Masa con Papas: Proxy's Memory

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

(CWs: Violence, Injury, Fear, Gore, Mention of Death, Emotional Abuse)

You put up your guard immediately. You spoke big, yelled for weeks about how when the time comes you’ll be the one to dethrone the wretched leader of this cult and burn it all down with her…

And now that you’re here it’s taking your all just not to shake in front of her. 

You want to cry.

She looks directly at you. 

Rook: Why are you hesitating? 

Rook: You’ve caused me quite a bit of trouble these past couple of months. Bunch of misfits and mutts stirring up a mess just as we were on the verge of creating a utopic world. 

Rook: Pity you didn’t take the offer when it was given to you. Would’ve been a damn good addition. I’d give you one last chance but right now I think I’d like you better as fertilizer. 

She smirks.

Rook: Don’t have any words? All this talk of revolution and heroics and the moment you have the chance to make a difference you’re silent? Your friend there I can understand, but you? I expected more.

She approaches you slowly, every step with a mocking swagger before pressing her chest up directly against your weapon. 

Rook: Make this easy, show me you have the guts to do it. If you have any resolve you won’t hesita-

Before she finishes her monologue your proxy dives in immediately and blasts the upper part of her into chunks with a full powered slug. 

Opera can’t help make a scream out of shock. 

The rest of her stumbles back, struggling only for a moment to maintain its balance before managing to recollect itself. 

Her body rapidly reforms at rate so fast and grotesque you can’t help but wince. 

In one swift motion she cracks her neck before regaining her posture as if nothing had happened.

Rook: Didn’t even need me to finish talking to take orders, like a little soldier. 

Charon: So the rumors really are true…

Rook: Mmhmm. Can’t die no matter what you try to pull. Have to give praise where it’s needed though, you have the bite to back up your bark. 

She turns over to Opera.

Rook: That other one there did for awhile too but she gave up. I’m a little disappointed, got a lot of entertainment from all those attempts. Better for me though, a broken soul is easier to harvest. 

Opera: You’re awful, you and everyone around you!

Rook: You’re the reason all this suffering is happening in the first place. In another time and place you were dragged in here by the angel and took every desperate measure to make your way out until there was nothing left. 

Rook: Contracts with devils, breaking holes in reality, creating crimes against humanity. Nothing you wouldn’t do to get out of here… and when you did? Life changed, everyone moved on and you’d been gone so long there was nothing for you left. Miserable little thing became an unrecognizable shell and for no reward… 

Rook: When I came to collect you didn’t hesitate. You made yourself the perfect immortal host with the assets to bring down a small nation. Really are a gem of a person. Unfortunately at that point your soul didn’t hold up very long for someone like me and well… I needed something from you. Fortunately there’s plenty of realities to dig another you up from. 

Rook: Could you imagine finding out how much potential for tragedy you can create for yourself? You’ve already been gone from home so long too.. If you were to return now there’d be very little left. You parents never cared, your friends already gave up. 

Opera: You’re a lying piece of shit! 

Rook: Really? Then why am I here? Why are you looking down those sights pointing that barrel at me? Because you gave up, you have the potential for so much ruin and you didn’t even know-

Opera opens fire and tears a big hole through Rook’s chest. 

It takes a moment for her to regenerate, shock in her eyes this time.

Opera: I’m not you! I’m not you or anyone other than me right now! What you did, all your mistakes are yours to live with and nobody else’s!

Opera: You’re a leech, nothing you own was ever yours to begin with! The people under you, your crown, and the body you’re dragging around are all because you don’t have anything! You’re a pathetic excuse of a creature.

Rook: Touche. I’ll give you both credit, a lot more fire than the previous little heroes who managed to make it this far.

Charon: With any luck it’ll be the last. Right now you should be thinking about what god you want to meet at the end of this. 


You feel yourself fizzling out, recollecting things so vividly is taking a lot out of you. 
 

 

STRENGTH PART 1/2

(Arcana 11)
CW: None

Your bird friend has been spending the past 20 minutes examining your ghostly buddy thoroughly, not a thorn nor petal unchecked.

Hickory: Your proxy sure changed a lot after that last fight. 

Charon: Yeah.. is that normal?

Hickory: Absolutely. You’ve been through a lot these past couple of weeks here, you and your cousin aren’t going to stay green forever. Gotta say though, seeing it up close it’s pretty impressive. No idea how you managed to end up with something so strong this fast.

Charon: Yeah well… I guess there must be something special.

Hickory: Don’t get cocky… but yeah honestly, there might be. Maybe you always had something in you. Little bit of fire under your ass can bring it out.

Charon: Not something I really chose honestly…

Hickory: Don’t worry about it. 

Charon: So what’s happening then? Is it that much stronger?

Hickory: Proxies don’t necessarily get stronger when they change, sometimes it’s just different and you gotta adjust for it but… 

Hickory: Honestly? Probably stronger, yeah. I have to show Fenton, think he’d have some interesting thoughts on this.

Charon: Where is he anyway?

Hickory: Visiting the bodega, he likes taking care of the owner’s pets. 

Charon: I mean that cat is pretty good.

Hickory: …Charon.

Charon: Mm?

Hickory: The cat is the owner.

Charon: W-what?!

Hickory: Yeah. Call them gremlins. Bunch of weird little things that phase through and eat metal. Pretty wild stuff.

Charon: They eat… metal?!

Hickory: Yep. Easy to sustain in a place like this though with all the junk and debris the angel brings in. Speaking of, you wanna go check on him? He’s been gone for a bit…

Charon: Yeah, I’d be down-

You’re ripped out of the memory once again.

You were happy if only for a moment…


Esperanto: This is all wrong, there’s something deeper in here that’s haunting you. 

Esperanto: Something that’s changed your very physical being. I need to look to the furthest I can.

Charon: You don’t want that.

Esperanto: If I can’t figure it out I don’t want you on this job. If we’re compromised it could mean so much unneeded suffering.

Charon:I really would rather you not-

Your pleas are ignored.

You’re… here again.

JUDGMENT, PART 1
Cw: Suffering, Fear, Violence. 

What is in front of you is something you can barely comprehend with your eyes alone but…

You can feel every pulse, every vibration of its emotions.

Its heart bleeds a tower of emotions into you.

Dread of reality…

Missing a long lost love…

An eternity of loneliness. 

Despite no need, the angel has taken a form that’s a puzzle of its original self. 

JUDGEMENT.

It speaks out.

JUDGEMENT: You’ve really come a long way haven’t you..

JUDGEMENT: I’m impressed.

JUDGEMENT: I can see a bit of him in you.

JUDGEMENT: Even though we’re meeting for the first time, it feels like meeting an old friend.

Charon: It’s weird but… yeah.

JUDGEMENT: Unfortunately we both know what has to be done.

Charon: Yeah… 

JUDGEMENT: You’ve gone through so much hardship, poor child.

Charon: It’s what I had to do. I know you’ve been through a lot too.

JUDGEMENT: I couldn’t describe it but… you can feel it, no?

Charon: Mm.

JUDGEMENT: You could’ve escaped with your friends. Why didn’t you?

Charon: Because I’ve got loose ends. You’re the biggest one of them all. 

JUDGEMENT: Fair enough. You know you can’t win though, right?

Charon: Don’t know that.

JUDGEMENT: There’s no reason for you to do this the hard way.

Charon: Wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t so…

Charon: Right now you’re SOL. 

JUDGEMENT: A fool. A brave one.

Charon: As always. 

JUDGEMENT: I’d like a little more time to enjoy the moment before we begin… it’s been a long time since I’ve met someone who understands.

Charon: I’m in no rush. 

JUDGEMENT: Miss him, really do but… I’m glad he has people. It means a lot to know he’s not alone.

Charon: He misses you too you know?

JUDGEMENT: That hurts to think about honestly… He deserves better.

Charon: Don’t think there is.

Charon: You’re the best there ever was.

Charon: The original Judgment.