Best Served Cold

The Talk - Vivi

Note: I’d like to blame three people and a trainwreck post on Tumblr for the title of this chapter. If you’re snickering right now, you know what’s going on. If you’re confused, just keep reading, it won’t affect the content of this chapter. the characters belong to MysteryBen and Artsy. Also IS ANYONE ELSE PSYCHED THAT THE POSSESSED ARM JUST GOT ITS OWN CHARACTER PROFILE???

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            The silence in the car lay thick and heavy on all of them. Arthur had to sit straight up now that three of them crammed in the back of the car. Vivi sat in the middle, facing straight forward, simmering. Arther sat on the far left with Mystery on his lap, curled up against his chest.

            Lewis sat on the far right, looking just as he had the day he died. He had, as requested, been able to walk out of the vet’s with a semi-normal appearance. Closer inspection revealed black hollows where his eyes should have been--lit with glowing purple retinas—and a faint pinkish glow around his hair. He kept his head forward, hiding his eyes under his pompadour, but he couldn’t keep them off of Vivi.

            The driver had dropped them off outside the ruins of the cave and left after another tip from Vivi. Arthur had offered to pay this ride, but she had swiped her card extra hard and ignored him. Arthur kept his eyes on the ground as he stepped out of the car, trying very hard not to look at the rubble. He felt a warm grip on his shoulders steering him forward, and followed it, allowing Lewis to guide him to the van and into the backseat. Lewis slid into the front passenger seat as Vivi had already plunked herself in the driver’s seat.

            “Are you sure Vivi?” Lewis asked gingerly. “You’re not the best driver when you’re mad.” He cringed back against the door as she turned her glare on him.

            “Well Arthur’s certainly not driving, and last I heard ghosts aren’t legal drivers so BUCKLE UP.” She yanked her seatbelt on and threw the van into gear, peeling away from the cave.

            “So, I’ll start.” She bit out, as Arthur curled up in the backseat, clinging to Mystery. “On the day Lewis died, I remember going into that cave, and then coming to in the hospital. Arthur was next to me, his arm ripped off, and blood on Mystery’s muzzle. They told me you were dead, and that Mystery had saved Arthur but mangled his arm in the process. Oh, I’m sorry, I told all this to Arthur already a few days ago and was lied to. Arthur, I hope you don’t mind that I’m catching Lewis up to date with what I do and don’t know.”

            Arthur cringed at the razor edge on her words.

            “So after mysteriously losing my memory that in no way resembles how those vets just lost their memories whatsoever,” It was Lewis’ turn to wince at her accusation, “I spend a year trying to recover from the fact that the man I loved died a horrible death. I do alright, everything’s going okay. Arthur, Mystery and I even get in a few good ghost stakeouts. Then one night we break down in front of a mansion and go in, and are greeted by your not-so-friendly singing minions. No warning note, no ‘Hi Vivi it’s me, Lewis!’ nothing. Just running around your mansion like crazy and then having to stop you from murdering my best friend. Tell me something Lewis, was floating your heart at me supposed to remind me of something? I bet you it would have IF I REMEMBERED WHATEVER I SAW WHEN YOU DIED!”

            Arthur could have sworn Lewis actually lost a few inches of height as Vivi continued on.

            “So three days pass and I find out Arthur’s starving himself and hasn’t showered or anything, and then he gets all weird and wants to go on a ghost hunt until I mention things that I’m guessing reminded him far too much of the mansion. Tell me, you been haunting the Mundocani place lately Lewis?” She turned to take in his guilty expression, swerving all over the road. “Yeah, that’s what I thought!” She turned back, barely avoiding a semi barreling down the road. Arthur unbuckled and slid to the floor of the van. He shut his eyes, moaning and curling up around Mystery.