THE WORLD that Hates You [MASA ZERO}

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You feel yourself rattled in the aftermath of everything;
Nearly taking a hit job.

Your target being one of those awful remnants all along.

The proxy that cracked the sky open, with the conversation on that tomorrow going to be unavoidable.

There's zero chance of you not being questioned about it in the morning.

This whole world no longer is connected to the rest directly, explains why everyone who left during the initial crisis has not come back even to check in.

Where were people who drove out of town going? Were there any left?

Was everything beyond that real? What was anymore?

Mr. Ono saved your life. His friend.. are they friends?

They have some sort of beef but they work together well enough.

Maybe they were exes?

Nah, that sounds ridiculous.

Anxieties and insecurities brew inside you until you're left quiet, pretending Mr. Ono isn't looking at you with concern.

You're surprised, your proxy latching onto your hand out of the blue.

Stranger Sunset: Hey, relax man.

Pato: I'm fine.

Stranger Sunset: I can feel everything, no you're not.

Pato: Yeah.

Stranger Sunset: We can cry it out when we get back.

Pato: I don't know if I wanna go back. Fucked this one good-

Mr. Ono: It was already bad, all you did is find out the truth. We're cut off, region separated. Everyone who leaves
doesn't come back.

Pato: You knew the whole time?

Mr. Ono: Mm. Not much I can do is help people survive til things roll over. Not really sure if they will anymore. Want to try, see folks live through.

Pato: And the other thing with you-

Mr. Ono: Kilroy. My proxy, you'll get to know them better. Sweet thing, have to keep them tucked away though during the day. Spend a lot of my nights hacking down remnants so folks don't stumble across them. Burn the bodies and hide the remains. Get them buried properly.

Pato: Yeah.. so you're a secret hero?

Mr. Ono: Just doing people a good service, nothing more. Only rest in breaks between gigs and night patrol these days.

Pato: You sleep at all or-

Mr. Ono: Haven't proper in almost two months, don't need to. Proxy came with a lot of quirks. Yours will too..

Pato: Mmm.. mine makes uh. waves of flower petals?

Mr. Ono: You're a ferryman type, lines up.

Pato: Yeah uh, what's that all about?

Mr. Ono: Hard to explain, I'll sit down tomorrow with you.... Proxy name?

Pato: Me? Uh-

Mr. Ono: No, your friend.

Stranger Sunset: Stranger Sunset-

Mr. Ono: Need something shorter, get you situated to living around others. Stranger, Sunny, something that'll sound
good. You feel it?

Stranger Sunset: Um... I mean I don't really like either of those gonna be honest.

Mr. Ono: Just suggestions, pick something that feels good for you.

Pato: Golden Hour?

Stranger Sunset: Huh..

Mr. Ono: Something shorter, gotta be able to communicate fast and quick. Nothing where you two will mishear. So no Gato or Pedro or anything too similar.

Stranger Sunset: Hmm. Solly?

Mr. Ono: Solly?

Pato: Yeah, short form term for a character in a game we play. It's a whole thing but-

Mr. Ono: It'll work for now. Solly?

Stranger Sunset:.. You're talking to me, yeah?

Mr. Ono: Get used to that, gonna keep things simple.

Solly: Can do. Do uh... should I help introduce myself to our mom or-

Mr. Ono: Not yet. Pato needs to tell your mother to call me in the morning. You okay with that?

Solly: Yeah. I can hold off I guess..

Pato: I'll try to make good on it-

Mr. Ono: You'll make good on it, period. Life's about to get way harder..

Pato: Okay..

You both stop on the sidewalk just outside your home. You're covered in dust and grime from having a hell of a day.

Solly squeezes your palm.

Pato: I'm fine, promise-

Solly: Bullshit, we're both scared.

Pato: Yeah.

Solly: I'll be here even if you guys can't see me.

Pato: Yeah..

Mr. Ono gives you an assuring pat on the shoulder.

Mr. Ono: I'd go in with you but I gotta check in on Reyes. Sure he's freaking out by now. Take care, you'll hear from me soon.

Pato: Yeah..

He heads off, sprinting like you've never seen a man his age run ever.

He sure feels like a superhero from another time and place after today..

How much does he know if he already was keeping all this hidden...

Something to ponder later.

You unlocked the door with your keys and made your way in.

Your mom was half asleep on the sofa with the phone on the coffee table, probably waiting for you to return.

Hope she didn't make too many calls..

Pato: Hey, I'm back!

She immediately jolts awake, the rabbit turning toward you sharply.
 

Mom: H-hey, you need to call me when you're going to be out late! Where were you?!

Pato: Finished work early so I went downtown to check out the pawn shops for a bit. Thinking about getting into guitar and-

Mom: You saw what happened today, right?

Pato: Uh.. which part?

Mom: There was a explosion nearby! Housefire, sky has a crack in it? Right by the area, you didn't go straight home?

Pato: I was indoors so like-

Mom: No staying out this late without calling..

Pato: ...I'm sorry..

Mom: I'm just glad you were somewhere safe.. could you imagine being closer to all that?

Pato: Yeah.. I got something actually...

You shuffled through your pockets, whipping out the stack of pills.

Mom: Where'd you get all that?

Pato: Mr. Ono gave me a bonus, said I'd been working hard so like-

Mom: Really? He has that kind of money?

Pato: Job paid extra, rich guy apparently. Know how it is, rush funerals..

Mom: Even now they still got cash to throw around like that, think they'd just try and fix things.

Pato: He's also just a dead rich guy so...

....Where were things like ingredients and gas coming from? Where were the rich spending?

Were they also in on this? Maybe they created this whole- if someone could turn proxy into a paid service, someone with the same level of power as Dr. Godhead-

Mom: You gotta save it for a emergency, keep it in your mattress..

Pato: I was thinking rent-

Mom: You're young and gotta think about what you're going to do when this all blows over. I'll borrow for gas or
groceries but rent's my job.

Pato: Whole reason I took this gig was to help you though-

Mom: You're already working hard way too young Pato, back then I had to do it cause my family was poor and I had to
pretend to be older. It's good to keep some of that for you, you know? You gotta have fun too, think about where you wanna be when you grow up.

Pato: A adult with a mom still around, that's all I want.

She was left quiet at that.

Pato: Sorry...

Mom: No, you got a point. Why don't you get cleaned up, I'll heat you up a plate and we can talk about today at the table. Maybe watch some TV after, sound good?

Pato: Yeah.. yeah that sounds really nice actually..

Mom: Put your stuff in the laundry too, should have some fresh PJs in the basket.

Pato: Got it.

You.. lied to her face. Doesn't really matter, she'll find out more when Ono talks to her later.
You should a least bring that up. Shower first, clear your mind and nerves.

 

---

This is not a interactive project, this is a dive into a world in its final years. 

You have a brief respite in the chance to clean yourself off. 

When you close your eyes in the shower, you'll begin to daydream. 

What is it that you picture in the other world.