Kintsugi Plays Fallen Hero

>Walking me to the door
It's going to be excruciatingly awkward no matter what, might as well not super super super obviously piss off Steel that extra amount.

 

Steel just doesn't have that flirtatious murder "old friends" vibe, alas :p

So yeah, retiring the heroing and the fighting with Steel at once is probably a consistent choice

 

yeah you'll have to wait until book 2 for that option

Anyway, better the awkward conversation we know than the one we don't:​

> "I'm fine. Chen was just walking me to the door."

"I'm fine. Chen was just walking me to the door." Your smile is a peace offering you hope Steel will take.

"Okay, just wanted to make sure." Herald looks a little confused. It is obvious he has no idea of the tensions between you and Steel, but he knows that something is going on.

"We were just discussing…old memories." Steel straightens slightly, sharing a look with you. You can only imagine how frustrating that must be for Herald, to always be the new guy. And to have his face rubbed in it.

"Ortega worries too much." You square your own shoulders, quite aware that Herald has been looking at you strangely all afternoon. Why? Is he picking up something you are projecting? There is no way he can know that you were really the one who beat him up.

I suppose just reading his mind might arouse suspicion.​

"That's true," Herald says with a relieved laugh. "I'll get back then. It was really nice to meet you…Sidestep."

"Josie," you say reflexively.

"Come on." Steel turns around and starts walking down the hallway. "Let's get you out of here."

You follow in silence, aware of Herald's eyes boring into your back. You really can't get out of here fast enough.

> Into a Welcoming Cab

It takes three different cabs and two stretches of brisk walking before you feel comfortable enough to finally go back home. You haven't been able to spot any people following you, but there's no way of telling if they have high-altitude drones shadowing your every step.

It's a useless exercise to be paranoid; sooner or later, Ortega will find out where you live if she wants to. You don't have any incriminating evidence there anyway, but you have worked hard for your privacy. You're not about to give that up now. Not when you finally have a life where you can make choices that matter to you.

Closing the door behind you, you make sure to lock it. Nothing looks like it has been disturbed, but you make the rounds all the same, checking to see if any of your little warning items have been disturbed. Nothing. The nearly invisible piece of tape is still there at the top of your bedroom door, and what you can pick up of your neighbor's thoughts show nothing out of the ordinary. Things feel safe, but you're still keyed up from running into Ortega.

You can't take anything for granted, not really, but you also can't allow yourself to get too paranoid. A certain amount of risk is acceptable. Still, you need to stop worrying and start thinking.

Making a cup of coffee, you ponder what to do next. Research, probably. You don't want to make any rash decisions. Sighing a little, you grab your cup, sitting down in front of the computer.

It hums to life with a soft whir, the screen painting the room with a pale electric glow. You have come to like this little sanctuary of yours—it's the first time you've felt you really have a home you like. The apartment is a bit like you, the unassuming exterior hiding a surprisingly rich interior.

Back in the day, you would have considered this to be a frivolity. But right now, you have enough money to live a comfortable life, so why shouldn't you have a comfortable home? You and Barbara both, in fact, though her place is a bit more flashy. There is more of a chance that someone might get invited there eventually.

Not here, though. Not in your private sanctuary.

Once again, routine is a friend that you rely on, a safe port in an emotional storm. You want to let out the frustration and rage you feel at almost being exposed like this, but you can't allow yourself that release. Rage is a dangerous thing for a telepath: it makes you lose control, makes your shields brittle, and above all, makes you prone to mistakes. You need a clear head.

So, if you are not to be angry, what should you be then? Productive, perhaps.

Meeting Ortega again was a shock, and you have no idea whether you can manage to keep up the mask of who you were if you keep interacting. Knowing Ortega, she will want to meet again, so this is an act you need to be able to keep up. Even if you can hardly remember who you used to be….

How did you talk back in those days; what did you feel? Did you trust Ortega? You suppose you must have. Once someone has saved your life, some manner of trust must start to grow. But was there affection involved? Was she your friend?

　‣ Friend? I had a crush on her.
　‣ Yes, I really thought of Ortega as a friend.
　‣ She was at least the closest thing I had to one.
　‣ I never let it get that far.

Let's think back to what the Josie of seven years ago was like with Ortega. Were we able to truly consider her a friend in those more innocent times (whether or not we also had a crush on her)? Did we think of her more as a sort of "almost-friend", like we do with Rosie now? Or did we keep her at arm's length even after tripping and falling into a friendship?​

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

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: 69%
█████████████▒██████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 0% / Obscurity: 100%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 14% / Anonymity: 86%
██▒█████████████████
Ruthlessness: 47% / Empathy: 53%
█████████▒██████████
Daring: 49% / Caution: 51%
█████████▒██████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 77%
███████████████▒████

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 49%
█████████▒██████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Marshal Steel: former ally.
Marshal Steel and Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Josie's relationship with Herald: distant.
Herald and Josie: 20%
████████████████████

 

hrmmm
I am personally going to vote for 'really thought of Ortega as a friend'
I just love angst

 

Incredible as it sounds, the answer is simple: Back then, we were someone who believed they could have friends.​

> Yes, I really thought of Ortega as a friend.

She was your friend. Your first friend. Maybe your only one.

You're not sure if that's a sad account of a life or not, but you rarely dared to let people that close. Acquaintances, yes, but people who saw your face, who knew your name? That was a lot rarer.

And Ortega had been there for you at every twist and turn, until…

Yes. Until everything changed.

You surf the web, thinking back. Click by click, you browse through the fan sites, and a mosaic of Charge's face stares back at you. The familiarity hits you like a right hook, making you smile a little despite yourself.

When had she cut her hair? You remember how much it had seemed to matter to her, the thick black braid meticulously cared for after each fight.

The shorter hair makes her look older. More mature. Tired. If she had worn a mask, she could have hidden the more obvious marks of age, but she had always been public.

Her father had been a high-ranking military officer before he died—most likely the reason why Ortega had the option of becoming one of the Enhanced in the first place after her accident. Her mother had survived, and for a few years, you had been a welcome visitor at their house as one of Ortega's closest friends.

Now, you don't even know if she's still alive. For a moment, you wonder if she still lives at her old place, and what she would do if you picked up the phone and called her. But that's just another pipe dream, just like what Ortega represents.

"What is your game, Julia?" you whisper to the screen, flipping through reports of her recent career as a member of the Rangers.

Somewhere in that myriad of data points are answers. But instead, you find yourself distracted by the link on the page that leads to former associates, and as a result, to yourself.

No, you decide, as you watch your own, masked, face as of nine years ago stare back from the screen. This is not you anymore. This is Sidestep. Your old identity.

You remember the day that picture was taken, you were still out of breath and covered in debris after the Nanosurge hit the coastline. You are talking to someone off screen: Sunstream, if you remember correctly. She quit the Rangers half a year later, and you never learned why. Not that you asked. You never did. Still…

It is an odd feeling, looking at yourself. Did you really use to be that open? That happy?

Your hood is pulled back, and your full-face mask rolled up just enough so you can have a well-deserved energy drink because you had just saved the day. And fuck, did you really use to be in such good shape?

With the hooded coat unbuttoned, the armored skinsuit shows off what it felt like being twenty. You remember feeling self-conscious and ashamed when people took pictures back then, but looking at your former self, you wonder what you had to be ashamed of.

　‣ Existing, probably.
　‣ I never liked people looking at me.
　‣ Not ashamed—afraid to be recognized.

And yet even back then, we dreaded the spotlight. Do we remember how that felt?​

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

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: 69%
█████████████▒██████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 0% / Obscurity: 100%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 14% / Anonymity: 86%
██▒█████████████████
Ruthlessness: 47% / Empathy: 53%
█████████▒██████████
Daring: 49% / Caution: 51%
█████████▒██████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 86% (+9)
█████████████████▒██

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 49%
█████████▒██████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Marshal Steel: former ally.
Marshal Steel and Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Josie's relationship with Herald: distant.
Herald and Josie: 20%
████████████████████

 

>Afraid to be recognized

 

How we felt wasn't the issue…​

> Not ashamed—afraid to be recognized.

You never forgot that you were in hiding, and anything that could obfuscate you really helped. Was it times like this that doomed you? Little moments of peace captured by cameras and recognized by the wrong people?

Maybe. You will have to be more careful this time.

What will your new armor look like? You haven't decided yet, but you need to settle on something soon. Things like this are important.

Your Sidestep suit had its own personal symbolism in the geometric patterns of varying shades of gray, in the electric blue of the contrasting piping and patches. There was practicality as well: the fitted coat covering your skinsuit was armored enough to stop most bullets, and the full-face mask helped to filter gas and provide you with low-light vision, as well as hiding your identity.

Fat lot of good that had done you in the end.

　‣ Still, I miss those days.
　‣ I got too comfortable, and stopped hiding.
　‣ I was too trusting; these people were not my friends.

(For anyone curious about the full design of Sidestep's suit, there's official concept art of it.)​

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

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: 69%
█████████████▒██████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 0% / Obscurity: 100%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 14% / Anonymity: 86%
██▒█████████████████
Ruthlessness: 47% / Empathy: 53%
█████████▒██████████
Daring: 49% / Caution: 51%
█████████▒██████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 86%
█████████████████▒██

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 49%
█████████▒██████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Marshal Steel: former ally.
Marshal Steel and Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Josie's relationship with Herald: distant.
Herald and Josie: 20%
████████████████████

 

Alternatively, if the thread feels we've done enough introspection for one day, I could roll a die on this one.

 

I miss those days?

 

> Still, I miss those days.

Still, you miss those days. Even a lie of a life could provide some comfort. Maybe you if you had dared to trust Ortega enough to tell the truth, maybe…

For a brief moment you indulge yourself in memories. They had believed you were one of them, hadn't they? An ally, a comrade…a friend.

The fond laugh catches you by surprise: how long has it been since you did that? Laughed? It's a night of old memories, to be sure.

The important question, however, is whether you can walk the tightrope as needed to deal with Ortega. You know how she is; if you pretend to be too broken and tired, she will go out of her way to cheer you up. If things get really out of hand, you could end up in a lot more trouble than if you had agreed to help with Lady Argent. So you need to be distant, but not too distant. Retired and broken, but not too sad.

"Sure, our enemies suspecting us would be bad, but you know what would be worse? Our friend worrying about us."​

Maybe the hardest thing is that she really was your friend once. Part of you wants to reconnect, if for nothing else than to ease the sometimes-crushing loneliness.

Of course, that's impossible, as what you had was an illusion upheld by your lies. That isn't really how friendships work.

But she doesn't know that. Now that she knows you are alive, you can foresee that she will try to reconnect. Maybe even try to fix your life. What an absolute mess….

Still, it's not like this is a lie that needs to hold up forever. All you need is a few weeks for Dr. Mortum to finish, and then it won't matter.

Nothing will.

Turning off your computer, you reluctantly look over in the direction of your bed. With the past being dragged back into light, you know it's going to be a bad night.

Part of you wants to escape into Barbara, but you've been running yourself pretty ragged lately. You need the rest. Real rest.

It's just dreams. They can't hurt you.

Head buried in the pillow, you lose yourself to oblivion.

And on that note we'll end chapter 3. And then wait while I get the web version of the game to stop glitching on me.

Next time: Josie gets some sleep.​

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

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: 69%
█████████████▒██████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 0% / Obscurity: 100%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 14% / Anonymity: 86%
██▒█████████████████
Ruthlessness: 43% / Empathy: 57% (+4)
████████▒███████████
Daring: 49% / Caution: 51%
█████████▒██████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 86%
█████████████████▒██

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 49%
█████████▒██████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Marshal Steel: former ally.
Marshal Steel and Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Josie's relationship with Herald: distant.
Herald and Josie: 20%
████████████████████

 

Spoiler: Chapter content warnings

In addition to the blanket warning for suicide/suicidal ideation, this chapter is where the game goes full psychological horror. Readers sensitive to medical/institutional abuse might also want to tread lightly.

Darkness.

Peace.

Are you falling asleep?

(Or are you waking up?)

> You Don't Get a Choice

The dream descends on you like destiny.

The pressure. The insidious air. You don't want to breathe anymore.

Not this dust.

Not this stench.

Ortega is heading upstairs, followed by Steel. They walk because they must. One down…

Three to go.

There were no words. No tears. Shocked glances. An unspoken agreement to deal with this later.

When you could.

(If you could.)

Nobody said it. What you all thought.

Anathema might have been the lucky one.

> No

Don't think that. Just walk.

(Just wake up.)

You try to keep up, but then you lag behind. You try to scan for life, and then you find it.

And it finds you.

As the others continue upstairs, you fall behind, and little by little you can feel the pressure increasing. The presence growing closer.

You almost pass the door when you reach it.

Number 412.

…You almost manage to wake up, but you are dragged back down….

　‣ I reach for the door, pushing it open—I know I must stop this.
　‣ I try to call out to Ortega, but my mouth won't make sounds.
　‣ My hand moves despite myself, turning the handle.
　‣ I walk inside willingly, embracing what is to come.

 

> I must stop this

 

Finding myself very curious what Josie's history before Sidestep had, because it doesn't sound like the costume and identity hiding were just about super heroing - the stuff about the friendship with Ortega having been based in lies implies something else, something older, too. :|a

And that "and then it won't matter, nothing will" is not throwing up any red flags at all, nope /j

 

> I reach for the door, pushing it open—I know I must stop this.

You put your hand on the door, pushing it open with a sinking feeling in your stomach. You don't want to, but you must. Someone needs to put a stop to this. Someone needs to save the day.

(But why does it have to be you?)

It won't stop otherwise. And you can't turn your back.

(And you can't stop caring)

If you had been able to, things would never have come to this.

Around you, the apartment shrinks into focus, the hallway ejecting you into the living room. A small, dead space, smelling of feet and antiseptic.

(And burning hair.)

"Don't…"

That's the only word you can form. Your mouth turns weird. Your lips, static—as if they were reflections of someone else's.

On the wall ahead of you hangs a painting of a tree. There is a balloon caught in it. If you turn your head a little to the right…

A little to the right…

A little…to the right…

There's a strange inertia to your body.

You can't move…

You can't move your head…

There's a shadow crossing the floor. A searchlight outside that is outlining the inhuman silhouette against the window.

No.

You don't want to see this.

"Don't…" you whisper.

A strange pulse hits you like vertigo, clinging to your mental shields like static cobwebs.

You're still on your feet. You're still functional. Barely.

The helicopter is not; the tumbling machine screams before it crashes, its rotors sounding like people howling for release as it tears into the building across the road. The explosion shakes the room enough so that you do manage to turn your head, one hand frozen halfway to your mouth.

Why are you alone.

Why are you not alone.

You can see the cables snaking across the floor, leaking rusty, foul-smelling fluid. Familiar fingers crawl over your mind, over your shields, pressing bitten nails into their spongy surface.

They are failing. As are you.

　‣ No. I'm too clever to let that happen. My mind is finally my own.
　‣ No. I'm stronger than this, I won't risk letting it in.
　‣ Yes. I'm tired of fighting. I'm welcoming this.
　‣ Yes. If I want to understand what this is, I need to embrace it.

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

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: 69%
█████████████▒██████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 0% / Obscurity: 100%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 14% / Anonymity: 86%
██▒█████████████████
Ruthlessness: 37% / Empathy: 63% (+6)
███████▒████████████
Daring: 49% / Caution: 51%
█████████▒██████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 86%
█████████████████▒██

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 49%
█████████▒██████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Marshal Steel: former ally.
Marshal Steel and Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Josie's relationship with Herald: distant.
Herald and Josie: 20%
████████████████████

 

My mind is finally my own

 

> No. I'm too clever to let that happen. My mind is finally my own.

(As if that mattered.)

You've fought to become who you are today. You. Not someone else. Not someone they wanted you to be. Your own life. Your own mind.

It's a skill you had to hone in secret for so long, making a small, secure area in your mind you could retreat to when needed. At first, it was nothing but a notion, a quiet corner of resolve. But little by little, you expanded its borders until you had created enough space to come into your own.

To be someone.

And now you have to pull back towards it. Have to retreat to strengthen your resolve. You are the one in control here. But for how long?

As long as you need to. You can't afford doubt right now—there's only time for ruthless confidence.

Self-mutilation is never easy, even when it's temporary.

It hurts, cutting away parts of yourself. It hurts, retreating back into the familiar safeguards, locking doors and setting traps you haven't had to use in years. You thought you were past this, that you could be who you wanted to be, that you could…

(you were an idiot)

No. Don't think of what you are giving up. This is cutting off a limb to save the body, and you can deal with that. Right?

No other choice.

Quieting your breath, you contemplate what you can give up safely.

　‣ My limbic system—I don't need to move for a mental fight.
　‣ My past—let it roam around my memories. That will distract it for a while.
　‣ My feelings—emotions—can be confusing, and I don't need them to win.
　‣ I can't do this. I feint, then try taking the fight to them instead.

If our shields couldn't keep it out, we would just have to keep it tied up with one part of our mind for long enough to act. But which part?​

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

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: 72% (+3)
██████████████▒█████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 0% / Obscurity: 100%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 14% / Anonymity: 86%
██▒█████████████████
Ruthlessness: 37% / Empathy: 63%
███████▒████████████
Daring: 49% / Caution: 51%
█████████▒██████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 86%
█████████████████▒██

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 49%
█████████▒██████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

Josie's relationship with Marshal Steel: former ally.
Marshal Steel and Josie: 24%
████▒███████████████

Josie's relationship with Herald: distant.
Herald and Josie: 20%
████████████████████

 

Hmm. Sending it into our memories might be a sneaky way for some meta gaming reader to seek a peek at that past, but emotions? Josie in that narration is already trying to pull away from feelings like fear, doubt, pain - don't those make a good maze to delay and wound an opponent in?

 

I'm seconding a vote for emotions.

 

I just want you to know that this is now stuck in my head and it's doing very strange things to the mood​

> My feelings—emotions—can be confusing, and I don't need them to win.

Feelings. Emotions. You wish you could say that you've gotten a better handle on how to deal with them, but you haven't. This…this thing that is attacking seems to focus on that. Why else would people kill themselves? It's not impossible that this is some sort of empath, able to infect or inflate what you feel…

Yes. You can already feel not just pressure, but despair beginning to build, as the assault against your shields increases. You can never do this, you will fail, you should just give in, give up, despa—

No.

It is not a simple thing to say, but you say it anyway. Eyes closed to keep you focused, you ignore the storm of impotent rage and despair and begin to shut the gates. Let whatever this is feast on your emotions—if you cut the pathway so you won't react to them, you should be safe.

That being said, what particular emotion is being targeted?

　‣ Friendship…I never thought I would have friends.
　‣ Anger…I have so much of it.
　‣ Despair…I'm no stranger to wishing I could disappear.

However little we understood our own emotions, we knew one of them must have been a strong enough beacon to attract this thing. Which was it?​

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

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%
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Subtle Manipulations: 74% (+2)
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Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 0% / Obscurity: 100%
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Arrogance: 14% / Anonymity: 86%
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Ruthlessness: 37% / Empathy: 63%
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Daring: 49% / Caution: 51%
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Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 86%
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Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 49%
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Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
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Josie's relationship with Marshal Steel: former ally.
Marshal Steel and Josie: 24%
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Josie's relationship with Herald: distant.
Herald and Josie: 20%
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> Despair