On Mon, 2 Nov 1998, Gary Kleppe wrote:

Andrew Petalik wrote:

I give. What's a BML?

"Blame Mike Loader."

This is also viable... but if she doesn't have something on the guy, that
may not work.

I know about a fic where she bluffs a guy with pictures (that were blank)
and he fell for it... but if this guy is sure about himself, that bluff
will fail and she'll lose credibility.

This guy seemed quite sure of himself, I suspect that bluff would've
failed. Nabiki would probably have calculated such a risk before acting.

True, she would've... but the picture scenario I talked about is only one
example of something she might do. If she doesn't already have something
on the guy, she's smart enough to set up a situation by which she acquires
something (or makes him think that she has.) That's what she did with
Ranma in that story where the two of them were left home alone.

Okay.  Take a look at what happened.  Boyo says that he's NOT going to pay
Nabiki, and even makes a humiliating bet to show he won't.  

Wouldn't forcing said person to pay ASAP, while the others still remember
the bet, be the perfect humiliation?  There are times to act cautiously,
and there are times to just ACT.  This falls under the latter.  By forcing
the 'hero' of the story to pay up, Nabiki has dramatically increased her
power.  For one, they know that she can't be physically intimidated.  For
another, they know that humiliation can come as a result of crossing her.
Another thing to consider: being beaten up by someone who, at first
glance, appears to be harmless in physical combat is humiliation enough
(You got beat up by a GIRL?!?).  

In other words, beating the tar out of the guy was the best thing she
could have done.  Nobody will EVER cross her after that.  

-- Nick