Curate, connect, and discover
So I just listened to the first ~40 minutes of c2e4 while doing somethings, just to get a headstart on tomorrow's (Today's, when I post this XD) episode. . . And I have a Many Post Ideas™ about but this one first.
(EDIT: Bsjsksk it was SUPPOSED to be first, but my schedules posts didn't work right - Please know I typed this up first XD)
!! Spoiler Warning for people who don't know PC Backstories/Caleb's History yet!!
Let's talk about Caleb talking to Toya in the boat.
Cause like, at first he's trying to get information (very wizard™ of him, imo, but also very 'on the run' wizard where knowing information and the keeping of certain strains of it are very important) - I feel this is not only to get a more full picture, but also to feel out how to proceed w/ Toya - How innocent is she in this? Was she mind-controlled? Was it more mundane manipulation?
He allows the others to explain the situation, he asks how she grew close to him after she says 'he was my friend'/the most emotional response thus-far in this point in the conversation, 'What did you talk about?', all with a sympathetic pained expression as he listens.
Alot of early-Caleb from what I've seen so far is trying to suss things out and decide best courses of action at almost every given turn - Carrying this on, his next part I feel is partly manipulation; The sympathy may be real to one extent or another, but what they/what he ultimately decides they need is for Toya to cooperate and I feel he's usin' that Charisma stat to try and secure her for that purpose (RIP that 6 tho XD)
This is all fun and good, but It's What he says at the start that brings me the most pause - He says, 'People we feel we know. . can be someone else.' - He continues on more towards manipulation, pushing gently to the forefront what he feels she needs to focus on (staying with the rest of the circus), but at that line I wonder. . .
What is he thinking about, when he says that? At first I stopped what I was doing and was like, '!!! His Parents? Does he mean his Parents??' Cause like, Yes, he knows now that those memories were false. . But still, it musta been something to 'realize' your parents were against the very country you are giving up so much to protect and serve.
But then I wondered. Is he thinking of his Parents, or perhaps Ickithon, who he thought of likely as a strict but ultimately Good teacher who also wanted the best for the Empire, wanted the best out of him for this noble cause?
Or was he thinking of himself, seen by his parents as their little spark, who was moving up in the world and loved them dearly. . . Only for him to mercilessly trap and burn them within the very home they raised him in?
!! Spoiler for Peeps who don't know the majority of the M9 Campaign Events !!
I'm sorry, but Molly saying to Toya at the start of the episode that Kyle had something bad inside him, something that made him do bad things and couldn't help it. . .
And I can't help but be reminded of how Molly rises again, way down the line through no intention of his own, and isn't quite Molly no more. . . Someone who does many really, really bad things ;u;
Just a small DM-Moment, but I REALLY like how when Caleb is trying to manipulate Toya a bit in the boat/ensure her cooperation and Liam has to roll Persuasion and rolls like dogshit (RIP that 6™ XD), instead of taking an easier route of having Toya merely dismiss his words (ofc there are times and places for a players words to genuinely be ineffective!! But it can feel bad if you're trying real hard/speaking with alot of thought and you just roll real bad), Matt has it so that Toya is simply. . Very, very understandably distracted by the presence of the scary lady who choked her to unconsciousness just an hour or so earlier XD 😬 😂
Feels like such a good choice that opens up further roleplay (esp. since Beau/Marisha hadn't spoken up too much in the convo w/ Toya thus far), without discounting Liam's really good speech (unfortunately weighed down by that 6™ XD 😂)