Masa con Papas: Proxy's Memory

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

TRIAL OF CHARON, JUDGMENT PART III
[First Trial]
CW: None

 

 You traded blows the best you could.

Facing a foe so fast your eyes couldn’t be trusted after a point.

Strike, parry, counterblow, retreat.

Against someone like them, there was no margin for error.

Even in a friendly spar, you couldn’t give it anything less than your best.

Tank, counterblow.

Knockdown, counterblow.

The rings around your eyes rotating like lens, rewinding you back to that day long ago.

And just like before, it’s decided in a few decisive strikes.

You stand up tall on a pillar of scrap metal and limbs held together by the thinnest fibers of metal.

Your opponent staggers first.

You drag your blade across the ground toward them, its teeth in a perpetual snarl.

Zinnia: That’s enough for now, think I’ve seen enough for now.

Zinnia: I concede.

Charon: Are you alright after that?

Zinnia: I’ll spring back just fine, I wouldn’t worry.

Charon: Feel like I might’ve overdone it on my end.

Zinnia: I wanted your heart fully in on it, otherwise it would’ve been pointless fighting.

Charon: I just… needed to block him out.

Zinnia: The entity?

Charon: Mm, you can tell.

Zinnia: Obviously, his smug energy can be felt a mile away if I’m honest.

Zinnia: He was there last time too, I’d say I’m surprised you’ve kept him around so long but…

Zinnia: I get the sense that wasn’t a choice you had say in.

Charon: Didn’t even realize if I’m honest… not until he started talking again.

Zinnia: And how did he survive? Did you not purge him from yourself?

Charon: Thought I did but, now I’m not so sure…

Charon:... I didn’t quite survive back then, did I?

Zinnia: I’d like to give you an answer but… I wish to hear your thoughts prior.

Charon: All you see is the entity. All people see is him.

Charon: His soul is what’s here…

Charon: Entities are angelic in nature to some degree, no?

Zinnia: To an extent.

Charon: They remove and replace..

Charon: I’m not much different from one of the sleeper agents they leave behind.

Charon: And it makes me wonder… how much staying power I really have right now.

Zinnia: I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer honestly.

Zinnia: Are you Charon Judgment? Or are you all that remains?

Charon:... I don’t really know.

Charon: I want to say so but… I’m scared.

Charon: I…. think I’ve run into someone recently, got in a scuffle or two and-

Zinnia: Mm, I’ve heard. Don’t have to fill me in on that bit.

Charon: You know?

Zinnia: I’ve taken the role of the family’s guardian. I try my best to keep track on things.


Charon: Good to know, anyway..

Charon: One look and they’re ready to ragdoll me. Trying to purge an intruder…

Charon: And the more I think about it, that’s me isn’t it?

Charon: They noticed it before I could. They could see the disconnect from the start..

Charon: A foreign soul with remnants of the original.

Charon: It makes me wonder what others would say if they knew…

Zinnia: Let me ask you this quickly, because I’ve also been thinking of something similar.

Zinnia: You were raised by Erica, yes?

Charon: Mm…

Zinnia: You think she hasn’t noticed by now? You’d be a fool to assume otherwise.

Charon:...that’s true.

Zinnia: Has she cared for you any less since you returned?

Charon: God no, she’s doubled down.

Charon: Scared to let me do anything unsafe.

Zinnia: Mm.. and what of Geezer? Opera? From what I’ve told they both seem to care quite a bit about you.

Charon: Care about them a lot too…

Zinnia: I am far from what many would consider the original Zinnia at this point.

Zinnia: And yet you and the others revere me as the one who holds the title of original Judgment.

Zinnia:  But I think at the end of the day, a person is more than their brain, their nerves, even their soul.

Zinnia: Your actions, the pieces that remain, the way you look at others and the way they care about you…

Zinnia: Would you want to be anyone else besides Charon Judgment?

Charon: No. That’s why I’m asking you-

Zinnia: There’s your answer! There you go!

Zinnia: You’ve left your impact on this world as Charon Judgment!

Zinnia: And no matter what version of yourself you are right now, nobody has any right to tell you otherwise.

Zinnia: And perhaps that’s wishful thinking from me as well… truth be told, I’ve had my own fears.

Zinnia: I want to see him again…

Charon: Arabis? Don’t see why not.

Zinnia: Mm.. I know deep down he’ll be more than happy but..

Zinnia: I also have had the same thoughts as well.

Zinnia: What remains of me is even less than what you may consider the “real” you.

Zinnia: My body gone, my soul shaped beyond recognition.

Zinnia: All that’s left is my lingering sentiments at this point, bound to metal bones and old relics.

Zinnia: I wonder if it’ll be hard on him.

Charon: I really have my doubts. Still thinks of you practically every day.

Charon: And between you and me, the construct body will only encourage him to pick up more hobbies.

Charon: He’ll have to take care of you somehow.

Zinnia: He was always a good craftsman… and he may have been a little too eager when I’m under the weather.

Zinnia: Any excuse to feed me soup in bed.

Charon: May want to consider bringing up anything that needs repairing then. Might be more than worth your time.


Zinnia:...Mm.. that’s very much his line of thinking as well.

Zinnia: Would go out and run errands on snowy days so I’d have to thaw him out after. You know how fiends are..

Charon: Can’t take the cold.

Zinnia: Mm. He’d practically melt afterward though…

Zinnia: Could I ask you a huge favor?

Charon: Mm?

Zinnia: Sit with me for awhile. Catch me up on the family.

Zinnia: After a fight like that we could both afford to cool off.

Charon: Of course..