Masa con Papas: Proxy's Memory

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Styx: It's me... 

Hickory: What do you mean?

Styx: She's everything I could've been in a kinder world dragged down by a harsher one.

You pull the husk in close for a tight hug. 

Styx: And for the first time in lord knows how long she's managed a freedom she's never known... 

Hickory: Only cause shit's imploding from the inside.. 

Styx: Oh? 

Hickory: Whatever plan was intended with her is crashing and burning. Erica called me in to sorta work in the background of things but... couldn't let anyone know shit til we got this far. Little hard to trust for her. 

Platino: Think this whole family's got issues, no offense. 

Styx: Nobody here to take any but..  

You shake your head. 

Styx: It's all off script. None of it';s supposed to be playing out this way I think.. 

Platino: What makes you say that-

Hickory: He's right I think. We're dealing with the type of weirdo who's got big scope but no actual endgame in mind. She's made a crashout everyone else's problem and I think whatever her goals were... nah it's not going right. 

Platino: So the heist-

Hickory: Distraction. Auction was probably real at some point but some stuff's going on in the back-

Platino: Chance of a insider? Like... we got someone who's feeding us updates and it's clear stuff's scuffed. Zana's meeting up with her as we speak-

Hickory: Needle. 

Platino:..Yeah. You two uh-

Hickory: Bucket's saboteur has tabs on her-

Platino: Wait who-

Styx: Rosario. 

Platino:.. Is *that* why she's here? I assumed she like... I dunno, was just kinda chilling? 

Styx: If you noticed her acting up she wouldn't be very good at her job. Her and Mercury have-

Hickory: Been buddy-buddy? Yeah. I'm gonna keep it short, it's all a family doing fucked up espionage on each other at this point. Everyone's sorta in camps and pockets right now. 

Platino: If you'd be kind enough to clarify further-

Hickory: Easy. 

Hickory: Bucket was put in charge of a job by Erica in a trade of favors. They brought in a few recommended folk: Mercury who's a close colleague, Rosario who's job is to quietly look for funny business and intervene, Opera who's here cause she has personal stakes, Geezer who on notification he'd be here she was more than happy to approve recruiting, and Fenton who's been in touch with Opera as a tech role. 

Hickory: You, Zana, and Charon? All kinda accidents. Wild cards in all this, hardest to keep tabs on. 

Hickory: I'm kinda between people right now. Erica pulled me aside in advance out of fears and all that. Like-wise, Bucket doesn't trust Ali like that so Rosario and I have been in cahoots. Mercury uh... I dunno. She's in a weird spot where she might actually *not* know enough. 

Hickory: Needle and Mission are also kind of wild cards in this, accidents. Hard to trust either personally but if you can vouch on your friend than I can do that much. Mission? I dunno... 

Styx: She came for help, worried Ali's about to cross a bridge she can't walk back. 

Hickory: Has me more worried when you put it like that. Speaking of wild cards-

Styx: Recent development. I was dead until a few days ago and I'm not quite certain I'm alive right now so-

Hickory: And the husk, her being you-

Styx: I... it's a lot to explain. 

Hickory: You got time. 

Styx: Every once in awhile I bump into a client who's awfully familiar, myself.  Charon is the most recent of these. When i became a entity I gave up my physicality and mortal form but... my body continued to have many lives without me. 

Hickory: I don't get it-

Platino: The Soul doesn't get to move on with the body.... 

Styx:.. If I'm correct, then yes. Charon is one of these and in that case-

Hickory: Husk is a Opera though? Like I know they're connected and all but-

Styx: The Operas are the intended incarnation were my soul to have moved in as expected. Charon is the body that remains... 

You find yourself giving the husk enough of a squeeze to cause her to bite you, making you immediately pull away

Platino: Doesn't seem like it likes you all that much. 

Styx: Because even now she sees the potential worst of herself in me... 

Platino: Pretty sure you just need to give the cat some space... 

Hickory: Think she just can smell the intentions, no go on letting you have her like that. 

Styx: Why would I-

Hickory: Body that doesn't age, can't be killed? All that power? Nobody likes a opportunist. 

You start going down on your knees, Plat and Hick both giving you a look. 

Platino: If you apologize I'm walking out right now. 

Styx: Not to either of you...

Platino: To who? The body? 

Sytx: I... yes but-

Hickory: You're not getting more than a growl I think. I'd just back off...

Styx: I understand I have a lot to atone for. While Charon is away I have to make due and assure everyone my intentions are not to harm-

Hickory: Why don't we go outside for a bit, yeah? Platino, you mind watching the cat for me? 

He gives the two of you a playful little gesture. 

You get up to your feet, Hickory, leading toward the doorway of the warehouse. 

Styx: What is it? 

Hickory: I need you to do one thing right now: Muscle. You got all that entity magic at the tip of your fingers, right? 

Styx: It's not much but.. enough. 

Hickory: We gotta get this cat back home quick, fill in the others, gameplan. Right now we're seeing a clusterfuck try and resolve by any means and I'm not happy. Not me, not any of our friends, not a single person who put money into playing the worst game of espionage. Keep things simple for now, figure it out once we know what's going on for sure. If Ali is making a move, its some sink the island with her shit potentially. Nobody's taking her side like that if Mission's coming to us but think we need to be careful how we fill in the others-

You're both suddenly cut off. 

Bern: Think everyone should know a bit, nah? 

You immediately fixate a harsh stare at her. 

Styx: How long have you been listening in?

Bern: Me? Enough. I want in on this, need that fucker to go down. 

Styx: You have a personal vendetta?

Bern: Nah, just hate her type. I don't think Buck's willing to be the one to burn it down. Good folk but compromised, you know?

Hickory: Yeah... 

Styx:... What do you mean? 

Hickory: Mentioned they were on Ali's payroll. 

Styx: They wouldn't-

Bern: They're prepping others to do it cause Ali funds a lot of their anti-cult efforts. This whole thing's a candidacy. And well?

She pushes a finger up to your nose. 

Bern: I think they're banking on you my guy. Geezer's got the guts and prep but he's "too honest." Zana's plenty capable but they don't feel all that confident that she'll be able to pull the trigger when it matters. 

Styx: No offense but that's a rancid way to look at people-

Bern: You rank them all the time, nah? Entity and all that? Bet you're gauging me right now. My potential, my usability as a host, how much I can spready your name so you've got more sway on the world-

Hickory: If he's a piece of Charon he's got higher standards than that. 

Bern: Alright.

Bern holds out her hand toward you. 

Bern: My body and mind for however long it takes to take Ali down, longer if you manage to pull it off. All my knowledge and secrets, so many things Bucket won't say that'd make this job a lot easier. Your friends would think you're a hero, you'd have a permanent host-

Hickory: Politely fuck off-

Bern: I can see you really considering it-

You backhand the kid with full force, a genuine look of shock across her face. 

Styx: To insult me is one thing. To hold me for my past, to remind me of all my mistakes I've taken glee in, you're more than merited that. This is cruelty. My kind is filled with casual emotions, impulses, and addictions that someone like you can only begin to picture at your lowest points. 

Bern: You fucking hit me-

Styx: I could go a second round.

Bern:... I think I get why you're the favorite right now. Just figured it was cause you're their kid-

Styx: I am the child of a village, not a nameless parent who couldn't find the time to face me directly once in my life. They found plenty of room to have late night conversations with Erica thinking we were asleep. They left me speculating for decades, thinking that perhaps if I were to take up this mantle there'd be a chance we could reunite. I could find out what ails them so much that they have to hide. I could fix this broken mess of a family that has nobody else to blame for being this way. And you-


You flick your wrist at her, Bern crumpling to her knees immediately on trying to block. 

Her breathing becomes heavy.

Bern: The fuck dude?!

Styx: Your whole body is a mass of moving sparks and energies going across. Your nerves, heart, and lungs all are in constant motion. One little wrench in the machine is life ruining and I have many to go around. The boy you're praying to do your work for has already surpassed me twice over. In another five years there will be nothing left to teach him. In ten, you've made a monster you cannot overcome. 

Another flick, able to get back on her feet.

Styx: When he returns you'll have left him with a wound to fixate on for the rest of his life-

Hickory: Hey, need you to relax. 

You can feel the bird grabbing your sleeve. 

Hickory: I know this is a lot for you. Friends you thought were gone, coming back to life at the hardest point you can, not knowing how real any of it is or was.. and god knows both of you had a lot of rough feelings around the cat in bob. 

You give them a nod, taking a moment to breath in. 

Hickory: And uh.. kid? Guess I never accounted for you. 

Bern: Bern. 

Hickory: You want in on this? Gonna need you to keep it hush and mellow the fuck out. Don't know what kind of shit Bucket's been teaching you and all but-

Bern: I get it. 

Hickory: You walked away with your life, don't fuck around like that. Now let's go back in there and fill Platino in, yeah? 

Bern: Alright.. 

She gives you one last look. 

Bern: So what are we? Brother and Sister? Sister and sister? 

Styx: Cousins, back off.