Kintsugi Plays Fallen Hero: Retribution (ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ …(^_^)…)

Fuck!

The rain catches you by surprise, a sudden downpour during your walk that clears the streets around you, soaking hair and clothes both. Serves you right for letting your thoughts drift. At least, looking like a drenched cat won't ruin your style that much.

Despite your discomfort, you don't bother ducking into a store. Getting drenched like this will give you a good excuse to drop by to see the Rangers. You might as well take advantage of it while you're in the neighborhood. That the rain caught you by surprise bothers you, but then again, you rarely watch the skies. Perhaps you should, but you've spent too much time with your eyes fixed on the pavement, shoulders hunched to make your height less apparent. You don't need to see people to avoid them, and looking at their faces always makes you feel vaguely uneasy despite your training.

It's safer this way. If you don't intrude, they won't either. Watching. Being watched.

The rain helps with that; people hurry, heading to their destinations as fast as they can. You try to match the annoyance you can see on their faces as you escape into the foyer of the Rangers' headquarters, dripping wet.

You feel miserable but make sure to ignore the discomfort of wet clothes sticking to your form. You hate the sensation; the clinging fabrics make you more aware of your body. Your skin. Your smell. You resist the urge to fiddle with your piercings. Normally it would be a comfort, but you need to look calm. Collected. It wouldn't do to encourage Ortega to get worried about you.

Friendship or guilt? You're not even sure she knows for sure.

"Can I help you?" The receptionist's voice is pleasant but loud enough that you can't ignore her.

　‣ I've been here often, she knows me.
　‣ I've visited occasionally when Ortega asked for my help.
　‣ I've stayed away. This is a rare visit.

It's been almost sixth months now since Ortega found us and dragged us here to meet the team. Have we dropped by much since then? (Whether to visit Ortega or help out or for other tactical purposes.) Or have we avoided this place as much as possible?​

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine.

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

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate.

Infamy: 46% / Obscurity: 54%
█████████▒██████████

Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 0% / Fine: 100%
████████████████████

Leadership: 55%
████████████████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 23% / Anonymity: 77% (+4)
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
██████▒█████████████
Daring: 41% / Caution: 59%
████████▒███████████

Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 83%
████████████████▒███

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 59%
███████████▒████████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 63%
████████████▒███████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████

Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
████████▒███████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Former ally.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Distant.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 20%
████████████████████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

I am going to vote for 'visited occasionally'
I feel like we don't wanna get TOO friendly with the Rangers, just to be safe? but also we've been interacting with the Rangers up until now (admittedly somewhat against our will, but still) and if we start trying to ghost Ortega that might seem a lil suspicious

 

Hey, we can be sociable. If Ortega insists.​

> I've visited occasionally when Ortega asked for my help.

"Oh it's just you, Josie," Clair says with a polite smile on her lips. The fact that she uses your first name still makes you flinch, but it's already out there, nothing you can do to stop it. You wouldn't have bothered to remember her name, but it's right there on her desk. "I didn't recognize you at first; you're soaked." She's annoyed that she didn't recognize you immediately.

"Rain will do that to you," you joke, your smile as polite as hers. Of course, she had a hard time picking up that it was you. You don't drop your don't look at me aura needlessly.

"Do you need a towel?" She's dropped the customer-service voice, looking at your dripping form.

"Don't worry. It's not as bad as it looks; I ducked in here before the worst hit." You wipe away some of the water that keeps dripping into your eyes.

"As you wish." She gives you a doubtful look but doesn't press the issue. "Do you have an appointment, or were you just escaping the rain?"

It never ceases to amuse you that she keeps treating the Rangers as if they were just any government officials. Though you suppose she's not wrong. "Mostly the rain, but while I'm here, I might as well take care of some business. Is Ortega in?"

"Let me check…." She looks down at the computer but is interrupted by a cheerful greeting.

"Josie!"

"What?" You suppress a groan because his thoughts hit you before you've even turned around. But when you do, it's with a bland smile on your face. "Oh. Herald." Your tone is polite because while it's annoying that he uses your name, you did tell him to do exactly that. Better than Sidestep. Still, the familiarity makes you cringe, especially since you don't know his name. He's still Herald to you.

　‣ I feel uneasy about reading his mind to find out.
　‣ Not that I care; he's my enemy.
　‣ It's safer not to know until he tells me.

Right. Any reason we can't lift that from his thoughts, or do we just not care?​

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine.

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

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate.

Infamy: 46% / Obscurity: 54%
█████████▒██████████

Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 0% / Fine: 100%
████████████████████

Leadership: 55%
████████████████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 23% / Anonymity: 77%
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
██████▒█████████████
Daring: 41% / Caution: 59%
████████▒███████████

Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 83%
████████████████▒███

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 59%
███████████▒████████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 63%
████████████▒███████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████

Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
████████▒███████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Former ally.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Distant.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 20%
████████████████████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

>Can't slip up if you don't have a secret to slip. This secret, anyway.

 

Yeah, the last thing we need is more secrets.​

> It's safer not to know until he tells me.

It's safer to not know until he tells you; that minimizes any risk of slipping up. Keeping track of what you're supposed to know is hard enough without filling your mind with useless knowledge. You don't need to know his civilian name or his life story. He's an opponent, nothing more.

"Hey, what's the emergency?" Herald lights up the way he always does when you visit. He looks shorter now that he has landed. It always catches you off guard, having to look down. Usually, he likes to hover a few inches off the ground.

Did he land out of politeness? Perhaps. He's not in costume, just a pair of skinny jeans and a slightly too tight T-shirt with some art print.

"No emergency, just trying to hunt down Ortega." Your smile is fake, but you are speaking the truth. In more ways than one.

"She's out for the moment, but she should be back soon." Herald nods toward the elevator. "If you want, I can take you up to the break room. It's nicer to wait there than the lobby."

"Much appreciated." Herald's friendship is an easy one to cultivate and a useful one as well. He's so trusting.

"Haven't seen you here for a while, been busy?"

"This place still makes me feel uncomfortable." You note that the receptionist has decided to leave this to Herald. Good, for once, you're not annoyed that he showed up. This will get you through the door and maybe even yield some useful information.

You didn't foresee Lady Argent going after you on her own, so obviously, you have not been paying close enough attention. Did she stage that ambush on her own, or was it approved by Marshal Steel? Is there a rift starting to form here that you might exploit?

And where was Ortega?

"Uncomfortable?" Herald's voice drags you back to the present. "Why?" The question is innocent enough that you almost laugh before you realize that he's serious, and you'd better come up with an answer.

　‣ "It reminds me of what I've lost."
　‣ "Old memories."
　‣ "It reminds me that maybe I made the wrong choice."

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine.

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

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate.

Infamy: 46% / Obscurity: 54%
█████████▒██████████

Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 0% / Fine: 100%
████████████████████

Leadership: 55%
████████████████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 21% / Anonymity: 79% (+2)
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
██████▒█████████████
Daring: 41% / Caution: 59%
████████▒███████████

Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 83%
████████████████▒███

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 59%
███████████▒████████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 63%
████████████▒███████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████

Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
████████▒███████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Former ally.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Distant.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 28% (+8)
█████▒██████████████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

>Old memories. Ha. ha ha ha.

 

...so Herald's never actually been rude to Josie, they just hate his vibes?

 

He's Too Nice. incredibly sus. how dare a man actually want to join the heroes and win the boost lottery to do so.

Spoiler: less jokingly, actual spoilers

It's also entirely possible that we've skimmed over our previous HQ visits that he is a massive Sidestep fanboy. 1) Awkward and 2) unless he can be turned to The Cause a huge discovery risk.

 

The nerve of that bitch, eating those crackers like he owns the place. >:(

I can confirm that the contents of that spoiler tag aren't spoilers for this thread! Our playthrough actually did skip every possible mention of that detail, but we saw it in a bonus "what-if" path after finishing Rebirth.

(That said, Josie's dislike of Herald predates them learning that.)

 

I am giggling at the phrasing there, like, "there were so many chances to learn this but nope! We all just dodged the raindrops of that info"

 

> "Old memories."

"Old memories," you say, your tone shorter than you meant. But you don't apologize; instead, you pull off your wet coat to have something to do with your hands. The coat is thin; Los Diablos is getting hotter every year as the world slowly recovers from the volcanic eruptions. Maybe you should have left it at home, but you feel more comfortable with layers.

"Do you ever miss it?" Herald's smile is cautiously curious. "Being a hero, I mean?"

"It doesn't matter." The sigh slips out, unplanned. "I'm not."

"But does it have to remain that way?"

"You sound like Ortega." You drape your coat over your arm, pleased that it protected you from the worst of the downpour. Still, the moisture makes the sleeves cling to your arms, unpleasantly constricting, like your past.

"Maybe she's got a point." Herald presses the button and the elevator slides shut. He doesn't take up as much room as Ortega; even hovering, he has a slighter presence. Or maybe it's the fact that there's no history here that makes him less…intrusive.

"Maybe…," you sigh, playing the part of the retired hero. "Just don't tell her that."

"She knows you, though, maybe you should…" The glance is quick and nervous. Is he worried he's getting too personal?

"She thinks she does," you interrupt, not bothering to hide the derisive snort. Ortega likes to pride herself on how much she knows you, but she really has no idea what's going on in your life. Otherwise she would have stopped you already.

"Maybe…" Herald is cut off as the doors slide open before you have reached your floor, revealing Lady Argent in the doorway scowling at the two of you.

For the briefest of moments everyone freezes, caught off guard, and then you…

　‣ Press the Doors Close button.
　‣ Move back so she can step inside.
　‣ Smile and step aside. "Going up?"

Wild ARGENT appeared! What will JOSIE do?​

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine.

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

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate.

Infamy: 46% / Obscurity: 54%
█████████▒██████████

Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 0% / Fine: 100%
████████████████████

Leadership: 55%
████████████████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 21% / Anonymity: 79%
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
██████▒█████████████
Daring: 41% / Caution: 59%
████████▒███████████

Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 83%
████████████████▒███

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 59%
███████████▒████████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 63%
████████████▒███████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████

Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
████████▒███████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Former ally.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Distant.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 28%
█████▒██████████████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

I was also giggling about it during that playthrough! To be fair, there's only the one place where Ortega outright tells you, but I can think of at least three occasions (including his reaction to the villain name "Sidestep") where it's strongly implied. ...None of which Josie happened to see.

 

Mostly joking vote: close door, then "explain" it was a nervous reflex from seeing the scowl (while unsure if that's a lie or a truth)

 

slamming the door in her face would be hilarious. but also. distract herald, derail the conversation, this is edging close to Personal Details and that's the last thing we need to encourage.

>Let Argent In.

 

(Just checking, is that a vote for either of the "let Argent in" options or a specific one?)

 

Either of them! >move back to let her in if we need to avoid a coinflip, but I'm really not fussed either way.

 

I'll vote for 'move aside' but no smile or anything. we are not buddies let's not pretend we are. but also Argent scary let's be nice-ish

 

Who are we to stand in the way of an awkward moment between exes?​

> Move back so she can step inside.

You move back so she can step inside, looking away. You're not interested in a conversation. Not right now.

Unfortunately, the same doesn't go for her. She steps inside decisively enough that you back up against the wall.

The doors slide shut behind her.

"Hanging out with your little friend again?" It's unclear who she's talking to, and you can swear that the temperature in the elevator drops two degrees.

"Argent," Herald sighs. "We've talked about this. Do we have to do this right in front of guests?"

"I wasn't aware you needed someone to hold your hand again." Lady Argent focuses on him, which means that her problem is not with you. Good. You don't mind seeing Herald squirm a little.

"They are here to see Ortega." Herald sighs, giving her an awkward look. "I get why you're angry with me, but Josie has done nothing but help us."

"I know." She falls silent as the elevator rises, and after a few seconds, there is a soft ping as the doors open up behind her once more. She turns to leave without a word; whether this is her floor or she's exiting the awkward conversation, you're not sure.

You have an opportunity to head after Lady Argent, or you can remain in the elevator with Herald, continuing to your destination.

　‣ I stay with Herald.
　‣ I follow Lady Argent, trying to smooth things over.
　‣ I follow her; she can't treat people like this.

...uh, do we want to try and clear up whatever just happened there? (Or just go "dude wtf" at Argent?)​

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine.

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

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate.

Infamy: 46% / Obscurity: 54%
█████████▒██████████

Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 0% / Fine: 100%
████████████████████

Leadership: 55%
████████████████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 21% / Anonymity: 79%
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
██████▒█████████████
Daring: 41% / Caution: 59%
████████▒███████████

Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 83%
████████████████▒███

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 59%
███████████▒████████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 63%
████████████▒███████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████

Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
████████▒███████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Former ally.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Distant.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 28%
█████▒██████████████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

Given I originally voted to Escape Herald Conversation, flee with Argent! >smooth things over if I must pick One but really it's about escaping the elevator and personal conversations, and our Official Escort

 

great talking to you, Herald, wish we could stay and chat, but we've got an appointment with our friend(???) Argent​

> I follow Lady Argent, trying to smooth things over.

You've helped out the Rangers more than once, but it seems that every time you do, Lady Argent is glaring daggers at you. You have no idea what you have done to offend her personally, but things would go smoother if she stopped. Not that you feel the need to be liked, you constantly remind yourself that's not going to happen, but it would help dissuade any suspicion.

"Hold the elevator," you tell Herald as you follow Lady Argent, not bothering to wait for a reply. You already know he won't stop you.

"Maybe you…" His voice peters out as you walk away, his advice unheard but not unfelt. Be careful. That's what you can feel from him; he's worried about you.

But not worried enough to stop you.

> Not That He Could

"Hey!" You raise your voice as you follow, lengthening your step to catch up with her.

"What?" To your surprise, she turns around, taking a step toward you, too close, too fast.

　‣ I hold my ground; I won't let her intimidate me.
　‣ I take a step back, uncomfortable with physical closeness.
　‣ I take a step back, reflexively shifting into a defensive stance.

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine.

Telepathy
Strength of Mind: 50%
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Subtle Manipulations: 74%
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Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate.

Infamy: 46% / Obscurity: 54%
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Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 0% / Fine: 100%
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Leadership: 55%
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Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 21% / Anonymity: 79%
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Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
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Daring: 41% / Caution: 59%
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Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 83%
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Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 59%
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Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 63%
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Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
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Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
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Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Former ally.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 24%
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Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Distant.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 28%
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Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters