ohmyarceus | JANUARY - FEBRUARY TEST DRIVE MEME

[ A : NEW BARK TOWN - BACK TO LIFE ]

[ How do you respond to being dead for over a year and then breathing again? It's an impossible question with an even more impossible answer, and yet there he is, sitting on a bench while a very tiny grim reaper floating around his head- not unlike the rapidly changing thoughts in his head. And admittedly it's nice to feel something other than furious for once, but... ... Oh wait, shit, someone was talking to him. ]

I'm- I'm sorry. What did you say?

[ B : UNION CAVE - GHOST]

[ Lewis hates this. Lewis hates this, so goddamn much. He doesn't want to go in the dark cave, he doesn't want to be unable to see around him, he doesn't want to see the stalagmites or the stalactites, he doesn't want to trip over them or his own feet in the dark, he doesn't want to trip and f a l l-- He. Hates. This.]

Are you sure we have to go through there? There's got to be another way-

[Is he visibly wincing? Yes. Is he standing twenty feet away from the entrance of the cave? Also yes.]

[ C : ONE OF THE ROUTES - STRONGER ]

Easy there.

[ His voice is steady but admittedly it has a bit of an edge to it, and he doesn't look too pleased... but he still has prevented quite the tumble! With a gentleness that doesn't quite match his expression, he tugs the other traveler back up and places them on their feet. ... He.. sure is a big, buff guy, huh? ]

You okay?

[ D : CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE ]

Got an idea? Shoot your shot!

Edited 2021-01-02 09:11 (UTC)

I said I love your hair! It's all purple and fluffy like a sweet potato pie and I kinda wanna eat it.

[You know, normal things.]

[ Uh. Okay-- ]

I would prefer you didn't eat my hair, because that sounds awful on everyone's part, but. Uh. Thank you? [ Lewis, please. Just because it's been a while since you talked to a living person doesn't mean you get to forget how to socialize. It's not a question. ] I mean. Thank you. It... It kinda does this naturally to be honest. Blocks my eyes if I'm not careful.

Oh no, do you have trouble seeing? Hang on!

[She digs around in her pack for a minute. And kind of all over on her person.]

[But after a moment she rather dramatically produces a bobby pin.]

Ta-da! Here, take it! It'll help keep your hair out of your eyes, and if you need to you can pick locks with it!

[ Well- he wasn't currently, but something tells him this girl just lives on her own rhythm no matter what. ... No idea what could possibly give him that idea. But with how earnestly she holds out the bobby pin, Lewis actually can't help but laugh. It reminds him of his sisters. ]

Well, I'm fine right now, but thank you. I'll keep it just in case.

[It takes a little while for a skinny orange form to be shoved out the door and into New Bark Town as well. Arthur may have overslept even past the first few of Mom's attempts to wake him up - what, he's exhausted. But the poor woman does eventually manage to get him up and shove the awkwardly flailing man out her front door despite his protests. Those die once the door closes behind him. Clearly, no one's listening.]

- okay?

[BIG QUESTION MARKS ALL AROUND

But at least he's got a little buddy? Arthur turns to look at the little gerbil clinging to his shoulder, and offers his good hand for it to crawl into instead. He lifts his other hand to rake it through his hair, remembers, and lowers it again. It always gets caught in the joints of the prosthetic when he does that, hurts like hell...

He's maybe not as terrified as he should be. Yeah, he's woken up in a strange place with a super strange lady, but other than that things seem alright here. Nothing's trying to kill him or anything. He's free to just walk around. He can just...he can figure this out. Not a problem. Totally fine.]

Hey, little guy. [Aw...cute.] Okay, uh. I don't have any food for you, but let's - let's look around, I guess?

[He turns about, scanning the area for the van or for Vivi. He's not optimistic on the latter; one thing Vi would not be is quiet in this particular scenario. But hey, worth a shot. Maybe she got kidnapped to somewhere nearby.

(For the first time in a while, he's actually not thinking about finding Lewis at all.)]

[ Oh hell no. ... Well. On the bright side, he wasn't totally ignoring someone talking to him. But Lewis finds this even- even worse. Leave it to the powers that be to bring him back to life and then place his goddamn murderer in front of him once more. With a snarl, Lewis stands up- only for the duskull to gently rest on his shoulder, as if saying Wait. It's... not unlike one of the deadbeats, really. The one voice of protest among a chorus of encouragement- equally supporting, but in a different way. And this time, only his own anger is at risk of drowning out that little bit of conscience.

But he can't just- he can't just leave the killer be. It's not how he wants to take revenge, and if death doesn't even matter here is it worth it? At least- at least he can find out why. So with a deep breath (wow, weird) Lewis approaches... he. He's still pretty pissed. So much so that he sounds like he's growling when he speaks to get Arthur's attention. ]

You.

[There's a second - just a second - where he doesn't even recognize the voice.

Arthur startles as he turns - but then, it's only a second. He's never heard Lewis sound that pissed, but both that and the look on his face get overwhelmed by the complete shock of seeing Lewis again at all. His face goes slack, hands moving to return the Dedenne to his shoulder without any conscious input.]

Lewis?

[What - how? Is it really him? Is this where he's been the whole time? Kidnapped to Weird Monster Town? There's far too many questions racing through his head for Arthur to sort through, so he doesn't try. He just grins and lets out a slightly hysterical laugh - god maybe he can get some actual sleep now, won't that be nice - and launches himself forward to embrace his best friend, which will obviously work because clearly there's no reason that wouldn't be cool!]

Holy shit, LEWIS!

[ WOAH, HEY, NO, NOT IN THE PLAN, NOT ALLOWED. Lewis hesitates only from shock to push him away- but he does, and it's heartbreaking but its necessary. Arthur isn't who he thought he was, after all. ]

How dare you, after what you did?! What gives you the right?!

[ This isn't adding up. This is wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. But he remembers. He knows what he felt, and what he saw, and how his heart broke. The duskull calls out it's own name in a whisper, beckoning him to calm down. Be rational. You're here to learn, aren't you? So learn.

Breathing hurts, admittedly. More than it should, he knows that much- remembers, really. He's only been alive again for like, forty minutes after all. And dead longer than that. But his glare doesn't waver. ]

[Arthur stumbles backwards as he's pushed, but doesn't really resist - not that he could, have you seen how big Lewis is? But that's enough to snap him out of his own feelings, enough that he can really register the way Lewis is looking at him.]

W-what? Lewis...

[There's been times he blamed himself for losing Lewis. Of course there were. His memory of what happened in the cave is pretty jumbled, and obviously Vivi's even worse off, but he's...pretty sure they split up at some point. He might've been the last one to see Lewis, before whatever happened. He's brewed up all sorts of hypotheticals. What if Lewis saved him from something, and that's why he got away with only losing his arm? What if he tried to save Lewis, and just ended up hurt instead?

But blaming himself is one thing. Getting blamed by Lewis is another entirely. He can't remember Lewis ever being this mad at him about anything.

His Dedenne squeaks in alarm, inching forward to place her front paws on Arthur's vest as if to keep watch on Lewis better; still, Arthur himself doesn't really seem afraid yet. At least, not of Lewis himself. Despite everything, it still feels outside the realm of possibility that Lew would hurt him.]

...what happened to you? Have you been here this whole time?

Wh- NO?!

[ And now he's just baffled and offended. Did he serisouly not recognize his ghost? How many other big buff men with pompadours and an affection for pink and purple did he know?! ]

I've been DEAD! Pushing people off cliffs DOES THAT, Arthur! Why do you think I've been haunting you!?

[ He doesn't mean to get so high-pitched in his indignation. ... It does sound kind of weird, said out loud. But! It is the truth. And yet! And YET! Arthur's acting like he has no idea! And something about that stings- not nearly as much as your best friend killing you, of course, but. ... Well. He'd thought his own death would be more impactful than that. Lewis leans in, imposing and tall and fists clenched hard enough that his nails dig into his palms. Maybe it's a little unfair, but all things considered, Lewis is hardly concerned about 'fair'. With an inhale, his voice evens back out again. ]

Which is the only reason I'm still talking to you. I want to know why you did it.

Edited (small typo! fixed it. ) 2021-01-04 07:19 (UTC)

You're not DEAD!

[There's so much going on here, but that's the first thing that slips out of Arthur's mouth. He's had to say it a lot. Not to Vivi, at least - he's not sure if that would be better or worse - but a lot of other people think he's just in denial. That all the searching is just his way of running from the clear truth. He knew, though. They never found a body, so...he couldn't be dead! Right? How on earth could Lewis have died if Arthur had lived?

He cringes back as Lewis looms over him, good hand going automatically to his bad arm. His breath is starting to come fast, tears springing to his eyes. On his shoulder, his Dedenne chitters, sparks jumping from her cheeks.]

You're not - what are you talking about, you're right HERE!

This place brought me back. Something you should be grateful for!

[ And again, the duskull perches on his own shoulder with a slow whispering sound. Damn it. This- this isn't how it should be going. Where are his answers? Where is his peace? Hasn't he earned the right to know why he was killed? ]

We were exploring a cavern in the face of a cliff. It looked like a face, so Vivi got excited. She went down below. You and I went above. And then Someone pushed me off the cliff, and I saw you standing there. You did this to me. And you expect me to believe you just FORGOT?!

[ Will he plead innocence? Will he shed the mask and be honest? Lewis doesn't know. Does he want to know? He does, he doesn't, he does. And as he waits, he blinks away hot tears, his hands tremble slightly... was this even worth it? ]

I...

[Arthur stares nearly through Lewis, tears running absently down his face, as he tries to piece the fragments of his memories together. He remembers the cave. He remembers he didn't want to go. It was creepy and haunted and the middle of the night, and there was a skull and crossbones on the sign - but it had looked like a face and Vivi was excited, so. In they went.

(He remembers that, the last night they were all together, he was in a bad mood.)

He thinks he remembers splitting up. It's one of those things that's vague enough that sometimes he wonders if his brain just made it up, like a story you remember wrong, just trying to fill in the blanks. And beyond that...nothing at all. The same as every other time he's tried to remember what happened that night.

The doctors said it was trauma, like Vivi but far less severe. He'd never really questioned that; he hadn't needed to know the entirety of what went down to see that it must have been pretty fucking traumatizing. He's traumatized just by the fucking aftermath. His knuckles are white where he's clutching his left arm now, but of course he feels nothing.]

I-I don't - [but some thing you don't need to remember to know] - I would never do that. I've, I've been looking for you this whole time! They - they never found a - they never found you, so I -

[Long story short: 100% he did just forget, yes :) ]

[ Hold up. The fury vanishes, completely overtaken by a mix of surprise and confusion, and Lewis backs up a bit. They didn't- did no one know? Was everyone still holding out on some thin hope? What a heartbreaking thought. And admittedly, for the fist time in a long time, his head does feel rather... clear. ]

... They seriously didn't find anything? Something about that isn't right.

[ And in this world, he's not sure he's going to get answers to that. Should he even be searching? It's not like he can do anything about that now- what good would closure do in a world so irrelevant? (Never mind that he needs it more than anything. That's what drove him to this conversation, and it's what drove him to construct the manor.)

He gives Arthur a look, and tries to ignore the guilt over his tears. Inhales, exhales. ... When did that happen? Shouldn't he have registered that sooner? That was- he remembers what side the thumb was on against his back. ]

Your arm. That wasn't there before- I remember seeing it at the manor too. When did that happen?

[ Even when he waits and listens, he's thinking, arms half crossed while he drags a hand down his face. Being alive is exhausting. He can't stand to look at Arthur right now, and the little ghost is a bit too topical to think about. He knows he saw Arthur that night. And then- fuck. ]

What- what do you remember about that night and the color green?

[Even through his tears, Arthur makes a bit of a face: yeah, he knows something about that wasn't right. That's what he's been saying.

Lewis backing off feels like permission for Arthur to get a little space too, and he takes a few steps back as well. It feels strange, scuttling away from Lewis of all people like that. But the little hamster nuzzles his cheek, and he cups her body - reaching awkwardly across his torso so he can do it with the hand that has nerve endings - and he starts to try and compose himself. Maybe Arthur's never that composed, but he knows by now how to swallow tears.]

My - oh. [He turns the metal hand over, flexing the fingers, other hand migrating again to his bad shoulder. "That wasn't there before", yeah, his actual arm was there before, thanks.] That. It was - that night. In the cave, I-I think. I don't really remember it, but they, uh, said it looked like, uh. An animal attack. Cops think it was a bear.

[It ought to be a blessing, not really knowing, but he thinks some part of him remembers more than it lets on. He has nightmares. Sometimes - a lot of the time, actually - even Mystery scares the crap out of him.

At the question, he frowns. But it's not a confused frown; as specific and weird as it is, it does make sense to him. There was something up in that place, but Arthur's never...been too sure about the bear hypothesis. Like, maybe there was a bear at some point. His scars sure look like some sort of teeth. But bears don't just spirit Lewises off the face of the earth, right? There'd have been some sign.]

Um. It was...it was all green in there, wasn't it? It was creepy.

[he feels like he may have observed that at the time also, but no one listens to arthur on these things!]

Arthur. [ And maybe his voice is sterner than it should be. ] The arm you lost is the one you pushed me with. And you were an off color.

[ And yes, the hand was at his back, but he remembers turning around, seeing green, how did he forget- it was everywhere, even after his ghost finally surfaced- and where did that fog even come from? There'd been no water or anything of the sort, the sky above had been fine- no. No, no, panic wouldn't do good here. He keeps tapping his finger against his face where it still rests in the cross-armed shield against the world. Think. T h i n k. ]

No, the only thing I remember seeing was a bat in the entrance. There wasn't much to the cave. Something else must have happened.

[ Why'd he have to fall so fast? Why couldn't he have seen more? This isn't right! Lewis glances back at Arthur out of the corner of his eye. ]

Is that all you remember? That fog was pretty weird, don't you think?

[ Wasn't there something about- right, right, some entities, demons most commonly but not exclusively, could influence emotions. Amplify. ]

How... were you feeling before everything?

Fine?

[He says, still clutching at his shoulder, still not really looking right at Lewis. Of course he knows that's not exactly true.

It's not really a lie, either. At first, that night was pretty much normal. Sure, he didn't want to be there, but he'd have gotten over it quick, just like all their other investigations.

It's just that his "normal" was never really...great. Never has been. Back then...it was Lewis and Vivi, you know? Everyone said their names together like that, like a unit. He used to look at the two of them, so perfect for each other, and wonder why he was even there. How much longer he would be. Of course they'd leave him behind eventually. Even riding alone in the back of his own van that night had felt like some sort of sneak preview. Nothing new, nothing really special - just a little more of what he'd been thinking for a while.

But, god - god, what a shitty, petty thing to think about now.]

I was fine, I guess? Why - I - I pushed you?

[Look, you have just given him a LOT to process in a very short amount of time.]

Yes. It's why I attacked you at the abandoned manor.

[ He's still upset about that. But the duskull's been keeping an eye on him. And- well. They were paranormal investigators. He may be a bit rusty, but it's becoming increasingly clear that things aren't what he thought. ... After all. Arthur was always a terrible liar.

They normally let him say 'I'm fine' and waited for him to come forward on his own terms. Thought it was respectful, didn't want to push too much. Vivi sometimes wanted to press on, but Lewis had thought maybe their friend would want space. It was clear something was up. And sometimes they missed it, but. 'Fine' wasn't always that. Far from it. ... Some friends they were. But here he was again. Waiting.

Letting Arthur make a move he's not sure the other one will make. ]

[Arthur, meanwhile, has moved right on past his own feelings, as is his usual habit. Who even cares how he felt back then - so much has happened since, even before today. He runs a hand through his hair. It's the bad one; he winces for a second as a few hairs get caught in the joints and yanked out.

Lewis was gonna kill him in that manor. He hadn't known it was Lewis then, but he'd known that much. Seems kinda fair, now.]

I'm. I'm sorry.

[But what can you even say?]

[ He wants to back out of this conversation. He wants it more than anything, holy crap, everything feels like agony in his chest. But they can't, can they. Actions have consequences. All of them do. That's the harshest lesson that's been pounded into his brain since that night, and it won't stop reiterating itself. And yet... ]

Arthur. I need you to tell me exactly what you remember from that night, as clearly as possible. Don't skip a single detail.

[ It's a cruel thing to demand. Lewis knows it better than anyone. But if he's right... ]

U-um.

[Arthur's eyes dart back up at Lewis, but he can't seem to keep looking at him for more than a second or two now. Ironic, after how long he's wanted this. He looks at the ground instead. The Dedenne shoves her way beneath the hand that's tugging at his own hair, urging him into petting her instead.

A cruel question? Maybe. But Arthur's gone through that night a hundred times before - to the authorities, to Uncle Lance, to Lewis's parents. To himself. To Vivi, even, before he realized that wouldn't work. He knows by now how to tell it, at least. Has noted all the details that seemed to matter, condensed away the parts that didn't.]

We, um. We went out there after dark, from - from my place. You drove.

[Already a few things that had bothered him at the time: the petty old thing of feeling left out, and then that old Arthur chestnut of "why can't we just visit the spooky place in the daytime if we gotta do it". But his voice is already going flat, like a recitation, his nerves settling into the old familiar shape of guilt this story always takes.]

It wasn't that far off the road. It had a sign out front, with a skull. There was all this weird green fog in there, but...there were bats inside, too. [So, not poisonous swamp gas? It's come up.] We didn't go in very far before the path split. Vi took Mystery and went one way, and you and me went the other.

[He remembers he'd already been nervous, spooked by the bats and the frankly creepy vibes. Clinging to Lewis. Still, he'd been surprised when they split up the way they did - that the two of them didn't want to go together. But things like that got pruned out of the retelling.]

You were in front, and you had the torch. We kinda went - we went - up, a little bit. [Sorry, Lewis, this is Arthur only realizing just now how this connects to the whole cliff thing. He'd known they went up. He just...hadn't thought that part was important. Hadn't really remembered there was a cliff at the end.] Um. I-it was...really cold in there, in the tunnel, and there was a lot more fog. I - I might've been looking around, or it was too dark or foggy, but I -

[But he didn't see anything happen to Lewis, is usually how the story ends. The last he remembers of him, he was right there and perfectly fine. He didn't see what got his arm either, for whatever that's worth, but that's always been an afterthought. That's over, it's done with, it's not that important now. His hand travels idly again to his stump - his shoulder, again now, his robot shoulder.]

...Vivi. She, um, she says she, uh...she heard me screaming, but I couldn't really tell her anything when she found me. Shock, I guess? She, uh, she got me out of there. I don't really remember that part, I think I passed out pretty quick. She, um. She doesn't know any more than that.

[Lewis might be twenty feet from the cave entrance but Argo is already three feet inside, and he stops to look back at Lewis with a sort of vaguely exasperated air. The Lotad waddling along with him has continued in a straight line and is off in the dark.]

Are you telling me a big-- a strapping young man such as yourself is scared of the dark?

The dark is easy to counter. It- it's. [ a soft, shaky breath. ] It's the cave. I don't- I don't like them.

[ And that was understandable, frankly- not that his current companion would get why. But this is the most uneasy- scared, even- that he's been in a long while. Bell the Duskull nudges him gently. But even she isn't pushing him with this. ]

Well.

[He trots out of the cave, jodhpurs bouncing with his springing gate, and makes a show of looking up at the mountain, one hand shading his eyes to look further up.]

I'm not sure you're gonna be able to climb that one. I know one of my buddies probably could, but he's even bigger than you. [He grins ruefully at Lewis.] So I'm not really sure we have a choice here.

JANUARY - FEBRUARY TEST DRIVE MEME

Lewis Pepper | Mystery Skulls Animated

New Bark

Re: New Bark

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a

Re: a

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this tagback made me laugh more than it should have honestly

lol, rip

tw for discussions of death just in case anyones followin this--

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casually implements one of my personal theories

go for it

i feel like im moving a tad fast but also i don't wanna yell at arthur any more so idc

lol, do what you want it’s rp

im going to cry i love arthur so much. baby. baby boy

hes baby

BABYYYYY

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B and I'm sorry for my dumb pirate

i love him already thank u

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