Explain It Like I'm Tree

Dynamics

Lewis nodded.

"I see that as well, but I don't think either of us class that as the same sort of 'seeing' that Vivi is asking about." Mystery looked at Vivi. "You want to know if either of us has spotted a giant tree-woman lumbering about. I think it's safe to say the answer to that is no."

Lewis nodded twice.

Vivi slipped a little notepad out of her pocket and a pen out from behind her ear. "Tree-lady looks like little firefly to ghosts and kitsunes," she mumbled, jotting it down. "Not useful info yet, but who knows what will and won't be." She tucked the notepad away and slid the pen behind her ear. "Well. It's getting dark. I'm gonna make sure he remembers that being inside when it's cold is a thing people do. I don't think Lady Tree over there will remind him."

She headed down the hall, aiming for the sliding glass door that opened onto the back deck. Behind, she heard Mystery murmuring to Lewis, saying words she didn't really want to hear.

.........................................................................

"Give it time."

Lewis ducked his head. He didn't want to hear it. She didn't really see him anymore. Any look from her was like a warning shot or a lance through the chest. Old mannerisms had freshly sharpened edges in his presence. Was he imagining things, or did the back of that notepad have an exorcism script jotted on it?

Time might fix the hostility and it might not. Mystery meant well, but Lewis didn't want to hear his merely hopeful advice. If wishes were fishes... he waved a hand, opting out of further conversation, and drifted off to the office.

There were bills to pay. Bills from the hospital, utility bills, insurance bills, and now a mortgage. Arthur got steady pay from working at Kingsmen Mechanics and there were some promising leads on patenting his prosthetic technology. Vivi had a part-time job at Tome Tomb and stayed with her grandmother for a couple days a week, on the care-taker's days off. Pay from their investigation jobs varied, was unreliable, and more often than not it all went back into equipment or travel costs. Still, that was something they had agreed on; the Mystery Skulls were going to continue. So, it was Lewis' job to run the blog and get them interest. Attention. Gigs.

That used to be Vivi's job. She'd started the group, she led it, so she handled their public face online. But that was when Lewis had been alive. When he had a job as sous chef and waiter at his parents' restaurant. His skull drew in closer to the suit. He couldn't go back there like this. He couldn't go anywhere public like this, but especially not back there.

So. He entered the office, with its cluttered desk and wall-to-wall bookshelves groaning with crusty old tomes. The corkboard had a photo of their tree at the center, with various sticky notes surrounding it. The whiteboard had several sketchy designs of leafy women, or huge monster trees with legs. Someone had left Nice try, Vivi written in the middle.

Lewis leaned against the wall opposite the group laptop, summoning a Deadbeat. One of the tiny, pink spirits poked its head out from his hollow collar, chirping up at him. He nodded at the laptop, and it darted over, patting the mouse to wake the computer and bringing up the group blog. The Deadbeat called up a new post, then turned back to Lewis, blinking little golden eyes.

Lewis floated his skull back to the door, peeking out. Sounded like Vivi was in the kitchen. Arthur wasn't in sight. Returning his skull to the suit, he crossed his arms and stared at the ceiling. Nudged the door shut with his foot. Considered how to start. Vivi usually kept it light-hearted. Should he mimic that?

"Hey gang!" He paused, then shook his head. That wasn't right. "Hey-ho, fellow ghost hunters!" He scowled. "Howdy.... No." He pinched the bone bridge between his eyesockets.