#tqghostarthur

"...oh yea? And what are you gonna do about it, huh?"The echoing, ethereal voice that called out from the shadows was laced with no small amount of anger, no small amount of distaste: was it really too much to ask for people not to bother him? This was one of the first times he'd been out of his mansions in months, and the exertion of leaving the space he'd been haunting and living in for so long had caused him no small amount of distress, both physically and mentally...and now this human who he just so happened to be passing on the hiking path in the woods was being snippy with him glancing at them for one freaking SECOND.The spirit grumbled, his skeletal form hidden behind heavy hiking pants and a few tattered hoodies, recently stolen from a hiking camp he'd come across just a few miles outside of his mansion...This attempt at a disguise was pretty pitiful in the end, however, once someone's gaze rested on his face: his skull was quite visible, nestled in the hood of his jacket, Arthur apparently unable (or, more accurately, unwilling) to hide his ghostly, ghastly appearance in full. At a glance, a person might not notice the obvious, but looking for a mere second longer it was obvious, if not from the skull, then from the burning irises of amber-hued flame nestled deep in his eyesockets that he was no longer one of the living...and his voice made it clear that he had an attitude, to boot."You really wanna see me, FINE: don't say I didn't warn you, though."He strode out from the shadowed cover of the trees, pulling back his hood, fiery hair bursting to life as he looked the person over, a snide snarl in his voice as he glared them down."THERE, happy?" 

Arthur makes a small, timid little whine as the ghost pupper is taken from him, him making grabby-hands towards the pup as he's taken out of range of his grasp.He tilted his skull as the anon got to work, his eyesockets widening once she stepped aside and showed the new collar on Bones, Arthur quickly replying: "Ah, no, it's perfect!" Not hesitating a second longer, the pup was quickly picked up, swaddled in Arthur's arms with a loving, jovial tone in his voice as he made his gratitude known: "Thank you so much, for everything! The collar looks so good, a-and it's been forever since I've had a pet and I promise I'll take great care of him and-" Wait, had he heard that last bit right?"...m-more puppers?"His eyesockets go wide, a small, joyous squeak emerging from him as replied to that idea with undeniable honesty: "Yes, pleaseeeeee!"

The ghost wandered into the main entry room of his mansion as he heard the commotion begin, him floating in, swaddled in several blankets, fiery hair extinguished and fiery orange irises burning low as he looked the familiar anon over. Yea, he wasn't a fan of the weather starting to get cold, and spirit of fire and Vengeance though he may be, his flames and fiery temper apparently weren't enough to keep out the cold for him...that, or old habits die hard. "Oh, hey: what brings you in toda-" Dog. Dog? Dog...DOG!!! It took him a moment to register the anon's words, and even longer to register the little canine head popping up out of her sleeve, but when he did the spirit emitted what could only be described as a shrill squeak of joy from behind his skeletal jaws. He immediately floated forward, grabbing ahold of the pupper, swaddling it lovingly in his arms, cooing down at it with such love and happiness in his voice, it clear he was almost on the verge of tears. Of all the things he missed from his old life, Mystery was a big one, so having a dog back in his arms again, and such a friendly little one, too... There was no question about him keeping it. None at all. "Oh my god, of course I'll keep him!" Arthur immediately shifted the dog to one arm, using the other to hug the anon close, him beyond happy and grateful. Say what one will of Arthur: he may have a temper to rival even the most malevolent of spirits, but his joy, when so rarely unleashed, was just as overflowing. He couldn't be happier, honestly: now, to think of a good name for this very good boy...

The only response the anon got was the loud rumble of a snore as the spirit drifted off into his dreams, corgi figurine still held in his hand, a small token of friendship, of support in a sea of turmoil, a comfort in the continual daily struggle he faced...No longer the man he once was, left for dead, murdered by a woman whom he had once held dear to his heart, a friend he had expected to keep for a lifetime, now only a source of rage, of pain, and as for Lewis..."...ughhh..."The spirit groaned in his sleep, the hollow in his chest aching painfully as his unconscious mind continued to wander back to memories of when he was alive, when he had been content, happily living with Lewis and Vivi, them quelling his fears, his nervous mind, loving and appreciating him for who he was...And then SHE took it all away from him, and Lewis along with her."..."A stifled sob rose up from the sleeping spirit, his chest aching even more, the memory not able to escape him, even as he slept.Who would have guessed that he, ever the skeptic, ever the cautious, anxious man would end up as the very thing he had dreaded on so many an investigation, had become the very thing that, in a previous life, he had always feared would come charging out of the shadows to hurt those he loved most...A monster."..."Subconsciously clutching the figurine tighter in his skeletal grasp, Arthur settled deeper into sleep, his subconscious mind wandering where it may, comforted by the trinket as he would have been by a plushie, or Mystery curled up against his side, or Lewis' hand in his as he comforted his tall, purple-haired friend, the spirit desperately hoping for that kind of comfort, familiarity, purpose, and happiness again......and knowing he probably would never have it again.Monsters don't get happy endings, after all.

"Nah, this is good," the ghost replied, gently twiddling the corgi figurine around between his fingers, "that being said, I am feeling a little out of it, like, socially. Could you go hang out with someone else in the house or wherever while I take a bit of nap? Thanks."With that, the skeletal spirit pulled up the bedspread, putting his hair and irises out as he proceeded to, rather unceremoniously, fall asleep with a guest still present in the room. How polite and tactful.

Arthur's eyesockets curled down into a sad expression as the anon's magic took hold, the pupper he was so intent on getting the attention of disappearing in an instant.He let out a forlorn sigh, lifting and rolling himself back up onto his bed somewhat slowly, loosely, bones rattling a bit as he laid there, staring at the ceiling. He only really moved and reacted to anything again when the small amber corgi figurine appeared beside him, the anon's promises of not doing this again audible, but not particularly registering in the ghost's mind.The spirit picked the figurine up, noting the way it caught the light glowing up from his fiery hair and irises, the tiny anon's sheepish words slowly catching up to his thoughts as he pondered their gift, the trouble they had brought to his home, and weighing those actions versus his own emotions..."...nah. You can stay." He leaned his head over the edge of the bed, glowing, fiery irises focusing on the anon, as he added, flatly: "Thanks for the figure too, it's cute."

The ghost sat up, skull cocked to the side at the sudden voice under the bed, the spirit peeking his head over the side of the bed, a small jet of flame flickering out of his nostrils as he angrily sighed, hearing the anon take responsibility for this mess, him about to give them a stern talking to when-A bark?He leaned all the way down off the bed, ducking his skull down to peer underneath it, only to spot-A corgi. His amber irises focused on the tiny anon, a very unamused, but also quite exhausted look on his face, him beyond done with these shenanigans: if they could fix it for him, then they better, because he sure as Hell wasn't going to in his current mood."Yea, you can fix it, huh?," he questioned, annoyed and with no small amount of bitterness in his voice, "GOOD: take those decorations down, help the others get the dogs out of here, I guess, and..."He turned his attention back to the corgi, making a few small beckoning motions at it, a few quick, baby-talk voiced "here boy!" and "c'mere pupper!" exclamations interspersed with his words, wanting to lure the canine close enough to give it pets, anything to help ease his enraged mind, as he explained to the tiny anon: "...I'll take care of this one."  

He is not a happy ghost.