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ohmyarceus2021-01-01 02:02 pm
indigo_events) wrote in ohmyarceus2021-01-01 02:02 pm
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no subject
[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 :) ]
casually implements one of my personal theories
... 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?
go for it
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!]
i feel like im moving a tad fast but also i don't wanna yell at arthur any more so idc
[ 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?
lol, do what you want it’s rp
[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.]
im going to cry i love arthur so much. baby. baby boy
[ 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. ]
hes baby
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?]
BABYYYYY
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... ]
no subject
[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.