MSA Holiday Spirits 2022
*crashes through window in Elf Hat * Hey @eagefree I'm your replacement secret Santa. And I'm here to deliver your Holiday gift! Since you had to wait so long I did a ficlet for each of your requests
Lewthur:
Lewis had known for a long time that home wasn’t a place. Places were temporary and could change for any number of reasons, even mundane ones like needing a bigger place for children, or not being able to afford rent.
No, as far as he was concerned, Lewis’s true home was in the hearts of people who loved him. His Mama and Papa, his little sisters, his Vivi and Arthur.
Which was why it hurt so much that when he realized most of his home was gone. That he’d been wiped from the collective memory of Tempo with one singular exception. Arthur had somehow remembered. Arthur had taken that memory and turned into a one man, one woman, one whatever-the-hell-Mystery-was crusade to bring him home.
And whatever passed for Lewis’s blood ran cold at the very thought that he’d almost killed the last piece of home left to him. And he fervently thanked whatever deity might have been listening that he’d faltered in the critical moment.
Since then it had been a slow process bringing everyone’s memories of him back. Some of them, like his family, instantly snapped into place upon Arthur reintroducing them. Chloe had taken a bit for her memory to return and Lance even longer. Vivi still didn't have hers.
Deep down Lewis wondered if it was because she didn't want to remember him. It hurt, but he couldn't say he was entirely surprised.
Vivi had no forgiveness for people who hurt her friends.
But Arthur he still had. Arthur who had clung to his memory. Arthur who had gone searching for him and hadn't stopped till he'd brought home back home.
Arthur was his home and he clung to him like Arthur had to his memories of Lewis. Arthur seemed to draw comfort from his presence, often falling asleep curled up to him.
Lewis knew it was one of the few reasons Vivi tolerated his existence. He'd take it though. While he'd never stop hoping she'd remember him, never stop hoping to repair their relationship, well, the suspicious glances and 'I'm watching you' glares were starting to hurt a little less.
He was home, and he’d never leave it, never leave Arthur, again.
Vithur:
“Teach me to cook.”
The words were equal parts defiant and pleading. It was a strange combination, even stranger coming from Vivi. Mrs. Pepper looked her over, considering.
“Arthur’s not eating again.” She concluded. Vivi wilted. “He’s not…not eating. He’s snacking. Peanut butter crackers and energy drinks. It’s enough to keep him from collapsing, but…”
Mrs. Pepper pinched the bridge of her nose. Arthur probably thought there was nothing wrong as long as he was eating something. “You already seem to have the most important ingredient down, so we’ll give this a try. You do realize you won’t be making restaurant quality meals, right.”
“I know, I just…want to make him something he’ll eat.”
“Trust me, he will.” Mrs. Pepper’s smile was gentle, then turned menacing. “Your training begins now.”
~
“Arthur, it’s time to eat.”
“I’m fine, Vi. Ate already.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Did it involve a vegetable?” She didn’t give him a chance to respond. They both knew it didn’t.
Arthur let himself be dragged out of his workshop and realized something. The house smelled good. It wasn’t the kind of smell you got from takeout. It was the kind of permeation of aroma you only got from when the food was cooked in the home.
Vivi sat him down in front of a plate. It had Salisbury Steak with a rich gravy on it, steamed green beans, mashed potatoes that smelled like garlic and cheese, and a small bowl of pickled daikon cubes to the side.
“You made this?” he asked quietly.
“Even pickled the daikon myself.” She pressed a kiss to the side of his head. “Every meal needs it.”
“Vivi, this is...it’s too much.”
“Then you need to eat more.” she poked. “Expand your stomach.” “It’s not…that’s not…” Oh god, he was crying. Why was he crying?
Vivi hugged him. “Arthur, cooking a meal for you is not too much. I can even teach you some of what I learned if you want. But you need to eat better and if me learning to cook will do that, then it’s worth it. You’re worth it.” He really wasn’t. Not all this. The first bite was delicious. It tasted of meat, of onion, or garlic. But most of all, it tasted of love.
He would learn to cook, he decided. He’d learn what Vivi said she could teach, maybe watch some youtube videos or something. Because he wanted to do this for her too.
Vivi also deserved to taste all the love he held for her.
Monochrome:
“So why are your feet muddy?” Belle asked, poking at the sludge covering her brother’s legs from the knee down. “Did you have to walk through a mud pit to get here?” “They just sort of are.” He explained sheepishly. “At least ever since I woke up.”
“So even if you, like, scrape it off, there’s just more.” Belle had a grin that was more often seen on Cayenne’s face.
Oh no. “What are you thinking, Belle?”
Belle did not respond verbally, just grabbed a handful of the goop on his legs and flung it at Cayenne. “Belle no!” Mono cried as Cayenne shrieked in joy. “Mom’s gonna be so upset if you two get covered in mud!”
Cayenne made a rude noise. “Bro, Mom’s so happy to have you back she could come home to us covered from head to toe in swamp muck and she’d still be on cloud nine. So MUD FIGHT!”
Mono picked both his sisters up. “No mud fight.”
“Awww.” both sisters chimed at once.
“She got me once, so I should get her once.” Cayenne argued.
“No mud fight.” Mono repeated sternly.
Both pouted, but Mono was not willing to relent.
“Can we…try to make pots out of the mud?” Belle suggested. “It’s pretty thick, so it might be like clay?” “Yeah, we have a toy pottery wheel. Pleeeeeese!” Cayenne added.
Mono was aware his two sisters just wanted to play in mud more. But at least play pottery was more constructive than a mud fight. “Okay, but smocks first.”
They let out a cheer and all three of his sisters ran inside. Belle and Cayenne came out with the aforementioned pottery wheel and smocks, but Paprika was holding what looked like a child’s makeup kit. “I thought you might miss having color,” she explained.
And that’s how the Pepper Parents found them when they got home a few hours later. Belle and Cayenne are the pottery wheel surrounded by lumpy creations that with some imagination looked like pots and Paprika having long since abandoned the make-up kit and was using the sidewalk chalk to color her brother every shade of the rainbow.
For the first time in months, everything was All Right.
Fluff:
“So I’ve brought you here today for an important mission.” Vivi said with all the authority a preteen could muster. “Today we are giving Mystery a bath.” Arthur raised his hand. “Question. I assume since you wanted both of us, Mystery is going to be a handful. So why is he just sitting there and not running away?” “An excellent question, recruit. The answer is he needs brushies before the bath and he likes brushies. He will be making the escape attempts afterwards.” She said with the tired authority of one who has lived through this many a time. “Quite,” Mystery agreed, with a grin
“Okay, but do you really need all of us to brush him? Shouldn’t one of us be watching the gate or something.” Lewis suggested.
“You’ll see,” was all Vivi said as she handed the others their doggy brushes.
Ten minutes later Arthur was shaking his head. “This can’t be right. I think we’ve removed more fur than dog.”
“Normally I’d say you’re exaggerating but…” Lewis looked at the pile of fur they’d collected, already up to his chest. “This shouldn’t be possible.” “It’s like this every time I brush him.” Vivi huffed. “That’s why I needed you guys to help. Can you imagine how long this would take by myself?”
“But well worth it.” Mystery preened under the brushing.
“If you had thumbs I’d say you should brush yourself.” Vivi shot back.
“You know, I wonder if we could use this for stuffing pillows or something.” Lewis wonders. “It’s really fluffy.”
“I’d say he’s more fluff than dog.” Arthur said exasperated as he went to run the brush down Mystery’s back, only for the dog to seemingly collapse under the brush.
“It’s a fake.” Lewis picked it up. “A fake Mystery made out of the fur we just brushed.” Confusion was clear in his voice. “How…?”
“The how is not important, boys. What is important is we have apparently brushed him enough for it to be bath time.” Vivi dropped her brush and cracked her knuckles. “Let’s go!”
Mystery watched the children attempt to hunt him down, his tail wagging at the game. He wondered how long it would take them to find him camouflaged under his own fur,
