The Gang's All Here!

Arthur tenses as Vivi hugs onto him, his expression one of shock and then… it melts back down, further than before, he’s so right on the edge of shattering like glass in her arms. Her tight grip pops his poor spine but it was almost comforting, like she could somehow hold him together. But this was an opportunity he might as well take. It’s just a dream, after all, it’s not real. Couldn’t he be afforded a little bit of comfort in his own dream? Trembling arms wrap back around her carefully and he closes his eyes. Them being so close, she can hear that his breath is shaking as if he’s already crying— even if he isn’t just yet.

They’re talking to him, apologizing, and he can’t stop it anymore. A soft cry escapes under his breath and his own grip on Vivi tightens a bit, head lowering as tears start to fall down his face. It’s just too much. He wants to hold her here, Lewis too if he’d come closer— he wants to hold them both and never let go and tell them just how sorry he really was, how much he wanted to make things better. But he can’t. They wouldn’t understand, it’s just a dream. Just a dream that would fade and slip through his fingers, just like the real things. How cruel.

Vivi pulls away before he’s ready for her to leave him but he doesn’t try to stop her, retracting his own hands so he can try to wipe away the tears that were still falling. Pointless, but he had to try. Had to save face, for them. He doesn’t look at them, either of them, eyes pointed off to the ground somewhere else, anywhere else. “Don’t apologize, not your fault I… I shouldn’t have d-dumped that on you guys.” Another weak laugh wrenches itself from his throat. Why does it hurt so badly? He pulls away from Vivi, oh so gently.

“It’s nice to meet you both.”

The two of them exchanged another look, feeling a helpless weight on both their shoulders. It was very clear that the guy was upset, with him crying out and clinging to her. she patted his back even when they parted, until he removed himself entirely from her grip. But then his gaze stayed away, and he tried to pretend it didn’t bother him. It definitely still did, plain as day on his tired face.

“Um. It’s okay. I mean.... I guess the ‘us’s here aren’t very nice and might play a prank on you like that? You don’t have to apologize for assuming we’d be like them, then.” Vivi tilted her head. Honestly that just seemed cruel by her standards. So they had to be different here, if this guy could assume she and Lewis would do something like that. It sat in her stomach like a little weight. She flapped her fingers to expel it.

"I don't think I know what you mean. Like-- the gang's all here!" Vivi beamed, glomming onto Lewis from behind. He jumped, raising his arm in surprise as his head lit up in a quick flame, leaving behind a flustered skull.

"We do miss our families, though." Lewis tapped his fingers together. "But soon enough we'll figure out where home is."

It was hard to think, harder to breathe. Not with both of them looking at him like that, like he was the insane one. His chest hurts and his hand raises to clutch at his shirt there. Calm down, calm down, this had to be a dream. It has to be. It has to be. He sniffles again, and the tears welling in his eyes are so bad now that he can barely see at all. Don’t blink, it’ll just make them spill over and then he won’t be able to stop himself from sobbing.

It’s just a bad dream! Just a bad, painful dream. The pain in his chest was maybe too intense for a dream, but maybe wherever he actually is, wherever he’s sleeping, he’s just having a heart attack or something. God, he’d much prefer to deal with that over this. Maybe he’d get lucky and it’d either kill him or wake him up before this dream could go on much longer.

And then, he laughs. It’s a bit strained, his voice is heavy with sadness still, but he tries to wipe those tears away again and force up a smile. Poor dream Vivi and Lewis and Mystery, they weren’t to blame for this! …man, maybe he really should see a therapist if he’s having nightmares about his only friends forgetting him entirely. “Right! Right. Magic! Makes sense.” Not really, but that’s just how dreams were sometimes. Maybe he can still turn it into a good dream, maybe he can have some peace with them before he has to go back to reality. Another laugh and he tries to dry his eyes. “Sorry about all that, you guys look exactly like my best friends! One of them went missing forever ago and the other doesn’t remember he ever existed and the third is what took my arm! And I’ve just been trying to figure things out y’know? Aha…ha……” The fake energy he’d been supplying to his voice is quick to die in his throat. “Arthur. My name’s Arthur.” He squeezes on his prosthetic again, eyes trained directly on the ground. Looking at them… it hurt too much.

The two exchange another glance, seeing him-- so on the edge of crying. He’s holding on to his shirt and his eyes are glistening with water, and when he laughs he sounds like he’s seconds from sobbing. He’s wiping at his face, trying to pretend he isn’t, but it’s obvious by his face that he’s trying so hard not to cry.

Vivi can’t help herself seeing him so sad and hearing that. She grabs him and pulls him into a hug. Lewis watches, looking almost nervous and guilty, but his hands flex and tense, unsure what he should do and what would make it worse. “V-viv--.”

Vivi squeezes the life out of Arthur. “I know you think we’re not telling the truth or something, but I’m so so sorry that happened to you! You seem really nice and you’re so sad....”

“Sorry, Arthur.” Lewis said his name odd, before frowning. But then he shook his head. The name felt familiar, but in a distant way. Wasn’t there someone named Arthur at home who worked in that autoshop? He knew Mr. Kingsmen had someone working with him, and the name sounded familiar.

But he shook his head, tapping Vivi’s shoulder. She finally relinquished him, holding his shoulders herself, looking sad, but in a concerned way. “Sorry-- you just looked-- sad. But... hi Arthur. I’m Vivi and this is Lewis. I know you’re-- I know you know your version of us. But I promise we’re not from here.”

It’s in their voices, all over their faces. Do I know you? Did they? Did they know him? He had only been friends with them for how many years now? They spent all their time together before Lewis disappeared, hanging out or going on investigations or ANYTHING else. And he’d loved them. He’d loved them so much and he’d lost them both. Lewis more so but Vivi too, he couldn’t even ask her about whatever had been going on. Was this a joke? Some sick joke they’d teamed up on together? No, no… they wouldn’t hurt him like that, would they?

Arthur’s expression remains one of extreme hurt and confusion. Tears well in the corners of his eyes as he stumbles back a few steps, putting distance between them. His chest is so tight, he can’t breathe, looking at them both makes him feel so dizzy. What was happening?

Being called cutie has a blush rising to his cheeks but it doesn’t help the rising panic clear on his face, and in fact it kind of looks like they’d just reached out and slapped him. Or that maybe slapping him would’ve been better to whatever he was feeling. He sniffles. “This… th-this isn’t funny.” He tries to sound stern but the waver in his voice just makes him sound sad and so weak. Hands raise to try and wipe at tears before they can fall. “It’s mean.”

“....” Vivi looked at him for a long time, trying to process what was happening. Lewis did as well. Mean? Them? For what? Lewis felt-- guilty. But why? He didn’t do anything. Maybe because he was so sure he did? Was the him here not that good a person or something?

“I....” They didn’t like telling people the truth since it could cause trouble, but it’d already found them, and he didn’t have it in him to lie. A pleading glance at Vivi earned him a nod. He looked back at the guy and rubbed his cheek. “Um... this is gonna sound like a trick. But I promise it’s not. I’m... neither of us are from here. We’re just passing through. I promise. I really don’t know who you are.”

“Oh c’mon Vivs, you don’t have to keep acting like it’s the coolest thing in the world you know, it’s not that great.” Arthur rubs at the metal arm sheepishly, a small smile on his face. But that voice— he looks up, with all the same expression of a man who’s been shot directly through the heart. His eyes are wide and there’s hurt, and confusion, so so so so much confusion.

“L...Lewis..?” He looks at Vivi, looking for that weird purple whatever to appear in her eyes, and then back up at Lewis. Is he dreaming? No, he doesn’t remember going to bed. Is it more micro-sleeping? Maybe, maybe it was just Vivi and he was dreaming again, seeing him, everywhere, all the time when he knows it’s not real. “How... where have you been?” His voice is quiet, hesitant, pained.

“Huh?” Vivi blinked at him, face entirely flummoxed. She blinked a few times, before looking up at Lewis as if expecting him to have some kind of answer for them both. It’d been weird he’d spoken to her so casually too, but the way he looked at Lewis was downright heart-wrenching.

Lewis meanwhile looked like a man who’d been called on by the teacher to give a surprise presentation on something he’s never studied a day in his life. His face went from shock to concern as he looked at this blond guy, who looked like he’d seen a ghost. The thought might’ve made him crack a tiny smile, if not for the current situation. “I’m.....sorry. That is my name but uh..... do I know you?”

Vivi elbowed him slightly. Of course he wouldn’t know what his alternate knew! Wherever he might be. He jolted at her nudge before rubbing at his neck. “Right. Um.” Oh but with that expression, it made his feet shuffle. “...I’m...”

Flame related? A twinge of interest grabs Mono, and he can’t help but eye the others hair again for another spark like before. But …

“Yes, melting is an odd occurrence… but anyway- your timeline is different?” He asks, “how so? And what exactly happened?”

“Hmm. I guess that’s hard to explain off-hand.” Vivi hummed, rubbing at her cheek. “I guess we’d have to cross examine notes, to see what is!”

“Bless you, sir,” Mono hums quietly, completely unaware of anything being hidden from him. He coos when Mystery rests his head on his knee, unable to retain light wiggles that took over his hand. With the free hand, unused for petting, Mono stims with his wrist nonchalantly and resumes petting down the pooches head. “You’re very cute, you know that? So why are you out here? Surely it would be nicer to sleep inside the van.”

His tail waggled a little bit more so his body joined it in doing so, and he licked his lips before nudging closer to Mono while being careful of his... secretions.

He jumped, he sudden influx of questions wrapping around his head all too quickly. His eyebrows screw together in thought, occasionally looking from one to the other. For a second his mouth is open, but nothing comes out.

“Well, I meant-” he clears his throat, “I meant I recently awoken as a spirit, b-but I can sleep! Somewhat..” Powers? Is he supposed to have powers? Well, other Lewis’s had…? “And I don’t have any special abilities besides, uh,” he swallows, tensing up as a wave of shame settles on his shoulders, “I can… melt.”

“Oh really! Wow, I’ve never met another us, but it being somewhat a new occurence is actually pretty fascinating.” Vivi hummed with the thought. “We’ve actually been together a while since everything happened. At least a year. So our timelines seem a bit different. That’s so interesting!”

Her ears shot up at the squeal like noise that came out of Vivi. It wasn’t the usual reaction she got to such method of travel, though that could just be credited to her enthusiasm. It was certainly the one thing she could see the most in the blue-haired girl.

The wolf gave a nod, listening as Vivi spoke. So her Lewis did share similarities to the others, but he was still unique, “Makes sense. Between each alternate version, there is bound to be differences. I’m sure you’d be able to better tell if you spoke with them directly rather than me.”

One eyebrow rose, though her eyes closed half way. Her gaze seemed to trail to the side for a brief moment, then brought them back up to Vivi, “What I usually do just depends on the situation. Not everyone responds to certain emotions the same way. I just… seem to empathize a fair amount with those I’ve come across. I’m no stranger to that sort of pain.”

And she’d rather none of them ended up like her. She wasn’t necessary, but perhaps something to aid her own conscious.

So many questions…

Salena tilted her head to the side, “My job requires a fair amount of travel. My employer has his own organization, and lends us out depending on what tasks need to be done. I guess the best way to describe it is that I’m a mercenary of sorts.”

With the wave of her hand, she made a smaller gate appear, “I don’t think your world has an equivalent to it, but the magic I primary use is runic based. It’s a type of magic used by certain undead beings where I come from. There’s a wide range of uses, like these gates.” She closed it, holding her hand up as ice began to cover it, “I’m personally more versed in the ‘frost’ and ‘blood’ specialties to this magic.”

Vivi nodded with a hint of sheepishness. She probably should save the Lewis questions for the-- Lewis’s!! Not who seemed to be a werewolf of sorts! They had plenty interesting about them he could ask about instead!

Instead, she listened in rapt awe, scribbling fast enough to light a fire under her pen. She wrote down each sentence, each line that Sal said. He pen double-times it, when the second magical gate appeared.

“Fascinating!!” She proclaimed, looking over the ice. “Frost and blood! Two very interesting facets! I’m not undead but I do have a bit of connection to ice myself!” She madee a few more notes before leaning in.

At the mention of the symbol being on the van, her gaze moved up to the vehicle. Sure enough, there was the same skull. There was a small shake of her head, “Yeah, I’ve meet Lewis’, but that’s not where I recognize it from. It looks like the one my friend Arthur was wearing.”

Salena padded over to the crates, sitting on the opposite side of Vivi. Her tail curled around behind her, hanging off the edge of where she was sitting. One hand rested on the crate while the other was on her lap.

The hand in her lap waved gently in front of her, a small gate opening between them, “In a manner of speaking. I can with these.”

Looks and first encounters. Right… She pondered this for a moment, “Well, Frenzy and Lament look similar to one another aside from their color. I’m not sure what your Lewis looks like, but they’re both… well as much as I have seen, skeletal, wearing a fancy suit, and got flames for hair. Just one is red and one is blue. I’m sure you can tell which is which. Frenzy I first met at his mansion, and Lament was when he was with Arthur. I’m not… particularly close to either one of them, but nothing negative comes to mind from my first interaction with them.”

“As for Lewis.. let’s see.. he’s almost completely gray, thought more like a heavily muted purple.” She moved one hand along her side and up her chest, “There’s a big black ‘scar’ here on his form, and.. at least as far as I’ve seen him, has mud all over his feet. You’re probably right that emotion has something to do with how each one of them turned out, but I really can’t confirm that for you.”

She sighed, “I don’t know if their Vivi’s have found them, or anything in that regard. For one, I don’t really know them well enough, and it probably would hit a sore spot if they’re living by themselves. Lewis I’d probably feel the most comfortable with. As for when I met him well… I just did what I usually do… Did my best to help him. Seemed to work.”

The gate made her make a sound very similar to a squeal, and she wiggled in place from her excitement, though she tried to focus on the rest of what she said. “Ah! Well to answer, he does have flames for hair sometimes and he can wear a formal suit, though he looks like he did from before most of the time.”

She made notes of what she’d said before continuing. “They grey sounds closer, but he’s actually a dark purple-- or pink if he’s lit up.” She hummed. “So that definitely sounds different.”

She’s always right- You can say that again.

Mono watches them, a warm feeling building in his stomach? Along with the nostalgia of those playful interacting

“Well, I- im glad I could be one of the firsts. I haven’t really been… ‘awake’ for a while, which is why I don’t know much about my composition.” He admits, pressing his thumbs together

They batted at one another a moment or two more, before fixing their expressions on him again and calming down. They still had smiles on. “Oh! You were sleeping?” Vivi perked. “That’s different! Do you know how long you were in stasis like that for? Do you have any powers? Where is your Vivi and Mystery at?”

Hm, maybe it was his imagination. Mystery didn’t respond to whatever noise it was, so it was either familiar or nothing at all. Perhaps Mono was pushing his luck, and Vivi would come out to tell him to pipe down. Maybe.

Resuming his pets, Mono scratches Mystery around the collar and his ears.

“Careful! Careful,” he warns, “try not to lick it. I don’t know how much bacteria is there.”

Mystery made a face at the smell and sneezed. Perhaps lowing himself down to canine level was a bit much. This was-- demeaning, and he didn’t want to smell shoes covered in who knows what.

Instead he looked up when Mono addressed him, before laying his head on his knee where it was dry. His tail wagged slightly as he looked up at him, making a grumbly dog noise.