Matthew

Tyson is Jewish.

He is incredibly proud of being Jewish. However, Tyson is also an incredibly cautious person with a great memory who will take any steps necessary to protect himself and those he cares about.

If necessary, to protect himself or someone else, Tyson is willing to pretend to be Christian and took the initiative of memorising the book of Matthew to ‘prove’ that. When asked to prove that he knows the bible, Tyson will usually default on Matthew 11:28.

Yōkai

Though he doesn’t give them more credence than he does ghosts, Tyson finds the idea of Yōkai utterly fascinating.

If asked, he couldn’t specify what it is about Yōkai that he enjoys so much, but Tyson is always delighted whenever he hears about a new Yōkai or a new variant of their story.

The first Yōkai that Tyson heard about is one that a lot of people know about, the Kappa, from his brother Jethro during one of their many trips down to the river in the family manor’s ground to go swimming.

Achievement Tokens

Thought Tyson is very academically qualified and knows that there are many other valid forms of qualification and achievements, he doesn’t understand why people care about tokens of those achievements.

For example, whilst he would never dismiss someone’s pride at a coin of sobriety or the effort it took to achieve, he cannot internalise the value of it.

Sports achievements, Tyson can wrap his head around and understand what each one means in comparison to another and the different areas they cover, but he struggles with anything other than academic or athletic achievements.

Even military medals are something of a question mark for him.

Soulmates

Though Tyson doesn’t believe it to be necessarily romantic in nature, or that it is limited to one per person, Tyson does believe in the idea of soulmates.

That two or more people can compliment each other so perfectly as to be considered part of a bigger whole; no lesser when apart, yet in perfect harmony when together. In his mind, the best example of that would be the Moriarty Mirrors.

However, he has seen plenty of other people who compliment each other in that way: inseparable siblings who seem like one being in two bodies, soldiers who fought together as though they had been born to do it, and partners who could have told Tyson that they had been lovers since the earth was formed and Tyson would have believed them.

As for who Tyson would say his soul mates are?

If he asked, Tyson would politely yet firmly refuse to answer. Because to Tyson, the truth is that the two people he’s met who complete his best are now standing on opposite sides of the battlefield from him and from each other: Captain John Watson & Colonel Sebastian Moran.

He’ll freely describe himself and John as simpatico, brothers by all but blood, and yet whilst their temporary peace continues, eventually Tyson knows they will be forced to stand in opposition in the Moriarty Mirrors’ game against Holmes.

The reasons for Sebastian Moran are all to plain to see, as are the reasons it hurts to admit. 

Heaven

Tyson’s views on the concept of heaven are rather disinterested.

He cares about what happens in his life, rather than what might happen once he dies.

If pressed and forced to decide what he believes, Tyson would be stuck thinking for a long, long time. Eventually, however, he would settle on the idea of multiple universes and that in passing in one, life continues into a new alternative universe where alternate paths may be walked.

It isn’t something Tyson puts any particular faith in or that he’s counting on as a ‘safety net’ to fix the mistakes of this life, but it is the answer that Tyson finds the most satisfying in life not ending completely, in having a second chance, and feeling the most logically sound to him.

He finds the thought comforting, in a distance intangible way. He knows its comforting, but doesn’t feel that comfort. It’s unimportant to him when compared to what he may do in this life. Too distant to ascribe any strong emotion or intent behind.

Any future life is for that version of Tyson to handle, not for him.

Aura

Though Tyson doesn’t personally believe in aura, he is amused by the comparison to his Synesthesia.

Rather than showing the nature of a person, Tyson’s Synesthesia is more reflective of his view of that person, but he understands where the comparison comes from.

More generally, Tyson appreciates the idea of aura and - though always respectful of other’s beliefs - aura is something that Tyson finds easier to understand why other people believe in it.

Wishes

Tyson isn’t typically a person to make wishes.

For as long as he can consciously remember, as a child Tyson didn’t make a wish when blowing out the candles. He just paused long enough to make it seem as though he was. It wasn’t that Tyson was already too pessimistic about it working, he simply felt too awkward to do so.

Whenever Tyson has resorted to making wishes, it has been to shooting stars and as an act of desperation. ‘Please, just… let me survive this.’

Aliens

There is a principle in mathematics called the Drake equation, that uses probability to figure out the likelihood of alien life, and - as ever - Tyson puts his faith in mathematics completely.

Whilst Tyson agrees that the construction of the equation is flawed in several ways, it seems more absurd to him to assume that there wouldn’t be other intelligent life in the entire universe.

He believes that there are other answers for being getting abducted and Tyson fundamentally hates anyone who insists that ancient human civilisation and religions were the results of alien influence, but he does believe that earth cannot be an anomaly.

Luck

Though Tyson doesn’t believe in luck over the truth of probability and chance, he likes to use luck as a measuring stick for how probability has appeared. It is purely probability, purely random chance, how the events came to be, but Tyson finds it easier to quantify how the odds appear as lucky or unlucky rolls.

He doesn’t allow that luck to change the value he assigns to different scenarios, especially when making plans for the web, but Tyson can keep score more efficiently that way. It also makes certain concepts easier for Tyson to express to other people rather than throwing out the mathematical version.

The exception to that rule comes from gamblers, who Tyson would instead default on presenting the information as a clear betting odds rather than automatically presenting concepts of luck as Tyson knows that gamblers have a tendency to be superstitious about luck and he respects superstitions.

Ghosts

As mentioned here, Tyson doesn’t believe that ghosts exist, but he believes that they could exist and doesn’t discredit the idea. Sometimes fortunately and sometimes very unfortunately for him, his main!universe isn’t quite the real world: with the Moriarty Mirrors, Draco, advanced nanobots, and more existing.

Bobby can see ghosts and is able to seek them out. He will go out of his way to find ghosts, even taking Tyson miles off course. Though Tyson has his dogs trained to an incredible level, the former Lieutenant largely allows his dogs to do as they wish unless given a direct instruction. That training means he can trust them enough to allow such a loose metaphorical leash.

Unless Tyson is trying to get somewhere specific, when Bobby starts leading him and Lily off to the left on their morning walk, Tyson shrugs and follows the course Bobby would like the walk. He doesn’t understand what exactly is catching his Dalmatian’s interest, but he enjoys the opportunity to take a new route and see different areas of London when it happens.

Superstitions

Tyson is respectful of other people’s superstitions, though he doesn’t have many of his own: beyond the innate belief that inanimate objects can be spiteful, especially at the worst possible moments.

Soldiers are a very superstitious lot, - in a high stress, dangerous environment built around structure and repetition, it’s not that surprising - and Tyson went through a lot of mental gymnastics to abide by people’s, often contradicting, superstitious rituals. Naturally, ones involving numbers - unlucky numbers, lucky numbers, Friday the 13th, et cetera - are the ones that interest Tyson the most.

He doesn’t believe in lucky charms themselves, but he does believe in the ‘power’ in people wishing for whatever the charm is supposed to give: especially when given as a gift. Tyson thinks of them in the same way he thinks of prayer. Hamsa hands hold a special place in Tyson’s heart, and he also has a great respect for Omamori; far more than lucky rabbit’s feet or horseshoes.

Tyson doesn’t believe it will have any impact, but whenever he knows someone else is superstitious, he will go out of his way to respect that: actively avoiding cracks on the pavement, avoiding walking under ladders, throwing spilt salt over his shoulder, et cetera. He isn’t as aware of ‘knock on wood’ as he is ‘touch wood’, but Tyson still tries whenever he can.

The only common superstition that it could be said Tyson actively partakes in is ‘kiss it for good luck’, most commonly with his dog-tags in his army days and prior to that with his Delaney family crest ring. However, that is more Tyson paying lip service to the tradition than actually believing it will have any impact; a way of reassuring those around him. Also, kissing is fun.

In so far as more supernatural superstitions and beliefs, Tyson’s general rule of thumb is: it might not be real, but why mess with it? He doesn’t believe that ghosts exist, but he believes that they could exist and doesn’t discredit the idea. He doesn’t believe in fairies either, but he won’t walk through a fairy circle.

Belief has power, regardless of whether or not the thing being believed in is real. If it matters to someone, it is real enough to be respected. If someone who does believe in fairies sees him walk through the circle, or sees his footprints in the ground, then that person is the one psychologically predisposed to feel unlucky: to stack the odds against themselves because they assume they will fail.

Tyson does not need to believe in fairies, pixies, ghosts, or gnomes to listen patiently and respectfully as others tell him how to catch a pixie for good luck: with a glass jar baited with honey, then covered with a cobweb to trap them. He doesn’t need to believe anything bad with happen, to give another peace of mind by leaving his breadcrumbs by the pond edge for the garden gnome.