Masa con Papas: Proxy's Memory

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

 

THE EMPRESS
(CW: Mention of Cults)

 Erica: We got a little time before Grandpa Arabis comes back so I’m gonna take you around town for a bit, hope you don’t mind walking. Nowhere specific, just get you to scope it out. Feel the life in motion. We did the same for Geezer so only fair.

You didn't get much chance to look at the area around while you were quickly walked toward the library...

It's bigger than anything you've ever seen.

You're a little intimidated, if you're quite honest.

Erica: You ready?

Charon: As much as I can be...

Charon: Usually go out with a cane but I can try my best to catch up.

Erica: A cane? Like for walking?

Charon: Mm.. Prosthetic limbs, had a birth defect growing up because of some fiend stuff I think… I can walk around but it’s hard sometimes..

Erica: Ah, yeah that happens with hybrids sometimes. We can keep it short. My dad had some troubles like that too… missing a leg.

Erica: Course our kind can slot in parts pretty easy.. with some caveats.

Charon: Blood, right?

Erica: Blood. You gotta be drinking blood regularly. Doing so will cause the uh… your body will sort of fill in the blanks? Could make parts out of random wood and rock chunks if you know what you’re doing and it’ll function like the real thing.

Charon: Mm..

Erica: Otherwise you’re SOL. Also once you’re on the stuff you tend to get more hungry and the fiend part of you becomes more active.

Charon: Heard about that, neighbors of mine told me that one of my relatives had issues with it. Was always hungry . Took forever to get back to weaning off of it.

Erica: That’s the trick, isn’t it? Really hard to get your hands on it without tons of money or willing donors, a bit tricky to store and maintain a fresh quality for it, you know how it is.

Erica: My sister back home says you could probably find a town willing to pay you in blood in exchange for protection. Honestly not a bad idea..

Charon: Your sister?

Erica: Yep,the younger sibling

Charon: What’s her name?

Erica: Ali. She’s like you a bit I think, soft but with gutsy eyes.

Charon: What’s that mean?

Erica: Like… you look bookish but I feel like if it came down to it you could get in a real scrap. She’s like that a bit. Maybe a bit more the latter but not really something she wanted.

Erica: Both of us are aiming to keep the family business running and all you know?

Erica: Don’t think she’s super fond of it but the idea that she wouldn’t because she can’t hurts her more.

Charon: I can kinda understand that I guess…

Erica: Yeah. She’s really hard on herself over it but I know she can do whatever she really decides she wants.

Charon: Mm…

Erica: And I’m sure you can too.  Looking at you though, you’re probably a bit indoorsy.

Erica: But I think you could pick it up. You in this too?

Charon: Mmhmm… Maybe. I guess I’m in that same boat too you know? Like… I think I do kinda wanna but..

Charon: Don’t want to not do it because I can’t. I want it to be my choice I guess…

Erica: Mm..

Erica: How much training have you gotten?

Charon: My gr-

Charon: Pardon um…

Charon: My caretaker’s never really pushed me but I dunno..

Charon: I feel like it might be good for me.

Erica: Yeah: How’s that?

Charon: See the world, meet people…

Charon: I guess I just want to know some things really.

Erica: Like?

Charon: Hmm… I mean I can’t say too much.

Charon: Time paradoxes and that…

Erica: Yeah, fair enough.

Charon: But… maybe being a knight helps?

Charon: If I can go anywhere, I can find out what I want to know.

Charon: THat’s how it should work at least…

Erica: Yeah, in theory I guess.

Erica: Hope I figure out the answers for myself…

Erica: Studying for the job honestly feels like a curse sometimes…

Charon: Mm…

Erica: According to my folks, it literally is.

Charon: The family curse…

Erica: Anyone who takes the mantle’s destined to fight something beyond what they can understand…

Erica: Crapshot whether you win or not.

Charon: I’d be in danger too?

Erica: Mm.. Maybe. Maybe it’s all phony.

Erica: Wouldn’t sweat it yet though. Maybe this is the worst of it for both of us.

Charon: Would be nice if we just got back safely..

Erica: We plan to! At the very least we want to take you and Geezer back first. Still got stuff to do here ourselves…

Charon: You have a plan?

Erica: Yeah. There’s wells to help you get in and out. They’re a little hard to get to and the local church is constantly there when they’re busiest. They’re how this place gets a lot of its resources..

Charon: Do they just snag it up?

Erica: Yeah… they try to keep a grip on everything. This part of town is probably the safest from them just because there’s nothing they think is worth harvesting.

Charon: Really?

Erica: Yeah. We’re far away from any rifts and wells, there’s not really any major industrial nonsense here, and well… to be frank people don’t like them much around these parts.

Erica: Still set up all sorts of propaganda though.

You see signs and monitors above, all sorts of strange iconography on posters around.

Charon: If it’s so far out, how does it run?

Erica: Answer is poorly.

Erica:  A lot of folks have to go deeper into town to get work.

Erica: And we got scavenger teams gathering whatever the cults manage to ignore.

Erica: Luckily we got a train system… no idea how it happened though.

Erica: Place is put together like a bunch of toy blocks slotting in and accidentally making some words…

Charon: I mean… maybe we got lucky?

Erica: No such thing as true luck, but we’ll take what we can get.

Erica: Anyway, whatcha think?

Charon: I mean it’s big.. Maybe a bit too big. Some of these places are so huge…

Erica: Yeah, felt the same way at first.

Charon: Can’t even imagine what a real skyscraper is like…

Erica: We’ll get to see something like that at some point maybe, if you stick here long enough.

Erica: Not that we want any of us to be gone too long..

Charon: Mm….

Erica: Anyway I know a shortcut, we’ll head back. Sounds good?

Charon: Yeah!

You follow along as best you can, surprisingly able to catch up just fine...
Though she keeps an eye on you the entire time... You appreciate it in a way.

You're not sure how she manages to tell anything apart. Even with this world being a patchwork of various other places, every arrow alleyway feels exactly the same to you...

At least until you see something really odd..

Erica: Hey, watch your step there.
 

She stops you abruptly. You take a moment to glance ahead.

It's a lot of glass panels floating about, transparent little oddities like a tv screen. They're much like your own, the kind you'll eventually get more than used to...

Charon: What’s going on there?

Erica: My guess? Bit of weird magic.

Erica: Can’t tell what kind. Looks like a rift but… too controlled for that.

You get a glance of someone injured on the opposite side.

Charon: See someone there…

Erica: Careful, you got no idea who or what's hiding there.

Charon: I know but... I think we should help them out.

A closer look lets you make out a silhouette, someone cat-like in appearance but not particularly tall. Someone around your own age perhaps? They seem like they’re having it rough. Various floating shapes and transparent fragments float about. They warp the world around them like a funhouse mirror.

You take a step toward it.

Erica: What are you planning to do?

Charon: Can’t just leave them there…

Erica: Wait til whatever they’re doing clears out first…

Charon: Really? I mean I guess but...

Erica: Kid please..

Charon: I’ll be fine just…

You reach a hand through.

Erica: Charon!
 

The world slides around like a abstract puzzle. The floor becomes a looking glass to someone else’s reality and the walls and sky meld until you can't tell them apart. The cat looks at you with surprise, eyes unsure what to make of you.

Erica watches from the other side, a nervous wreck.

You give her a gesture assuring you're okay.

She gives you a sigh.

You face what's ahead of you.

Charon: Hey… Are you lost?

???:  Not really…

Charon: That’s.. Good.

???: You stepped through…

Charon: I guess…?

???: Did it hurt?

Charon: Not really…

???: Usually it does… this place keeps intruders out…

Charon: Oh…

???: How’d you manage to make it through?

Charon: I just… stepped inside.

Charon: Those little tears, reminded me of the ones I can make.

Charon: I mean.. I’ve made them a couple of times. Don’t really understand…

???: Your power’s like mine..

Charon: Maybe…

Charon: You don’t look like you’re doing good…

???: I’m not…

???:  You?

Charon: Not too bad all things considered? Just got here today.. Like… in this world.

???: Mm…

???: What’s your name?

Charon: Charon…

???: Last name?

Charon: Judgment…

Charon: You?

???: Opera.

Opera: Heard that last name a few times around here… guessing you or someone related to you’s a bit of a troublemaker.
 

Opera: Hopefully that’s not you though.

Opera: Cause if it is, you’re in a lot of danger.