snrbryjm
Newtons Third Law in action
- Pronouns
- It/He/They
In that Joe would notice the manipulation in a convo, sure, but doesnt he already have PTV blockers/immunity?
Brockton's Celestial Forge (Worm/Jumpchain)
- Thread starter LordRoustabout
- Start date
He has a fiat-backed Precog-blocker from the "Out-of-Context Problem" perk, except it explicitly states that neither Contessa nor Coil are hindered by it. So PTV will work on him. Whether his crafted versions are more effective in that manner is unknown, but that would also depend on whether he activates them with his Perk doing the job already…
well, I mean. why wouldn't he have them on? I'm fairly sure he knows Contessa is immune to his precog-blocker Perk, even if he has no clue who this Contessa character is, so he's probably got his precog-blocker item still going. That, and his early precog-blocking tactics of his workshop and his growth-rate, as precogs can't see inside his workshop and can't account for his growing powers. He's about as safe as he could be in regards to contessa, given the information he has about her.
Whoops, turns out that Contessa actually isn't immune to OCP. Here's the perk description from Chapter 77/58:
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Narsauce
The Crucible Shitlord
- Location
- Here, there and everywhere
That is not true, OCP mentions Scion, Cobtessa and Ziz by name as being affected by the perk, rendering them unable to precog Joe past his defences, with only Coil being immune.
Lord has also ruled that Coil is exempt from precog blocking stuff, because it's to annoying to deal with his power if it was blocked.
Edit: Here's OCP's perk text, if you're wondering.
Also, Joe's previous personal precog blocking items, IE the stuff crafted with his Servant powers, fed people wrong info, it didn't outright stop precog. Contessa, Scion and Ziz could probably push past it with enough effort, and actually precog him, however now if they push pst the outer defences, they'll get that error from OCP.
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- Location
- Earth
It'd be boring if you were to just die right at the start so for free
you'll have a selective immunity to the powers of a few rather nasty plot device level opponents
that by all rights would probably want to kill you right out of the gate. Contessa, Ziz, and Zion's
precog doesn't seem to be able to pick you up, instead returning a zero-sum error whenever they
try to force the issue. They won't notice this until you garner enough attention for them to try and
then they might take further measures to see what the problem is. But at the moment you'll be
safe from being instantly killed due to the threat you pose to their plans. This works on all
shard/entity derived precog. Your peculiar inter-dimensional nature just messes up their ability to
predict you. Coil is an exception due to the weird nature of his power.
you'll have a selective immunity to the powers of a few rather nasty plot device level opponents
that by all rights would probably want to kill you right out of the gate. Contessa, Ziz, and Zion's
precog doesn't seem to be able to pick you up, instead returning a zero-sum error whenever they
try to force the issue. They won't notice this until you garner enough attention for them to try and
then they might take further measures to see what the problem is. But at the moment you'll be
safe from being instantly killed due to the threat you pose to their plans. This works on all
shard/entity derived precog. Your peculiar inter-dimensional nature just messes up their ability to
predict you. Coil is an exception due to the weird nature of his power.
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- Location
- The Temple of the Winds
he also has the curtains that no-sell any pre-post-peri cog around his workshop, from ah my goddess super simple solutions perk iirc.
- Location
- Behind you
Tfw a shower curtain is what protects the Workshop, a 4th dimentional shower curtain that extend to the past and the future to prevent the concept of 'peeking in', but a shower curtain nontheless.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I dont know if its just me, but i would find it hilarious if the next chapter is "75 Easy Talk" because of the call with Lisa XD
Lisa's Shard: "I am the Negociator. I have millions of years of experiment maneuvering in increasingly complex diplomatic situation, reading my opponents and finding just the right information to reshape any situation into my Host advant-"
Apeiron: "Yeah, so 'Easy Talk' then."
Aisha: Ah yes, the Negotiator
- Location
- Behind you
You just made me imagine Aisha saying that the same way that the mass effect 'ah yes the reapers' meme say it, kudos!
EDIT: Or maybe Dr. Evil, either or.
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ExploerTM
Ruin has found you at last!
- Location
- Russia, Perm
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
You just made me imagine Aisha saying that the same way that the mass effect 'ah yes the reapers' meme say it, kudos!
EDIT: Or maybe Dr. Evil, either or.
"Ah yes, the 'Entities'. Giant eldrich space worms allegedly seeding powers and devouring planets. We have dismissed this claim" (c) Armsmaster
I'm curious about how much Joe will be able to discover in his talk with Lisa. Mental Fortress states that he can, "see through outside manipulation". Joe knows Lisa is hiding things from him due to their last conversation. (At the time she was hiding that Coil was her boss and that the bank job was a destraction to kidnap Dinah) Since then Joe has figured out the first of those secrets but not the secrets, but not the second. Going into this conversation Lisa is intending to bluff on two key points, both for the purpose of not giving Joe actionable intelligence so he doesn't make a move. First, that the Undersiders are preparing to engage the Teeth. Second, that Coil is keeping a powerful cape as an attack dog (not sure if she has identified it as proto-Endbringer or not).
However, now that Joe will be aware when Lisa is leading him away from certain facts, Lisa might be forced to concede some of these secrets to hide others and even then Joe will be aware that Lisa is still hiding secrets. (Much like their current arrangement where Joe is aware Lisa has secrets but isn't prusuing them until the time to act) More interestingly is that Joe and Lisa's partnership is built on the idea that they are both working towards eliminating the Undersider's boss. If Joe realizes she is getting cold feet (due to Enchida) he might decide that the deal entitling to her secrets doesn't apply and might find out the above things she was hiding from him. This info would cause him to go to action creating a self fulfilling prophecy on Lisa's end.
Now honestly, a lot of this is me being dramatic as Joe tends to take things slow. Last chapter he very clearly layed out his reasons for pursuing a slow path despite having an overwhelming power advantage. Yet, even if the chapter just ends up being a phone call with Lisa giving an exposition dump so we can get a better timeframe, with Joe pursuing no secrets, and it's just some back and forth from the two of them using their thinker powers I still think it will be an enjoyable chapter.
However, now that Joe will be aware when Lisa is leading him away from certain facts, Lisa might be forced to concede some of these secrets to hide others and even then Joe will be aware that Lisa is still hiding secrets. (Much like their current arrangement where Joe is aware Lisa has secrets but isn't prusuing them until the time to act) More interestingly is that Joe and Lisa's partnership is built on the idea that they are both working towards eliminating the Undersider's boss. If Joe realizes she is getting cold feet (due to Enchida) he might decide that the deal entitling to her secrets doesn't apply and might find out the above things she was hiding from him. This info would cause him to go to action creating a self fulfilling prophecy on Lisa's end.
Now honestly, a lot of this is me being dramatic as Joe tends to take things slow. Last chapter he very clearly layed out his reasons for pursuing a slow path despite having an overwhelming power advantage. Yet, even if the chapter just ends up being a phone call with Lisa giving an exposition dump so we can get a better timeframe, with Joe pursuing no secrets, and it's just some back and forth from the two of them using their thinker powers I still think it will be an enjoyable chapter.
I got a slightly different vibe…You just made me imagine Aisha saying that the same way that the mass effect 'ah yes the reapers' meme say it, kudos!
EDIT: Or maybe Dr. Evil, either or.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
I think on some level we expect Joe to send Tattletale into a Thinker spiral, but having experience with how negatively reinforcing information analysis spirals can be on someone's mental state due to developing Survey, our expectations won't match up to reality when it comes to how Joe will deal with that.
A more straight forward, less compassionate approach is how we might imagine ourselves dealing with Tattletale, since we think she deserves it for being a schemer, but Joe will probably just shut down attempts to outright misdirect and realize that trying to suss and tease out more details from her will just lead to her entering a negative Thinker spiral as she thinks she can only treat this as a conflict, one she won't win, which will just stress the two of them out. Albeit for different reasons.
So he will just simplify it and tell her to give him a firm timeline. Or failing that enough actionable intelligence to go off of and make plans with. If it lines up with his own expectations of what seems reasonable, he will let her keep her secrets. If not, the ultimatum is obvious, he will make his own plans without consulting her at all.
A more straight forward, less compassionate approach is how we might imagine ourselves dealing with Tattletale, since we think she deserves it for being a schemer, but Joe will probably just shut down attempts to outright misdirect and realize that trying to suss and tease out more details from her will just lead to her entering a negative Thinker spiral as she thinks she can only treat this as a conflict, one she won't win, which will just stress the two of them out. Albeit for different reasons.
So he will just simplify it and tell her to give him a firm timeline. Or failing that enough actionable intelligence to go off of and make plans with. If it lines up with his own expectations of what seems reasonable, he will let her keep her secrets. If not, the ultimatum is obvious, he will make his own plans without consulting her at all.
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Well, that's a way of looking at it that I didn't think about. I think on some level it's hard for me to remember that Joe is looking at this from the perspective of a vaguely parental figure who's more than a little tired of Tattletale's nonsense, not a reader of this story.
Although, in that case, why wouldn't Joe just jump straight to the ultimatum? Why give Tattletale the chance to weasel out if Joe wants to take care of Coil, knows that Tattletale also wants to take care of Coil, and is frustrated that Lisa is prevaricating and just won't tell him why?
BoredMan
Salutations thou who beds thy own mother
I don't. This nonsense has gone on for waaay too long. At this rate Coil will only be properly addressed after shit hits the fan, not before.
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Agree I rather Joe just give some false assurance to tattletale then go behind her back to deal with it himself or tell he won't deal with her schemes anymore and start taking actions to deal with Coil(tho I know it won't happen immediately) all in order to avoid the doormat mentality, gain some more pride and spiral power. Because let's face facts Coil literally has no method to counter Joe from both tracking him and hacking into Coil stuff plus Dinah power is useless, and Lord confirm that Echidna wouldn't even be able to touch Joe and the rest of travelers aren't even worth thinking about with how strong Joe is.
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Apeiron vs. the Internal Revenue Service (AmberSlime)
Apeiron vs. the Internal Revenue Service
The sky of Brockton Bay was an inky, smokey black. Fires raged uncontained due to how preoccupied my entire team, duplicates included, were. I was sweaty, I was exhausted, and my ribs ached something fierce, what with being fractured every way to Sunday.
The Celestial Forge gathered around me, staring at the massive crater that used to be Brockton's inner reaches. Piles of rubble coated the ground. I had needed to break out tools and effects I was trying to keep under wraps just to deal with... whatever that was. The city had to be evacuated.
"Is... is she dead?" Lethe asked, sounding utterly drained.
I didn't reply for a moment or two, focused as I was on the dead center of the crater. Anybody looking there would see nothing but a raised mound of rubble and concrete chunks. I didn't look away for an instant.
"...I'm not sure," I replied.
Moments after I said that, the mound shifted. Once, twice, and then... something rose up and out of the pile, kicking up small clouds of dust. Something that looked like a human woman, no taller than five-foot-five, calmly brushed bits of broken building off of her shoulders. It was dressed like a stereotypical men-in-black member, black tuxedo and gloves and all. I couldn't tell if they were wearing sunglasses, what with how their hair covered their eyes.
"OH, COME ON!" Lethe shouted. "WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO PUT YOU DOWN?"
...
"Far more than what you can put out," came the reply, monotone and dull. It was somehow perfectly audible, despite how far away the speaker was.
In lieu of a proper reply, Lethe just howled like a rabid bear, hands clawing at her helmet.
"Why are you even doing this," I asked. "What prompted... all this?"
"Tax evasion."
...
What...?
"THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" Lethe snapped, jolting me out of my thoughts. The non-sequitur had stunned me. Tax evasion? What kind of parahuman would pick a fight with me over tax evasion? Had I even committed tax evasion?
"My apologies. It seems I must have forgotten to state my purpose in coming here," the figure said, even as a wave of invisible force shoved rubble and debris aside, forming a large, perfectly round circle around the woman. An aura, a corona of power formed around her, sickly black and inky.
The woman popped like a soap bubble full of fog, that same inky aura suddenly becoming a pillar of dark energy that rose upward like an inverse waterfall, breaking through the smog of smoke chocking the skies.
"I represent the Internal Revenue Service."
The pillar of energy suddenly dispersed, revealing something that only resembled the woman in the sense that it was humanoid. A featureless, faceless being made out of sickly black ink towered up and up and up, bigger than even the Bigs I could build. So large was the being that it had to awkwardly huddle its feet and legs together to remain within the crater. With just two steps, it was outside of the massive crater, looking down at us.
Jozef Duris.
The words were not spoken, so much as they were projected. As though I wasn't hearing the words, but being forced to think them.
The Only Constants In This World Are Death And Taxation.
Oh... was that what this was all about?
You Have Not Given Your Government What It Is Duly Owed. This Will Be Rectified.
"I knew I should've set up my job at Garment's boutique sooner," I lamented, as I and my team got ready for one final bout. Lasers charged, swords scraped out of their scabbards, reality shrieked as items and weapons made with all of my might were readied...
Prepare Yourself.
And the long arm of the law shot forth like white water rapids made out of gloomy doom.
Portraying IRS agents as nigh-unstoppable eldritch horrors is funny to me. Also, @LordRoustabout, you missed this omake quoted below. If you could threadmark it I'd appreciate it.
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Or, just maybe, Joe will decide that he can deal with it himself and stop worrying about what Tattletale would think.......lol. Even if Joe said that he would deal with it himself, I wouldn't believe him. He is too passive, I wonder how much Mental Fortress will change that.
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Actually, it explicitly states that it DOES work on Contessa. PTV won't work on him. Only Coil has immunity to Joe's perk.
Narsauce
The Crucible Shitlord
- Location
- Here, there and everywhere
Apeiron: Well then it's a good thing that I just made another world, isn't it, Miss IRS Agent?
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