[PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS

[skinstealer]

[image description: Ginger, a orange maybecat holding a assistance tablet close to her chest with a mischievous smile on her face. A side cut shows a close up of icons on the screen's display.]

CHARON: The ghosts?
ROSETTA: Yes.
ROSETTA: The fucking ghosts she insists aren't real.
RUBY: AHA
ROSETTA: Can it, Ruby.
ROSETTA: Adults are talking.
CHARON: If I can speak in her defense, I have yet to come into contact with anything of such nature directly.
CHARON: If I had there'd be tells.
GINGER: What do you mean?

 

Ginger tilts her head, hitting two pre-made phrases.

GINGER: Can you explain it for me?
CHARON: I've got a natural sense for them, fiendish heritage and a long history of working under a local witchy family.
CHARON: When it's set off there's a number of visible effects at play.
CHARON: If there are true ghosts in this lab, I've been somehow been away from the action everytime.
ROSETTA: That's not impossible, though.
ROSETTA: We live here.

 

Rosetta's ear twitches.

ROSETTA: You come down, what, full time?
ROSETTA: How many hours is that?
CHARON: Forty, give or take.
CHARON: Forty a week.
ROSETTA: There.
ROSETTA: Forty hours.
ROSETTA: I get 24/7.
ROSETTA: So does everybody else here.
ROSETTA: My issue is why those requests- which we have been submitting!- keep getting bounced.
CHARON: Well you're here with me directly so share some details.
ROSETTA: ...any objections, Maes?

 

Maes's jaw clenches.

ROSETTA: ...good.
ROSETTA: Ginger can go first, she's not a direct witness, but she's got some recordings on her tablet.

 

Ruby's eyes widen.

RUBY: When did she get ghost data?!

 

The tabby karacel smirks, clearly not giving up the secret.

CHARON: Could you please share?
CHARON: It'd help quite a bit...

 

She nods, pulling out a section for custom recordings.

She raises a finger and gestures for folks to come closer, before tapping.

Some kind of strange metal clattering, echoing down a hall. Indistinguishable at first, but-

Maes and Smith have to try not to visibly react, the latter inconspicuously hiding a snicker.

CHARON: ...That one's on me it would seem, not a ghost but-
ROSETTA: ...then what?
MAES: M-maybe it's his prosthetics-

 

Maes is sweating bullets.

CHARON: Maybe it's death itself.

 

The shy, yet-to-speak karacel makes a sharp gasp.

MAES: JUDGMENT-

 

Maes turns even paler, Ginger unable to keep from laughing as she hits the next recording.

The sound of rattling bones, far too complex to be a simple shuffling around. Ruby clasps their hands together.

RUBY: Oh, that is interesting!
CHARON: Death... itself.

 

The dog plays up the Dracula pose a bit.

ROSETTA: ...be serious.

 

Rosetta huffs.

MAES: Look, just-

 

Ginger shushes Maes, backtracking to her main menu and getting Charon's attention.

GINGER: That was very funny.

 

A genuine smile at that, followed by another set of presses.

GINGER: But remember.
GINGER: Be honest.
GINGER: My family is scared.
CHARON: Mm, I have but... before I proceed is there anything left of note?

 

She nods, navigating back.

The next one-

-is a manic giggle, Rosetta looking particularly disquieted.

ROSETTA: I've heard that one.
ROSETTA: It...doesn't come from any of the residents.
ROSETTA: No one's there.
ROSETTA: And only some people hear it- but Ginger recorded the last time we were in the same room together when I did.
CHARON: Where were you two at the time?
ROSETTA: The cafeteria.

 

There's a telltale clunk of a can being dispensed in the recording.

ROSETTA: ...and it always does that.
ROSETTA: Are you telling me that there isn't something paranormal about something undetected getting a soda?
CHARON: Mm... well the good news is that isn't a ghost.

 

With a little shimmy through his cloak and a punting motion, the same can now emptied rolled onto the floor.... followed by a tumbleweed made of candy wrappers.

????: A-

 

The jingle-bell adorned karacel shrieks, looking like he might faint.

Rosetta leans over to investigate, brushing her tail against it in an almost sniff-like gesture

ROSETTA: Kept on your person?
ROSETTA: Why?
ROSETTA: ...this better not be a trick.
CHARON: Because it seems my friend couldn't handle her sugar cravings.
ROSETTA: Your friend.
ROSETTA: Your invisible friend.
ROSETTA: Scaring the shit out of the whole floor.
MAES: Rosetta, it's not what-
ROSETTA: You wouldn't let us investigate this to cover his ass!
CHARON: Friends first of all, multiple.
CHARON: Second, they're harmless unless you've a king or a zealot.
CHARON: And third, the Boss only knows of one of them.
CHARON: The one that I require for this job and has been crucial to lowering the number of casualties in the renovation process.
SMITH: ...Mar, right?

 

Rosetta whips around to face Smith.

ROSETTA: You knew this was happening?!
SMITH: Mar's nice.
SMITH: And I don't go telling people *your* business.
ROSETTA: That's ridiculous! You're the one being unreasonable!
SMITH: And you're being a huge bitch.

 

Rosetta's short fur is entirely on end, Smith just raising his brows.

The furthest karacel sniffles, almost inaudible against the warning growls.

CHARON: If it would help at all, I could introduce folks proper to her.

 

A little bow.

CHARON: Only seems fair at this point.