Scene #9132: Halloween in December

Owner	Pose
Razz	The Equinaught Carnival is one of those travelling shows that goes from event to event, carrying with them small-scale rides, games for which the prize are terribly cheap bootleg toys, food trucks that reek of cheap dirty oil, and various attractions that can be easily decorated to fit the theme of their next destination. This year, given the time and the place they're going for a Christmas theme, even having a mall Santa (carnival Santa?) in his chair overseeing a queue of good boys and girls. The food stalls are making an attempt at Christmas funnel cake (it's bad), and the bright lights against the falling snow is certainly a Vibe. But alongside these is a haunted house attraction, the kind where actors do their best to startle guests as they move through it. The sign above the entrance declares it to be "Slaybells Ring!" and the facade around it is clearly aiming for a kind of 'life-sized gingerbread house' look with candy cane pillars and frosted roofing. However, the snow around it is stained with sticky fake blood, some of the windows are boarded, and occasionally, a tinny recording of a woman's scream plays over some speakers followed by a sinister "Ho ho ho..." Attendance fees are being taken by the most bored-looking teenager you've ever seen, tapping away at her phone while blowing bubbles and looking generally miserable to be here while clad in a cheap Christmas elf costume with some tactful tears and bloodstains on it. "Oh, the temp said you would be coming," she says to approaching Elites. "They paid up-front for your tickets, so go on in." Up the faux-cobblestone path and through the front door into a darkened, dimmed hall. Someone sits prone on the ground, also in a bad elf costume, but they seemingly have their guts spilling out in some pretty decent practical effects. "Ergh... you gotta run... Santa has decided that everyone is on the naughty list this year, and he... and he's chopping everyone up!" And then in the distance, that menacing "Ho ho ho..." "He's coming...! You gotta run!"
Kukuru	Good, healthy food isn't the only food that's worth eating. Sometimes, even the most health-conscious gourmet will get a sudden craving for objective garbage that might not even be legally classified as food. Kukuru is not that health-conscious, and she is most certainly someone that gets those cravings anyway, so it's not too far fetched to see her at the Equinaught Carnival. Having heard of the festivities from someone back home, she's made it a personal mission to come see what it's all about. Worst case scenario, she can get some of that Christmas funnel cake once she's done. The first stop, however, is the haunted house, and she comes up to that bored-looking teen with a bright, yet somehow drowsy smile plastered on her face. She's dressed for a casual Christmas outing in the spring rather than the winter, though, wearing a thin red and white sweater dress with matching boots and little pompoms dangling from the ends of her horns. "Hmm? Oh, that's a lovely surprise... I wonder who that could be...?" She comments with a curious tilt of her head and lilt in her voice, looking around a few times as though that might help jog her memory. It doesn't, but she takes it all in stride anyway, giving the teenage elf a gentle pat on the head before heading inside. "Let's go, let's gooo~" And then there's word of a murderous Santa! Giggling cheerfully at that rather than sounding horrified, she starts walking briskly through the halls while holding her hands out for whomever wants to grab on. "Oh, this iiiis spooky~ I wonder if he's still mad about trying to kill him that one time..." Another thoughtful hum, and then she shrugs and keeps traipsing along with all the haste of someone's mom saying she'll play along, but just enjoying herself too much to do so.
Angela	Angela is endeared to Halloween but she has experienced 'A Halloween' before so a second or third halloween is surely not going to have the same punch, right? However, Angela also knows of Christmas primarily through Rudolta of the Sleigh, an Abnormality that gives gifts of disgusting piles of flesh! So yeah, she is a little curious what normal Christmas is like. And besides, Razz is involved and Razz is charming. It's nice to know a clown that isn't psychotically evil or from an evil circus or is spawned from the collective unconciousness's fear of clowns. A clown that likes to make people laugh! That's nice. Not evil or bad. Unfortunately, Angela can't actually go pay Razz a visit. She's still stuck at the facility and can only engage with others through a video pad like she's some visual novel character--well, she isn't a visual novel character! There's gameplay segments in her life and so she sends out an Agent to carry her pad around. Today's Agent is... Haschen! Haschen is an orange haired timid looking Agent who wears an EGO Suit that looks like it belongs to a crash test dummy and a pair of rabbit ears. She has a rabbit-patterned hammer on her back but don't worry--it's not a powerful weapon at all. "Oh, Miss Kukuru." Angela says as they arrive and spot her. She's hard to miss. "Would you like some escort?" There's screams and fake blood and the like. Angela sighs a little--but at least, it's--like--not a real murderSanta. That's something. "Thank you." She tells the teen and then asides to Kukuru. "Well I definitely belong on the naughty list. I hear they promise coal to the naughty? It would be nice to be thought of." Haschen scootches close to Kukuru. Being someone all the Agents love because she can bring back the dead and is super sweet, well, Haschen holds her arm and shivers visibly... In fear! "This...this is all just an act right?" The Agent asks.
Razz	The teenager at the front flinches, then freezes at Kukuru's display of affection in a way indicative of someone not used to receiving it. "Y-You too," she says as Kukuru departs, immediately biting her own fist for saying that as Angela and Haschen goes past. Once inside, Haschen's concerns about whether or not this is real only become more valid as the 'elf' on the floor lets out a frighteningly good death rattle. They then immediately undercut the performance by producing a phone with a list of tipping options on the screen and holding it up to the three. Down the hall is what would have been an elf's workshop maybe? A lot of long tables piled up to one side, covered in blood-stained chisels and mallets. Candlesticks and candelabras that look way too Gothic for the setting are the only light source as the group moves through the room...only for one of the doors to be kicked open, a diminutive figure standing beyond it. It's Razz! But they've ditched their usual vibrant jester garb for yet another cheap elf costume, their hair left to hang long, their front covered in blood. They raise their head, their face plastered with a deranged smile, eyes wide and pupils pinprick. In their hands is... a chainsaw?! "Eheheheheheeheheheheheeeeeee~ Is that some... naughty children? Sorry kiddies, the big man has spoken!" They heft that chainsaw, gripping it, and pulling the ripcord! ...only for it to splutter, the motor not turning over. "Oh, wait a moment..." They set it on the ground, brace it with a foot, and pull with both hands once, twice, three times! No dice. "..." Suddenly, they pick it back up, and say "EEHHHHRMMMMEMEMEMEMEBREM! BREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEMMMMMMMMEM EM EM EM!" Imitating the sound of a running chainsaw as they begin to chase the Elites!
Kukuru	It's Angela! Spotting Angela's trusty pad in the hands of an unfamiliar Agent, Kukuru hums softly as she hurries over briefly to stand right besides them. "Hello, helloooo~ Oh, an escort would be lovely! Especially with this place being as spooky as it is..." She doesn't sound spooked one bit, but she does pat Haschen's hand gently to reassure her. "I don't think you're naughty, Angela. I think you're just great!" She gives her a big thumbs up right in front of the pad, then pauses to tap her chin lightly. "Unless... Doooo you want coal?" She's definitely not fishing for gift ideas. Still just as giggly as before, especially with the front girl's reaction, Kukuru shuffles along through the halls of the haunted house, letting out an awed 'ooooh' at the impressive sounding death-rattle. That's followed by immediate confusion at the phone screen presenting those tip options, then another laugh and a tap of the option right in the middle. Kukuru doesn't actually read what the option is, but that's just what the kids back home tell her to use for these kinds of things. They probably tell her to read, too, but there's only so much they can manage with her. When Razz's familiar face appears in the form of an elf, Kukuru's eyes light up at spotting them and their shiny(?) new(?) chainsaw(!)! "Naughty children...? Oh, where? Wheeere?" She asks, glancing around a few times before letting her eyes settle on Haschen and cupping her cheek. "Aw, have you been misbehaving?" Razz's little mishap with the chainsaw motor gets a more subdued giggle out of Kukuru, too, as she tries not to let her gaze linger on them too long while they're working on getting it working. She takes that moment to straighten out her dress, make sure her glasses are on straight, and then she jogs in place briefly once Razz starts making those chainsaw-esque noises. "Oh nooo! We're being chased by a scary Santa! Um... Elf!" More mirthful giggles come out of her as she starts jogging away, not quite running and definitely nowhere near sprinting, but at lastmoving at a pace that's appropriate for the halls! "Lead the way, dears! Oh my, I hope I don't get cauuught~"
Angela	Angela considers the teenager for a moment but ultimately doesn't comment on it. Kukuru calls her great and Angela says, "Is there anyone you don't think is great, Kukuru?" Angela asks with genuine curiousity. "It's just nice to be seen sometimes, Kukuru. It is not about the coal." She hesitates, staring up into Kukuru's eyes for a moment and then thinks to clarify. "I do not wish for a mirror. I mean, it is nice to be known ''who'' you are as a person. I doubt that comes in gift form." ONE A-RAZZ=MA-TAZZ LATER Haschen yelps as Razz appears, grabbing Kukuru's hand even more tightly, legs shaking. "I..I..Is that a chainsaw?? I think it's real...! And my weapon's on my back...we're done for...!" "Razz would not harm us, Haschen, they are against the conceit of murderclowns." "Y..yeah... But are they against murderelves and murdersantas?" Haschen asks. Angela opens her mouth, frowns, and then cups her chin in hought. She runs off with Kukuru going, "Nooooooooooo!" In a plaintive cry!
Razz	The chase is on! Razz pursues the three through the halls, constantly babbling those imitation chainsaw noises. The flight is filled with sudden, startling stimuli designed to freak out the already-panicked. A partically decapitated Rudolph sticks their head through a broken window, another elf bisected at the waist comes crawling out of a door before being dragged back by something, a loud "HO HO HO!" booms over the speakers as they come to a flight of stairs and ascend! "Ahahahahehehhehahahdchhohoohohoooooo! The big man has your scent! There's no escape for you now!" Razz calls. They've been keeping a fixed distance away the whole time, but once the group ascends the starts, they break into a run, walking up the railing instead of the steps... only for a door to open and a great dark shape to interject themselves between they and the group. There's a startled cry from Razz, followed by the sound of them falling down the stairs. A weak "I'm okay!" reassures their friends as the shape turns and approaches. It's... a figure with the head of a goat, standing tall enough to block the hallway. "Come," they intone, taking a turn into what looks like Santa's parlor. A cold empty fireplace, a cozy recliner covered in cuts and leaking stuffing, a fake body of what looks like Mrs. Claus. "I am the Krampus. Joulupukki, Belsnickel. Santa's dark counterpart. This... rampage, tilts the scales. I am going to tell you what must be done, but you must listen carefully..." "HO HO HO!" booms from the direction of the stairwell. "Quickly, in here," Krampus hisses, ushering everyone into a closet and closing the door. Heavy footfalls echo from the outside as Santa enters his den, followed by Razz's voice. "They came in here Sir! Sure as Christmas night is long! Wait, sir, I-I did what you asked! Please, put the axe down, no, NOOOOOOOOOOOO-" Their cries are cut off by wet sounds that the Krampus uses to hide his whispering. "The naughty list. You must add Santa's name to it. Then, he will be bound to punish himself also. I will distract him, you seize the list!"
Kukuru	PRE-CHASE "Is there...?" Kukuru purses her lips lightly at Angela's question, only taking about three seconds to think about that before nodding quickly. "Mhm! People that are mean to anyone that's not human, oooor to anyone because of stuff they don't understand." She replies with a quick nod, tilting her head slowly again as Angela explains her own desire for coal.. No, being seen. "That makes sense... Hmm. Yeah, I kinda get that feeling sometimes, too. Liiiike... People seeing you the way they wanna see you instead of how you really are, right? Expecting you to always be like that, then getting..." She pauses, humming thoughtfully again. "Mmn... Nice all the time just because you're usually nice, or smart all hte time just because you usually have the right answers to stuff. Or more patient when they trick you into trusting them, but they really just want your-" She snaps her fingers, minus the real snapping noise. "Oh! Aaand people that are dishonest about wanting you to take care of them, but they really just want your body." She adds, letting out a disappointed little sigh at reminiscing about something.
Kukuru	CHASE TIME! "That does look and sound pre-etty real!" Kukuru chimes in for Haschen's benefit, turning her head briefly so she can flash Razz a quick wink from the other side without letting the Agent see. "And I left my claws at home, so... Let's ru-uuuun~!" Running down those halls is a gleeful experience for Kukuru, not because she's really terrified, but because she's just enjoying the experience of controlled excitement and scurrying about. The jumpscares really give her nostalgic feelings she hasn't felt in quite a long while now, recalling all those late winter nights getting things ready for little festivals at home. One particularly close one even gets her to let out a genuine yelp of surprise and hop slgihtly away, theading the needle just enough to smack into a corner with one of her horns and face. She's still laughing even with a small bruise that forms and fades surprisingly quickly, although she might have to fork over some cash for repairs later. "Our scent? Oh, I shouldn't have used the good shampoo todaaay!" Kukuru calls out to Razz with more of that joyful tone, only looking slightly less enthused when they reach the stairs. Haschen and Angela and Razz are all counting on her (???), though, so she braves those stairs one at a time instead of leaping or teleporting her way up. The sudden arrival of the mysterious dark shape actually gets her to jump a bit, too, as it doesn't quite look like the more gory jumpscares she was used to earlier. "Ohh...? Okay~" She pumps her fist lightly in agreement with the figure, glancing at Haschen and urging her onwards with a light shake of her hand. "Be hrave, okay? We'll get through this together!" She proclaims, then looks back at Razz with a concerned purse of her lips again. Just in case, she sends a quick cloud of green nanites over to Razz to make sure they really are fine, and to patch up any bruises or sprains if they aren't. Afterwards, it's time to see the inside of the parlor and meet the Krampus! Without warning, Kukuru provides the Krampus with more of that nanite-based healing, too. "There you go... LEt me know if you're still cramping up, okay? It's not good to strain yourself until that's fixed." She asserts, blinking slowly afterwards at the unfamiliar names being brought up. "Santa's dark...? Oh, that's lovely!" Beaming even more at that, Kukuru doesn't look like she's actually comprehending what the Krampus is saying until she just follows him into the closet. She pulls Haschen close, both as a defensive reaction to having to '''hide''' and to try and help calm the Agent at least a little. "There there, dear... Oh. They're talking...?" Kukuru blinks slowly as it sounds like Razz is getting brutally murdered by the rampaging Santa, and she nods slowly in approval at how realistic it all sounds. She refrains from clapping, at least, instead turning her head a little to look over at the Krampus again (and trying not to scratch up the inside of the closet with her horns. "Santa's naughty list... Oh, but my handwriting's real easy to tell apart, you know? Hascheeeen. How good are you at copying someone else's writing?" She waits for another set of chopping noises before adding. "I wonder if we'll have to take that list somewhere, too... Somewhere Santa'll HAVE to read it and see his name there?"
Angela	Angela considers Kukuru's rules. She nods a little. With rules like that, no wonder... ''But they really just want your body.'' Angela's eyes widen. "Excuse me, Kukuru? What are you referring to?" She supposes that she may be misunderstanding. Often Kukuru says one thing that actually means something else. "...Are you speaking of like a spirit trying to possess you?" Yes it must be something lke that, she reasons. 'There's no escape for you now!" "Noooooooooo!" Haschen wails. Since she's the one holding Angela, Angela can't really decide where she's going. Angela's incredible calm expression is unchanged, though she does exhale a long sigh. But then...Razz is knocked down he stairs! "Ah--Razz has fallen ... Down stairs. That seems dangerous even for a clown or elf if it is to just be for an act..." But surely it IS one. Maybe Razz simply PLAYED the sound of falling down stairs. Angela is feeling so prosocial lately. Maybe it's because she's so close to her own freedom. There's no reason to not be friendly and check in on your local clowns. Haschen lets out a relieved breath and spins on her hel and bumps into a giant goat man...! Haschen's face turns pale. "Do not faint, Haschen, I need you to carry me. Otherwise I'll have to rely on Miss Kukuru." Haschen swallows and follows after the goat man, knees shaking--largely thanks to Kukuru's encouragement. Haschen's pulled in close. Her cheeks pinken and she stays nice and close while trying not to think about how scary this holiday business is. "Oh um... I can try..." Haschen says, looking back to Krampus. "...Santa's own name to it..." She whispers as if being confronted by a dark almost blasphemous temptation.
Razz	"Handwriting matters not," Krampus reassures Kukuru. "The mere presence of his name will compel him to act. He does not even need to read it. As long as it is there." Taking a deep breath, the Christmas demon bursts open the closet doors and rushes out. And only now does the group get to see what happened. Razz's decapitated head lays on the floor, tongue lolling out... no, they've slipped themselves into a little gap in the floor with their head poking out, and another fake body has been laid out to make it seem like they were decapitated. Santa meanwhile, is huge and grotesque. His clothes are entirely red, as is most of his beard. In his hands is a massive wood axe, and on his face is a demented grin. "HO HO HO... THE NAUGHTIEST CHILDREN OF ALL!" "It ends tonight, Saint Nicholas," Krampus says, nodding meaningfully to the three of you before rushing the fat man, the two grappling over the axe. And there, on the writing desk, a long scroll topped with "Nice" and "Naughty." The former section is blank, the latter filled with names... but with a space at the top! "Hurry!" Krampus yells, clearly being pushed back by his demented counterpart!
Kukuru	"Excuse me, Kukuru? What are you referring to?" "Eh? Oh, it's not a..." Wait. Does Angela not know? Kukuru's eyes also widen, but for a completely different reason. She wouldn't expect Angela to be unaware of such things, but she's never heard of Ayin being a particularly good father figure, either. If he really hasn't ever talked to Angela about that... After a particularly awkward pause, Kukuru pats the Angela pad on the side. "I'll... Explain the next time I come by, okay? There's a looootta steps involved, and-" She looks over at Haschen, then at where Razz used to be, then over at the Krampus, and finally back at Angela forma pad. "-a lotta people have different feelings about it, you know?" Wait. She does't know. That's why she's confused. "... I'll explain later, dear." "Otherwise I'll have to rely on Miss Kukuru." Kukuru's face freezes in that usual smile of hers, but with a clear tension there. She knows she shouldn't want Haschen to faint, but... No, no. She'll behave. Besides, Haschen's stepping up to the plate with that gentle encouragement, and she wants really the Agent to be more confident in herself! "The mere presence of his name will compel him to act. He does not even need to read it. As long as it is there." "Ooh... That makes things much easier, mhm. Less running around..." Kukuru starts to count up the potential advantages, but she doesn't actually go any further than that one before nodding firmly in approval. "Then let's get to work, and make sure eeeveryone gets out of this... Alive!" With another little pump of her fists, Kukuru comes out of the closet with Haschen and the Krampus! She's immediately confronted with Razz's seemingly decapitated head, and there's a brief moment where she wants to go over to try and reattach that to the fake body before remembering that she still needs to play along. Plus, Santa's still there. "There you aaare... We've finally found you!" Kukuru calls out, despite Santa being the one looking for them. As the Krampus and Santa begin battling, Kukuru cheers on the Krampus with energetic shouts of "Go, Krampy!" and "Use your horns!". She remembers where she is moments later, though, and then she tugs on Haschen again while holding her hand out even now. "There they are... Okay. You know what to do, dear, mhm!" She calls out to try and encourage the Agent, then hastily tiptoes over towards the lists. Her handwriting's probably better suited for the Nice list, anyway. Kukuru starts by adding Angela's and Haschen's names to the list, of course, then the Krampus, and then the rush of power starts going to her head as she adds more and more. "Can't forget Yuuki, and Zero, and Sougo, and Phony, and Lili, and James, and Razzy, and Merry, and Rita, and Flammy, and Biki..." She's going to be at this for a while if she's not stopped.
Angela	Haschen looks over to the Santa. She screams again. Angela rubs at her forehead. She can't get headaches. But she can certainly feel like she's in the place of headaches. But Haschen does have an idea--Kukuru will be going for the nice list, and that means she has to go for the naughty list. Drawing out a pen she rushes towards the naughty list, throwing herself towards the scroll. Meanwhile, Angela is frowning at Kukuru. She is increasingly skeptical. "VEry well." She says, still unconvinced Kukuru knows of any normal way for someone to only want her for her body. Ayin is a pretty terrible father figure though. Haschen scribbles the name SANTO on her first try, then swears to herself and writes down SANTA. She was nervous!! It happens! Angela frowns when Kukuru puts her name on the Nice List, crossing her arms on screen.
Razz	"WHAT?! NOOOO, YOU CANNOT ADD NAMES TO THE NICE LIST!!" Santa bellows, pushing the Krampus back more and more as Kukuru and Haschen scrawl on his list. Suddenly, he shoves the goat-headed man down, rushes over, and sees... SANTA. "No... NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he cries out, all while grabbing the axe just below its head and pressing the blade against his belly, arms trembling as he tries to resist his own urges. But it refused to be refused. The blade sinks into his belly (actually a sack he was wearing under the costume) and pulls it down, unleashing a tide of guts stuffed with gingerbread men, cookies, and milk, dropping to his knees in the pile before collapsing. "Ah... you've done it. You saved Christmas," Krampus says as he rises. "Come, let us quit this awful place." He guides you all back downstairs and to a rear exit behind the building. "You have done well this night. I will do all I can to preserve the hallowed days to come. Farew-" They begin to raise their hand when a harsh, greasenous voice cuts through the air. "Hold that smokebomb! Show's over!" A squat fellow in a worn pinstripe suit waddles over, holding a thick bundle of papers. "Can you believe it?! A C&D from the jolly fat man himself for 'likeness infringement' and 'crass slander!' I'd wanna frame it if I weren't so pissed! Anyway, ride's closed, and all of you are only getting paid the hours you worked!" A great groan of collective disappointment rolls out of the house as the actors emerge. Krampus removes their head to reveal they were actually a woman on stilts under the robe. Santa walks by, pulling off the fake beard and complaining about getting 'knee deep in guts' for this. The only one happy to be here is Razz, who wanders over while they put their hair back in pigtails. "Miss Angela, Miss Kukuru, Third Person, thanks for coming! What did you think?"
Kukuru	Kukuru's so lost in her drive to add the names of all her friends and loved ones to the Nice List that it doesn't take long for her to actually forget what the list is for at all. Thankfully, Santa starts yelling at her, and that jars her out of that haze long enough to look up and over in modest confusion. "I can't? but..." She holds up the list to show off the names she's added already. Maybe a third of them would actually be considered conventionally nice at most. Even Angela's frowning doesn't seem to discourage her, although it does confuse her nearly as much before she remembers what they had talked about earlier. She looks torn after that, holding the pen over Angela's name, but not quite able to bring herself to scribble that out. Luckily... Santa's dying by his own hand. Yay! Clapping cheerfully as the Christmas rampager breathes his last, Kukuru turns to Krampus with a relieved giggle. "That's great! That was looking pretty dicey there, but Haschen and Krampus sure did pull it together at the end theeere~" She compliments the two, giving the Agent another gentle ruffle on the head before... A C&D hits the actors! Kukuru's legitimately confused about that for a while, too, since she's not really sure if that's part of the bit or not. It becomes clearer that it's not a bit once she sees everyone starting to leave sans costumes and heads, though, and the disappointment at their pay is felt well enough. "Aw... I think you all did really great! You'll all get big breaks soon, I'm sure." She calls out in attempted reassurance, tapping her chin lightly for a little while longer before turning once she hears Razz's familiar voice from nearby. "Oh! Razz, Razz~" Their cheer is infectious enough, at least, and Kukuru claps her hand together while bobbing back and forth on her heels. "It was suuuper fun, mhm! It felt just like the little parties we had back home, and everyone was so into their work that..." Well, she can't lie about being scared, but...! "I wasn't let down by aaaanything I saw. That thing you did with your head sounded real painful, too... Santa didn't smack you in the neck too hard, did he?"
Angela	"Ahaha! We can write whatever we waaaant! This is how we handle Abnormalities! Training 101, use their tricks against them!" Haschen shouts, eyes wide with terror, grinning with relief and horror. Angela watches Santa trying to resist his own nature and Angela says, "Hm. Good work you two." Angela says. "I suppose this did feel a bit like an Abnormality Breach." Haschen is staring at the gingerbread guts and covers her mouth like she's trying not to throw up. It's cute, and also horrifying! She follows along, laughing occassionally at nothing. "Oh it was entertaining. Of course, there is a limited effect when I am viewing through a screen--and I admit I never expected you to engage in something quite like this. I would have imagined you to dislike a Santa 'twist' like this." She is trying no to think about the people confirming that Santa is real too. It raises questions that Angela doesn't want. Haschen is blushing now that Kukuru is giving her headpats. She's the kind of Agent that likes headpats.