Fearless

Note: Welcome to MSAHolidaySpirits2019 prompt! This year's gift goes to Backuppixiedust of Tumblr, who requested: "fluff and/or the Mystery Skulls gang investigating something?" Well I know I have a reputation to uphold, and my two writer settings are "angst" and "crack", but goshdarnit I'mma try my very hardest to fluff for you!

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"You're sure this is going to work the way you want?" Lewis hovered over Vivi's shoulder. "This is real life we're talking about, not Harry Potter."

"Yeah and I'm not actually trying to cast Riddikulus like some idiot. What I want is a whole lot more complex than that. Pass me the—" she glanced up as a Deadbeat swooped in with an empty glass bottle. Someone had sharpied Eye of Newt on the smoked glass. "Very funny. Actually I just need sugar, thanks. Gotta make this palatable."

"Okay, but even if this works the way you want, is it a good idea?" Lewis drifted across the kitchen and opened a cabinet marked REGULAR INGREDIENTS in an eye-searing shade of pink. "Let's say nothing goes wrong with this potion—and, granted, the books you dug up have truly lessened the, erm... number of incidents—but even if nothing goes wrong, isn't it better to ask Arthur first?"

Of course it would be better to ask Arthur first. If—no, when—he found out what she'd done, it would be a huge blow to his trust. He wouldn't see that it was for his own good, he would see it as wresting control away from him. Plus he was smart, so she gave it two to four days tops before he figured it out. Vivi knew exactly how this would go if she dosed him against his will.

On the other hand, asking him meant opening up a whole can of worms that might lead to her having to admit...

"I'd rather surprise him." She forced a grin. "Besides, it's not like it's a love potion or anything that robs him of free will. It's just... y'know. A little tweak to his fear levels. Pretty sure he'll like that. Thanks, Lew." She accepted the sack of sugar and measured out three teaspoons into the beaker she'd been working with for three and a half hours. She had to believe Arthur would get past being mad and see the good turn she was doing him. Maybe this could be his cure in a cup from now on. She'd gladly make as many batches as it took to keep things manageable.

"I'm just tired of seeing him wracked out over every case, y'know? He's so twitchy all the time. And he keeps trying to drag me away from whatever I'm looking at. I know what I'm doing, and when I get in over my head, I have you and Mystery to look out for me."

Lewis leaked an echoey sigh from the depths of his ribcage. The two of them had already gone several rounds on this argument. Arthur had divulged full details of his experience in the cave only once, in a re-grouping meeting that had been mediated by Mystery. Since finding out what really happened, Lewis put great stock in Arthur's fearful instincts. Secretly, Vivi agreed with him that Arthur's wariness served as an excellent early warning system, but if she had to drag him, raccoon-eyed and trembling, on one more mission where he dropped everything and ran for the van...

She shook herself. She had to get Lewis on board with her. "Besides, he's still scared of you and Mystery. I see it, so you must have noticed." She hunched over the beaker, swirling it clockwise. "Don't you just... want that to go away?"

Lewis' skull sank part-way into his suit, and Vivi felt another twinge of conscience as Lewis mumbled, "That's... a lot of that's my own fault, Vee."

"Yeah, and Mystery was just doing what he had to. I know all that, and so does Arthur, but he's still flinchy. I'm sure he doesn't want to be either. I really can't have him this jumpy on the trip. Not when we finally have a shot at the big leagues."