THE WORLD that Hates You [MASA ZERO}

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[Image Description: A stylized and abstracted depiction of Pato seeing through Solly's eyes, peeking into a hallway and living room setup.

You should really try to get a word in with Solly, you start looking over to your room before-

Miss Reyes: If you need to go, I can ask her to take you your plate.

You're startled, are you that obvious?

Pato: Y-yeah. I'm really tired after today..

Miss Reyes: You've had a busy one, and tomorrow you've got a few big conversations ahead of you.

Pato: Mm...

You start heading over toward your room, occasionally looking back at her with a bit of caution.

As soon as you enter your room, Solly manifests in front of you.

Pato: There you are! Where'd you go, like-

Solly: Got my own space for when I gotta keep hidden... Don't think mom could see me anyway, but I dunno about uh... who is she?

Pato: Guessing a sister? Cousin? I dunno..

Solly: That doesn't sound right to me..

Pato: What do you mean?

Solly: You and mom got a feeling you give. Like.. a sense? I can feel something in my head around both of you, connected but not the same.

Pato: Okay..

Solly: She's super similar to the other Reyes, almost exact..

Pato: Yeah, but, like, he was a dog or something..

Solly: His helmet had a muzzle, but his tail was tucked under the coat.

Pato:.. Huh.

Solly: Maybe a civilian disguise or something, like a double life.

Pato: Like a superhero..

Solly: Yeah, something like that.

Pato: ..Did Reyes have a proxy? Ono did..

Solly: Nah, not that I could tell. Couldn't get a good look at him during the fight with Godhead's proxy and all..

Pato: Ah.. I feel weird after that, still. I didn't even get a chance to swing, but I'm so... tired.

Solly: Yeah, you think maybe our energy is tied together? I'm pretty bushed too..  we-

You can hear a knocking at the front door.

Pato: Hey, uh-

Solly: Yeah I know, you want me to take a peek.

Pato: Yeah.. how'd you uh-

Solly: Same brain. I can poke around out there.

The proxy slinks out of the room through the cracks under the door.

Solly's voice can be heard in the back of your skull, slightly fuzzy and muddy- like an intrusive thought at 2 AM.

Solly: Gonna plug you in.. borrow my eyes.


You make a startled squeak, your senses begin to swim a little.

Pato: Borrow wha- you can't just say- you don't even have those-?!

Solly: Just.. feel it, you know what I mean?

There's pressure on your forehead, like a pair of goggles with the strap a little too tight against your skin.

It's hard to get a full sense of where you're at, your consciousness not quite fully wired to your body.

Pato: How?!

Solly: Just focus up there, check it out. I'll keep you safe, pinky promise.

Pato: Okay...

Your sense of conscious grounds itself around the mental lens. Your mother runs over toward the door from the kitchen, Miss Reyes stepping aside.

Mom: Just one sec!

Ono's voice responds from the other side.

Mr. Ono: Take your time! Area is clear right now! A straggler was roaming, but I handled it!

A straggler...? Was that your fault?

Your mom lets him in- he's still caked in dirt and debris from earlier.

Mom: Hi!  You look like you've been working late...

Mr. Ono: Yeah, sure you've heard the news and all.. has me a bit busy..

Mom: Oh my god, yeah! Do you know anything about what happened or-

Mr. Ono: Little bit. I'll make a official statement, but for now I'm here to pick up-

Miss Reyes: He's here for me. You doing alright there?

Her tail lifts up, curling on sight.

Mr. Ono: About as much as you'd expect..

Miss Reyes: Here I was worried I'd have to impose on these good people and stay the night..

Mom: I mean it's really no issue.. are you both okay to go back out there?

Mr. Ono: Me? Do it all the time, all those ghouls are just a little occupational hazard for me..

Mom: And your friend?

The cat immediately coils arms with the ruffneck.

Miss Reyes: Ed's kept me safe everytime, I'm not worried..

Mr. Ono: I'd do that for anyone really.. I do wanna talk to Pato about work, but he's probably bushed- so I'll hold it off til morning.

Mom: Is something wrong?

Mr. Ono: Truth be told, after today the nature of the job's going to be a lot more intense. If he wants to keep working, it's gotta be more than just a little side gig. Gonna have to upgrade him to a full apprenticeship.

Miss Reyes: Obviously with your approval, I imagine.

Mr. Ono: Yeah, upfront is he'd be my successor and well.. I'm not gonna press if both of you-

Mom: You'd be.. teaching him to fight those things out there, yeah?

Mr. Ono: Yeah... like I said, won't push but.. can't keep a kid around on this job without serious prep anymore. Too much risk. I understand if what happened with his father-

Mom: What happened to him was too much courage and thinking a few tapes and a pile of books were enough to be some kind of superman.

Mr. Ono: ...He got one of those mail-in radios? The, uh..

Mom: Nine Virtues.

Mr. Ono: Ah... yeah that'd do it. Complete crank, any sort of self help book with a religiously compliant magic system's going to put you in a bad spot.

Mom: Mmhmm! He thought if he listened to that every night, it'd be enough to give him some kind of magic to "exorcise" all that shit out there. Really should've forced him to throw it all out before he made it a whole lifestyle deal...

Mr. Ono: ...I can quietly tell him the job's on pause for now and-

Mom: I'm not making that call, everyone around here knows what you can do. If you're willing to do him right and teach him how to protect himself, I'll sign whatever forms you need.

Miss Reyes: Mm...

The cat looks over, making eye contact with you through Solly.

Miss Reyes: Are you sure you don't want to at least try and bring this all up while we're here? Give him time to sleep on it-

No point in pretending.

You make your move, scooting out of the room.

Mom: Oh! Speak of the devil and-

Pato: Overheard the whole thing... no idea if school will ever come back, so I was wondering about it..

Mr. Ono: It'd be a big responsibility, scary work too-

Pato: I know, at this point all I want is to help people. I'm tired of having to just watch, having to bury people that could've been saved and-

Mr. Ono: We'll get to that for sure.. I.. Mrs. Feliz? I'm going to take Lily here home, she's not too far away... you think it'd be good to have Pato come with me? See what the night's out around this time? Figure while it's quiet it's a good chance to let him see for himself, decide if he's serious about this and-

Mom: Go ahead, just don't be out too long.

Mr. Ono: Pato?

Pato: Mmm.

Mr. Ono: Then we'll make the trip quick..

Miss Reyes: Sounds good to me, grab anything you might need.

Pato: Yeah...