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mysteryhunterarthur: 

Arthur chuckled at first from the fur of Tai’s tail tickling his remaining human arm before shifting his full attention on to the photo, Galahad giving each of the pack members a good sniff so he would be able to memorize their faces in his own ham ham way. It might’ve seemed silly, but he was a pretty good judge of character when he put his mind to it.

The fuzzy rodent was nice and calm until he got to the person that was bad news, shrinking back with a spooked squeak, his owner having to reach up a hand to pet him so he would stop rolling around in circles. Not that the shorter double blamed him, using his other hand to rub the young werewolf’s back, still very much holding her and I-Arthur close despite the slightly awkward position.

Uncle Lance shook his head, going to fetch a blanket so the three of them wouldn’t get cold. It was a shame when a family unit had inner turmoil, knowing all too well what it was like. “I’m sorry that had ta happen ta  ya, but at least ya have plenty o’ other people who love ya.”

Arthur nodded in agreement, continuing to soothe the worked up hamster as he looked around for a picture of his own friends. He had to have a framed one somewhere. He would probably have a easier time finding if he got up, but he wasn’t ready to leave the cuddle pile just yet.

“Ahh... it’s not as simple as doin’ somethin’ wrong...” Tai says, shifting slightly in the cuddle pile. “Tah be h’nest, he did think he was he’ping at tha time.”

“His perspective is... a bit different.” Arthur says awkwardly petting Tai again as she lets out a small mumble.

“There’s a reason Werewolves stick’n packs...”

“Yeah... and Rolf already had a bit of a rocky start...” The laugh Arthur lets out is somewhat awkward. “He wasn’t originally from Tai’s pack... as I understand it... and his previous pack, they were well... less strict...”

“But they all... just... kind of disappeared one day, leaving Rolf alone and...”

“A lone werewolf isn’t a good werewolf” Tai says, shifting herself again, her tail beginning to wave slightly. More of a kind of nervous wave than a happy gleeful wag as it had been earlier. “I wa’ close to bein’ alone, bu’ I had Roo’ an’ the Skulls! An’ then tha Lupines found meh!” She splays her paw like hands before rubbing herself slightly against Arthur’s chest to only a small grumble in response.

“Wolves are... social animals, and werewolves are no different... Potentially worse because we all need, people around” Arthur chews his lip slightly. “And loneliness drives... well... not anything good...” he trails off for a moment, not quite able to explain. “And then he was found... By Toby as I understand it... and brought into the Pack...”

“So we come full circle... and... well...” he pauses. “He did kind of think he was helping at the time... just... not following the rules, and well...” he shrugs. 

“It’s a sore spot beca’se we all kinda blame ourselves!” Tai says, lifting her head. “He jus’ needed more... I dunno, care acceptance, gentle hands... He was still carry’ng scars...” and now that he was technically a pack exile he was on his own again. And Tai understood why, because those who couldn’t follow the rules typically did get cast out for safety reasons but...

They could have at least cast him into a therapist’s office or something. She can only imagine that he’d have gotten worse left on his own. Instincts demanding that he find some sort of company, and of course, the hunting instincts. He could just be more wolf than human for all she knows.

A lone wolf, is not a happy or healthy wolf. They’re raging, lonely and in pain. 

Wizards, Werewolves, and Cultists

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mysteryhunterarthur:

Hearing the whine, Arthur couldn’t help but shift again, gently pulling Tai into the group hug while Galahad hopped over to nuzzle her cheek next, chattering to the werewolf in a comforting tone. The shorter blond understood how she felt, even without his empathy powers coming into play. 

His own team still had their issues, although they tried to come together like old times and succeeded for half of them. Lewis’ condition hadn’t been improving as much as he and Vivi wanted it to, looking at the ground sadly. 

Sure, his good days were more frequent now, but there was always the fear of the petal phantom slipping away at any given moment. If only there was a way to make the memory magic even stronger. If there was one, they hadn’t discovered it yet. With all the hours of research they put in when they weren’t busy doing their other jobs, Arthur thought they would’ve found something by now. Maybe they weren’t looking hard enough.

Letting out a sigh, he glanced back up at the two of them with a small smile on his face, uncle Lance having moved closer to show his own support as well. They all needed this, whatever other matters they had to attend to could wait.

“That sounds like a good idea. They must be special to you, since aren’t werewolves raised in a pack?” Arthur asked, trying to lighten the mood a bit. 

Being pulled into the cuddle pile is a comfort that the young werewolf wasn’t fully expecting. But she quickly takes advantage of it, snuggling down into the pile while her Arthur wriggles himself slightly around to curl his arm around her just that bit more, and let her get her head where she wants to settle it.

Near his chest, just beside the hoshi-no-tama where it’s hidden under his shirt really. She can hear his heartbeat in this position, and also, she can feel the small pulses of energy from the glowing ball where it’s hidden. Both are comforting in their own ways. One slightly more than the other... but that’s instincts. Her tail resumes waving. Quite possibly tickling the other Arthur a little bit where it swishes over his arm, even as she reaches with a hand into her hoodie’s pockets having been given permission.

“Yah... Weh live in a pack...” she says, finding the photo, and squirming herself around with a small giggleat Galaham’s cheek nuzzling. “T’is mine! W’re call’d the Lupine Crew... or Lupines...”

“All t’gehter there’re sixteen o’ us!” she says proudly displaying the picture. “Yah can see meh th’re in the middle... And, that’s Darcy beside meh! She’s th’re in the pur'le... Behind me is Steven, those two are the Carthy twins... Jack’s much like Talula... eager to share the love wit’ all! Tomas, not s’ much, kinda like me... In front o’ them is Dylan... always gleeful... an’ his brother is there to, Carl, he migh’ look a bit unimpressed, wit’ Toby an’ his affection...” she stops for a breath, before pointing to the three in blue. “The’re the Blakes. Cody sittin’ up on his Mom’s head, and Kayla there in front... an’ their Mom, Mrs. Rachel is real’y cool. Al’ough she don’t think much of the antics o’ the resta us! An’ tha’s Ralphie there... Mia and Sophia... they’re the other two ‘n blue... and behind them glaring is th’ other Cody...”

She trails off her tail slowing down as she considers the last person in the picture. Eventually her ears lower and her tail fully stops. I-Arthur shifts, and he takes over, voice trembling as he speaks...

“The final member of the pack... off to the side is Rolf Winters...” he says, before swallowing. “He is... a bit of a sore spot...” 

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mysteryhunterarthur:

Taking his twin’s leaning into him as an invitation to further the contact, the shorter of the two adjusts himself slightly so the one armed hug morphs into a full embrace, Galahad chittering while moving up to I-Arthur’s shoulder and nuzzling his cheek, wiggling his tail in response.

The fluffy little hamster was happy to see his owner trust himself enough to give his counterpart such attention, uncle Lance feeling the same way as he continued to learn about the world where his nephew’s double had come from.

As much of a cuddler as he was, it wasn’t always easy for the mechanic to allow himself to envelope another person in his arms due to how his empathy worked. 

He was afraid of the negative consequences it brought when he felt something someone wasn’t ready to share, felt defensive over, or just flat out found it strange that he knew so much about them just by touch alone, a few of his so called friends leaving him for that exact reason in the past.

But he tried not to think about that now, rubbing I-Arthur’s back with gentle fingers, the frown on his face returning.

“Well, it is a heavy responsibility. And it’s easy to lose sight of what we can do as a person if we spend all our time putting someone else on a pedestal but… Idolizing them and being inspired to do our best because of them, that’s the most important thing.”   

When his twin goes from the awkward sibling hold into a fuller hug, there is a moment of worry for Tai and Galaham... But only a moment before Galaham’s small squeaks and the fluffy tickling of the hamster’s fur against his cheek reassures him that the hamster is fine. 

As it is, he lets out a small hum, curling himself slightly into his smaller counterparts hold. Beside him Tai lets out a small huff and he can feel her trying to wriggle herself into the cuddle pile just a little bit, before she eventually gives up, and just snuggles into his side, putting her free arm where it can technically be classed as a cuddle joiner. Werewolves...

As it is, Tai is muttering slightly to herself.

Finally she actually speaks, shaking her head slightly.

“ ‘s not like tha’... ‘s more we’re not really a te’m... We’re tog’ther sure... bu’...” she curls a little bit more into I-Arthur’s side. “Talula’s the one who keeps us tog’ther... Sure weh all call ourselves the Mys’ery Ir’d’s Inc... bu’ ‘s more as a whole...” She pauses, lowering her head slightly “Not really mu’ o’ a te’m really...” it’s why Taluala is the closest thing they have to a leader, all of them know Talula, all of them can follow them.

I-Arthur lets out a nervous kind of chuckle, shifting himself around just enough that he’s able to rub Tai’s head.

“You’ll get there...” he says softly, almost a mere breath, so he repeats himself “You’ll get there... after all, you all are working together already... and you do treat each other as a team... even if the roles aren’t yet defined and you all feel disconnected... you all work with each other at least...” his smile feels awkward and forced, but he has to offer her some reassurance.

“Ah guess... Bu’ ‘s still not good... Talula is tha one t’ing weh all have in common... an’ tha’s it... Meg’s always angry... Matt an’ Mitch jus’ wanna play games most times... Gina’s always practicing an’... wha’s even the point?”

“Maybe... you could talk about your pack instead...” I-Arthur offers, as Tai’s ears and tail drop down, and she lets out a small whine. 

Wizards, Werewolves, and Cultists

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[asktheiridis]

mysteryhunterarthur:

Seeing his twin’s reaction, Arthur immediately regretted his decision, trying to figure out how to hug him without startling him further. He didn’t want to squish Galahad either, the loveable rodent looking up at him with a soft squeak, nestling up against I-Arthur to reassure him that everything was okay.

The shorter blond stared at his artificial hand, a frown appearing on his face as memories of how he had lost the original ringing through his own mind.

Not once, but twice… You failed to protect Lewis the first time. Everything is your fault. If you had only put up your shield, or tried harder to grab his hand… And now, the second time sure, you stopped his anchor from shattering. But it’s not getting any better. No matter what you do, you only hurt people. Why bother?

The mechanic bit his lip, shaking his head as he inched closer to his counterpart, gradually wrapping his right arm around his shoulders resembling something akin to affection between siblings as uncle Lance looked on with approval, even though they were reflections of each other. 

Satisfied with quelling the negative thoughts before they became too great, Arthur’s mouth twitched upwards back into a smile, nodding while listening to Tai’s story.

“Having mentors and idols alike is never a bad thing. Is Talula your leader? Or do you kind of share that role amongst yourselves?”

I-Arthur was focusing on his breathing, keeping his eyes closed so that he really didn’t have to look and see how worried everyone was about him. There he goes again, making everyone worry for no reason. He keeps his hands mostly still on Galy, still having a worry that if he removed them, even for a moment the hamster would just disappear.

Tai is almost awkwardly warm pressed into his side, and he can feel her ears twitching, they keep shifting his shirt just slightly, it almost tickles really. As his counterpart adds an awkward sibling shoulder hug to the comfort he finally blinks his eyes back open.

Nervously reorientating himself, yes this was the workshop and... Uncle Lance looked pretty proud, I-Arthur doesn’t quite know what of, but that means nothing is going really wrong... nothing is... he leans a little bit onto his counterpart, acutely aware of where Galaham and Tai are, so as not to startle either of them.

Everyone is still here, they are all fine. No one is disappearinggone. It’s all okay.

“Well... Ah wou’dant say tha’...” Tai frowns, her ears twitching while her tail slowly begins to wave again seeing that her Arthur is calming down, coming back to them from his panic. “Non of us are really leaders... Talula kinda is... but isn’t...” she scratches behind one ear absently. “If anyt’ing the’re the closest tho...” 

She pauses awkwardly, her ears drooping down slightly while her tail curls around her and she sighs.

“The’re the one t’ing weh all have in common...”

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mysteryhunterarthur:

“Still…” The blond’s twin nearly whispered back, pulling his mechanical hand away before things got too awkward. If it wasn’t an issue for his alternate, he wouldn’t push the subject any further. He just felt bad because I-Arthur seemed easily spooked, while he was more of the type to lament.

It was most likely due to all the grief and guilt he was hanging on to even after all this time. He tried to stay positive, although it wasn’t always that simple. But, he did it for those around him and a tiny bit for himself. If only to escape from it every now and then.

His expression brightened while he listened to Tai speak, Galahad wiggling restlessly in search for more pets to which he was all too happy to oblige, smiling as the ham ham leaned into the palm of his right hand.

“Well, Tai is a pretty name. As for the title, it’s uh… Interesting to say the least. So, are you affiliated with the Mystery Skulls in your timelime?”    

It wasn’t intentional on his twins part, it really wasn’t, but I-Arthur couldn’t help his reaction. For one moment, when his counterpart pulled his hand back and away from him he panics. He doesn’t know where it comes from, but he expects his counterpart to suddenly disappear or dissolve or something... A keening whine breaks from him, and he twitches, abortively reaching towards his counterpart as though he’s scared that touching him will make him disappear, and it’s not just his mind pulling up ridiculous things.

He doesn’t realize that he’s hyperventilating until Tai is suddenly pressed right into his side. Not speaking to him, but still speaking, words that he can’t even here, in all the no no, he’s disappearing like Lewis... please come back... come back... on repeat in his head.

He curls just slightly, before remembering Galaham’s presence, and... he almost instinctively seeks the hamster out. Using both his arms he sort of flails until he finds the hamster, and just... breathes. Galy’s here... everything will be alright... Galy’s never left him... never let him down... Galy’s...

He closes his eyes, and just keeps his hands gently on Galaham... no need to open them and see the worry.

“Yah!” Tai grins at the other Arthur’s response to her statement, her tail wagging all to fast behind her. The wagging stops abruptly as she senses her Arthur’s distress though, and as he begins to breath quicker and quicker she just shifts, leaning her weight against him, giving him a grounding presence. 

She knows it will still take him time to work himself back down, but still.

“Weh aff’led! The Skulls are our... mentors?” she pauses for a moment, as though not entirely sure whether that is the correct term. “Maybe idols? Bu’ Ah mean, Arthur’s his te’m’s damsel... so ah am ours! An’ ‘sall good, b’cause weh kept outa troible by them... mostly... bu’ Talula doesn’t like tha’, she goes an’ finds stuff fer us to do anyway!” 

Wizards, Werewolves, and Cultists

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mysteryhunterarthur:

At this point, Galahad had rolled himself back between the two Arthurs with a quiet chitter, snuggling up against them both while the shorter mechanic sighed, placing his metallic hand over his alternate’s.

“I’m sorry… For making you relive those memories, or what you can remember at least.” Arthur began, surprising even himself for using his left hand. Usually, it was his right but for this situation, the opposite seemed more fitting. 

“But, it would be nice to hear about the world where you came from. And, we could get to know the name of your young friend here.” He continued, feeling a little awkward for not asking sooner.

Uncle Lance smiled slightly, nodding in agreement as he settled back down in his chair, arranging the candy into a bowl for easier access. “Best ta leave those dark times behind ya for now.”  

I-Arthur can’t exactly help the small jolt that goes through him when his counterpart places his metallic limb over his own. He sucks in a breath, and can’t help but have his eyes glance up to see his counterpart’s expression. There is just... something incredibly fragile with that. It’s a gesture that he knows means a lot to himself personally whenever he does it, so for his counterpart to...

Another breath.

“It... it’s nothing to worry about...” he says almost too softly. “I can’t remember it, I only know what I’ve been told, there’s not enough there for it to...” To really affect him as badly as it might affect his counterpart. Although he just shrugs, deciding to leave it. He shakes his head, grinning as Tai really perks up. Ready to talk.

There are a few obvious differences straight off after all.

“Ah’m Tai!” She says first off. “An’ Ah am the damsel of my te’m!”

“Tai...” he wants to groan. Did she really have to start off with that? Did she have to introduce herself like that.

“Wha’?” she looks at him with a tilted head and blink as though she doesn’t understand. But he can see that small glimmer in her eyes. She knows exactly how it sounds. “Ah am! The damsel wolf!” she laughs a little bit at her own statement before standing up and puffing herself up. “Member o’ the Mys’ery Ir’d’s Inc!”

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mysteryhunterarthur:

The shorter blond nodded again, pausing as he thought over everything that had happened so far. He could see why his alternate would think that, the idea of Vivi solving everything with a bat making him chuckle lightly to himself. 

His own version of the bluenette wasn’t quite as violent as all that, but she wasn’t a push over either. A few well placed spells usually sent evil doers and never do wells running for the hills after all.

The pained look in his eyes returned as he hesitated before saying anything more about the subject, the continuous snuggling from Galahad keeping him calm as the words finally formed themselves.

“Seb is what the cave spirit calls himself in my timeline. Why? Have you met someone that goes by that name too?” Arthur asked, supposing it wouldn’t be too far fetched. 

For all he knew, Seb’s full name could be a common theme across universes, although he hadn’t met enough counterparts to really put that theory to the test.

Uncle Lance walked back over to the table, wondering what had gotten into their other guest before turning to the two younger mechanics with a concerned look on his face.

“Ya know, ya don’t have ta keep talkin’ ‘bout it if it’s too painful.”  

So it was Sab(well, Seb)! Tai’s tail flicks to the other side while I-Arthur gives a small minute flinch. Just a subtle flinch. Before he awkwardly shifts. Tai gives him a quick look, her nose twitching before she huffs. Moving herself closer to him, where her head is in the perfect spot for his hand to just drop down and absently begin to pet her head. 

“Uh not exactly...” I-Arthur says, not quite sure how to respond. After all, he doesn’t actually know the name of the spirit, he doesn’t really remember much from any of that. “It just... it just seemed familiar...” like an echo of something that he might have heard once before. Or like something that he might have dreamt about.

Green, cave, spirit.

He shakes his head. Before letting out a breath at Lance’s assurance that they don’t need to keep on that subject. So he searches, desperately for any other subject that he could switch to. Anything as long as it wasn’t-

“Hey! Ya wanna hear ‘bout my te’m?” Tai pipes up, offering an alternate, her tail waving. “Weh c’n share stories ‘bout friends!” 

Wizards, Werewolves, and Cultists

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mysteryhunterarthur:

“I guess, it seems that way, but… Lewis’ anchor and Vivi’s scarf are tied to it as well. They wanted to protect me, like they always have. But, keeping Seb sealed away is my responsibility. I’m doing it for their safety, and everyone else’s. It’s better this way.” The shorter blond let out a shaky sigh, finding comfort in the attention from the ham ham who had plopped himself back into his lap by this point.

Idle warm fingers ran themselves over Galahad’s fur while Uncle Lance took care of the empty plates, looking back at the two Arthurs with a frown. 

His heart went out to them, differences or not, he still thought of I-Arthur as his own son. Alternate timelines and universes didn’t matter much to him, Arthur was Arthur. His dear nephew… He would give anything to see the both of them happy.

Arthur took to munching on some candy from his own personal stash like he always did when he got upset like this, offering some to the young werewolf as he nodded in acknowledgement to what she had said.

“Whenever I feel lost, it reminds me of who I am. It gives me courage, both the paper star and the one beside it.” He replied, pointing to the other star on his vest. It wasn’t as worn or old as its paper twin, but he still cherished it nonetheless. It had been an upgrade, an alternative so his childhood treasure wouldn’t rip on missions. They knew how much he loved westerns, how he longed to be a hero. 

Taking the cave spirit onto himself had been an act of valor, and yet it still wasn’t enough. He wanted to prove to himself that there was something only he could do, and not be afraid. Something brave… With a spirit that couldn’t be crushed so easily.

Arthur desired this with every fiber of his being, what could he do that others could not? He sincerely wanted to know…     

“It’s still a simple solution to a big problem!” I-Arthur says with an amused shake of his head. “Since the more negative you feel the easier you are to take advantage of. Because you’re in the wrong headspace, and feeling bad it’s harder to fight back, since the weight of those feelings hold you down...” he trails off for a moment before coughing. 

Tai merely nods her head, agreeing with her Arthur, she knows exactly what he means, as does her cousin. You wouldn’t think that people could take care of magical creatures, but they can, although with difficulty. They have had experience. As has their cousin.

Best not to get too negative if they can help it.

“And that’s good, sometimes you just want a simple solution you know. I mean, Vivi’s bat has solved more than a few problems after all!” much to her glee. “But uh.. one question... Who’s Seb?” the name makes him feel... something, he isn’t sure, but for a moment, his own mechanical arm sparks, and he blinks before shaking his head.

Tai happily grabs the candy when it is offered, while her ears twitch at the name Seb and she raises her head up sharply. It is too close to another name that she has heard. In a different context, and with a letter substitute, but still.

Sab, Seb. 

Too close for her comfort, at least Meg isn’t here to presumably hear that her ‘friend’ or something is sealed away. Whatever that relationship is. 

Still she lets out a small growl at the name, her ears lowering and her tail twitching slightly. It’s too close, too, too close. But also, green arm. Green. The Cultists. Although they didn’t know the name. 

Wizards, Werewolves, and Cultists

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mysteryhunterarthur:

Arthur’s eyes softened as he looked around the room, Galahad moving forward slightly to place a paw on one of the shorter blond’s fingers, nuzzling it encouragingly. He knew the ham ham could sense his inner storm of grief and sorrow, having expressed it to his beloved pet in moments of vulnerability. 

It was that vulnerability which, in of itself was rare, if only not to cause others to worry. He kept his walls up for a reason, the fear of disappointing those closest to him being one of them.

Uncle Lance could tell the choice Arthur had made still weighed heavily on his shoulders, bringing his chair in closer for moral support as well. His plate wasn’t entirely empty, but he figured the werewolf could help herself if she needed something to munch on, knowing that his nephew would probably hold back. Not much, but just enough so he wouldn’t totally catch her off guard.

The blond smiled again, relaxing a little more at the reassurance from the both of them, continuing to fiddle with the two stars before finally breathing out a long sigh, folding his hands in his lap as he began to speak.

“Well, I suppose I should start from the cave incident, shouldn’t I?” Arthur said, biting his lip as he looked at his alternate, keeping an eye out for a sign to stop if he needed him to.

“… We both know how that went, but some things might be different, I’m not sure. Like, uh, the paper star I wear is from childhood actually. Vivi made it, and Lewis helped. She likes to fold paper in various shapes you see, though Lewis is usually the one that puts the finishing touches on what she makes. And…” He trailed off, not wanting to ramble for too long about the subject. 

“Anyway, the point is, it’s special to me. It has all the memories of me and my friends stored within it. The good times, the bad times… I wouldn’t trade them for anything.” Arthur continued, trying to remain calm the more he thought about everything that had happened.

He blamed himself for the whole event, for not having a better grip on his emotions, for not saving Lewis the first time.

In his mind, making amends by keeping Seb sealed inside of himself was the least he could do. If the demon was contained, then his friends and loved ones wouldn’t get hurt. No one would suffer ever again, not for as long as he lived.

He could feel the tears prick at his eyes, wiping them away quickly with his right hand, his expression turning into a frown. 

“… Even if it meant doing the unthinkable, I wasn’t about to lose my best friend twice. These memories, the ones only I can remember, it’s not always easy. My paper star is a talisman. The positive energy that surges from them bring powers it, so I can protect everyone, so he doesn’t fade away. And the darker side of me stays where it is. Where it should’ve been all along…”             

Tai and I-Arthur both wait patiently for the other to begin. Tai’s tail wags a bit as she spots that Lance had pretty much abandoned his food. While I-Arthur gives her a quick look, she only pauses with her hand reaching towards it for a small moment before grabbing the plate and finishing off the food happily listening.

For a moment, I-Arthur is tempted to say that his counterpart shouldn’t feel the need to tell his tale if he’s too uncomfortable, and then his counterpart opens his mouth.

The cave...

He can’t help it, he scowls, crossing his arms at the mention of the cave, while Tai lets out a small bark of a laugh in response. And as for them both knowing how the cave went, no, he really doesn’t. Everyone else seems to remember the cave at this point, except him, even the kids know what happened in the cave. Vivi can remember, Mystery remembers, his own damn arm remembers, but him himself, nope. So he’ll just have to assume that his counterpart is right in that it went down the same. 

It is still annoying though.

Why is he the only one who doesn’t remember the stupid cave?

“Huh... that would be useful!” he says, almost sounding absent about it. “All the good memories...” he trails off slightly, while Tai’s ears perk up and the werewolf turns her head just slightly to look at him.

“Som’th’ng to remind ya what’s waiting fer ya back home!” Tai chirps in, with a grin and her tail wagging and I-Arthur lets a small smile cross his face as he nods. As for the rest of his counterparts explanation. I-Arthur frowns, a bit confused by it.

What does that mean, keep his darker side sealed away.

An actual inner demon? Or something? Well, he can relate, although his demons are still mostly metaphorical. The whole waterfall, anti-self incident... Although that did turn out to just be a dream so...

He shakes his head rapidly, to shake away the thought.

“So... the paper star is some kind of protection charm?” he awkwardly gives a smile to his counterpart. “Well that’s different for sure, I mean, it probably still helps, gives encouragement because of positive energy and all, but wow. It seems so... simple.” 

Wizards, Werewolves, and Cultists

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mysteryhunterarthur:

The shorter of the two tugged at the front of his vest while giving his alternate a small smile, Galahad leaning into the attention with a soft chitter while he tried to think of the best way to voice his own story.

He wasn’t sure how much he should tell him, not wanting to cause another episode between them should he begin to feel too much again. The blond didn’t seem to mind the fact his alternate had yet to acknowledge his talk of empathy, his head must’ve been racing with his own troubles after all.

Uncle Lance continued to eat mostly in silence, although he nodded every now and then, keeping up with the gentle pats to the young werewolf’s head should she want them still.

The stout mechanic sympathized with his nephew’s twin, wondering how the I-version of himself had handled the news, if they knew. He couldn’t handle the thought of coming close to losing the soul of who he thought of as his own child, breaking the quiet of the room with a light cough.

Arthur perked up at the sound, and rubbed the back of his head as the awkward expression on his face grew, taking a look around at all of their faces before letting out a sigh.

“I guess I should start my own story from the beginning, but it might get a little heavy or confusing in some places, so I apologize in advance.”

“Yah! It’ yur turn!” Tai perks up, her tail still wagging from side to side at the pats from Lance. I-Arthur settles himself back, choosing not to say anything more. He will just wait for his counterpart to find where to begin. He lets out a small sound of amusement at Galaham’s chitters before offering more scritches.

He knows that it can take a little bit of thinking after all, especially because there are details to consider. There is so much that he has really left out of his explanation if he is being honest, some of it because he doesn’t entirely understand, others because well, Tai is still a child.

And there are the parts that are just irrelevant of course. Well, not entirely, but they’re far enough in the past, that only their influence matters.

As it is, there is one reaction(or non-reaction) that has encouraged him. Maybe his own Uncle Lance won’t react quite as badly as he was initially thinking that he would. Since while he was emanating worry, he wasn’t getting up and demanding that he stop going on cases. There was no attempt to get him to stop being an investigator.

It’s irrational, not something he has ever genuinely had to worry about. But it’s always there.

He has always had trouble nipping at his heels after all. And his Uncle knows that, so he’s always been worried that there would be something, some bad thing that would happen on a case and he’d be forced to stay home, to be only the mechanic. He thinks that would be worse, at least when he’s there he can see the danger, and he doesn’t have to work himself into a panic worrying that Vivi and Lewis won’t come back home again...

It’s a relief that this Lance hasn’t reacted badly, just a bit of worry... 

“That’s alright!” he awkwardly laughs at his counterpart’s comment, “I’m sure I wasn’t entirely clear with my own description of events... these things are confusing by nature...” 

Wizards, Werewolves, and Cultists

[asktheiridis]

Anon or not, send my muse any question you want! Funny, sad, angsty and fluffy are all fair game!

[asktheiridis]

mysteryhunterarthur:

“Oh…” Arthur said, taking some time to process the information as Galahad didn’t seem to mind the shifting, wiggling his tiny tail in response.

Uncle Lance nodded, helping himself to the snacks the shorter blond had set out while giving him a nudge, tilting his head slightly. “Are ya okay there, nephew? You suddenly got quiet.”

Arthur blinked and looked to his uncle with a small smile, patting his vest where the paper badge rested. “I’m fine, it’s just… Wow, I mean, I can experience what others are feeling to a certain degree, it gets even stronger if we make physical contact, but… Having your soul wander like that, I can’t even begin to imagine what that’s like.”

Well, he had a vague idea, but it wasn’t his own soul who tended to wander. It was those of others, like Lewis and the otherworldly beings in some cases that he seeked to help.

“Mystery does keep in tune with his surroundings when it comes to the supernatural.” He agreed, fiddling with the clasp in the back of his childhood treasure with a sigh. “I’m glad you eventually figured things out, even if it took a child to pick up the finer details.”

I-Arthur lets out a small laugh as Galaham wriggles, gently petting the hamster, and scritching gently behind one of the hamster’s ears. He watches his counterpart carefully, noting his reaction carefully. It isn’t particularly negative but still.

Tai lets out a laugh, her tail waving as she nods her head.

“Yeah!” she says, before quickly taking another mouthful of food and swallowing. “It is har’ to imagine! Bu’ it’s what was happening!”

“Yeah...” Arthur awkwardly laughs, rubbing the back of his head. “It... kind of is hard to think about... I mean, I wasn’t even aware, I just knew sometimes things didn’t feel quite... right...”  He awkwardly fidgets.

Tai lets out a small laugh, before happily settling down and continuing to eat. As for the Mystery thing, I-Arthur merely nods his head. He doesn’t want to get into the whole backstory of how and why Mystery should have been able to pick up on the fact that he needed a Hoshi-no-Tama, not if it seemed that his counterpart was mostly unaware of Mystery’s more... mythical status.

He was glad that it had been sorted out in the end though, even if it gave him a rather... odd title and definition regarding the supernatural things that they encountered on their cases.

As if he didn’t already have weird things happening to him. 

Wizards, Werewolves, and Cultists

[asktheiridis]

“Yes well it’s his special interest...”

“And cryptids! Like Bigfoot, the Yeti and the Loch Ness Monster! I want to learn more about them as well!”

“Well... one of them anyway!”

“It’s adorable!”

[asktheiridis]

mysteryhunterarthur:

“Well, I can tell you the story about my paper star in return, so I suppose it’s a fair trade.” Arthur replied, going over the toppings they had. Nothing seemed too dangerous for the werewolf, so he settled for putting the assorted foodstuffs into small cups for easier dipping and sprinkling, making a platter of veggies around it along with some crackers on the side. 

Some deli meat probably wouldn’t hurt either, seeing as what was already on the table didn’t have much to offer in the way of protein.

It was the stout mechanic’s turn to shrug now, continuing to find amusement in their young friend’s reactions. She was certainly energetic, and precious, if he had to pick two words that accurately described her.

“I don’t mind hearin’ the tale.” Uncle Lance said, eyeing the hamster with a chuckle as Galahad squeaked then resumed his affectionate behavior, placing a paw on it to confirm his interest.

“Alright!” I-Arthur says, with a small smile. Carefully he shifts Galaham so that the Hoshi-no-Tama is free before he takes a deep breath. “If you think that it’s fair!” he flashes a grin, that holds just a hint of something more.

There’s a feeling in the air that follows the grin before he settles back down. He is sure that everyone is paying attention.

“Well, I suppose I’ll just have to tell it now won’t I?” his tone is definitely teasing and Tai’s tail seems to speed up. The werewolf’s ears twitching as she stares at him. Her eyes don’t leave him. Although her nose does twitch slightly, indicating her interest in the food. “Alright, so first of all... There is a lot more to the story than what I’m going to say... it’s just, hard to know what I should stay, and what I shouldn’t...” 

One of his eyes drifts to look at Tai, who has actually grabbed some of the crackers, but is still watching him with wide eyes. Her ears are both turned forwards, clearly facing him.

“Well, you already know part of it don’t you Tai...” he shakes his head and the young werewolf’s tail waves all the more as she grins up at him. “Considering that it turned out to be a solution to a problem that we only peripherally knew existed... in fact the kids arrival lead to us finding out quite a few things...” he trails off for a moment.

Tai lets out a small giggle and he awkwardly shakes his head, before smiling at her. It’s soft and full of thoughts. None of which he voices, even as he raises his arm up, ignoring the clicking and whirring of gears as he gently touches the Hoshi-no-Tama around his neck.

“Mystery should have seen it...” he mumbles, this more soft. “But it took a child to see that something was wrong... a child, and a ghost.” well, mostly ghost, and he supposes that Lewis’ being as he now is played a part. Since Lewis was able to notice, and slowly get the feeling that something was wrong. “But anyway, curious about the funny way that I felt, they asked me what was wrong... and then... where my Hoshi-no-Tama was... Mystery connected dots there... came to a realization... and well... it was not exactly a case, but hunting for this was an adventure...” he rubs the back of his head for a moment before releasing the Hoshi-no-Tama.

“The final piece to close the circut effectively...” he shrugs, putting his hand back down. “Since well, without it... my aura and my soul was kind of... leaking for a lack of better explanation... wasn’t quite staying where it should have been.” It’s a wonder he never accidentally astral projected or anything.

“Yeah! Yah could have just lostcha body ‘cause your soul wandered off!” Tai pipes in without thinking. “Although Talula said it was more, the pattern had been changed... so your soul wasn’t sure where it was s’posed to go!” 

Wizards, Werewolves, and Cultists

[asktheiridis]

mysteryhunterarthur:

“Hm, looks like ya got some snacks here already, but veggies an’ that are good too.” Uncle Lance remarked idly, taking the hint and placing a hand on the werewolf’s head, ruffling up her hair in a gentle manner with an amused expression on his face.

“Doesn’t sound all that different from what tends ta happen around here. This is new for me too.”

Meanwhile, Galahad was just enjoying the attention from the taller blond, chittering and hugging each finger from time to time to show his appreciation for his owner’s alternate. The dear little ham ham was curious about the necklace around his neck, giving it a sniff. Maybe it worked like the spirit bracelets he was used to seeing?

Arthur hummed and shrugged at his uncle’s comment, not paying it much mind while he gladly got more food for their guests. He just wanted everyone to be happy, and making sure they were fed was the best way he knew how to accomplish that. 

Of course, he would always lend a sympathetic ear to those who needed it, but sometimes it was easier for him to default to food. It hadn’t failed him yet. No tangling up emotions, no awkward situations… Comfort was all it brought. Even if it took a while for some people to be in the right state of mind to digest it.

“Any special dressings or anything?”

I-Arthur shakes his head at the question.

“Not really,” at the same time Tai perks up and nods her head.

“Toppings! All the toppings!” she says, throwing her hands up into the air, before letting out a small noise and lowering them back down, almost sheepishly.

“Nothing with avacado, onion... uh...” I-Arthur pauses for a moment. “Think if it’s bad for a dog, it’s bad for her...” he awkwardly offers. “I.. don’t particularly need any toppings...” he rubs the back of his head awkwardly. Not quite sure what else to say. After a moment, he returns to petting Galaham, noticing the hamster’s curious sniffing at his Hoshi-no-tama he lets out a small smile and a gentle laugh. “You curious Galy?” he lets out a gentle tease. “Are you Uncle Lance? Other me?”

“Tell th’ story! Tell!” Tai perks up, tail waving! “Tell it! Explain th’ circle crystal!” 

Wizards, Werewolves, and Cultists