Masa con Papas: - A Punch Clock Animal Story

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

As a group you've settled into the back car of the train, stuck with the luggage but within the budget of those who need to get to town fast. Despite the hazards on the table and overall situation on hand, you manage to make a comfortable fit of everything and lounge together in a circle of makeshift seating.

Arabis: I'm sorry I couldn't do you children much more than this but old world coin isn't something I have much of on hand right now.
Erica: I didn't think you'd have any on you at all.
Arabis: Every fiend has gotta carry a stash in case circumstances become fickle.
Charon: Like?
Arabis: Sometimes you're in need of a quick snack and other days you need a knight to look away while you make you're escape.
Charon: And sometimes you just end up paying for that knight's dinner. That's your story, correct?
Arabis: Mm?
Charon: You married the knight known as Judgment, the origin of our line? Our Birthright?
Arabis: Well yes... rather nice dinners really.
Erica: You feeling sentimental?
Arabis: Perhaps. You and the rest of the family need to visit more often and not just when otherworldy matters come into play.
Erica: I do!
Arabis: And I pray you continue to! But... well....

He looks over at you with a frown.

 Arabis: I take it you never met me which is mildly concerning if everying leans toward you being from the future.
Charon: I can't really answer you too much on that but... I'm glad I get to meet you now if it's worth anything.
Arabis: It is. I suppose we do owe you some explaining on what may be happening.
Charon: Please do.
Arabis: A angel with a grudge against our line may have rolled to enter our timeline and as a result overlapped our existence.
Charon: Ah... well... past and future and all?
Arabis: On paper it should just be Erica and I.
Erica: Yeah I'm not too sure how you ended up here kid, you're absoultely not a cousin of mine though.
Charon: I mean... I guess I'm just me and I'll exist at some point.
Erica: You won't exist at all if we're not careful.
Charon: Course.
Arabis: I take yu have many questions still yes?
Charon: Just a few but..... hmmm.
Arabis: Take your time, promised we'd explain anything we could and I plan to keep on that.

 The road gets bumpy, you almost want to peak outside.

 You ponder if your own cousin is okay wherever he is. Hopefully he's keeping smart and isn't picking any fights? Grandma Judgment sure must be somewhere too... 

Charon: Is there a way to go and message someone? Like, we're in a ghost radio world right?
Arabis: If you got a mic and a radio you can fish around. Someone might pick up. Erica, did you not have something of similar nature with you?
Erica: I got a walkie talkie. I help the Sheriff with his work. You wanna poke at someone?
Charon: Yeah please... I know my channels just hand me something to work with if you can.


 She holds it out. You reach and she pulls back for a moment.

 Erica: You gotta be careful, if it goes and breaks before I get back I'm gonna have to work it off to pay for that.
Charon: I'll be fast.
Arabis: You know I hooked up your friend with one of these too. 
Charon: Did you?
Arabis: You really think I'm going to leave some reckless rascal unattended with no way to keep in contact?
Charon: Fair enough. You have the frequency? 

 She lets you have it. You fuss with the signal until the speaker stops screeching at you. Everyone tries to pretend it's not hard on their ears. 
 Charon: Geezer, you there? Geezer?

 There's a long period of fumbling from the other side. Someone is there.

Charon: Geezer?
Erica: Who's Geezer?
Geezer: Charon?! Who's that second person?
Arabis: Child?
Geezer: Wait are you all together?
Charon: Yeah, where are you?
Geezer: In town. At the library, only place that didn't kick me out for loitering. What's up?


 Oh god, you made contact. You don't know if this will maintain connection well so you gotta think about what you want to ask. You let the thoughts voiced in your head figure it out amongst themselves. What do you want to say? He might be able to get you some help? Town implies resources after all. Maybe you can get him to do something while you're on your way there.