#MSAHolidaySpirits2020

[nebulous-rain]

happy holidays @chantillyxlacey!!

the gang's making cookies :) or. trying to at least

hope you enjoy! also thank you to @msaholidayspirits for running this all!! <3

[everbluesky]

A Road-stop Diner Date

Happy Holidays everyone! I was so excited to participate in @msaholidayspirits msa Secret Santa event! Here is my gift for @paprik-a-art, who is an amazing artist! Go check them out!

The gang has stopped at a road-side diner for a dinner date together! Mystery is absent because dogs aren’t usually allowed in diners, so I made the diner Mystery colors. Anyways, I hope you like it!

[lauritanaomystery]

An angel for another angel!

Arthur is recovering from his sicks wings and has a snack with Mystery and Vivi for a Christmas snack!

Gift to @lorablackmane I hope you like it! 💝

 @msaholidayspirits​  Muchas Gracias for allowing me to participate in this beautiful event!

[lewvithur]

merry dang christmas @acornscorns​! here’s some good lewvithur content for you! it works as a lock screen if you really want, like so 

and because i couldn’t freaking stop myself, i got you a short confession drabble to go with under the read more

Christmas celebrations in the city had a way of getting one in the festive mood.

The procession of marching elves brought warmth to their hearts to beat the chill of winter and the gray clouds above. Bells chimed in the streets as the parade turned into the next corner, and the cheering of the crowd drowned out the music blaring over the speakers. Toward the edge of the crowd stood Arthur, Vivi and Lewis, all of which were paying attention, but only enough to the general movement of the parade, and not the finer details. A large red sleigh signalled the end of the parade, and the majority of the crowd followed the sleigh into the streets. The three young adults stayed behind, reclining against a brick garden.

The audience had now scattered, making their leisurely way to their next destination. Groups of friends chatted and walked towards the roads, and couples posed next to the fenced off Christmas tree nearby for yuletide photos. Arthur watched the couples bitterly, wondering if Vivi and Lewis would want him to take a picture for them in front of the tree. As he pulled his phone out, he saw the time on his lock screen and turned to Vivi to try and get their attention.

"Well you two better go and get ready for your date. It's almost 7," Arthur said, shuffling from foot to foot. Vivi could tell how jittery Arthur was, and her stomach dropped. She just knew what she was going to say next would make him even more jittery, but it was something that she and Lewis wanted to sort out for a long time now.

"Uh- Arthur, you do know we made a reservation for three, right?" Vivi threw her hand in the direction of the stuttery mechanic. 

Arthur’s eyes widened for just a moment, and then faded back into blankness. “Eh- Oh,” he mumbled. The warmth from the parade and the jolly atmosphere dissipated in an instant, and Arthur felt the winter bite at him. Part of him tried to think back to what Vivi and Lewis told him. He knew they said the word date, he swore they did, but if he was coming along then they must have been lying. After all, he was Arthur Kingsmen, the perennial third wheel. As he was, is now, and ever shall be.

A glum look crossed his face, turning his mouth down into a frown. This gave Vivi pause. Why would being invited out upset Arthur so? Maybe he wasn’t as into them as she first thought. Maybe she was just projecting her feelings for him onto him. As she gripped her hands together for just a moment, Lewis stepped forward and put a hand to Arthur’s shoulder.

“We really do want you there, Arthur,” Lewis said, pulling him in close to have the three of them huddled together. In the December chill, this proximity had its perks, but there was a tension in the air that they could all sense. Arthur wasn’t frowning anymore, but the bemusement on his face was undeniable.

“...Let me get this straight, you want me to come with you both to that really pricey restaurant with the fancy hot pots?” Arthur started, trying to wrap his head around what the two of them were proposing. “You know, the restaurant you were lamenting getting reservations for because it would be packed this time of year? The restaurant whose usual run of customers are couples who are very much in love with each other?” 

Arthur had worked himself up into a state of fear again. There was no getting around it. They must really want to humiliate their third wheel. He tried to stop the tears from running, so he held them in as his face went red from the exertion. Something was wrong here, and he couldn’t put his finger on it. Were they just wanting to get his hopes up so they could rub it in his face? 

But one look at their faces said that that was not the case. Both of them were staring at him without a trace of irony or mockery. Instead, the crinkles of their eyes and the soft curve of their mouths suggested… fondness? No. Couldn’t be.

“Funny thing about the couples,” Vivi started, but Lewis cut her off in haste. He did not want to give the impression that the two of them were breaking up. Far from it in fact. There was no use. They dug themselves in deep, and the only way out was through.

“What Vivi’s trying to say is, well, we were thinking of asking you something, in fact. Not just, 'do you want to come on our date', but, 'do you want to be our boyfriend?’” Lewis sputtered like he was choking on air. He had never expected him to be the one to ask Arthur out. It was Vivi who broke the ice and transitioned their relationship from friends to lovers, so it made sense that he would be the one to bring Arthur into the fold.

Meanwhile, Arthur stood on the marble tiles, dumbfounded and trying to piece together what was being said. 

He asked: “Do you want to be our boyfriend?” Our. Not my, not his, not her. Our. Both Vivi and Lewis. 

It was like some wonderful dream. It had to be a dream. Arthur couldn’t just say yes.

“...” Arthur’s mouth hung open, leaving a cavern large enough for flies to swarm into unnoticed. “...Are you… are you really…” God, he could kick himself! He was making a fool out of himself, melting into a puddle in front of the nice people who wanted an answer, for Pete’s sake.

Lewis and Vivi linked hands, gripping them tightly. They looked into each other’s eyes, nodded, and turned to Arthur with such immaculate timing he could assume the whole routine was rehearsed. 

“We mean it,” the two of them said in unison.

“After all the crazy things that have happened to us within the last year, I’m surprised this is the hardest thing for us to do,” Vivi said, stepping forward. “But speaking from my experience, I knew you were a good friend. You were there for me after Lewis died, and I didn’t even know why you were being so kind to me. When everything fell into place and I remembered that I loved Lewis, I didn’t want to forget about what you meant to me. It’s just, with all the shit we had to sort out, I kind of just left confessing my feelings about you lower on the totem pole until we were all comfortable again. Then one night, I just admitted to Lewis that I liked you too, and I was surprised that he thought the same!” As Vivi laughed, the spectre beside her hid his mouth and chuckled before starting his spiel.

“I actually forget that all of that stuff happened. To me, it feels like years ago. To think I once resented you and hated the ground you walked on! But then it all came back to me, and I remembered how much I loved you. I felt guilty for months, thinking about what I almost did to you. But I needed stability for just a while. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel left out during that time, Arthur. I’m just glad that Vivi decided to admit her feelings, and then we can really talk about where to go from there. And here we are now. We’ve been through too much to ever hate each other again. I know deep in my heart that I love you, and Vivi loves you too. We want to know if you feel the same about us.” Lewis put an arm around Vivi and stretched a hand out in the direction of the coward who was no doubt in shambles.

Here they were, bearing their hearts out for him, standing in front of the beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the middle of the city. How could Arthur not be swayed? The butterflies in his stomach raced from one wall to another, and he gripped his metal arm with his right hand. He could feel the cold metal under the cover of the warm zip up jacket he had on. At least now he was grounded. 

Arthur swallowed a mouthful of doubt. He had his answer.

“Jeez, I wish I could spit out that many words to say what you both mean to me. But I’m not good at that. And I’d rather not take up your time after you spent all that time saying all those things about me, so I’ll just say… yeah, I’ll be your boyfriend. I’ll be a boyfriend to both of you.” 

Lewis pulled Arthur into his barrel chest, holding him close to his thrumming heart. Never before had Arthur been held this close. Blood rushed to his cheeks as he tried to hug Lewis back, but he was startled by the tackling leap of Vivi. The three of them stood, interlocked, cuddling in the shadow of the Christmas tree.

“Think fast, guys!” Vivi cried, and as Arthur turned his head to face her, his cheeks met her lips. He must have been burning like a meteor against her mouth; it was a surprise that she didn’t pull away. Lewis kept his arms around Arthur, holding him close in the hopes that he would be able to calm the racing heart of this boy in love.

“Now smile!” Vivi shouted, holding her phone in the air and catching the three of them in the limits of the lens. As the shutter snapped, Lewis rested Arthur against him, looking down at him with a loving smile. Meanwhile, Arthur looked like a deer in headlights with eyes as wide as saucers.

“There we go, our first couple selfie! And in front of the Christmas tree too,” Vivi proclaimed, saving the photo and setting it to her lock screen. She proudly showed the boys. Lewis ran his hand over Arthur’s shoulder while the scrawny blonde stared at the picture. He could have looked so much better, but the phone screen showed all he wanted. It was a picture of him in front of the Christmas tree as part of a couple.

A few minutes ago, he was trying to fight the jealousy of seeing couples together. Now, he was in one. He wanted to cry. He really did. The joy was spilling out of his brain, unable to be contained all at once. 

Vivi locked her phone and shoved it in her pocket, taking Arthur’s hand and starting a stride. “Now come on, boyfriends! The best hot pot in our lives awaits!” Her grand steps pulled Arthur forward, and he linked his other hand with Lewis. They were right, it had been a crazy year, and the craziest part was that it was going to end like this.

[zombieratt]

I got to be @rinzydings’s secret santa and BOY OH BOY AM I GLAD I DID.

because of it i found Dev’s fic Find A Way! it is BEAUTIFUL and I recommend it to ALL OF YOU!

this scene is from chapter 22, and honestly it’s perfect.

i hoped to get across the cozy, sweet atmosphere of the scene so there are like, four overlays but— im getting ahead of myself.

🎄 Merry Christmas Dev! 🎄

[starlitskvaderart]

My giftee for @msaholidayspirits is @caz-art! They asked for lewvithus having a relaxing time... and movie-and-hot-cocoa night is relaxing as can be even if Vivi does have some plans and theories!

[neo-geo-art]

@nebulous-rain heyooo! i was your secret santa for the @msaholidayspirits gift exchange! hurt/comfort is one of my favorite things to draw, so i’m glad i got to do it for you! hope ya enjoy!!

[arthurkingsmen]

A gift for @lauritanaomystery !! I hope you like this ;u; @msaholidayspirits thank u for running this event again this year!! I always love getting to make things for others for the holidays ;w;

[chantillyxlacey]

Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays to my secret santa recipient @ghxstgal!!

They requested Louise and OT3 content and I was more than happy to draw these gorgeous gals <3 (And of course, because it’s me, lets throw in a little mermaid au while we’re at it :B)

I hope your holiday is filled with warmth and happiness and every good thing you could ask for!

And thank you to @msaholidayspirits for hosting this event again! It’s always a blast seeing all the wonderful gifts people bring to the table!

[louisepepper]

HEY SO @bluescarfvivi I’M YOUR SECRET SANTA!!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

i just want to take this time to say that you are an amazing friend and i am so glad to have met you! watching you stream the (true) ending of persona 4: golden really solidified this gift idea for me. though i’m not exactly good at replicating the style. 

i really wanted to create something that was uniquely your vivi, so i really hope you enjoy this! may your days be merry and bright!!

[phantoms-lair]

MSAHolidaySpirits2020 - Gift for WorldBeyondTheWorld

@worldbeyondtheworld I’m your Mystery Skulls Secret Santa. Hope this is okay.

It was unusual for Vivi to be on her own. Even if her friends weren’t by her side, Mystery always was.

But today she was on her own, by choice. She was mad at Mystery for the secrets he’d kept. Mad at Lewis for turning on Arthur like that, and for going straight for murder without asking questions. And while she wasn’t mad at Arthur (who had been as much in the dark as her), they had been spending a lot of time in an enclosed van and she could use a breather.

She’d made sure Mystery and Arthur had recovered from their injuries, and that Lewis wasn’t going to backslide and go after Arthur again, then set aside a weekend trip for herself. She just needed to get away from all of it and breathe. Arthur and Mystery understood, even if both looked guilty. Lewis had looked like a kicked puppy, but hadn’t said anything, which she’d take.

She just wanted some time away without anyone she’d know, which was why she was so surprised to hear a familiar voice (albeit one she hadn’t heard in quite a while) call “Vivi?” from the other side of the All-You-Can-Eat diner.

“Fred?” She turned her head to make sure she hadn’t imagined it. “Fred, is that you?” The next thing she knew she was being hugged and laughed. “Fred Jones, what are you doing in Texas?”

“A friend of yours?” One of the girls with Fred (Velma, she thought from Fred’s past descriptions) asked. “This is my cousin, Vivi. Vi, these are my friends- Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby.” Fred introduced. “Nice to meet you.”  Vivi was privately pleased she’d gotten Velma right. And also amused by the subtle confused looks going between her and Fred, trying to find the slightest scrap of resemblance between the round Japanese girl and angular American boy.

“This might help.” She pulled up a picture of her family on the phone. It was far easier to see the resemblance between Susan Yukino nee Jones and her brother, Skip.

“Oooooh,” All of his friends nodded.

Fred looked a little put out. “You didn’t believe me?”

“It’s not that we didn’t believe you Fred,” Daphne assured him. “It’s just a little hard to see.”

“Not the first time, won’t be the last.” Vivi assured. “And you never answered my question.”

“We were hired to sit in on a séance.” Fred explained. “We have a reputation for debunking fake supernatural happenings and the widow doesn’t want to be tricked.”

“Which should be simple. Ghosts aren’t real, therefore it’s a trick.” Velma shook her head in disbelief.

“Why don’t you come with us, Vi?” Fred said excitedly. “It’s been so long, and the last time I went to Japan, I found out you had moved to America!”

She had gone on this trip for some me-time, but to her own surprise, found the idea of spending time with her cousin wasn’t a bad one.

He was right, it had been years since they’d seen each other which meant he and his friends were utterly unconnected to the mess in Tempo. “You sure your client won’t mind?” Fred shrugged, “It’s not like she’s paying for our room and board or admission to somewhere. We’re all just sitting around watching, shouldn’t be a problem.”

“The medium is from somewhere called ‘Kurain Village’,” Daphne added, “They’re supposed to be reputable.”

Vivi’s eye’s lit up. “Kurain Village! I’ve read about them! I always wanted to see their techniques in action, but Baa-san said it would be disrespectful to go just to gawk at them.”

“Well now you can gawk at them to help a widow.” Fred elbowed Vivi slightly with a grin, who returned the gesture.

“What’s so interesting about their techniques? Moaning and wailing? Ouiji boards?” Velma asked, rolling her eyes.

Vivi laughed. “Oh no, I’m not spoiling the surprise if you don’t know. Let’s just say it’s very distinctive and would be very hard to fake.”

Velma seemed skeptical, but that was fine. This was very off the beaten path for a Kurain Medium, so if it was a fake the skepticism would be good for exposing them. That being said, if it wasn’t she did look forward to seeing Velma attempt to rationalize it.

“So like, what’s your stance?” Shaggy asked. “Do you believe in ghosts? Or think it’s all fake?”

Vivi thought for a moment. “The short answer is both. I do think ghosts and stuff are real,” How could she not, after what had happened,  “but that ninety percent of haunted houses and mediums are either frauds or have more rational explanations.” She shrugged. “I give the mediums from Kurain a bit more benefit of the doubt because theirs isn’t a ‘for profit’ thing. It’s more of their way of life, like monks that live in a temple away from civilization. It’s a culture, not a business. That being said, I can easily see someone trying to make a quick buck by stealing their name. So after lunch, should I follow you guys on my bike?”

“There’s plenty of room in the van,” Fred offered.

But Vivi shook her head. “I love you, cuz, but I have spent most of the last couple of months in a van. I’ll take the motorcycle.”

For a moment, Fred looked taken aback. Too taken aback, like he made a mistake. Vivi’s eyes narrowed as a suspicion came over her. “Fred have you been talking to my Mom? About, oh I don’t know, Lewis?”

The guilt written all over her cousin’s face was enough to prove her guess was right. “Fred Jones - if this is all a trick of Mom’s to get me to come home you can tell her-” “No, it’s not. I didn’t even know you were going to be here, I swear. We really are on a case and I just saw you and thought you shouldn’t be alone right now.” Fred’s voice shrunk as he spoke and Vivi sighed heavily.

“Okay, so who’s Lewis and what are the rest of us missing?” Daphne asked.

Vivi took a deep breath. “Lewis was my boyfriend. We were very close, like considering marriage close.”

“And he dumped you?” Velma guessed.

“He disappeared nearly a year ago. Last week they recovered his body.” 

Fred’s friend looked like they had been hit with a sledgehammer, and Vivi supposed she was being overly blunt, but now she was annoyed. And the worst part was she couldn’t explain a lot of her feelings, about Lewis coming back and her memory being stolen. She’d just have to channel what Arthur went through.

“It’s been a terrible year, Arthur (a mutual friend) and I have been searching all over trying to find him and dealing with physical and mental trauma. His body being found, him coming home? That’s closure to the year of not knowing.”

“But for some people, and Mom is a big part of this, it’s like a fresh tragedy. The body suddenly makes it real in a way it wasn’t before. Mom wants me to ‘come home’ and ‘be with the people that love me.’ But my home is in Tempo, there are people that love me in Tempo. I need to deal in my own way, and people who insist I do so in a different way are not helping.”

Fred looked like a kicked puppy and Vivi reigned herself in. She was angry with a lot of people, but Fred himself wasn’t one of them. “Look, I’m sorry for being upset, I’m just mad at Mom and a lot of other people. And a break sounds good, if you still want me to come. Just no false pretenses, okay?”

“Okay.” Fred sighed. “Sorry Vi, I didn’t mean to make things worse.”

“And I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just been a rough time.” She hugged her cousin. “Let me finish my food and I’ll be right with you.” “If there’s any food left after you and Shaggy are done.” Fred joked. “Small mercy they don’t have to deal with Scooby and Mystery.”

“Next time.” Vivi promised as they continued to their table. 

As the left she heard on of his friends whisper “You tried to distract your cousin from her dead boyfriend with a séance?” and couldn’t help but laugh.

~

As she pulled in next to Fred’s van, Vivi had half a mind to pull right back out.

“I didn’t know Vi. I swear.” Fred looked concerned as he left the van. “She just gave us directions.”

The address didn’t lead to a house or business. It led to a cave.

Vivi took a deep breath. “It’s fine, everything’s fine.” It was not fine. 

“Caves bad?” Shaggy asked.

“Caves bad.” Fred confirmed, but didn’t go into why, which Vivi was grateful for.

“Like, maybe it’s outside the cave?” Shaggy suggested. “Like, everyone seems to be outside.”

There were four other people milling about.  One was an old lady who Vivi assumed was the client. Another other was a young lady dressed in the traditional outfit for a Kurain medium, with the much younger girl next to her dressed similarly. Standing a bit off to the side was a man with hair spikes that could duel Arthur’s and a crisp blue suit.

“Dearies!” The old woman shuffled up to them. “Thank you for coming to put an old woman’s mind at ease. Oh? Is this a friend of yours?” “My cousin actually.” Fred explained. “She lives not far from here and turns out she knows a bit about Kurain mediums. I hope this isn’t a problem.”

“Not at all, dearies. The mediums brought that gentleman with them, and the more the merrier.” She clasped Vivi’s hands. “Artemisia Fishal, but everyone calls me Arty.” “Vivi Yukino,” she introduced herself. “One of my best friends is named Arty. Um, is the ceremony going to be inside the cave?” “At a chamber that’s just inside the mouth.” Mrs Fishal confirmed. “Is that a problem?”

“No, if we’re just inside the mouth I should be alright.”

“Claustrophobia?” Mrs. Fishal asked, not unkindly.  “Don’t worry, you can see the mouth of the cave easily.”

“Thank you,” said Vivi, not correcting her. “Um, is there any reason it’s in a cave?”

“Underground is closer to the underworld, dearies. Why don’t you and Mr. Wright head in, I’ll join you shortly.” Mrs. Fishal shooed them towards the mouth of the cave.

“You sure you’re going to be okay?” Fred whispered to her as they headed toward the cave.

“If I’m not I’ll let you know.” she whispered back. The truth was this would be her first time going into a cave since getting her memories back and Vivi had no clue how she’d react.

There was a feeling of panic that had her clutching Fred’s arm as they entered, but she managed to squash it down. It helped that this cave was so different from the one that lived in her nightmares. For starters there wasn’t a speck of green. Instead it was mostly orange, lit by numerous candles (what Vivi would have considered far too many if it wasn’t a stone wall and ceiling), their smoke drifting out the mouth of the cave. There was a small dip between the entrance and where it looked like they were going to sit, so the group made their way down, the blue suited man (Mr. Wright?) joining them.

“You’re a defense attorney?” Velma asked in surprise, noticing the small badge on the man’s lapel. “What are you doing traveling with a pair of ‘psychics’?” The sarcasm in the last words was extremely heavy.

“They’re underaged and I have a driver’s license.” Mr. Wright answered dryly. “Maya works the books at my law firm and Pearls, who’ll be doing the channeling today, is her cousin.”

Daphne’s eyes widened. “The little girl? She’s the medium?” Mr. Wright laughed. “Never underestimate anyone from the Fey Family, no matter what their size.”

“She’s from the Fey *family*!” Vivi’s eyes lit up. “Then they’re both direct descendants of Ami Fey? The woman who created Kurain? Oh this is going to be good!” “It is. I just wish I knew why she was lying so much.” “That’s what mediums do,” Velma scoffed.

“Not them,” Mr. Wright seemed too distracted to notice the insult to his friends. “The widow,”

But before any of them could ask further, the last three people entered the cave.  Mrs. Fishal and the little girl (Pearls?) sat at the mouth of the cave while the older (Maya?) came and joined them. “She’s nervous,” Maya whispered to Mr. Wright, but loud enough Vivi heard too. “Since channeling is traditionally done one on one, she’s not used to having an audience.”

“Pearl has this.” he assured her. “You know how powerful she is.”

“Um, Okay.” Pearl's timid voice echoed through the cave. “I’m going to channel the spirit of Mrs. Fishal’s husband. She showed me his picture, so I’m going to call for him now.” She closed her eyes and Vivi heard her cousin and his friends gasp as the tiny little girl began to grow.

“This,” she whispered, “is the Kurain Channeling Technique.”

There was no way for it to be a trick, or a replacement. They all watched as the child grew several times her own size and her frame became masculine.  As was the voice that absolutely did not belong to Pearl. “Gotta hand it to you, Anna. You were right about all this mystical mumbo jumbo.”

“Told you, sweetie.” Mrs. Fishal in a suddenly much younger voice. She pulled at her face, tearing away the visage of the kind elderly woman to reveal a woman in her mid twenties. At the same time she pulled a gun and held the audience at bay.

“What’s this all about?” Mr. Wright demanded. “Who are you?”

“Anna Fender, and I’m sure most of you remember my boyfriend.”

Pearl - or rather the person possessing Pearl - lifted his head and Mystery Inc gasped.

“Upton O'Goode!” Fred exclaimed, shocked.

“So you do remember me,” The man sneered. “What this is about is those brats ruining my perfectly good plan to rake in tons of cash.”

“By illegally scamming the Sinclairs out of their inheritance,” Daphne snarled back.

“But you had to meddle and stuck your noses in and got me sent to jail. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, some guy there didn’t like being on the wrong end of one of my schemes and shivved me in the kidney.”

“I couldn’t bear the thought of losing my Uppy.” Anna continued. “I’ve always had a love for the occult, and I remembered what I knew about Kurain mediums. That they take on the physical appearance of the spirit they’re channeling. Pearl Fey has more than enough spiritual power to keep my Uppy around indefinitely.”

“You’re planning on stealing her body” Vivi said in a low and dangerous tone.

“Oh more than that,” Anna gloated, handing the gun to Upton. “I’m getting my revenge on the brats who caused Upton to die in the first place. Nothing personal to you or the lawyer, but no witnesses. You understand.” She pulled something out of her pocket that Vivi recognized. So did Fred and Mr. Wright, since they both stood up with her at the same time.

A warning shot from Upton drove Mr. Wright back, but Fred and Vivi both moved forward for the tackle. Anna pulled Upton back and pressed the button on the detonator she was holding.

Vivi felt herself being blown back by the blast. It hurt like a sunnuva, but wasn’t the worst she’d had by far. Her ears were ringing, but she forced herself up. Surprisingly not all the candles had gone out in the blast, enough were still lit to see the mouth had been completely collapsed in. She could also see Fred’s friends surrounding his prone form on the ground.

“Fred? Fred!” She stumbled over as fast as she could. He was unconscious and bleeding from his head. “Do any of you know first aid?”

“Like, I learned some when I became a counselor at Camp Kichihaha.” Shaggy answered shakily. “But, like, for a head injury like this, we need help. Like, I don't even want to apply pressure to the wound in case there's a skull fracture. We need an ambulance.”

The temperature dropped several degrees, but no one commented on it. Vivi forced herself to calm. They had enough problems right now, they didn’t need her giving the others hypothermia. They needed to contact the outside world. She pulled out her cell phone. No signal, which wasn’t surprising. What else could they use?

She scanned the cave and her eyes fell on Maya Fey.

“You’re a spirit medium too, right?” Vivi asked. “I am, but I don’t know any doctors I can channel. I mean, I know one, but I don’t think I’d trust him with this, or to help.”

Vivi shook her head. “I don’t think a doctor would be much help without equipment. I want to know if you could channel a spirit named Lewis Pepper.” “Rour read royfried?” Scooby asked.

“Did that dog just talk?” Maya asked, equally flummoxed.

“Vivi, I really don’t think this is the time.” Daphne said frantically.

“Trust me. I think Lewis can get us out of this.” Vivi promised. “Look at me.” Mr. Wright demanded. He waited until Vivi was looking him in the eye. “Tell me you have no ulterior motive except to get us out, and that this ‘Lewis’ won’t be harmful to Maya.”

“I swear this is just to save my cousin, and our lives. Lewis will bring no harm to your friend.” Vivi said firmly.

Mr. Wright relaxed. Almost too much so given what had happened and -

It clicked that maybe there was a reason Mr. Wright had a close connection to the Fey family besides Maya working at his office. He had known the widow was lying, if not about what, and had known for a fact she was telling the truth. It seemed he might have some psychic power of his own.

“Please try.” Vivi turned to Maya. “If he resists coming, just tell him Vivi needs help.”

“Okay,” Maya said uncertainly. She clasped her hands in front of her and concentrated. 

For a moment she thought it wasn’t working, then Maya’s form expanded far more than Pearl’s had.

“Vivi?” Lewis sounded confused. “Why do I feel alive?”

“You’re being channeled by a medium. I’m sorry, but I need to be quick. I ran into my cousin Fred, who took me to a séance. We’re in a cave off Peterson Park in Sommeton, right next to the road.”

“Cave?!”

“It was a trap,” Vivi continued as though he hadn’t said anything, not letting either of them dwell on that fact. “Meant to kill Fred and his friends, as well as steal a new body.”

“Did you say steal-” Lewis clenched Maya’s fist and a purple flame formed around it.

“Put that out!” Vivi ordered. “They used some kind of explosive to seal us in, and I don’t want to set off anything undetonated.”

“Right, right. Sorry. Just-”

“I know.” Vivi deflated. “I really do. Look, Fred has a bad head injury and is unconscious. I need you to call EMS and have an ambulance sent out this way once you let go of the channeling. Also let the police know a woman named Anna Fender had kidnapped a little girl about Belle’s age. AND STOP WITH THE FIRE!”

The purple flames that had been gathering around Lewis stopped. “‘I’m sorry, I’m trying…”

“It’s okay. I need you to go and get help. And Lewis?” Vivi kissed him on the cheek. “I’m still pissed at you for that stunt you pulled. But I’m really glad you're back.”

Lewis’s lower lip trembled before he grabbed Vivi into a bone crushing hug. Then suddenly his form shrunk until it was Maya Fey hugging Vivi.

“What was that?” Maya asked in shock. “He felt more powerful than my sister.”

“More than Mia?” Mr. Wright sounded equally stunned.

“Lewlew came back as a pretty powerful spirit.” Vivi admitted. “But that’s working in our favor, because he can manifest without a medium. So he’s gonna call and get help.

“This can’t be real.” Velma shook her head. “Spirit Channeling? Body Snatching? Ghosts?”

“But it is,” Shaggy said quietly.

“We saw it with our own eyes,” Daphne pointed out.

“Ro ricks,” Scooby added.

“But- No, I don’t have time for denial.” Velma stood firm. “I don’t care if ghosts are real. What can we do to help Fred until help arrives?”

“We find a way out.” Vivi said. “Right now time is the most important thing, and if they don’t have to dig us out, all the better.” She eyed the rubble. Sure there was a possibility that there was another way out further in the cave, but she doubted it. Fender had obviously out a lot of preparation into this plot, she doubted the woman would pick a cave with another easy access point.

At the same time she’d not placed the explosives where they’d been sitting, but at the mouth of the cave trapping them in. She’d wanted them to die slowly, in the dark (since she doubted those candles would last an hour). And even if that wouldn’t come to pass, with help on the way, the mouth of the cave was still their best way out.

Slowly and carefully Vivi began to climb the hill of rubble. She felt the stones occasionally shift under her weight, and stopped moving until they settled. Once she reached the top, she looked back. Fred had been blown far enough back he’d be in little to no danger if things went south.

Her head brushing against the ceiling, she delicately shifted one of the stones at the top, as though this was the highest stake game of jenga.

“I’m coming up,” 

Vivi heard a voice behind her. She looked down and saw Daphne starting to climb the pile. Right behind her were Velma, Maya, and Mr. Wright, with Shaggy and Scooby keeping a watchful vigil over Fred. “We need to be -”

“Careful, I know.” Velma adjusted her glasses. “A wrong move could cause a second collapse, which could result in more injuries. But Fender planned this too well for there to be another exit, and you said it yourself, we need to have a pathway for the paramedics as quickly as possible.”

Well, she could hardly argue with her own reason thrown back at her. They moved as quickly as they could, shifting the stone and debris swiftly but carefully. Vivi almost cheered when she saw the first ray of daylight shine through. She was very glad she didn’t when she cleared a little further and got a view of the outside.

“They’re still here,” she hissed.

“Jeepers,” Daphne whispered. “Why?”

“It looks like Upton’s changed his clothes, I guess Pearl’s would have been too noticeable.”

“They had no reason to rush,” Velma pointed out. “As far as they know, we had no way to contact the authorities, or anyone.”

“But no reason to stick around, unless” Vivi’s eyes narrowed as she noticed Anna wasn’t loitering around like Upton. She focused and saw her head dipping in and around the steering wheel. “She lost her keys in the blast.”

“How can you tell?” Maya whispered.

“The only reason to not leave as soon as Upton was changed would be car trouble. Usually in that case you’d pop the hood, but she’s messing with the steering column. She’s trying to hotwire her own car.” Vivi deduced.

“Then we can save Pearls!” Maya whispered back, suddenly filled with determination.

Vivi bit her lip. The safe thing to do for everyone in the cave would be to just let the culprits with the gun leave. But leaving that little girl with the body snatcher was something she couldn’t do either. And if she was being completely honest with herself, she wanted the proverbial pound of flesh from the people who hurt her cousin.

“Okay. We need to clear a little bit more so I can get through. I’m going to take the gun out of play. Maya, do you know a way to get that spirit out of your cousin?”

“There’s a Spirit-Severing Technique. I know the theory, but I’ve never used it before.” Her voice sounded shaky.

“Maya, when the chips have been down you always been there when we needed you. You’re the Master of Kurain Channeling. You can do this.” Mr. Wright said, his voice so full of conviction, it was clear it wasn’t platitudes. He firmly believed in her.

Maya puffed out her cheeks and seemed to be steeling herself. “That’s right, I can! Pearly needs me and I’m not going to let her down!”

Vivi nodded. “Let’s get the hole a little bit wider so I can squeeze out. Once the gun is out of play, you guys move in.”

Though logically the bad guys hadn’t heard them yet, the rest of the stones were moved from the top in almost utter silence, each one afraid to draw the enemy’s attention. Finally it was big enough for Vivi to squeeze through.

She waited until Upton had his back turned to the cave and as quietly as she could, slid down. Once she reached the ground she ran, keeping as low to the ground as she could. She was almost there when Upton turned and noticed her. 

He let out a shout and fumbled with the gun. And that was what Vivi had been waiting for. The anger inside her wasn’t fire, it was ice. It blew through her veins like a blizzard and it was finally time to let it loose. She swung one arm forward in almost a scooping motion and a trail of ice flowed from her position to just in front of Upton’s, where it exploded in giant spikes from the ground, knocking the gun from Upton’s grasp, then freezing it into place.

Upton shrieked and fell back towards the car, but Vivi only picked up speed. In one smooth motion she jumped over her own spikes and slammed onto the hood of Anna’s car. Anna, who had been getting up to see what Upton reacted to, let out a scream of her own as the hood of her car was suddenly smashed in and covered in ice. Vivi stood and lifted one arm. Her bat came flying out of the sidecar of her bike and flew into her hand.

“You should have done more research, Anna.” Vivi said grimly. “The Feys aren’t the only family with power in their blood.”

“Stay away from her!” Upton cried, running for the car. He never made it, though, as someone grabbed his arm and flipped him into the ground. 

“No, you stay away from her!” Daphne snarled, as her flip landed Upton in grabbing range of Velma and Mr. Wright. Maya joined them a moment later, and clasped her hands in front of her like she had when she’d channeled Lewis.

Vivi spared a glance back at Anna, but she seemed to be suitably cowed and she did want to see this. She could already think of two cases where being able to exorcise a spirit less violently would have come in extremely handy.

She couldn’t quite see what Maya was doing. She could sense power in the air, but nothing like a spell. Whatever she was doing must have been one of the powers innate to the Fey Line.

Maya made a sudden slashing motion and Pearl collapsed, suddenly much smaller than the man Mr. Wright and Velma had been holding onto.

“Upton, NO!” Anna scrambled out of the car, her fear momentarily forgotten. “Bring him back!”

Mr. Wright snatched up Pearl, who was disoriented from the ordeal, and swung her away from Anna.

A loud cackle filled the air. “Don’t worry, Annie.” As if from nowhere a form seemed to coalesce, made of smoke and sludge. “They can’t get rid of me that easily.”

Anna’s face brightened as the form took the rough shape of the man who’d possessed Pearl.

He turned and leered at Vivi. “Whatcha gonna do now, girlie? Your ice is scary, but you can’t hurt an actual ghost.”

“Bet,” was Vivi’s flat response. She swung the bat toward his chest - or rather what she knew his chest must contain. And like an over-confident idiot he let her. She grinned as she felt it connect with his heart and watched it go flying into the dirt. It wasn’t shiny gold, like Lewis’s. Or beautiful as Shiromori’s, or stunning as Mystery’s. In fact it was an ugly squishy thing with green veins pulsing in it.

“What the hell?” Upton screamed as he curled in on himself. But Vivi didn’t care about the ghost’s main form, just the anchor that was rapidly beating on the ground.

“On the worst day of my life I was stuck in a cave while the man I love died right in front of me, while a monster tried to steal my best friend’s body. And almost every night I see some aspect of that or the fallout in my nightmares. And I try to be strong for them, for Arthur, for the Peppers, and even for Lewis now. Because they’ve been through so much Hell and they need someone to act as a pillar.”

“Today I just wanted to find some peace for myself and you made me relive it. You trapped us in a cave. You stole an innocent child’s body. My cousin might die! And once again I couldn’t do a THING to stop it!” Vivi couldn’t stop the tears that flowed from her eyes and froze to her cheeks.  “So GO TO HELL!!!!” Lifting her bat above her head she smashed it against his heart as hard as she could. 

Upton howled in pain and his form destabilized, but she didn’t stop there. She smashed it again and again until there was nothing left of the dark heart or the figure who spawned it. Even as it was, she kept hitting the ground until the sound of sirens broke through her haze.

She turned to Anna Fender, who was huddled against her car. Vivi let out a breath that condensed into white vapor. “The authorities are coming to arrest you now. Whatever deity you pray to, pray that Fred survives. Or I’m coming for you next.”

Ultimatum given, Vivi forced herself to calm down, forced the ice away. The medics were here, she had to get them to Fred.

“You killed him,” Pearl sobbed into Mr. Wright’s shoulder. “You killed his soul.”

Crap. CrapCrapCrap. The last thing she’d wanted was to traumatize the kid who’d already been through too much today. “I didn’t kill his soul. Promise. I destroyed his anchor. It’s his tie to the land of the living. So he can’t manifest or be summoned anymore, but he still exists on the other side.”

And if Vivi had a feeling where exactly on the other side he was, she wasn’t going to mention it to the little girl.

“She’s telling the truth, Pearls.” Mr. Wright assured.

“How can you know?” Daphne asked, looking as wrung out as Vivi felt.

Mr. Wright hesitated, then realized after everything there was no reason not to be forthright. “I can see if people are lying or keeping secrets. Not what the truth is, mind, but I know when someone’s hiding something. She,” he gestured to Anna, “was hiding a lot. Vivi saying she hadn’t killed his soul? Nothing.”

Maya let out a sigh of relief too. Velma just shook her head.

“I guess that’s a useful skill for a lawyer to have.”

Mr. Wright let out a tired laugh. “Useful, but frustrating at times. ‘I magically know they’re hiding something’ is not court admissible evidence and there’s no way to tell if what they’re hiding is even relevant. But I’m glad I have it. I just wish I’d acted on it sooner.”

What he was going to say next, if anything, was lost by police and paramedics arriving. Mr. Wright and the Fey cousins spoke to the police while Vivi, Velma, and Daphne led the paramedics to the cave.

Shaggy and Scooby were still with Fred, Scooby laying on him to keep him still and Shaggy monitoring his pulse and breathing. The paramedics took over and Shaggy was pulled into a hug by his two friends as they watched the professionals work.

~

They probably took up more room in the waiting area of the emergency room than they should, but Vivi wouldn’t worry about it unless it looked like they were running out of space. In addition to his friends (including Scooby, who apparently was considered a service animal to help with Shaggy’s Anxiety), Mr. Wright (or Nick as Maya called him) and the Feys were there too. And she really should have known her boys wouldn’t just sit at home in Tempo after the SOS she had sent. Arthur was curled up on one side of her with Lewis’s Anchor in his hand while Mystery lay at her feet.

(Unlike Scooby he had no reason to get past security, so Vivi suspected shenanigans were up. As apparently did Mr. Wright, who kept looking at him.)

She had been texting a status update to Uncle Skip and Aunt Peggy when a nurse wheeled Fred out, his head wrapped in bandages. “Just a concussion.” The nurse assured them. “He’ll be fine, but needs rest. No strenuous activity or operating heavy machinery.”

“But my van-” Fred protested as his friends wrapped him in a hug.

“Will be taken care of.” Vivi promised as she took over the wheelchair from the nurse.. “But you and your friends are going to stay in Tempo with us until Uncle Skip and Aunt Peggy come to get you.”

Fred groaned. “You guys need to fill me in on what happened. Last thing I remember we saw Vivi at that diner, then I wake up to a doctor poking a flashlight in my eyes.”

“You, like, don’t remember?” Shaggy asked, surprised.

“Concussions can mess with the ability to retain short term memory,” Velma explained. “Though I am curious if you knew about your cousin’s ability with ice magic beforehand.”

Fred shot her a suspicious look. “Am I still unconscious? Or is that an imposter Velma.”

“Things got weird after you got knocked out.” Daphne assured him. “And no, he didn’t know.” Vivi filled in. “That comes from the other side of the family.”

“It’s weird you asked that though. While I was out I had a dream about you in the snow while I was out.”

“You did?” Vivi asked, surprised.

“Yeah, we were in a forest and it was snowing. Your hair was messy and in this weird ponytail. And you were dressed in this ninja outfit. You just sort of sat there smiling at me.”

Vivi’s hands gripped the wheelchair tighter. She recognized the scene, but realized it wasn’t herself Fred had seen. But why was Mushi-obaasan in Fred’s dream? He didn’t have any Yukino blood in him? Heck she’d offered her own blood as a transfusion since they were the same type, but the doctors had told her it was unnecessary.

Then the answer hit her. Fred was family and family was so much more than simply being related. The same way Uncle Lance and the Peppers were to her, how Mr. Wright was to the Feys, and how Fred’s friends were to him, Mushi-obaasan didn’t need to share blood with him for her to recognize him as such. Family was what you made of it, and despite everything, Vivi was glad of her odd little family, blood or not. She suspected Mushi felt the same or she would not have shown herself to Fred.

At least she hadn’t shared her ice powers with him like she had with Vivi. She very much doubted the doctors would have appreciated an ice-plosion in the middle of the ER.

[msaholidayspirits]

MSA Holiday Spirits

A Gift Exchange for the Mystery Skulls Animated fandom!

Welcome to the 4th Annual Holiday Spirits! Gift givers will be randomly assigned to others, and gifts will be exchanged on Christmas day. Gifts can be big or small! The most important thing is to have fun!

How to join:

Submit a completed participant form HERE.

(if you choose to enter by sending an ask instead, Please send one to verify yours was received! if formatted incorrectly, asks do not show up, and there’s been past issues with that!)

Submissions will close after November 27th.

Assignments will be given throughout the 29th and 30th of November. If you haven’t received yours by the 1st, please send us a note! If this changes at all I will make a post!

Rules:

Gifts are due the 25th. Do not post them before then. If you wont be home that day, you can schedule it ahead of time so that it will post on that day!

On the 25th post your gift and don’t forget to @tag your giftee! Also put it in the event tag, MSAholidayspirits2020 so that I can see and reblog the wonderful gifts you all make!

This is a family friendly event, so no gore or NSFW is permitted. Do not use the event tag for art depicting that.

Please don’t reveal yourself to your giftee until the 25th. We want this to be a surprise!

If you have to back out of the event, let us know ASAP so we can find a back-up! Also if your gift will be late, please let us know, as well as your giftee on the 25th! 

If after the 25th you have not received your gift or heard from your gifter, send me a message. I will get in contact with them and if they can’t complete it, we will find a backup or make you something ourselves. No one is getting left out.

While I will be as understanding as possible, if you drop out and do not message this blog or your giftee and I cannot get in contact after the deadline even after several tries, your name will be marked down, and I will be wary of you joining holiday spirits again. Life happens, but if you cannot participate, it is only fair to let others know. Dropping out wordlessly not affects you, but the person you were meant to make a gift for! 

Participant form:

This form is what you will copy/paste into the submission box and fill out!

Url: The tumblr blog you want to use for the exchange. This is the one that the gift will be tagged with. Please pick ONE blog. DO NOT sign up multiple times with different blogs.

Other blogs(optional): Other blogs you think might help your gift giver get to know you. (MSA side-blogs or rps blogs for example)

Wishlist: Things that you would like to see in your gift like fave Ships/OTPs, AUs or maybe fan content for something you’ve already made. Fics or fanart for example. If you have a link to content you’ve created please put that here. Simple prompts like “fluff” work too.

Dislikes: Things you absolutely do not want to see. Notps, squicks and triggers or even something as simple a color you really hate.

Gift Skills: What are your skills/talents that you will most likely use to make your gift? It can be any media! Writing, drawing, music, vocals, anything you want!

Other(optional): Anything else you think we should know

Backup: If some other participants back out, would you be willing to help make backup gifts so that no one gets left out?

Gifting Nopes: If you would be unable to create a gift dealing with a certain element, then here is where you would state that. This will likely be the same as your dislikes, but if there’s some aspects people might not think of, they can go here. It could be something as small as a discomfort writing a specific character, or not wanting to draw an animal character, even if you don’t dislike them.

If you have any questions, or if we’ve forgotten something, please send a message! We want this to go as smooth and enjoyably as possible.

Thanks for reading and have fun!

[solitaria-fantasma]

Vivi made a face as an arm was draped over her head, pushing her bangs down over her eyes, and sighed.

“Hi, LewLew.” She said.

“Hi, Vivi.” The ghost leaning on her head replied. “You look upset.”

“I am upset.” Vivi frowned, and sank deeper into her slouch as Lewis sat down beside her. “It’s 60 degrees outside, all my snow melted, and Mystery won’t let me conjure any more.” She pouted. “I was all set to have a white Christmas in Texas, for once…”

“I mean….you still can.” Lewis’ lips turned upward at the corners for a moment, as if trying to hold back a smile. “A small, sudden blizzard that only affects one backyard isn’t the strangest thing this town’s ever seen, right?”

“….wait, really?” Vivi immediately perked up, and Lewis let his arm slide off her head. “You’d let me do that? Even though Mystery said no?”

“I’m sure I can convince Mystery to change his mind…” Lewis smiled tellingly. “Maybe we can have his favorite chicken recipes a few days in a row, just to get him in the holiday spirit?”

“Oh, Lewis!” Vivi threw herself at her boyfriend and wrapped her arms around his projected neck. “You’re the best!” Lewis laughed and hugged her back, a light blush creeping across his cheeks.

“Anything to make you happy, Vivi.” He smiled. “Anything to make you happy…”                                                       ____

Happy Holidays, @arthurkingsmen! I’m your Secret Santa! :D

On your request list, you had Lewvi as a ship and ‘fluff’ (which is one of my favorite things to write). I didn’t know if you had a preference between drawing or writing, so I went with a little bit of both! 

If you like my art, check me out on Ko-Fi! 

@msaholidayspirits

[roseverdict]

MSA Holiday Spirits!

HEY @pull-the-hoodie-strings HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! 'Tis I, your @msaholidayspirits Secret Santa! I come bearing gifts of fluff and OT3!

and very minor amounts of injury but it's only there as an excuse for fluff, i swear wodjsodjskxxjzixk

〜〜〜〜〜〜

"GO GO GO GO GO-!"

Vivi's panicked mantra only fueled Arthur's mad scramble over the hood of the van and into the driver's seat. He revved the engine as Vivi threw herself into the passenger side. "You got him?"

"I got him!" Vivi nodded, cradling a slightly-cracked locket. "Mystery coming?"

Arthur checked his rearview mirror to see a flurry of tails leaping into the back and slamming the doors shut. "There's your answer, now hold on to something!"

An indistinct roar made Arthur squeak and jump in his seat, but he still threw the van into drive and peeled away from the shoulder of the highway. Tires spun and gravel flew, but they soon left the shadowy creature in their dust.

Vivi swallowed and sagged in her seat, glancing down at the locket in her hands. "Lew, you doing okay? You don't usually get stuck in there anymore…"

"He doesn't usually get a faceful of…whatever that was." Arthur pointed out, letting the van slow back down to normal highway speeds. "What was that, anyway? Some kind of…I dunno, shadow bear or something?"

"The name escapes me at the moment, but rest assured that it will not get the jump on us again." Mystery huffed, shrinking back down to his usual size and hopping into the back seat. "It cannot leave the confines of its territory, and we have already done exactly that."

Arthur heaved a sigh of relief and dragged his right hand down his face, wiping off Far Too Much Sweat, and ooh, that wasn't all sweat, was it? Hopefully they wouldn't notice yet. "We're gonna have to do something about it at some point, aren't we?"

"Probably." Vivi groaned.

"Most likely." Mystery agreed.

What next came out of Arthur's mouth was a frustrated hiss more than a word.

"Perfect."

"But!" Vivi lifted a finger in the air, ready to make a point. "Don't think I can't tell when you're shifting attention off of yourself, mister!"

Arthur chuckled Completely Normally. "Haha, whaaat? I'm not, I'm not shifting attention-!"

He caught sight of Vivi's unimpressed stare out the corner of his eye.

Vivi lifted an eyebrow.

Arthur gave up the ghost. "Okay, so maybe I am."

"That's what I thought, you notorious attention-shifter." Vivi nodded once in victory.

Lewis's anchor pulsed gold and was Vivi thinking what he was thinking?

"Why, yes, Lewlew, I think I am." Vivi smirked. "Pull over and let us get a good look at you, Artie."

"What, like, right now?" Arthur spluttered. "Why can't it wait until we get to a rest stop or something?"

"Need I remind you about what happened last time we tried to wait until we got to a rest stop?" Vivi crossed her legs and stubbornly refused to reach for her seatbelt.

Arthur couldn't help thinking back to the incident in question with a shudder. "Okay, point taken, but we aren't in nearly that bad of a shape this time, sooo…"

"Arthur, you do realize none of us have a sensible threshold for 'how injured is too injured' at this point, correct?" Mystery pointed out.

In Vivi's hands, Lewis's anchor beat an unimpressed amber of agreement.

"…I plead the fifth?"

Vivi glanced down at Lewis's anchor. "Time to do this the hard way, then."

Arthur could do nothing but watch as a smug bolt of magenta energy arced up from the locket and wormed its way into the inner workings of the van.

Well, nothing but watch and complain.

"Oh, what-? That's not even fair, c'mon, guys-!"

Lewis just gave the radio dial a little flick as he pulled the van over, letting the song on the nearest station do the talking for him.

"…you can't always get what you wa-ant!"

"Lewis, shouldn't you be trying to rest up?" Arthur crossed his arms, refusing to fight the steering wheel when it was under Lewis's control. "Instead of, y'know, pushing yourself, Señor Cracked Anchor?"

"You're one to talk, Mister Designer Eye-Bags." Vivi countered. "You're blond, not brunette or something. I know you went flying back there, I can see where you're bleeding, and we need to be sure you're not concussed or in need of stitches!"

Arthur cringed.

"Besides, we can heal Lewis with the power of hugs. If one of us is hurt, we need actual medical attention."

Busted.

Once the van stopped moving, the flicker of magenta in the radio leapt back into Lewis's anchor, and he floated into the back seat before re-forming his projected body. "It's three against one, Art. You're outnumbered."

"Fine." Arthur groaned and reached for the door. (If they were worried about him being concussed, there was no way he'd get away with just sliding into the back, inevitably jostling his head with every movement.) "Let's get this over with."

He caught a satisfied huff from Mystery as he slunk out of the driver's seat and trudged around to the back. Unsurprisingly, by the time he tossed the back doors open, Vivi and Lewis had already cleared enough space for him to clamber onto the mattress and were brandishing parts of the first-aid kit. Mystery lay on the other side of the van, watching bemusedly.

Traitor.

"Sit." Vivi ordered, pointing to the mattress.

Arthur rolled his eyes, but complied, turning around to give them better access to wherever he was injured. "Yes, mom."

Lewis's fingers ghosted (heh) across his scalp before finding a place in his mass of hair that-

Ooh.

Ouch.

Now that the adrenaline was fading, that really did smart.

…Yow!

Arthur sucked in a hissing breath between his teeth and tried not to flinch. "Okay, that does sting a little bit."

"And that's why we check these things." Vivi declared. Arthur heard what sounded like the medical tape being unrolled, and mere moments later, Vivi's hands began wrapping some of it around his head, following Lewis's guidance. "You gotta remember to tell us, though, Artie!"

Arthur's eloquent rebuttal came out as more of an "Ehhhhh…"

Lewis lightly slapped his good shoulder. "I'm not hearing a 'yes, Vivi'!"

"Ehhhhh!" Arthur tried (and failed) to stifle his chuckles, but the others caught on immediately.

"Wrong answer!" Vivi sing-songed, tearing off the end of the tape and (presumably) shoving the roll into her pocket before pouncing, yanking both of her boys into a hug.

Arthur squeaked and fell back into her. "Vivi-!"

Lewis didn't even manage to form a proper word, instead only wheezing as Vivi's iron grip squeezed his chest.

"Now, we are gonna make sure Artie's not about to pass out on us, and then we're turning in for the night." Vivi chirped. "And I, for one, think we could all go for a good night's sleep after getting away from that whatchamacallit."

Lewis blinked. "But it's barely even seven in the-"

"A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP!"

"You had best listen to her, I think." Mystery chuckled, nosing his way into the embrace/chokehold.

Arthur wiggled in Vivi's grip and wormed his arms free so he could turn and wrap them around his friends. "Oh, alright."

"You're already carrying on conversations okay, so just follow my finger for a bit." Vivi said, shuffling to the side so she could watch Arthur's eyes as she moved her finger back and forth.

Arthur did as she asked, staying focused on her finger and not lagging behind when she sped up. He did, however, chuckle when she went in to boop his nose. "Satisfied?"

"For now." Vivi conceded. She turned to the box where they kept their blankets and started digging. "Now, I want that arm off by the time I turn around, got that?"

Arthur shook his head with a fond smile, but he still reached up to the port and fiddled with the disconnect switch. "Ma'am, yes, ma'am."

Lewis took the prosthetic once Arthur removed it, setting it off to the side and closing the back doors up just in the nick of time.

Vivi chose that moment to whip around with their softest blanket, letting it hang in the air for a moment before falling down to cover them. "It is now Resting Time! Sleep or face the Wrath Of Vivi!"

Arthur let himself flop back onto the mattress with Lewis, and Vivi was quick to clamber over to Arthur's other side, effectively sandwiching him. To top it all off, once the three stopped shifting around and seemed pretty much settled in, Mystery hopped up on top of the blanket and curled up on their legs.

Arthur found himself smiling and blushing like a cherry, but he eventually let himself begin to doze, even as Vivi started snoring in his ear.

Two years ago, he'd been a high-strung wreck on his search for Lewis and a cure for Vivi's memory issues.

Last year, he'd still been a high-strung wreck, but with Lewis's ghost still sending shivers of guilt down his spine and Mystery's teeth back at the edges of his nightmares.

Vivi let out a particularly loud snore, and Arthur laughed quietly.

He'd rather they'd never had to deal with the Cave and its aftermath at all, but of all the ways it could've gone, he liked the way things were now.

[eagesoldartblog]

Happy holidays @hecallsmehischild !! I was your secret Santa this year!

I hope I captured Kay Peppers likeness alright, and I think she’s really cute with Artie :3

Have a happy holidays!

[accidental-child]

Hey @colonelmagma here's your gift for the secret Santa! A lewthur heart locket! (With hints of ot3). I hope you enjoy!!