Mono for my angry canon MC with Mortum, Moon for hungry, marginally nicer MC with Herald, Geppetto for puppetmasterdudeMC. Someday I’d love to do a run with Sidestep the ex-Sidestep, but I haven’t figured out who to pair them with/if they should be paired with anyone at all. Maybe a maximum gate run while I’m at it. It’s fun minmaxing chaotic evil, but gotta make it make sense.
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“I don’t know how quitting can ever be okay with you!” and similar arguments. Like she has a moral responsibility to be a hero because she has powers. I have an anarchist character who is trying to undermine the current system. Some of her goals are to destabilize the government, reform the LDPD, and absolutely get RID of Hollow Ground (HG could probably have slid if they left the puppet alone, but no. Now it’s on sight). Herald thinks instead we should be propping up this corrupt, disgusting system, because it’s the “right thing to do” or what the fuck ever. I had my character offer to train him, mostly out of guilt, but god damn he can’t shut up about her getting back into the Hero business. He had a weird parasocial relationship with us ten years ago and he thinks on the basis of watching a few fight vids that he knows us and what’s best for us to do? Fuck him. He probably thinks we should let everyone who assaulted my MC at the Farm, go free because "killing is wrong 
"
Ortega got past the retirement thing in Rebirth, for me anyway. Like, my character made a snide comment about being retired and they were like, nothing to be ashamed of. Don’t wallow in regret over your choices, it’s okay. That type of response. The only thing he gets pushy about now is basically perp walking my MC into therapy, which I let happen because I ultimately want her to get better.
edit: Sorry Herald stans, I clearly had some feelings bottled up lmfao
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Omg yes…All I wanted to scream at him when he said that was like ‘NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS!’. I can retire if I want, I can commit suicide if I want…I can bail and go on the moon if I want. You don’t have a say!
So…you gonna change that, or are you sticking with it? You know the whole ‘I’m helping him’. He made you feel guilty? Sucker LOL I can’t believe you fell for it. I don’t feel any guilt when it come to Harold. If anything I’m frustrated we can’t do more to hurt him.
For Ortega nagging, I wonder if its because they suspect you are the villain behind the mask. Or they really want you back on the team. Regardless, it doesn’t bother me. Then again, I’ve got so much bias when it come to Ortega 
Hell you can see how much of a douche Harold can be, during the scene of the Museum. How he nag Lady Argent about putting a show for the camera and telling her she is the Victime here. Oh yeah, cause a Victim love being told they are one. What an idiot he is. I’m so glad we get to romance Lady Argent. She deserve so much better than Harold.
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Barring Steel and Argent, the two LI that, with some caveats, will generally still help you escape even if you’re a killer, I think Ortega and Herald are just straight up at loss on what to do. Even if, morally, they believe the right course of action is a prison sentence, they know this is impossible in Sidestep’s situation. Any sort of official recognition of what she is, would lead her back into the Farm’s clutches and they know that’s a far worse fate than prison. One they can’t condemn her to, no matter what she’s done. Indeed, I don’t even think they currently have a plan for what to do after Sidestep will be ready to leave the hospital (though I think no matter the book 2 ending, she’ll escape in the beginning of book 3).
Still, right now neither one sees her as stable enough to be free given the danger posed to other people, so the kind of saving and helping Ortega’s talking about is the mental one, I believe. She also mentions Sidestep deserving to, at the very least, be given the means to understand why she did what she did and also says she should’ve helped her get on actual meds, not just talk to a therapist. So psychological support’s probably all Sidestep can expect in the short term from Ortega and maybe Herald.
That said, I think at least Ortega (less sure about Herald) might become a bit more lenient on the killing matter and eventually get to the same place as Steel: tolerating killing if contained but condemning massacre.
I think Steel’s been more accepting of Sidestep’s actions both because of his experience in the military which makes him relate to her (Sidestep can actually throw in Ortega’s face that she’s not the only killer among her friends and Ortega doesn’t know how to reply to that) and because he seems to be the only one aware that this isn’t just Sidestep’s personal fight but that the Farm has got nefarious plans in store for the entire city with their experiments, meaning he’s more willing to overlook the means Sidestep uses, as long as she’s effective on holding back the bigger threat. I’m sure this critical piece of information about the Farm’s intentions will eventually come to light for everybody, not just Steel, and possibly sway Ortega (who, let’s not forget, unlike Steel, is also dealing with a much greater disappointment and heartbreak in regards to Sidestep’s actions, given the trust they shared) to be more lenient toward Step’s villainy as well.
On an extra note we also know there will be an Ortega/Sidestep/Mortum poly and I can’t imagine Ortega being ok with dating a “retired” murderous villain who’s unrepentant about her past, hinted at having gotten rid of loose ends in recent times, still in the villain business and building weapons for others to mass murder, but somehow decide to draw the line at dating killer!Step lol that makes no sense.
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Canonically Ortega has killed before, including mercy killing heroes, so it’s not that they are totally against it per se. I think it’s that they put Sidestep on a pedestal and can’t believe we would kill. Especially if we are cruel about it, like massacring the gala. There are also choices you can take that make Ortega believe you are not the real Sidestep, and they won’t rescue you in that case.
My character is definitely split between two personas. Most of the time, she can’t stand this dude. But then he looks so puppy pathetic and she remembers being the newb on the team when nobody would take her seriously or tell her anything. So she tried throwing Heartbreak in his face and he’s like "well you gotta get back at it 
" and other stupid recruitment efforts and it just makes her think this guy is not worth the trouble. So in the future, I’ll probably quit and tell him to figure it out from here. I mean, I beat his ass back in Rebirth like he wasn’t even trying, so maybe he’ll be a challenge now. edit: Like, it was so bad. I used jump jets, jumped up in the air, he followed, then I crash landed him into a car, the end. I expected Steel to show up and apologize for training Herald wrong as a joke.
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Lol don’t remind me…
That scene was kinda funny in the hysteric way when Ortega started telling me where wasthe MC! What did you do with the MC? and for a minute there I was confused because…what she talking about?
Then it all clicked that because that MC killed peoples, for some reasons Ortega couldn’t connect the two realities.
And I get that. I mean with everything that happen, it does feel like reality just Tilted there for a second.
I don’t know if its a pedestal, or just human nature. It take a lot to change someone drastically like that. And I don’t think the possibility ever existed in Ortega mind. They think like a Hero, so we can’t really blame them when there is so much they are unware of. Aka the regen status we have, the farms, the corruptions…etc etc.
hahaha now I wanna see this! 
Also, don’t you think its weird that he ask you to train him? He has a whole facility and could get the best trainer money can buy. But nope. He ask you! Someone who is retired, and who just came back on the scene. I don’t know anyone else, but that always came off as a Bullshit excuse to hit on you mostly!
I mean you don’t even have the same powers for God Sake. He can fly! you can’t. So what? He need hand-to-hand combats? He can get a trainer easily. Why ask you? He could ask one of the Rangers to train him. They don’t have time? So what? He could watch Vid of battles from the past (I betcha the rangers have access to those easily) and learn something from a past Hero or Vilain who have similar powers to his. But nope, again he ask YOU. Someone who doesn’t have the same power as him no less
Btw Harold can be romanced by everyone right? So he ask a Male MC too?
He is so tone deaf. Steel see you are a mess. Ortega know you are a mess. Lady Argent probably doesn’t give a damn if you are a mess then again she doesn’t bother you in your civilian status. But leave it to Harold to totally be oblivious how you are feelings.
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Perceptions are a very underrated part of romance. Because people often want to show their partner and see their partner at their absolute best. So it certainly makes sense.
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Looking at the code, I got the impression those lines referred to the scar, specifically. Like now that the entity that I think jumped from Heartbreak to Sidestep (I’m guessing it’s after powerful telepaths) has left her body, the scar it caused has lost some of its influence as well. I don’t think it’s Heartbreak (the person, not the event) that caused the scar but whatever that being is. Plus Heartbreak just seemed to have gone insane but the entity that’s possessed the Puppet (or Step) at the end seems outright malicious, not out of control. The only other thing I can think of is that it’s both Heartbreak and this other being that infected them, permanently fused after Heartbreak lost it, and now along for the ride in Sidestep’s body or the Puppet.
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To find Jake at the auction, this is how I did:
My character is a fighter with subtle manipulation at 81. Quietly sneaks in during the auction, stay off the dampener range and control guard. Follow Argent but stay hidden all the way. Then I see Jake when I chooses the third option to get away
Your will power should be exhausted at this point. If you have speed+telepath upgrade, and does the speed fight, (chooses lay a trap), focusing on dethreading Jake get you captured by HG.
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I have a problem 'to not convince ’ Ortega that i am a fake Sidestep. My anarchist Mc have been spending two years collecting dirt on politicans to change the system . It is Sidestep 's the real goal and motivation to live , and i could not make profuse apologies to Ortega because being villian is the only way to go to make a real change
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Having Ortega still believe Sidestep’s fake at the end of Retri is an opportunity ripe for drama, by the way. Steel says something along the lines of keeping Step safe because Ortega will ultimately come to her senses and would regret it if something happened to Sidestep. Like… imagine the possibilities of shit going down for Step after Ortega parted ways with her in such a devastating way, only to eventually realize it was really her friend/lover all along. There’s some great telenovela potential here, I’d love to see what could come of it.
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Ah yes, more Angst ahead:+1: but ive got mine with puppet dating ortega , i dont want to be overloaded with it 
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how do you get Ortega to ask MC for help to infiltrate HG? I tried to be very sneaky several times but never worked. must have missed something
My guess is Argent and Dr.Mortum meet though the machine and that’s how the poly will start in book 3
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what machine…?
Did you do the Argent romance path yet. Argent is trying to get a machine that at the very least can gave them thier skin back
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Ah yeah, okay. Sorry, its still early and my brain is still foggy. Now I know what you mean.
But I wonder if that is the case, since not everyone get that thing from the Auctions.
I mean you always get to steal the Gun for Dr.Mortum. But the machine that Lady Argent is after…it really depend. If you go to the auction with Dr.Mortum or just send Dr.Mortum alone? Don’t you miss not getting that thing?
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Argent will always get it if you don’t interfere. My guess they will still ask you for help with it in book 3 if you haven’t completely piss them off
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Gasp Me? Piss off that angry scary Lady? Neveh! 
Oh that remind me of something…
Now that most peoples have played Book 2, there is a very Important Question that need a Poll of it’s own (Do I sound like a Troll? lol)
Now that you played Book 2, what is your finances status?
- I’m still poor like hell! I can’t bring myself to steal.
- Screw it! I though I was doing the morally right thing but no more! I’m so stealing from Trump!
- Ah! I steal from Vilains! They have the best stuff!
- Do I have to reveal my finances? What are you…IRS?
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@Nm6k I wonder actually if that machine will be able to help Lady Argent in what she want. Something tell me it won’t, and the solution would be the machine but also the Nanovore we have in our Armors. But the machine alone? nope. Its hard to believe because what she has become…isn’t something you can undo easily. Hell even with MC nano and the machine, something tell me she will never be able to return to the way she was. But maybe with the MC Nano and the machine, she at least will have less pain in that body of hers? Or maybe we can do something about those sharks.
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I mean that can honestly be explained by distrust from all his teammates,being treated like shit by argent, being used as the poster boy for the rangers while hiding many shady things…and above all, desperation
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