When Sheehan gets home later, Arthur's on the couch going through the bestiary still, two abandoned cups of tea on the table and a distracted glare on his face as he's reading, like he can intimidate the book into giving up whatever secrets he's after.
So distracted, in fact, that he doesn't even react at all when Sheehan does come in.
When Arthur locks in, he very much locks in - it's actually not something Sheehan's seen him do terribly much on the Barge.
So when Sheehan sits down next to him he half-glances up at the movement on pure automatic instinct - and then jolts into a violent double-take. "Doctor! Jesus, when the Hell did you-?"
His cheeks go bright pink as he takes the tea, but his smile is far more uncomfortable than grateful.
"Thank you, love. I-I had Oscar over earlier, I, er. I got distracted, trying to look for something he brought up." Patting the book with his free hand.
"Yes, er- yes, he-" He rallies a little, turning to face Sheehan properly. "He finally told me a bit more about how he actually knows me. I-in New York, I hired a room from one of his parishioners, an older woman. Only-"
He closes the book in his lap to avoid any potential tea incidents. "It turns out there's a creature in her house that can possess people, control them in their sleep and use their dreams against them. Apparently it- tricked me into releasing it."
"Right, but- knowing that we have the ability to help Oscar solve this in our own future, it..." He gestures a hand weakly. "Don't we have a duty of care, o-or something, to help him solve this without costing him his fucking arm?"
"Well, given that he was willing to let me help even after blackmailing him and releasing the thing he was trying to fight against," he says, shifting to lean against Sheehan, "I shouldn't be so surprised. It's just- the way he's so willing to just forgive it all is... I-I don't know. It feels... undeserved."
Sheehan gently slides a hand behind Arthur's head, gently brushing his fingers along the shorter hair there. "Of course it does. Because you hold all of that unearned guilt that no one can absolve you of."
"I do," he answers with a decisive nod and a teasing smirk after that kiss. "Because otherwise I'd only be right some of the time and that somehow seems worse."
"Perhaps you just need some practice," he comments. "John and I get things wrong all the time, and it's not always the end of the world."
Though, speaking of - he glances down, a little automatically, like he expects John to come out from under the couch again. And in their mind and out loud: "Ah, John- are you listening?"
But there is a little cat nose poking out from under the couch. A full cat will pop out and trot over to the two of them, hopping up towards Arthur's lap.
...Sheehan's going to claim him soon enough, but half the fun is getting stolen from Arthur. And he wants the initial scritchings.
There's something just wonderfully grounding about having John pressed against him, in whatever form he took. That made it easier thinking about all of the supernatural bullshit they dealt with, even without the idea of John's powers protecting him, and both hands bury happily in John's coat to rub his neck and shoulders.
"That's alright - I just wanted to ask you if Oscar's told you anything about a being he called Mr Scratch yet."
"Right, well. Since he technically told us both about it in his timeline, whether he knows it or not," he comments, smushing John's fur around so he can lean down to give him a little kiss between his ears.
"Oscar told me about this- being, that could invade people's dreams if they slept near it, possesses people in their sleep. It was trapped in the house of someone in his church, his parishioner. And that when we ended up staying there, for some reason, it-" his hands pause, and with a conscious effort they relax a little rather than tighten in John's fur. "That it tricked me into releasing it. I was-"
His hand goes to the bestiary, having slipped onto the cushion next to them. "Oscar said he had a look through the bestiary, but he couldn't find anything that quite matched, so I was giving it another look, with- that sort of criteria in mind."
According to my research, there are many creatures that can fuck with people through dreams. And more than a few entities not unlike the King in Yellow.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Back on the 15th
So distracted, in fact, that he doesn't even react at all when Sheehan does come in.
Re: Back on the 15th
"What are you looking for?"
Re: Back on the 15th
So when Sheehan sits down next to him he half-glances up at the movement on pure automatic instinct - and then jolts into a violent double-take. "Doctor! Jesus, when the Hell did you-?"
Re: Back on the 15th
"I've been home a while. Long enough to make an entirely new cup of tea," he points out, holding it out to him.
Re: Back on the 15th
His cheeks go bright pink as he takes the tea, but his smile is far more uncomfortable than grateful.
"Thank you, love. I-I had Oscar over earlier, I, er. I got distracted, trying to look for something he brought up." Patting the book with his free hand.
Re: Back on the 15th
He nudges him with his shoulder. "Tell me?"
Re: Back on the 15th
He closes the book in his lap to avoid any potential tea incidents. "It turns out there's a creature in her house that can possess people, control them in their sleep and use their dreams against them. Apparently it- tricked me into releasing it."
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
He rests his elbow on one knee so he can rub his face with the other hand. "Christ, New York sounds like its going to be fucking ridiculous."
Re: Back on the 15th
"But that is also an Arthur that has not been in this ship."
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
"Do you have to be right all the time, doctor?" he grouses, leaning in to give him a quick kiss.
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Though, speaking of - he glances down, a little automatically, like he expects John to come out from under the couch again. And in their mind and out loud: "Ah, John- are you listening?"
Re: Back on the 15th
But there is a little cat nose poking out from under the couch. A full cat will pop out and trot over to the two of them, hopping up towards Arthur's lap.
...Sheehan's going to claim him soon enough, but half the fun is getting stolen from Arthur. And he wants the initial scritchings.
Re: Back on the 15th
"How much did you listen in on?"
Re: Back on the 15th
Arthur is getting cat 'headbutted', rubbing his head against Arthur's chest.
Re: Back on the 15th
"That's alright - I just wanted to ask you if Oscar's told you anything about a being he called Mr Scratch yet."
Re: Back on the 15th
And now he's pressing his whole body against Arthur and purrs.
Re: Back on the 15th
"He told me about what happened, but only a little," Sheehan explains.
Re: Back on the 15th
"Oscar told me about this- being, that could invade people's dreams if they slept near it, possesses people in their sleep. It was trapped in the house of someone in his church, his parishioner. And that when we ended up staying there, for some reason, it-" his hands pause, and with a conscious effort they relax a little rather than tighten in John's fur. "That it tricked me into releasing it. I was-"
His hand goes to the bestiary, having slipped onto the cushion next to them. "Oscar said he had a look through the bestiary, but he couldn't find anything that quite matched, so I was giving it another look, with- that sort of criteria in mind."
Re: Back on the 15th
A pause.
What did it want?
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th
Re: Back on the 15th