Masa con Papas: Proxy's Memory

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You're taken through many alleyways, avoiding the main streets as much as possible.

You've never been in a place like this, every sight and sound you make out so alien to you. Your first time away from the woods you grew up in really.

Mercury is mostly quiet, only on occasion grabbing your wrist to nudge you the right direction. You're a little distracted. 

Erica gives you an assuring look every once in a while to make sure you're okay. 

Eventually you make it to a building, one that's taller than anything you've ever seen. It doesn't look like much until you're brought inside, a maze of bookshelves and old décor. There's more people here than you've ever seen at once. 

Erica: You haven't said a word, what's up?

Charon: A lot to take in...

Erica: Feel you. Great though isn't it?

Charon: Yeah! Bit busy though.

Erica: You get used to it.

Charon: Geezer is here right?

Erica: Should be.

Mercury: He's probably in the study room, he’s been going through books like a maniac for the past week. Kid’s adapted to this like a pro honest.

Erica: He's A huge nerd. 

You got that impression.

Charon: What kind of stuff you got here? Like, books and all.

Erica: Bit of everything I think. Feel free to look through some stuff yourself too! We keep as much handy information as we can here for folks to soak in.

Mercury: Arm yourself with knowledge and all. We gotta protect ourselves however we can from the local rule and being as independent as possible is a crucial part.

You give the two a nod.

Charon: Got a lot to catch up on..

Erica: You’ll be fine, you give me the same vibe as Geezer.

Charon: What's that mean?

Erica: Bookish, type of kids who do good on a test you know? Think you're a bit more soft spoken though, not a bad thing.

Charon: Maybe...

Erica: Gonna give you both time alone I think, don't wanna distract.

Charon: Will you both be here still after?

Erica: Yeah, at least I will.

Mercury: Same probably unless something comes up.

Mercury: When you’re done, we can gather with the others and eat something alright? Hopefully your grandpa will be back before supper gets cold.

Charon: Mm. I'll be back soon.

Mercury: Of course, kid. Do what you have to do.

You take a deep breath and go through the halls toward a little section ahead where the towers of books wrap around a clearing filled with tables and stain glass walls.

It doesn’t take long to spot him. You give him a wave.

He takes a moment to process, eyes widen as he recognizes you.

Charon: Geez!

Geezer: Charon?! Holy shit, they found you?!

Charon: Guess so!

He runs up to you.

Geezer: Oh my god! Legit thought we lost you!

Charon: What do you mean?

Geezer: When that weird ass demon showed up you made some kind of deal with it and just vanished, you know? Asked it where you went and it dragged me in too but when I woke up you weren’t there!

Charon: I’ll be honest, had no idea it could do something like that…

Geezer: Like, fuck…

Charon: I’m just glad you’re okay… sounds like you’ve been here a bit though.

Geezer: I’m managing fine, been researching non-stop. Looking for a way to break out of here.

Charon: I’m not even sure how this happened.

Geezer: I got a pretty good idea myself actually.

Charon: Oh?

Geezer: You used a pact radio, yeah?

Charon: Mm! Made it myself with some guides from the local witch shop.

Geezer: Right. So turns out those transmissions are vulnerable to hijacking real easy. You just wanted to talk to a ghost but you had no idea where it’d come from.

Charon: Right.

Geezer: But now we’re here, in this other world with cults and angels and all that right?

Charon: Mm.

Geezer: So I don’t know how filled in you are on all this, but this place is hella cursed. Big ass angel is sucking stuff up from other places and dragging them in here.

Geezer: Think what happened, it jacked into our transmission and pulled us in right?

Charon: But… we talked to the ghost, no?

Geezer: Yeah but, a ghost on its own can’t really do that.

Geezer: Ghost can however muck about with the transmission.

Geezer: Odds are it knew about the angel and brought it directly to us.

Charon: Why us though?

Geezer: Who knows. Apparently there’s some algorithm to it.

Geezer: Big thing is a disproportionate number of folks dragged through are rabbits and fiends right?

Geezer: And your family’s got tons of fiends including you.

Charon: And you’re a rabbit… I think?

Geezer: Yeah.

Charon: Why would it do that to us though?

Geezer: I dunno. Get the sense that there’s some sort of scheme going on.

Geezer: Would be hella cautious if it shows up again.

Charon: Mm..

Geezer: Tell me, you got a proxy?

Charon: Yeah!

Geezer: Figured. Seems like most folks dragged in here end up with one. Apparently when you’re spirited away like that it kinda just happens.

Geezer: Bonus if you made a contract like you probably did. We’re in a heck of a mess…

Charon:  Sorry…

Geezer gives you a pat on the shoulder.

Geezer: It’s whatever, we’re gonna get out of here.

Geezer: And we’re gonna help everyone else too. There’s a big plan cooking up to get people home.

Charon: Is there?

Geezer: Yeah. That’s what Erica’s told me and looking into it? Super possible but you gotta be smart. She can fill you in on things.

Charon: Mm..

Charon:.. Have you been okay? Like..

Geezer: What do you mean?

Charon: You’ve been here for a good while..

Geezer: Yeah, I made it work.

Geezer: Community here is nice actually. Still gotta avoid the Church’s wrath but people are careful around these parts.

Charon: What’s the deal with them anyway?

Geezer: Cult, really worships angel stuff hardcore. Tons of iconography and fear mongering around them. They recruit people, make them give up everything if they want to ladder up in the ranks.

Geezer: Mind, body, soul. Gotta dedicate all that but… they also control most of this place’s resources you know?

Geezer: So folks who are tired of the struggle will give in.

Geezer: They say those who prove themselves all the way though are given immortality. Scary honestly..

Charon: Yeah?

Geezer: Yeah. They made a system of wrangling everything and everyone valuable they can in mass when the angel dumps stuff into this world. Means they got the best supplyline and dug up all sorts of horrors from beyond.

Charon: Why don’t we just snipe them then? Take the stuff before they do?

Geezer: Hard to, they’ve got machinery and muscle and all that. People just gather whatever they don’t bother with.

Geezer: They shut down any competition with them too which makes it hella hard.

Geezer: Everyone hates them at this point.

Charon: Mm…

Geezer: We’re in the part of town that they haven’t been able to really lock down though, we’re safe for now.

Geezer: Glad I found you though, really was worried you were gone.. What happened?

Charon: Not sure? Guess I just got warped in after you did.

Charon: It’s my first day here…

Geezer: I can tell. You’ll get used to it.

Geezer: And like, if Erica is here then we have to find our way out eventually.

Geezer: She’s our grandma in the future so…

Charon: Yeah.

Geezer: She ever mention any of this to you?

Charon: Never. Scares me thinking about that.

Geezer: Mm. Means she knows something.

Geezer: Anyway I’m gonna put my reading down for the day, show you around and get you familiar with the people here. Sound good?

Charon: Sounds good.

Geezer: And don’t worry about what happened earlier, okay? We got this.

Charon: Really think so?

Geezer: Yeah. We’re gonna make it out just fine.