(december catch-all) LEGGY KRAMPUS IS COMING TO TOWN

[vestigemods]

DECEMBER CATCH-ALL

► YOU WANT SNOW? WE GOT SNOW

To all who've endured the last couple of dismal months, congratulations - you've broken through the windy rains of October and damp, depressing ones of November to an inexplicable peace falling over the containment zone. Untouched snow covers the ground, a veritable winter wonderland. It's almost idyllic, even if not quite in the same way that the early weeks of summer may have been. The air is brisk and chilly, but at least you can see the sun again. In fact, the heat of it on your skin is almost enough to make up for the chill, at least when the sun is at its peak.

Make snowmen! Have a snowball fight! Perhaps even skate on the frozen lake - Foodland seems to be stocking brand new sets of ice skates in various sizes, their colors obtuse enough to make sure you'll be spotted even if it starts to snow. And... consider showing a little pity on the local wildlife if they come a-scritching at your door? If you're cold, they're cold, et cetera.

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

But December has a little bit more misfortune in store than just a little bit of nippy weather. On the 16th + 17th, you might start to feel... a little strange. Maybe you've come inside from a rousing snowball war to park by the fire, but instead of warming up, you just... keep getting colder. In fact, your temperature keeps on dropping no matter what you try - blankets, a hot bath, none of it seems to do more than slow down the speed at which you're cooling.

Or maybe you're not cold at all... but oh, you're starting to wish you were. Because your temperature only keeps rising, like a hot flash from hell no matter what you do to cool down, with sweat beading on your forehead and dripping down your neck. You may even find yourself desperate enough to strip down to your underclothes and lie in the snow, if only for some sort of relief. Don't worry, though - whether you're too hot or too cold, it'll go away on its own eventually. Let's hope it's before the hypothermia gets too bad or you go delirious with fever.


Then, throughout the couple of days before Christmas, the snow kicks up to a flurry. According to the children's books in Foodland, this is a telltale sign that a magical gift-bearing man called Santa Claus is on his way. But kids' books never do tell the full story, do they?

True to form, there's a pitter-patter up on the rooftop. Is it reindeer paws? Since when do reindeer have paws, anyway? Then the fire in your fireplace, if lit, goes out with a magical puff of air... but what comes down your chimney is quite a bit worse than the stories. His Naughty List is filled with those who have yet to satisfy the elder gods with their horrible death, and rather than bringing gifts and cheer, this particular Santa has come to collect.

Two clawed hands wrap around each side of the fireplace, eyes pale as the snow, the beard around his gaping mouth tinged with the red of blood. But there are more hands now, so many hands, so many too-long arms, peeling himself from your fireplace to attack. He moves quickly, almost uncannily so, with an agility one might not expect from one with such gangly arm-legs. His hands are sharply clawed, perfect for swiping and drawing blood - but that's not what he's trying to do. No, his goal is to drag those who've been Naughty back up the chimney from whence he came, hauling them off through the flurry of snow and disappearing from sight if you try to pursue. But it's fine. Being choked to death by Leggy Krampus's obscenely long prehensile tongue isn't... the worst death, at least?

► MOD NOTES

• This is the December Catch-All Log, for any action top-levels throughout the month. Large gatherings (parties, meetings, etc) are still encouraged to post their own logs for organizational purposes!
  
• Refer to the bottom half of the November + December Bulletin for any December-specific info to potentially include in your prompt, as well as more specifics regarding the events.
  
• Because this is a catch-all for everywhere + all month, try to remember to label your top-levels with identifying information like the IC date and location of each prompt (whether in the subject or in the prompt title within the comment). Also consider mentioning if any of your prompts are event prompts!
  
• December's specific resources can be found in the Not-Bulletin.
  
• Any questions can be directed to this top-level or, for a quicker response, to Trace on discord/plurk.

Comments

Rhys // OTA

[theprezident]

A. December 16th - 20th, OTA

[ Despite the cold seeping into everyone's bones, Rhys can be found outside, wandering the town and entering all buildings that he can enter to check their basements (if they have any). Every day he has snacks and a hot drink of some kind with him, but from the 17th to the 20th he has more than one thermos with it.

He's not really looking to engage with anyone, but if you're close by, he will wave with a friendly smile.

If it's noon or later on the 16th, though, he will say something. ]

Is it just me, or did it suddenly get way colder?

[ But he won't actually notice anything off until he gets home and can't get cold. ]

B. 20th December, SSSS-haus, open to anyone who might pass by

[ He hadn't had very high expectations of the Technicians' generosity. In fact, he fully expected it to blow up in their faces. Colour him surprised when he opens the door to head into town again and finds The Multi-tap that he asked for.

Except he doesn't pick it up right away. He squints at it for a few seconds, and then goes back inside to grab an umbrella to poke it with.

Look, don't ask. Or do. ]

C. December 23rd, late night, SSSS-haus

[ Rhys is curled up on an armchair by the fire, wrapped in a blanket and working on his Containment Zone database exclusive to himself when he hears the footsteps on the roof. His first thought is that it's someone in the house moving upstairs, but something about it seems off. Considering where he's from and where he is right now, he knows better than to ignore his gut feeling, and he shuts off the hologram before he unravels himself from the blanket and stands.

Just in time for the fire to go out. He starts backing up, staring intently at the fireplace as the first limbs of Leggy Krampus starts poking out-- ]

Oh, shit no.

[ Nope, nope, nope, he is out of here, turning tail and running towards wherever he thinks Lalli is. Because he knows Lalli can be relied upon in a crisis. ]

LALLI!

D. Wildcard