One Of Us
A Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated/Mystery Skulls Crossover
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Chapter One
Magic
The ultimate power chord.
That’s what they needed to break Rude Boy’s spell.
“Like, Scoob old buddy, old friend, old pal… after everything we’ve been through, is this it? Like, through all the scary monsters and the homicidal parrot, are our friends really going to dance themselves to death?”
“No way!” Scooby growled. Still ever determined and faithful, the dog looked around, his mind scrambling for some sort of answer. But his eyes fell upon Fred, Daphne, and Velma dancing uncontrollably with the rest of the Crystalcovians below, and then he looked over at Shaggy, trying to rouse Luna, Thorn, and Dusk from where they’d been knocked unconscious, and a knot of despair settled in the back of his throat.
It was right at that moment, when it seemed all hope might be lost, that a pink light appeared from below.
And suddenly, the sound of the synth and the strum of an electric guitar drowned out the cursed melody of ska.
In an instant, Shaggy and Scooby rushed over to the edge of the rooftop, looking down in the direction of the sound until their gazes landed upon a cloud of pink smoke. Light within it showed the silhouettes of a very familiarly shaped van, and four figures that came into clarity as the vapor cleared, their bodies bobbing in sync with the tempo of the beat.
The first member of the band that came into view was a girl wielding a blue electric guitar, dressed entirely in blue save her pink glasses, right down to the azure hue of her hair. The second was a scrawny young man on the synthesizer. He had yellow-orange hair, and he wore a white t-shirt, an orange vest, and pants that matched his locks. A small white dog stood just in front of him, looking up at the Ska-tastics with a challenge in his eyes. And finally, at the front center of the band, his bow running across the strings of his pink violin, appeared a handsome young man with magenta hair and a matching suit. The rhythm of the song picked up, and he began to sing.
“The spell you’ve got on me - it’s like magic!
His bow ran across the strings twice.
“Got me feelin’ like falling in love,
From behind the truck suddenly appeared a bizarre spectacle of special effects -
“Got me feelin’ like I’ll never give up on-
Got me feelin’ like I’ll never give up on you!”
- A small orchestra of pink ghosts with little violins, bobbing their bodies in sync with the music in the same manner as the musicians, strumming their strings right along with the lead violinist.
“It’s like magic!”
That was when the song really picked up - Shaggy and Scooby had no ear for music, but the Hex girls knew what they were hearing as they awoke from where they’d fallen: a unique blend of electra and disco with violins and a progressive thrust.
“Like, zoinks! Like, who’re they?” Shaggy asked.
“I don’t know, but they’ve got some killer sounds!” Said Dusk as the Hex Girls came up behind them to look.
“It’s not the same as ours, but that’s the ultimate power chord!” Luna exclaimed.
The Hex Girls weren’t the only ones who thought so either. The band’s pink blasts of music were canceling out the ska, illuminations shaped like those same pink ghosts blasting the Ska-tastics skulls away, and the tired townsfolk below had stopped dancing and were coming to.
“I got you feelin’ like you’re falling in love!
I got you feelin’ like you’ll never give up on,
I got you feelin’ like you’ll never give up on!”
And the lead vocalist sang, with the synth player, the guitarist, and the pink ghosts singing too in a call-and-response verse -
“Magic, Magic!” “Oooh!”
“Magic, Magic!” “Oooh!”
“Magic, Magic, Magic, Magic!”
“Oooh!”
“Magic, Magic!” “Oooh!”
“Magic, Magic!” “Oooh!”
“Magic, Magic, Magic, Magic!”
“Oooh!”
Right as the townspeople began to cheer for the band, the Ska-tastics began to play their ska with even more fervor, entrapping them once again in their spell.
“Yer dead right, mate!
Dead right, mate!
Left right, mate!
That’s right, mate!
Yer dead right, mate!
Yer dead right, mate!
Top mate, mate!
Yer dead right, mate!”
But the newcomers weren’t finished weaving their own magic just yet, and the Ska-tastics would prove to be no match for the strong bond between the instrumentalists, or the love with which their song had been written. The lead singer and the violinist came together, still playing their parts - and as the two started to dance, eyes shining with joy, he began to sing at her with all the guile and passion of a young man in love.
“It's not the way you wear your hair,
Or you just crept out of bed.
Oh no.
It's not the way you move your eyes,
So it took me by surprise.
Oh no.
Before this night is over, I pull your body closer!
I'mma give it to ya,
I wanna get back!
Before this night is over,
I pull your body closer!”
The blue girl spun back to her place and the singer resumed his strings right as the violins returned, bringing back the people of Crystal Cove with the power of the chorus.
“The spell you got on me - it's like magic!
Got me feeling like falling in love,
Got me feeling like I'll never give up on-
Got me feeling like I'll never give up on you!
It's like magic!
I got you feeling like you're falling in love,
I got you feeling like you'll never give up on-
I got you feeling like you'll never give up on!”
The violins arose in a grand crescendo, building up to the next verse, and that was when Scooby noticed the group’s name printed proudly on the side of their van:
Mystery Skulls.
But the great dane had not even a moment to register it, before the group finally dropped the beat.
“Magic, Magic!” “Oooh!”
“Magic, Magic!” “Oooh!”
“Magic, Magic, Magic, Magic!”
“Oooh!”
“Magic, Magic!” “Oooh!”
“Magic, Magic!” “Oooh!”
“Magic, Magic, Magic, Magic!”
“Oooh!”
That was when from above the Mystery Skulls’ van, arose a great red shape of light.
“Magic, Magic!” “Oooh!”
“Magic, Magic!” “Oooh!”
“Magic, Magic, Magic, Magic!”
“Oooh!”
The shape took the form of an absolutely gigantic fox-like beast, its eyes glowing and sharp teeth bared at Rude Boy, its seven magnificent tails swaying to and fro. The white dog on the street down below smiled at it with a smug sense of pride.
“Magic, Magic!” “Oooh!”
“Magic, Magic!” “Oooh!”
“Magic, Magic, Magic, Magic!”
“Oooh!”
In two great bounds, the beast leapt through the air, above the people of Crystal Cove, and crashed into Rude Boy and the ska-tastics with such force that their equipment exploded.
The Mystery Skulls smiled at the sight of their defeated opponent, and then went on to have fun finishing their song, basking in the glow of the applause from their liberated audience. As the lead vocalist reached his last verse and the violins brought the ballad to a peaceful finish, there was a moment of silence from the audience for a few moments before the people of Crystal Cove exploded into applause.
Once everything finally settled and died down, Sheriff Stone arrested Rude Boy and the Ska-tastics, and Fred did the honors of unmasking them to reveal their true identities:
Rude Boy and the Ska-tastics.
It was just as Velma had suspected: the band had faked their own deaths.
As Rude Boy would go on to explain, the band had intended to make a surprise comeback a year after their supposed deaths with a new hit. But, writing the perfect song had taken so much longer than they’d expected that by the time it was ready, the popularity of ska music had died out. So (because obviously that was the “reasonable” and “logical” thing to do), they had come to the decision that they would make their reappearance as zombies and use an enharmonic chord with special frequencies in the music to force their audience to dance.
As the sheriff loaded the fake ghost band into the back of his car and drove off, Mystery Incorporated finally broke away and went over to meet the group they owed their victory to.
The crowd had peacefully departed, townsfolk headed home to rest after their ordeal. The fellow with the orange hair in the vest was loading his synth into the back of the van, and the blue guitarist and the magenta violinist/lead singer were wrapping up their conversation with Thorn, Dusk, and Luna.
Their girl who’d played the guitar was holding the dog - He was mostly white, with black paws, a black spot on his back, and a mane of black and red fur on his head. A gold and red pendant in the shape of a question mark hung from the crimson collar around his neck, and a tiny pair of gold tinted glasses rested on his snout. It was almost unsettling, how human the animal seemed. The way he looked between the five humans as they spoke was almost as though he understood them. Like Scooby… or like Professor Pericles.
Velma hummed thoughtfully, observing with the rest of the gang from afar. “Is it me, or does that band look… familiar?” Velma asked.
“Jeepers. You might be right, Velma.” Daphne exclaimed.
“Like, yeah. Like, they kinda look like… us.” Said Shaggy.
“That’s what I thought, too. They’re short a teammate. But if I didn’t know any better, they almost look like another Mystery Incorporated!” Velma said.
“Reah! Right down to the van.” Scooby agreed.
“That’s true, gang. The past two generations of Mystery Incorporated have driven a similar one. But we shouldn’t jump to any conclusions so soon.” Fred said.
“Fred’s right.” Velma agreed. “Every Mystery Incorporated has stuck to a very specific formula: four kids and a talking animal. There’s only three of them, and I haven’t seen or heard a peep out of the dog.”
“That’s true… but the original Mystery Incorporated is down to three members now.” Daphne said sadly. The entire gang nodded solemnly, and there was a brief moment of silence at the mention of Cassidy Williams.
“I still think Fred’s right.” Velma said. “And besides: they’re a band. It would make sense for them to have a group van… and the fact that Mystery is in the name doesn’t prove anything!” She said stubbornly. And then she was marching forward, leading the way as the gang went to introduce themselves.
“Hey, Daphne! You guys totally need to meet these guys.” Said Thorn as they approached. They said goodbye to the Hex Girls, who agreed to meet back up with Mystery Incorporated at Shaggy’s House later. Once they were gone, the gang struck up conversation with the Mystery Skulls.
“Well, hey.” Fred said. “Thanks a lot for the help back there.”
“Like yeah man, your song was like, totally groovy dudes!” said Shaggy.
“We’re-”
“Mystery Incorporated! It’s great to meet you. Your friends the Hex Girls were just telling us about you all. That, and ‘The Mystery Machine’ is painted on the side of your van. ” The singer said, pointing at where the Mystery Machine was parked.
“Yep! It’s nice to see that we’re not the only ones in town with an appreciation for a themed, uniquely decorated van. Though, you were definitely much more ambitious than we were. I love the colors! Especially the blue, but you probably could have guessed that.” Said the guitarist, gesturing to the color of her hair, outfit, and guitar.
“Really? You like it? Thanks! I designed the paint job myself!” Fred said excitedly. “I’m Fred, by the way - Fred Jones. This is Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby.”
“It’s great to meet you.” Said Velma. “And might I say I approve of the color you decided to paint your van.” She added, comparing the orange and red to her signature sweater and skirt.
“Technically, it’s Arthur’s van. So I guess it only makes sense that it’s orange. Speaking of which: Hey, Arthur! Come over here and meet these guys!” Called the singer.
The pianist with the spiky orange hair, Arthur, stumbled out from behind the van. “Oh! Hello there… everyone.” He said shyly with a sheepish wave. “I’m Arthur Kingsmen. It’s nice to meet you.”
As nice as Arthur seemed, the gang was stunned into silence after he waved. Arthur’s entire left arm was made of metal - a complex artificial limb.
“Y-yeah. I uh… lost my arm a few years ago.” Arthur chuckled uncomfortably, clutching it nervously with his other arm.
“Oh! Like, sorry man.” Shaggy apologized.
“We didn’t mean to stare.” Said Daphne.
“It was just like, kinda surprising.”
“It’s cool, really.” Arthur said. “Not everyone notices at first, then when they do they’re like: Ahh!”
“I can see why people don’t notice at first. That’s an incredible prosthetic!” Velma gushed, adjusting her glasses and looking at it more closely.
“R-really? You think so?”
“Of course! I’ve never seen a prosthetic that moves so organically! The movements of the fingers are extremely complex - You must have worked really hard to be able to use it with that much fluidity. The prosthetic’s integration with the rest of your body looks flawless! You make it look effortless!”
“Oh, it’s nothing really.” Arthur blushed. “And besides, Vivi helped me out a lot in the early days. I owe her a lot.”
“Aww, thanks Arthur. That’s me by the way - I’m Vivi Yukino.”
“And I’m Lewis Pepper.”
“Nice to meet you!” Scooby said.
“Oh, cool. So, is it not that unusual around here for animals to talk? Great! I’m Mystery!” Said the dog.
Mystery Incorporated stared at the little dog in shock, then they turned to look at each other.
A talking animal.
With that single look, the gang all knew what the others were thinking, and they all came to the silent and unanimous decision that they would discuss the implications of this later, either in the van after this conversation was over or after the Hex Girls left Shaggy’s house later. And with that, they returned to the conversation and gave their best effort to appear as though they weren’t hiding anything.
“Pretty weird how that band was pretending to be themselves… only ghosts. Huh?” Said Vivi.
“And with those words, you’ve just proved that this is your first time in Crystal Cove.” Said Velma.
“Happens a lot more often around here than you would think.” Daphne added.
“Yeah, you would know, wouldn’t you?” Lewis said. “We haven’t been here long, but from what we’ve heard, you guys are quite the team. You solve mysteries, right? And you’ve proved a lot of this town’s tourist attractions to be fakes?”
“Like, yeah.” Shaggy laughed. “That’s us.”
“Thanks a lot for stepping in when you did, by the way.” Daphne thanked them.
“Yeah, the monsters don’t catch us off guard like that very often. Without your band’s help Fred, Daphne, and I might have danced ourselves to death!” Velma exclaimed.
“Oh, it was nothing!” Lewis blushed.
“Believe it or not, that wasn’t even our first rodeo against a large-scale case of musical hypnosis.” Mystery said.
“Us mystery solvers and paranormal investigators have to stick together and help each other out, right?” Said Vivi.
There was an audible record scratch inside the heads of all five members of Mystery Incorporated.
“Uh, like, say that again?” Shaggy asked shakily.
“Oh, music isn’t our main gig. It’s more of a hobby.” Lewis explained.
“Yeah, that’s right. We’re mystery solvers - kind of like you, but when we investigate stuff… it usually turns out to be real.” Arthur said, rubbing his arm again and giving Lewis and Mystery very pointed looks.
“Cults, curses, demons, ghosts, witches, magical creatures, the Weird Tree Lady… we’ve seen most of it at this point.” Vivi said, counting them off on her fingers.
“Can we not discuss the ‘Weird Tree Lady’?” Mystery winced.
“Don’t get us wrong: we are a band. But mysteries have always had this weird way of finding us, so we’re more paranormal investigators than musicians at this point.” Arthur said dryly.
But Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby were hardly listening at that point, their minds reeling at the implications.
Three kids and a talking animal that formed a gang of mystery solvers. It was too close to the pattern to be a coincidence. A third living, active Mystery Incorporated group had just appeared in Crystal Cove. Where one Mystery had just come to a close, another had just gotten much more complicated.
This story was vastly inspired by 'The Mirror's Gaze' by Eternal_Phantom on AO3. You might not see the resemblance now, but just wait until later chapters and then you'll be like: "Oooohhhhh..."
Headcanons and other bits of inspiration used in this story were also taken from various other SDMI fics I've read, including one that's rather popular here on Tumblr - 'Purposefully Silent' by OritheReticent.
If you've never read either of those fics, let me tell you: you are missing OUT.
Also, miniscule population of fans who are as obsessed with Mr. E and the Ricky/Cassidy ship as I am: wait for chapter two. His role is HUGE in this story.
Chapters 1 through 10 of One of Us are currently posted on Archive of Our Own.
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[ID: First image is a close-up on a plate of small flatbreads topped with ground ‘meat’; second is a cross-section of one of the breads. End ID]
صفيحة فلسطينية / Safiha falastinia (Palestinian topped flatbread)
Etymology and origins
صَفِيحَة (“ṣafīḥa”), also transliterated “sfiha” and “sfeeha,” is a flatbread eaten in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, comprising a yeasted dough topped with a filling made from ground lamb or beef, spices, and chopped aromatics and vegetables. It may also be called “اللَحْم بالعَجِين” (“al-laḥm b al-‘ajīn,” “meat with dough”)—this phrase is the source of the Turkish “lahmacun” and the Armenian “Լահմաջո” (“lahmadjo”), which describe a closely related dish.
The word “صَفِيحَة” literally means “thin plate” or “sheet”; it comes from the root ص ف ح (ṣ f ḥ), which produces words related to flatness. Compare for example “صَفَّحَ” (“ṣaffaḥa”) “to flatten,” “صَفْحَة” (“ṣafḥa”) “page,” and “صَافَحَ” (“ṣāfaḥa”) “to shake hands.”
In English, lahmacun (also transliterated "lahmajoun") is sometimes called "Armenian pizza." Similarly, it may be called "صفيحة الأرمنية" ("safiha al-'armaniyya"), "Armenian safiha," in Palestine, indicating that it is regarded as a borrowing from the local Armenian immigrant community. In Armenia, lahmadjo is a very thin, soft flatbread typically topped with beef or lamb, tomatoes, tomato paste, bell peppers, onion, garlic, parsley, red chili paste, and black pepper. With Palestinian safiha, lamb is the typical choice of meat; the dough may be thicker, and enriched with the addition of milk, milk powder, or yoghurt; bell peppers are ommitted; and fried pine nuts may be added. Palestinian restaurateur Nassar Odeh remembers lahmadjo being served in Jerusalem's Old City decades ago; he says that "Armenian dishes" such as this have become "part of the Palestinian culture."
Though the Arabic-derived "lahmadjo" and related terms may be heard, [1] the most common Armenian-language name for this dish is "լոշմիս" ("loshmis")—presumably from "լոշ" "losh" "lavash, thin bread" + "միս" "mis" "meat." Some Western Armenian variations on the name reverse this order (meat-dough, rather than dough-meat): "մսաշոթ" ("msashot"), from "մսա" "msa" "meat" + "շոթ" "shot" "thin bread"; and "մսալոշ" ("msalosh"), from "մսա" "msa" "meat" + "լոշ" "losh" "thin bread."
The dish
A common part of everyday Palestinian cooking, صَفَائِح ("ṣafā'iḥ"; plural of "ṣafīḥa") are often eaten as a snack or a portable lunch. They may also be served as a مَزَّة ("mazza"; "appetizer") for عِيد ("'īd"; "feast," "holiday"; often transliterated "Eid") or Christmas.
Safa'ih are shaped into pinwheels in the port city of يَافَا ("Yāfā"; often transliterated "Yaffa" or "Jaffa"), stuffed with ground meat or spinach. In the Bethlehem region the topping is often mixed with tahina, as well as vinegar or lemon juice, and perhaps pomegranate molasses. Other versions of the meat topping omit tahina and vinegar, and are more tomato-heavy instead.
This recipe is for Bethlehem mazza-style safa'ih, with thick crust that's crisp on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Vinegar and pomegranate molasses provide a bright, slightly fruity lift to the topping, while tahina grounds it with a toasty, nutty aroma. Black pepper, allspice, and a green chili pepper add complexity and heat.
[1] There is a proliferation of possible spellings for "lahmadjo" in Armenian, which would indicate that it is a loanword (probably via Turkish, ultimately from Arabic). These spellings include "լամաջո" ("lamadjo") [common]; "լահմաջո" ("lahmadjo"); "լահմաջու" ("lahmadjou"); "լահմաջոն" ("lahmadjon"); "լահմաջուն" ("lahmadjoun") [literary; uncommon]; "լահմաջին" ("lahmadjīn"); and "լահմաջի" ("lahmadjī") [rare]. The letter "ջ" is pronounced as "dj" (IPA: [d͡ʒ]) in Eastern Armenian and a "tch" (IPA: [t͡ʃʰ]) in Western Armenian (timestamp: 40:33).
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Ingredients:
Makes 24 small safa'ih. Serves 24 as an appetizer, or 6-7 as a main dish.
For the dough:
5 cups (600g) white flour
A cup (230g) non-dairy yoghurt (لبن رائب) (I used soy)
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp (15g) dry yeast
1/2 Tbsp (4g) kosher salt
1 tsp (5g) sugar
A scant cup (220g) of water
A more "everyday" preparation of this dish might make larger, flatter safa'ih out of a dough without dairy. This holiday variant includes yoghurt and makes smaller, fluffier safa'ih; but the yoghurt may be omitted (or milk or milk powder may be added) without injury, and the flatbreads can be made any shape you like.
Leila al-Haddad writes that, in Gaza, white flour used to be eaten as a treat and for special occasions before it later came to replace whole wheat white flour in many kitchens.
For the topping:
500g ground beef substitute (as a replacement for minced lamb)
1 medium tomato, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1-2 green chili peppers, minced
2 tsp kosher salt (1 tsp table salt)
3/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp allspice; or Palestinian 7-spice / mixed spices (بهار مشكل)
1/4 cup white tahina
2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 Tbsp white vinegar, or lemon juice
For a tomato filling, omit the tahina and vinegar, and instead use 2 Tbsp tomato paste; or 8 diced or puréed tomatoes, cooked down.
Instructions:
For the dough:
1. Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Make a well in the center and add in the yoghurt, olive oil, and water. Mix them together and then combine them with the rest of the dough. Add water or flour as needed to obtain a soft, slightly tacky dough.
3. Knead the dough on a clean surface for 5-10 minutes, until it bounces back when pressed. Allow to rise, covered, in an oiled bowl for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
For the filling:
1. Mince vegetables, or run them through a food processor. Mix all filling ingredients together.
To assemble:
1. Divide dough in half, and then half again; roll out each quarter of the dough into a cylinder and cut it into six equal pieces.
2. Roll each piece of dough into a ball between your hands, and then flatten it into a disc about 1” (2 1/2 cm) high and 3” (8cm) wide. Place on a baking sheet prepared with parchment paper, leaving an inch of space between each circle.
3. Press the center of each dough circle down slightly to create a crust around the edge. Add a few spoonfuls of filling to the center of each safiha and press flat.
4. Bake safa'ih in the middle of an oven at 450 °F (230 °F) for 25-30 minutes, until crust is golden brown.
Serve as an appetizer alongside vegetable salads, pickles, olives, &c.
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