[PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS

[skinstealer]

Completely frozen.

He can hear the crowd whisper-



No one's sure what to make of it.




A fight between the Boss and Ruby-




Had it been the first time?





Or was this-

SYNNA: Alright, break it up, break it up, I know none of you people have your good clothes on-

 

The pockitt's familiar voice startles him at first, only for immense relief to flood in.


Synna pushes through the crowd, shooing all of the residents back.

SYNNA: At least TRY to look nice-

 

The dog turns to look over, watching the rabbit grumble and stretch.

CHARON: Synna?
SYNNA: Hhhhey, heard there was a fi-

 

Her eyes widen as she looks down at the slime on the floor, and back up to his expression.

SYNNA: Dude, you better not have hit someone.
CHARON: ...The boss did.
CHARON: Bit of a long story.
 

Synna's eyes get wider.

SYNNA: Maes did?
SYNNA: Shit...

 

Synna rubs the back of her head, letting out a long, strained exhale.

SYNNA: Please don't tell me it was Ruby.
CHARON: It...was partially my fault for escalating things...
SYNNA: ...how badly did you escalate it, exactly?
SYNNA: Because-

 

She shakes her head.

SYNNA: You know what- don't worry about it.
SYNNA: Ever since Stitches got brought home few weeks back they've been in a fucking mood.
CHARON: Mm... I think she's mad at me.
SYNNA: ...who, Maes?
CHARON: Yeah.
CHARON: She didn't want to talk after that.
SYNNA: ....

 

Synna scrunches up her snout, thinking things over.

SYNNA: What did...Ruby say?
CHARON: .... Ruby had their usual foot in mouth while handling Stitches and the Boss dragged them outside.
CHARON: I put it blunt as possible, told them to their face they talk like a cult scientist and to knock it off- and-
CHARON: Immediately it steered right into Ruby bringing up family history and, well...

 

He scratches the back of his head.

CHARON: The Boss threw hands.
SYNNA: ...fucking hell.
SYNNA: Okay, well- first off, don't fuckin' do that.
SYNNA: Family business.
SYNNA: We've got a rule against fighting period, but outsider input ain't helpful when it does happen.
SYNNA: Second, it's...not likely you that's pissing Maes off.
SYNNA: probably
SYNNA: Ruby and Maes go a long way back, and Ruby's a dumbass about it.

 

She jiggles her organic foot in irritation, grumbling to herself.

SYNNA: ...they're not a Devil's Advocacy survivor.
SYNNA: Got scooped up early by a different group in the same hell pit- Anya had a couple of lines going.
SYNNA: Devil's Advocacy was the main program we see with the residents, you had the "interns" track focusing on creating second in commands to the eventual DA success-
SYNNA: -and-
SYNNA: ....

 

Crossing her arms, trying to figure out how to phrase it.

SYNNA: ...the research department.
SYNNA: Rejects, but too smart to cull.
CHARON: ...They learned to talk like that from there.
SYNNA: Unfortunately for us all.
 

....


At this point, he'd picked up on enough about the kind of treatment they residents had gotten.
Severe physical "testing", horror exposure, made to fight and eat each other-



He had seen the DA specimen cells.






...what had Ruby gone through in their own?

CHARON: That...makes sense...
SYNNA: And it makes them an enormous prick.
SYNNA: I don't blame Maes for fucking decking them.
SYNNA: ...but we're gonna have to talk later.
SYNNA: And- as for, uh.
SYNNA: Her being mad at you.
SYNNA: ....you love her, right?
SYNNA: Like, legit love her.

 

Laughter echoes just behind Charon, a group passing by- to the party, no doubt.

Among them a older canine lingers a little too long, trading glances before redirecting his attention back to the crowd.

CHARON: Mm.. put my best foot forward every day for her.
SYNNA: And you want this to work, right?
SYNNA: Like, long term-

 

She notices the crowd passing, giving a wave before they could disappear.

SYNNA: We'll be there in a sec, doc!
SYNNA: ...fucking pizza party.

 

There's a little gesture back, somewhere between a salute and a wave.

Charon nods.

CHARON: More than anything, I've never felt this close to someone before..
SYNNA: Then you can make it work, alright?
SYNNA: I'm dogshit at this kinda thing, never had anything go on in person myself.
SYNNA: You go over right now, she's gonna lash out.
SYNNA: Whatever happened with Ruby is a family matter and if there's one thing I know about her, that shit makes her impulsive as hell.


 

[id: a pool of black sludge on the ground, staining the concrete. the edge of charon's cloak is pulled just barely away from it, not wanting to dip into the pool.]

 

Synna glances down at the splatter of slime hacked up by Ruby on the ground.

SYNNA: ....as seen by her punching their face in.
CHARON: That last part was admittedly a little cathartic but... I'll trust your word on this.
CHARON: Wait til end of shift?
SYNNA: Yeah. I doubt she'll want to go home alone after that.
SYNNA: ...just something in the way she looks at you.
CHARON: Feel so lucky to have this...
CHARON: I-

 

Kettle pops right into his arms, assuming a natural bridal carry as the dog startles.

She gives Synna a little wave, only for the pockitt to walk over for a high five.

SYNNA: ...hey there, Kettle.
SYNNA: Stitches snoozing okay?

 

She pulls out her tablet. 

KETTLE: [Yes.]
KETTLE: [Bedtime.]
SYNNA: I'm guessing Mar took a break after that? 
KETTLE: [Yes.]
KETTLE: [Asleep.]
SYNNA: Looks like you get to be designated pizza-haver.
KETTLE: [Pasta.]
KETTLE: [Pasta.]
KETTLE: [Pasta.]
CHARON: Is.. pizza not a word on there or-
KETTLE: [Pasta.]
CHARON: Alright...
SYNNA: Pizza's not exactly common down here- you ever had Precipice pizza?
SYNNA: Hear they don't do it on big ol' flatbreads out west.
CHARON: Mm, surprising how many styles there are.
CHARON: Had plenty of them in Hearth while working gigs there, out in Plaza they got a spot run by a witch where the toppings tell your fortune.
SYNNA: No kidding.

 

She gestures for him to follow.

SYNNA: Nah, we sprung for the good shit today.
SYNNA: Meat lover's ultra supreme.
SYNNA: ...which is not a thing on the menu.
SYNNA: We paid extra.
CHARON: Won't say no to a slice of that..

 

The dog keeps closely behind, discreetly fending off Kettle nipping at his neck and likely attempting to give him a hickey.

CHARON: Anything I should know about the guy going in?
SYNNA: Doc Ionic is great.
SYNNA: Been working with us since the start of the program- reached out to him through a guild similar to yours, actually.
CHARON: Really?
CHARON: A knight's guild or...
SYNNA: Something like that?
SYNNA: God, was ages ago.
CHARON: Makes me wish I got to know him a bit more...
SYNNA: May as well now, right?
SYNNA: He's been wanting to say hi to everybody's new favorite staff member.
CHARON: I wouldn't say that...
SYNNA: No, seriously.
SYNNA: Nobody shuts up about anything around here.
SYNNA: Guy hears all the stories, sounds totally charmed.
SYNNA: You may be on preventative wrestling duty, but he's been looking forward to all this.

 

The crowd finally filters into one of the bigger gathering rooms, ceilings and entrances big enough even for Smith and Rosetta to get in.

CHARON: You guys really are like a big family, huh?

 

Charon lowers Kettle enough to free herself, the proxy still choosing to cling onto his arm affectionately.

CHARON: ...We'll keep this fun.
SYNNA: For better or for worse, am I right?