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HH

In Reply To
Once more with feeling from... the Hooded Hood!

Subj: Continuing discussion with Jason from below: the SF possibilities of the SEC
Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 at 05:20:29 am EST (Viewed 4 times)
Reply Subj: Untold Tales of the Secrets of the Parodyverse #359 - Complete
Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2016 at 03:48:13 pm EST (Viewed 73 times)



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      I suspect that by now the LL has pretty clear rules of engagement, much like the police and armed services do, and they know going in which prevails.



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    That's partly why Lara tries not to end up on the front lines. She's not sure her own "rules of engagement" line up with the Legion's, and she doesn't want to hear the "that's not how we do things" lecture. It's easier to let someone else lead.


For the first time in this plotline, the LL were able to deploy with some reasonable intel and specific strategic and tactical objectives. In those circumstances they can be very effective.


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    If she's pushed hard enough or feels a strong need to protect her friends, though, she'll probably change that reluctance quickly.


The LL has always had a pitch-in and help attitude to other superheroes, even some dodgy ones. That's partly how Baroness Zemo was able to infiltrate them so easily.


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    Early in her career, [Lara] was both easily the most powerful on her team, and in the media spotlight because the public thought it was so cool to have a teenage superhero. The lesson she took from that was that no casualties were acceptable. The end result being that it was okay to use maximum force against someone who had the *potential* to cause a lot of casualties, because the public is more okay with "it's okay because she saved us all" than if she lets a few civilians die.



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    Though with a spaceship attack, she would be very worried about what would happen if it would fall, so she would relocate it as soon as possible, and then cause the ship to crash. Then she might start negotiating with them because she'll have them at a disadvantage.


Not wanting to lecture on, but this kind of backstory deserves being frontstory and framed in a narrative.


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      Hatman works with many people with spotty pasts. The question might be whether she still believes what she did was right.



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    She has had to kill, but she believes she was forced into it by people who have no limits. She does have a strong conscience, and it does haunt her still, and make her wonder if she should have done it.


One advantage of stories like the one in the current UT is that it makes possible even single-scene character vignettes to help illustrate things like that. The story hadn't the time to focus on such things and usually avoids significant character work on cast with active posters (since that's what active posters do), but it can act a sa framing device for an illustative moment.

For example, a brief lull in battle would allow a conversation between Lara and Cathode, the one a superhero from childhood, the other who got her powers a week ago, one having had to work out where her lines are drawn, the other having them drawn for her by the Baroness etc. Or there might be an encounter with career supervillain VelcroVixen who would make very different uses of Lara's powers and might think her a sap for not exploiting them properly. Or Emilio Cacciatore might try and hit on Lara for a date and ask some questions; modern women are a bit of a puzzle to him, let alone super-powered California dames. Any of them would allow some discussion of Lara's choices in-story.



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    What really might disturb Hatman - and Sir Mumphrey - is that she has also in the past negotiated with really bad people, and given in to them to help keep things peaceful. Chiaki knows this, and feels a kinship with Lara because of it.


Noted.


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      In practical terms, twenty billion believers all dumping shares in a company at once or all switching brand support to a more faith-amenable provider of goods or services is a back door to takeover.



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    Since you're using that comparison, imagine the Galactic Government as the militant wing of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Violating some of their trading rules, especially as a group, would result in eradication. That's one of the darker sides of the way they do things.


It's a good angle. Play it up.






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