PIC OF B727; PNF; INSISTS ON THE FO LEAVING FL220 FOR FL200. CLRNC HAD BEEN REQUESTED BUT FO WAS UNSURE IF IT HAD BEEN APPROVED. TSTM ACTIVITY ALL AROUND AND FLYING WITH A 'BOSSY' CAPT.

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IT WAS A BUSY FLT; ESPECIALLY SINCE WE WERE BEGINNING THE DSCNT/ARR. WE HAD BEEN REQUESTING LOWER AND LOWER ALTS TO AVOID TURB FROM THE NUMEROUS TSTM 'OVERHANGS' IN THE VICINITY. I WAS FLYING AND WAS ACCUSTOMED TO THIS PARTICULAR CAPT 'DIRECTING' ME TO DO THIS OR THAT -- HE IS NOT BASHFUL ABOUT TELLING THE COPLT SPECIFICALLY WHAT TO DO. (EARLIER IN THE FLT HE HAD DIRECTED NUMEROUS SPD CHANGES AND TECHNIQUES HE LIKES TO SEE.) HE ASKED ATC FOR FL200 FOR TURB SINCE WE WERE FAST APCHING A DARK OVERHANG. ATC GAVE US FL220. I SET FL220 IN THE ALT REMINDER AND DSNDED FROM OUR LAST ALT; FL240 TO FL220. THE RADIOS WERE VERY BUSY AND WE WERE BOTH BUSY WITH OUR PREPARATIONS FOR DSCNT AND WITH USING THE RADAR FOR WX AVOIDANCE (WE HAD BEEN DEVIATING QUITE A BIT). AFTER REACHING AND LEVELING AT FL220; THE CAPT DIRECTED ME FIRMLY TO GET ON DOWN TO FL200 QUICKLY. I SHOULD HAVE STAYED AT FL220 BUT I STARTED DOWN OUT OF FL220 SINCE WE WERE ALMOST INTO THE BAD OVERHANG. I DID ASK THE CAPT IF HE WAS SURE AND HE SAID YES. I GUESS HE HAD HIS OWN DOUBTS; TOO; AND QUESTIONED ATC ABOUT OUR ASSIGNED ALT. THEY REPLIED FL220; SO I QUICKLY RETURNED TO FL220. ATC SEEMED UNCONCERNED ABOUT THE DEV (WE GOT AS LOW AS FL214) BUT OF COURSE I WAS MAD WITH MYSELF FOR LETTING MYSELF BE BULLIED; EVEN THOUGH I WAS A LITTLE UNSURE THAT WE WERE CLRED TO FL200 INSTEAD OF FL220. (AFTER ALL I WAS THE ONE WHO PUT FL220 IN THE ALT REMINDER.) BEWARE OF THE COMBINATION OF BAD WX; OVERLOADED RADIO FREQS; HVY WORKLOAD; AND A CAPT WITH A KING COMPLEX! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 367811: THE FO LEVELED AT FL220 BUT THE CAPT INSTRUCTED HER TO DSND TO FL200 (WHILE I WAS ON THE RADIO WITH MY COMPANY). I ASSUMED THAT WHILE I WAS BUSY ATC HAD GIVEN US A FURTHER DSCNT TO FL200. (CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: AN EXPECTED DSCNT TO FL200 AS REQUESTED; A VERY BUSY RADIO FREQ MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CALL FOR CLARIFICATION) AND A BUSY PHASE OF FLT (TAKING ME OUT OF THE 'LOOP').