"Is this truly necessary, Vivi? We aren't doing Arthur much good by sitting around at home." Mystery sat, rather awkwardly, on one of Vivi's trademark blue plush pillows. Actually, no, not on, a better description would be in. With how soft some of these pillows were, Mystery sometimes felt like if he sat for too long on one of them while wearing the dog-skin, he would sink and be swallowed by the mass of cloth and fluff.
"Yes, it's necessary! When was the last time we had an honest-to-god movie night? One of the good ones, that always get us laughing at how bad or cheesy the movies are. Besides, I thought you loved watching these movies with everyone?" Vivi crossed her arms while she spoke at Mystery, waiting for the microwave next to her to finish popping her popcorn.
"Well, it's just that, with the monster plague that I…ah…released, and Arthur's location still missing, it's rather unlike you to take a social night off. Normally, when this sort of thing happens, it's I who has to take you away from work…"
"We've been working all week, Mystery. It's time to have some fun! Now, help me pick which movie to put in." Vivi dismissed the matter as she crossed the room to search her shelp of DVDs. "Should we watch this one, or that one, or…OOOOOOOOHHH, let's put in this one! I can't remember the last time I watched this one!" She could only squeal as she passed the case to Mystery to see what she had put in.
Mystery shook his head, more in amusement than anything else. Night of the living Dead. Mystery had encountered actual Reanimations before, and the ones in this film were far prettier than the real thing. Horrible, nasty creatures, made you lose your appetite. But at least Vivi liked the imitation. He called towards the kitchen, as Vivi was opening the microwave door, "You know, we've seen this film enough times that I know what you're going to say during the movie?"
"Oh, hush. That's what makes it so much fun!"
"Fun that I can predict exactly what you're going to say, when you're going to say it?" He smirked as she pouted. Rolling his eyes, he said, "Oh, just put the bloody thing in already." She grinned and plopped down next to him on the couch, as the movie started to play, a big bowl of fresh popcorn in her lap.
"I think I might have burned it a little," she smiled apologetically.
"I've learned to look past it over the years. Some people just can't be perfect, you know," Mystery replied, grinning as her mouth opened in shock and mock offense.
The movie's opening credits rolled by on the classic white screen, and immediately began Vivi's scathing review: "Honestly I cannot believe that was a cool caption design back in the day? Like, someone in their office probably actually went oh, hey guys, let's make the letters look like blood, so everybody knows this is super-duper scary, graphic design is my passion.
"…What was up with that stupid girl, anyway? How did she not get the idea that moving towards a shambling creep is a bad idea? I bet you she was dropped on her head as a baby."
"Empathetic as usual, I see." Mystery said, not missing a beat. Right on cue, too. It's almost like she rehearses these things.
"I'm just being honest! And wouldn't that guy realize something was wrong with the dude that walked up to him and oh, I don't know call the cops like a normal person?"
Mystery stowed a chuckle as he answered, "He certainly doesn't have much sense, does he?"
"RIGHT?" The two of them laughed over the volume for most of the film, all the way through to close to the ending.
It was one of the final scenes, when Vivi spoke up again, and this time, it wasn't quite what he expected to hear. "Huh. This is…now it's a little weird."
He stopped watching and turned his head to look at her. "What's weird?"
"I remember when we used to watch this movie as a group, a year ago. This was always the part when Lewis said that he would protect me, even when I'd elbow him and tell him it wasn't a scary film at all."
Rolling his eyes, Mystery said, "I remember. And then he'd pick you up and bear hug you, whether you liked it or not. It hasn't been so long that the awkward third wheel has forgotten everything."
"I didn't know you could talk back then, foxface." She gave him a playful flick on the snout. Then she sighed, and said, more somberly, "All the same, this movie feels…a lot sadder than it used to. I was hoping that…well, I don't know, that it might help to cheer me up a little."
"Is that what all this is about?"
Vivi looked at him when she didn't understand, and Mystery said, "Lewis and Arthur, both gone? Or more to the point, not here?"
Vivi paused, then quietly nodded her head.
Mystery thought his words through carefully before he asked, "I thought you said that you were done with Lewis back at the Mesa."
"I did, but…I don't know, I just…I guess I still miss him? Even though the stuff he did was awful, and it's not something I want in my life—"
"You miss how your life used to be before he died."
Vivi didn't answer immediately. She didn't need to, she knew he understood he was right. She crossed and rubbed her arms with her hands. It was strange how quickly you could get a chill in this empty apartment now.
"I just want the both of them back, Mystery. I don't want Lewis to be ghost, I don't want Arthur to be trapped inside of a rock, I don't want my friends to keep dying the way that they do. I mean, you're the only one of my little circle of friends who's still alive. I don't want you to die and go insane too." Vivi drew her knees up to her chin and said in a quiet voice almost muffled by her sweater, "Maybe I'm just bad luck to be around."
Mystery stood up immediately, and wiggled into the thin space between her stomach and legs, forcing her lap back down as he curled up on it. "Mystery!" She protested.
"Remember when I used to do this all the time?" he said, eyes closed, not opening them to look at her.
"Yeah I do, every night my parents did movie night, you'd make it so I was never comfy on the couch!"
Mystery's mouth twitched upwards into a smile, as he said, "Exactly. It was irritating, annoying, but you were always sure of where I was. I couldn't have been closer to protect you if I wanted to. I've known you longer than either Lewis or Arthur. If you're bad luck, then by your logic I shouldn't be around anymore, should I?"
Vivi opened her mouth, but before she could say anything Mystery said, "Actually, that was a rhetorical question, you weren't supposed to answer that."
Vivi flicked his ear in revenge, getting a satisfying yelp in response. Mystery scowled up at her, and said, "Look what you did, you ruined the moment."
That got a laugh out of her, and Mystery smiled. He continued, "What I was trying to say, before you so rudely interrupted me," this earning him a tongue stuck out at him, "is that I'm here for you. I haven't gone yet, and I'm not leaving anytime soon."
Vivi smiled at him, and he smiled back, until Vivi looked up and said to the screen, "Seriously, you let the creeps in? Lady, you are not smart in the least…"
Mystery looked back at the television, sighing, "aaaaand again, moment's over."
Laughing, Vivi said, "I'm only kidding and you know it." Mystery only huffed in response.
Vivi turned down the sound of the film, briefly, and said to him, "Though, I was going to ask you something, Mystery. How are…you feeling?"
Confused, Mystery stood, got off her lap, turned back to face her and asked, "Feeling? I feel fine, why?"
"Well, I'm sure it's nothing, but I just wanted to make sure. You've just been acting a little differently is all. More energetic, more playful, more teasing. Definitely more mischievious." She said the last adjective with a bit of a smile on her face, before she continued, "I just wanted to make sure that losing your powers didn't affect just your powers."
Mystery nodded, and paused before he answered, "I…I'm honestly not quite sure myself. When I was at full strength, I was strong, yes, but it always felt more like a dwindling strength, like the kind of a man aging past his prime. Now that my spirit reservoir's been drained, I almost feel…well, younger. I feel hungrier, but it's a good hunger, the kind you get after a long day of hard work, not really a hunger of greed. I don't deal in that type of hunt anymore anyway…" Mystery said the last sentence while looking away. Vivi didn't like the way that sounded, but from the look on his, face, she could tell he didn't want to talk about it. Making up her mind, she reached over, picked him up and placed her back on her lap.
He looked up at her curiously, and she said with a smile, "I think I don't mind you sitting here anymore. So long as you behave yourself."
"Vivi, dear, you are speaking to an aeons-old spirit who is nearly more powerful than your scanners can read."
"Aeons-old spirit who still yelps like a puppy when I flick his ears."
"Hrrrrrmmph."