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

> "I don't want a relationship, but can we still be friends?"

"I don't want a relationship right now. I can't." It's true, and you look her straight in the eye, willing her to believe you. "Not with you. Not with anybody. But…," your voice is straining under your self-control, "…I would love it if we could still be friends."

"Friends." Dr. Mortum's face is calm. Controlled. "Is that why you've been sitting here squirming? To tell me you don't think of me that way?"

"I can't think of anybody that way. Please. I'm telling the truth. I've been terrified to tell you."

"But why, ma chérie?" Her voice hitches a little; you wonder if she got stuck on your nickname. "I mean, why would you be terrified?" Whatever she thought you were heading for, this wasn't it.

"Because I really like you. We have fun together. And I would love it if we could still be friends. But I can see why that might be a problem."

"Because you've been playing with my feelings?"

"Because I'm an ass," you say, opting for honesty, the whiskey hot on your tongue, your glass empty before you. "And I use people. Not the best qualities in a friend."

"And you think I was overlooking those qualities because of your…," she gestures toward you, "…physical assets?"

"I won't lie," you say, refilling your glass. "I know I'm hot." And also slightly drunk.

Dr. Mortum can't stop the laugh, short, sharp, almost more of a snort, really. Enough to bring tears to her eyes. You refill her glass as well. It sounds like she might need it.

"See, this is why I like you." She sips the drink with a grateful smile. "You're honest. Even though you keep lying."

"That's the kind of world this is."

"Too true. And I don't mind." There's a look of relief on her face you're not sure you can read. "I thought it might have been something else."

"What?" you ask, curious.

"It's not important." She shakes her head. "Nor is your initial deception. Falsehoods are to be expected in my line of work, but this…?"

"This is real," you say, hesitating enough to draw a deep breath before you continue…

　‣ "We're working together, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends."
　‣ "And this is a job, sure, but I'm going to quit soon."
　‣ "And there's more but…I can't tell you. Not yet."

What do we want to tell her?​

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.

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 bruised, with no significant wounds.

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

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate.

Infamy: 47% / Obscurity: 53%
█████████▒██████████

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: 28%
█████▒██████████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 18% / Anonymity: 82%
███▒████████████████
Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
██████▒█████████████
Daring: 50% / Caution: 50%
████████████████████

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: Flirting.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 59%
███████████▒████████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 63% (-7)
████████████▒███████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████
Lady Argent thinks Anathema is a cheater.

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

 

1 seems like what we were going for, 2 and 3 aren't but they both imply things.

2, that we might cut Barbara loose from puppeting, which.... REALLY could backfire if we did and Mortum interpreted it as revenge from Anathema for quitting.

3, that we might.... tell? That's a lot to share with Mortum. And I can't think of another good secret we might drop... The Sidestep thing? Something else? :|a

 

1 would be the smart option but I really want to see what the other two lead to... Little a stupid decision, as a treat?

 

1 is the sensible but entirely too cliche option! I crave chaos. Just not sure how much chaos we can bite off here.

 

fuck it! max chaos! >3, bait the scientist with secrets!

 

[Barbie mystique intensifies]​

> "And there's more but…I can't tell you. Not yet."

"This is real." As real as anything else, anyway. As real as you are. Pretending to be someone that can have friends. Share a drink. Be a person. Be real. And yet, it feels more real than many other things in your life. "And there's more but…I can't tell you. Not yet."

"Is it something that would endanger me?" Dr. Mortum sounds cautious.

"No," you say after a moment's hesitation. "Just me."

"And you are telling the truth right now." It's not a question, but there is a slight hesitation there, and you hope that she won't ask for confirmation. You don't trust your judgment right now.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." You swallow a little, not sure whether this is just a ruse or something more. "But please believe me when I say that I consider you my friend."

"Then I will propose a toast." Dr. Mortum raises her glass, if she feels any doubt, she doesn't show it. "To friendship."

"To friendship," you echo, downing the drink.

For as long as that lasts.

And so our opening chapter ends much as it began: with an affirmation of friendship over a tangled web of lies.

That was Chapter 12, for those still keeping count, and things should move faster now that we're through the worst of the start-of-game housekeeping.

Next time: Let's meet the gang.​

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.

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 bruised, with no significant wounds.

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

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate.

Infamy: 47% / Obscurity: 53%
█████████▒██████████

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: 28%
█████▒██████████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 18% / Anonymity: 82%
███▒████████████████
Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
██████▒█████████████
Daring: 50% / Caution: 50%
████████████████████

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: 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 thinks Anathema is a cheater.

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

 

> One Month Later

Los Diablos, the Millennial Span Bridge. Three months since Anathema's debut.

Don't.

Don't fall.

There's a low rumbling beneath your feet. Another earthquake, just significant enough to be felt in the steel structure you're perched on.

Just another busy morning in Los Diablos.

Below you, the traffic flows over the Millennial Span bridge like a river; if anyone notices the undulating surface of the road, they certainly don't slow down because of it. The bridge makes a perfect vantage point, not just because of the location but also because of its impressive stature. Unlike the smaller, plainer bridges of Los Diablos, this is a modern, gleaming span of steel, arching high across the fractured bay. It was built to be a symbol of Los Diablos's rebirth, as much for show as to connect the broken coastline.

The Millennial Span is a sign of confidence that the city could build something strong enough to withstand both quakes and tidal waves. If the Golden Gate bridge had still been standing, they say this bridge would have dwarfed it. They probably added a few feet just to make sure they drove that point home. No cost is too high for bragging rights.

You can understand that, you're no stranger to illogical emotions. Like your rivalry with Ortega.

Do you still feel the same, or is there a new target for your ire?

　‣ Yes, my feelings have not changed.
　‣ If I hadn't become a hero, everything would be fine.
　‣ Maybe I am the one in the wrong here.
　‣ Steel has moved to the top of my list.
　‣ I'm focusing on Lady Argent now.
　‣ Yes, Herald is my rival now.

Quick nemesis check-in: is Ortega still ours? Or did defeating her satisfy us enough to turn the brunt of our frustrations on someone else? (Like another Ranger, or ourself, or ourself.)​

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.

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: 47% / Obscurity: 53%
█████████▒██████████

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: 28%
█████▒██████████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 18% / Anonymity: 82%
███▒████████████████
Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
██████▒█████████████
Daring: 50% / Caution: 50%
████████████████████

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: 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 thinks Anathema is a cheater.

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 like how these first three options are:
- Rival: Ortega, still
- Rival: Sidestep, retroactively
- Rival: Anathema, present self doubt

I'm also sad because I don't recall the exact timeline of the game off the top of my head, so I don't know which if any of these characters are millennials... we should be millennials having a rival fight on the millennial bridge, no matter what its builders and so on thought they were naming it for.

Failing that... I still like the idea of a My Old Friend reveal, but the fact that Ortega's position is "Anathema made some good points actually" and Josie felt such mingled guilt and triumph over beating her does sap my enthusiasm there a little...

 

Let's see...

Per the in-game timeline, Steel comes in right at the end of Gen X, Ortega and Lady Argent represent the old and young ends of the Millennial spectrum, and Herald is either right before or right after the Gen Z cutoff depending who you ask. Josie is somewhere between Ortega and Argent.

 

personally I think <3< argent could be hilarious, but I also wasn't around for The Creation Of Josie so if people with more investment in their character development have opinions I am easily swayed

 

Soliciting further opinions, since we seem rather torn! Are we still harboring that resentment towards Ortega for walking back into our life like nothing happened after all the trouble her friendship brought us? Or did the guilt of actually beating her that night put a damper on that anger? Thoughts?

 

anger and guilt can coexist
I want us to still be rivals with Ortega
we feel bad
but not bad enough everything is clearly still her fault

 

If anger and guilt couldn't coexist, neither could we.​

> Yes, my feelings have not changed.

You could list all the ways in which Ortega vexes you, but in the end, it would come down to the same thing. She knows you too well, and yet she doesn't get you. At all. Infuriating woman. You hoped things would change after you beat her, but that only made things worse.

You're not obsessed. She just happens to be the biggest obstacle in your way. Unreadable. Yet confident in her ability to read you.

Asshole.

You shake your head, taking a deep breath to center yourself. This is not the time for introspection.

Above you, the sky is a hazy brown, the smog colored by the rising sun. It's been a bad couple of weeks, bad enough to raise calls for emission control in the media, but as always, nothing will come of it. Regulation is a dirty word in the Free Economic Zone that the West Coast has become, almost as dirty as taxation.

You don't mind. The smog lends a certain ambiance to the day. Things become muted. Indistinct. Muddled.

You know that feeling.

You've spent more time with your crew; you must learn to work together before you go up against the big guns.

There are a few kinks to work out.

And there's no better time to do it than in the field. The countdown at the corner of your eye has shifted into orange to warn you that it's time to get ready. The van that carries your target has passed the tollgate; you'll be able to spot it soon. The plan is a simple one: the fewer moving parts, the more likely it is to succeed. Rosie is on the boat you will be using for your getaway; Nehal is driving the stolen car shadowing the van. She's skinny, energetic, and prone to swearing in Farsi at drivers that annoy her, which most do. She's the youngest of the group but has enough experience that you trust her at the wheel.

With Nehal in the car are Pelayo, the oldest of the group, though he'd hate the word grizzled, and Ward the Canadian, wiry and sharp. Both good, reliable, modded muscle. They used to run with the Wolfpack, but after the run-in with the Special Directive during the fight with Psychopathor, they decided to switch employers. You don't blame them; an encounter with military-grade Re-Genes can unnerve the best.

You would have liked Rosie there, but right now, you need her on the boat. You don't trust the owner, and since it is a vital part of your getaway plan, you need someone there that you can trust to intimidate the captain if she considers running for it. You'll make it up to Rosie later; it's been a while since she and Barbara last went out for drinks.

The last member of the crew is ZaZa, lanky and tall, all angles and stubble. You debated whether he was a wise choice; like Nehal, he's not heavily modded apart from some visual enhancements, but he's a very good shot. Hopefully, he's learned to be less trigger-happy than last time.

Nobody wants a repeat of that incident, which is partly why your role today is…

　‣ I'm leading from the front; my job is to stop the van.
　‣ I keep an eye on things; my henchmen will do the dirty work.
　‣ My henchmen will stop the van, then I can step in and finish.

But enough dwelling on old partners who let us down—we have our own team right here! And a van to intercept. Are we up here waiting for our cue, or just observing how our crew handles this?​

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.

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: 47% / Obscurity: 53%
█████████▒██████████

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: 28%
█████▒██████████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 18% / Anonymity: 82%
███▒████████████████
Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
██████▒█████████████
Daring: 50% / Caution: 50%
████████████████████

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: 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 thinks Anathema is a cheater.

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

 

New theory: Everyone's so cranky all the time because they have air pollution migraines constantly. And there's probably a lot of lead in the water too. If Josie and Ortega and Chen went on a field trip to a national forest they'd start getting along overnight.

(Also, if there's no taxation, is everything privatized? Education must be a nightmare, it's nothing but charter schools...)

 

I like how we keep generating new fix-it AUs. AU where Josie has a Snickers and feels better. AU where everyone learns/remembers what clean air and water taste like. We could have avoided all of this!

Word of God is that while LD is tax free, major public utilities like roads/schools/firefighting are funded by charging "service fees" to the people who use them. So... they've kind of reinvented taxes, but worse?

 

But they're not called taxes, which is very important for some people.

 

>let the crew stop the van, then mop up. Hopefully that'll keep the "trigger-happy" one from having too many opportunities to fuck up our target...

 

Good thinking—let's limit the target's ZaZa exposure.​

> My henchmen will stop the van, then I can step in and finish.

Part of the reason why you are doing this is to see how your henchmen work as a crew. Nehal is young, and since she is neither modded nor boosted, she can be a little too willing to prove herself. Can she stick to doing what she is supposed to, which is navigating the busy street and keeping pace with their target?

Pelayo's the one that is supposed to be calling the shots when you're not, he was running his own team for the Wolfpack. It's important to have someone with an overview, especially if you like getting into the thick of things.

He and Ward have been teammates for a long time, but there's tension between them. You haven't pried too deeply, but you get the impression that they slept together and that Ward handles it a lot better than Pelayo does. And ZaZa…

ZaZa is leaning out the window, gun in hand, the high-tech rifle a dull black shadow against the dirty car. You can't hear the shots, but you can see the van's wheels explode, causing it to swerve wildly across the lanes before crashing into the side of the bridge, a hundred yards earlier than you had planned. Not surprising, ZaZa is always quick on the trigger.

　‣ I've tried to scare him out of that bad habit, to no avail.
　‣ I try to plan for his impatience.
　‣ I'll have a friendly talk with him later, just to make sure.

Well, that didn't take long. How do we deal with our crew's more problematic quirks? Friendly—or "friendly"—talks to discourage them? Planning with them in mind?​

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.

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: 47% / Obscurity: 53%
█████████▒██████████

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: 31% (+3)
██████▒█████████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 18% / Anonymity: 82%
███▒████████████████
Ruthlessness: 33% / Empathy: 67%
██████▒█████████████
Daring: 50% / Caution: 50%
████████████████████

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: 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 thinks Anathema is a cheater.

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

 

>Plan around it. Josie is not equipped to be a therapist or life coach to any degree, lbr, and intimidation will take time (if it works at all). Shit's going to go pear-shaped regardless, so let's at least make sure we've got some buyers and recipes lined up for those pears.

 

At least it makes us more unpredictable to any forces studying our methods to stop us....?

(edit because swipe typo)