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solitaria-fantasma · 2 years

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((Happy Holidays, @talifu! I’m you’re secret santa! :D You asked for ‘found family fluff’, so I hope this is to your liking!))

“…..and Aunt Leigh says her presents should arrive in time for the new year, at least.” Vivi pinned the phone against her shoulder, as she needed both hands to properly tie the large, blue ribbon she was wrangling into an appropriately smooth bow. “It sucks they can’t arrive in time, but that’s just how it’s been, shipping through Country Convey, lately. Hate to say ‘she should have known better’, but-“ The woman stopped mid-sentence, and winced. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, mom.” Vivi tied off the bow, and spun around on her stool to set the wrapped box on top of a pile on the other end of the desk.

“Are you guys going to try and video call after the luncheon?” She asked as she stood up and hastily started one-handedly putting away her supplies; scissors go back in the pencil can, roll up the unused ribbon, fold over a piece of the tape so it doesn’t get stuck to anything, etc. “I know you guys have a packed schedule - it’s like the cruise crew doesn’t want to give you any time to contemplate international crime! ….ah, ah, ah, I heard dad laugh.” Vivi tossed the last roll of ribbon into the desk draw and once more pinned her phone against her shoulder as she gathered the pile of presents into her arms.

“….okay, so sometime after eight then?” The young woman shouldered open the door and sidestepped out into the hallway beyond, walking sideways to be able to see where she was going around her armful of gifts. “I’ll let everyone know so that we can eat beforehand. Don’t fall overboard. I love you!” She left the phone in place as she crab walked down the stairs as fast as she dared, and out the already-open apartment door. “Hey, Mystery, give me a hand, here!”

“I have none to spare.” The kitsune’s muffled voice came from inside the van parked at the end of the short walkway, and a moment later, the rear doors clicked, and slowly swung open. Her dog sat on the floor with his paws together, wagging his stubby tail smugly. “I do, however, have a few paws you can borrow.”

“Ha ha.” Mystery skittered back as Vivi plopped down the pile of presents where he’d been sitting. “Grandma says ‘hi’, by the way.”

“I’m certain she did.” Mystery twitched his ears as Vivi began sliding the presents back against the bench seat in such a way that they (hopefully) wouldn’t fall in transit. “Are we still picking up the Kingsmen? Or did Lance get his truck back yet?”

“We’re still picking them up.” Vivi climbed into the van and shut the doors behind her. “Gawain said he’d fly over on his own right about now, so it’ll just be Lance and Arthur. Oh, and don’t bring up the truck thing with Lance today - he’s about ready to duplex that tow company owner.” The woman rolled herself over the back of the bench seat, and Mystery watched her flail her way over with one ear cocked to the side before gathering his legs beneath him and hopping over himself. He climbed up into the passenger seat as Vivi clicked her seatbelt and turned the ignition, and quickly circled twice before settling down.

“Buckle up, ’Stree!” Vivi warned as she checked her mirrors. “We’re three minutes late, so I’ve got to make up that time!”

“While still obeying the speed limit I hoooOOOOPE!” Mystery let out a yelp as Vivi hit the gas pedal, and he was rudely flattened back against the seat.

…….

Arthur looked at the picture on the wall, and sighed quietly.

It was old, and covered with the dust of years of neglect. Lance didn’t use this closet for much more than storage, and he usually didn’t bother with anything above the fourth shelf, these days. The faces of the figures smiling back from the frame were all but obscured under the grime, and Arthur didn’t make any move to wipe it away. He wasn’t sure he could handle looking his parents in the eye on a good day, and let alone on a day like today.

Arthur turned away from the picture after a few minutes, and started half-heartedly sifting through the unorganized assortment of old boxes, tools, and sundry items. He shouldn’t be giving any thought to the people who clearly didn’t have any to give to him, he knew… after more than a decade without a single visit, phone call, or even a letter, they weren’t worth his time, nor any of his effort. But there was still that pit in the bottom of his stomach that couldn’t help but feel disappointed… as if he were missing out on-

“Did you find the tape yet?” Lance’s voice shouted from down the hall. Arthur shook himself out of his thoughts, and quickly grabbed a roll of Bourbon tape out of the box in front of him.

“Yeah, I got it.” He shouted back, stepping out of the closet. He paused with his hand on the doorknob, feeling the chill of the metal beneath his palm, and contemplating the chill he felt inside. Then, he took a deep breath, and shut the door on his past.

“Then let’s get going.” Lance was waiting by the front door, jacket tossed casually over one shoulder, and a full canvas bag over the other, as Arthur jogged into the front room of the apartment. “Your lady’s waiting outside already.”

“I just need to fix this real quick.” Arthur pulled a piece of tape from the dispenser and held the plastic in his mouth as he carefully lined up the torn edges of the wrapping paper to tape them back together. He’d been a little too rough with his prosthetic hand when gathering everything up, and had accidentally punched a small void in the package. The Pepper girls probably wouldn’t care about a small tear, but Arthur did, and he wasn’t about to give a ripped gift. “Th’rrr ree go.” Arthur spat out the tape dispenser, and tossed it on the hall table. “Now we can go.”

“Finally…” Lance opened the door and propped it open with one foot, waving his nephew through ahead of him. “Gawain headed over about ten minutes ago. Let’s go give him a little back up.” Arthur shook his head as he hustled down the front steps, but he wore a fond smile as he approached the van pulled up in the shop parking lot. Vivi opened the driver’s side door as he approached, and scooted herself over on the bench seat, squishing Mystery against the door until he fled into the footwell with a grumble.

“Not a scratch on her - just like I promised!” The woman smiled as Arthur leaned over the seat to add his presents to the pile. Lance opened the back doors and tossed in his own bag before climbing up, himself. “My folks say they’ll try to video call around 8pm, give or take. There’s a karaoke event they signed up for at seven, and that might make them late.”

“We should be done with dinner by then, either way.” Arthur readjusted the van’s mirrors for safety, and clicked his seatbelt on. “You all set back there, Uncle?”

“Just don’t take any turns at mach Jesus, and I’ll be fine.” Lance waved a hand over the back of the seats in response. Arthur laughed a little, and pulled out of the parking lot at a reasonable speed.

…….

“…aaaand, done!” Belle Pepper stepped back from the towering tree with a grin, and planted her hands on her hips. “Now it’s perfect!”

“I still think it needs some candles.” Cayenne muttered under her breath. Lewis lightly tapped his sister on top of her head.

“That would be a bigger fire hazard than me.” He reminded her gently. Cayenne blew a raspberry as she waved off her big brother’s hand. Lewis tried to put on his best stern frown, but he couldn’t quite manage to dampen his fond smile. “How about, instead, you help our guests set up their dinner shrine?” He asked, nodding across the room. A small gaggle of Deadbeats were gathered above one of two small, round tables, gleefully watching three orange spirits attempt to replicate their own masterful work. “I think they could use a hand…” He watched Bran’s carefully constructed pyramid of incense sticks wobble, and clatter off the table. “...or two.” He added

“Challenge accepted!” Cayenne made a show of rolling up her sleeves before marching across the room. “Hey ladies (and Griflet)! Let a real master show you how it’s done…” Lewis straightened up, and gestured for his Deadbeats to come and join him by the tree. Most of them obeyed, but for one or two stragglers who took their time peeling away from their front row seats to Cayenne’s lesson. Belle reached up to pat one of the magenta spirits on the head as they swirled around their master, and the little ghost made a short, high pitched sound of delight.

“Has Gawain ever had a shrine?” She asked curiously. “It doesn’t look like his little buddies have ever built one before.”

“We’ve made a few for special occasions,” Lewis shook his head. “But otherwise, not really. Vivi was worried that having full access to his sense of taste all the time again might be too overwhelming, so we’ve been trying to ease him into it.” Belle let the Deadbeat she’d been patting fly off to join its fellows circling the tree. She watched as the little spirits chirped at the decorations and batted at the tinsel, and frowned quietly.

“I hope this isn’t too much for him…” She murmured. Lewis looked down at her questioningly. “I know the fam can be a bit…overwhelming…this time of year.”

“Isn’t everyone’s?” Lewis smiled. “But I wouldn’t worry, chiquita.” The ghost ruffled his sister’s hair affectionately. “He’s survived twenty minutes in the kitchen with mama already. He’ll handle the aftermath no problemo.” Belle made a show of fixing her holiday hairdo, but just as she opened her mouth to admonish Lewis, Paprika came bursting out through the kitchen doors, holding a basket bursting with bread twists.

“FOOD’S READY!” The nine year old yelled out enthusiastically. Immediately, she was beset by a swirling cloud of Deadbeats, and Lewis whispered something under his non-existent breath before scrambling to shoo them away.

“Get, get!” The ghost scolded. “You can’t have any until everyone’s here, you know this! Riki, hurry! Get to the table!” Savina Pepper propped open the kitchen door with one foot as she watched her youngest sprint for the large party table already set for their many guests, pursued by the hungry deadbeats and her eldest.

“Hmm. The bread made it out of the kitchen this year.” She mused before turning to the blond standing beside her. “Let’s take advantage of the distraction to get the appetizers to the table while Cori gets dessert into the fridge.” She held the door open for their new guest, and then let the door swing shut as she took the lead. “Lance texted just a minute ago to say they were on their way, so we should be able to sit down in about ten minutes or so. Vivi can help us get your shrine set up as soon as she puts down all the gifts.”

Gawain trailed after the woman, moving his feet out of old habit, but making no sound as he followed her to the table, and placed down the bowls of tostones and chickaritos he’d been asked to carry. Across the table, Paprika slammed down the basket of bread twists and shoved it into the middle before diving under the table with a shriek of laughter, followed by a wave of magenta spirits. Lewis came to a stop at the table, and took a big, showy deep breath.

“Where do they get the energy, mama?” He asked rhetorically. Savina - mother of four and career child-friendly restaurant owner - only smiled knowingly and headed back toward the kitchen. Bran sidled up to Gawain’s right shoulder, clearly eyeing the unattended bread twists, and the ghost lightly bopped her on the snout.

“Absolutely not.” He told her. “We’re guests here, remember - I’ll not have you upsetting our hosts because you can’t wait five minutes to have a snack.” Bran made a dramatic (though quiet) wailing sound, and draped herself over Gawain’s shoulders like an empty sock. Lewis laughed out loud, and his hair rippled into a small flame before regaining its usual shape.

“Aww, don’t worry, Bran,” He told the little spirit. “There’ll be plenty of food left over for you guys, too.” A sudden knocking came at the door, and Bran quickly stood up at attention, as did all the Deadbeats that had been chasing Paprika.

“Perfect timing.” Gawain sighed as Chopper and Grifflet zoomed by, picking up Bran on their way to hover at the front door. Lewis shook his head as Arthur walked in, and was immediately beset by a colorful cloud of excited little ghosts.

“We should probably go help them.” He said.

“Probably.” Gawain nodded. Still, neither ghost moved as a grinning Lance sneaked inside, using his nephew as a distraction, and Vivi simply bulldozed her way through them with her armful of presents, all wrapped in shades of blue.

…….

Hours later, when the crumbs had all been eaten and the dishes had all been washed, they all sat around at the base of the tree, strewn about on pillows stolen from upstairs bedrooms and chairs nicked from the queue benches. They played cards for peppermint sticks until, one by one, the children began to yawn, and were herded to bed by soft-voiced parents and equally-sleepy Deadbeats.

Eventually, even the young adults began to turn in. Gawain gave in to the call of sleep first, much to Vivi’s disbelief, allowing Bran to take hold of his anchor pendant as he retreated in rest. The orange spirit had wound her way up the decorated tree like a string of tinsel before snuggling down between a cork labeled with “He said yes!” and an orb covered in bright white glitter paint snowflakes. Gawain’s pendent dangled from her mouth, glowing faintly, just like the fairy lights wound around the branches, and Grifflet and Chopper soon joined them. Finally, even the Pepper parents decided to call it a night, and bid goodnight to the only four still awake.

Mystery carefully stretched his long limbs, mindful of the presents piled just at the edge of his reach, and laid his head down on his outstretched paws with a yawn. Lewis leaned back against his side, lazily scratching behind Mystery’s ear with one hand as he held a steaming mug of hot coco in the other. Arthur leaned against his side opposite the coco, and Vivi lay across both their laps, drunk on spiked eggnog and peppermint.

“What a night, huh boys?” The woman laughed quietly, staring up at the starry projection Gawain had conjured up for the girls at some point during the card came. He had run out of peppermint sticks to give away, so Belle had come up with a clever solution. “Great food, better company, warm boyfriends to lounge against…” She trailed off with another laugh as Arthur wiggled his trapped foot.

“The first of many, I hope.” Lewis held his mug up in a solo cheer, and for a moment, Arthur remembered the cold feeling in his stomach with sharp clarity. He looked up at the tree - at the mementos of happy memories lovingly crafted and hung in abundance, and the spirits sleeping scattered within its branches - and wondered, just for a moment, what a tree made by his parents would have looked like. There wouldn’t have been so many different colors of lights. There wouldn’t have been paper ornaments covered in glitter and feathers, meticulously prepared and saved from the first holiday of 2nd grade.

There wouldn’t have been orange branches and shimmery needles, carefully selected to enjoy the holiday without triggering a deep-rooted fear of the color green that still dogged his footsteps, even years later.

“Arthur?” The blond came back out of his thoughts to find Vivi propped up on her elbows, and Lewis looking down at him curiously. “You good over there? You’ve been pretty quiet.”

“I’m….good.” Arthur paused just long enough to avoid the dreaded ‘f’ word, and relaxed into Lewis’ side. Vivi wiggled herself around until she was lying parallel between her boyfriends’ legs, and Arthur moved his flesh hand to start running his fingers through her blue hair. “I was just doing some thinking, I guess.”

“Deep thoughts?” Lewis joked, and Arthur cracked a smile.

“Mariana Trench deep.” He retorted, and whatever remained of the cold feeling in his stomach suddenly felt much warmer. It didn’t matter what a tree decorated by his parents would have looked like, Arthur realized.

This one - decorated by his family - was much, much better.

#mun's writing #talifu #msaholidayspirits2022 #Arthur #Vivi #Lewis #Lance #The Peppers #Mystery #Gawain

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bluescarfvivi · 4 years

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A Taste of Christmas!

Merry Christmas @talifu!

I’m you’re Secret MSA Santa for @msaholidayspirits! You wanted some fluffy, slice-of-life, wholesome goodness with the team? I got you covered! This is the first year I decided going with a fic! Change it up a bit and try something new! I hope you enjoy it, and have a fantastic holiday season!!

Briiiing! Briiing!

Briiing! Briiing!

“Nggggh...just five more minutes...I gotta...take the potions...to the village elder…for exchange….exotic breads…”

“Vivi!”

Something warm and wet wiped across her cheeks instantly waking the bluenette up from her mumblings. “What!? What...I’m here. ‘M...here, I’m awake...” Somewhat. Her eyes held a stark heaviness, slowly blinking and shutting closed on occasion. “Wh...what’s so...you’re so loud...why..”

“You slept through your alarm Vivi! Three times!”

No answer.

“...you do understand what day it is, right?”

“Mmmis jus’...another...day off for me…” Vivi tossed onto her other side snaking an arm around a very blue, very worn stuffed turtle plush. “M’fine…”

Mystery sighed. Goodness this girl didn’t even realize why he provoked her. He jumped up on the bed, landing on top of the slow-breathing mound. Two paws massaged the sleeping creature beneath the sheets. “Vivi, it is Christmas. I believe you had plans with the others today involving-”

“HOLY SHIT, WAIT YOU’RE RIGHT!” Why didn’t it click?! It’s one of her favorite holidays! The sudden outburst sent the poor dog tumbling off the bed, but thankfully Mystery timed it so he landed on his feet. Vivi threw the covers off (poor Mystery couldn’t react in time when the sheets descended upon him) and ran to her closet. Most of her clothes lay haphazardly or shoved towards the sides in massive, dirty clumps. She saved a specific outfit just for today. After counting through several hangers, Vivi violently heaved the festive garment off its hanger. It looked as if Jolly Old Saint Nicholas literally used all his magic to make the most appropriately, most disgustingly festive, handknit outfit. Handknit too, and paired with bright dark green stockings.

“What time is it? What time is it!?” There wasn’t any time to check the clock, nor anytime to waste dawdling in the bathroom. A quick splash of soapy water on her face, a healthy dab of deodorant under her arms, and she called it clean. Now to slip on the dang outfit. She flipped the Christmas dress over her head struggling to shove the material past her chest. One little wiggle after another and the rest fell into place. Two arms through each sleeve, a simple fix near the hem, a onceover in the full body mirror and she looked set to jingle some bells!

“We still have plenty of time before your arrangement at the Kingsmens.” Mystery trotted in with a sheet in tow, and a Santa hat clutched in his mouth. “I doubt Arthur or Lance won’t you give you much trouble if you arrive just a few minutes late.”

“I still have to put everyone’s gifts in my bag.” Vivi scurried out of the bathroom back to her bedroom. Over on her desk were neatly wrapped gifts, decorated in various colors and tied together with small bows. Each color seemed to represent a certain person, some were rather small while a few took an extra coating of wrapping paper. She did her best! That’s what she figured. “Come on Mystery. Help me find my purse. I thought I had it on my chair!”

Mystery sighed. “Alright, just don’t get yourself too much in a tizzy.” It had to be somewhere in her room. He remembered seeing it draped on the back of her desk chair, but now it was covered in one of her bed blankets. He grabbed it with his mouth and pulled it off, with no sign of the item in question. Maybe it got lost in the sea of covers? He nosed into the pile, sticking his head further in until it swallowed him whole. A small lump moved around beneath the pile, and after a few moments his head poked out with a small, deep sea blue purse in his teeth. “Purse found!”

“Good good good!” Vivi swiped it out, tucking it over her right arm, while her left arm held a brightly colored, green and white paper bag full of her presents. She looked like a modern day Santa Claus in her outfit minus the blue boots. “No more wasting time. We gotta get over there or else lunch will get cold!” Her room may be in a tattered mess, but that would be a problem for future Vivi.

Her feet flew down the stairs taking two at a time, then jumped off right near the landing. A solid stance: give it an 8/10 since she did misstep. Her winter coat lay on the coat rack near the door, along with Mystery’s own doggie jacket and leash. She fixed up Mystery first, then pulled the jacket over her Christmas outfit. Everyone would get quite a festive surprise when she showed this off.

Double check everything. Purse. Gift. Outfit. Purse. Mystery. She couldn’t have forgotten Mystery of all people. Er well...scratch that one. “Let’s get going! I bet you Lance whipped up something yummy and delicious for us!”

“Hopefully I won’t have the intoxicating scent of haggis clogging my nostrils.” Mystery mused.

It wasn’t the best of days in Tempo. Cloudy and rather chilly. Even if the weather appeared gloomy, it couldn’t halt the joyous cheers and jolly greetings from the residents. Maybe the weather was holding out for something…

-----------

The local mechanic shop came into view. The bright, giant crowned wrench lit up just as usual decorated with garland. A little santa hat topped it all off. The windows were adorned with various strings of flashing colored lights, coupled with dripping icicle lights on the awning. Very festive and inviting.

“Wow, the icicle drips are new! I couldn’t even grab one of those for the book shop!” Vivi commented while watching the light show. “Duet had to order a set online but they didn’t come until a few days later. Chloe and I managed to hang them up before the store opened.”

“I’m sure all the little ones enjoyed the festive decorations you two put together.” Mystery nodded with a smile.

Vivi chuckled. “Alright! It’s time to get our Christmas on!” The duo stepped underneath the awning, and Vivi reached out rapping her hand against the wooden door. No answer, not even muffled voices beyond the doorway. They said they could come by anytime around noon. The bluenette double checked pulling out her cell phone. 12:20PM. Late but not ‘fashionably late’ in her eyes. Another knock still didn’t get them anywhere.

...until she heard a distance crashing sound.

“What the…” Vivi moved toward the closest window plastering her face against the glass. She peered inside seeing nothing out of the ordinary. The usual storefront was all she took in, albeit it’d been darkened due to the shop closure for the day. She scanned around the rows of hardware, the front desk, and locked on the low light coming from a doorway. That’s the store entrance to their home, but no signs of anyone. “I can’t see anyone near the back but...you heard that too, right?”

Mystery trotted over standing up on his back two legs so he could take a look inside. “I did...however with this low visibility and the nature of the crash I can’t judge whether it’s something we should be concerned about..”

“There is a side entrance. Let’s try knocking over there.”

This wasn’t the usual entrance for customers. It’s like a side-alley back door, where the employees could hang out during their break or needed to take out the trash. Piles of scrap metal and rusty materials lay against the brick walls, creaking here and there in the light breeze. Vivi stepped up the two stone stairs and knocked on his steel frame. “Arthur! Lance! It’s me and Mystery!” There wasn’t a response at first so she tried banging a little harder. “Guys? Is anyone-”

“VIVI!”

The door swung open catching Vivi and Mystery by complete surprise. She fumbled down the stairs catching herself on top of the squashed dog. Right in the entrance stood a familiar blonde mechanic. The smile on his square face could brighten any cloudy day. The greens and reds adorned on his sweater complimented the bright red nose taped over his own nose.

“Heeeeeey Vivi! Uh...sorry for scaring you there!” He offered her a helping hand. “I was about to catch you at the front, but then Lance told me he heard the knocks coming from the side.”

“That’s okay Artie.” Vivi sighed adjusting the bottom hem of her Christmas dress. “I wasn’t sure whether I should have gone the usual way or try my chances around here.”

“It’s noooo problem!” Arthur seemed very enthusiastic, and oddly cheery. Maybe it was the Christmas spirit...or he could be hiding whatever that faint trail of smoke billowing in the corner. Something seemed suspicious about that.

“Well...in any case, we’re sorry for coming here late. I overslept...a bit, but we’re here for a good lunch!”

“Yeeeeeah, so...about that.” Arthur chuckled nervously.

“Artie!” The familiar, Scottish drawl of the mechanic shop owner brightened the bluenette’s smile. A shorter man sauntered from behind the taller blonde rubbing a handkerchief over his thick beard. Lance wore a matching sweater, just like Arthur, with a Santa reindeer-horned hat on top. “Why are you letting this lass stand out in the freezing cold!? Bring her in! Come on, Vivi! We’re just about ready to eat!”

“Thank you Uncle Lance!” Vivi politely bowed, then skipped up the stairs past Arthur’s fumbling expression.

“Uuuuh Lance, are you sure you...really want to…”

“Ahhh don’tcha worry there, Artie. The fish may not have come out as perfect as planned, but that’s why we have a backup!” Lance laughed heartily.

“So that was the loud bang I heard, and why you looked in such a titz when you opened the back door.” Vivi commented adding a playful jab at his arm. It wasn’t a big deal or horrible outcome if something didn’t turn out right. Just take Vivi’s own cooking as an example! No one could ever trust what she brought to the table, and Vivi knew it very well.

“Heh heh...sorry about that.” Arthur shyly smiled and scratched one one his stripped sidebangs. “We really did want to make something special for the holiday, and just for you as well, but…”

Vivi stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder, accompanied with a small squeeze. “You don’t need to apologize for the flop. These things happen, and as long as I’m spending Christmas with my favorite people in the world I’m happy.” She smiled sweetly.

Arthur returned the smile with a goofy, toothy grin of his own. “Right...thanks Vi.” With that all cleared up, the blonde seemed to spring back to life. He hopped in front of the doorway leading inside the mechanic’s living quarters. His posture mimicked that of a fancy, snobby butler: puffed out chest, arms tight against his sides, his nose stuck in the air, and his hair slicked back. It sure got the giggles out of Vivi. “Now, madame and monsieur, I do hope you have prepared yourself for quite the luncheon.” His rigid left arm extended towards the door, carefully opening it until it stopped creaking. “Do have yourself a wonderful time~”

Vivi couldn’t stop giggling but played along with this silly act. She politely bowed to the ‘butler’ and curtsied her dress. “Oh thank you my good sir. How polite and...mannerly you are to such an exquisite lady such as myself.” Even Mystery played along bowing his head. The three joined in a fit of laughter before joining Lance’s round table.

It was a fantastic lunch: a healthy spread of sandwiches, various flavors of chips, and drinks galore. Galaham and Mystery were treated with scrumptious delights. Vivi may have slipped a few pieces of salami, ham, and of course...roasted chicken into his bowl. Arthur’s little ham-ham was treated to yogurt bites. The tiny hamster munched them all down, and then some. At one point he crawled up Arthur’s pant leg begging and scritching his sweater for more sweet treats. He couldn’t resist those beady, black eyes!

Jokes were thrown plenty around the table. Arthur stabbed two pickles on two separate forks and used those as tiny feet, while his giant head became the make-believe character’s body. Vivi snorted up a storm which resulted in spewing out fizzy soda through her nostrils. Absolutely gross, but hilarious nonetheless. After the clean up, Arthur brought out one of his prototype catapults. He played ‘fling the meat at the Mystery’ while Vivi offered to help Lance clean in the kitchen. All in all a successful afternoon at the Kingsmens!

A few hours passed, and once everything was set back to normal Vivi and Arthur grabbed their stuff. It wasn’t too late in the afternoon, but their next destination was a bit of a longer distance. Arthur offered to take the van instead of walking there, and when Vivi stepped outside after soaking in the cozy warmth she immediately agreed.

“I may be back late Lance, so don’t worry about leaving the back door unlocked.” Arthur patted the smaller man on the shoulder. “I got my keys so everything is fine.”

“Aye, alrighty then.” Lance nodded, and slapped Arthur on the back. Not too hard but enough force for Arthur to cough once. “Just don’t forget to get yer bum back here in the morning. We got the New Year’s stock coming in and you know how it be like around here right after Christmas.”

“Oh I know...I know very well.” Arthur shuddered. “Don’t worry, and I won’t go too crazy either.” He stepped outside the back door heading for the bright yellow van. Best to start up the old girl and get her warmed up.

Vivi took one of Lance’s hands firmly shaking it, then politely bowed once again. “It was a pleasure getting to spend the afternoon with you. I enjoyed the food and the good company. So did Mystery.” The dog chimed in with a playful bark. “Thank you so much for inviting me over.”

“Aaaaah you know we love having you around here.” Lance smiled warmly. “It warms my beating heart seeing you and Arthur so happy.” He jabbed her on the arm. “Now go and git! The Peppers are waiting for you!”

Vivi excitedly nodded. “Merry Christmas Lance!” She waved as the two ran out towards the van. The passenger door swung open, letting Vivi easily slide into the seat and Mystery hop into her lap. “Alright Artie! TO PARADISIO!”

“High ho Silver! Away we go!”

The van took off across the damp ground, smoothly transitioning to the pavement. It seemed like the clouds drew thicker, and darker too. Did the weather call for snow today?

-----

“Feliz Navidad!”

The joyous, festive greeting welcomed Arthur, Vivi, and Mystery upon their arrival at the local restaurant. The Peppers shut down for the day in observance, but for those lucky few who personally knew the family it meant the whole place for themselves. Garland adorned across the booth seats, white lights draped down from the ceiling, and on each table were candles of various reds and greens.

Even the Peppers went all out for the occasion, including their outfits. Mr. and Mrs. Pepper dressed in identical red and white attire complete with matching hats. Were they trying to play off Santa Claus and Mrs.? They looked adorable, but the ones who really stole the show were the little sisters. Green and white striped socks, dark green jackets with a buckle laced over the front, red mittens, and pointed green hats with glued on pointed elf ears!

“I see you two have quite the helpers on your hands.” Vivi giggled and leaned down admiring the girls’ outfits. Paprika gently pushed herself past Cayenne, who kept picking at a small hole in her left mitten.

“Mama picksed it out four usssh.” Every time her tongue clicked against her front teeth or she made certain hard sounds, a hissing whistle accompanied. It looked like little Paprika just recently lost a tooth! “I helped pick out thhhhhe mittens…”

“You did a great job helping out your mama.” Vivi smiled warmly. She patted Paprika on the head, careful not to let the hat fall off. Afterwards she stood back up looking around the empty restaurant. The majority of the Peppers were here to greet them, all except for one. “I thought we’d get to see all the family at the front door but….where’s-”

“MAMA!” A familiar, baritone voice echoed from the other end of the restaurant. The sounds of running sneakers squeaked on the linoleum flooring, and from the “OUT” door bursted a recognizable, purple-haired boy. “Mama, I just took the pork out of the oven, but I think it may have overcooked!”

Mrs. Pepper didn’t say a word, but the gleaned seen in her right eye said all. No one could get in her way. Her husband immediately stepped to the side allowing the woman her pathway towards the back kitchen. He followed her just a few feet behind. Lewis held the door open until they disappeared into the unknown. She knew what had to be done. No one else could bother her now. Which meant it was Lewis’ turn for his holiday greeting.

“Vivi! Arthur!” The larger, broad shouldered member spared no time taking each of his friends in a tight hug. He always gave the best, most squishy hugs! Vivi giggled while attempting her own hug back, but Arthur succumbed to the vice grip letting him shake the mechanic around like a rag doll. They shared their laughs then Lewis broke off, making Arthur gasp for more air. “It’s great having you guys over here again. Sorry I couldn’t swing by your place, Artie.”

“No..” He spat that out with a cough. “It’s...it’s all good, big guy. We had a...great lunch and I know...you always *COUGH* help out your folks here...”

“Veevee….veevee...veevee….” Belle snuck underneath Lewis’ legs and grabbed hold of a hand. “Come over and see what Santa left us!!”

“Yeah yeah!!” Joining behind Vivi was the troublemaker of the girls, Cayenne. “Santa left a HUUUUGE haul of gifts this year! He must have known I’ve been extra good.” The smaller girl gently pushed Vivi, and with Belle tugging the bluenette towards the tree what could she do. No way out of this now.

“Well I think the girls are going to kidnap me for a while. If you need me, I’ll be over in toyland.”

“No worries Viv!” Lewis chuckled waving her off. It’s heartwarming, as their older brother, how much the little ones enjoyed Vivi’s company. She held this welcoming air, always inviting others into her conversations or going out of her way to make a total stranger smile. Bless her little beating heart.

“...Hey big guy!” Arthur snapped his fingers in front of his face. “Helloooo, earth to Lewis? You still with me buddy or are you wandering off into space again?”

“Oh!” It took him a few blinks before his mind wandered back to Earth. “My bad, I was just...surprised the girls could take Vivi before even I had a chance to say Merry Christmas.”

“Well, you know it’s one of their favorite times of the year, including Vivi herself. Have you seen the outfit she planned? It’s like Christmas threw up all over her!” Not much of a complaint, but more of a blunt truth. Arthur loved her enthusiasm when it came to the holidays.

Lewis chuckled heartily. “That’s Vivi for you though. When it involves something she loves, or spreading some happiness in this quiet town she goes all out.” He placed a hand on Arthur’s shoulder nudging his other arm playfully. “Come on, take your coat off and get warm. Papa made a special hot cocoa blend for today!”

“Two editions, to be precise!” Mr. Pepper piped up from the kitchen window. “We concocted two special recipes combining the sweetness and rich flavor of chocolate and added a little fiery kick to the batch.” As if he were waiting for this moment, Mr. Pepper brought out two crock pots setting them right below the window. “The one on the left is a chili spiced hot chocolate and the right one is a cinnamon spiced chocolate mix. Add some of our homemade, fluffy marshmallows to the mix and it’s pure delight!” Mrs. Pepper took that cue to slip a small bowl of square-shaped marshmallows on the window counter. Perfect timing!

“Hmmmm…” Arthur took a moment thinking it over and stroking his maroon goatee. Every time he tried something new here it either ended in his tongue bursting into flames or having a mellow, sweet filled experience. 50/50 shot. He’d bite the bullet. “I think I’ll take a stab at the cinnamon spiced one.” Again, right on cue, a Christmas cup skidded across the window counter. Mrs. Pepper nodded from behind, holding a large ladle on her shoulder then disappearing once again. No other comment from Arthur when he accepted the cup, then scooped about a half-cup worth. He picked a few marshmallows, letting them splash and soak up the hot, sweet liquid. A few ‘huffs’ across the surface and Arthur carefully sipped.

“They’ve been working on these recipes this past month.” Lewis poked in taking some of the chili based hot cocoa. “My sisters and I were the taste testers. I couldn’t tell you how many batches they worked through until they came up with a finalized product. It’s not the ABSOLUTE final yet, but they need others’ opinions. Our taste buds have gotten used to the flavors by now.”

“Oh..*cough* of course…” Arthur smiled with a nervous chuckle. It’d been one sip but he could feel the kick right in his throat. Delicious yes, but a wake-up call as well. “It’s….*cough*, it’s really good...I’m not dying from it I swear, it’s...really really good with the spice…”

Time must have passed quickly since their arrival. Mrs. Pepper returned to the front, with Mr. Pepper in tow, leading everyone to the back area of the restaurant. Right through the kitchen and pass the freezers, the Peppers prepared a section of their living quarters for dinner. Various side dishes spread across the table, trays of sliced meats (that pork did come out well) and of course, sweets of all kinds decked out on a table against the wall. That’s what Vivi looked forward to the most.

The company was lively and boisterous. The Pepper sisters could never sit still in their seats, so they slipped underneath the table at times playing ‘tag’ with Mystery. He kept an eye on them just in case they wound up in any trouble, or plotted causing any too. Such mischievous little girls. Vivi scarfed down everything on her plate, then seconds, and thirds, with a little bit of fourths. Didn’t she already have a big lunch today? How could she be so hungry?

It’s a mystery Lewis and Arthur never understood, nor did they bother figuring out.

Arthur talked up a storm about the shop and his new blueprints for the coming year. A working, mechanical arm was his biggest project to date, but it didn’t sound like it’d be easy. Lewis didn’t talk much but laughed and smiled along with the conversations. He enjoyed the warm atmosphere, being around the people he called his family, and having his close friends to spend it with too.

“Mama! Mama!” After the sweets were eaten and cleared (thanks to Vivi as well), the three little sisters ran into the backroom. Mystery came in tow with a snow covered snout. Paprika ran up to her mother climbing up and sitting in her lap. “Mama mama, itshh shhnowing outshide!”

Everyone scrambled outside. Arthur and Vivi threw their jackets on, Lewis put on a simple coat, and the sisters waltzed outside in their Christmas attire. Sure enough, flaky specks of snow dotted the now blackened night sky. The lights from downtown illuminated off the low hanging clouds making the entire town glow. Combine that with the spots of colored Christmas lights and it made everything look vibrant and colorful.

“It’s so pretty….” Vivi stared into the sky, eyes lighting up with their own natural glow. “Snow on Christmas Day...who would’ve thought-”

“INCOMING!!” The sentimental moment came to a screeching halt when a rogue snowball landed right in Vivi’s face. She heard Arthur snickering across the street, and three little squeaks too. So that’s how it would be, wouldn’t it?

Vivi shook her head, much like a dog, getting rid of the cold, wet snow. “I see you have declared war upon us!” She tucked an arm around Lewis and scooped Mystery into her other arm. “Well, if that’s how it shall be then we will not back down from this battle! Lewis, start piling up snow! Mystery, stand guard and use your small body as a distraction.”

“R-Roger, Captain Vivi!” He broke away and scrambled to start squishing snow into smaller balls. Mystery wiggled free and playfully barked at the girls. Vivi, however, took a chance and scooped up snow in her arms. If they were about to head into battle they would need a solid foundation to keep themselves safe.

“You’re going down Arthur!”

Back and forth with the playful, sassy talk. Mr. and Mrs. Pepper watched from the safety of the opened back door. It looked like the snow would continue through the night. The wind and chill could freeze anyone to the bone, unless you were as fired up as these kids.

Another successful Christmas spent together. What more could anyone here ask for, other than a warm fireplace once the snowballs ceased.

#Have a happy holiday!!#hope you enjoy the festive fun times!#msaholidayspirits2020 #mystery skulls animated #mystery skulls

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