Masa con Papas: Proxy's Memory

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

 

[image description: Styx in Charon's body having pinned Hickory to a wall with a forked weapon coming out of a portal between realities.]

 

You follow the coordinates and instructions given down to the slightest, any sort of fear that something is off will cause Hickory to bail immediately.

This looks like the place, the fenced off lot of abandoned storage units left to rust and decay. You're quick to both hop the fence, Platino struggling just a little bit at first and you perhaps not so much better.

Number 15.. you find the room.

Door is broken, easy to enter.

Platino gestures to give lead as the point.

The bird is there as you'd imagine, glowing eyes and looking rough around the edges today.

That's absolutely them.

Platino: Party of two, we're here on the behalf of Mission.

The bird looks over you both carefully before focusing hard on you.

Hickory:..Who are you-

You're quick to act, with a wave of the hand a rift launches a laddered' weapon, pinning the bird to the wall.

Hickory: S-Styx?!

Platino tries to grab you, you casually sidestep him as you approach the bird. Your old faithful proxy rubs salt in the would by blocking off a second attempt, giving him a apologetic look.

Styx: Who are you? I don't recall you surviving in that hellhole...

Hickory: Same with you, seemed pretty dead...

Styx: I cheated my way but.. The angel struck you out of the sky. There was nothing left to salvage...

Hickory: -How, you shouldn't be able to remember that??

You push the blade a bit closer.

Platino: Hey, you need to back off-

Styx: Not until I have a clear answer.

Hickory: ....How do you remember that part.

Styx: Because I was there-

Hickory: Were you? You don't remember the rest?

You feel your gut immediately hurt.

Styx: What's the rest?

Hickory: Tell me everything you remember about me..

Styx: We- Charon and Geezer met you on the train with Fenton. You helped us get to know the people on the street, evade the cult. You were a very capable ally despite your age. And the things cropped up. Sleepwalking, violent tendencies, Fenton would talk to us about fears of something very wrong.

Hickory: And what happened there?

Styx: You were a sleeper agent, the whole time you were ready to be activated by...

You can't finish that sentence.

What was her name?

Hickory: By who?

Styx: You fought your programming-

Hickory: Go back and finish your sentence.

Styx: Her name was....

Is it really gone??

Hickory: Alright. Yeah...

Styx: What's happening?

Hickory: A phenomenon of sorts, bit complicated but.. let me go and I'll fill you in, alright?

You look over at your comrade.

Platino: I've got you covered, you can let them go dude.

You pull back the sword from the wall, keeping it still on hand.

Hickory: Angels got a bad habit of blipping things out of reality, right? Completely erased and filled in with something else to correct the gaps in memories.

Styx: I'm very aware of this.

Hickory: But it has to go somewhere. Same with people who die.

Styx:.... Right.

Hickory: The first time you met me, I was a sleeper agent like you said. Cult built me to be someone to trigger when it's least convenient... not too proud but-

Styx:... You still clutched it out.

Hickory:... Yeah.

They look at your face carefully. You immediately turn your eyes away.

Hickory: You really Styx? No offense but..... something's off.

Styx: Complicated.

Hickory: Accusing me of being a fake when you don't know yourself for sure.

Styx:.. Suppose that is true.. I'm.. a amalgamation of multiple things I believe.

Hickory: ...Charon?

Your ears flick in response.

Platino: Yeah I did the same thing..

Hickory: You guys beefed the contract....

Styx: I.. yes we did.

Hickory: Okay. That helps a lot actually... so yeah I did eat shit.

Styx: But-

Hickory: And then I woke up, completely different person but... I could remember things from the first time we met. The woman you remember? Details.

Styx: Muzzled, reptilian, pair of horns, glasses, fiendish eyes, she was quite in with the church and...

Hickory: Hydra, The Crowned Fool.

Styx: Aye...

Hickory: Tried to bring down the church long ago, party wiped. Ferryman archetype, aura color red, runt of a prestigious family of adventurers.

Styx:....

Hickory: Otherworldly Element was Chaos, of a Raw quality. Same as mine, same as...

Styx:..Ours.

Hickory steps aside, the husk resting behind looking somewhat peaceful.

Hickory: And mine, and hers. I don't know what you guys did but.. you deleted her. And when you wiped her out I came back, but I was real. Like... I just existed. My past, my life, all things that went from a story to sell to just... existing.

Styx:.. We did that. She had a tuner, there was a volley and she lost...

Styx: She took the blast head on, completely removed from reality...

The bird takes a moment to approach you, offering a hand.

Styx:... What are you doing?

Hickory: I know who to thank now so.. you know. Feels right to do.

Hickory: I guess just... there's a whole life that vanished, versions of us we all forgot and like... It's nice to know someone else was there.

You reach out briefly, only to never make the connection.

Hickory:... Something wrong?

Styx: A lot to take in..  I don't think I'm the right person for this either to be frank... can this wait?

The bird gives you a little nod.

Styx: Appreciated..

Plat scoots up close toward the husk.
 

[image description: The husk, a humanoid feline of feminine presentation rests against a wall slumped.]

 

Platino: Breathing weird.

Hickory: Has been all day.. something's going on in its head.

Platino: Anything more?

Hickory: Mumbling, nothing coherent though. Might be some kind of residual, I dunno...

Platino: Huh...

You make your way next to it yourself , checking for a pulse.

Hickory: What's up?

Styx: Just a gut feeling, nothing in particular. Wanted to check for myself.

It's you...
 

[image description: Styx in Charon's body looking down lot in thought.]

Welcome home...
 

---

 

The Other World that Hates You
[Another Side, Another Charon]
CW: None
Perspective: Charon

[image description: A Art Program with a illustration of a landscape filled patched up smaller illustrations and text conversation. Charon is at the center. The illustration is filled with tears and cracks that damage the screen of the monitor the art program is booted in itself.]



You are Charon Judgment, King at The End of the Line..
As always you've found yourself in a bit of a bind....

And its good to be home.