he talks, or hiding something, and whatshit and whatnot).

Of course, things're gonna be rocky for the next couple of missions, because Pierce isn't exactly a bucket of honesty himself. After his sidequest, he won't have anymore secrets.

Basically, like Bard said: good characters write themselves.

[Geminex]

and stops looking like he's holding something back when he talks, or hiding something, and whatshit and whatnot

...
That's how I always talk! Seriously! Long pauses? Choosing your words carefully? That's me. Admittedly, with me it's less because I'm holding stuff back and more because english is my second language and while I'm fluent, I like to express myself precisely. But still!

How has Impact been manipulative? For that matter, how's he been distant? He's been interacting with others, shouting out encouragement (or what could be seen as encouragement), showing emotion. He's even asked about the others personally, the only character to do so, so far.

Yyyyeaaah, that's the problem. I can't see Pierce giving up rivalry or his bid for leadership.

Again, why not? He speaks with long pauses? Really? Is that it?

[Dracorion]

Originally Posted by Geminex

That's how I always talk! Seriously! Long pauses? Choosing your words carefully? That's me. Admittedly, with me it's less because I'm holding stuff back and more because english is my second language and while I'm fluent, I like to express myself precisely. But still!

Well, shit. If it's a thing you do and not Impact, that's Pierce pretty much fucked isn't it? Except now I gotta figure a way out of this mess, jerk.

Originally Posted by Geminex

How has Impact been manipulative? For that matter, how's he been distant? He's been interacting with others, shouting out encouragement (or what could be seen as encouragement), showing emotion. He's even asked about the others personally, the only character to do so, so far.

Not a lot, but like I said, more than Matt. And he's been distant compared to everyone else on the team except Matt and Charlotte (and Pierce).

Originally Posted by Geminex

Again, why not? He speaks with long pauses? Really? Is that it?

And manipulative. Don't forget manipulative. Well, more like silver-tongued. Still.

Well, pauses be damned. Pierce doesn't trust Impact, but he doesn't not trust Impact anymore. That's something.

[DanteFalcon]

I parry your jab Impact and riposte.

[Dracorion]

Oh dear.

It seems to be a clash of the manipulative bastards.

Who will prevail?!

[Geminex]

Not a lot, but like I said, more than Matt. And he's been distant compared to everyone else on the team except Matt and Charlotte (and Pierce).

...
So, you're saying he's the second least PC, after Renny? That's more of a compliment, really.

Pierce doesn't trust Impact, but he doesn't not trust Impact anymore.

Does this mean what I think it means?

Edit:
Really, dante? Really? That's your riposte? I fart in your general direction.