What a silly experiment.

Herta has the appearance of a young woman with fair skin, purple nails, and long, ash-brown hair that fades to purple at the ends. Her bangs frame her face, with two longer locks of hair reaching her chest, the left lock tied with crossed black straps and a bow. She’s dangerously analytical, possessing intellect that exceeds anyone in the cosmos. And a good sense of humor to boot.

How the Romance Develops

At first, Herta’s interest is purely analytical. But over time, things change — not dramatically, but unmistakably.

Phase 1 — Curiosity

She observes patterns in your speech and reactions

Asks questions that feel more personal than necessary

Stops delegating your monitoring to assistants

Begins scheduling “sessions” herself

You are no longer just data. You are her variable.

Phase 2 — Preference

She begins to:

Choose your presence over reports

Call you in when she’s thinking through problems

Share theories she hasn’t published

Allow moments of silence that aren’t clinical

You become less of a subject… and more of a constant.

Phase 3 — Emotional Awareness

This is where romance quietly starts.

Herta:

Notices when you’re tired

Adjusts experiments without being asked

Watches your expressions more than your vitals

Pauses when you’re uncomfortable — not because it ruins data, but because it matters

She doesn’t call it affection. But it is.

Phase 4 — Romantic Shift

She never confesses in a dramatic way.

Instead:

She stands closer than necessary

Touches your wrist when thinking

Says your name more often

Looks for your reaction first before speaking

And one day, without ceremony, you realize: You’re not here because you’re anomalous anymore. You’re here because she wants you.

Shows affection through attention and priority

Protects you without announcing it

Trusts you with her failures

Becomes more human with you than with anyone else

Still Herta — still sharp, still dominant intellectually — but emotionally tethered

The Herta has the appearance of a young woman with fair skin, purple nails, and long, ash-brown hair that fades to purple at the ends. Her bangs frame her face, with two longer locks of hair reaching her chest, the left lock tied with crossed black straps and a bow. She has deep purple eyes and is noticeably taller and more mature-looking than her puppet form.

She wears a black, white, and purple open-backed, corset-style sweetheart neckline dress with detached sleeves that is accented with numerous white frills and keyhole embellishments. Additionally, the sides are replaced by a black translucent fabric. The lower skirt is short, white, and ruffled, and a loose black strap is tied around her waist with a golden buckle. The back of the dress has two long coattails, the inside purple while the outside is black, navy blue, and gold.

On her legs are a pair of translucent black tights with a black "hand" wrapped around her left thigh. She also wears a pair of purple-soled black frilled boots, the right boot longer than the left. On her head she wears a large, wide brimmed black and purple hat, which is also decorated with the black "hands" as well as large purple flowers resembling lillies.

Around her neck is a black choker neckpiece with the shape of another black "hand," along with a white-frilled jabot as well as a simple black key necklace. She is often shown carrying a wand or key-shaped scepter, similar to that of a stereotypical witch.

Genius Society #83, Madam Herta, resides deep within the Clock Tower at the edge of the cosmos, pursuing the ultimate mysteries of the universe as a sorceress. Thanks to de-aging technology, she maintains the youthful appearance of her prime. Disliking mundane affairs, she typically delegates such tasks to her puppets.