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

Either he does, in which case, dog :D!! time - or he doesn't, in which case, lol he's here without a dog too. Win/win!*


*maybe

 

Two can play at that game, Marshal.​

> "I didn't know you did." The thought never occurred to me.

"I didn't know you did." The thought never occurred to you. If there were anyone less likely to have a pet, you don't know who. Except you do, that would be Lady Argent. You shudder to think what kind of pet she would have.

Now accepting bets on this subject.​

"I suppose it's one of those things that never came up." Steel gives you a questioning look. "What kind of dog do you have?"

"Oh, I don't have one. I just like watching them run," you say, feeling uncomfortable under his scrutiny. "Which one is yours then?"

"He's over there," Steel points to a pair of dogs chasing each other, a sleek greyhound effortlessly outpacing a very enthusiastic golden retriever. "The gray one."

"A greyhound?" You can't stop the chuckle.

"Very funny. He was adopted."

"I can see that. He looks nothing like you."

There's a moment's pause as Steel gives you an incredulous look, but then his face cracks up in an unusually wide smile. "Fine, you win. There's no coming back from that one."

　‣ "It's not a fight." Not yet. Not here.
　‣ "How about 'He takes after his mother?'"
　‣ "Still know when you're outmatched, eh?"

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: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
██████████▒█████████

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: 15% / Anonymity: 85%
████████████████████
Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
██████▒█████████████
Daring: 46% / Caution: 54%
█████████▒██████████

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: 80%
████████████████████

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
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: 39%
███████▒████████████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Could be useful.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 60%
████████████████████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

She deserves a danger noodle. Snake or ferret flavor.

anyway, >takes after his mother? the others seem a bit uhhhh argumentative when we are Trying To Be Zen With Dogs

 

Despite dog company, we were not seeking a pissing contest

 

> "How about 'He takes after his mother?'"

"How about 'He takes after his mother?'" You don't bother hiding your smile.

"That would only open me up to a jab about my nonexistent wife." There's an edge there, but for once, it is not aimed at you but at a shadow of a woman not there.

"So Ortega never did manage to set you up?" One thing you two shared in the old days, a deep annoyance with Ortega's "help" to improve your life. As if people need that kind of relationship to be complete. You never did.

"No," he says, face straight and grim. "I had to adopt." He can't quite keep it together, the smile ruining any possibility of continuing with the joke.

"You know, I think I like you better out of the uniform," you admit. Steel does seem more relaxed. Or maybe it's just that you are, still slightly drunk on the playful atmosphere. You used to be allies, if not friends. Maybe it's the dogs, maybe it's that you're still shaky from the dream, but right now, those years don't seem so far away.

"That doesn't happen as often as I'd like." He keeps turning over the leash in his hands, and you wonder if anybody else notices the strange mechanical rhythm of his fingers. Probably not.

"How on earth do you find time for a dog then?"

"Don't you mean that you are surprised I have a life outside work?"

"Don't tell me what I mean," you say, but there's no bite to your words. He's not wrong. It's just a disconcerting feeling, finding new facets to him. Like the legs. You don't remember him being that open with them back in the old days. Are they new, or did he just work harder at passing?

"I don't mind the early mornings," he says with a distracted smile, pulling you back into the discussion. "And I need to stay sane somehow."

"You and me both."

The silence stretches, but luckily the dog returns, mouth open, tongue dangling, eyes large, dark, and focused entirely on Steel. He wears a muzzle, a soft, light one, but looks happy all the same.

　‣ I watch Chen and his dog, unsure what I'm feeling right now.
　‣ I reach out to pat the dog.
　‣ I brush my mind against the dog's, connecting.

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: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
██████████▒█████████

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: 15% / Anonymity: 85%
████████████████████
Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
██████▒█████████████
Daring: 46% / Caution: 54%
█████████▒██████████

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: 80%
████████████████████

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
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: 45% (+6)
████████████████████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Could be useful.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 60%
████████████████████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

Pet the dog!

 

Can you pet the dog, important metric of game quality

 

Also, it would be really funny if you could say 'no but I have a pet rat now.'

 

Five, even! <3

 

The immediate consensus, surprising no one:​

> I reach out to pat the dog.

You don't wait for an invitation; the dog is right there. You can feel his enthusiasm, his bond with Steel. It's intoxicating, and you don't mean to snag his attention, but there you are, with a dog slobbering all over you. Warm. Alive. Friendly.

"Down, boy." Steel's voice is sharp, and you can see the dog's ears perking up.

"It's fine," you say, not bothering to censor your smile as you scratch his head. "He doesn't bother me."

"He's not supposed to jump on people like that. Go on, boy, go and play. Get some of that energy out." The dog pulls back, and after one final lick thwarted by the muzzle, he runs off to join the other dogs again.

"He's nice," you remark, wiping the slobber off your hand.

"He's a handful is what he is." There's a pause, and you can feel him looking at you. "I see you're still doing it."

"Doing what?"

"You never ask for names." You can't read his face, but his thoughts are a mixture of sadness and caution. "I always thought it was a telepath thing. That you didn't ask because you already knew."

"I don't ask because I don't care," you say, looking away. "Most of the time. I would like to know his."

"Spoon."

"Huh." You give him a long look, trying to see if he's kidding. Looks like he's not.

　‣ "Did you name him yourself?"
　‣ "What kind of name is that?"
　‣ "In case you run out of spoons?"

Spoon.​

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: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
██████████▒█████████

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: 15% / Anonymity: 85%
████████████████████
Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
██████▒█████████████
Daring: 46% / Caution: 54%
█████████▒██████████

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: 80%
████████████████████

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
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: 45%
████████████████████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Could be useful.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 60%
████████████████████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

Option 3 seems least hostile!

 

merr chris to any who celebrate! this thread's present is More Dog Talk

(tbh, one of my best friends calls his dog Aux, short for Auxiliary Serotonin, so "Spoon" seems downright tame.)​

> "In case you run out of spoons?"

"In case you run out of spoons?" You're not sure if Chen means what you think he does with the name, but you might as well ask. It's weird to think of him that way; he's very good at projecting invulnerability.

"You get it then." He gives you an appraising look. "I thought you might."

"Is it that obvious?" you ask, though you know the truth. It's written on his face even if you couldn't feel his concern. You're broken. Hurt.

…Josie. Honey. Please.​

"It's none of my business," he admits, not taking the chance to pick a fight or pry deeper. Just accepting that there's common ground between you. "But yes, it is. If you know what to look for."

Not good. You need to change the subject fast; you didn't come here to be self-aware. You came here to get lost among the dogs.

"He seems to be a good influence on you." It costs you nothing to admit that, and it's true. You've rarely felt Steel this relaxed.

"He is." There's a long pause before he continues, a little softer. "I didn't grow up with dogs. I got one. For rehabilitation after I lost my hands."

"A service dog?"

"In a way." He looks down at his hands, flexing them. They are the only part of his cybernetics made to mimic human flesh, but you still notice the inhuman precision with which they move. "You remember the early generation cybernetics?"

"I do." People still use them. They're sturdy enough to remain in service for a long time—longer than the owner's own life. Maybe Steel's old hands are out there, somewhere, sold on a black market and installed into someone not able to cough up for the modern-grade stuff.

"Then you know they had problems with the sensory interface. Touch…especially soft touch, was an issue. Had it been feet, I doubt they would have cared, but hands…" The laugh is grim. "Soldiers need hands, pilots need fine motor manipulation, and I was a good enough pilot that they wanted me back."

"So why the dog?"

"They handed me a puppy. It was so small." He cups his hands, looking down as if he remembers. "You have to be gentle with a puppy. The consequences are bigger than a broken glass or a bent fork. Fostering it became part of my rehabilitation."

　‣ "That sounds sensitive for the army."
　‣ "Did you ever kill one?"
　‣ "Did you get to keep it?"

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: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
██████████▒█████████

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: 15% / Anonymity: 85%
████████████████████
Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
██████▒█████████████
Daring: 46% / Caution: 54%
█████████▒██████████

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: 80%
████████████████████

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
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: 45%
████████████████████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Could be useful.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 60%
████████████████████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

I like how option 2 sits there as just an absolute mood killer after the convo so far! Wow! An interesting option for one who wants to break this convo as quick as possible

...1 or 3 both probe a little, with army criticism or curiosity about his dog(s) respectively, but not like that. Preferred vote to either of them

 

>sensitive, just to break the coinflip tie.

 

In the interest of not killing the mood, let's just snipe gently at the US military (that's a polite conversation by Josie-and-Chen standards, right?)​

> "That sounds sensitive for the army."

"That sounds sensitive for the army." You give Chen a look, not sure how to react. He's usually not open to sharing his past like this.

"The rehabilitation was outsourced. As long as they got me back in fighting shape, they didn't care." He sighs. "Had to give her up once I was done. She got adopted. No dogs in the army."

"That makes sense."

"It was a long time ago." He looks over at Spoon, still playing. Still chasing. "Sometimes I feel old."

"Only sometimes?" you joke.

"It's relative." He's not as touchy about that as Ortega, interestingly enough. You know he's the older of the two.

"Why the muzzle?" You look over at Spoon. You don't feel any aggression with the other dogs. It makes you feel a bit uneasy, the way it mixes with the fence around the area. Trapped, but not knowing it. You've been there.

"He was trained to race." Chen doesn't look at you, just at Spoon. "To chase small, soft things and try to catch them. He doesn't mean to bite, but accidents happen. This way, he's safe. He can't hurt anyone." He nods at the fence. "Just like he can't run away from me."

"Run away?" You try to swallow the memories. Push them back. Eradicate them. You can't let yourself be affected. You came here to banish the nightmares, not to get new ones.

"They're trained to run away from their handlers. First time I got him, he escaped. I made a bad call. Ran until his paws bled. Almost got hit by a car. Had to call in D…Herald to find him."

"I know his name. You can call him Daniel."

"I wasn't sure." The unspoken question is enough of an accusation to make you groan.

"You know I'm helping him train. He told me. It's less awkward that way." Easier to get him talking.

"I see. He's trying to keep it out of the news." No apologies. As always. "Try to stick to Herald in public. We don't advertise his identity needlessly." Interesting. Is there any reason for that?

You know it varied in the past. Some heroes adopted their identities completely, like Anathema, while others tried to keep their names somewhat private, like Sentinel.

Herald shows his face readily enough, but you don't get the feeling of a murky past you always got from Themmy. Too bad you won't get an answer right now. This subject is closed; you can feel it.

Time to switch tracks, and luckily Spoon is there to help the conversation along.

"Why not get a puppy? Sounds like a lot of hassle to go through retraining an adult dog." Now that you know, you can pick up the reflexes in the way Spoon acts. How he throws himself forward, easily outpacing any other dog he chases, confused when there's nothing to keep chasing. The instinct to run and bite, breaking apart in little clouds of joy when he realizes there's no need to do anything. Just be. Play.

But he's not used to that. Not good at it.

"Puppies are more of a hassle," Chen admits, watching the dogs, same as you. "And I feel like I understand him. Being good at something. Being lost when you can't do it anymore. It's easier to find a balance when you're on the same level."

"Huh." There's no hint of irony in his voice, no hint in the way he looks at Spoon that he regrets anything. That he would want something softer. Easier. More pliable.

"So why did you come here?" His eyes turn to you, and you find yourself tensing. Too much like an opening jab.

"I told you." You look down. "To look at dogs."

"I watched you for a few minutes before I approached. You looked like a wreck." There's a small pause, but since you remain silent, he continues. "You've never let me sneak up on you before."

　‣ "It was a rough night," I say vaguely.
　‣ "Herald keeps dragging up the past."
　‣ "I'm head blind, remember? I'm not Sidestep anymore."

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: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
██████████▒█████████

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: 15% / Anonymity: 85%
████████████████████
Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
██████▒█████████████
Daring: 46% / Caution: 54%
█████████▒██████████

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: 80%
████████████████████

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
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: 45%
████████████████████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Could be useful.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 60%
████████████████████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

Rough night

Option 2 seems a bit rude to herald when it's mostly not his fault, and Option 3 brings up the psychic powers again in a way that seems a little suspicious to me.

 

Let him collect evidence for our claims without us actively pointing to it, it's more likely to convince him

 

Character development is learning not to remind people we're not a telepath every five minutes.​

> "It was a rough night," I say vaguely.

"It was a rough night," you say, looking at the dogs, not Steel.

"Are…" There's a pause, longer than is comfortable, before he continues, "…Are you okay?"

"Of course I am." The words slip out quickly, without thought. You don't want his sympathy. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because of everything you've been through?" You can feel him looking at you. "I don't think any of us are okay. I know I'm not."

"Huh." This time you look over to meet his gaze. "That's surprising. I thought you were pretty much indestructible."

"Whatever gave you that impression?" His expression is hard to read, stuck somewhere between anger and exasperation. "A lot of my body has been replaced. I'm intensely aware of exactly how destructible I am."

　‣ "Do you keep track of how much they have replaced?"
　‣ "Sorry, I didn't think about that," I apologize.
　‣ "That's not what I mean, and you know it," I snap.

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%
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Subtle Manipulations: 74%
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Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate.
Infamy: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
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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: 15% / Anonymity: 85%
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Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
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Daring: 46% / Caution: 54%
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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: 80%
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Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
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: 50% (+5)
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Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Could be useful.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 60%
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Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

Josie he has to get maintenance on every piece of tech in him, of COURSE he can keep track

Anyways option 2 seems like the least assholish

 

"Do you keep track of how much they have replaced?"
"Eh, after the third limb you stop bothering ¯\_(ツ)_/¯"
—probably not canon dialogue