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

Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

Autor steps hesitantly out into the woods, holding a flashlight. He wonders why he let Bonnie drag him into this, and hopes they don't get attacked for their trouble. Then again, Santa's in trouble, so...

Setting aside his worries, he shuffles up to Bonnie. "So, where should we search first?"

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[is_the_motion]

Bonnie looks around.

"Look fer a tree that could have a door big enough ter get Santa through?" she suggests.

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

"That's not a very strict criterion," Autor points out, passing a tree with a hole in its side. He tries to mark it in his memory, but all trees look the same to him. "I have learned from my reading that Santa Claus has the ability to squeeze down a chimney. Any chimney."

The boy approaches a pumpkin-shaped door and opens it, peering into the darkness. A small box with a handle sits there, after Autor shines his light in. "Um. Should we touch it?"

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[is_the_motion]

Bonnie takes out a marker pen from her pocket and puts a cross on the tree, before examining the object.

"Poke it with a stick first?"

Re: Team 2 - Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

Autor searches for a suitable stick for the task, and carefully pokes the box. The handle turns, producing a jingling version of "This is Halloween," and Autor leans in.

Unfortunately for him, he's leaning a bit too close, so he stumbles back with a, "Waugh!" when a bobbleheaded Skeleton Jack pops up.

Team 1 - Guppy and Duster

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy had thought to bring a torch along, and a first aid kit. But the forest seems... spookier than usual.

"Do you have any battle experience?" he asks Duster, wrapping his scarf around himself.

[mindofathief]

Duster checks all his bags one more time.

"Yeah. My dad trained me since I was a kid." His Wall Staples are in there, so he brings his focus back to the trail. "I had to go through an old castle with ghosts as my first real mission."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Awesome." Guppy says. "I've picked up a bit myself in the ten years being here."

He shines the light around.

"Quite a few of these trees have doors in."

[mindofathief]

Duster followed him, hands hanging by his sides.

"Maybe we should check out some of them in the back, you know. I think Santa would be hidden in one kind of far from the bar."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Good point." Guppy follows him.

"We should make sure we don't get lost." he adds.

First Aid! Sort of...

[pullsneedles]

Lucas has been doing a fantastic job minding his own business, the unobtrusive kid from the last three years or so. It's not a bad thing, not at a place like Milliways. It leads to a lot less excitement.

So he's quite content bringing holiday plants in from the greenhouse, decorating the bar with holly, poinsettias, and the other lovely greens of the season.

But if someone should need a quick Lifeup or Healing or something...

Re: First Aid for Bonnie and Autor

[herr_bookman]

"Lucas?" Autor says, guiding his carpet through the door with his good arm, the other held stiffly near his chest. Bonnie sits on the carpet, holding a rag against her cut head.

"Hi!" the boy says. "It's been a while." Then he glances to Bonnie. "Do you mind expending some of your psi for my friend? This is Bonnie."

Re: First Aid for Bonnie and Autor

[pullsneedles]

"Hey Autor," he greets, waving with one hand.

Lucas puts a potted poinsettia down on a table before coming over. "Hey, what's up? Somethin' going on?"

Re: First Aid for Bonnie and Autor

[is_the_motion]

"Autor hurt his arm." Bonnie says. "And I got a bit of a bump, tryin' ter rescue Santa."

Is this young boy a healer?

Re: First Aid for Bonnie and Autor

[pullsneedles]

Lucas rubs his chin with a soft hum, considering what to use.

"Prolly don't need to do much, but I'm gonna try both Healin' and Lifeup, just ta be sure. You ok with psychic powers an' stuff, Miss Bonnie?"

Team 4: Rikki and Dorian

[girlwithout]

God, younger Rikki Barnes would be so over the moon right now. Following around a skeleton on a search and rescue mission for Santa Claus? Hell yeah.

Full costume seemed a little over the top here, so Rikki went for warm sweater, jeans, and the belt from her costume that has a few handy little gadgets, plus the bracelet that activates her shield. At the last minute, she also grabbed a little pack with a few extra stuff for weapons and some first-aid supplies, just in case.

Also a flashlight, because duh.

She glances at her search partner. "So, um, I'm Rikki. I don't do search and rescues in the woods a lot, but I have some first aid stuff if we need it and a couple flashlights. You?"

Re: Team 4: Rikki and Dorian

[capture_eternity]

"I'm Dorian Gray, and very pleased to meet you, Miss Rikki," he says. "I'm afraid I brought nothing except a hip flask, my wit, and my sense of adventure."

He offers his hand.

[girlwithout]

So she's going to be the one here that's actually prepared. That's cool, she's okay with that. She's prepared enough for the both of them.

She accepts the hand. "So what way do you want to go first?"

[capture_eternity]

"Away from the others," Dorian says. "Because we need to search as wide an area as possible, don't we? So we spread out."

[girlwithout]

"Our direction is away," she says with a jaunty salute before picking a direction no one's gone in yet more or less at random. "So how'd you get roped into this?"

Team 3 - Dani and Enzo

[a1enzo]

Enzo strides between the trees, dry leaves crunching underfoot, and shines his gauntlet's flashlight around.

"Why does Christmas need saving so often, anyway?"

Re: Team 3 - Dani and Enzo

[ami_imperfect]

"Because jackasses who hate it exist," is Dani's succinct answer as she walks beside him.

Re: Team 3 - Dani and Enzo

[a1enzo]

"At least your usual rogues' gallery don't."

The ghosts' Christmas truce means her one guaranteed day off. If he has to personally squish all this Oogie Boogie's bugs so Dani can chill tomorrow, then that's just what he'll do.

Re: Team 3 - Dani and Enzo

[ami_imperfect]

"Oh, shoot! That reminds me," Dani exclaims with a sudden snap of her fingers "I still have to get a present for Boxie."

Re: Team 3 - Dani and Enzo

[a1enzo]

"Cutting it a little close. Got anything in mind?"

The flashlight's beam strikes orange: pumpkin door at 1 o'clock!