Masa con Papas: Proxy's Memory

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

The Promise
[Twelfth Reading]
CW: None

You and Manzana gather back with folks inside. There’s a brief meeting to fill in everyone on the nature of this operation.

The organizer is someone you are familiar with but wishes to remain anonymous for the safety of themselves and those supplying them for this heist.

They assure you they are an ally you already are familiar with though.

Your mind assumes it’s Hickory, after all Fenton is here but…

When you ask him about it it’s denied.

Still it’s really nice to see everyone get together again. Old friends and a few potential new ones mingle.

You and Geezer do your own fair share. You can’t help get overly sentimental at least once but your cousin manages to ground you.

A few folks get a bit flirty, good for them.

You should really enjoy what time you have ahead of you but… you can’t help but feel nervous about the whole thing.

Last time there were plenty of losses.

This time you’re many less.

You may not be fighting a war with a cult but…

You don’t want to lose anyone else.

In the midst of it all, Opera pulls you aside for a moment.
 

Charon: Is everything okay?

Opera: Mostly just… lot on the mind. Can kinda tell you’re in the same boat.

Charon: Really?

Opera: Maybe? Honestly it’s hard to tell a lot when it comes to you,

Charon: I get that a lot…

Opera: Used to be a lot more open about your feelings and now… you’re just so quiet. Geezer  is hella different too, lot more calm and mature than I’d ever think from the kid I met back then.

Charon: It’s been a long time no? Over a decade for both of us.

Opera: I know but… bleh. Bugs me more than it should. That’s no really the point right now though but-

Charon: You can talk about it a bit if you need to you know. We’re all friends here.

Opera: I guess… feels like meeting strangers for the first time with some though, been a minute.

Charon: I understand completely there..

Opera: Used to be taller than Geez and Fenton but now they’ve got me beat!

Charon: I think Geezer has everyone beat frankly.

Opera: Everyone’s got jobs now and… I guess my life still revolves around that incident. I’m still in the pocket mending things and chasing out remaining members of that cult you know?

Charon: I’m not much better myself, still investigating it some to this day.

Opera: Really?

Charon: Where I come from there’s a bit of a cult problem too… quite the bad one actually. A few escaped folks found themselves slipping from one to another as a result and are looking to repeat the same troubles.

Opera: Ugh… I’m still sorry about everything.

Charon: What happened wasn’t your fault.

Opera: There was another me that lead the entire thing.

Charon: Not entirely willingly…

Opera: She gave up her body to some weird horrible eldritch thing and let it run wild until there wasn’t anything left of her… that’s horrifying you know?

Opera: Scary to think that you can fuck up that bad…

Opera: To give up on life like that…

Opera: Become a tool of one of the worst things you’ll ever see.
Opera: Got guilt to this day.

Charon: You don’t blame me for the things that happened back then did you?

Opera: You were like 12 and being manipulated like hell by some nasty folks.

Charon: 14 actually… you were only a year older.

Opera: Oh! Well you know what I mean…

Charon: Still made things harder for people than it needed to be.

Opera: I mean… at the end of the day you always made the good choice you know?

Opera: You never chose power over other people.

Charon: I was a devil in my own right, and I certainly still am.

Opera: The devil? You call yourself that?

Charon: What do you mean?

Opera: You’re too sweet for that really. More misunderstood than anything. Like…

Opera: Well, like a monster under a bed.

Charon: I don’t think I follow.

Opera: Monsters hiding in a room scare people right?

Charon: Right..

Opera: But why are they hiding to begin with? Maybe they’re just as scared.Or maybe they’re shy and just wanna be friends.

Charon: Except when the monster finally comes out we call it a sleep paralysis demon.

Opera: Yeah well.. My point stands. You’re not really the devil at all. Maybe A devil but I can’t see you being deceitful you know?

Opera: You’re too honest.

Charon: Promise me you’ll follow your own advice too then. You didn’t do anything wrong.

Opera: You know that’s hard…

You drop the formality. Your voice turns soft with a tinge of the countryside.

Charon: Then at least do your best. You’re a good person, always have been and always will…

Charon: And you’re a good friend. Nothing’s gonna change that…

Opera goes quiet for a bit.

Charon: Are you okay?

Opera: Shit dude…

Opera: You’re going to make me get all tear-eyed like that you know? I mean I knew I’d cry at least once tonight but..

Charon: Oh my god, I’m sorry…

Opera: You’re fine! I guess just… I appreciate it you know?

Opera: I wanna talk to a few people, plan to catch up with Geezer next but..

Opera: I’m glad for sure we talked tonight and..

Opera: I’ll do my best if you do yours. Can we promise that?

Charon: Mm…

Opera: On your pinky, I wanna know it’s legit.

Charon: Really?

Opera: Never too grown up for a pinky promise. Just hold it out

You follow along.

Opera: We’re gonna make it through this, and when we’re done we’re gonna celebrate like this again.

Charon: Of course.

Opera: Thank you..