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Post By
HH
In Reply To
Anime Jason 
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Member Since: Sun Sep 12, 2004
Posts: 2,834
Subj: Re: Turned into?
Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 11:14:12 am EDT
Reply Subj: Re: Turned into?
Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 02:17:07 am EDT (Viewed 418 times)


> > I guess we're talking about two different things as well. Tom hasn't done anything as horrible as Liu Xi has yet, but he has shown an ascerbic disregard for the feelings of people who cross him.

> Maybe that's the difference. Liu Xi has killed people, but paradoxically is a very sympathetic person.

It's better to be a sympathetic murderer than an unsympathetic smartass?

> > So it's okay to be rude when you lose your temper but not otherwise?
> She has to be pushed pretty far before she starts cursing. It's her alternative to reacting violently when she's pushed too much, or when she has no other defense. She's not as composed under pressure as Chiaki, and not as even tempered as Lara.

You'll notice that Tom hasn't sworn at anyone.

> > Tom's meant to be a somewhat grey character, so he has to have significant flaws as well as some virtues.

> The problem is, the flaws are turning him into everyone's enemy.

Where are all the attempts to befriend him? Asil made the effort and Tom was pretty decent to her - before things span out of his control.

> For example, Chiaki isn't always everyone's friend, but she's so polite and calm that she even gets away with carrying a sword into tense situations. If she would be a jerk *and* carry a sword, she would likely end up in confrontations much more often. As she would say, it's easier to disarm with words than with might.

Whereas Tom hasn't used his powers against anyone who hasn't attacked him first except to avoid conflict.

> > > Both of those women would take exception to being considered a Lair Legion crony. Especially Chiaki, who worked hard on her own to make a name for herself.
> > I'm speaking here from Tom's perspective, but also perhaps from that of some of the populace or the government. After all both women have taken up rent-free residence at the Lair Mansion, both have used association with the LL to avoid legal trouble, and both have attempted to establish romantic relationships with members of the team. You and I might know there's more to it than that, but from Tom's limited knowledge they're getting a deal he could never have.

> Chiaki is only there temporarily - she'll be going home soon. She generally lives in her own penthouse apartment. She doesn't really want to live in the mansion because she feels like she lacks some freedom there, having to account for everywhere she goes.
> Lara has a home in another universe, but she doesn't really mind being associated with the Lair Legion. She doesn't want people to think she takes orders from them, but she does want them to know she's there to help (when she is there).

Nobody's asked Tom to help out the LL.

> > Tom's only real illegal act in these stories so far is to hijack a plane to dicert it from a destination where he knows there's a trap waiting for him.
> It's less about breaking laws and more about creating additional enemies.

What would have been a better way for him to avoid an assassination squad awaiting him at his destination?

> > Tom's "jerkness" appears to be based upon him not liking being shaken down by G-Men or marked for sanctioning by his own government. It's not like he slapped a stewardess or anything.
> Or the way he responded. Cops often say innocent people have nothing to hide - the moment he started being evasive and sarcastic, that sets off alarm bells in a decent investigator, and thanks to cell phone and radio technology, that probably extended all the way to Project Pendragon in England.

Innocent people are entitled to privacy and therefore are allowed to hide things, whatever cops might want to think.

> Imagine if he would have been more cooperative. Probably still would have been deported, because that decision had been made already, but he might have been able to land in England safely.

He could have landed safely in England where the Project:Pendragon special ops team was waiting for him.

In fairness to the authorities, the last person they knew to be suffused with Kaos Energy conquered Badripoor and turned it into a rogue nation-state supporting global terrorism, recruited a literal army of superheumans to work for him, then damn near wiped out the world's superhero community single-handed before he was taken down. And Count Armaggadon could be stung by holy water. That kind of past experience is bound to make governments a little bit jumpy.

> > > What would really give her a crisis of loyalty is if the Lair Legion has a seemingly good reason to take over the universe by force, and asks for her help.
> > That's unlikely though.
> That's one of the reasons she helps the Lair Legion and not the Hooded Hood.

The Hooded Hood would be unlikely to ask for her help. He'd arrange other ways to have her further his plans.

> > > > Of course, Regret has already been enslaved to Vinnie's father.
> > > Now the only remaining problem is explaining it to Liu Xi. Even as a friend she expects better from him.
> > Better than what? So far we haven't even heard how he reacts to Regret walking into his office.
> She's going to be very suspicious at the least.

I'm about to post what happens next, so then we'll see. But really, unless Liu Xi is dating Vinny can she really give him grief for seeing someone else?




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