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"That's insane."

"That's the fun."

We played through three matches. I adapted quickly, learning the game's internal logic. By the third round, I was using portal shots and dimensional gates, movements that would shatter every bone in a real person's body.

"You're a quick study," Katherine admitted after I finally eliminated her with an aerial combo.

"I have a good teacher."

She smiled, and it was unguarded. Natural. The mask she wore for cameras and interviews had disappeared completely.

I paused the game. "Want something to drink? There's water and soda in the fridge."

"Water's fine."

I retrieved two bottles, handed her one, and sat back down. This time a little closer. Close enough that our shoulders brushed when I reached for my controller.

She didn't pull away.

"Can I ask you something?" The question came out rougher than I intended.

"Sure."

"At Dollywood today. You mentioned something happened. What was it?"

Katherine twisted the water bottle cap between her fingers. "I helped a little girl find her mom. She'd gotten separated from her family."

"And?"

"A dad from earlier in the day recognized me. When I was getting in my car to leave, he came over alone and called me Miss Lord." She looked down at her hands. "I went there to be nobody. Just Katherine, not Kit Lord. But I can't escape it."

"You helped that kid," I said.

"Of course I did. She was five years old and terrified."

"Most people would have found a park employee. Handed it off."

"Would you have?"

Fair point. "No."

"Then why ask?"

Because I was trying to understand her. The real her, not the carefully constructed public image that everyone else saw. Every interaction revealed something new. The way she'd played with Amber and Lachlan, competitive but teaching. Now this, helping a lost child without hesitation.

"It tells me something about you," I said. "The real you, not Kit Lord."

Her blue eyes met mine. "What does it tell you?"

"That you see people. Really see them. That kid wasn't a photo opportunity or publicity stunt. She was just scared and needed help."

"My dad would have been disappointed if I'd just handed her off." Her voice softened. "He always said that being able to help meant you were obligated to help."

"Smart man."

"He died when I was fifteen. Right before I was discovered." She picked at the label on her water bottle. "Sometimes I wonder what he'd think of all this. The movies, the fame, the complete loss of privacy."

"He'd be proud of you fighting for this role. For understanding it's bigger than just another part."