(my mind's) fully fading | Mystery Skulls Animated [Editing]

Chapter 4: Vivi - Waning Gibbous

        Vivi blinked, finding herself sitting on the edge of the bed, and checked the time on her phone. 10:09am—holy crap!

        She hurriedly stood, shuffling forward a few steps before stopping dead. The shards of a glass lampstand winked back at her from the floor.

        She spun back to the now-bare dresser. Wha. . .? There was a bright black circle where the lamp had once been, highlighted by the thin layer of dust covering the rest of the dresser surface.

        Turning back to the shattered lamp, she thought for a moment, and then shrugged. Mystery probably knocked it over or something. She stepped over it, shuffling to her slippers by the far wall and stepping into them. She stared at the large purple ones for a moment, uncomprehending, before sighing. I need to pack those away sometime soon. She went through the door, pausing to glance back at the lamp. It's no big deal—it was only cheap anyway. I'll clean it up later. She pulled the door shut behind her (the Vivi equivalent of yellow police tape) and shuffled off down the corridor.

        Arthur was planted in front of the TV, jabbing away at a controller, headphones secured around his ears. When he noticed her he jabbed another button and set the controller down, pulling the headphones down around his neck. "Morning, sleepyhead."

        She shook her head. "I sleep in once and I get berated."

        He held his hands up in a sign of surrender. "Hey, I didn't say anything."

        She scratched her arm, still a little blurry from sleep. "Have you had anything to eat yet?"

        He hunched guiltily in on himself. That's a no, then.

        "I have to do everything around here," she mused, clicking her fingers to Mystery as she trailed into the kitchen.

☽ ☽ ☽

"Lance is coming over today."

        Arthur lifted his head from the bowl of cereal and glanced over to her. She gestured to her phone. "Messaged me earlier. Just wants to check up on you."

        He sighed. "I wish he'd stop treating me like a kid."

        "Well, you still act like one."

        He glared at her and she laughed. "It's just uncle instincts. Don't go too hard on him."

        "What time?" he grumbled, stirring his cereal uselessly.

        "Around lunch," she replied, standing and collecting her plate. "So please be dressed by then, or he'll give me a pep talk."

        Midday rolled around and Arthur was again seated in front of the television, drowning out the world with Smash Bros when he heard the door swing open and slam shut again, shaking the house at its foundations.

        "Hey, Uncle Lance."

        He sauntered into the living room, shooting him a judgemental look as he found him on the carpet. "This whatcher been skimpin' out on work for?"