Kintsugi Plays Fallen Hero: Rebirth

9 chapters and an epilogue on this playthrough, yeah, out of 10 chapters total. The average playthrough is around... 73k words, apparently, if the splash page is to be believed? (The sequel apparently averages 100k. I think it would be 11–13 chapters plus epilogue by strict chapter count, but the exact contents and length of some of those chapters can vary wildly.)

 

Huh! It felt like it went by quickly, but that is pretty long.

 

I was surprised by the word count too! The bite-sized chunks make it feel deceptively short, I think.

 

While I get everything in order for thread #2, feel free to let me know if there's any alternate choices/outcomes you're interested in seeing, I guess? (This takes basically no time or effort on my part, so I'm happy to do it if anyone's interested.) Off the top of my head, some options I remember people expressing interest in:

• Admitting we're still a telepath in Chapter 3 and "helping" Argent "remember" who possessed her. IIRC this is one of the choices the thread was most torn on. (Unlike the rest of the list, this one entails a whole extra scene rather than a single choice.)
• Picking Steel or Herald as the target of our ire in Chapter 4, instead of Ortega. (The biggest effects of this choice are the long-term "affects flavor text and sometimes more" kind, but I can show Josie's initial thoughts on the matter.)
• Choosing "I need to show the world the truth" as our motivation, rather than revenge.
  
• Messing up while setting the bomb. (For the record, you guys made an valiant effort to bring the building down on your head! You just happened, by sheer coincidence, to have chosen a build that makes it all but impossible to screw that particular plan up.)
  
• Having high enough Arrogance to give "Sidestep" as our villain name.
  
• Playing up the in our monologue to Ortega.
• Choosing to have a Snickers instead of subsisting entirely on coffee and seeing if that would have prevented all this.
• Quite possibly something else I'm forgetting

Options I will be showing you no matter what as soon as the game is patched:

• Kissing Ortega's forehead PLATONICALLY, damn it.

 

I'd like to know what happens if Ortega knows Josie is still a telepath! And what happens if you pick Steel as your nemesis.

 

Let's start with this, since it's the much simpler one!

Yes, Ortega may have gone to the wrong diner, and the wrong dojo, and all of this is definitely probably her fault when you think about it, but also… fuck this guy in particular:​

…Sadly for alternate Josie, Steel is not a party person, so they'll have to wait for a future installment to kick his ass. They can have one (1) extra sentence of flavor text this playthrough as compensation:​

 

I wanna see what happens if we have high enough arrogance for Sidestep as the villain name.

 

Quick survey! The "tell Ortega we're a telepath" route constitutes basically a full (albeit short) chapter's worth of content, including choices. Would you guys prefer to…

1. Play through and vote on choices like usual?
2. Vote on major choices and have me streamline the decision process for smaller ones that don't affect much?
3. Give me a general directive ("make smart/questionable choices", "do what you think we'd do", "RNG literally everything") and leave choices to me?

As for this…

When last we tried, our killjoy sense of self-preservation called it "a really bad idea". But what if instead of 22 Arrogance, we had *checks notes* 66?

We then gain a further +6 Arrogance and +8 Daring, as well as a shiny new achievement:

Kids these days, amirite?

Moving on to our nemesis's thoughts:

Our big villain monologue continues as usual from there.

Oh, and Ortega now has some new reasons to neglect her doctor-ordered bedrest:

That's about all until Book 2, which adds a few more in-depth interactions around conspicuous name choices like "Sidestep" and "Anathema". Plus like a million if statements to disambiguate which Sidestep is being referred to

 

god
now I kinda want to play through the game just to pick Sidestep and carry on with that to the next book

also I'm voting for "vote on major choices, streamline smaller ones"

 

honestly, I have an embarrassing number of characters for exactly this sort of "I want to see what will happen if…" reason

 

I did it
I played through the first game and named myself Sidestep
and then I played the second game
and I'm not gonna say anything for obvious spoiler reasons but gosh. I sure did make some choices

 

holy shit that was fast.

(I am dying to know which Some Choices you made if you're willing to share in another thread/DMs/something.)

 

I was bored at work and have negative impulse control and bought and started playing like maybe thirty seconds after saying I wanted to play the game and be Sidestep
also I will DM you

 

All right, let's take a look at the AU where we make the bold choice to not lie about literally everything. Back in Chapter 3, Ortega gave us the bright idea of claiming to have lost our powers:

But really, do we trust any idea Ortega gives us—even unintentionally—to be a good one?

From there, events proceed basically as before, with the slight difference that Josie doesn't have to worry about hiding their powers in the Rangers' HQ:

(In terms of pure mechanics, the difference here is that Josie automatically gains a bonus to both Strength of Mind and Subtle Manipulations rather than having to choose one. I think the general rationale is that Josie is taking on extra psychic homework in this path, although I'm not sure there's a Watsonian explanation for why the increase still fires here instead of later?)

Skipping ahead to the reason we're here:

We make it back home and, as before, spend a bit of time reminiscing about the old days before turning our focus to the task at hand:

We also get this:

And that's it for Chapter 3!

Our follow-up appointment with Argent is scheduled for Chapter 6, which gives us plenty of time to think about what kind of attitude we want to project. Should we…
• …play up the reluctant "I really don't want to be here" vibes?
• …try to be kind and emphasize that we just want to help?
• …make a show of being nervous and out of our element?
• …keep things friendly and lighthearted in hopes of diffusing the tension?

Let me know which two options sound best to you and I'll lean into those for the small talk.

 

I want to go for 'nervous and out of our element'
like yeah we still have powers....but we're not that good with them! we're nervous about this! just add a little more evidence to the "couldn't be us" pile

 

(Brief Heartbreak-typical suicide mention here. Also, I'm going to ditch the quote blocks now that we're done jumping around.)

Our alternate timeline resumes after the end of chapter 5. I've included our current stat screen at the end of this post, with parts that differ from the alpha timeline highlighted.

Also, have we mentioned yet that we are very out of practice with our flimsy little psychic powers, and therefore very nervous? We are so nervous, and also so retired.​

Two Days Later

Waiting for Dr. Mortum to finish up the suit would have driven you to distraction if you didn't have other things to do. Planning for your debut means learning everything you can about the museum: procuring floor plans, scanning the minds of city officials, pondering escape routes and weak points.

You have a few ideas of how to go about this.

But that's something you'll have to think about later because you're already running late for your session with Lady Argent. You know that if you take too long, Ortega will worry. She used to, anyway, and you don't think people change that much.

And yet…

What does that say about you? Have you changed, or were you already bad back then? Was it all pretend? Or is this just you playing with new masks? Not that it matters—you've set your course now. For better or worse.

Ignoring the mirror, you pull on your jacket, doing your best to look as tired and mundane as possible.

It wouldn't do to let anything of your true self slip out on a day like this.

Not when you've got to maintain shields strong enough to survive yet another trip into Lady Argent's mind. This time, ostensibly, to help. You've put this off for as long as you've been able, so it's now or never. The ride to the Rangers' headquarters will be just long enough to get into character.

> You've Certainly Had Enough Practice

Third time's the charm.

This time, the Rangers' headquarters doesn't feel as intimidating. You're here by invitation, and there's nothing compromising that the scanners can reveal without being far more intrusive than the passive ones concealed in the walls. And that wouldn't do. Ortega trusts you.

"Thank you again for doing this." Ortega meets you down in the foyer, trying vainly to conceal the tension on her face. You know her far too well to be fooled.

She's in uniform this time, white lightning designs on deep blue nanomesh making her fit these hallways far better than you, a colorful ghost of a past you wish you could forget. Her mind is a static blur as always, a radio left on the wrong station.

"Can't say I'm looking forward to it." You suppress a shiver as you look around, wondering if you have been put into the security system yet. How would they classify you? Friendly? Not a threat? Would it be worth the risk to get closer to them for possible future advantages?

"I understand." There's a hint of hesitation, as if Ortega has had some time to think about what her request really means. The risk she is putting you through.

　‣ "You know I'm only doing this because you asked me to, right?"
　‣ "No, you don't. You really don't."
　‣ "I'll try to help her if I can."

> "You know I'm only doing this because you asked me to, right?"

"You know I'm only doing this because you asked me to, right?" You don't look at Ortega as you walk, moving in step as if you'd never stopped working together.

"And I hope you know I wouldn't have asked this if I could think of any other way, right?" She does a little half-turn so she can look at you. You keep staring straight ahead.

"I suppose it's nice to be wanted."

"I've missed you, you know." The softness of the smile has reached her eyes, and you look away a little too fast.

You continue your walk, surrounded by deceptively blank walls, neither of you knowing what to say to each other. That's good to know, that Ortega has as much trouble finding the right words when you're together as you do. Old friends, reunited.

What are you supposed to make of that?

"Is she ready for me?" You switch topic to the safest one you have. Lady Argent.

"As ready as she can be." Ortega sighs. "Maybe this will help her even if we don't find any clues. She's been…tense."

"She's been violated. I can understand." In a strange way, you do. You've lived through what she has, and now you…

"Was that what it felt like when…" Ortega was always far too good at reading your mind.

"I don't want to talk about it." Your voice has gone hard, your words locking your feelings down.

"I…" There is the briefest of pauses before she continues, "I respect that."

"Really?" The snort is out of your mouth before you can stop it. "That's new."

"Can't say I like it." Ortega pauses to give you a long look. "But it's your call. Chen…"

"What does Steel have to do with it?" You don't bother to hide your frown.

"He felt it too. During the last mission we did together. At least some of it." You notice she doesn't mention Heartbreak by name.

"But the dampeners…"

"They were overloading," she explains, too eager to get a chance to talk about this again. "That's why I was almost too late. He was…"

　‣ "Was what?"
　‣ "I don't want to talk about it."
　‣ "It doesn't matter."

> "Was what?"

"Was what?" You can't help the morbid curiosity.

"It started getting to him. He managed to keep himself under control, just about, but…"

"How did he manage that?" You're not sure whether resentment or curiosity has the upper hand right now.

"I reminded him he was a soldier, that his life wasn't his own anymore."

"You…" The look on your face makes Ortega turn away.

"I guess I was channeling my father a little." A small, embarrassed laugh. "It seemed to do the trick."

"Lucky for Steel," you say with resentment dripping from your words.

You walk the rest of the way in silence.

> Time to Get This Done

The small conference room is shrouded in shadows, the only light a softly glowing ball set on the table in front of you. A candle would have been better, but apparently low-tech devices like that are not within this new facility. Probably some fire safety rule, which is ridiculous since you know they store things here that could level half the city. You stole one of them, after all…

"Close your eyes," you tell Lady Argent. You use your most convincing voice even though you still feel like a bundle of nerves, ready to jump at any sudden interruptions.

"Why? I don't like that." She sits on the other side of the table, leaning back in her chair with silvery arms crossed over her chest. Her posture leaks aggression and hostility, masking the fear beneath.

　‣ I explain that it is for her own good.
　‣ I admit that she's a bit intimidating and say that it will help me focus.
　‣ I joke a little to try to ease the tension.

> I admit that she's a bit intimidating and say it will help me focus.

"Honestly, your eyes are more than a little unnerving," you admit with what you hope is a sheepish smile, feeling your shirt sticking to your back. It's meant to help her relax and feel in control, but there is more than a little truth to your admission.

Her eyes are as silver as the rest of her, with just a faint glow to distinguish them from the rest of her face. This close, you can see a hint of what might be a pupil in the center, but it is dark and opaque and faintly…oblong? A single monolith shrouded by mist.

You feel painfully mundane compared to her esoteric form, just a pretender trying to recapture their former glory. It is times like this when you realize how much a uniform helps with feeling confident—how easy it was to hide your misgivings behind a mask, and soft, nervous skin behind tough armor.

There's so much riding on this that you feel like you have a gun pointed at your head, betting that the hammer will strike an empty chamber.

"Fine," she snaps, not sounding surprised. Most likely you are not the first one to feel unnerved in her presence. "Just get it over with."

"Calm down, Argent," Ortega says. She shifts a little where she sits, off to the side where she won't be in the way.

"I am calm," she retorts, words snapping like angry dogs. "You stay out of this, Julia." But she dutifully closes her eyes.

It looks eerie, your reflection shimmering on her face even in this dim light. If you leaned close enough, you bet you would be able to see your own eyes staring back from her closed eyelids.

　‣ I do my best to make her feel at ease.
　‣ I joke a little with Ortega.
　‣ I play up my own nervousness.

> I play up my own nervousness.

Now that you get a chance to study her closely, you idly wonder what her heritage is. Caucasian? Maybe, but there are hints of Asian features there as well. It's surprisingly hard to judge when the skin is pure silver and the reflections throw everything off.

"Should I be doing anything in particular?" Argent's voice still sounds abrasive.

"Please, be quiet. This is delicate work, and it's been a long time since I did anything like it."

The lies slide easily from your lips as you brush up against the thoughts of Argent, silvery and slick and oh so familiar. She is worried, her aura buzzing with anger and frustration. You can understand why; what you put her through was traumatic, and now she sits here again, with her attacker pretending to be the physician who would examine her for evidence. No wonder she is tense—the invulnerable girl made vulnerable.

"Just take your time, Josie." Ortega sounds just like she used to sound when talking to nervous civilians, and even though that is the impression you want to give, you can feel your anger starting to flare.

You force it down with a deep breath. It doesn't matter what they think.

> You Need to Focus Now

You close your eyes and take a moment to center yourself before gingerly reaching out to brush the edge of your consciousness against hers. The first contact feels almost electric, a static mental shock making your mouth taste like metal before you leave your body behind.

Reading a mind is scanning the surface like a pebble skidding across a pond, each touch of rock to water revealing new thoughts and feelings. Possessing someone, on the other hand, is a completely different discipline. When you take someone over, you don't want to interact with the mind at all: you just trap it so you can use their body as you please, little butterfly thoughts caught in a snow globe. Undisturbed until shaken.

What you are doing now…is something else. This time you're sinking into an active mind, subsuming yourself in the turmoil of her thoughts.

It looks like it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Burying yourself in the silver blizzard feels like driving a Cessna through a storm, winds of panic tossing you from side to side. Her mind is deep, dark, and turgid, neither pond nor snow globe but rather an endless, stormy ocean.

Everyone has their own mental landscapes, like mountains carved by ages of rain and wind. Hers are all clouds over water and odd metallic structures, shifting and turning, an ever-changing city of steel below you. Everything reflects your abrasive presence; you have to fight hard to keep your chosen shape, so close to the one you're wearing physically. Tired. Worn out.

Innocent.

Now, how to go about this…. The longer you linger in her mind, the bigger the chance of slipping up and letting her catch on to who you really are. But on the other hand, if you try to force things too fast, her mind might recoil and strike back, which would have the same effect. A paintbrush or a scalpel…

　‣ I try to stay aloft, keeping a light touch as I repaint her memories.
　‣ I dive deep, trying to cut out what needs to be gone and insert a new alternative.

[hacker voice] we're in.

So what now? Do we try to do this from a careful distance, or look for an opening into the depths of her mind?​

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% 60%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 25% / Obscurity: 75%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 11% 27% / Anonymity: 89% 73%
█████▒██████████████
Ruthlessness: 49% / Empathy: 51%
█████████▒██████████
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: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 74%
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Barbara's relationship with Ortega: flirting.
Ortega and Barbara: 40%
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Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 54%
██████████▒█████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant neutral.
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 think using a light touch is safer - we don't know if she kept a journal or told anyone anything that might record different details than what we put in

 

Fascinated by the your life is not your own to give up from Ortega channeling military dad was what it took for Steel to hold through the edges of Heartbreak

 

I love how revealing those few sentences are about all three people involved.

 

Let's not get in over our head.​

> I try to stay aloft, keeping a light touch as I repaint her memories.

The wind feels like a living thing, touching you with feather fingers as if trying to discern whether you are a threat or not. It takes everything you have to relax and let it probe, to allow Argent's mind to taste enough of you to decide whether to bring its teeth out or not.

Was it always this difficult to be gentle?

Putting your head in her jaws, half-hoping they will slam shut around you?

It gets harder and harder to remember, but apparently you can still generate enough trust to make her back down for the moment. Good.

The winds die down somewhat, letting you gain enough altitude to survey the intricacies of her mind. The air smells of ozone and fresh laundry, a peculiar combination that almost has you smiling in recognition. It shouldn't be too hard to do what you want up here, but while her mind is pliable it's tempting to do a few other modifications as well.

　‣ No. I won't risk compromising my main task here.
　‣ It can't hurt to try to make her see me as a friend.
　‣ I'll make some preparations for the next time I have to fight her.

On the one hand, we don't want to risk our main objective here. On the other hand, it's not every day that your deadliest foe grants you read-write access to her mind. Should we take this chance to make her feel more comfortable with Josie or install a backdoor we can use against 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: 60%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 76% (+2)
███████████████▒████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 25% / Obscurity: 75%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 27% / Anonymity: 73%
█████▒██████████████
Ruthlessness: 49% / Empathy: 51%
█████████▒██████████
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: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Barbara's relationship with Ortega: flirting.
Ortega and Barbara: 40%
████████████████████

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

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: neutral.
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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