((I'm super sorry for not getting out my replies as quickly as usual. I'm just in a weird mental place atm. I'll get them out as soon as I can, I promise))

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AnasAbdin

Kaledo Art
Not today Justin
RMH
cherry valley forever

JBB: An Artblog!

pixel skylines
đȘŒ

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Misplaced Lens Cap
occasionally subtle
DEAR READER
Cosimo Galluzzi
styofa doing anything
Monterey Bay Aquarium
YOU ARE THE REASON

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$LAYYYTER

izzy's playlists!
seen from Germany
seen from United States

seen from United States
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seen from United States
seen from Poland
seen from United States

seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from Italy
seen from United States
seen from United States
@roundtablemechanic
((I'm super sorry for not getting out my replies as quickly as usual. I'm just in a weird mental place atm. I'll get them out as soon as I can, I promise))
Vivi: We're safe.
Arthur: You said that last time.
Vivi: Well, I've got to be right eventually!
Monster High AU
âWell, actually, it is. Worse for you, I mean,â Arthur said with a shrug, stepping past Lewis and into the hall. âYou laigh, but there a have been a couple studies done. I could shoe them to you when we get back.â He wandered down the hall, curiosity getting the better of him as he peered into rooms as they walked past.
His smile drooped as Lewis mentioned the selkies, arching an eyebrow at the taller teen. âI know I was being a bit morbid, but damn, Lewis,â he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder, âyou positive you arenât taking me out to the middle of nowhere to kill me?â His laugh was nervous, though he still had a hint of a smile on his face as they walked out onto the courtyard.
âWellâŠâ Lewis had a hint of a smile on his face as he pretended to muse out loud. âWe havenât sacrificed a mortal to the gods yet this year.â
He reached out and gently bopped the blond in the back of the head. âWill you stop asking if Iâm going to kill you? If I havenât done it yet, Iâm not going to.â Although it was said good-naturedly, Lewis had meant it. The joke had gotten old. And it only hinted at layer of distrust between the two species.
They exited the building to see many more students leaving. Some flying but others simply walking into the woods with their bags.
Arthur snorted at Lewis mentioning of a sacrifice, having done plenty enough research about dragons to know cultures once sacrificed people to them, but never sacrificed anyone themselves. He rolled his eyes and yelped when Lewis cuffed him in the back of the head, reaching get back to rub at his hair with a short laugh.
âYeah, yeah, okay, I get it,â he chuckled, finding it a little surreal to watch students just walking into the woods with their bags. He shook off the feeling and pulled the straps of his bag over his shoulders. âWe flying?â He asked, not particularly excited for another flight on the dragons back, especially not one much longer than previous, but heâd deal with it.
âWell we kind of have to fly, unless you want to walk for the next five hours?â Lewis answered. âFlying would cut it down to under two.â
Placing his bags down, the dragon waited for other students to clear out of the way before transforming. The injuries to his tail were almost healed. There must have been something in that ointment to accelerate tissue growth. However, some spots were still devoid of scales and it was a wonder if theyâd ever grow back.
So it was understandable when Lewis laid down and didnât offer up his tail to be used stepped upon. âCâmon, you know what to do by nowâŠâ
"Not particularly," Arthur admitted, setting his bag with Lewis' and pulling a hair tie along with gloves from his pockets. He'd modified them by dotting hot glue over the palms, which allowed them to grip to Lewis' hair better, and keep his hands from going numb with cold. Which now he was extremely grateful for, if they were going to be flying for two hours. He put on the gloves after securing his hair into a short pony tail at the base of his neck, glad he'd put the items into his pockets after their first flight.
He watched Lewis transform, noting in relief the progress in healing he'd already made. He tipped his head back to stick his tongue out at Lewis at his the dragons apparent impatience before moving to his side. He used the dragon's front leg to boost himself up, tangling his hands in Lewis' mane and swinging his leg over his back, nudging himself up as close as possible to the dragons neck to ensure the he was the most secure he could be.
"All set," he said once he was situated, still more than a little nervous to fly with Lewis, especially this long, but knowing he'd at least be safer than before.
((My muse just grabbed your museâs hand, started running, and said âItâs not safe for us here. We need to go, now.â Put your museâs reaction in my ask box.)) "Who the fuck are you?!"
âMy name is Arthur, but thatâs not really relevant right now,â Arthur huffed, dragging Alice along behind him, âwe need to get out of here before they catch up to us! What are you even doing here?! A dark forest at night is not the best time nor place for a leisurely stroll!â
If the room hadnât been so dark, the unease on Arthurs face would have been easy to spot from a mile away. He followed he other two into the main chamber, pulling his shirt back up over his nose, his eyes watering at the smell.
He made a gagging sound as he approached the alter, though he did not falter as he dumped salt and gasoline over the body that was strapped to the table. He doubted he could puke again, even if he wanted to, anyway.
Once he was satisfied that the body would burn sufficiently, he stepped back, regretfully pulled his shirt from his nose, the book from his pocket, and began to read a scripture in rusty Latin. Once he was finished, he snapped the book shut, making himself jump at the sound, before letting out a breath and taking matches from his pocket. âSay your last good byes,â he said simply, sticking a match and tossing it onto the body.
He quickly yanked his shirt back over his nose once the body caught fire, and snagged the occult book from the alter as he walked back over to Alice. âOkay, letâs get out of t his creepy place.â
Isabella gave Arthur a you-are-such-a-dumbass-look. âThat wasnât my body. Itâs stored in the body pile.â She pointed her thumb at a door next to her. âThat was probably their recent kill.â
Arthur turned his head slowly, disbelief evident on his face. ââŠwhat?â He let out what sounded like a whine, wishing he could throw something at Isabella, but knowing full well it would just phase right through her. His shoulders drooped as he trudged over to the door the ghost pointed out, shooting her a glare.
âI hate you,â he muttered setting the book next to the door frame, before pushing the door open, and nearly bowling over at the stench of rotting flesh that accosted him. His free hand flew up to cover his nose and mouth, and even with his shirt over his face as well he could almost taste it.
Cursing in a vulgar, repetitive loop, Arthur hurried through the same motions he had just taken with the body on the table, the last of the salt heâd brought being dumped over the bodies, as well as the entire can of gasoline. He choked as he read the scripture again, stumbling over one or two words as his eyes blurred from tears as they watered violently.
Once all was said and done, he threw several matches onto the pile, and hurried out of the room, face green and tears streaming down his cheeks as he snatched up the occult book once more. âPlease tell me that was it and there isnât some other bodies hiding somewhere,â he all but pleaded.
Before Isabella could affirm, she let out a scream. White light began to erode across her form as all of her hatred and pain was violently ripped from her. A typhoon of wind roared into the room, and Isabellaâs form faded away into a white orb. Alice breathed harder from her mouth, the energy overwhelming her. The orb ascended up, through the ceiling, past the trees, and into the sky.
The forest rumbled as the negative energy was cleansed.
"Thank fuck," Arthur sighed, suddenly looking very tired, like he wanted to collapse where he stood. Instead, he grabbed the empty jerry can, tucked the occult book under his arm and began the trek back up the passage into the cottage.
"C'mon, there's no ventilation down here, and I doubt you wanna be breathing in this smoke," he said, "we should be perfectly safe on the way back to the van. I can give you a ride to where ever you were heading before this whole...ordeal."
Vivi: Plan F. We follow Plan F right now.
Arthur: Is that the one where we run away?
Vivi: Not at all. It's the one where we beat a dignified emergency retreat.
Lewis: You're thinking of Plan G, Artie. They're similar.
Monster High AU
âWell, actually, it is. Worse for you, I mean,â Arthur said with a shrug, stepping past Lewis and into the hall. âYou laigh, but there a have been a couple studies done. I could shoe them to you when we get back.â He wandered down the hall, curiosity getting the better of him as he peered into rooms as they walked past.
His smile drooped as Lewis mentioned the selkies, arching an eyebrow at the taller teen. âI know I was being a bit morbid, but damn, Lewis,â he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder, âyou positive you arenât taking me out to the middle of nowhere to kill me?â His laugh was nervous, though he still had a hint of a smile on his face as they walked out onto the courtyard.
âWellâŠâ Lewis had a hint of a smile on his face as he pretended to muse out loud. âWe havenât sacrificed a mortal to the gods yet this year.â
He reached out and gently bopped the blond in the back of the head. âWill you stop asking if Iâm going to kill you? If I havenât done it yet, Iâm not going to.â Although it was said good-naturedly, Lewis had meant it. The joke had gotten old. And it only hinted at layer of distrust between the two species.
They exited the building to see many more students leaving. Some flying but others simply walking into the woods with their bags.
Arthur snorted at Lewis mentioning of a sacrifice, having done plenty enough research about dragons to know cultures once sacrificed people to them, but never sacrificed anyone themselves. He rolled his eyes and yelped when Lewis cuffed him in the back of the head, reaching get back to rub at his hair with a short laugh.
"Yeah, yeah, okay, I get it," he chuckled, finding it a little surreal to watch students just walking into the woods with their bags. He shook off the feeling and pulled the straps of his bag over his shoulders. "We flying?" He asked, not particularly excited for another flight on the dragons back, especially not one much longer than previous, but he'd deal with it.
Monster High AU
"Well, actually, it is. Worse for you, I mean," Arthur said with a shrug, stepping past Lewis and into the hall. "You laigh, but there a have been a couple studies done. I could shoe them to you when we get back." He wandered down the hall, curiosity getting the better of him as he peered into rooms as they walked past.
His smile drooped as Lewis mentioned the selkies, arching an eyebrow at the taller teen. "I know I was being a bit morbid, but damn, Lewis," he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder, "you positive you aren't taking me out to the middle of nowhere to kill me?" His laugh was nervous, though he still had a hint of a smile on his face as they walked out onto the courtyard.
Monster High AU
âOh,â Arthur drew the sound out for a moment, grinning a little at Lewisâ exasperated expression. âOf course. I stopped doing research on werewolves ages ago, by the way. The books I was currently reading were on charms, which is how I made the hex bags. But I returned all my books to the library, which was in the process of being packed, and all of the ingredients I had were used up in what I made. My moon charts were taken down and stored away, and everything else in my room was just gizmos and stuff, so I figured just leaving it was fine.â
He leaned back in the chair, arching an eyebrow and tilting his head in curiosity. âHey, yeah. Now that I think about it, why are we going to your familyâs summer home? Not that I donât appreciate not having to worry about someone figuring out what I am, but, likeâŠwhy arenât you going home home?â
Lewis shrugged again. He had to choose his words carefully here so Arthur wouldnât get suspicious. âI just thought itâd be more fun there. Why not make the best of this time off? Besides, our other home is in a crowded monster community, but our summer place is in the country. Iâd be able to stay in my dragon form and stretch my wings a lot more there.â
Arthurs curious expression morphed into suspicion for a moment, before he shrugged and smiled. âI see. Well, it should be fun, I hope. I donât know what Iâll do with myself without all my gadgets to tinker with, or any books to read, though. Are there walking trails around the place or anything like that? I wouldnât mind passing the time that way,â he hummed non-committally, leaning back in the chair, hands folded in his lap. âThough, I am curious to see what kinda place dragons live. Is it all super huge and itâll be like Iâm living in a giants house for 2 weeks, or do you stay in your human form inside, so itâs all just regular?â
Lewis gave a lopsided grin, âOh, itâs really big. Which is another reason to go there.â He turned onto his side, propping himself up and resting his fist on his cheek. âThereâs lots of stuff to do. Hiking, rock climbing, swimming and fishing. Thereâs even a waterfall and hot springs nearby. All that good nature-y stuff.â Lewis was getting carried away, any more and he might spill the beans.
âHuh, cool,â he nodded, still smiling easily, completely unaware of whatever Lewis had up his sleeve, and just content in the knowledge that the dragon even wanted anything to do with him at all anymore. âDonât know if fishing is really my thing, or if itâs even the season anymore, but I could give it a shot,â he offered, âit sounds like a really nice place. Canât say Iâve done more then camping with my uncle for a couple nights in the summer, so that much fresh air might kill me, but weâll see. You must have a lot of great memories there.â
âFresh air has never killed anyone, Arthur.â Lewis rolled his eyes. âBut if you were the first I guess you can at least be content to know you went down in history⊠For the most pathetic death.â
The dragon decided to gather his bags, getting up to collect the two duffel bags sitting in opposite sides of the room. One for clothes and the other for any monster products he had. âCâmon, letâs head out.â
"Scientifically speaking, it is possible," he said, standing as Lewis did, "I mean, there are theories about how our bodies actually just oxidize over time, and the very air we breath is what's killing us." He seemed rather nonchalant as he spoke, small grin on his face, "So, I think you mean, most badass death. Being slowly broken down on a particulate level, until death."
He grabbed his bag, following happily after Lewis. "Though I suppose getting eaten by something would look much better on my epitaph," he added.
((My muse just grabbed your museâs hand, started running, and said âItâs not safe for us here. We need to go, now.â Put your museâs reaction in my ask box.)) "Who the fuck are you?!"
âMy name is Arthur, but thatâs not really relevant right now,â Arthur huffed, dragging Alice along behind him, âwe need to get out of here before they catch up to us! What are you even doing here?! A dark forest at night is not the best time nor place for a leisurely stroll!â
If the room hadnât been so dark, the unease on Arthurs face would have been easy to spot from a mile away. He followed he other two into the main chamber, pulling his shirt back up over his nose, his eyes watering at the smell.
He made a gagging sound as he approached the alter, though he did not falter as he dumped salt and gasoline over the body that was strapped to the table. He doubted he could puke again, even if he wanted to, anyway.
Once he was satisfied that the body would burn sufficiently, he stepped back, regretfully pulled his shirt from his nose, the book from his pocket, and began to read a scripture in rusty Latin. Once he was finished, he snapped the book shut, making himself jump at the sound, before letting out a breath and taking matches from his pocket. âSay your last good byes,â he said simply, sticking a match and tossing it onto the body.
He quickly yanked his shirt back over his nose once the body caught fire, and snagged the occult book from the alter as he walked back over to Alice. âOkay, letâs get out of t his creepy place.â
Isabella gave Arthur a you-are-such-a-dumbass-look. âThat wasnât my body. Itâs stored in the body pile.â She pointed her thumb at a door next to her. âThat was probably their recent kill.â
Arthur turned his head slowly, disbelief evident on his face. "...what?" He let out what sounded like a whine, wishing he could throw something at Isabella, but knowing full well it would just phase right through her. His shoulders drooped as he trudged over to the door the ghost pointed out, shooting her a glare.
"I hate you," he muttered setting the book next to the door frame, before pushing the door open, and nearly bowling over at the stench of rotting flesh that accosted him. His free hand flew up to cover his nose and mouth, and even with his shirt over his face as well he could almost taste it.
Cursing in a vulgar, repetitive loop, Arthur hurried through the same motions he had just taken with the body on the table, the last of the salt he'd brought being dumped over the bodies, as well as the entire can of gasoline. He choked as he read the scripture again, stumbling over one or two words as his eyes blurred from tears as they watered violently.
Once all was said and done, he threw several matches onto the pile, and hurried out of the room, face green and tears streaming down his cheeks as he snatched up the occult book once more. "Please tell me that was it and there isn't some other bodies hiding somewhere," he all but pleaded.
Monster High AU
âOh,â Arthur drew the sound out for a moment, grinning a little at Lewisâ exasperated expression. âOf course. I stopped doing research on werewolves ages ago, by the way. The books I was currently reading were on charms, which is how I made the hex bags. But I returned all my books to the library, which was in the process of being packed, and all of the ingredients I had were used up in what I made. My moon charts were taken down and stored away, and everything else in my room was just gizmos and stuff, so I figured just leaving it was fine.â
He leaned back in the chair, arching an eyebrow and tilting his head in curiosity. âHey, yeah. Now that I think about it, why are we going to your familyâs summer home? Not that I donât appreciate not having to worry about someone figuring out what I am, but, likeâŠwhy arenât you going home home?â
Lewis shrugged again. He had to choose his words carefully here so Arthur wouldnât get suspicious. âI just thought itâd be more fun there. Why not make the best of this time off? Besides, our other home is in a crowded monster community, but our summer place is in the country. Iâd be able to stay in my dragon form and stretch my wings a lot more there.â
Arthurs curious expression morphed into suspicion for a moment, before he shrugged and smiled. âI see. Well, it should be fun, I hope. I donât know what Iâll do with myself without all my gadgets to tinker with, or any books to read, though. Are there walking trails around the place or anything like that? I wouldnât mind passing the time that way,â he hummed non-committally, leaning back in the chair, hands folded in his lap. âThough, I am curious to see what kinda place dragons live. Is it all super huge and itâll be like Iâm living in a giants house for 2 weeks, or do you stay in your human form inside, so itâs all just regular?â
Lewis gave a lopsided grin, âOh, itâs really big. Which is another reason to go there.â He turned onto his side, propping himself up and resting his fist on his cheek. âThereâs lots of stuff to do. Hiking, rock climbing, swimming and fishing. Thereâs even a waterfall and hot springs nearby. All that good nature-y stuff.â Lewis was getting carried away, any more and he might spill the beans.
"Huh, cool," he nodded, still smiling easily, completely unaware of whatever Lewis had up his sleeve, and just content in the knowledge that the dragon even wanted anything to do with him at all anymore. "Don't know if fishing is really my thing, or if it's even the season anymore, but I could give it a shot," he offered, "it sounds like a really nice place. Can't say I've done more then camping with my uncle for a couple nights in the summer, so that much fresh air might kill me, but we'll see. You must have a lot of great memories there."
((My muse just grabbed your museâs hand, started running, and said âItâs not safe for us here. We need to go, now.â Put your museâs reaction in my ask box.)) "Who the fuck are you?!"
âMy name is Arthur, but thatâs not really relevant right now,â Arthur huffed, dragging Alice along behind him, âwe need to get out of here before they catch up to us! What are you even doing here?! A dark forest at night is not the best time nor place for a leisurely stroll!â
If the room hadn't been so dark, the unease on Arthurs face would have been easy to spot from a mile away. He followed he other two into the main chamber, pulling his shirt back up over his nose, his eyes watering at the smell.
He made a gagging sound as he approached the alter, though he did not falter as he dumped salt and gasoline over the body that was strapped to the table. He doubted he could puke again, even if he wanted to, anyway.
Once he was satisfied that the body would burn sufficiently, he stepped back, regretfully pulled his shirt from his nose, the book from his pocket, and began to read a scripture in rusty Latin. Once he was finished, he snapped the book shut, making himself jump at the sound, before letting out a breath and taking matches from his pocket. "Say your last good byes," he said simply, sticking a match and tossing it onto the body.
He quickly yanked his shirt back over his nose once the body caught fire, and snagged the occult book from the alter as he walked back over to Alice. "Okay, let's get out of t his creepy place."
Monster High AU
âOh,â Arthur drew the sound out for a moment, grinning a little at Lewisâ exasperated expression. âOf course. I stopped doing research on werewolves ages ago, by the way. The books I was currently reading were on charms, which is how I made the hex bags. But I returned all my books to the library, which was in the process of being packed, and all of the ingredients I had were used up in what I made. My moon charts were taken down and stored away, and everything else in my room was just gizmos and stuff, so I figured just leaving it was fine.â
He leaned back in the chair, arching an eyebrow and tilting his head in curiosity. âHey, yeah. Now that I think about it, why are we going to your familyâs summer home? Not that I donât appreciate not having to worry about someone figuring out what I am, but, likeâŠwhy arenât you going home home?â
Lewis shrugged again. He had to choose his words carefully here so Arthur wouldnât get suspicious. âI just thought itâd be more fun there. Why not make the best of this time off? Besides, our other home is in a crowded monster community, but our summer place is in the country. Iâd be able to stay in my dragon form and stretch my wings a lot more there.â
Arthurs curious expression morphed into suspicion for a moment, before he shrugged and smiled. "I see. Well, it should be fun, I hope. I don't know what I'll do with myself without all my gadgets to tinker with, or any books to read, though. Are there walking trails around the place or anything like that? I wouldn't mind passing the time that way," he hummed non-committally, leaning back in the chair, hands folded in his lap. "Though, I am curious to see what kinda place dragons live. Is it all super huge and it'll be like I'm living in a giants house for 2 weeks, or do you stay in your human form inside, so it's all just regular?"
((My muse just grabbed your museâs hand, started running, and said âItâs not safe for us here. We need to go, now.â Put your museâs reaction in my ask box.)) "Who the fuck are you?!"
âMy name is Arthur, but thatâs not really relevant right now,â Arthur huffed, dragging Alice along behind him, âwe need to get out of here before they catch up to us! What are you even doing here?! A dark forest at night is not the best time nor place for a leisurely stroll!â
âOh, man,â Arthur muttered, swallowing down the urge to vomit once he csught sight of the mess the ghost had made of the cult members. He cringed away, shoving the books of psalms into a pocket in his vest, before grabbing the gasoline in one hand, and Aliceâs hand in the other.
âJust keep your eyes closed,â he said, helping her out of the van and leading her back towards where the cult had set up shop. The scene would probably prove to be night,are fuel for a while for him, but he supposed that would simply add to the pile.
Once they were far enough away from the van, he let go of Aliceâs hand, and promptly moved to puke in a bush. âIâm okay,â he wheezed, straightening up to wipe at his mouth, âLetâs keep going.â
Alice cried quietly as Arthur lead her. She would do deep breathing, but the stench of copper and something else got in the way. She was stuck with her anxiety. Her steps were delicate, out of fear that she would step on a body or an organ.
When she felt Arthur let go of her hand, she took that as a cue to open her eyes and breathe. The stench was definately gone.
Then she heard retching. She turned her head to where Arthur was now. She cringed a little. His vomiting just assured her that what she saw was horrible enough for her to panic about. Nice.
Once he finished, Alice took deep breaths as she followed the path. She could sense Isabella going back and forth past them. Probably continuing toâŠdispose. Just keep breathingâŠ.
Eventually, she sensed Isabella just waiting up ahead, and the orange glow was getting closer once again.
The first body was no longer there. She mustâve taken care of that, too. Alice scooted past the bushes, and made another whimper. Isabella was standing near the fire that the cultists used to gather around. She had just finished tossing a severed arm into the flames. The bodies were still not fully burned away.
Arthur walked along next to Alice where he could on the path, and close behind her where he couldnât. He felt shaky and slightly nauseous from vomitting, but he felt obligated to at least try to protect her where he could. He wasnât exactly the most adept with the supernatural on his own, but he could manage. And with a murderous ghost around, wellâŠ
âShit,â he suddenly said when they got near the fire, the smell of burnt flesh making his stomach roll again. He quickly turned and heaved, though somewhat happily he didnât puke again. âGod,â he hissed, pulling his shirt up to cover his nose, though it did little to filter the smell, âthis is justâŠpeachy.â
He sighed through his shirt and continued on, stepping through the barrier. âC'mon, then. The sooner we get this done and over with the sooner we can get out of this forsaken forest,â he said, pausing by the fire to empty one of the viles of salt from his pocket over it before continuing on.
Isabella guided Alice just outside the barrier. âPut your hands out in front of the barrier.â She instructed. With trembling hands, Alice did what she was told. There was a sudden heat surrounding her hands, mixed with adrenaline. She thought that it was the fire, until a red glow emitted from her hands and began to spread, forming a wall. She gasped.
âNow remember what I said: try to open it up like a curtain.â The wraith continued. Alice spread her hands away from each other repeatedly, but the aura just expanded wider.  Feeling anxious about getting the ghost mad again, Alice tried to âdigâ her nails into the aura.
She felt her nails hit through something. She pulled her hands apart. There was resistance, like two strong magnets that wouldnât give away from each other. She tried to put more physical effort into it, but the resistance was still strong.
âYou need to also mentally will it open.â Isabella advised. âOrder it to open, picture it in your head.â
Ok, like a curtain, she thought putting a mental image in her head, like a stage. The resistance gave a little. MOVE!!
She hands shot apart even more. There was a gap in the wall. Isabella zipped right through. âYou can let go, now.â
Alice dropped her hands and huffed. The red aura disappeared. She stepped over the barrier.
âNow, thereâs a hut past the fire. Thatâs where my body is. Bastards didnât even bother to bury it properly.âÂ
Arthur stopped when he realized Alice wasnât right behind him, turning in curiosity to see what was keeping her. Isabella was effectively not too much of a threat while they were wearing the charms from the van, but so far the forest had been full of unpleasant surprises, so he didnât feel like chancing it.
He watched in bewilderment as Alice did something to the barrier to let Isabella through, arching a brow as the ghost flew near him. âThatâs handy,â he commented idly, âMaybe thereâs more books in the van that can tell us what exactly you just did.â
He offered Alice a short smile, before turning and continuing on towards the aforementioned hut, tilting his gaze towards Isabella. âWell, I mean, weâre just gonna set it on fire, so I donât know how much better that is.â
âYou have to bless it first!â The ghost sassed. She floated over to the door. âBy the way, hold your breath once we get downstairs.â She opened the door.
The interior almost looked like an innocent little cottage. There were chairs, some books on the occult, a couple beds, some sleeping bags, and a large rug. Isabella pointed at the rug. âThereâs a hatch under there.â
Alice, who looked a bit worn out, grabbed a corner of the rug and dragged it over diagonally. Sure enough, there was a trap door. She dropped to her knees to inspect the latch. âItâs locked.â
Isabella swiped the latch, slicing the lock off. âAnd now itâs not.â
Alice opened the door and Isabella stopped in first, her ephemeral form creating light to guide the way.Â
"Well, no shit, sherlock," Arthur stated petulantly, patting the pocket with the psalm book in it, "this isn't my first rodeo, unfortunately."
He frowned once they were inside, wandering around during the small space, flipping through books and peering around at any personal effects left behind. He turned when Alice lifted the rug and the hatch was unlocked, a look of disappointment on his face. "Why's it always got to be in a dungeon type room?" He asked rhetorically, sighing heavily before he followed the other down, wishing he'd brought a flashlight. And a gas mask.
Monster High AU
âOh,â Arthur drew the sound out for a moment, grinning a little at Lewisâ exasperated expression. âOf course. I stopped doing research on werewolves ages ago, by the way. The books I was currently reading were on charms, which is how I made the hex bags. But I returned all my books to the library, which was in the process of being packed, and all of the ingredients I had were used up in what I made. My moon charts were taken down and stored away, and everything else in my room was just gizmos and stuff, so I figured just leaving it was fine.â
He leaned back in the chair, arching an eyebrow and tilting his head in curiosity. âHey, yeah. Now that I think about it, why are we going to your familyâs summer home? Not that I donât appreciate not having to worry about someone figuring out what I am, but, likeâŠwhy arenât you going home home?â
((My muse just grabbed your museâs hand, started running, and said âItâs not safe for us here. We need to go, now.â Put your museâs reaction in my ask box.)) "Who the fuck are you?!"
âMy name is Arthur, but thatâs not really relevant right now,â Arthur huffed, dragging Alice along behind him, âwe need to get out of here before they catch up to us! What are you even doing here?! A dark forest at night is not the best time nor place for a leisurely stroll!â
âOh, man,â Arthur muttered, swallowing down the urge to vomit once he csught sight of the mess the ghost had made of the cult members. He cringed away, shoving the books of psalms into a pocket in his vest, before grabbing the gasoline in one hand, and Aliceâs hand in the other.
âJust keep your eyes closed,â he said, helping her out of the van and leading her back towards where the cult had set up shop. The scene would probably prove to be night,are fuel for a while for him, but he supposed that would simply add to the pile.
Once they were far enough away from the van, he let go of Aliceâs hand, and promptly moved to puke in a bush. âIâm okay,â he wheezed, straightening up to wipe at his mouth, âLetâs keep going.â
Alice cried quietly as Arthur lead her. She would do deep breathing, but the stench of copper and something else got in the way. She was stuck with her anxiety. Her steps were delicate, out of fear that she would step on a body or an organ.
When she felt Arthur let go of her hand, she took that as a cue to open her eyes and breathe. The stench was definately gone.
Then she heard retching. She turned her head to where Arthur was now. She cringed a little. His vomiting just assured her that what she saw was horrible enough for her to panic about. Nice.
Once he finished, Alice took deep breaths as she followed the path. She could sense Isabella going back and forth past them. Probably continuing toâŠdispose. Just keep breathingâŠ.
Eventually, she sensed Isabella just waiting up ahead, and the orange glow was getting closer once again.
The first body was no longer there. She mustâve taken care of that, too. Alice scooted past the bushes, and made another whimper. Isabella was standing near the fire that the cultists used to gather around. She had just finished tossing a severed arm into the flames. The bodies were still not fully burned away.
Arthur walked along next to Alice where he could on the path, and close behind her where he couldnât. He felt shaky and slightly nauseous from vomitting, but he felt obligated to at least try to protect her where he could. He wasnât exactly the most adept with the supernatural on his own, but he could manage. And with a murderous ghost around, wellâŠ
âShit,â he suddenly said when they got near the fire, the smell of burnt flesh making his stomach roll again. He quickly turned and heaved, though somewhat happily he didnât puke again. âGod,â he hissed, pulling his shirt up to cover his nose, though it did little to filter the smell, âthis is justâŠpeachy.â
He sighed through his shirt and continued on, stepping through the barrier. âC'mon, then. The sooner we get this done and over with the sooner we can get out of this forsaken forest,â he said, pausing by the fire to empty one of the viles of salt from his pocket over it before continuing on.
Isabella guided Alice just outside the barrier. âPut your hands out in front of the barrier.â She instructed. With trembling hands, Alice did what she was told. There was a sudden heat surrounding her hands, mixed with adrenaline. She thought that it was the fire, until a red glow emitted from her hands and began to spread, forming a wall. She gasped.
âNow remember what I said: try to open it up like a curtain.â The wraith continued. Alice spread her hands away from each other repeatedly, but the aura just expanded wider.  Feeling anxious about getting the ghost mad again, Alice tried to âdigâ her nails into the aura.
She felt her nails hit through something. She pulled her hands apart. There was resistance, like two strong magnets that wouldnât give away from each other. She tried to put more physical effort into it, but the resistance was still strong.
âYou need to also mentally will it open.â Isabella advised. âOrder it to open, picture it in your head.â
Ok, like a curtain, she thought putting a mental image in her head, like a stage. The resistance gave a little. MOVE!!
She hands shot apart even more. There was a gap in the wall. Isabella zipped right through. âYou can let go, now.â
Alice dropped her hands and huffed. The red aura disappeared. She stepped over the barrier.
âNow, thereâs a hut past the fire. Thatâs where my body is. Bastards didnât even bother to bury it properly.âÂ
Arthur stopped when he realized Alice wasn't right behind him, turning in curiosity to see what was keeping her. Isabella was effectively not too much of a threat while they were wearing the charms from the van, but so far the forest had been full of unpleasant surprises, so he didn't feel like chancing it.
He watched in bewilderment as Alice did something to the barrier to let Isabella through, arching a brow as the ghost flew near him. "That's handy," he commented idly, "Maybe there's more books in the van that can tell us what exactly you just did."
He offered Alice a short smile, before turning and continuing on towards the aforementioned hut, tilting his gaze towards Isabella. "Well, I mean, we're just gonna set it on fire, so I don't know how much better that is."
Guilty-Closed RP
roundtablemechanic:
Arthur flinched when his uncle turned to him, having fully expected the same gruff tone Lance had used on the man. He blinked in surprise when instead he was greeted with soft spoken words, only proving to make him feel all the more miserable for having run off in the first place.
He shuffled his feet a little, chancing only a brief glance up at his uncle, trying to sniff back the tears that fell down his cheeks. âI-my arm hurts a little, but itâll be fine,â he said quietly, hunching his shoulders a little in shame as he turned one of his palms over to show his uncle the tiny bloody scrapes there, the odd piece of gravel stuck in his skin, âA-and my handsâŠâ
He tucked his hand immediately back against his chest, lower lip quivering a little. âI-I shouldnât have run away. M'sorry.â
Lance sighed. At least Arthur wasnât seriously injured. He could take a little solace in that. âCome onâŠâ he gently placed a hand on Arthurâs back to lead him. âLeâs get back to the house.â And Lance wasnât sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing when Arthur didnât argue.
The first thing Lance did when the two of them got back to the house was set Arthur down at the table. It didnât seem like Arthur was going to run off this time, looking far too ashamed to do anything in fact. He glanced down at Arthurâs hands, still curled up and holding himself and the letters he could salvage, before going to the sink and wetting down a washcloth. He took out a first-aid kit under the sink as well.
âLemme see,â he said gently, putting his free hand over Arthurâs.Â
Arthur simply nodded as Lance's hand gently pushed against his back, moving along sedately next to his uncle as they walked back to the house. The heavy silence between them weighed on his shoulders, making him wish his mother was there to lighten the mood with one of her silly jokes, or his father to sooth him with comforting words. But they weren't, and he needed to get used to this new situation, and to his Uncle.
He followed Lance into the kitchen and sat at the table when a chair was pulled out for him. He was too busy staring off into the wood grain of the table, lost in thought, to notice when Lance approached, letting out a startled little noise and jumping when his hand was touched. He blinked and looked up at his uncle, who looked so tired and worn. Probably just as much as he did, without the tears. And then it occurred to him; Lance had lost family, too. Since Arthur had no siblings, he had no idea what it might be like to lose one, but he could only imagine. And his outburst earlier had probably done nothing to help.
He felt fresh tears gather in his eyes, but he stubbornly kept them at bay, gingerly setting his letter in his lap, before presenting his palms to Lance. "I...I'm sorry, 'bout before," he murmured, his throat slightly scratchy from the yelling he'd done before, "I shouldn't have yelled at you. I just-" his shoulder shook with repressed sobs, "my heart hurts." It was the only way he could think to describe the empty feeling in his chest that his parents death had left. "A-and everything is different, and I d-don't know what to do..."
Monster High AU
Lewis studied him for a bit longer before seemingly finding whatever heâd been looking for and giving a nod of approval. âAlright, well Iâm going back to continue packing. Think my offer over.â
He walked away without another word. Fearing if he stayed too long he wouldnât be able to keep his plans under wraps.
âI will,â Arthur said happily, giving Lewis a little nod before the dragon turned and left. Once Lewis was out of sight, Arthur let out a quiet noise of happiness, before heading back to his own room to pack some more, genuinely wondering if heâd rather spend 2 weeks with Lewis, god only knew where, or driving around by himself in his van.
~
In the end, it wasnât too hard for Arthur to decide to go with Lewis, the idea of spending so much time Ali e never seeming so unappealing. Plus, heâd grown to miss Lewisâ company, even after only the few days spent avoiding eachother.
He took his time heading to Lewisâ room once he was done packing, not wanting to seem too over eager after his outburst in the hallway earlier. He rapped his knuckles against the dragons door once he arrived, fidgeting nervously in the hallway as he waited for an answer.
After a beat of silence there was the sound of heavy footsteps and the door opened to reveal a shirtless Lewis. He glanced down and took note of the blonds bags. âI take it you want to come with me?â He asked in a joking tone as he held open the door for Arthur to enter.
Lewis couldnât help the little thrill of excitement that passed over him. Arthur had fallen for his lie. Which, honestly, wasnât a lie. It WAS his familyâs summer home. It just probably wasnât what Arthur was expecting but it wasnât his fault the human had taken him up on the offer without so much as asking a single question.
Arthur rolled his shoulders in a little shrug, a faint flush of embarrassed pink dusting his cheeks. âIt honestly wasnât a hard sell,â he admitted, grabbing his bag and stepping inside once Lewis had moved aside. âThe prospect of living out of my van for two weeks wasnât super thrilling, especially since it has a tendency to break down every hundred miles or so. Not that I canât fix it, usually, but, yeah. Itâs still not a super great time taking it on road trips.â
He set his bag next to his leg and stood awkwardly off to the side in the room, shoving his hands into his pockets with a lopsided smile on his lips. âSo, uh, yeah. I, uh, also just missed spending time with you. Iâll be honest.â
âAw, youâre such a needy girlfriend, Arthur.â Lewis teased with a large grin. He wasnât about to admit the same. He didnât want to come off too forgiving so soon.
âWeâll leave in about an hour, if thatâs fine with you.â Lewis made his way to the  dresser in the room to pull out white button-down shirt and another vest. At least he had the foresight to buy more than one. He quickly slipped them on. The clothes covering his fit form and scars, some obviously old from years of healing.
He turned back to the other teen while tying his trademark ascot into place. âAre you sure you have everything? Enough clothes? Anything that might be incriminating?â
Arthur stammered for a moment at the barb, indignant sounds escaping him, even as the pink on his cheeks darkened to red. "I am not needy," he finally scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. He was only momentarily distracted by the scars on Lewis' torso as the taller teen turned to change, a small frown on his face, before snapping back to attention as Lewis spoke again.
"Hm? Oh, yeah, that's fine. I got nowhere to be," he joked with a small shrug, pulling out Lewis' desk chair to sit down. "I've got what I need. Couple changes of clothes, toiletries, you know. I don't need much. And what do you mean by incriminating? Like, human-y things that your family shouldn't see? I left all my projects tucked away in my room, if that's what you're worried about. Otherwise, unless hair gel is banned at your place, it should be fine."