Kintsugi Plays Fallen Hero: Rebirth

Perks of dating a fellow villain: we don't have to lie about our evil plans! (Just about every other part of our life.)​

> I will tell part of the truth about why Barbara needs to be there.

"I have had more instructions from my boss." You lounge back in your chair a little, keeping the easy, sensual body language that you have adopted around her. "Now, they didn't give me exact instructions on how to go about this, and I was thinking that just maybe we can help each other out."

"Is that so?" The look of amusement on her face tells you that this is the right way to play it.

"I need to go to a party. A fancy party. And you need to take me out to dinner like you promised. So, it sounds to me that maybe we can make something of this."

"Did your mysterious boss have any place in particular in mind?" Dr. Mortum is intrigued enough to not say no right away, but you can see that she is wondering what your game is.

"The benefit gala for the new hero museum."

"Really?" That was not something that she had expected. "Now, ma chérie, what are you supposed to do there?"

"You know those explosives that you were asked to include in the deal?"

"Yes, things like that would not have slipped my mind." Dr. Mortum's eyes are narrowing, and you realize you had better pick the right way to phrase this.

　‣ They are for distracting everyone at the event.
　‣ They are for blowing up the museum.

I mean, neither of these statements is false…​

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy

Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 25% / Obscurity: 75%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 14% / Anonymity: 86%
██▒█████████████████
Ruthlessness: 45% / Empathy: 55%
████████████████████
Daring: 45% / Caution: 55%
████████████████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: friend.
Ortega and Josie: 81%
████████████████▒███

Barbara's relationship with Ortega: flirting.
Ortega and Barbara: 65%
████████████████████

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 54%
██████████▒█████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Marshal Steel: former ally.
Marshal Steel and Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Josie's relationship with Herald: distant.
Herald and Josie: 20%
████████████████████

 

> they are for SPLODE

 

Something something honor between villains, I'm down to invite her to invite us and I'm sure she did a decent job getting explosives that wouldn't implicate her, but I would like her to know before going to the future scene of the crime she's helping happen in at least one way

 

Plus she's going to find out what they're for eventually, and she might be less than amused by evasiveness once she does. :::PPP

 

Our most radical idea yet: direct, honest communication.​

> They are for blowing up the museum.

"I am supposed to blow up the museum." You scratch the back of your head a little, smiling sheepishly at Dr. Mortum.

"The explosives are not strong enough for that, ma chérie." The slender, black fingertips have started to tap the surface of the table. You recognize that gesture; it means that she is thinking.

"Not the whole place, obviously. But enough damage to hurt the structure." That earns you a chuckle, and Dr. Mortum folds her hands together.

"So let me get this straight, ma chérie." Dr. Mortum leans a little closer, looking you straight in the eye. "You are inviting me to the gala that everybody is talking about, with the express purpose of wrecking it."

"That's…not entirely correct." You pause, then brave a grin. "Technically, I am suggesting that you invite me. I don't have tickets yet."

"I would think that your boss would have taken care of that already."

"Has my boss given you the impression that they care much about making my life easier?" You can feel your voice gaining a harder edge. "They give the orders, and I have to obey."

"I see." Dr. Mortum purses her lips.

>

"I could have lied and tried to manipulate you into asking me out." You start to wonder if that might actually have been easier.

"Do you really think it would be that easy to play me, ma chérie?"

"I am telling you the truth, aren't I? That should tell you something." You know that you have raised your voice, sounding more than a little defensive, but right now it doesn't matter if you're losing a bit of control. It just adds to the character.

"That is true," she admits.

"But maybe you would have issues with actually getting the tickets…they are only available to the select few, I suppose." You make a look of disappointment that brings out a curse in return.

"Merde." The laugh is short and sharp. "Keep your barbs to yourself, ma chérie. Getting tickets would not be an issue."

"Ah, so it's the blowing things up that bothers you."

"Well, you are suggesting ruining the very party we are going to."

Improving, not ruining!​

"Once we've had our fun, of course. Don't tell me you don't want to see the people there run around like panicked chickens."

"That is an appealing prospect," she admits.

"So is it a date, then?"

"Fine, ma chérie. You win. But you had better dress up and make this worth it." The words are harsh, but the smile is showing that Dr. Mortum really does seem to enjoy the thought of getting into the thick of it once more.

"Trust me," you say, allowing your smile to grow wide and predatory as well. "This will be a night to remember."

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy

Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 25% / Obscurity: 75%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 14% / Anonymity: 86%
██▒█████████████████
Ruthlessness: 45% / Empathy: 55%
████████████████████
Daring: 45% / Caution: 55%
████████████████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: friend.
Ortega and Josie: 81%
████████████████▒███

Barbara's relationship with Ortega: flirting.
Ortega and Barbara: 65%
████████████████████

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 60% (+6)
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Marshal Steel: former ally.
Marshal Steel and Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Josie's relationship with Herald: distant.
Herald and Josie: 20%
████████████████████

Our preparations—and chapter 7—are complete!

Next time: We have a date with our good* doctor (and some light property damage) to get to.​

 

Here we go.​

Two Days Later

This time, you will not leave anything to chance.

Back when you were still fighting on the side of the angels, the truth was that you and Ortega won more fights due to your opponents' idiocy than through your own brilliant tactics. Inevitably, people would end up backstabbing each other, or someone would not bother sticking to the plan. If you were in trouble, you could always count on some hothead deciding to go after their archnemesis instead of pressing home their advantage as a team.

The point is that villains are not stable individuals; they are a collection of psychopaths and idiots, of megalomaniacs and criminals. They can be trusted only to screw themselves over as readily as their enemies, which is why you have made sure to keep your exposure to them to a sheer minimum. You are different. You will not make a fool of yourself.

So tonight, you have everything planned out. Step by step.

The first step is getting out of the rented limousine, taking care to neither slip nor accidentally flash somebody. Luckily, Dr. Mortum's hand is there to steady you, because your heels are a bit higher than you normally wear. You are wearing clothes worth more than a year's rent on your apartment, but it's all for a good cause, and only partially to impress your date.

The rest is camouflage.

It feels slightly odd to be using something this expensive to fit in, as normally you are hesitant to stand out. But on this occasion, all your rules go out the window.

Of course, that's nothing new when you're inhabiting Barbara's body; life is strange, and you just have to deal. Still…

　‣ …at times like this, I love being Barbara.
　‣ …I feel increasingly uncomfortable, but am trying to hide it.

Do we enjoy stepping into the shoes of someone with nothing to fear from the spotlight? Or do we wish we didn't have to?​

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy

Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 25% / Obscurity: 75%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 14% / Anonymity: 86%
██▒█████████████████
Ruthlessness: 45% / Empathy: 55%
████████████████████
Daring: 45% / Caution: 55%
████████████████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: friend.
Ortega and Josie: 81%
████████████████▒███

Barbara's relationship with Ortega: flirting.
Ortega and Barbara: 65%
████████████████████

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 60%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Marshal Steel: former ally.
Marshal Steel and Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Josie's relationship with Herald: distant.
Herald and Josie: 20%
████████████████████

 

That's us, so good at not being bothered by the presence of, say, Ortega.

Anyway re: being a Barbie girl in a Barbara world: life in plastic, it's fantastic.

 

Now rooting for our explosives to be something like C4, because plastic.

 

Place your orders now for the new Henchwoman Barbie!*

* Contains parts not suitable for children under 3 years of age.

 

can't wait to see Henchwoman Barbie in the upcoming Barbie movie

 

> …at times like this, I love being Barbara.

It's a different kind of anonymity, being Barbara. People look at you, but it's not you they are looking at. The mask might be skin deep, but it feels like it goes a lot deeper. The things you have to fear as Josie are not things that bother you now. Let people look—you know you are magnificent.

As you approach the brightly lit doors, you cast a glance back over your shoulder. You can see the white van parked on the far side of the street. The owner should be at a bar further down the block, drinking heavily. The suggestions you planted should keep him there for the rest of the night. There's nothing to connect him to what is about to happen; he will just wake up with a hangover and a very foggy memory of the last few days.

Nothing unusual, you are sure.

It is weird thinking that your proper self is resting in the back of the van, an empty body dressed in an advanced battlesuit and covered by tarp. It should be close enough to slip into when you need to.

It won't be long now.

"I didn't know you could dress up this nice." You take a moment to smile at Dr. Mortum, and you have to admit that you are surprised. You've seen her in the flashy outfit she usually wears to Joes, and in her usual lab coat. Not in a fashionable dress complete with a pair of very expensive glasses. In a way, it transforms her more than a mask would.

"Likewise, ma chérie. How much did you pay for that dress?"

"Nothing," you say with a sweet little chuckle, making her laugh in turn.

"That's my girl."

"Really?" You give her a challenging look.

"Well, for tonight anyway." She offers you her arm with a flourish, and after a moment of hesitation, you take it.

You need to get through the door, after all, and there is a moment of tenseness when she presents the tickets before being allowed inside.

Looks like the good doctor couldn't care less if people stare at the two of you. In a strange way, that makes you rather envious.

"Such a lovely party this seems to be." Dr. Mortum smiles faintly as she looks around once you're finally inside. "Would be a shame if something happened to it."

"Would be a shame if someone chose to run their mouth a little too much," you say quietly, a sharp smile aimed in her direction. It's obvious that the good doctor has a lot to learn about the subtler aspects of manipulation.

"I'll behave, ma chérie, as long as there is time to have some fun together before your fun begins." The smile she returns is as sharp as yours, and you promise yourself to remember that she might be friendly, but that doesn't make her harmless.

"Don't worry about that," you reply with a softer smile. "How about getting me a drink to start things off?"

"That I can do, ma chérie—I'll be right back."

> Look Around the Room

It feels strange to walk here amongst your so-called betters, but it is no stranger than the other things you've done recently. If anything, it makes you feel more at home than usual because here everybody wears a mask. Yours just goes a little deeper than most.

Overhead, the domed ceiling is filled with lights resembling stars, lowered from dazzling brilliance to comfortable ambiance. Nobody needs bright lights to reveal their flaws, and you know that as time passes, faces will begin to shift. Makeup will rub off and be clumsily reapplied, faces going stale from too many lies and too much champagne. It will also allow for some refuge from the ever-present cameras.

While the photographers are not as numerous in here, very few being allowed the accreditation to get inside, some are still allowed to capture the stories that the people in charge want to tell. Normally, you'd be annoyed at their presence. But right now, they are providing your best protection against the Special Directive.

A team made for war zones and shadows isn't something deployed in public areas like this, which is what you have counted on. You do not want to be their target yet: you know too much about them to even imagine that you would be ready.

This, however, is more up your alley. The people here are ignorant and rich, and their security is laughably inadequate against someone who knows what they are doing. Have they grown that safe and indolent, trusting to the Rangers and other heroes to keep them safe? How little they understand about the true nature of things.

You look forward to teaching them a lesson.

Still, it feels odd to be here with someone else, even if it is for a reason. Your relationship with Dr. Mortum is a complicated one, but during the drive here you made one thing clear to her: whatever else this relationship is, it also means that…

　‣ …this is a real date, perhaps the first of several.
　‣ …we are just flirting—who knows where this will go from here.
　‣ …we are just friends, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun.
　‣ …this is all business, even if it is pleasurable business.

Are we officially On A Date™ here, or are we keeping flirty and noncommittal as usual? (We could also opt to keep things platonic, or strictly professional, if we're having second thoughts.)​

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy

Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 25% / Obscurity: 75%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 14% / Anonymity: 86%
██▒█████████████████
Ruthlessness: 45% / Empathy: 55%
████████████████████
Daring: 45% / Caution: 55%
████████████████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: friend.
Ortega and Josie: 81%
████████████████▒███

Barbara's relationship with Ortega: flirting.
Ortega and Barbara: 65%
████████████████████

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 60%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Marshal Steel: former ally.
Marshal Steel and Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Josie's relationship with Herald: distant.
Herald and Josie: 20%
████████████████████

 

Flirty, I think. Too early to commit to A Date TM, but part of the dynamic here has been flirting with danger that has no personal Josie baggage, and we did claim we're not here for our boss

 

> …we are just flirting—who knows where this will go from here.

As far as you know, Dr. Mortum is not seeing anyone, so there are no complications if you flirt with her. In fact, she seems to like it, so why not enjoy yourself and have a good time? That's what Barbara is for, after all.

You spot movement out of the corner of your eye and bring back the smile to your lips just in time. Or perhaps slightly too late…

"You look tense, ma chérie." Dr. Mortum returns with drinks in hand, offering you one of them. Fuck. She must have seen your unguarded expression.

"I'm not used to being at parties like this," you admit with a shrug.

"I'm surprised." She sips her champagne, one eyebrow raised in your direction.

"Do I look like someone who enjoys the nightlife to you?" You take a sip as well—a little alcohol right now can only be a good thing. Too late, you realize that Barbara probably does, since you spent a lot of time building her confident attitude.

"It is hard to say…." Dr. Mortum rubs her chin a little as she looks you over, luckily taking your comments at face value. "We've mostly been meeting on account of business."

"Well, trust me. I've never been comfortable around this many people." You suppress a shiver, deciding to just go with it. It is easier to deal with a crowd like this in Barbara, but it also makes it feel a lot more unreal.

"Just follow my lead, ma chérie." You get a comforting pat on one shoulder. "I'll get you through this in one piece."

"You look like you're right in your element, though." There's a certainty to her movements you hadn't expected. Dr. Mortum seems to be able to reinvent herself to fit the occasion with an ease that makes you jealous.

"Too many fund-raisers," she says with a shrug. "One of the drawbacks of an academic career."

"Oh?" The thought of the good doctor having to contend with mundanities like fund-raisers makes it hard to suppress your smile. "I had no idea."

"And I would appreciate you keeping that little fact quiet." She raises her glass in a toast. "I don't like to dwell on the past."

"So, are you likely to run into anyone who will recognize you here?" It is a fair worry, though you suppose that if Dr. Mortum causes a scene, it will leave you free to do your preparations without her. You've already got your money's worth from her, since you are inside.

"Not likely." The grimace speaks of a past buried there. "And even if I did, I do not exactly look like I used to."

"I know what you mean." You look out over the crowd, wondering not for the first time exactly what Dr. Mortum's stakes are besides money.

You do have a bit of time before you need to start your preparations, so this might be a good opportunity to learn a bit more.

　‣ I try to talk shop, keeping it professional.
　‣ I'll treat this as a date and get a bit personal.

Should we continue on this more personal note, or steer the conversation back to more familiar topics?​

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy

Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 25% / Obscurity: 75%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 14% / Anonymity: 86%
██▒█████████████████
Ruthlessness: 45% / Empathy: 55%
████████████████████
Daring: 45% / Caution: 55%
████████████████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: friend.
Ortega and Josie: 81%
████████████████▒███

Barbara's relationship with Ortega: flirting.
Ortega and Barbara: 65%
████████████████████

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 60%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Marshal Steel: former ally.
Marshal Steel and Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Josie's relationship with Herald: distant.
Herald and Josie: 20%
████████████████████

 

> date date date

 

No need to bring work to our date; this part of the evening is pleasure, not business.​

> I'll treat this as a date and get a bit personal.

"Don't tell me you had an ugly duckling adolescence as well?" Dr. Mortum's smile is a joking one, but there's a hint of real emotion there that prompts you to answer flippantly.

"Is there anyone who hasn't been an awkward teen?" Your smile feels a little frozen; this is knowledge you've mostly gleaned from media, as your own childhood was more than a little…unorthodox.

"I assume that those are the people who look back to high school as the high point of their lives." A throaty chuckle of amusement. "Good riddance to them."

"Agreed." You let out a breath you weren't aware that you had been holding.

"Sounds like a sore subject, ma chérie." There is a softness to her voice that catches you a little off guard.

"I suppose it is." Your heart is beating a little too fast, so you take a few moments to sip your drink and regain control. "But it's also in the past, so it can't touch me." It's strange that even though you know you are lying to yourself, you still can get some comfort from it.

"It's an interesting feeling, isn't it?" Dr. Mortum looks around the crowd for a moment before returning her gaze to you. "To look back and realize how much you've changed. How far you've come."

"I suppose." You snort a little in amusement. For a moment, you can see your younger self, standing in a party not unlike this one, feeling completely overwhelmed for very different reasons. "Never thought I'd end up like this."

"For people like us, the first time stepping out of line means stepping into our own. I recognized a kindred spirit in you from our first meeting."

You turn to look at the good doctor, frowning a little as you try to decide how you are supposed to handle this conversation. She has turned out to be more perceptive than you bargained for.

　‣ This is dangerous. I will change the subject to Dr. Mortum instead of me.
　‣ I'm curious about what she thinks of me, so I will let her continue leading the conversation.

Do we want to hear where she's going with this? Or would we rather stick to talking about her?​

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy

Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 25% / Obscurity: 75%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 14% / Anonymity: 86%
██▒█████████████████
Ruthlessness: 45% / Empathy: 55%
████████████████████
Daring: 45% / Caution: 55%
████████████████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: friend.
Ortega and Josie: 81%
████████████████▒███

Barbara's relationship with Ortega: flirting.
Ortega and Barbara: 65%
████████████████████

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 68% (+8)
█████████████▒██████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Marshal Steel: former ally.
Marshal Steel and Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Josie's relationship with Herald: distant.
Herald and Josie: 20%
████████████████████

 

I wanna hear where she's going with this!

 

We want to know what she's thinking! For Barbara, that means finding out the old-fashioned way:​

> I'm curious about what she thinks of me, so I will let her continue leading the conversation.

"Really? What kind of a kindred spirit is that?" You smile a little coyly, pushing back your nervous twitch about being investigated like this.

"Someone who is in the process of reinventing themselves." She rubs her chin a little, looking you over. "Into what, I'm not sure."

"Isn't that true for everybody, though?"

"Sadly, no. Most people are satisfied with what life has given them. They might whine and complain, but they will make no attempt to change their circumstances."

"But I am?"

"Are you telling me that I'm wrong?" Dr. Mortum looks honestly puzzled, as if nobody had ever dared to do that before.

"Not exactly…." You drag out the pause a little too long. "Just that I'm uncomfortable with being scrutinized this closely."

"I'm not your enemy, ma chérie." She smiles a little as she looks into your eyes. "Quite the opposite, in fact."

"And all I have for that is your word." You do not return the smile.

"True." Dr. Mortum nods, a serious look on her dark face. "And I'm not asking you to believe me."

"Good." You set your jaw in a stubborn scowl. "I've learned not to trust anybody but myself."

"That is a wise decision, but…can I offer a bit of advice?"

"If you wish to." You empty your drink, trying to keep your voice light.

"You should find a new employer. I don't think this one is good for you."

>

There's a faint clink of glass, and it takes you a moment to notice that it comes from your hand. The stem of your champagne glass is snapped in half, and for the life of you, you can't figure out how that happened.

"Did you cut yourself?" Dr. Mortum looks down at your hand with a worried frown, almost reaching out to touch you.

"I'm fine," you lie, and then after a moment you realize that this is at least partly true. You aren't bleeding. Only the glass is broken. Somehow.

"Looks like they've skimped a bit on the quality of their glasses." She reaches out to take the broken glass, allowing you to examine your hand to make sure that you're not bleeding.

"Should have stuck to plastic," you joke, trying to get back to yourself. "Like the people."

"If you are wearing a false face, it is important to surround yourself with things that are real." Dr. Mortum pulls her hand back, smiling faintly. "Most people only see trappings, and don't question what lies beneath."

"I suppose…" you mumble to yourself, as she hands the broken glass to one of the staff. You know you should laugh it off, but the taste for conversation has left you.

>

"Merde." Dr. Mortum seems like she hasn't noticed your sudden silence, instead focusing on a face in the crowd. A face it takes a moment for you to pick out.

Ortega.

Dammit. We can't even blame her for going to the wrong party this time.​

"What is it?" You feign ignorance, though your heart is beating way too fast as you turn away before she spots you. Luckily, Dr. Mortum is too focused on Ortega to pay you any attention.

"Nothing, ma chérie—let's go somewhere more quiet, no?"

"Sure—" you start, but you're not allowed to finish the sentence as you find yourself swept into a neighboring hallway. That's a surprise; not only did Dr. Mortum lose what amounted to an almost impermeable mask of cool, but she also showed herself to be a lot stronger than you gave her credit for.

Interesting.

"My apologies." Dr. Mortum is once more collected and suave, with no trace of the emotion that had bubbled to the surface before.

"No need to worry." You do give her a piercing look though. "See someone you recognized?"

"Yes. And while I doubt they would recognize me, I'd rather take no chances, if you know what I mean."

"Oh yes, I do." You let out the breath you have been holding the same moment Dr. Mortum does, and there's a brief pause before you both start to laugh.

"Ma chérie, you look like you have seen a ghost as well."

"Maybe I have." You say it with a wink because it is always nice to keep the good doctor guessing. "Or maybe I just did not expect to be swept off my feet quite that way."

"Oh really?" It looks like Dr. Mortum is as quick to change the subject as you are. The only question is how much you want to play into that particular thing.

How do you feel about Dr. Mortum? Really? She's useful, of course, and might continue to be useful in the future, which is part of the reason you are continuing this 'relationship.'

So…how far are you willing to take this?

　‣ I have no interest in going further.
　‣ I am a bit curious to see if she will kiss me or not.
　‣ Screw caution—I will kiss her first.

Kiss the girl, y/n/maybe?​

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy

Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 25% / Obscurity: 75%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 22% (+8) / Anonymity: 78%
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 45% / Empathy: 55%
████████████████████
Daring: 45% / Caution: 55%
████████████████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: friend.
Ortega and Josie: 81%
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Barbara's relationship with Ortega: flirting.
Ortega and Barbara: 65%
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Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 71% (+3)
██████████████▒█████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Marshal Steel: former ally.
Marshal Steel and Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Josie's relationship with Herald: distant.
Herald and Josie: 20%
████████████████████

 

The line about a new employer is delightful, given the givens (and my continued suspicions about what's up with Josie's past and that flash to the gates we saw)

Ha. Incredible on-the-nose, there.

My sense of plot tropes is hissing at me that, if we start kissing Dr. Mortum here, Ortega will come around a corner and go D: ): |: about it somehow. But I also continue to be very intrigued by the idea of being tangled with Mortum.

...See if she'll kiss us?

 

This extremely specific brand of identity porn you get in the Mortum romance/friendship delights me, tbh. I mean… arguably, in a certain sense, she's not wrong…?

(Also, I'm going [eyes emoji] at your suspicions if you feel like sharing)

 

Let's leave it in her court and see what she does. How serious is she about this?​

> I am a bit curious to see if she will kiss me or not.

"Really, my dear doctor?" There's a laugh entwined in your words, meeting her gaze to see if she shares it.

"Why not?" Dr. Mortum's smile grows wider.

"Well, it's been a long time since anyone showed that kind of interest in me," you explain, doing your best to look innocent. You think you're failing quite badly.

"I find that quite hard to believe." Her voice has dropped a notch as she steps closer. "Are people blind, or just cowards?"

"Mostly stupid, I find." You hold your ground as she steps closer, gingerly, as if she is afraid to startle you.

"I can empathize." The touch to your cheek is soft; one eyebrow is faintly raised to see if you are fine with this. "Most people are rarely worth my time."

"Most people would have sent me running for the hills."

"And yet, here you are."

"Here I am." You look into her eyes, almost challenging her to make the first move.

There is a pause, the length of a single breath, and then Dr. Mortum leans in to kiss you. Just a brief touch of lips at first, to see whether you will pull back or not, but you stand your ground, and the kiss deepens in reply.

This is not a wise decision, and you know it. You could have kept her at arm's length for at least another month without having to give this up. Except that you are not giving up anything, you are exploring.

Besides, you want this. You can't deny the surge in your body that makes you press closer, deepening the kiss with a heat you weren't aware you were capable of mustering. Why are you doing this? Why are you feeling this way? You're not sure. Your own motivations are a bundle of eels that keep squirming out of your hands as soon as you try to untangle them. Dr. Mortum is one part of it; your curiosity about how far you can pull her along is another part.

But deep down, there is yet another part which you are forced to recognize.

You want this.

You want this because kissing her make you feel real. Grounded. She sees you, looks at you as if you are there. Not just a puppet. Not just a tool. As someone. Someone real.

How long has it been since you felt this real? This alive?

You're not sure, and it takes a while before you can bring yourself to break the kiss, catching your breath. You didn't mean for it to get this far. You didn't mean for it to get inside your guts and set them on fire.

"So…" Dr. Mortum speaks first, the smile on her lips a tender, uncertain crescent.

"So…that happened." You clear your throat a little, straightening your back.

"I hope that was something that might possibly have been to your liking?" It is almost endearing to see how she has suddenly found herself in as deep waters as you have.

"I have no complaints," you say in a light tone, taking a moment to reach out and touch her cheek in return.

"I would not like to impose. Except perhaps on your time." It is said as a joke, but there is an undertone there of serious emotion that makes you feel a bit nervous.

"Just because I am working doesn't mean I can't have fun." Your smile is almost genuine. "And speaking of which…"

"It is time to get to work?" The sigh is small, but not as annoyed as you had feared.

"It is. And thank you once again for going along with this. I don't trust my boss to keep my best interests at heart."

"That is probably wise." Dr. Mortum nods and takes another look around. "I will wait near the exit for you in case you need help, no?"

"The timer will be set for thirty minutes from now, so if you haven't seen me by then, make sure to get out."

"I can take care of myself, ma chérie. I know better than anyone what those explosive devices can do."

"You should." You can't help the fond smile on your face. "Take care."

"You as well."

And with that, you turn your back and disappear into the crowd.

And we didn't even get walked in on!

Anyway, Barbara's had her fun. Time for the main event.​

> Let's Get This Party Started

It is strange how different everything feels now that you are moving with a cause. Suddenly, the room does not seem so huge, and the people neither strange nor terrible. They are just bodies in your way: it is important to know where they are and how they move, but they aren't individuals anymore.

Just pieces on a board.

You smile a little to yourself when you realize you are about to flip the table. How does that make you feel?

　‣ Impatient—I want to get this over and be done with it.
　‣ Nervous—there are so many things that could go wrong.
　‣ Excited—I can't wait to finally unveil myself.
　‣ Hesitant—after this, there is no turning back.

This is it. In just a few minutes, two years of planning will become reality. How are we feeling?​

Spoiler: Show Stats (no changes)

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy

Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 25% / Obscurity: 75%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 22% / Anonymity: 78%
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 45% / Empathy: 55%
████████████████████
Daring: 45% / Caution: 55%
████████████████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: friend.
Ortega and Josie: 81%
████████████████▒███

Barbara's relationship with Ortega: flirting.
Ortega and Barbara: 65%
████████████████████

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 71%
██████████████▒█████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Marshal Steel: former ally.
Marshal Steel and Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Josie's relationship with Herald: distant.
Herald and Josie: 20%
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