[PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS

[skinstealer]

[image description: The illustration invokes the texture of a old stained newspaper that's seen time and wear. Charon Judgment, a anthropomorphic dog in a cloak with a halo above his head stands with a playfully mocking gesture. Towering over him is Smith Artag, a karacel resembling a anthropomophic sphinx cat with no fur making a fairly neutral if someone confused expression at the dog. The two are positioned to have a friendly spar. Coming from outside of the frame of the artwork is the mechanical, skeletal hand of Mar pointing ad the drawing. The word "Parar" floats between both Charon and Smith.]

 

The maybecat in front of Charon is easily over ten feet tall- by a large margin, too. Hairless, wrinkly, and extremely built, Smith towers above- a quizzical expression on his face.

SMITH: ...you're the new guy?
CHARON: I am, sent to check in on a few folks today.
CHARON: Heard you've got a bit too much energy right now.

 

His tail lashes instinctively, covered in spikes big enough to gore the dog.

SMITH: ...unfortunately.
SMITH: Not something I particularly like.

 

Charon brushes his coat aside to point right at the cat.

CHARON: Perhaps a sparring session could fix that- interested?

 

Smith raises his brows.

SMITH: ....you sure?
SMITH: I mean-
SMITH: I do like to fight, but, uh-
CHARON: I can take it, promise.
CHARON: Swing at me, hardest you can.

 

He pauses, weigh his own fist in his hand.

SMITH: ...well, alright.

 

His hand swipes down with blinding speed, claws out.

Charon blocks it backhanded, as if the massive hand weighed barely anything at all. No recoil, no noise, just complete stop to the motion.

Smith's eyes widen.

The dog immediately swings at a sandbag nearby, vibrations ricocheting through it- but the bag staying in place.

SMITH: ...huh.
SMITH: You've got some things going on.
SMITH: ...and you've got stamina?
CHARON: ....Unfortunately.
SMITH: What makes it so bad?
CHARON: A fight gone too long tends to go wrong.
CHARON: But... for the sake of exercise, it's perfectly fine.

 

He puts up his hands, large metal knight of a proxy suddenly creeping out of a corner.

CHARON: I assure you, if you'd like to go harder than usual I can take it.
SMITH: ...explain the ghost, first.
CHARON: ...The ghost?

 

He points at Mar.

The proxy waves back.

CHARON: She's there to prevent things from getting out of hand...
CHARON: I'm surprised you can see her.
SMITH: It's not the first time I've seen them around here.
SMITH: ...if you can imagine, place is decently haunted.
CHARON: That tracks... introduce yourself then.

 

She scoots her way next to Charon.

MAR: Mar Rook, glad to be working with you today....
SMITH: ...Smith Artag.

 

A little bow from the knight.

MAR: If a fight was to go so far that risk of severe injury came into play, I'd step in and prevent that so.. feel free to fight to your fullest pleasure.
SMITH: Not sure if pleasure's the word for me, but...

 

He cracks his knuckles.

SMITH: If he's as good as he says, I'll get some of this energy out of my system.

 

Charon gives the massive cat a cocky little gesture, giving him the first blow. Without hesitation, Smith puts on pressure- landing one hit after another. The dog carefully uses the backs and sides of his hands to guide and pacify each strike- blows that could crumple a larger person were now a game of honing precision without a single bruise or crack.

CHARON: Don't get much chance to box with someone in your weight class.
SMITH: Not many people in my weight class around here period.
CHARON: Fortunate I showed up then.
SMITH: So I've heard.
SMITH: Been here less than a week-

 

An especially hard blow.

SMITH: And you're all anyone talks about.
CHARON: It's strange really, up there I'm not that much of a big deal.
SMITH: Whole different world down here.
SMITH: Always has been.
CHARON: Plenty of different worlds out there too so to speak.
SMITH: Any as terrible as this?
CHARON: That's a question.
SMITH: Is there an answer?
CHARON: Short one is yes.
SMITH: Upsetting to hear it.
SMITH: ...unsurprising though.
SMITH: I see the kind of face Maes wears coming down here sometimes, and I don't think it's completely out of coming to visit family.
CHARON: She's not one to smile much to be frank.
SMITH: ...yeah.
SMITH: That's what I figured.

 

He sighs, still managing to get a hard swipe in.

SMITH: Only seen it a couple times.
CHARON: I've had a good experience working with her so far, but it's clear she's needed a assistant for a long time.

 

The dog's left turtling a bit.

SMITH: Well, she let you in.
SMITH: What's your secret?
CHARON: A good resume and a lack of fear.
SMITH: She usually just thinks brave people are stupid.
CHARON: Is my courage not earned?

 

The dog drops his guard mid fight.

A tail swing hard enough to knock him on his ass if he's not careful.

SMITH: Maybe, maybe not.

 

Charon plays it up, headbutting it like a soccer ball and only being pushed back just enough to skid a few inches.

Smith can't help but grin.

SMITH: Leaning more towards maybe.
CHARON: This is harder than it looks admittedly...

 

He hops back, halo visible above his head.

SMITH: Now you've got a floating thing.
CHARON: Mm, handy isn't it?
SMITH: What's a weird ring going to do?
CHARON: Enough for now.
SMITH: Cryptic.
SMITH: That's going to drive her crazy.
CHARON: I got plenty to make up for it.

 

He gives one last slug before stepping back- sweating just the slightest bit, and trying to catch his breath.

SMITH: ...makes me wonder, though.
SMITH: Got some weird questions.

 

Charon gives a thumbs up and scoots toward the nearby bench- despite his efforts to play it off, it's clear footwork during fights are hard on him.

CHARON: Go for it.

 

He plunks himself down on the floor, legs sprawled.

SMITH: Why here?
CHARON: I want to help people, but I don't want the baggage of expectations from familiarity.
CHARON: The name Judgment means little here.
SMITH: ...Family name, I'm guessing?
CHARON: Mm.
SMITH: ...I get that.
SMITH: Lots of debates around here over who keeps and who ditches the last name.
CHARON: Not quite the same situation I don't think, but... legacy is difficult.
SMITH: Lot to live up to.
SMITH: ...or spite, I guess.
SMITH: I'm sure you can figure which boat I'm in.
CHARON: Mm.
CHARON: Its odd to admit so early, but I feel more in my element so far than I've had at any other job.
SMITH: You're, a, uh...

 

He wracks his head for the word.

SMITH: One of those... guys for hire, right?
CHARON: Mm, a big of a general freelancer more than a mercenary.
SMITH: Freelancer...

 

His face scrunches.

SMITH: ...define that, please.
CHARON: A jack of all trades.
SMITH: ...right.
SMITH: So you do everything?
CHARON: Mm, combat's not my main forte but I can be muscle in a pinch.
SMITH: I mean...you never actually struck back.
SMITH: You're defense, aren't you?
CHARON: You've got a good eye.
SMITH: Kind of had to.
SMITH: You see anybody else this big around here?
CHARON: Not so far, no.
CHARON: So what impact does this observation make?
SMITH: Back then, if you were a big guy, you were also a big target- and if you can believe it, I'm old.
SMITH: Not the oldest one here, but...close.
SMITH: ...even fighting aside, the big ones didn't live nearly as long.
SMITH: Part of it's just dumb luck, and part of it is I had to pick up on stuff like that.
SMITH: Helps ends fights as soon as possible.
CHARON: Mm.
CHARON: And now what do you gauge of someone who can take blows but has yet to throw one back with all your experience under your belt?
SMITH: Could be a lot of things. Lot of that's based on you as a person, but...
SMITH: ...I think you're the kind of person to get a good idea of what's safe and what's not.
CHARON: You survive enough, you tend to gauge well what kills people.
SMITH: Yeah, and what would kill you, too.
CHARON: Being able to redirect stuff like that...bet it's pretty handy for testing the waters.
SMITH: Mm.. or just taking the hit outright. So far nothing's worked.
SMITH: ...You usually in alright shape after stuff like this?
CHARON: Can't go this hard everyday, but should be fine.
SMITH: This kind of energy's been built up for weeks.
SMITH: Doesn't help that food's been short.
SMITH: ...ideally won't be too often.
CHARON: Can manage that-
MAR: I'll make sure he doesn't overdo it...

 

The phantom knight chimes in.

MAR: How are you feeling now?
SMITH: ...alright.
SMITH: Better, for sure.
SMITH: ...you said your name was Mar, yeah?
MAR: Mm...
SMITH: Judgment said he was surprised I could see you.
SMITH: That common?
MAR: Odds of someone without intensive supernatural experiences seeing me so clear is... one-in-ten?
SMITH: Hm.
SMITH: You just hide then, most of the time?
SMITH: One in ten is...not insignificant, at least not in a crowd.
MAR: I have other ways to blend in, but...
MAR: I suppose that still is hiding.
SMITH: ...well.
SMITH: You can talk to me, I guess.
SMITH: I know what it's like to be isolated.
MAR: Are you certain?
SMITH: Why wouldn't I?
SMITH: It's just talking, right?
MAR: True...
MAR: I guess this is just rare for us...
SMITH: All the more reason.