Tap, tap, tap, tap…
A gentle rain drizzled softly against the cracked windowpane. Crump peered out through the fogged glass, his eyes drawing a sleepy path through the gloomy canopy of clouds. An unpleasantly sticky wetness hung in the air, its presence filling the X-Nauts' room with the stench of mildew as it clung to the wooden walls.
It was looking seriously dreary out there. …The roof would leak again. Stretching his arms as he yawned, Crump noted that he should probably remind the X-Nauts upstairs to set their buckets out before they left.
"Ugh, gross… rain?" Johnson crawled across his bed, commenting on the nasty weather as he approached the window. "Could it maybe just not? …You think Bow'd even notice if I just went back to sleep? Bet she couldn't actually tell the difference if I swapped with some other guy, hehehehehehehe!"
"Come, now. Don't even entertain the thought…" Xaido scolded as he slipped his shoes out from beneath the bed frame and slid them onto his feet.
Had Crump also been the correct size to switch with another X-Naut, the idea sure would've been tempting. However, since he wasn't…
"Yeah, no - if I've gotta deal with her, you're coming too. Save it. Seriously..." Slipping his own shoes on, the X-Naut general let out the slightest of derisive snorts.
His roommates continued chatting idly as they begrudgingly stood up and began to move about. After a bit of fumbling amongst their belongings, the men eventually drifted over to the door and slowly trickled out into the hallway, the creaky wooden floorboards groaning beneath their feet. Crump could hear their heavy footsteps echoing within the stairwell as they gradually made their way down to the first floor.
But the purple-garbed X-Naut lingered behind.
With a fixed stare, he trotted over towards the room's lone dog bed and crouched before it, regarding its ever-present inhabitant. He knew Grodus had said to stop bothering him. He knew that, but…
Crump couldn't just leave without saying anything to him. Grodus was a critically important person - he was special. The idea of ignoring him, day in and day out, without ever saying a word was just…
It was all kinds of wrong. No - no, he couldn't.
And so, blatantly ignoring his boss's earlier directive, Crump decided to talk to him once more.
"Hey, Grodus."
The head remained silent as it continued to face the wall. But, that wasn't about to deter its unwanted conversational partner.
"…I think… I really do think we might be able to make all this work," the bulky X-Naut started to speak while doing his best to convey the sincerity of his feelings. "Things are finally starting to turn around. Like… I haven't exactly felt super confident about anything for a while, and it's still a long road ahead, but… I think the X-Nauts are actually gonna make it. I know you aren't doing too great, but we'll still be here, waiting for you, whenever you're ready."
Crump could see a single orange light glowing against the wall, indicating the head's idle status. It brightened for a second, then dimmed before going out entirely. A few seconds later, it brightened again as proof that the machine still held life – that predictable cycle would repeat again, and again, and again…
Was Grodus listening at all? Crump couldn't tell. But, talking to him still gave Crump a sense of peace.
And so, the large X-Naut kept going, folding his hands on his lap as he settled in. "We still aren't getting along with those stuffy big shots around town, but we're getting by. I really hope this lady doesn't try to send us into Rogueport too often for work, I'm sure that those crazy Piantas would have their way with us if they caught us walking around in the open these days, but… well, we're starting to find some ways to get around that. If we can get enough people on our side who we can run supplies through, we might not have to worry too much." He reached up and scratched at his head as he recalled. "I had Vivian come with me to the camera store a while ago. Like, they weren't happy to see me, but we did manage to get normal service. …Sorta, I mean. Maybe if we hassle Pennington enough, we can round up the other Bumpties and-"
The lights upon Grodus's head suddenly began to flash as he growled out a question.
"What… did you just say…?"
Grodus had, against Crump's expectations, actually responded to him. The mechanical head turned and finally fully faced Crump, staring directly into his eyes.
"B-buh…..?"
The X-Naut general's mind spun at his boss's abrupt question.
…He should've been happy that Grodus was taking an interest in things, that he was asking about it at all, but… there was something about the way Grodus was looking at him. No - something was strange.
The air between them was stiff with tension. Though Grodus's expression was unreadable, the burly X-Naut could still feel a certain, unexpected emotion bubbling beneath the surface. Was Grodus... angry? It wasn't exactly out of the ordinary for his boss to be grouchy, but, considering the context…
Had he said something wrong?
"Uh… yeah! Pennington? I think you met him, actually. He's that one weird penguin-thing out in front of the sanctum who thinks he's a detective. He-"
"Not that, you fool! Repeat what you said before that. Now!"
What he had said before that? Crump combed his mind as he tried to recall. Before that… before that, he'd talked about…
He realized.
"…Vivian. You said that you were with… Vivian?" Grodus spat the question, his mood darkening further. The air around him was heavy with a menacing aura…
"Buh… I… uh…" Crump shrunk back. He could feel sweat forming upon his palms.
He knew it now. He'd messed up bad.
"…Crump," Grodus hissed. "You're… you mean to tell me that you've been out there, gallivanting with them? With the Three Shadows!? After everything I went through… after they made a complete fool of me, after they trampled upon my ambitions, after they used me and left me like this…"
The mechanical head edged closer to his underling, his voice growing louder with every indignant word.
"You mean to tell me that while I've been trapped in here, suffering within this infernal shell that remains of me, wishing that it would all just end, day after day… you've been out there, trying to entangle us with them again!? With the Three Shadows, of ALL people!?" he growled, his rage clear to see. "Do you think this is a joke!? Answer me! Now, you imbecile!"
Crump had nothing to say. He lowered his head towards the floor. "I… G-Grodus, I, uh…"
"…Well? And what else have you been doing? Just what have you been promising them? Hmmmmm?" Grodus glared accusingly. "What exactly has Beldam been feeding you to make you even begin to think this was a good idea!?"
"N-no! No, that's not it," Crump held his hands out in front of him, "I haven't seen Beldam at all, honest! I met with Vivian at the entertainment festival, about the same time as Bow. …Well, maybe a little before that..."
He could've stopped talking there. He probably should've. But…
Even when it was in his best interest, Crump just couldn't bring himself to hide anything from Grodus. He really, truly couldn't. "Uh, she ended up finding the dormitory while we were working outside, and a little after that, we…"
"Here? …You mean to tell me that she's been here!? When!?"
"Y-yeah. Like I said, it was during the festival."
"And you just… invited her in!?" Incredulously, Grodus shook his head. "Well? Keep going. What else are you hiding from me? How many times has she been here!? Who else have you been seeing!?"
Shutting up would've been the smartest thing to do. It would've been, but…
"…Um. I may have seen… a few of the others from back then, too," Crump stumbled over the words. "…There's, uh, that stacked cloud chick, and the rat…"
"CRUMP! Honestly, have you already forgotten everything that happened!?" Grodus finally hopped down from his spot, then bounced across the room in a fury. "You absolute fool! Complete idiocy! Is this what happens when I don't pay attention!? Next thing I know, you'll say that one of them is here right now…!"
Crump gasped. Grodus turned sharply at the sound, his scowl punching a hole through his underling's core.
"…..You. You… you can't possibly be serious," he balked. "Who's here…!? WHO!?"
The cowering X-Naut braced himself as he responded. "…It's… Vivian. She's… she's here. Outside, she's…"
Grodus began to quiver.
"You complete and utter FOOL! Am I not allowed to know a moment of peace? Are you out to torment me as well!?" The former overlord howled with wrath.
"I'm not, I promise! I just didn't know what to do, and…!"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" Grodus began to writhe. "I've heard ENOUGH out of you, now and forever! You… you…! You TRAITOR! Even you!? I knew it! I knew, even you, someday…!" He glowered. "If it weren't for you, if you weren't such a failure, I could've…!"
"I'm sorry! I just wanted to help…! I really did, I…"
Crump's hands shook. This… wasn't one of Grodus's normal rages. No, he could feel it - he knew. This was something far worse…
"Crump? Shut UP, I swear it!" Grodus screamed, letting the full extent of his anger show. "I absolutely loathe you! You're a blight upon my very existence! You whine constantly, you're always boasting about nothing, you say that you're here for me… but not once have you ever done anything to actually help me! Every time you've ever 'helped' me, you've only brought me misery! You're completely WORTHLESS - moreso than anyone else I've ever met!"
"I-I… I…" Crump stammered as his mind went blank.
"I thought I was finally rid of you! When I left you behind in that fortress, I thought I wouldn't have to suffer your failures ever again, that I was finally FREE of you! Why are you still here!? Why do you follow me like a cockroach, even now, after I've lost everything important to me…!?"
"Grodus, I didn't mean it like that…! Just… I was desperate, and…!"
Crump had no idea what to say. He'd tried his best. He really had. Really, when it came down to it, he'd only ever wanted one thing…
"Is this part of my punishment? …Did that woman know? That if she brought me back like this, that if she revived you, I'd be left to suffer your idiocy FOREVER…!?"
"B-buh…"
All he'd wanted was for Grodus to be truly happy. He'd given everything he had. Deep down, Crump knew he wasn't actually all that smart, or fast, or even all that strong, but… even against someone as overwhelmingly powerful as Mario, he'd fought as hard as he possibly could. He'd done it all for Grodus, gone through all that pain and suffering and disappointment again and again, even given his life, but…
But Grodus just wouldn't stop screaming.
"I LOATHE YOU! I LOATHE YOU, I LOATHE YOU, I ABSOLUTELY LOATHE YOU! YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE! WHY, WHY, WHY ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!?" The former mage's rage reached a fever pitch, his last ounce of composure finally cracking beneath the strain of his wrath.
"Hey, uh, I… look. I really am sorry. …I swear it. If you'd just listen, I could expla-"
Weakly, Crump tried one last time to calm his boss down. And yet, Grodus…
"SHUT UP, FOR THE LAST TIME! I DON'T CARE, I DON'T GIVE A DAMN! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT - NOW! YOU SHOULD'VE STAYED DEAD!"
At that moment, Crump genuinely wished he had.
"Hmm hmm hmm~!"
The playful sizzle of bacon upon her frying pan was music to Vivian's ears. Mere inches away, an X-Naut PhD was sprinkling some sugar on a few pieces of toast – the two of them were prepping plates for the other early risers that would be making the daily trek out to Poshley Heights. With their newfound budget, they'd decided to start the morning off right with a nice little motivational treat.
After their trip out to the camera store last week, it seemed like the X-Nauts were actually starting to warm up to her. …At least, the small group of soldiers working under Bow were. Most of the other residents still avoided the shadow, but the camera crew had no problem asking her to join them for a meal of bacon and cinnamon toast before their morning commute. Given, she suspected part of that was also because they'd sent her out to buy it the night before, but…
Regardless, Vivian was looking forward to tasting it. It'd been a while since she'd had a warm breakfast.
"Yooo, that smells stupid good," Johnson stretched at the kitchen table as he lazily waited for his share to come to him. "Why don't we do this every day?"
"Yeah, yeah!" "I agree!" Several of the others chimed in, cheerfully smacking their poised and ready utensils against the table. Vivian could see their feet swaying beneath the wooden surface with an excited energy. It was the most alive she'd seen them look in the morning.
…As she recalled a certain other creature she lived with that also frequently looked awful during early mornings, she found herself wondering if birds could have bacon.
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!"
Enraged screaming from above, loud enough to wake the entire dormitory, sliced abruptly through the X-Nauts' conversation.
Vivian startled, nearly dropping her tongs. She turned her head upwards as she studied the ceiling with a frown.
"W-what…?" she started to ask, only for the PhD to quickly shush her. She looked around – the other X-Nauts were all listening carefully, their excited energy gone within an instant.
The sounds of yelling continued from upstairs, though it was muffled enough to where she couldn't quite catch the words. But somebody was angry – very, very angry.
Eventually, after several minutes of shrieking, the voice stopped. The X-Nauts exchanged glances, all of them tense as could be.
"Um… Is everything okay, do you think? Should someone go check…?" Vivian turned as she asked the PhD next to her. He shook his head.
"N-no, I don't think that's a good idea," he whispered. "Let's just finish up here and go outside. …Don't worry about it for now. Keep your voice low, please."
She wasn't sure what was going on, but his firm tone was enough to silence her. Frowning, she turned back to the bacon and finished frying it, then loaded an equal portion onto each of the plates.
As she took her place at the table and began to eat, a certain someone lumbered lifelessly down the stairs.
Crump halted at the bottom of the steps with an empty look in his eyes. Then, one heavy footfall after the other, he trudged over to the table and took an unoccupied seat without a word.
All ate in silence.
Vivian glanced up as she tried to get a read on him. His expression was completely obscured beneath his goggles, his vacant gaze fixed pointedly on the table before him. …His food remained untouched.
"Are you okay…?" she whispered, a concerned frown spread across her face. Crump's head drifted towards her ever-so-slightly as he gave the slightest of nods, saying nothing. After waiting a moment and getting no further response, the shadow turned back to her toast and picked at it uneasily, though anxiety still prickled at her skin.
Without any further conversation, the crew finished up their meal, cleaned the table, and moved to leave.
The walk to the set was completely quiet – and yet, upon arriving, the group was immediately wrapped up in the typical flood of activity. Vivian had barely floated in the door when one of Flurrie's crewmembers pulled her away and led her over towards the bathroom.
The last week had been mostly rehearsal and setup. That day, filming would truly begin.
"Alright, darling, take a seat!" Flurrie called Vivian in and had her sit atop a stool. A Toad stood poised behind her with a brush and hairspray in hand, where they eagerly awaited further instructions.
Flurrie drifted about Vivian for a moment, her brow furrowed with thought. Then, with a snap of her fingers, she reached into a nearby jewelry box and began to dig for a specific item. "Now, I do believe we'll want something like this…"
After several minutes of fussing from the cloud spirit and her Toad stylist, Vivian found herself looking classier than ever – she truly fit the part of a well-bred lady, with her hair tied over her shoulder and accented with several golden, butterfly-themed accessories. The shadow peered curiously at her own face in the mirror as she resisted the urge to nibble nervously at her pink, lipstick-coated lips.
As they ushered her out of the room and called for the next person, she got a chance to take a good look at the other actors and actresses – based on their strapping looks alone, one would guess they were attending some sort of formal party. Pennington hadn't exactly changed much, though his Bumpty friend now wore a matching bowtie and held a pipe within his flippers. Similarly, Doopliss, who was leaning against the windowsill with a bored expression, looked the same as ever… not that Vivian was terribly surprised by that. They'd already sorted out his costume the day before by dressing Vivian in the appropriate accessories and then having Doopliss mimic her exact look. Since he'd already copied it once, he'd be able to do it on command whenever the script called for it.
Vivian couldn't help but smile softly as her gaze drifted from the lounging Duplighost to the diminutive creature at his feet. Petuni, the adorable little thing, was standing just a bit out of the way and was enthusiastically observing all of the passing staff. Even she was dressed up for a role - her body was accessorized with a cute pink collar, complete with a bone-shaped, sparkling dog tag.
"Miss Vivian! Good morning, good morning!" she chirped and bounced about as Doopliss let out a bored sigh. "Today is the day! We're finally going to be in a moo-vie, YAY!"
"Hmm hmm hmm! Yes, we are!" Vivian giggled lightly as she leaned down to say hello. She'd been surprised when she'd heard that Flurrie and Bow had actually agreed to let Petuni participate – she had an incredibly minor role, but the little bug-like creature seemed to be having plenty of fun all the same. "Are you nervous?"
"No! This is AWESOME!" Petuni squealed and pitter-pattered against the floor. "By the way, I really like your hair!"
"Aw, thank you!" Vivian replied, a slight blush creeping into her cheeks at the compliment. It was certainly different from her usual look – she felt far more mature than usual. She wasn't sure if it suited her, but she didn't necessarily dislike it.
"Staff! It's time! Scene one – get into your first positions!" Bow called from the living room. Vivian watched as the other employees rushed about and made their last-minute preparations – the Boos arranging props, the X-Nauts carrying lights and cameras, the Toads doing final checks on everyone's costumes and make-up…
Ignoring the butterflies in her stomach, Vivian floated over towards the bedroom and got into position, dodging the busy workers as she went. She'd make an appearance first thing – meanwhile, Crump should've already been in the bedroom, where he'd be scribbling busily at a manuscript. A couple of Toads came by and hastily handed Vivian her props for the scene: a full tray of pancakes and a cup of orange juice.
"CRUMP!" Bow called out. "Ugh, just where is that man…? I know he's here, I saw him earlier!"
The ghost looked about, eventually spying him sitting in a chair near the corner.
"Hey, you! Quit spacing out and get over here – you're up!"
"B-buh?" The X-Naut snapped out of his thoughts, though he still looked more than a little lost. "Oh, crud, uh… yeah, got it! I'm on it!"
Shaking his head, Crump rose and headed into the bedroom, where he took a seat at the mahogany desk. Vivian let out a little giggle as she saw his costume – though the man was wearing a tailor-fitted suit, his entire body remained as fully clothed as ever. The outfit, unique as it was, had clearly been designed just for him.
Once Crump had fully settled into position and taken a pen into his hand, filming was finally ready to begin.
Just as she'd been instructed, Vivian hummed cheerfully while bringing an early morning food delivery to her eccentric of a husband – for the third day in a row, the man was on another writing binge. After hollering that his breakfast was ready, she quickly slid the tray through a flap installed at the bottom of the door while being extra careful not to spill the pulpy orange , still humming, she retrieved an umbrella and her purse from a rack in the hallway, then pulled the purse's strap over her shoulder as she opened the front door.
"Cut! Good enough!" Bow called out.
The next scene up was incredibly simple – they just needed a bit of footage of Crump huddled over his manuscript, writing like his life depended upon it. Meanwhile, Vivian got into her next position just inside the front door, where they'd then set up the cameras outside the house with the intention of filming her exit.
"Cut! That's fine! Moving on – scene three!" She could hear Bow call out from the bedroom.
The camera crew quickly moved past the shadow and out the front, setting up what they needed despite the light drizzle of rain. With confirmation from the camera and lighting crews that they were prepared, they continued filming at a swift pace.
A Toad sounded the clapper, followed by Bow yelling out: "Ready! …Action!"
On cue, Vivian opened the door, unfurled her umbrella, and then locked the door behind her.
"Cut!" Bow called as she pointed her fan ahead.
And, with that, Vivian had a moment to rest. Her first few scenes had been easy enough. …She exhaled, letting the tension flood out of her body.
Despite their lack of complexity, they'd still left her tired.
After grabbing a bottle of water, she floated over next to Petuni and took a seat. Crump's biggest and only real scene was up next – his death scene. For that one, they'd be making use of the overhead camera, where they'd pan over the bedroom while a shadow crept in from somewhere unknown. As he was writing, they'd switch to a closer angle and focus in on him as something emerged from beyond…
Following those instructions, Crump spent a few moments scribbling words upon his manuscript with a single-minded focus. Then, as the camera approached and zeroed in on him, he turned to it and let out a startled gasp while clutching at his pen. However…
"Cut! …No, that's no good, no good at all!" Bow yelled as she slapped her fan against her director's chair. "You! You moved way too slow just now – it's not enough! You're in shock! They have a weapon! Remember, you're about to die! Whip your body around like you mean it and gasp like you're looking into your own grave!"
Crump was having a bit of a rough time. Doopliss let out a chortle, tapping his hand softly against the windowsill.
"Tough break there, Slick…" he murmured. "She's so right, though. You've got to really put your whole back into it for scenes like that… Otherwise, you just look really stupid. Nobody'll take it seriously."
"…Acting is pretty hard, huh?" Petuni whispered while watching the process with curious eyes.
The filming continued. And yet, despite the repeated retakes, Crump just couldn't get it right. Eventually, Bow let out a long, disappointed sigh and shook her head.
"That's enough! We're moving on for now – we'll return to this later," she groaned, "Next scene, take your positions!"
Vivian was up again, alongside the Bub-ulb. The two made their way along the sidewalk, chatting happily as they walked together. She carried a box filled with cake within her hands – the two were planning to eat it together upon returning to the house.
As she entered her home, she knocked upon the bedroom door and cheerily called out to her husband.
"Dear! I'm home! Would you like a slice of cake? They had your favorite today!"
Nobody answered.
"Dear?" She knocked again with no response. "…Dear! Are you asleep?" Another knock.
She tilted her head with an incredulous look – that wasn't normal. Her husband loved cake. With an increasingly worried expression, she slid into the shadows and slipped under the door, then emerged on the other side.
"Dear…?" she whispered in shock. Her husband had collapsed belly-down upon the floor.
Her panic increasing by the second, she fell to the ground next to Crump and rolled him over with a grunt, thus exposing his bleeding chest to the camera. "DEAR!?" she cried out, her voice filled with frantic emotion. Still, despite her efforts...
"CUT! …No! No, that's no good either!" Bow called out as she snapped her fan shut. "You were doing so well, too… but that last part, where you turned him over! No, no, no to that! The way you just hoisted him – no! You just discovered your husband collapsed on the floor! Stop treating him like a sack of flour!"
Vivian clenched her hands, her cheeks burning at the criticism. Yet, resolutely, she nodded.
"Y-yes, ma'am!"
"Do it right this time. Now, back-to-ones!"
The filming continued.
By the time the day ended, Vivian scarcely had the energy to keep herself upright. She could signs of fatigue on some of the others' faces, too – the Bob-omb, the Bub-ulb… the Boos had gotten tired and disappeared a while back, leaving the poor Toads to pick up the slack. They looked especially rough.
However, a few of the actors had staved off exhaustion with grace.
Pennington in particular was still talking, despite the fact that he'd had the most lines out of everyone. It had likely helped that his character wasn't all that different from the one he typically played – as Vivian had quickly figured out, Pennington's normal, everyday detective act was just a caricature of one of Herringway's classic protagonists.
Flurrie was also handling it all like a champion. Her hair remained perfectly fluffed, her makeup undisturbed… Her character, the mayor, had been dragged along with Pennington and his sidekick for most of the day. And yet, even though her scenes were long over, she was still putting up with him, listening to him as he continued to babble on about the detective's life.
Meanwhile, Doopliss smirked from his spot by the windowsill, looking good as new. …But that was to be expected. After all, he hadn't done a thing all day but watch.
"Well, I guess that was entertaining enough, yuk yuk!" He let out a little chuckle. "If only a certain somebody didn't ask so many questions all the time, I would've been able to really enjoy the show!"
"I didn't ask that many questions!" Petuni protested as she stomped her feet.
The little Puni had done well, too – not that she'd needed to do much. All her scene required was for her to sleep at the side of a couch, where she'd played the part of the mayor's napping pet.
Vivian let out a yawn as she watched the others mill about, finally fully relaxing. …She could really use a nap herself. As much as she'd enjoyed watching the other performances, she was more than a little ready to head home. And she was so very, very hungry…
Yet, Bow wasn't through with her.
"Well, then! I'll be seeing all of you in a couple of hours!" the ghost spoke to Vivian, Crump, and the rest of the X-Nauts, the last of which were still busy packing up their equipment. "We have a lot of work to do after the mistakes I saw today! You especially, Crump – what was that earlier? You can do better than that – I've seen you do better than that!"
Vivian frowned. …The death scene. Bow was right – Crump certainly wasn't a natural when it came to acting, but he'd been doing all right during their rehearsals. …Better than he had during filming, at least.
But she had a good idea as to why that was.
And yet, Crump tiredly shook his head. "Yeah, I… sorry, Bow, but I'm gonna have to skip tonight. I just can't do this right now."
"You can't…?" Bow narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean you can't!? This is your job! What do you think I'm paying you for!?"
"I know. …Just… give me a night alone. I promise I'll do better tomorrow. If I don't, you can whip me into shape all you want."
"…Fine. But know that I disapprove," she huffed. "Well, whatever. No additional practice for tonight, then. All of you – rest and recover, then return to me at your best. Dismissed!"
Vivian heaved a sigh of relief. …She needed a break, too. Grabbing her bag, she turned to follow after Crump, only to discover that he'd already headed out the door. The other X-Nauts trailed out too, their minds seemingly elsewhere.
She didn't really know what was going on with them, but she hoped they'd be okay.
With that thought in mind, she headed out the front door and floated down the sidewalk, off towards the Riverside Valley pipe. However, as soon as she rounded the corner and entered the main street of Poshley Heights, she spotted something that gave her pause.
A little orange Bob-omb sat at the side of the road, his face scrunched up in a pout. He kicked at the stone pavement with the energy of an abandoned kitten. Vivian recognized him from her travels – the small fellow's name was Bub. Usually, his parents were somewhere nearby, but…
Where were they? Vivian crouched down next to him as she looked him over… Thankfully, he didn't seem hurt. "Is everything okay?" she questioned with a frown. "Why are you all alone…? You didn't have a fight with your mom again, did you?"
If she recalled, something like that had happened before. He peered over at her, giving her a startled look before his face softened with recognition.
"You're, uh… that mister's friend, right?" he asked while tilting his head. "Um… not really, but thank you for asking. I… don't super wanna talk about it, so…"
"Mmmm. Well, you shouldn't stay out here too late by yourself, okay? It's not dangerous or anything, but…"
Vivian still didn't exactly like seeing lone children moping by the side of the street.
"Okaaaaaay…" he grumbled as he continued to kick his feet. Quickly, he turned away from her, focusing instead on the ground before him...
Vivian really hoped he'd listen. Giving him one last sympathetic look, she left the child to his business and moved on along.
"You've got mail, SKRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!"
As Vivian floated into the doorway of her little shed, the parrot gleefully hopped over to her treasure box and used his toes to point at a letter sitting atop it. "I brought it in! I brought it in, skraaawk! An X-Naut dropped it off!"
Her heart fluttered. …From who? As she drifted over and took the paper into her hands, she braced herself for what she would read upon its surface.
But, just as quickly, that tension dissipated. "Goombella" was the word that reached her eyes.
"Oh, from Goombella!" She smiled brightly as the adorable Goomba girl's name bounced about her brain. Excited to finally hear from her friend again, Vivian slipped the letter out of its envelope and began devouring its contents. Then, with a gleeful nod, she placed it within her treasure box and immediately slung her bag over her shoulder once more. It wasn't long before she was headed straight back out into the world.
Goombella had returned home and wanted her to come by "ASAP."
After picking up some snickerdoodle cookies along the way, Vivian traversed the pipe system and floated through the grungy Rogueport with a weightlessness to her stride. Goombella's recent venture out into the beyond had taken longer than usual – normally, she would've only been gone from Frankly's house for a few days at most. Vivian had been too busy herself to worry much, but it hadn't stopped her from missing her favorite Goomba.
Upon arriving, Vivian quickly dropped down into the shadows and slid beneath the door to Frankly's residence. It took only mere moments after her emerging and calling out "I'm here!" for the Goomba archeologist in question to nearly tackle her to the ground with a hug-like nuzzle.
Yet, the taste of that joyful reunion was fleeting. Almost immediately afterwards, the sassy student started in on scolding her shadowy friend.
"Viviaaaaan…" she growled, looking up at the shadow with an accusing stare. "Ms. Mowz already told me everything! You're living with those nasty freaks!? Seriously? And they put you in a shed!? You've got to be kidding me!"
"Um… well…" The shadow bashfully played with her hair as she dodged Goombella's glare. …She should've guessed Ms. Mowz would mention it. Goombella almost always had a good idea of what was going on, thanks to her frequent visits with the others and her constant checking of messages on her mailing device. Vivian wasn't exactly good with technology, so she was always a bit behind on the latest news, but Goombella…
"I totally can't believe you sometimes! If you're in trouble, then literally just ask for help! Like…you could've just stayed here at Professor Frankly's and waited for me!" Goombella hollered with disbelief, making a racket as she continued her scolding. "I mean, really? You didn't even say what happened in the note you left! What gives!?"
"Hmm…?" Frankly looked up from his book at the sound of his name. Yet, Goombella didn't even glance at him, instead focusing wholeheartedly on her tirade.
"I'm seriously going to headbonk Beldam for this, she's so…!"
"Mmmm. …I know. I'm sorry, I really just didn't want to cause you any trouble…" Vivian folded her hands in front of her, still grasping her bag of cookies. "I should be able to handle these kinds of things on my own, though. I can't just be relying on everyone else all the time…"
…Goombella made everything sound so easy. She was so smart, so confident, so self-assured in everything she did…
Vivian really wanted to be like that, too. She really, truly did. If she was, maybe Beldam wouldn't get so angry with her.
"Nobody's hurting you or anything like that, right? Just… urgh! This is so frustrating!" the Goomba girl spat, though she did take the bag of cookies from Vivian and gently place it on the floor. Still grumbling, she laid out a couple of cushions and plopped down upon one. "And that one Boo! Lady Bow or whatever? Ms. Mowz told me about her too – I got bad vibes from her the day we met! She thinks she's sooooo perfect, so much better than everyone else…" Goombella complained while rolling her eyes.
Vivian shook her head. "Bow isn't so bad. She's stern and kind of harsh, but… she's not out to really hurt people. She can be kind sometimes!"
"…Can she?" Goombella gave Vivian a potent side eye. "I'll see for myself, I guess. Sorry, Vivian, but you really aren't the best judge of people. Like, at all. I think you'd follow anyone if they gave you a piece of candy."
"W-what? No, that's not true!" Vivian pouted, crossing her arms. She may have been a little bad about trusting people she shouldn't, sure, but she wasn't that bad. She'd made her way around Rogueport by herself just fine!
"Uh-huuh." Goombella gave her a look. "Whatever you say. Well, I guess at least you let Flurrie know what was going on. As long as she has an eye on things… but! If anything happens, you better tell me!"
Vivian at least nodded at that. Then, with a giggle, she pulled a cookie out of the bag and began to munch on it.
"Really, don't worry too much! There's been some good out of it all…" Vivian mumbled in-between bites. "I never knew acting was so much fun. And I never thought I'd be in a movie, not even in my wildest dreams… If you'd like, maybe you could come watch us film tomorrow? I'd love it if you did!"
If it was Goombella, she was sure Flurrie wouldn't mind having her on set. …Bow might, but if it made Flurrie happy, then…
"Omigosh, please! I would love to see you and Flurrie act together!" Goombella squealed at the idea, biting into her own cookie. "You don't even have to ask! I'll just bring my research paper with me, it's fine! I can multitask!"
"Hmm hmm hmm! Good, I was hoping you'd say that!" Vivian giggled. …She knew Goombella was horribly busy, what with her thesis and all. But, if she could just spend a bit more time with her…
It would be just the pick-me-up she needed to keep on going strong.
Hours later, the shadow rushed through the darkened streets. Vivian had, unfortunately, stayed out significantly later than she'd wanted.
In a tizzy, she traveled down the Riverside Valley path, moving quickly over the long, unkempt grass as she passed through the compound's main gate. The sun had already set, bathing the world in blackness, with only a few lamps along the way marking the path forward.
As she went, she noticed that the windows of the dormitory were still spotted with light. Men moved back and forth as they went about their business. Some wore red and white, some wore blue, some wore black… She could see a Yux peering out of one of the windows, regarding her a blank stare.
But she'd caught someone else's attention.
A dome-shaped, mechanical creature observed her from his station above, just inside one of the windows. His goggled expression was unreadable – but his gaze was unmistakably focused directly on her.
She met his eyes and froze. …For a second, he didn't move either.
Then, with a shudder, he retracted into the room and disappeared from view.
It was the first time she'd laid eyes on Grodus since her journey with Mario had ended. …She'd almost been wondering if he was actually even around at all, considering that only Crump had mentioned him. And yet, there he was, mysteriously and silently watching her from beyond…
She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.
Chapter image: www tumblr com/thegroduschronicles/760826683035156480