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

Nope, just the basic "ignore Ortega and tell Herald we're sick this week".

 

> I will visit the Rangers, things to do, people to meet.

No use putting it off. Visiting the Rangers is the next step, even if you have to play it by ear and be ready to run if things go south.

You make sure to grab a pair of shoes good for that…just in case.

Fuck, here we go again.

Next chapter: Once more unto the breach of human interaction.​

 

Outside, the sun hides behind a sulfur sheen. The smog is as bad as always now that the Santa Ana winds have died down for the year. The thin ash mixed with the ever-present pollution paints the skies in spectacular shades once the sun sets, but right now, it only makes you feel sick. Artificial. You adjust your shades and walk faster. Now more than ever, you need to move carefully. The stakes are rising with every move you make. Like chess, it pays to be patient when you can and then to move without hesitation when you have to. You learned that lesson many years ago.

Getting downtown by bus is routine, but you decide to walk the last blocks yourself. It gives you time to pick up possible ambushes or anything else out of the ordinary. At least, that's what you keep telling yourself. The truth is that the people on the bus were getting to you. Pressure. Scent. Too many people looking at you.

Are you sticking out? Have you lost it? Or is it just that your senses are so attuned to trouble that you find it everywhere?

You need to calm down. There's no need to get paranoid. There's no need to get overwhelmed.

Focus on what's important. Yourself. Your body. Your breathing. Just keep walking. Try to ignore the people that surround you. Citizens. Humans.

Unlike you.

　‣ I still don't feel fully like myself.
　‣ I'm reminded of how little I have in common with people.
　‣ My shields are fraying fast.

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, with no significant wounds.

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

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate. They are a known killer.
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: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 63%
████████████▒███████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 34% / Anonymity: 66%
██████▒█████████████
Ruthlessness: 40% / Empathy: 60%
████████████████████
Daring: 63% / Caution: 37%
████████████▒███████

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: 78%
███████████████▒████

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: 63%
████████████▒███████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 66%
█████████████▒██████

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: 60%
████████████████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 72%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: He seems nice.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 64%
████████████▒███████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

Fascinated that we can just choose fraying shields as the explanation of what looks like a sensory meltdown

I'm leaning a bit option 1, part because trans vibes, part because 2 feels like it sits too heavily on the recent reveal and doesn't match some of the vibes I got of our protag earlier through the story. 3 could also be fun tho

 

I'm good with 1 - 2 doesn't really fit, and I don't want to send Josie into whatever this scene is going to be without mental defenses

 

> I still don't feel fully like myself.

You glance at your reflection.

In every window you walk past.

You're not sure you like your smile anymore.

Your clothes are sticking to your skin, cold sweat, exertion, a feverish shiver, and you just want to claw them off like a snake shedding its skin. But you can't. Keep it together, you idiot. The Rangers' HQ appears like a mirage, like salvation. It will be quiet in there. Air-conditioned.

You've been here enough that it's lost some of its mysteries. You're not afraid of walking in its shadow, but you know you can't relax.

This is the den of the enemy.

The receptionist on duty treats you with a polite smile. You've been seen with enough Rangers to be a more-or-less-trusted visitor. Her name is Anna, you're not sure how long she's been working here, and you don't care. Don't get involved. If she knew the truth, she'd be terrified. She believes in law and order, and you're anything but.

"Welcome," Anna says, customer service smile in place. "Are you here to meet with Herald?"

"Herald?" You blink for a moment before catching the trailing end of a thought. "Oh, he told you about the training."

"And to let you inside whenever you came by." Her smile grows a little warmer; she's fond of him. Like everyone here.

Have you miscalculated? What has Herald talked about? Revealed? You never considered that he might be as open with everyone else as he is with you.

Fuck. That's not good.

　‣ "Is Ortega around?"
　‣ "Would you let Herald know I'm here?"
　‣ "Lady Argent is not out on a mission, is she?"
　‣ "Is the Marshal too busy for a visit?"

Once we're done with our latest bout of paranoia, we should probably tell her who to page. We don't really have the relationship for that with Argent (at least not as Josie), but the rest are fair game.​

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, with no significant wounds.

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

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate. They are a known killer.
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: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 63%
████████████▒███████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 34% / Anonymity: 66%
██████▒█████████████
Ruthlessness: 40% / Empathy: 60%
████████████████████
Daring: 63% / Caution: 37%
████████████▒███████

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: 78%
███████████████▒████

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: 63%
████████████▒███████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 66%
█████████████▒██████

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: 60%
████████████████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 72%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: He seems nice.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 64%
████████████▒███████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

>Herald. Gives us an excuse to avoid Ortega but still say we dropped by.

 

Do the expected thing and we've got less to think about?