Chapter Text
- It would seem that I should be careful which Identities to use in which teams of five, as the personalities they exhibit, while still showing signs of the original(?) Sinner, are still mostly that identity. And as I've noticed, said Identities seem to be related to stronger foes we've fought in the past, such as the Leader of the Los Mariachis Gang, Aida. This can lead to frictions with people Who have specific histories with the people the Identities are related to... like the Kromer Identity that overlays over Faust.
The first time I used a Nagel Und Hammer identity, it was with Meursault.
I thank my lucky star that this had happened after the events in Calw and, thus, I already knew of what Sinclair's reaction could potentially be - including the war cry and the extensive use of Vogel to rip the former N Corp member of the Sinners into chunks. So I decided to still conduct an interview with the identity, just in a secluded spot outside the bus since apparently I couldn't enter the Sinners' rooms. Vergilius said as much, though he didn't elaborate whether it was a physical inability or a privacy concern. Now, Nagel Und Hammer had more than once made clear they see me as an abomination to be purged. However, this still being Meursault, I assumed I wouldn't have my head impaled to the walls of Mephistopheles like a butterfly in a lepidopterist's collection.
My assumption proved correct, and I was able to speak to what I assume was a version of Meursault that had taken Guido's role in the N Corp branch. While there was some talk about burning me in fire to "purify me of my mechanical filth" (among other threats of a painful end), the Sinner seemed to still recognize me as the Executive Manager. It was proving to be a surprisingly fruitful conversation... Until Sinclair walked in.
Now I didn't notice Sinclair immediately. What I did notice was the halberd that the N Corp. Großhammer chose to... grab mid-swing, by the blade. It took me a second to recognize what had happened, and I barely manage to dive to the side before the Number 11 Sinner wrenched his weapon back to him. The blade passed very roughly right through where my head was (which would've been a pretty bad thing to happen, you know, on account of my head apparently being the only thing keeping the LCB in business), and a sense of mortality washed over me. Sinclair's expression was intense and strained, to the point where I could hear his teeth gnashing against each other. He was readying another swing at Meursault, who had not moved at all.
However as of time of writing, I still must note that the biggest wound I healed was a conspicuously large circular stab into the heart. And that though two people died (and were subsequently wound back to life) that day, one of them simply didn't see the point in dodging given the circumstances.
I've noted for the future to take care and only use N Corp Identities in cases where the same team wouldn't also include Sinclair. He may be a bit stronger mentally after the events in his hometown, but that occurrence proved he was still likely to attack any Nagel Und Hammer staff on sight and with extreme prejudice.
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- There's something to be said about the effects that Identities have on the one they're synced with, not just the ones that they have history with. The N Corp ones, in particular, have a very pronounced effect on their respective original (still don't know if that's even the right term) Sinner's personality, what with their fairly overwhelming personalities and, as I've seen with Kleinhammer Heathcliff, copious amounts of what I can only assume to be brainwashing.
Things have certainly taken an... odd turn.
For one, during a routine Extraction, I pulled out another Nagel Und Hammer Identity... but this one was for Sinclair. At first, I shoved that one away to a corner of... well I'm not sure how to describe the storage of the Identities, so I'll just say "to a corner of my mind". I had to ask Faust (non-Gripping variant) if it would even be safe to use that identity, given the sheer horror that Sinclair had over the idea that he would ever join Kromer in her Inquisition. The genius Sinner didn't necessarily answer my question, instead noting that the number of Nagel Und Hammer Identities in our possession had grown to six - and that was true. Heathcliff, Rodion, Don Quixote, Meursault, and Faust herself - and now Sinclair as well. On some missions where I chose not to involve Sinclair, I'll admit I had the entirety of the five-person team be only the N Corp Identities. Their synergy was noticeable. Not surprising, given how the Inquisitors are essentially a purely combat division for N Corp. But I get a bad feeling from the Sinclair identity.
Faust suggested that the best way to determine the safety of it is to simply use it once. Perhaps she's right.
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-Some Identities, though they seem like they'd have nothing in common with their Sinner, are still that same person. They just took a different turn in their life path than the original (forget it, I'll just roll with this term). I should do good to remember that.
I didn't think Sinclair would be this calm about his N Corp version. Perhaps realizing the actual story behind what Kromer said about seeing a future where they were both side-by-side as Inquisitors gave him perspective? As far as I could tell after Uptying the Identity, the reason Sinclair had even joined Kromer - or rather Faust, in that reality - was simply fear and self-delusion for the sake of retaining his sanity. And seeing that himself, I got the impression that Emil could understand, or relate to that plan. He was disappointed in it, sure, but it wasn't like he could blame that other him. Identities are pretty much the same person, so there wasn't a way for two of them synced to the same Sinner to communicate with each other... at least, no way that I can think of right now...
...Maybe I could use these notes to let them write letters to each other...?
Nevermind, back on topic.
The issue with The One Who Shall Grip turned out to be less about Sinclair himself, and more about The One Who Grips Faust. Her constant egging-on of Emil in the test run I did pushed the blond man into increasingly suicidal acts, and the other N Corp identities on the team only supported her in the fervent pushing. Not only that, but he refused any attempts for me to rewind the clock while he remained alive. He just kept pushing himself, almost like a feral animal at one point.
My whole body felt like it had been ran through a meat grinder when I finally rewound the broken body of the dead Sinner.
When I later talked with the Identity, the lack of Faust and the knowledge that Kromer was dead seemed to relax him. I suppose that even with an N Corp Identity, I should simply not put Emil in the same team as N Corp identities.
At least, not if I want to keep my supply of painkillers going for longer than 2 days.