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

>get your shit together

 

> Pull it together. Don't let go. Focus!

Pull it together. Don't let go. Focus!

You can't let them get away with what they did to you. You need to take them down.

can't breathe

It's a lie to say that nothing makes sense in a dream. Dreams are ciphers, the shadowy legacies of a pretend life, written in ancient code to reveal the truths you dare not face. There's no flow of time in dreams. They flit between past and future with nothing but the scent of decay to give a hint of which is which. Do your dreams give you answers to questions you asked yourself years ago, or are they shades of what is yet to come? What do you want to become?

What if you became undone?

Breathe.

You're seven and standing on the boardwalk.

It's a lie because you were never seven. Never a child. Fake dreams. Fake childhood stolen from someone lucky to have one. Venice Beach was a ruin long before your time, the remnants home to gangs and drug lords. Did someone add this to the chipped memories you were equipped with before decanting? Why?

There are no answers here, pastel memories from the wrong angle, the skinless sky far too white, and the ashy haze making the sun's shine coin-like and unpleasant. So you flee inside the shadows of the maze of mirrors, resurrected amusement on display. For who?

There's a fee. You never paid.

Is this why you're paying now?

　‣ I keep running, but from what?
　‣ Am I dying?
　‣ It's finally here. This moment.
　‣ I've been here before, haven't I?

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: 28% / Anonymity: 72%
█████▒██████████████
Ruthlessness: 36% / Empathy: 64%
███████▒████████████
Daring: 58% / Caution: 42%
███████████▒████████

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: 52%
██████████▒█████████

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: Friends.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 67%
█████████████▒██████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

>finally here
totally not picking this bc I have never been able to unlock it on my own

 

> It's finally here. This moment.

You're not afraid. You've seen this before. You know the steps.

you wish you didn't/they'll regret this

You're alone and yet surrounded. Stretched up and out of shape, compressed within cramped frames, and mirrored back and forth until the reflection has lost all sense of belonging.

like you

Your body moves, and your reflections dance along, out of tune with each other and yourself. You're a grade-school chorus line, each dancer a fraction off. It feels like an omen of the future, a memory of a past that never was. Will you ever catch up with yourself? Are you doomed to always be one step behind? You twirl, graceless and awkward, not quite fitting in your own body.

Voices echo from the entrance, and you flee, unwilling to subject your reflections to other people's eyes. You never run toward things in your dreams. Just away. Escape. Maybe one day, you'll get the courage to turn around. Lose your teeth and grow your fangs.

Farther back, mirrors marked by dust and grubby hands. Palm prints cover the surfaces like hieroglyphs of desire. You feel as dirty as if all those hands had been touching you. Your skin. Naked skin. Every touch steals something you don't want to lose, there's so little left, and you stumble faster, then break into a run.

You awoke the ghost, and now it's chasing you. Where are you? Where is your body? You need to go back.

But do you want to get lost? Or lose yourself? Your face is the face of a masked stranger, and all the mirrors are reaching out to grab. You. To catch. You. To take you and dress you up and turn you into what they want.

Never what you want.

They make you tall, back bent, hands like claws. They make you short, reaching up, claws scratching to be noticed. You have no control. All you can do is pass from frame to frame, pawed by unseen fingers until you realize there is only one way out. Break it. Break the chains that bind you. Break and smash and tear away at the face of your enemy. The face that's in the mirror.

Masks are long discarded.

You clench your fist.

　‣ The face in the mirror is Josie.
　‣ The face in the mirror is Barbara.
　‣ The mirror is black, with something moving in the depths.

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: 28% / Anonymity: 72%
█████▒██████████████
Ruthlessness: 36% / Empathy: 64%
███████▒████████████
Daring: 58% / Caution: 42%
███████████▒████████

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: 52%
██████████▒█████████

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: Friends.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 67%
█████████████▒██████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

I want to see what happens with option 3!

 

Touched too many mirrors lost too much now there's nothing(???) to reflect

 

Spoiler: content warning

vomiting blood

​

> The mirror is black, with something moving in the depths.

The mirror is black and empty, or so it would have you think. You know that's not true. Not at all. Something is moving in the depths, sometimes you can almost see what. But then you look away. Not today. Certainly not right now. You're staring at the abyss through the fractured glass. Your knuckles are bleeding. Were you the one that smashed the mirror? It doesn't matter. There are so many left, so many ways it can get to you.

You can't stop now.

You can't stop.

Period.

Even if…

no

You. Just. Can't.

Fuck.

"Ah!"

You're ripped back into full consciousness, the shreds of whatever nightmare that consumed you still clinging to the edges of your mind. The nausea is strong. Too strong. You barely have time to roll over before throwing up all over the floor.

"Guh…hk…," you cough, trying to clear your throat, but your body is too busy turning itself inside out. Get it out. Get it all out. Involuntary reaction, voiding your stomach of all contents, continuing to convulse until there's nothing left but bile and spit, and yet you're not able to stop cramping.

get it out. get it all out.

Another cough, and you blink away the tears, taking note of the floor. The bed you're still on. Home. Your apartment. Dressed. Of course. Not as much vomit as you had thought. You were prepared for something like this and didn't eat much today. Missed the bucket though.

Blood? There's blood there. Not much; your mind had made up the visuals of great black sticky gobs of half-digested blood, even intestines. As if you were trying to hollow yourself out in prep—

Hollow.

Hollow Ground.

Reality snaps back like a rubber band, a pale imitation of much-needed pain.

Fuck.

　‣ This is why I used the puppet.
　‣ Ortega. I did not see that one coming.
　‣ What was that dream?

And we're back.​

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 tired.
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: 28% / Anonymity: 72%
█████▒██████████████
Ruthlessness: 36% / Empathy: 64%
███████▒████████████
Daring: 58% / Caution: 42%
███████████▒████████

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

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is badly hurt, and with severe injuries.
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: 52%
██████████▒█████████

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: Friends.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 67%
█████████████▒██████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

Spoiler

Having seen that spoiler tag about Hollow Ground matching our pronouns...? Suspicious and intrigued by this train of thought at the end.

I'm leaning towards "didn't see Ortega there," but not strongly

 

1 or 3 for me, putting us at a very noncommittal tie lmao

 

They all sound good... also I see we lost Barbara's no injuries status.

 

I'll vote for "did not see that one coming"

 

> Ortega. I did not see that one coming.

Ortega. Unpredictable as always. How long has she been stalking your puppet? How much has she seen? Or was Hollow Ground the target and Barbara just a lucky find?

You're not sure. Probably the latter. It makes too much sense; of course she'd spend her spare time spying on Hollow Ground. Who is not overly fond of you.

And now your puppet is compromised. At least that makes sure that she'd get the very best hospital care, Ortega would want answers. Looks like it might be best to leave your puppet stuck in a coma for the moment. Not that you have a choice, there are too many other things to deal with right now.

You feel hollowed out. Empty.

The puddle on the floor below you stinks, so you swallow your nausea and wobble off to the bathroom. Legs unsteady, you feel like a marionette with tangled strings, parts not moving right. Figuring out how to breathe. How to move. How to stop the tears.

Not that anybody can see them.

You avoid the mirror over the sink; you don't want to face yourself. You know it well enough to do this without opening your eyes. Too many nightmares you've woken up from. Too many escapes from your subconscious. You keep your eyes closed as you rinse your face and mouth, coughing up bad memories and dreams in the sink. The water washes away the last specks of blood. Red. Fresh. You've bitten the inside of your mouth hard enough to draw blood. Not the first time.

Nor the last.

You let the tap run, feeling the skin of your hands grow numb and cold. You wash your face again, wondering what you should do now. It hasn't been long, just a few minutes, at least according to the clock. There are no windows here to reveal the truth. It felt longer, but that's the nature of dreams.

More cold water on your face. Too exhausted. You need to work on that. You've been running yourself ragged lately, only letting your own body rest when you had business as your puppet.

Fuck. That's going to be an issue.

　‣ I need to find out what happened to the puppet.
　‣ I need to find out what happened to Ortega.
　‣ I know where Hollow Ground is, I'll shadow them when they leave.
　‣ I need a shower first. I feel gross and itchy.
　‣ I need to make sure I erase any links to the puppet.

We're back, and the clock is ticking. Where to?

The obvious course of action is to make a beeline for the crash site and look for Barbara or Ortega—find out what happened to them, what condition they're in, maybe even intervene if they're still there. Investigate the scene while it's fresh.

That said, we also have a rare opportunity here. Our most powerful and elusive enemy came in person to meet us… which means that if we act very fast, we may be able to follow them back to their hideout.

And of course, now that Barbie is a known associate of Anathema, anything that links her to us is a risk. It might be wisest to stop by her apartment now, before Ortega gets the chance, and ensure the evidence points away from her innocent ex-neighbor Josie.

Or we could take five minutes to clean up and then leap into action. Your call.​

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 tired.
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: 28% / Anonymity: 72%
█████▒██████████████
Ruthlessness: 36% / Empathy: 64%
███████▒████████████
Daring: 58% / Caution: 42%
███████████▒████████

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

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is badly hurt, and with severe injuries.
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: 52%
██████████▒█████████

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: Friends.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 67%
█████████████▒██████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

>erase links.
one of the puppet's many purposes is that it is, ultimately, more disposable than our main body. we cannot let anything point back to us, especially if we're wrong about Ortega being on the scene to stalk HG.

 

Imagining doing a playthrough where self care like a shower would be our highest priority. Can you imagine?

I can see "erase all links" as a just woken up panic reaction, even with our choices to think Barbara rather than puppet earlier. Intrigued that the narration has strictly gone back to that right now - kneejerk thoughts on not wanting to identify with the pain of the 'accident', or a red flag that something's been hollowed out of us..?

 

Looks like we currently have 1–2 votes for "erase any links to the puppet". Going to leave this open for another day to make sure anyone else wants to weigh in has the chance, then proceed.

I keep giggling at this comment. A supervillain self-care simulator? In this economy??

 

Let's not get so distracted by the crash that we forget the real crisis: Ortega is onto Barbie.​

> I need to make sure I erase any links to the puppet.

It's tempting to gather more information about what happened to Ortega and your puppet, but you can't take that risk. As far as you are aware, nothing weird is going on. Even if you are careful, you might leave clues.

After that stunt Ortega pulled, you might have to step up your paranoia regardless. Looks like she's more clever than you counted on. She already knows that Barbara worked for Anathema.

Time to make sure to scrub any connections between Barbara and yourself.

You made the right call moving out. If Ortega comes snooping around where Barbara lives, there's nothing to see there. No trace of you. You made sure that people didn't remember you, or rather that they didn't remember you wearing this face.

Never have you felt so justified in your paranoia. But did you go far enough?

No need to take any undue risks. Better go back and make sure you didn't miss anyone. See if Ortega has already been investigating the area and what she might have found out.

No time to spare. Ortega must have ended up in the hospital, and that means you've got a day at least before she starts snooping around. Ample time for you to make sure anything incriminating gets swept under the carpet.

Time to get cracking.

　‣ I will make sure people remember the right things.
　‣ I will use my knowledge of Ortega to plant false information.
　‣ I will be extra sure nobody spots me.

What's our main focus here? Using our telepathy to prep any potential eyewitnesses? Using our familiarity with Ortega to ensure the evidence will lead her away from us? Or is it more important to make absolutely sure we're not seen?​

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 tired.
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: 23% / Anonymity: 77% (+5)
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 36% / Empathy: 64%
███████▒████████████
Daring: 58% / Caution: 42%
███████████▒████████

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

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is badly hurt, and with severe injuries.
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: 52%
██████████▒█████████

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: Friends.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 67%
█████████████▒██████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

I guess if no one else is voting I'll nudge us towards >1 since there's no 'all of the above' option
we've sort of already done 3, and it's easier to disprove a positive than prove a negative so I'm a touch concerned about planting evidence.

 

The option wording on this is kind of unclear, so if it's any help:

• option 1 does entail planting false (memory) evidence, not just erasing our trail extra hard
• the focus of option 2 is using our understanding of Ortega against her: any evidence we plant there, physical or telepathic, will be our best attempt at Ortega Bait
• option 3 is the "let's just do what little extra cleanup we can without risking being seen" one

 

Given the context, overcompensating in ways that might actually leave hints sounds a little plausible - I'd be down for 1

 

> I will make sure people remember the right things.

Your mental powers are your strength; it would be a shame not to use them. It's not like you haven't conditioned your old neighbors before, but that was about you, not really about your puppet. With Ortega suspecting her, you need to make sure the neighbors are also a part of the narrative you are building.

Speaking of Barbara, it would be nice to know if she's alive, and you've got someone that can check that out for you.

One of the perks of not trying to do everything yourself.

You make the call to Pelayo, keeping your voice calm and controlled. Barbara is one of them. It makes sense to let them check on her.

The phone you're using to contact your crew has a built-in filter to mimic your vocal distorters. Useful for remaining anonymous.

"Yeah?" Pelayo's voice, hardly audible over the noise in the background. Sounds like music.

"Got a job for you." No time for pleasantries. Time is of the essence.

"Sorry, just need to—" He raises his voice in a shout not aimed at you. "Turn the fucking volume down. This is important." The noise in the background quiets down somewhat, and you suppress a smile as he switches back to professional. "I'm listening. What's up?"

"There's been an accident. Downtown, north of the Parkfield club. You know the place, right?"

"Sure, Parkfield, wasn't that where—" A tone of worry in his voice as he adds things up.

"Yeah," you admit with a sigh. "Didn't go well. Crashed a car. I think she was trying to get away."

"We should have been there," he complains, the worry obvious.

　‣ "I made the call. The risk was too great. Deal with it."
　‣ "Perhaps," I admit, "but it's too late for regrets."
　‣ "You don't have the whole picture. I'm in charge."

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 tired.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy
Strength of Mind: 50%
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Subtle Manipulations: 74%
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Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate. They are a known killer.
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: 5% / Fine: 95%
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Leadership: 63%
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Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 23% / Anonymity: 77%
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Ruthlessness: 36% / Empathy: 64%
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Daring: 58% / Caution: 42%
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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 badly hurt, and with severe injuries.
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%
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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: 52%
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Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 66%
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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: 60%
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Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 72%
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Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Friends.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 67%
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Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters