[PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS

[skinstealer]

Despite the gap in height, Maes drags Ruby out, the larger maybecat's brow furrowing as they headed out the door.

RUBY: Maes-
MAES: What the fuck are you doing?
RUBY: My job!
MAES: Ohhh no. Your job-

 

Her voice comes out a nasty hiss.

MAES: Is to help Stitches acclimate.
RUBY: Am I not doing that?

 

Charon closes the door behind them gently to avoid slamming it- his inclination towards keeping Stitches calm winning over his growing urge to start breaking things.

CHARON: At the very least, can't say I'm a fan of your tone.
RUBY: ...

 

They look down at the dog, their size feeling...imposing, for the first time. Even with Ruby at the same head height, even just one of their paws could crush his skull.

RUBY: And what's the problem there?
CHARON: You want me to be polite or you want me to be honest?

 

Maes' fur stands on end, looking nervous- her tail puffed up and lashing.

RUBY: Honesty will do!
RUBY: I'd like to hear your feedback.
CHARON: You got a grotesque disregard for other's feelings that borderlines on fetishistic enthusiasm.
CHARON: From personal experience, that's usually either lack of social skills or a fascist with a degree and I can tell you right now I've killed plenty of the latter-
CHARON: -so I'm hoping to god it's the former.
RUBY: ...

 

They stare at him, stunned-






-before laughing, a harsh, raspy sound.

RUBY: Wow!
RUBY: Wow.
RUBY: So- you don't-
RUBY: Maes never told you?
MAES: R-ruby-
RUBY: You have the audacity to-
RUBY: I would have thought you'd at least shit talk me in private, Maes!
MAES: .....

 

Maes' jaw is completely clamped shut.


Charon's theatrical tone drops.

CHARON: You gonna keep being vague?
CHARON: 'cause now you've gone and got me curious.
RUBY: Maybe that's questions you should be asking your partner, then.
RUBY: ...considering she's more interested in fucking you than letting you do your job.
MAES: Oh, shut up-
RUBY: He doesn't know about any of it, does he?
RUBY: The different testing tracks?
RUBY: The programs that made us?
RUBY: How exactly you killed Anya?

 

A small crowd had begun to gather.

CHARON: I know what kind of ties this place has, it's not hard to narrow down what kind of cultist punk you used to be.
RUBY: A cultist-

 

Another laugh.

RUBY: Charon, I'm an Artag-
CHARON: Name means nothing to me.
RUBY: This one should!
RUBY: It's the very backbone-
MAES: ENOUGH.

 

Maes' voice turns into a near roar, startling even Ruby.

MAES: You want to be treated like an Artag?
MAES: To claim this horrible fucking legacy that you love so much?

 

Her shoulders heave before she lunges, forcing Ruby to stagger and striking them across the face with enough force to make them recoil.

MAES: Then take off that fucking mask.



 

Ruby pants for a moment, covering their face-




-before rising back into full standing posture, their torn surgical mask falling as they loom over Maes with a twitching stance.





Her mouth is jagged, noticeably mutated- every strained breath expelling the tiniest, barely visible wisp.

Mist leaks from the corners of her mouth as she speaks, revealing rows and rows of sharp teeth-



Maes' snarl reflecting back at her in the process.

RUBY: .....

 

Their tail thumps against the concrete, the difference in size audible to the crowd.

RUBY: You don't get to decide who gets the family name.

MAES: Don't I?!
MAES: You didn't-
MAES: You didn't even HAVE TO DEAL WITH HER-

RUBY: I DEALT WITH MY OWN-

MAES: AND YOU'RE FUCKING PROUD OF IT!

RUBY: WHY SHOULDN'T I BE!
RUBY: I'm the reason any of us are even HERE.
RUBY: You got to sit-
RUBY: Doing paperwork
RUBY: When I had the actual balls to-

MAES: Don't you fucking start.

RUBY: I could have been a surgeon JUST AS MUCH AS YOU-

MAES: And do what, Ruby?!
MAES: Sing the praises of our maniac fucking mother in front of a press release?

RUBY: Oh, now she's my mother!

MAES: You certainly want her to be!

RUBY: Watch your fucking mouth-

MAES: Oh, trust me, I'm sure everyone's taking the chance-
MAES: NOW THAT YOU'RE NOT HIDING YOUR GODDAMN TEETH

 

Ruby lunges now, only for Maes to go for a direct gut punch- this time, Maes dropping them outright.

MAES: Get up.
RUBY: You think you're so-
MAES: Get the fuck up.
RUBY: Why?
RUBY: I thought you hated proving who the better teacher's pet was.

 

They spit, fizzling black sludge hitting the floor.

RUBY: Do you really want to do this in front of-
MAES: In front of who, Ruby?
MAES: My family?
MAES: My friends?
MAES: My partner?
MAES: As if you haven't been trying to embarrass me from day ONE of Charon getting down here!
RUBY: HAH.
RUBY: You're the one keeping things from him, Maes!

 

She freezes.

RUBY: You're the one who doesn't let anyone handle him with more than kid gloves-
RUBY: And everyone knows it!

 

The crowd is too frozen to even whisper.

RUBY: Everyone be nice to Charon!
RUBY: Don't let him hear about our awful, dirty past!
RUBY: Does he even know about Mel-
 

 
[id: maes and ruby locked into a vicious scramble, maes on top as the two of them claw and snarl at each other. ruby in particular is going for maes' hair, while maes grabs at ruby's face. the surgical arms have extended, extending out as the panel is covered in aggresive splattering.]

 

Maes steps forward and slaps them across the face, kneeling over their torso as their head slams into the ground. The surgical arm on her back twitch, indicator lights going live.

MAES: You don't get to invoke that name.
RUBY: Why not!

 

They laugh, bitter and horrible.

RUBY: Your whole- your insecurity around ghosts-
RUBY: Because y-you can't cope with what happened to her-
RUBY: Is what lead to Stitches being ALONE, for, YEARS-
RUBY: WEARING HER FUCKING FACE!

 

Maes stops mid-reeling back for another hit.

She doesn't move, sludgy drool spilling from Ruby's mouth as they spit a tooth out to the side.

MAES: ....
MAES: w-what?

 

Her voice comes out impossibly small.

Ruby says nothing, eyes narrowed.

MAES: It-
MAES: They-
MAES: W-why didn't-
RUBY: You're the one who left them there.
MAES: But-

 

Her lip trembles.

MAES: Y-
MAES: you could have told me-
MAES: Why didn't-

 

Her fist falls.

RUBY: ...........
RUBY: G. Get off me.

 

Maes complies, in too much shock to protest.

MAES: W-why didn't-
MAES: Anyone-
MAES: just tell me
RUBY: ....
RUBY: You're the one who puts yourself on a pedestal.
RUBY: You're the Director now.
RUBY: Maybe nobody wanted you to have any more goddamn bias.
RUBY: If you're going to start-
RUBY: -start fighting people-
RUBY: God knows we don't need two of you.
CHARON: Boss-

 

She doesn't respond, sitting limply on her knees.

The indicator lights power down.

RUBY: ...

 

Ruby turns to face the dog, their eyes tired.

RUBY: If you're going to kill me, go read some files first.
RUBY: god knows no one else does
RUBY: I'm not a fucking cultist.
RUBY: ...Maes leads things aboveground.
RUBY: I have the same job here.
RUBY: You take me out, you rob the family- and I have no issue with the rest of them.
RUBY: Understood?
CHARON: ...All you needed to say is you were the former.

 

Charon walks over to offer Maes a hand, his clanking steps slow and cautious.



She doesn't take it.


Unmoving.


Shell shocked, blank.

RUBY: ....I have to help get Stitches set up for its nap.

 

Ruby wipes their mouth, grimacing at the drool left on their hand in genuine disgust.




They open their mouth to say something else-



-and head back inside.



The dog peeks in, checking in on Mar and Stitches.



Stitches had been playing some kind of game with Mar's hands and frills, looking confused at everyone's expressions.

RUBY: ...cmon bud, let's get you in bed.
CHARON: Mar?
MAR: I can stay until it's asleep.
CHARON: ...Appreciated.

 

Ruby moves to close the door, their expression inscrutable as it shuts.

MAES: ...

 

Maes rises to her feet, still not facing Charon.

CHARON: I'm sorry.
MAES: Don't.
MAES: Just...don't.

 

She crosses her arms as she starts walking off, hugging herself and-


Sniffling, more than he had seen before.


Charon is frozen in front of the crowd, everyone still staring-


-and no proxy to save him from the awkwardness of the situation.