[PCA] REMEDY HOUR

[skinstealer]

[image id: a black and white profile shot of maes against a shattered cream background, as if broken glass that can't take the pressure of maes' day. maes is similarly strained, their face contorted into a pained grimace. the border of the piece is jagged, bringing the sense of fracturing home.]

 

The walk back to their apartment was silent, something to be expected after Maes' therapy sessions. This one, however, feels even more heavy, the session only a half hour prior hanging over both of them.

Maes unlocks the door to their apartment, and pauses, not ready to open it yet.

CHARON: Boss?
 

Their mind feels like it’s short circuiting, frayed around the edges.

MAES: ...Nothing. Let's go.
 

They open the door and step through, collapsing their cane and setting it down in the usual space.

CHARON: Mm…
 

Maes can hear him following suit, the clanking of his prosthetics letting them know every step.

He settles into an armchair, exhaling.

CHARON: You tired?
MAES: ...It was a good session.
MAES: It's a lot, but...good, right?
CHARON: I think so.. seemed rather intensive admittedly.
MAES: ...Mm.

They sit on the bed and start taking off their shoes, one strap at a time.

Their mouth turns to a grimace as their hands shake, a little noise of annoyance sneaking out.

Come on...you can do better than this.

CHARON: ...Are you sure you're okay?
MAES: I'm fine.
MAES: Really.
MAES: Just tired.
CHARON: Get some rest in before we do dinner.
 

They finally get the straps off, kicking off their shoes and laying back on the bed.

It’s-
I can handle this.
I c-
I can-

The dam breaks in their mind, unable to keep themselves from speaking up.

MAES: ...am I doing the right thing, Charon?
MAES: Papaya seems to think so, but-
CHARON: Regarding which thing specifically?
MAES: All of this.
MAES: Going to therapy.
MAES: Telling people about these things.
MAES: ...maintaining my position in the lab.
CHARON: The therapy's been good, I've noticed little improvements since you've started.. as for maintaining your position, are you worried you're not good for it?
MAES: I've never really had someone question it in a way that...actually hit like this.
 

They dig their claws into the sheets, needing to grab onto something, anything as their words come out hard and strained.

MAES: Plenty have said that getting this position is pure nepotism, that someone so young shouldn't have all this weight on them- but it always came from a place of disgust, of disdain.
MAES: ...this is the first time it's felt like it might have some actual validity.
CHARON: To be quite honest with you, you're incredibly overworked.
CHARON: You're running this place while also working as the head surgeon and maintaining the project to take care of your siblings.
CHARON: It wouldn't be a bad idea to look into other folks to take the load off your back.
MAES: But if I let up for even a moment-
 

Charon’s next words come out so soft that the contrast between their own nearly stings.

CHARON: It's okay to let people help you.
MAES: And how can I make sure it's people I can trust?
CHARON: Hard to say, but you managed to find me.
MAES: There's not a lot of people like you out there, it feels like…
CHARON: You have folks you trust with the big project, no?
 

Mandrake, JB, even Ruby…

MAES: ...that is true...
CHARON: Could look at people you'd trust there.
MAES: And what, ask them to take over the entire lab?
MAES: I don't think any of them are crazy enough to do that.
CHARON: No, but...  look for someone else willing to take on some of the duties that you're struggling to keep up with on your own.
MAES: ...I suppose I could drop my surgical duties...
CHARON: Not a focus of yours these days?
MAES: I still find the work valuable, but...the rehab program is where my heart lies.
MAES: Ever since we found those cult documents, I've been unable to stop thinking about how important all of this is.
MAES: Not just getting my siblings out of here- though that is the main focus- but finally putting a stop to this.
MAES: All of this.
CHARON: Then you know the answer from here.
CHARON: Start phasing things out and adjusting work more toward what you want to put yourself toward.
CHARON: Promote those who are willing to take the mantle for work that's become less of a priority.
MAES: It's…
 

He makes it sound so…doable. So possible.
Does he even realize how much this would take?
…his conviction’s almost enough for me to buy in…

MAES: Do you really think we can do it?
MAES: If we manage to put this information in the right hands-
CHARON: I know you can, you've gotten this far.
MAES: We might catch a lot of heat for it.
MAES: ...sometimes I worry about it even starting...a war, or something.
MAES: Grind is known to hate Spit, from what I know.
MAES: He would take any opportunity to take her and her forces out, and finding out that she had some kind of base of operations here in Precipice, right under his nose…
 

Charon stops them before they can get carried away.

CHARON: I can at the very least get this information to various guilds.
CHARON: Spit isn't particularly well liked by knighting circles across Taverne.
CHARON:  With a good spread we can have a safe, anonymous release of information with folks across multiple regions in the know at once.
MAES: A lot of people are going to die, because of this.
MAES: …I suppose thousands already have, though…
CHARON: I know... if we coordinate this right, we can minimize the damage by forcing a flush of cultists.
CHARON: It's.. a large decision and we should talk to a few experts on the matter but... to finally rid of a massive amount of Spit's grasp across the continent.. we'd be preventing tragedies in the long run.
MAES: I have no doubt of that.
MAES: I'd...be lying if I said I didn't want the whole lot to burn.
CHARON: They made their choice long ago.
MAES: There's also the question of how much to release about the actual experiments...
MAES: ...it should be entirely declassified, but there's...a lot of personal info in these, both of living and dead maybecats.
MAES: Including myself, Melanie, and Mason…
CHARON: I think at the very least, they deserve to be recognized as people rather than a statistic.
CHARON: A gradual release with the transparency that some info will be withheld for a time for the sake of protecting those harmed.
MAES: ...perhaps we could do consent forms?
MAES: See who's okay with that information being released...
MAES: ...letting the deceased rest in the process.
CHARON: Mm. That'd be the way to do so.
 

They seem to lock up for a moment.

MAES: ...I don't want to release my file, but I may have to.
MAES: I'm the only living success.
CHARON: I'll protect you.
MAES: You can't-
MAES: You can't protect me, not from everything.
MAES: Those files have more personal information than I want anyone to know.
MAES: ...Not even you.
CHARON: Riddle me this, why do you have to share yourself in the first place?
CHARON: You deserve your own peace just as much as anyone else after everything.
MAES: Because-!
MAES: Because if I don't release that information, no one will know what the actual goals of Devil's Advocacy were.
MAES: And if they don't know, they'll ask questions anyway.
CHARON: Then you answer to the extent you have to.
CHARON: You let them know the purpose, but you let people understand that for the safety of those involved, you don't want to disclose what candidates were considered for the role in mind.
MAES: ...you mean, I don't even say I'm a candidate?
MAES: I'd assume it'd be obvious, considering my position...
CHARON: You could also leave it as simply that no candidate was ever chosen for the role.
MAES: ...and what if a cultist speaks up?
MAES: What if there's whispers in the opposite direction?
CHARON: Spit doesn't have a maybecat demon.
CHARON: Clearly the project never went through with its plans.
MAES: ...this is true.
CHARON: At best you can say that you and a few others were considered, but ultimately Anya passed before Spit was able to claim a demon from the project.
MAES: That's...it could actually work.
 

They seem to perk up for a moment, only to flatten back out, appearing to literally pool out into a deflated state from the stress.

MAES: ...people will judge you, though.
MAES: For being with someone associated with this travesty at all.
CHARON: Who cares if they do.
MAES: Your reputation with guilds, your family-
CHARON: My reputation will recover and my family will take my side.
 

They have to rub their temples at that, their voice coming out harsh and almost angry.

MAES: How can you be so confident?!
MAES: I don't want to ruin things for you-!
CHARON: You're more important to me than titles, as long as I have a place here I can accept the risks.
MAES: I would never take that away from you.
CHARON: Don't worry too much about me, alright?
CHARON: I'll bounce back in the end.
 

Why would anyone give so much for me-!

MAES: You're one of the biggest parts of my life, Charon.
MAES: Of course I'm going to worry about how you fit into all of this...
CHARON: I know.
CHARON: I really do love you, and I hope you understand that.
CHARON: I'm doing what's right to me, and that's standing by you through all of this.
 

They reach out their arms, clearly angling for a hug in a much more direct way than usual.
Charon gets up and goes for it, holding on tight.

His embrace is warm, firm and grounding. It’s enough to get them to stop panicking, though their shaking takes a few minutes to quell.

MAES: …I love you too.
MAES: More than anything, it feels like...
MAES: ...and I know I shouldn't get so wound up about this, but the thought of losing you, in any way...
CHARON: You won't.
MAES: Do you promise?
CHARON: Promise, I'll stay safe so I can be with you as long as possible.
MAES: I'll protect you back, then.
CHARON: I know you will.