>>148901
Can you only move his psyche/soul...
Or can you mess with the way his brain fires...

Cause if you can do the second, I got some very nice ideas...

Assuming the first, we know he has no defense mechanisms going. He is used to death... If you can get him to believe a bluff from Oren... Somebody close to him that Oren can say he has under his axe...
Dig that up

Undertaker 2010/03/17(Wed)17:56 No. 148907 ID: f98e0b
File 12688737889.png - (342.30KB , 800x600 , 64.png )

Sight, hearing, that sort of thing, I can't influence without Joseph realizing something's up. Not at my ability level. I'm no illusionist.

I'll try for another tack. Maybe I can stir up some sort of emotional response.
Hell. Looks like he's got a fairly thick mental wall up keeping him from feeling guilt about those he killed. At least, keeping me from doing anything. Looks like direct mental manipulation won't work. What I need is a way to help Oren out a little. Even the playing field. Joseph's got Oren's love of Squires to exploit.

>>148907
What about Sophia? Or that third guy?

Search for a grave with the last name of Bird or Daniels in it, hell anything juicy to relay the information to Oren. See if we can stir up some bad memories with him killing family or hurting Sofia in anyway.

Undertaker 2010/03/17(Wed)18:08 No. 148913 ID: f98e0b
File 126887449254.png - (30.21KB , 800x600 , 65.png )

Now that I can do. I'm an undertaker, after all.
I find "Bird". A small block with some fresh earth on top. A little digging and- aha.

Undertaker 2010/03/17(Wed)18:09 No. 148914 ID: f98e0b
File 126887457053.png - (107.58KB , 800x600 , 66.png )

It's a filing cabinet, buried in the ground. I pull it out. And another. And another. And another.

I think we've found something.

Regrets. Open that one up.

>>148914
What's in FEARS?

>>148916
Ohh yeassssss

Dear lawman, we regret being criminal bastards, we regret coming to town, and we regret messing with the law. HORAH

Hmm. I don't suppose you've got paper and a pen on you, or think you could find them?

Just a thought. Alternatively, it would be interesting to do some reorganizing.

>>148914
this is worth more than gold...
Time to do some note takin'
Would be kinda nice if we did the searching... As there are many of us... But this'll do

fears, definitely. People fuck things up when they're scared.

Brom 2010/03/18(Thu)13:28 No. 149245 ID: f98e0b
File 126894411017.png - (112.33KB , 800x600 , 67.png )

[Mr. Loper. We got him.]
[Hm? What did you do, Undertaker?]
[Some digging. Repeat after me, Oren.]

"Did you just kill him for the money, Joe?" asks Oren. "Is that all it was?"
"Pretty much," says Joseph. "It's kind of my fucking job description."
"No it's not," says Oren. "Your job description is 'Consultant', right? You're too much of a pussy to admit what you really are."
"And what's that?" says Joseph.
"You're a failure, Joseph," says Oren. "You wanted to be a cop. You fucked it up."
"What, and follow the stupid Authority charter? You're not better than me, Loper. You-"

Brom 2010/03/18(Thu)13:30 No. 149246 ID: f98e0b
File 126894421110.png - (115.66KB , 800x600 , 68.png )

But Oren ignores him.
"You wanted Nessie. You fucked it up. You've been wanting to turn your life around for years, take that money you earn from doing these jobs, and start new but you realize that killing is an addiction and you like being worse than what you are and you're caught in it so you fucked that up too, Joseph. And now you know you've fucked up irredeemably and there's a man with a hand full of mace and a head full of rage knocking at your door. And you can flash your pretty knives and play your pretty head games but you know that though you were better than me in CQC training at Academy, I have dedicated ten years of my life to putting down nothings like you, and all you've done is hidden in the shadows and killed like a coward, for no cause. You're afraid, aren't you, Joseph?"
There's no reply from the other side of the door. Oren doesn't hear any more footsteps. No more fiddling at a lock.

Step to the side. There's probably going to be an angry man with knives bursting through the door in a few seconds.

Silence. I don't like the silence. Idunno, get your ears to the floor or something you gotta be able to hear him move.

Heh. Fears AND regrets. Who'd know?

>>149246
More likely you provoked him than shocked him...
Get ready for an enraged attack... which means more force, less finesse...

Which means that you'll strike a good blow with good timing...

>>149246
If he's not about to barge through the door, open it and see if you can take him on in his mentally unstable state.

Also another fear oh his is your manly chin, Oren. It's so intimidating, it makes him shiver at night. It makes all the girls quake as you pass. Goddamn DAT CHIN.

Insult his puny chin. So tiny.

Brom 2010/03/18(Thu)19:54 No. 149425 ID: f98e0b
File 126896727834.png - (163.07KB , 800x600 , 69.png )

Oren moves to the side and puts his back to the wall.
"Don't fucking push me, Loper." says Joseph.
[Looks like he's ready to burst, Sheriff. Okay. Now say, 'What would...]
"What do you think Darla would say about you now, Joseph?" asks Oren. "You think she'd still love you? I guess you took care of that problem a long time ago."

"I'm going to kill you, Oren," says Joseph.

Brom 2010/03/18(Thu)19:56 No. 149426 ID: f98e0b
File 126896737936.png - (156.44KB , 800x600 , 70.png )

He doesn't slam the door down or anything so dramatic. It opens slowly, and he stalks out, grip tight on his daggers.

"Okay, Loper." he mutters. "You want me, you've got me. Wonder if you know what you've done."

Hit the door REALLY HARD into him. And if that doesn't work, be prepared to avoid being stabbed.

Slam the door back on him, HARD. Let's start by disorienting the fucker.

>>149426
Slam door and bring mace up in a under-swing just in case he dodges (or really even if he doesn't, no harm in more harm at this point.)

whack him in the face

...And then immediately open it again. He's gotta know that's coming. Mad or not, there's nowhere else you could be and nothing unexpected. Be sure he doesn't stab you through the door (how hard is the wood?) and once you thwack him, you'll need to get him before he recovers and runs off.

Brom 2010/03/19(Fri)14:57 No. 149678 ID: f98e0b
File 126903586080.png - (275.60KB , 800x600 , 71.png )

"And I wonder why you didn't see this coming," says Oren, slamming the door on Joseph's left arm. He lets out a sharp gasp and drops the knife in that hand.
"Fuck you, Oren," he spits. "Pussy."

>>149678
Kick the knife away and press the advantage.

>>149678
smack his hand with your mace so he can't use it. then open the door and engage.

>>149678
You has mace. He has arm stuck. BREAK IT.

>>149680
Do this, but watch for another knife coming through the door.

"No thank you, I've had plenty today. Now it seems that you..." Smash his hand, "need a hand."

Oooh, you could grab his pinned arm and twist it to disable him.

>>149683
YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

>>149684
>>149680
Why choose?

Brom 2010/03/19(Fri)17:30 No. 149707 ID: f98e0b
File 126904505060.png - (213.04KB , 800x600 , 72.png )

Oren aims for the arm, but Joseph kicks the door, hard, freeing his arm and knocking the wind out of Oren's lungs. He grabs Oren's arm

Brom 2010/03/19(Fri)17:31 No. 149708 ID: f98e0b
File 126904508621.png - (343.80KB , 800x600 , 73.png )

and lunges through the doorway, knocking the already disoriented Oren backwards and bringing his other dagger toward his neck.

Oren raises up a hand and manages to fend off the dagger, but Joseph’s pushing and Oren’s off balance. It’s all he can do to keep from falling backward.

>>149708
Why resist falling backwards? Use that momentum, and toss the fucker.

How close are you to the wall? Fall backwards and let him go over you and bang his head on the wall, perhaps.

Fall, throw him to the side as you do and twist his knife hand with the force.

Allright, you´re gonna have to lead him a bit. Guide yourself to a wall, flat your back against it. When things are stable, kick him in the balls.

Never let go of his hand, lets pray he doesn´ lets go of his. With some luck, he´l llet go of the knife when it hits the wall.

>>149708
Fall, but twist him under you. Elbow to the throat will work wonders, then push yourself off and up.

>>149708
bad positioning... you'd think a guy good in CQC would keep himself balanced

The way his arm is positioned means you can stab him with his own knife... he's also holding his knife in a way that any smart fighter wouldn't...

if anything, you should be able to pull him to the ground with ease for a curb stomp.

Brom 2010/03/19(Fri)18:34 No. 149729 ID: f98e0b
File 126904886327.png - (192.01KB , 653x570 , 74.png )

Oren wants to avoid hitting the ground if at all possible, especially when he's got a weapon like a mace which requires a bit of space to swing and Joseph's holding a much closer-range weapon.

>>149713
Instead he goes with Joseph's momentum, bringing himself to the wall. He props himself up and strains against Joseph's knife.
"You're laboring under the false assumption that just because you wear black and wave knives around you're scarier than I am, Joseph," he says through gritted teeth.
"I've killed cops before, Loper," says Joseph, pushing the knife closer. "You can't hide behind your fuckin' badge when there's a blade in your face."
"You also seem to think you're the only one who can fight dirty, Joe," says Oren. "Lemme fix that." He kicks, hard. Joseph lets out a strangled squeak as his legs give.

"See, I don't like you, Joe."

>>149729
He let go of your arm. Clock him good upside the head with your blunt instrument.

>>149731
Swing mace up into the lower jaw, then thrust into the neck to push him away.

>>149729
That wasn't very nice.

>>149735
This sounds about right. But you do have two arms, probably best to use both of them.

>>149744
I'd say, push him down, then WHAM! Aim for the head!

Brom 2010/03/19(Fri)20:02 No. 149784 ID: f98e0b
File 12690541726.png - (317.18KB , 800x600 , 75.png )

>>149731
>>149735
>>149744
"By the way, Joe, you're under arrest." says Oren, then brings the mace up, around, and into the side of his head, pushing on his neck at the same time.
He's unconscious before he hits the ground.

Tie him, go find Squires.

BOOM HEADSHOT

ok... Now we restrain him and put him in a place he won't be looked for...

The papers! Frisk him, and check out the other room, too.

Don't forget that there was a third guy.

Brom 2010/03/19(Fri)20:30 No. 149796 ID: f98e0b
File 126905580717.png - (201.11KB , 800x600 , 76.png )

>>149793
Oren finds them in his back pocket. Unopened.

Should he?

Yes. You need to read them over ASAP.

I don't see why not.

Might want to be careful could be some magic crap on there.

Head into the other room first. Back to the wall, man, stops people from sneaking up on you.

Don't. Keep them as evidence, and read them with Grease in your presence so he can explain himself.

Brom 2010/03/19(Fri)20:34 No. 149803 ID: f98e0b
File 126905609197.png - (148.75KB , 800x600 , 77.png )

>>149797
>>149798
Oren opens up the page, determined to see just what Theo

what theo

what

BWAHAHAHAHAHHAH XD

>>149803
>muschioFFUUUUUUUU.gif

Goes to show you for how little men will kill themselves over, whether directly or indirectly.

What kind of idiot includes a "Maybe" box? That doesn't tell you anything!

The kind of idiot who is afraid of rejection.

>>149806
No. The hitmen were hired by CLARA, remember?

>>149809
Hence 'indirectly'.

>>149803
SO.
HOW ABOUT CALLING THEO UP RIGHT NOW THEN?

How do we know this is the document they were after? It could have been a fake they made to keep the real one hidden so they can escape with it.

>>149803

..Ahahahahaha.

Anyway first off, TIME FOR JAILSIES. Also call up Clara. And Theo. To a table. With hot white lamps.

Put the letter in the middle.

Think about it. Why would an information broker give a letter like this such a high price? It's far too simplistic.

>>149803
did you consider this letter might have hidden wording on it in some sort of invisable ink...
Possibly even blood. That means you need a UV light to check it...

Or the boxes could mean something else. As in the checkmark signifies sometihng other than a relationship...

Before we do anything, let's check on Squires and the third criminal.

Brom 2010/03/20(Sat)12:47 No. 150051 ID: f98e0b
File 126911442135.png - (286.74KB , 800x600 , 79.png )

"I got the guy, his name's Aldo," says Nessie, walking in and sheathing her blade. "Gave up without a fight when he found out Sofia was okay. They're trussed up outside."

Brom 2010/03/20(Sat)12:47 No. 150052 ID: f98e0b
File 126911446594.png - (285.34KB , 800x600 , 80.png )

"Sheriff? Honey? What's up?" she asks, grabbing his arm. "Hey, is that the--"

Okay use your phone and call Theo RIGHT FUCKING NOW.

Brom 2010/03/20(Sat)13:19 No. 150060 ID: f98e0b
File 126911634452.png - (156.42KB , 800x600 , 82.png )

>>150055
bzzzt bzzzt
flick

"Grease Galvin. Can I help you?"

>>150060
"Theo, what did I just fight no less than three professional hitmen to get? A love note? Seriously?"

>>150060
so Theo... what is this shit I'm looking at right here? you know people almost died over this right?

Go down there and punch him in the dick.

>>150060
Your cart better gleam like a gemstone and run like Apollo's chariot of the fucking sun for this.

Brom 2010/03/20(Sat)15:52 No. 150096 ID: f98e0b
File 126912555193.png - (165.20KB , 800x600 , 83.png )

"Grease I will punch you in the dick" says Oren, and hears a clang on the other side of the line, as well as Grease swearing, loudly. "What the hell am I looking at here?"
"What are you looking at?" asks Grease.
"Theo, what did I just fight no less than three professional hitmen to get? A love note? Seriously?"
"Oren, what're y- three proffesional hit- You opened the letter? Why would you... waitasecond, did you say hitmen?"
"Three of them, Grease."
"Shit, Oren. Really? I mean, I- It was just a love letter. Why'd there be hitmen after it?"

There wouldn't be. Maybe there's been a mix up?

>>150096
"I don't know, how about you tell me why you felt it was valuable enough to cash in all your favors for it? Why was it priced at 750 gilt? Why was Clara not supposed to get her hands on it, when she already had it once already, apparently?"

I guess we may have to ask our prisoners who hired them.

I think this is a simple case of "You are all goddamn morons."

Just go home and take a nap.

Brom 2010/03/20(Sat)16:27 No. 150119 ID: f98e0b
File 126912762562.png - (212.09KB , 800x600 , 84.png )

>>150101
"I don't know, how about you tell me why was it priced at 750 gilt? Why was Clara not supposed to get her hands on it, when she already had it once already, apparently?"

"Look, it was third grade, alright?" says Grease. "I don't know how the information guy got his hands on it, I mean I never got it back from her, maybe she like lost it. And the information guy wouldn't sell it to me unless I paid him 750 gilt, which I guess is his idea of a joke, and he wanted to sell it to Clara, 'cause he was telling her it was super secret documents that could drive me out of business and she believed him, so I called you to get it for free for me. I thought you'd just walk in and take it and be done with it, Oren. Honest. If I'd known it would get you in trouble with a hitman I'd never have asked you to do it."

"But why would you want to cash in all your damn favors to get this one note?"
"She woulda wasted a lot of money on it if she'd bought it and that wouldn't have been fair. Plus I wanted to lord it over Clara that she could be so easily fooled, and maybe lord it over her if she'd said yes, is all," says Grease. "Um, did she... say yes?"
"Not the time, Theo."
"Right. Sorry, Sheriff."

Time to interrogate the fuck out of your prisoners.

>>150119
Maybe Clara didn't know these guys were hitmen? She might've just been cashing in a favor. I mean, they weren't sent to kill anyone. This was covert ops, and thus not their usual method, so it would make sense that she didn't know their usual method.

Ask him if he was in the same school with any of those three. Maybe Clara knew them.

Pick up Theo, Pick up Clara, bring your prisoners to the table, and bring the information guy to the table too.

Then lay an educational beat-down on everyone.

Spare nobody.

>>150136
This.

You just had to put up with way more shit than one guy should have to put up with in one day, and for an absolutely retarded reason. Someone is getting a tirade over this. Probably multiple people.

At some point, we're going to get that information broker charged with fraud. And possibly extortion, if he threatened to have Theo driven out of business.

A good way to do that is to go to Clara and question her about this mess before she finds out what really happened.

>>150134
Naw, you don't pay hitman prices for a pickup job.

>>150136
>>150147
>>150152
I agree with these people. Let's have Squires take the perps in, we tell Theo to get his sorry ass to the station, and we drive on over to Clara's place, and see what happens. Then, we bring her in to the station, and bang people against each other until we know what's what.

Brom 2010/03/20(Sat)18:53 No. 150188 ID: f98e0b
File 126913643885.png - (232.77KB , 800x600 , 85.png )

"Are you kidding me?" says Clara. "You're assassins? You said you were consultants! That's what it said in the fucking yellow pages!"
"Technically it'h code," says Sofia.
"Euphemism, I think's the word," says Aldo. "Joseph thought it was more appropriate."
"Appropriate, hell!" says Clara. "That's just false fucking advertising. If I go to a restaurant and ask for apple pie and the chef shits on a plate it's called deceptive advertisement. I'd call for your arrest if you weren't already under arrest."
"Deceptive? You want deceptive?" says Grease. "You checked 'Maybe'! She checked 'maybe', everyone! Who does that? Why did I even have that as an option?"
"Could the cell be co-ed?" asks Aldo. "I think the cells should be co-ed."
"That was in the third grade!"
"Well sorry if I think you're being just a little hypocritical, Clara!"
"My nothe itcheth and I've got thethe handcuffthe. Could thomeone itch my nothe?"
"Hypocritical? You're calling me hypocritical? I'd like to know just who sat behind who in Science pulling whose ears before you call me hypocritical..."

"This is going to be a long interrogation," says Nessie.

I think maybe people need to be interrogated seperately. Especially if you suspect funny business. I mean, she had to have told them to do something. Also, itch nose.

End Brom 2010/03/20(Sat)19:03 No. 150190 ID: f98e0b
File 126913699120.png - (39.22KB , 800x600 , 86.png )

"They were taunting me! Taunting me, waving over my desk! That's your fault!"
"Oh, here we go. Here we go, guys. Listen to this."
"Hold on, babe, lemme just use my elbow..."
"Thankth."
"This is your pride again. This is you thinkin' you're better than me just because you work on all the good vehicles in town..."
"That's because I am better than you, Galvin!"
"Are you kidding? Have you seen the mayor's skiff? That thing's a shiny chrome eyesore. Now if I was in charge of..."
"You'd just put on hot rod flames or some shit, Grease!"
"You're damn right I would! And furthermore..."
"So about those co-ed arrangements..."

This is the part where a headcrab and scientist in an orange powersuit suddenly appear and the headcrab eats a crow and the man poofs away, leaving it behind.

>>150196
Yes.