RPT Secret Santa 2016 - In-Character Thread

[gimmepie]

RPT Secret Santa

It's December once again! That means 'tis the season to be festive and jolly otherwise Rika will hurt us. Trust me, be jolly, it's easier that way. With that in mind, what better way to spread some Christmas cheer then the giving of gifts? It's time to bring back our very special RP Secret Santa!

The Roleplay

That's right, our Secret Santa event is actually a very special roleplay (duh, look where you are). Unlike with a normal RP though, you're not making a character for yourself. Instead, everyone who signs up has their name thrown into a hat and is randomly assigned a person to create a character for. This character can be pretty much anything. A Pokemon, an elf, a sentient vacuum cleaner bent on world domination - the sky's the limit! This is your chance to let your creative spirits and inner trolls run wild.

Once everyone has received their characters, the RP itself can start. In this RP you'll be playing Santa's little helpers (apparently the elves are on strike or something). Your eclectic cast of characters will be tasked with delivering toys to all the good little kiddies... but you might find these aren't the most accessible locations. Maybe there's no chimney, maybe nobody is asleep yet or maybe you'll have to infiltrate an underground fortress guarded by a legion of fierce Bidoof. Be as creative as you like and have fun with the zany situations you throw your characters into!

If that's not enough to get you hyped (and honestly, why wouldn't it be?), we're also awarding points for your posts. You'll earn points for every post you make earning a special emblem for reaching three, seven or twelve points. In addition to this, all posters will be entitled to a free Delibird in the Meta Journey whilst anyone who reaches the fabled twelve points will also receive a Mew.

Points

Single post – 1 Point. A single post will get you one point.
Joint Post – 1 Point + 2 points per player. A joint post will get everybody involved one point, and we'll even add 2 points per participant onto that!
Delivering a present – 2 pointsDelivering your assigned presents will give you two points, but only if the word count of your posts exceeds 500 words. You're free to pick another address afterwards, and get these points again.
Creativity bonus – 4 points. If you do something incredibly cool with your situation, you will be given a grand 4 points extra. These you can earn for every single post you make!​

Rules

- All RPT rules apply
- This RP will be rated T
- No godmodding or bunnying
- Players are free to add present-delivering scenario's without consulting the GMs
- Characters can't use CSS. All characters will be delivered in the same CSS, so it won't give away who made the character.
- Signing up and failing to create a character without giving notice will get you kicked out. If you're not able to create a character before the deadline, and still want to participate, please tell adventure or gimmepie.
- All further questions should be directed to adventure or gimmepie​

.

Participants

gimmepie as Emilia Thornton
adventure as ???
Estrello as ???
Lord Sephear as ???
Winter as ???
Oddball_ as Wispurtth
Sweet Dreams as ???
Foxrally as ???
Kitty as ???
Lugarugan as ???
Ech as ???
Strange as ???
Godzil as ???
Gangueevee as ???
ordinaryOddball as ???
OrbitalPudding as ???​

 

[gimmepie]

Emilia and Wispurtth
A Witch and Wizard go Western

"This place is so cool! It's all deserty and sandy and hot and a little bit EEEVVVIIILLLLL! WOO!" Emilia exclaimed with glee, seemingly oblvious to the scorching temperatures of the location she had been sent as she dragged a sack of presents along the ground with one hand and her trusty (and very second-hand) broomstick alongside it in the other. She wasn't totally sure why the boss man had sent her alongside someone else - she was an indpendent evil mastermind after all - but she didn't mind the company and she was sure cooperation was an important skill for a good villain.

Wispurtth was glad to not be alone. That being said, his company was a very interesting sort. Not that he would ever say anything like that, oh no. He was far too nice for that sort of thing... and then again, he was the one with such a very terrible dark power. "It is indeed very sandy and hot... quite different to the snow that one would expect this time of year." He responded plainly, a large sack of presents also thrown over his shoulder. He wasn't quite sure where it was that they were, but so far they had been following the directions they had been given to the letter. So they had to be somewhere near where they were meant to end up.

"You're too somber! Thinking of that depressingly pure snow when you're walking around in a wonderland like this, Wispurtth!" Emilia chided as she continued to prance forward. "Now let's go further my progress towards world domination through the power of giving!" With that Emilia rushed on forward before stopiing suddenly. She turned to Wispurtth, her head tiled to the side to the point that her traditional pointed witch hat almost slid from the top of her head. "Where are we going again?" Unlike her partner on the job, Emilia had been too busy somehow connected the act of giving presents to her apparently imminent takeover of the world to actually pay any attention to directions.

His new comrade was certainly... something. Wispurtth couldn't quite find the words to describe her in his head. In his millenia of wandering, he didn't think he had ever met anyone quite as unique as her. "I believe we were supposed to give these presents to a... Sister Agnes? I do hope we don't actually have to go in a church. I had a bad experience in one once..." Wispurtth half muttered to himself as he tried to avoid thinking about the time he was nearly burned at the cross. He was a Wizard. not even a witch or warlock, unlike his pointy hat wearing friend. Actually that was a thought. "Do you... uh... think wearing that while talking to a person of faith is a good idea?" He asked.

Emilia suddenly dropped her broom and bag and sprinted towards Wispurtth, her hat nearly flying off as she did so. She gripped the young(?) wizard's shoulders with surprising strength and vigour before practically screaming into his face... and by practically I mean literally screaming her sentences into his face. "OH MY GOD YOU POOR SOUL! WHAT HAPPENED?! DID THEY BURN YOU?! DID THEY BEAT YOU?! DID THEY TURN YOU INTO SOME KIND OF A PRETZEL!!!! OH MY GOD!" she wailed, falling to her knees before her companion "DID THEY BAKE YOU INTO A PIE?!!?! THAT'S JUST SICK!!! HOW COULD THEY DO SUCH A TERRIBLE THING?! POOR, POOR WISPURTTH!"

Emilia continued on like this for a while before finally realising that Wispurth had asked her a question.
"Wait... did you say something?"

"..." The sudden reaction from Emilia shook Wispurtth. By the time his ears stopped ringing from the sound of the young woman's (suprisingly loud) voice, he could feel the dark magic bubbling about deep within him. "Oh fu-" He began before being interupted by the violent spasms that erupted throughout his body as thick brown fur began to sprout from his skin. His teeth began to elongate. He began to slip into the primal instincts of his dark self. "Chew chew chew chew chew..." He began to whimper as he fell on all fours, his robes barely fitting his humongous beaver form. ("This stupid dark power.") He thought to himself as his body began to sprint on all fours towards a nearby cactus. ("Oh no don't do- GAHH") He mentally cried in pain as he felt his body begin to chew on the spiny bush, apparently ignoring the pain.

Emilia looked on as Wispurtth begun to change, his body growing and suddenly spouting hair from unusual places as his voice garbled and squeeked like a small animal. At first, Emilia felt sympathetic with the rapidly changing Wispurtth, she did not look her best at this time of life herself. As Wispurtth's new form finally emerged and took off towards the cactus, she soon realised that her assumptions had been sightly off and her feelings about the matter suddenly switched to awe.
"WOW! THAT IS SO COOL! WISPURTTH YOU WOULD MAKE THE BEST EVIL MINION! JUST LOOK AT YOU GO! I AM OFFICIALLY MAKING YOU MY HENCHMAN!"

Scooping up both her bag and the Beaver-man's as well as her tacky broom, Emilia skipped after Whispurtth and jumped onto his back in complete obliviousness to the wizard's suffering. Her expression filled with joy she pointed her broom to the sky
'Onwards my fiersome steed! Let us give out the gifts of conquest and take over the world with our terrifying cooperation and compassion! The world shall tremble before our Christmas spirit!"

Much to Wispurtth's shock (and dismay) his beaver form actually seemed to respond to the little girls command. Or perhaps it was just trying to run to find another cactus to eat, as its meal was now mostly being digested in his beaver stomache. Together, the duo charged onwards, moving at full beaver speed towards... wherever they were heading.

However, after around ten minutes, they appeared to have reached the outskirts of some building in the middle of the desert. And as they approached closer, Wispurtth's nerves finally seemed to calm, as the dark energy flowing from him suddenly began to retract as his form almost Instantaneously contorted back into that of a young(?) wizard, causing him to fall to the ground and get a mouthful of sand as his new-old form wasn't used to carrying a teenage witch on its back, "Mmmph- mnnggg?" He attempted to mumble as he began to spit sand out of his mouth...

As Wispurtth crashed into the scorching ground, Newton's laws played their cruel games with Emilia as her momentum continued to carry her forwards... straight through the doors of the building. Emilia tumbled several times, being whacked by the presents in the sacks she was still holding tight until she eventually came to a halt several metres into the building. Emilia clambered to her feet and dusted off her faded tunic, picking up her hat as she called out to Whispurtth.
"Well done Wispurtth! That's the way to make a dramatic, evil overlord entrace! We just need to work on the landing!" It was at that moment that Emilia became very aware of the several scowling faces of several irritated looking nuns staring directly at her.
"Oh... HELLO DESERT PENGUINS, WE ARE NOT SUSPICIOUS!"​

gimmepie as Emilia Thornton
Oddball_ as Wispurtth

 

[Groc]

Joelle-Noelle

---

JoNo's Bizarre Adventure, Part 1: Gypsy Caravan​

"And another reason Oscar was the best master ever? He had balls. And I would play with them all the time!" Joelle sat in the stables, talking to one of the reindeer. She thought it was Blitzen, but it might have been Clipper. Or maybe Flatfoot. She wasn't good with names.

"Oscar would throw the ball, and I would go get it, and bring it back, because obviously he didn't intend to throw it so far! He was just so strong. So I would give it back, and say, 'You threw it so far! This time, throw it less far.' And he would throw it so far again! So, naturally, I would go get it, and say, 'You threw it far again! Keep trying, you will get it eventually.' and then give it back. And then..."

Whatever she had been about to say was cut off by a loud whistle that only she could hear. It was the Santa Summons! That meant he had a job for her! "This will have to wait, Donson. Santa needs me!" She ran from the stables, headed for Santa. She found him in the lobby, a whistle in one hand and a list in the other.

"Santa! I heard your whistle and I came running! Because that is what I do! I come when I am called! I am a good dog!" Santa laughed as he put away his whistle, patting her on the head.

"Ho, ho, ho, you sure are, Joelle-Noelle. And Santa has a special task for you tonight!" Joelle wagged her tail happily. "I will do anything you ask of me, Santa. Because I am a good dog, and you give me treats."

"Yes, of course. Now, I have a present for young Thomas in Algeria, but I can't find him! His family is part of a travelling show, so they don't have a set address. Barry in Logistics usually keeps track of travellers, but with the strike..." Santa trailed off, sadness and a touch of anger in his tone.

"Say no more, Santa! I will track them down by their scent! Then you will give me snacks and a belly rub for being such a good Thomas finder!" Joelle hopped to her feet, wagging her tail in anticipation.

"Ho, ho, ho! Now that's what I like to hear! His present is already wrapped and ready! I'll send it to the Launchpad. Mervyn will escort you to their last known location. The rest is up to you!" Santa patted her on the head, then sent her on her way.

Joelle ran to the Launchpad, where she met with Mervyn, who was apparently a yeti. He dressed her in a red Santa coat and tied a satchel around her, putting the present inside it. He led her to a green helicopter, which got her very excited.

"Oh boy! Are we going for a ride? I love rides! Oscar used to let me ride in the car, which was always fun, except for that one time I got sick! I threw up in the back, but Oscar gave me water, and he made me soup that night! But I promise not to get sick!"

Mervyn stayed silent the whole time, wordlessly loading her into the helicopter. It had been designed for elfs, but Noelle was able to fit inside easily enough. Mervyn was a different story, though. Big as he was, he wouldn't be coming with Joelle, so he set the autopilot for Thomas' last known location. The Elf Copter was magical, so no one would see it unless they had a connection to the North Pole.

"Goodbye, Mervyn! Have fun while I'm at work!" Joelle barked happily. Mervyn just grunted and closed the cockpit. The helicopter started up and took off, starting Joelle on her mission.

 

[JukeboxTheGhoul]

Alula hopped off the head of her friend, Atria. The Cleffa walked over to the shiny reflective ticket on the counter, and read it.
"Austin Hofferman?"
An elf's ears pricked up. He was too addicted to work to go on strike. He hopped off his low seat with a tablet in his hands. He began quickly tapping at the screen. "He's an astronaut, who is going to be going on a space flight to Moonbase Beta. He's taking off at Spaceport America, because you know how the government launch sites are these days."
"I do?" Atria asked, "Why do I not remember?" She faced Alula with a confused face.
The elf ignored her, but then his eyes widened. He adjusted his glasses. "The flight leaves in a few hours.
"Phew," Atria sighed, relieved.
"What do you mean "Phew" you need to get there before it takes off or you won't be able to get in!"
Atria allowed Alula to climb on to her head, as she reapplied her shell. She blasted through the wall and rocketed across the lands, narrowly missing the Polar Bears' heads. Land began in patches here and there mountains flew by. She briefly flew alongside a fighter jet that said they had entered US airspace. Atria thanked them and lowered closer to the ground. Below them desert unfolded, Cities sprawled out below. She lowered down to the ground as she saw a small white spike coming from the desert.


"T- Minus... 5, 4, 3"
Speakers blared out numbers as the crowd watching below began to make a fuss when the Minior burst through the gates and made its way to the launchpad. The ground began to shake and the space ship began to take off in to the sky. They were too late!

 

[Groc]

Joelle-Noelle

---

JoNo's Bizarre Adventure Part 2: Lonesome Road​

"Hey, I see another dog! Other dog! I am in here, and you are out there! Stay away from my helicopter, other dog!" As the Elf Copter landed in a small town, Joelle found herself barking at a dog laying in a nearby alley. She didn't like that dog very much. It had a mean look about it. Regardless, she had a mission from Santa to carry out, and she was a good dog!

The helicopter landed, opening itself by magic. Joelle hopped out, running in a circle to stretch her legs. It had been a long trip, and the seat was uncomfortable. The other dog had run off by this point, so Joelle could focus on her task. She had to find a traveling circus group, essentially, so she'd have to look for clues.

Leaving the helicopter behind, she sniffed around the block, looking for the scent of animals. One sure way to find gypsies was to find their horses, right? She hadn't been paying attention to the mission details, so she wasn't sure what exactly she was looking for. But her tenacity soon payed off when she stumbled across the town's fairgrounds. The place looked like it had been vacated recently, and she found a flyer for a travelling performance group. At least, she thought that's what it was. She couldn't read.

Instead, she called up Mervyn on her collar communicator. "Marcus! I found a clue! What does it say?" The yeti grunted in annoyance, but Joelle didn't speak yeti, so she had no idea what he said. "Could you repeat that? I didn't catch that." Mervyn grunted again, louder and more annoyed, so Joelle sat down to wait.

Soon after, a new voice came over her collar. "Hey, Joelle-Noelle, this is Sullivan. I checked the surveillance system, and it looks like you've found a flyer for your boy's family. It says their tour is stopping in the next town for a Christmas show, but that's a 30 mile hike."

"Do not worry, Skullomania!" "That's not my name." "I will simply use the helichopper to fly there!" "Wait, you what? Can you fly a helicopter?" "I don't know, but it can't be that hard, right?"

"Uh, yes! Yes it can be! You don't even have hands! Just head out on foot, or paw, or whatever, and deliver the gift to the kid!" "Yes sir, Silly String!" "That's not my name!" "Just tell Santa I am a good dog, and am doing a good job!" She turned off her comms, heading off in what she thought was the right direction. The road would be long, and probably a little boring, but she had her heading. And when she got close enough, she could follow little Timmy's scent using the letter he had written.

 

[Oddball_]

Emilia and Wispurtth
The legend of the Beaver and the Pimply one

It didn't take long for the nuns to surround the young witch, and to drag her sand spitting robed companion into the abbey from outside. "Who are you and what are you doing here!" One of the nuns snapped.

Wispurtth, who had recently calmed down after transforming into a giant beaver and back into a (somewhat) young man once again, was already feeling his heart race in his chest. However he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and prepared to speak.

"We're here to see Sister Agnes! Urgent message from uh... Chris Kringle." Wispurth squeaked, his voice coming out much higher than he was expecting it to be.

"You've got it rough, Squeeky." Emilia interupted "But I'm sure you can talk just as reliably as anyone who doesn't have a messed up voice! Carry on!"

"..." Wispurtth and the nuns all stared at the young girl in her heavy pointed hat.

"Well don't be quiet now!" Emilia chirped "It's only going to make you look silly. Unfortunate things like that happen to everyone, no need to be shy. You don't want to make the grumpy desert penguin ladies even grumpier do you? They need to hear it from you after all. I have completely forgotten why we're here and what it has to do with my domination of the world."

Unfortunately for Emilia and Wispurtth, The grumpy desert penguin ladies were not very fond of being called grumpy desert penguin ladies. As they both found out as they heard one of the nuns in the back crack a whip. Fortunately for them however, it seemed that all the commotion seemed to have awoken someone in charge, as loud footsteps began to echo through the back rooms heading towards them.

An tall elderly woman, also dressed in traditional desert penguin atire, strode towards the commotion as though she had the authority of God on her side (and to be fair there was at least a chance this was the case). She was a fearsome sight for the young (?) Wispurtth and young Emilia to behold. Over six feet tall with saggy, wrinkly skin, razorblade cheekbones and severe eyes that made birds of prey look docile. It was very clear that this was a woman that would gut you like a fish if you ran inside the building. Emilia had just catapulted through the doors like some sort of meat projectile.
"Mother Superior!" one of the lesser desert penguins greeted her boss-type-person only to be silenced by the kind of glare that would make a cocatrice jealous.

"My word, what in the good Lord's name happened here!" The elderly woman said as she fanned herself. "Who in the good Lord's name are these children, and what in heaven's sake are they doing in this Abbey, and WHO for Pete's sake has been making so much noise!" She exclaimed, strangely politely for a woman who seemed to spark fear in the hearts of the desert penguins. "Well? Come on then! I don't have all day after all!" She proded, slowly tapping her foot impatiently.

"..." All of the nuns remained silent. Wispurtth looked at Emilia and silently pleaded that she keep her mouth shut as well.

"Well? Nobody wants to speak up?" The elderly woman asked one final time.

"We came here to give this Agnese person things out of our sacks." Emilia said "Or I think that's what Wispurtth said. I'm just here to enslave mankind. You're kind of scary Mother Penguin. I think you should smile more. Now if you'll let us do what we came to do, we'll be on our way." The Mother Superior of the convent looked at Emilia in horror, apalled by wWhat she thought the young witch had said.
"Now look here you pimply-faced little sh-"
"EXCUSE ME!" Emilia yelled, incensed "THESE ARE WARTS. EVIL MASTERMINDS DO NOT GET PIMPLES!" The elderly desert penguin responded by delivering a swift right hook to Emilia's face before moving on to Wispurtth, the girl not feeling much like saying anything else whilst her head rang like the convent's church bell.

Wispurtth was seeing little yellow birds as he felt the blood swell to his face. He couldn't help himself at this point, and for the second time today, he felt his body begin to convulse as the dark energy once again began to bubble its way from deep within him.

"Mother Superior I think you've killed him!" One of the younger desert penguins exclaimed.

"Serves the little bastard right." The old woman said as she adjusted the ring on her finger and wiped the blood from her hands onto a nearby nun.

Meanwhile, Wispurtth, were-beaver extraordinaire, had begun to finish his transformation as he let out a terrifying howl... which in reality was more of a half terrifying half cute squeal as he leapt forward and began gnawing on the leg of the elderly desert penguin leader, which in turn, caused her to scream. Very loudly.

The air was polluted by the sound of an elderly desert penguin likely breaking like thirty oaths with the language she employed as the ravenous were-beaver gradually worked his way up her bony body. Her fellow religiou-folk looked on with shock as Wispurtth rapidly devoured the entirety of the woman until there was nothing remaining but a few scraps of her habit and a pool of blood.
"YEAH TAKE THAT!" Emilia screamed at the top of her lungs, still kind of out of it from the surprisingly vicious punch to her head "FEAR MY DEMON BEAVER HENCHMAN! FALL TO YOUR KNEES BEFORE ME! MWAHAHA-"
"THEY MUST BE MESSENGERS FROM GOD!"
"WE'RE FINALLY FREE OF HER TYRANNY!"
"BLESS YOU PIMPLY ONE AND SAINT BEAVER! WE ARE YOURS!"

Emilia fell silent, no longer feeling like conducting an evil monologue or anything.
"Oh not again" she sighed, as the flock of desert penguins cheered and celebrated around her and Wispurtth. "You're not meant to celebrate it. It just takes all the fun out of my conquest. Ugh. Just take the sacks I am out of here." Emilia, sulking, grabbed her broom and proceeded to walk out the door, dragging the bloodstained object along the ground on her way out to cries of "As you command", 'Thy will be done" and "PRAISE THE BEAVER".

Wispurtth, having had his fill of old hag, transformed back into a young(?) boy. This time, with an extremely green face as he looked around at the mess he had made.

"Oh my... I think i'm going to... Emilia wait uuuuppppp!" He cried as he hurried out the door after her. Suddenly he stopped and fell to the ground as he began to retch. Suddenly he felt something oddly shaped fly from out of his throat and get buried in the sand. "Is that... a ring? What the hell? EMILIIIIAAAA" He shouted.​

gimmepie as Emilia Thornton
Oddball_ as Wispurtth

 

[Groc]

Joelle-Noelle

---

JoNo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3: In the Dark of the Night​

The road had been long, just as she had predicted, and it was dark by the time Joelle reached the next town. She was tired and a little thirsty, but she had a job to do, and she couldn't let Santa down. She had picked up the scent a while back, and had been diligently following it. Apparently, the caravan had turned off the main road and stopped at a campground outside town.

Joelle followed the scent to the gates of the campground, which wasn't really a gate. More of an archway. She guessed it made sense, as it allowed visitors to come and go whenever they wanted. Regardless, it meant no one was stopping her from entering, so she happily trotted inside. "Aside from all the walking, this has been a fun and easy assignment! Santa will be so proud! And little Terry will be so happy with his gift!"

She hadn't stopped to consider how she was going to deliver the present (or how she had tracked an RV using only the scent of a letter, for that matter), and she wasn't about to start now. She instead just boldly followed the trail until an obstacle presented itself. This particular obstacle was another dog, a small Jack Russell terrier named Bodhi.

As Joelle approached the vehicle, Bodhi jumped out from where he had been sitting underneath the stairs, barking loudly at JoNo. "Hey! Hey hey hey! Where do you think you're goin'?! This is my family, not yours!"

Joelle stopped, but stood tall and proud. "Stand aside, tiny guardian. I come bearing a gift for young Terrence."

Bodhi tilted his head in confusion. "Say again, mate? There's no Terrence here. And even if there was, I don't think he'd want anything from an interlopin' scruff like you!"

Now it was Joelle's turn to be confused. "What? Oh, I'm sorry! I got the name wrong. The present is for Thomas! The young Gypsy boy!"

Bodhi growled at that. "Gypsy, she says! Are you havin' a laugh? Master Thomas and his family are a travelin' band of musicians, not a bloody circus group!" He started barking louder, pulling at his leash. "It's my job to keep strange dogs away from my family, and they don't come much stranger than you!"

The door of the RV opened, revealing a young boy at the top of the stairs. "Bodhi, what's wrong? You're going to wake Mum and Da!"

Bodhi growled at Joelle, a smug sneer on his face. "You've done it now! You've woken up Master Thomas! Go on then, off with you!"

Joelle knew exactly what to do in this situation. Oscar had taught her how to interact with children. She sat down on her haunches, tilted her head to the side, and looked up at Thomas with the biggest eyes she could manage.

"Oh, look, it's a doggy! Bodhi, you've made a friend! Come here, girl!" Thomas crouched down on the top step, reaching out to Joelle. She wagged her tail, but didn't rise. Bodhi was stunned, practically vibrating as he quivered in indignant rage. "You what?!"

"Come on, I won't hurt you!" Thomas came down off the stairs, still reaching for Joelle. She slowly stood, taking a few steps forward. At Thomas' urging, she walked forward and sniffed at his hand. He matched the scent on the letter, so she came within reach and turned so her satchel faced Thomas. He spent a moment petting her and scratching her ears before he noticed it, but eventually took the gift out of her bag. "What's this? 'To Thomas, From Santa'?"

As he turned to look back at the trailer, Joelle turned and ran off, leaving the boy with his gift. She hit the communicator on her collar, surprised to hear Sullivan talking on the other end. "-leave me here talking to myself, you were supposed to check in every hour! And how hard is 'Don't turn off your comms' to remember?!"

"Hello, Solomon!" There was feedback, as if the elf had dropped his microphone in surprise. "I am happy to report that the gift has been delivered, and I am on my way back to the North Pole! Requesting a bowl of water and a chew toy when I return, because I'm thirsty!" Sullivan sputtered in confusion and annoyance on the other end, but Joelle was in too good of a mood to notice. "I'll call you when I get to the copter, Solomon!"

"That's NOT my n-" He started to reply, but was cut off as Joelle turned off her communicator, happily taking the road back to her Elf Copter.

 

[Afterglow Ampharos]

It?s a chilly winter night in the back alleys of this Pok?mon town, but even in a place like this, someone?s spreading a little joy as they travel down the alley. A small Vanillite, in minty-green ice cream colour (and featuring a generous sprinkling of chocolate chunks!), bobs side to side as she floats down the lane, just finishing up her rendition of a festive tune. ?? Dialga bless you and send you a happy new year~!?

?Dialga send you, happy neewww yeeaarrr. ?? the Vanillite?s companion sings along as best it can. The odd fellow is? well, let?s just say it?s the reason the duo is keeping to the back alleys. It?s a bit of a nightmare, one not easily described through words, and only marginally better explained through picture. If one were feeling charitable, one might describe it as a ?hodgepodge? of several Electric Pok?mon mushed together. If one weren?t feeling so charitable, one might use the word abomination.

?...Why Dialga?? it thinks to ask, now that the song is over.

?Hm? Oh, Dialga?s the legendary of time! And that song?s about having a good next year!? the Vanillite explains. With a cheesy grin plastered on her soft face, she watches as white clouds emanate from her mouth, dancing with the chilly winter wind.

?Oh! Okay.? The unfortunate creature crawls along the snow-covered back lane using the Stunfisk portion of itself that makes up its footprint. The end of its star-shaped tail holds onto a sleigh, dragging behind them along the snowy street.

But this wasn?t what Minty had expected for an exhilarating, holiday-esque quest. The two souls bound together by a present didn?t start off with this eventual experience in mind. Rewind back in time and one will see that our endearing ice cream was planning on partaking on this journey by herself.

??????

 

[forg]

????Flashback????

It starts the moment she overestimated her strength, under the assumption that ice cream cones were built to pull heavy gifts contained inside velvet-red sacks. ?Oh, how beautiful it looks outside on this blissful morning~!? the ice cream had sung out rather forcefully, slightly leaning forward to gain some sort of momentum against the heavy bag behind her. ?Heave, Minty, heave!? she attempted to encourage herself, sweat pouring down her cold figure. ?Yes! Oh? Yes! We will be there soon! Yes, oh so very soon.?

Within the past hour, the Vanillite had only progressed a measly foot. Yet, she doesn?t let this fact hinder her. No, on the contrary, this only gives her an incentive to look for help.

This situation arose after being tasked with a mission that required her to partake in a trip to? a rather easy destination, surprisingly. Large mansions, swampy landmarks, dreadful deserts, or mountainous terrains were only some of the locations her comrades were venturing into. But, your average, everyday house with an easy-to-follow GPS directions? ?Y-yes? Yes! I would love to spread Christmas cheer!? she had accepted, happily bouncing in glee at that moment. ?How I longed for this moment of happiness! To be tasked with spreading Christmas spirit? Yes, a thousand times yes!?

And here she is now, hours later, with a sack that refused to cooperate. ?Minty yes you can, yes you can!? But it was futile.

Exhausted, she let herself drop to the floor beneath. It clanked, a groan escaping her lips as she glanced at the colorful present behind her. Oh, how she wished she had the necessary strength to pull the sack on her own. For once, she wanted to be the reason a child smiled instead of frowning at the thought of no ice cream to lick.

The small dessert shuddered at the thought of being licked by another.

?Hmm? what shall I ever do~?? she began, picking herself up. ?Dunno what would work besides this.? Minty pondered long and hard, resting her small body on top of the nicely-wrapped gift. Pokemon and dogs alike walked past her, their own problems and drama plaguing their tiny worlds. Their figures distracted the ice cream Pokemon, whose eyes kept venturing off on to different individuals.

Dogs, cars, humans, witches, you name it. They were all here, and they were delivering presents. Presents that would probably get there faster than Minty ever could. ?This is too soon to give up! I?ll just get a sleigh!?

Meanwhile, hidden away in a very dark, very cold shed, a miserable creature huddled against itself as best it could, wedged between sleds and shovels. Like Minty, all it wanted to do was spread happiness, but was prevented from doing so. In its crushing disappointment, it retreated into hiding, and crumpled into a mess of shapes.

Until the shed?s door opened. A Vanillite floated inside, looking for a sleigh. She found a stack of festive-looking ones just in front of the beast. The top of the creature was all that was clearly visible, lit by cascades of light from the open shed door. It resembled a cross between a Mimikyu and Ampharos head, though with bizarre miniature Pichu-shapes in place of proper ears. It appearance was unsettling, even creepy, poking from behind the sleighs.

The creature startled at her presence, and shifted its body suddenly, knocking the sleigh in front of it over, causing all of the sleighs to topple onto the floor like dominoes. With its full body revealed, the amalgamation backed up against the rows of shovels behind it, causing some of them to fall on the floor too. Clanging, crashing noises rocked the shed for a moment, startling both Pok?mon.

Minty was not prepared for the body horror of a thing she saw before her, especially here hidden in a dark shed. It?s as if time came to a halt, her mind unable to process what was standing before her.

A small squeak escaped her, body tensing up from disbelief. No longer was she feeling the joy and excitement she had carried minutes ago, now replaced by distress upon the unrecognizable beast she was trying to understand. But, her mind refused to cooperate. It remained blank, focused on her trepidation.

?A? he, um,? she mustered out, but failed to say more. The sleigh was the last thing in her mind, debating as to whether contact should be initiated.

Does it bite?

Hesitant, she finally mustered the courage to spit out a full sentence. ?...he-hello?? Most of the sleighs were strewn around the creature, discouraging the ice cream from her original goal. ?Y-you can have my sleigh, I can, um? get a-another.? The setting was uncomfortable, her body rigid, voice shaky, mind alert as her eyes flinched upon every movement the unidentified Pokemon made.

As much as she wanted to swallow her dread and approach it, her body acted otherwise. It refused to move, silently floating above the cold floor beneath. The trembling voice didn?t help, adding to the awkwardness of the situation.

?I? I?m sorry, I just? I? um? um!? she began, but again, was unable to convey more. ?Why are you? here??

?We? we wanted to? do presents. With the others. Go deliver. But they say no to us. We? we too ugly. We would scare children, not make them happy.? Amalgam explained, its disturbing body slumping forward. Its voice sounded sweeter than expected, though it sounded as if it were breaking up into tears. Even if it did cry, Minty didn?t know where to look, at the eyes on the top or the slimy-looking ones at the bottom.

The fear that was soaking her body was beginning to melt away, replaced by despair and confusion. She had acted erroneously, having clearly demonstrated that she was frightened by its appearance. Not only that, but it had also added to Amalgam?s fears.

With regret finally sinking in, Minty descended in shame, eyes fixated on the sleighs scattered about. ?I wasn?t afraid? yeah, I wasn?t!? she began to put on a facade, a forced smile making its appearance. ?It just took me a while to get used to ya is all, yup!? Just as quickly as she spat out words, she lost her train of thought, too focused on not hurting its feelings more than she already had.

At last she glanced up, eyes glossing over Amalgam. ?So don?t cry! I-I wasn?t too scared, see?? With arms now outstretched, she swallowed whatever spit she was producing, still carrying a slight ounce of doubt towards the creature.

?You look scared.? the thing replied plainly. Its posture had?changed. Was it more relaxed? It was very difficult to tell, with a body that unrecognizable, made up of so many different entities. ?Not as scared as others. But?still sorry we scared you. Should not be hiding in dark places.? It turned, as if avoiding eye contact, though it was hard to tell if it actually was. ?We were sad, didn?t want to be seen.? With its body now turned to the side, it reached out a jagged tail with five strange red fingertips -- or were they orbs? -- to straighten out one of the sleighs and push it gently in Minty?s direction. ?Here. You wanted sleigh?? A small pause. ?You?deliver presents, right?? Its ?face? was inscrutable, but its tone of voice still sounded sad, albeit more accepting. ?I understand. I hope you make happy, ok??

Minty nodded in response, yet still unsatisfied with her initial reaction. ?I would be sad too if I couldn?t deliver presents, you know,? she mumbled, making her way towards the sleigh. It was bittersweet, the moment she at last stands before the vehicle she came into the shed for. ?But, I know I can get used to that,? Minty admitted nervously, voice slightly higher-pitched. Even though the ice cream is beginning to come to terms that not all that looks abnormal is out to harm her, she carries difficulty translating that into her expressions and voice.

With that said, the floating dessert drifted towards the back of the sleigh. She took in a large breath, intimidated by the size of the sleigh. ?I?m scared of? seeing others eat ice cream because I feel like they can eat me. Silly, right?? Feeling slightly better, Minty slammed herself onto the sleigh?s back.

It didn?t budge an inch. She groaned and puffed, pushing and retrying every time for some sort of movement. ?But it d-doesn?t matter how you look!? Minty blurts out before giving the sleigh another shot, wheezing near the end. Despite the panting, she continued to speak, pausing between patches of words. ?Santa doesn?t? care how children... look, yeah?? The sleigh remained in place, refusing to obey. ?And he only cares... about what?s inside? so? so do I.?

Defeated, the Vanillite slides down the sleigh and onto the cold floorboards below, reminding her of her lack in strength. ?...but Santa was strong and Minty? isn?t,? she kept talking in between breaths, rapidly spouting her thoughts at Amalgam. Having run out of words, she frowns and rolls over, vanquished by the sleigh.

?Matters.? Amalgam disagreed, moving forward in a manner that could only be described as shambling. ?If we look scary, children cry. We want them happy.? The amalgamation picked up the sleigh?s rope, attached to its front, with its peculiar tail. It started pulling the sleigh out of the shed for Minty, helping her without thinking twice. In doing so, it ?stepped? out into the open air. Its yellow and black body was highlighted better in this light. With the details of its anatomy more clear, it looked simultaneously more and less hideous -- less left to the imagination, more of the absurdly-wrong form in clear view.

The more she listened, the more dispirited Minty became. ?But that sounds very... sad,? she responded, voice beginning to fluctuate. Her body sprung up in reaction to the moving sleigh. ?Oh! You can pull it??

The creature paused, then hesitantly offered Minty the rope. It was not sure if Minty could handle the load, but also knew that it was already told it couldn?t help.

?I can try? Dunno if pulling it from the front will make me stronger but um.? Upon exiting the shed she was greeted with a clearer view of Amalgam?s form, stalling the Vanillite. Within this pause she gasped, ashamed of her gawking. ?Ah, um! I?ll be there, yes!? she blurted out, dashing towards the rope she had been offered.

The rope itself was slightly weighing Minty down, reminding her of her futile attempts at pushing the sleigh back in the shed. ?I?m not always this weak, kay? Sometimes I can carry more!? A blush formed as she began to attempt to pull the sleigh. It didn?t take long for her to get it into motion, although a snail could move faster.

Minty couldn?t last long, her body already worn from having previously endeavored to push the sleigh out the shed. This left her breathless, her figure dropping into the snow underneath. ?I can?t. I?m? not strong enough.? Then an idea hit her.

Ecstatic, she leaped out of the snow and remained in the air, arms unable to stay still. Little collections of snow slowly plummeting down due to the quick movements. ?Do you want to maybe help me carry the presents? And then we can both make children happy!?

??????

The Amalgamation agreed. It knew that it would have to stay out of sight so as to not to cause panic, but if it can help in this small way, it will. Not just to make kids happy, but to make Minty happy.

 

[Afterglow Ampharos]

??????

Back in the present moment, on the streets of the neighbourhood...

?You know, I can?t remember the last time someone sang along with me~!? she piped up, a wide smile plastered against her freezing complexion.

?Why?? Amalgam doesn?t think Minty is a bad singer at all, and can?t imagine why others wouldn?t want to join in.

?Dunno! But I?m glad you decided to, Gammy!? Warmth enveloped her body, enjoying the bliss that comes with a new friendship. Bonding was always worth cherishing, and Minty couldn?t help but blush at the thought of sharing these memories with another kind heart.

The electric creature gives a confused tilt of its Ampharos-shaped faux head. ?...Gammy? Who is Gammy??

A small snort, followed by a giggle in reaction to this-said snort, escapes the mint-flavored ice cream. ?You said your name was Amalgamate, right? Well, I thought Gam would be good for short!? It was a sudden nickname she came across while toying with Amalgamate?s name mentally. Gammy sounded? just right.

The newly nicknamed ?Gammy? keeps its head tilted. Well, more like flopped over, at this point. It doesn?t remember saying anything about it being NAMED Amalgamate, just being called one. But, it sees no harm in the nickname, really. Why not? It might be fun.

?Oh -- this is right house.? Gam speaks, turning to face toward the backside of one of the houses coming up on their left.

Minty floats up, studying her surroundings. ?Ya sure? There?s lots of lights on inside.? Minty can?t help but notice the neighbouring houses have their lights out. It?s really late at night, after all. ?Oh! Maybe they?re having a late-night Christmas party!??

Letting go of its sleigh for a moment, Amalgam points its tail toward the backyard fence. ?Open gate?? it asks politely, if crudely.