[SIDESTORY] Morbit Oneshots (18+)

[skinstealer]

Sanctuary- 2021
Ringor Mortis/Comorant, Punch Clock Animal/Universal Constants (Divine Timeline)
CW: Severe abuse, implications of sexual abuse/torture, heavy injury, Spit is a creep
An alternate Charon meets an old friend.

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The god standing before Charon is as vile as ever, a wicked grin spreading across her raw flesh face. Behind her trails a chain, the other end of it unseen. 

SPIT: Long time no see, kid. You miss your daddy yet, little guy? 
SPIT: Or are you happy to be my partner now?

The dog refuses to make any sort of immediate eye contact. 

CHARON: Don't make this weirder than it needs to be.
SPIT: You're a god now, aren'tcha? 
SPIT: You're gonna have to handle more than a little weird.

She leans in, smoke getting in his eyes and nose as she blows a ring directly into his face. 

SPIT: After all, you work with me now.

He turns further away, resisting the urge to cough. 

CHARON: Don't expect me to give you the same leeway it did. 
CHARON: If you want to do business you're going to have to play nice.
SPIT: Big talk for somebody who's barely grown into their new form. 
SPIT: You don't look even half the part yet! 
SPIT: If it weren't for that family name of yours, people would think you're some kind of bougie asshole on the street! 

She snickers, poking a claw into his chest. 

SPIT: The look doesn't suit you, kid. 
SPIT: But I guess that's why your daddy Rein never liked you, huh? 
SPIT: The little fuck up heir, now on the throne at last.
CHARON: The opinions of a dead worm mean nothing to me. 

He pushes her hand away, grimacing. 

CHARON: I'm going to make this clear, if you want things to go well on your end I expect the same level of respect you gave it at minimum. 
SPIT: You think I treated it any better than this? 
SPIT: Only difference is it actually had the guts and the strength to try and shut me up.
CHARON: We all know how this sort of thing works, a young ruler is put in power and everyone proceeds to test the waters. 
CHARON: It's a game of seeing how much I'm going to let you get away with before I snap at you. 
CHARON: You and every other god in your little circle are going to put me through this until I put the line in the dirt.
SPIT: You're smarter than you look, kid. 
SPIT: The only difference is, I fully intend on making your life a living hell even after that fact, just like I do for everybody else. 
SPIT: The only special treatment you're gonna get is me riding your ass until the end of time. 
SPIT: Still... 

She taps a claw against her chin. 

SPIT: I have ways of making you help me. 
SPIT: Whole reason I came over, actually.

The dog finally makes eye contact. 

CHARON: Continue.

Spit yanks on the chain trailing behind her, a sharp yelp coming as an equally familiar cat stumbles forward. 

SPIT: You remember Maes, don't you?

The karacel is trembling slightly, looking more bruised than usual and covered in barely healed over cuts. Charon lets a pained expression slip, for only a moment. 

CHARON: You're awful, you know that?
SPIT: Oh, I'm very aware! 

She barrels on, clearly relishing the look on his face. 

SPIT: Maes' mom's great, best demon I could ask for, but she doesn't want me breaking the toy she made me in this early. 
SPIT: So...you're gonna patch her up, just like your sweet ol' parents did for Chelsea.
CHARON: What are you trying to pull here?"
SPIT: Nothing! I just want Maes here fixed up so I don't end up offing something that someone very special to me made. 
SPIT: But...if you don't work with me here, I might get a bit too angry and undo everything, just like that.
CHARON: You're going to keep me in check this way, huh?
SPIT: Are we going to have a problem with that? 

She pulls on Maes' chain a bit, getting a pained grimace out of her.

CHARON: ...Give me some time alone with her to patch her up and we'll talk after about whatever you're really here for.
SPIT: I give you a week. 
SPIT: Pretty sure you've got some of that fancy medicine kicking around, whatever ol Buck used on Chelsea to make her heal so quick. 
SPIT: You know the kind...oh, right. 

Her smirk only grows. 

SPIT: That was healing magic, wasn't it? 
SPIT: Hope you've got some of that, then, because I'm picking her up one way or the other.
CHARON: I'll do what needs to be done. 
CHARON: Where are you headed from here?
SPIT: Wouldn't yoooou like to know? 

Spit throws the chain at him, Maes nearly falling over again. 

SPIT: Just worry about my new toy.

Charon picks up the chain carefully, making sure not to tug.

CHARON: Don't have too much fun, I'll know.
SPIT: I'll make sure you do! 

She turns to head off, giving him a snarky wave on her way out. 

SPIT: Good luuuuck!

Charon wastes no time, immediately turning his attention to Maes and offering her a hand. 

CHARON: Are you okay?

She takes his hand carefully, wincing at the feeling on her injured hands. 

MAES: ...no...and I don't like you seeing me like this...
CHARON: What'd she do to you...?
MAES: It's more like what didn't she do to me... 

Maes shakes her head, having to lean on him just to stand. 

MAES: She's getting braver now that she knows what I can and can't take.
CHARON: I'm sorry... let's get you to a bed.

She nods, letting him lead. 

MAES: I'm sorry to just be a burden on you after we've been apart for so long...half a year felt like forever.
CHARON: There's nothing you could've done, Spit's... something.
MAES: You shouldn't force yourself to work with her just on my account...
CHARON: I'm just stalling as long as I need to...  

He leads them both into his room and closes the door behind him. The moment they’re sealed off, his hand starts shaking in hers. 

MAES: ...are you okay, Charon?

Charon squeezes her hand. 

CHARON: I don't really know a good way out of this. 
CHARON: I could tell her to piss off but she's only going to make things worse for everyone, and there's nobody around who could take her on.
MAES: Can't Wax do something? 
MAES: He made you a god in the first place, though I suppose that was in Rein's wishes...
CHARON: I feel like Wax wouldn't want to step in like that, plus there's nothing to Spit from taking it out on her own circles after.
MAES: If you explained the things that Spit wants you to do, though...
CHARON: I need to do more than just protect myself.
MAES: I mean...surely hearing these things would cause Wax to just, outright kill her or something, right? 
MAES: No one would tell on her before, but if you did now-
CHARON: The question is what would happen if nothing happens and word gets around. I need to prepare for that.
MAES: ...maybe when your form comes in, you'll be stronger than her. I don't know how, but...
CHARON: That scares me too, I'm afraid of what I'll end up like.
MAES: Have there been any signs of the transformation since we met? 
MAES: Any clues as to what's changing?
CHARON: Texture in places, skin is becoming more like Rein's...
MAES: You're not like it, if that's something you're worried about. 
MAES: From what you've told me, you couldn't be more different.
CHARON: Still... 

He leads her over to the bed. 

CHARON: Sit down, tell me where it hurts.

Maes takes a seat, exhaling as she sinks into the mattress. 

MAES: Mostly around my torso, but my arms got pretty messed up as well...

The dog pulls a box down from the top shelf. 

CHARON: I'll treat it as best I can. I'm not as good as well.... but I've figured out some of their magic.
MAES: You did? 

Her ears perk up a bit. 

MAES: How did you figure something like that out?

Charon can’t help but smile to himself. 

CHARON: When you're a god, now you have the time to look into these things.. I can't fix you all the way in one go though, so I'm glad Spit gave us a week.
MAES: She's going to get a hell of a surprise once she sees me fixed up, she was so confident you couldn't do it.
CHARON: What's got her so cocky?
MAES: As far as she knows, you haven't even come into any god powers yet.
CHARON: Truth be told, no idea if I do yet.
MAES: You haven't experimented at all?
CHARON: No idea where to start, wasn't best prepared for this... but I've got a few other things in my pocket.
MAES: Tell me about them while you heal me. 
MAES: I want to hear everything you've been up to.
CHARON: Made a few measures in case she tries to strike early, did some studies in the dark arts if you know what I mean. 

He opens up the box and slips on the large metal glove inside, loading a slot with a vial containing a scrap. 

CHARON: Looked into some relatives too but I'd feel bad dragging them into this.
MAES: Dark arts? 
MAES: What kind of dark are we talking about?
CHARON: Ghosts, witchcraft, you know any of that?

Maes only shakes her head. 

MAES: I never used to believe in any of that stuff before I was sent to Spit. 
MAES: I'm pretty sure that I have...some experience, but most of it is blocked out.
CHARON: There's a lot of hoaxes and fakes that I had to dig through but I've looked into some stuff that'll keep me safe.. maybe you too.
MAES: I'm listening.
CHARON: Watch this.

Charon gently grabs her hand and places it between both of his own. A finger pokes at her other arm. She jumps, fur fluffing up as best as it can with how matted it is. 

MAES: S-scary! That's you doing that?!

The extra finger pulls back. 

CHARON: Mm. Looked into a trick of sorts, people call it proxying. 
CHARON: It's... an ability that people without strong sensitivity or experience fighting use to deal with a lot of otherworldly threats. 
CHARON: You create an abstracted version of yourself.
MAES: Is it just like another you, then? 
MAES: Though I suppose the abstracted part would say otherwise...
CHARON: More like.... a projection or a puppet.
MAES: And you can make it do what you want?
CHARON: Mm... and it's pretty strong too.

Maes reaches out towards where it had poked her, fumbling to try and hold its hand. It allows it without much of a response. 

CHARON: I'm still tinkering with its abilities but I have high hopes.

She smiles, giving it a tiny squeeze. 

MAES: It's incredible. What can it do?
CHARON: For the most part it's a second person, but it has some weird interactions with scraps.
MAES: Like what?
CHARON: It can copy traits of the source of the scrap. 
CHARON: Not sure how far it goes but it's a start.
MAES: So...imitating people?
CHARON: Mm. I'm thinking if I could find a scrap from someone powerful enough I could take on Spit.
MAES: Does it have any side effects? 

Her voice drops into a concerned tone.

CHARON: What do you mean?
MAES: Well...is it pure mimicry, or is it copying? 
MAES: As in...would there be any effects on you, directly?
CHARON: As far as I can tell it's more like spoofing someone.
CHARON: A puppet more than the real thing.
MAES: That's a relief...while the fact that you've gotten this far is impressive, I do worry considering the fact that you literally referred to it as "dark arts". 
CHARON: Just a little dark humor.

She laughs a little, a hoarse but strangely cute sound. 

MAES: You're silly, Charon...I keep forgetting what that's like.

He smiles, warm and soft. 

CHARON: Gotta keep my mood up somehow right?
MAES: Well, it helps my mood too. It makes it a lot easier to get through this, and...I don't know, maybe I shouldn't say it.
CHARON: Why not?
MAES: It's just...lately I haven't been minding the things Spit puts me through as much, because she tells me that I'm going to have to come here and get fixed up by you. 
MAES: I think she means it more as a threat, considering she knows I hate being seen like this, but I've been trying to avoid showing that her jeers are more encouragement for me to keep going than anything... 

She fiddles with her free hand, still holding the proxy's with her other. 

MAES: Is that terrible? 
MAES: To be okay at all with being put through that?
CHARON: You'd go through that just to see me? 

The proxy lightly returns it with a squeeze.

MAES: I mean...I'm going to go through it as much as she wants me to...I guess I'm trying to look on the bright side and think "at least I'll get to see someone kind" afterwards...
CHARON: Hopefully if I could get her to back off I could get you out of this situation too....
MAES: Even if you can't...I'll do what I can to make it through this, okay? 
MAES: So don't be hard on yourself over it, please...
CHARON: I'll try not to, just promise me you'll come back the next time?
MAES: I promise.
CHARON: Then I'll try not to blame myself as much... 
CHARON: I should start working on you as a side note, anywhere you'd like me to start?
MAES: Around my ribs is where it hurts the most.
CHARON: Point to where it's worst.

She points to right above her abdomen, wincing as her hand grazes the area. 

MAES: She left some nasty cuts there...
CHARON: Brace yourself, I'll try to be as gentle as possible.

Maes nods and grits her teeth, steeling her nerves. Charon presses down with the glove, a strong tingling pulsing through. She tries not to react too strongly, still gripping his proxy's hand.

The proxy places another hand on hers, seemingly making an attempt to comfort her. The sensation starts to lighten up slightly after a bit of time. She exhales, trying to relax. 

MAES: It feels a bit better now.
CHARON: A couple more days of that and you should be good... 

He pulls his hands away.

MAES: Thank you…

She reaches forward and manages to get him in a light hug, not pressing down too hard with her injuries. He returns it just as carefully. 

CHARON: It's no big deal, anything for a good friend.
MAES: Will we be eating together later?
CHARON: Mmhm! Wherever you want, I'm just happy to have you here again...
MAES: Just here for tonight...I want to stay in and rest.
CHARON: We should have plenty around here, I don't mind either.

MAES: And...can we listen to the radio together again? 
MAES: I haven't had the chance since I've been here last.
CHARON: Of course! 
CHARON: I mean, if you really want to I can set that up as soon as we grab something to eat.
MAES: That would be nice... 

Maes rests her head against his shoulder, not even realizing it. Charon can't avoid blushing, red all over.

CHARON: A whole week together... if we get you healed up early we could adventure around the city a little.
MAES: Oh, like to the park you've mentioned?
CHARON: Mmhmm! If you're up for that later of course.
MAES: I'd like that....now I just want to heal up as soon as possible, so we can spend as much of this week relaxing as we can.
CHARON: I'll see if I can juice out another session tonight, sounds good?
MAES: Perfect. I feel a bit better already, just being here with you.
CHARON: Same... I'm going to figure out the Spit situation one way or another if it means more time for us.
MAES: Just...don't get yourself hurt, okay?
CHARON: Course, couldn't stand to make you sad like that.
MAES: Thank you...could we stay like this just a little while longer?
CHARON: Stay like what?
MAES: Just...holding each other. 

She can't help but blush a bit, matching his expression. 

MAES: It's nice to feel kind touch again after so long.
CHARON: Yeah! Yeah, as long as you need to. 
CHARON: I miss this too.

She closes her eyes and gets close and comfortable, exhaling contently. 

MAES: Let's make this week count.

He leans back against her, the most relaxed he's been in months. 

CHARON: No matter what happens, we're going to make some good out of the time we got.