[Dopple Effect Ver. 0.91] - Relaunched

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

Fizz places their hand in yours. You can't help but smile seeing them again face to face after so long.

Diane: You're really here flesh and all! 

 

Fizz: Sort of? It's still mostly projection but... a really good one. Changed a few details.

 

Diane: The freckles are pretty new. Ears are different too. Any reason?

 

Fizz: Like to mix it up. I can get you set up with something similar... Only would take me a moment.

 

Diane: Oh? Freckles?

Fizz: No! Unless you really want to I guess. 

 

Diane: I could probably have fun with those...

 

Fizz: Not like you didn't borrow everything else right?

 

You can't help give them a face of guilt.

 

Fizz: I'm kidding.

 

Diane: I still feel bad about it.

 

Fizz: It was an accident.

 

Diane: You went through so much over it.

 

Fizz: It's fine, we'll figure it out later. Anyway let me patch you up quick.

 

Diane: Is something wrong? 

 

Fizz: Your form is unstable. It's cute but you're gonna melt away like that. Like, actually melt away.

 

Diane: Shit what?

 

Fizz: Mmhmm. Take it moving around has been a little off?

 

Diane: Yeah, having trouble getting used to being completely digital like this... or I guess this world is real?

 

Fizz: It's real, you're more like a projection than digital. A ghost if you will. Anyway seems like the tech in Plaza hasn't improved too much huh? 

 

Diane: Nah... guess not. Digital transport is still pretty primitive.

 

Fizz: it's fine. I got you covered.

 

Fizz lifts their hand, leaving a little pin there.

 

Diane: What's this?

 

Fizz: Put it on. 

 

You place the pin on your chest, your form shifts and crackles. After a moment, you find yourself feeling stronger, more stable. The has fully melded into you, no longer visible

 

Fizz: Kinda a classic look don't you think? Spooky.

 

Diane: I like spooky.... 

 

Fizz: Almost like when we first met really. 

 

Dorothy interrupts the two of you.

 

Dorothy: Sorry, a little groggy from just waking up. Caught most of that. You two got some kind of neat backstory?

 

Fizz: You can say that. 

 

Diane: We should probably give you context since you're the only one not in on this. 

 

Fizz: You want the short version or the long one?

 

Dorothy: Both!

 

Fizz: Short version is mad science, a deal with a ghost, murder, and a bit of a blunder. 

 

Diane: That's a little too short.

 

Dorothy: Yeah that doesn't explain shit, no offense. 

 

Fizz: Fair enough. Long version starts with what some folks call a pact proxy. Kind of a dire move but we were in dire times so...

 

Diane: Wouldn't really be here without it. 

 

Fizz: Yeah. I mean.. you right now? Completely different from you back then. 

 

Diane: We were both pretty cold blooded back then....

 

Fizz: No kidding.

 

Fizz turns toward Dorothy.

 

Fizz: Gist is your friend here is a proxy, a pact proxy to be exact. The combination of my inner strength and some fragmented bits of very fighty spirit. 

 

Dorothy: Why would you do something like that?

 

Fizz: Couldn't get myself a strong enough proxy to fight with in time otherwise. See we are what you would call witches. We explore the weird supernatural elements of the world.

 

Dorothy: I know what a witch is.

 

Fizz: Right well... this is probably before your time but a heck of a conflict happened on the island a long time ago and witches were drafted to take it on. Including me.... This of course ended up with the survivors all getting promoted. Demonhood for Diane and I in particular. Mori was also one of these so... I guess you can call us war buddies. 

 

Diane: Maybe a little more than just buddies when you're attached to each other like this...

 

Dorothy: Wait so... proxies from what I heard are ghosts right? Only certain people can see them but I can see Diane just fine in the real world.

 

Fizz: Well one, this is also a real world just.. a very different one. Two, it's my body. 

 

Diane: We had a bit of a fumble.

 

Fizz: Pact proxies will go to extreme degrees to maintain whatever goal they were summoned for if they develop a will of their own. Diane's job was to protect me. 

 

Diane: The body was in a spot where it was about to take fatal damage, witching accident and all. I wanted to at least save Fizz's soul so I ejected them and uh.....

 

Fizz: It wasn't a perfect process, took some damage. The body survived despite everything saying it shouldn't have.. in a bit of rough shape though admittedly. I haven't been able to go back to our original body and most bodies in our world eventually reject me overtime so...

 

Diane: I'm so sorry...

 

Fizz: You were doing your job, it happens and I'm fine right now. Don't worry about it so much. 

 

Diane: It's my fault you ended up lost to begin with. If none of that happened....

 

Fizz: I could have ended up worse off if you didn't take the bullet for me like that. 

 

Diane: I guess....

 

Dorothy: I hate to stop you both in the middle of this but... what is this big thing that started it all to begin with? Like, a draft? Never heard about that... and what do you mean before my time? How old are the two of you?

 

Diane: Demonhood uh... makes you immortal to a degree. Happened a couple of decades before you would've been conscious and out in the world the way you are. I can go into detail but it's... existential stuff. 

 

Dorothy: Existential? I mean I can probably take it.

 

Fizz: I wanna do this more comfortably if we're going to go into it. Let's move to my apartment if that's okay.

 

Diane: Only if she wants to hear it. 

 

Dorothy: I mean may as well right?

 

You give her a tired look.

 

Fizz: Honestly we probably should considering it's why we're in the mess that got us here to begin with.

Diane: Alright then.