Peligro

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

 You and your party slide into Chickpea’s living room, the kitchen directly connected and cluttered with pans and spatulas. The scent of hot spices fills the room.

Javi: Smells good in here..

Chickpea: Yeah, unfortunately no leftovers or I’d offer….

Chickpea: I can try to whip ya’ll up something…

Javi: You don’t have to…

Frida: Honestly I’m kind of hungry myself though…

Javi:... Yeah. I skipped lunch and it’s already pretty late today.

Chickpea started toward the kitchen

Chickpea: I figure a hot meal might rest things mentally after a hard day.

Javi: It’d be nice… thank you.

Nacho:  Aye. You don’t happen to have a workbench by any chance do you?

Chickpea: I have tools in the garage…

Nacho starts shuffling over to the other room with the puppet, making a little saluting gesture as they sprint over

Chickpea: Right to the point…

Javi: It happens.

Chickpea: So what’s their deal?

Javi: We just met but they’re helping us get out of town.

Chickpea: You’re taking a ride from a complete stranger?

Javi: Yeah well…

Frida: We all just kind of met today to be honest.

Chickpea: Yeah… I never met you before today either.

Frida: It’s been a busy day…

Chickpea: So what are you after exactly?

Frida: Me?

Chickpea: Yeah.

Frida: Well..

Javi: You can spill the beans.

Frida: You sure?

Javi: Yeah, Chickpea’s good.

Frida: I’m an entity. You familiar?

Chickpea: Course I am. Are you really? You look pretty normal…

Frida: I can’t exactly go around public looking like a space monster…

Chickpea: Fair enough.

Javi: Summoned her when things got a little too hot…

Javi: She’s gonna help me get out and like…

Javi: I dunno. I got the cops on me and they already hate my ass around here and bleh…

Javi: Gonna either lock me up or send me up the mountains to die in this town depending on who finds me first.

Chickpea: Yeah… Honestly I wish I could leave too sometimes.

Chickpea: But I can’t really afford to move out and well.. You know.

Chickpea: You can always call me though, right? You got my number

Javi: Mmhmm..

Chickpea: I guess just.. Feels hard to say goodbye so suddenly to someone who’s been part of the gang for so long you know?

Chickpea: Kinda wish you came to us first before you decided to make a big escape.

Javi: I’m sorry…

Chickpea: Nah. You deserve better than this shithole.

Chickpea: Just promise to keep in contact, okay?

Javi: Yeah….

Chickpea looks up at Frida.

Frida:... What’s up?

Chickpea: No shady contracts, keep Javi safe.

Frida: I will!

Chickpea: Good… I’m almost done, why don’t you check in on your friend while I set up the table.

Chickpea: We’re gonna have a good time before ya’ll set off.

Javi: Yeah…

You march toward the garage entrance, Frida following behind.

You can hear the noise of tools going off, and then silence.

You crack open the door and peek inside, Nacho’s shadow looming over the puppet, now more complete in its form.

Javi: Is everything alright?

Frida: Yeah.  How’s it going?

Nacho: Had to transplant a soul to get things functioning but she’ll wake up in a sec.

Javi: What do you mean-

Frida: Please tell me you didn’t do what I think you did…

Javi: What did they do?

Nacho: A familiar would be a lot of help right now.

Frida: Not like this!

Nacho: I’m not waiting til she’s out of town for this. She has people and a home here. Besides…

Nacho looks directly at you.

Nacho: You owe her a body after you foddered hers.

Javi: I thought she was dead…

Nacho: Only partially.

Nacho: She should be your responsibility but… I’m going to handle things.

Nacho: For now?

Nacho: You both should go eat dinner…