Christmas Eve

[skeleton_king]

Jack doesn't attempt to leave the custody of Gene as he leads the search party into the forest, map in hand.

There are a great many more doors now, each with a pumpkin, and as Jack comes into the vicinity they seem to give a little click.

He turns to the search party.

"Spread out and search each area of the forest." he says. "There is likely to be monsters behind these doors, preventing the retrieval of the first Santy Claws. Your Santy Claws is, I think, in the hands of a creature called Oogie Boogie, the former king of Bug Day, who appears as a big sack full of bugs. If you find him, or you get into trouble, shout for help at once. The other monsters should not hurt you too severely, but they will attack, so your best bet is to force them back into the door."

Comments

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

"Probably Halloween candy, if I had to guess," Autor says, and then falls silent for a while to search for a door.

He doesn't find one, but the hair on the back of his neck stands on end when he feels he's being watched. He stops crashing through the underbrush, and hears something brush against a bush that isn't him or her.

"Bonnie," he says, reaching out for her arm. "Do you... Do you hear that?"

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[is_the_motion]

Bonnie swings her own flashlight around.

"It's just a bunny." she says.

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

Autor, who had raised his other arm to protect his face from the rampaging demon bunny that he was sure would attack him at any moment, lowers it.

"O-Oh," he says. "So it is. In retrospect, I don't even hear any hissing."

He clears his throat, and lets go of her sleeve. "So, um. Want to find another door, if we can?"

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[is_the_motion]

"Yer fear of bunnies is safe with me." Bonnie says, nudging him gently.

She puts her hand on another door, and as she opens it, a giant log on a rope swings at her from inside.

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

"Hey, I'm only afraid of the--" Autor blushes again, and is about to protest when she opens the door.

"Look out!" he calls, and seizes her by the shoulders, jerking her off to the right.

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[is_the_motion]

"Whoops!" Bonnie ducks as he pulls her. "My hero."

The log swings through, and then back.

"Looks like the skelly wasn't kiddin' about there bein' hostiles through these doors."

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

"Yeah," Autor says, drawing a breath through his nose. He carefully releases her, making sure she won't fall over when he lets her go.

"Are you all right?" he asks, shaken. "We need to be more careful when we open these doors."

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[is_the_motion]

"Pretty sure I'm doin' better than the jolly red fella." Bonnie says.

She looks at him, then unwraps her scarf to put around him.

"I'm fine. You need ter go back?"

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

"No, I'm with you, Bonnie," Autor says, giving her arm a friendly squeeze. He bows his head to aid her in putting the scarf on him. "Where's our next door?"

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[is_the_motion]

"Let's try that big tree." Bonnie says, pointing to one that looks almost burned out.

This time she picks up a stick and opens the door from a little way away...

which is fortunate as a huge creature comes out. It looks like a clown, and it laughs loudly, before tearing away its face to reveal a big black chasm inside its head.

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

"Oh, Shiva wept!" Autor cries, searching for a stick. All he has is his flashlight--he kicks himself for no longer carrying grenades--and that's clearly not enough for a chubby clown on a unicycle. Its voice was high pitched until it tore off its features; now, a deep laugh rattles Autor's bones.

"Bonnie!" the boy calls, shivering as the clown advances on her.

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[is_the_motion]

"OI!" Bonnie yells at the clown, straightening up. "Stop scarin' him, he cain't help bein' an indoors sorta person."

The clown laughs and attempts to grab at her, so she kicks it where its genitals probably are.

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

Autor would scoff at that assessment of him if he weren't busy actually being scared. The monster is massive, and Autor doesn't know how they'll take it down.

The clown doesn't appear to stagger much from Bonnie's kick; it advances out of its tree, waggling the small, grey fingers of its outstretched free hand. "I am the clown with the tear-away face!" it roars, waving its blue-lipped, spike-toothed face around. "Here in a flash and gone without a trace!"

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[is_the_motion]

"Piss off!" Bonnie picks up a branch. "We ain't scared."

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

Autor's glad she included him in her burst of courage, but he really is scared, inching towards terrified--and feeling mostly useless in this fight. "Bonnie, look out!"

With a great guffaw, the monster tears the stick out of her hands and lobs it Autor. The boy raises his arm to protect his face and takes the hit on the wrist. He winces, and searches for a stone to throw while the clown pedals its unicycle towards Bonnie, cackling and waggling its fingers.

"Stay away from her!" Autor cries, throwing rocks with his good arm.

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[is_the_motion]

"OH HELL NO!"

Bonnie kicks the unicycle sideways, because they're damn stupid vehicles anyway. As soon as it's on the floor, she jumps on it, wrestling style.

The clown starts to deflate, and then it sort of giggles, and quickly reinflates.

"Autor, aim fer its hole..." Bonnie yells, just before she's flung in the air, smacking her head on an overhanging tree branch.

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

"Bonnie!" the boy cries, and searches for a properly-sized rock. His fingers bite into the stone as he hauls it above his head, and he ignores his rapidly swelling wrist.

The monster laughs, propping itself on its hands to start to get up. With one last look at the unconscious Bonnie, Autor growls, "Not today," and hurls the rock. It smashes into the clown's lack of a face, jamming itself in the gaping hole. The clown smacks the back of its head on the ground, waggling helplessly before disappearing in a cloud of blue smoke.

Autor cradles his wrist to himself in disbelief. He pants a little, shocked that the monster's gone--but then his gaze trails over Bonnie. He makes a soft, strangled cry before staggering over to her, calling water bottles and rags out of his sylladex on the way.

"Bonnie! Bonnie!" he says, cupping her cheek. "Please wake up."

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[is_the_motion]

Bonnie opens her eyes and peers at him.

"Don't reckon I'm drunk enough t'be down here." she comments, sitting up.

There's a small cut on her forehead which promptly dribbles down her face.

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

"Aargh, don't sit up," Autor says, flailing a little. He drops his still lit flashlight to uncap the water bottle to wet a rag. The boy offers it to her for her head, biting his lip.

"How are you feeling? I mean, of course you're probably feeling dreadful, so that's a stupid question," Autor says, setting the bottle down to pick up his flashlight. "Please stay still. I have to check if you have a concussion. Are you nauseated?"

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[is_the_motion]

Bonnie puts the rag on her head.

"Don't you fret, ain't no brains in there ter bump, and no, not nauseated."

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

"Your brain is very important," Autor says softly, offering her a new bottle of water. He checks her eyes with his flashlight anyway, trying to suss out whether she has a concussion, and determines that she's no worse for the wear.

But she scared him, far more than the monster ever did.

"I think we should ride back to the infirmary on my carpet," he says firmly, less an I think than a we should. "You need to take it easy now that you've bumped your head."

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[is_the_motion]

Pupils are reacting nicely.

"Wait, where's the monster? What about Santa?"

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

"The monster's gone without a trace, as it said," Autor says, gesturing to the unicycle tracks in the dirt. "While you were unconscious"--and the boy winces--"I threw a big rock in the hole where its face was, and that worked. Just like you said."

Then he straightens. "Santa has other people looking for him. You need to take it easy. You were knocked out! That's a big deal."

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[is_the_motion]

"I'm proud of you, an' I'm sorry I dragged yer into danger." Bonnie says.

"Wait, what happened to yer arm?"

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

The boy looks away. "T-Thanks," he says, buckling under the praise.

Autor glances to his arm at her question, and holds up his wrist, rolling back the sleeve of his blazer to reveal the reddening skin. "It's just a bruise," he explains. "I was hit by a stick."

A rather large stick.