Masa con Papas: Proxy's Memory

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

 By the time you and your friends gather up, all that waits outside is Bern.

You give a tiny little bow of the head to her, she nods back.

Bern: Polite. You’ll go pretty far with that, least that’s what Esperanto says.

Bern: Think it’s true. THey went up ahead, we got the place to ourselves it looks like.

Bern: You gonna be okay for this? You look a bit nervous.

Charon: I’ll be fine.

Bern: Can we get a proper list of names actually.

Geezer: W. J. Geezer.

Opera: Just Opera’s fine.

Charon: You already know mine.

Bern: Mm. Right this way then.

You’re led down the rows of tables up to a corner where a fiend is sitting on their own.

You tilt your head in confusion. Their voice is immediately recognizable.




Esperanto: Good, you gathered everyone.

Esperanto: Surprise.

Charon: What’s this?

Esperanto: You seem disappointed.

Charon: I assumed you were a fiend but…

Esperanto: But what?

Opera: Something wrong?

You shake your head.

Charon: Nothing. Perhaps I’m paranoid.

Charon: But… that does explain everything.

Charon: So what is this place anyway?

Esperanto: Just a little dine I’ve managed to rent out for the afternoon.

Opera: Really? What kind of money you’ve got?

Esperanto: Not a ton, just got a favor from the owner to get the hour before the lunch rush.

Esperanto: I wanted some privacy with the right setting.

Esperanto: I’m lying of course, we’re just here early enough that nobody will pester I don’t think.

Geezer: Had me thinking you were some big shot for a moment.

Esperanto: I am, in the right circles. Not to brag…

Esperanto: Regardless. I am here to train those of fiendish descent to reach their full potential.

Esperanto: In this case…

Charon: Me..

Esperanto: Caught you just in time for your metamorphosis to trigger. Hopefully you won’t cocoon up.

Charon: Is… is that a thing?

Esperanto: Mm. You were born as a worm after all. Though it seems you never quite developed full solidity..

Charon: My limbs require braces to maintain solid form. Otherwise I just ooze…

Charon: It’s not too bad but it does limit my mobility to a degree.

Charon: THey’re quite heavy…

Esperanto: Mm..

Esperanto: No issue though, you’re more the witchy type.

Esperanto: Slinging proxies around, yes?

Esperanto: How’s yours doing?

You manifest your proxy briefly. Maddogs them before immediately phasing out.

Esperanto: Bitter. I take it you have some hard feelings?

Charon: I’ll get over them.

Esperanto: Mm..

Esperanto: The true Charon lies in that ghost of yours I think.

Esperanto: I ponder why you keep your emotions sealed up in that thing.

Esperanto: The way you talk.. It’s perhaps just an act but.

Esperanto: You seem genuinely convinced it’s your true voice.

Esperanto: We’ll have to explore that too.

Charon: Not without confirmation of a rematch.

Esperanto: You’ll get plenty of those under my wing. The question is, can we get you substantial progress before the gig?

Esperanto: We can’t afford any unstable crew with something this high risk.

Charon: Honestly..

Charon: I want to say yes but..

Charon: I think I learned a lot about myself in the past day that I rather have not…

Charon: But now that I have, there’s no way out of this.

Charon: I’m committing to it, to become a more whole person.

Esperanto: And your friends will be with you during this?

Charon: If they’ll give me that.

Geezer: You know I’m gonna say yes.

Opera: We promised to look out for each other.

Charon: Mm… I just like hearing it out loud admittedly.

Geezer: Sometimes you just need a reminder, you know?

Geezer: To the end.

Opera: To the end.

Charon: I’m really fortunate…

Esperanto: You have good people in your life, of course you are.

Esperanto: Bern will be grabbing our food in a moment and join us for this. I want to get to know the lot of you since I’m not familiar with folks at the safehouse besides Mercury and Rosario.

Charon: You really know them?

Esperanto: I’ve done plenty of good work with them in the past. Small world if you managed to already know them however.

Esperanto: Mercury is one of my few equals in swordsmanship I’ve met, and Rosario’s father taught me quite a bit about the ins and outs of scrap magic while I was traveling. I couldn’t help but want their aid in all this.

Esperanto: Tell me, are you a sensitive?

Charon: No, proxies are effectively my bridge to any sort of magic right now.

Esperanto: Hmm..

Esperanto: By the time I’m done with you, I’ll have you casting real spells.

Esperanto: Scrap manifested forms, also known as awakenings by some are considered the peak of physical and spiritual state for some. It can take years for many to truly understand their own awakening.

Esperanto: I’m going to unlock yours in two weeks.