A Very Merry Christmas Adventure [Vio/Greil/Dun]

[Greil9]

Looking through a frosted window, her face almost pressed against the glass, a young little girl was scanning the skies in her light blue star-pattern pajamas. Despite the few clouds still gently covering the ground with snow, the moon was full and lighting the night so well one would barely need lanterns outside. And yet there seemed to be no sign of anything above the houses. From downstairs she was able to hear music and laughter from the bars Christmas party, but she had enough of that already. Now was the time to look for Santa Claus.

Despite hearing a door behind her, the girl didn't turn her gaze from the window. Slowly closing the door behind her with her foot to filter out the noise from downstairs, the matronly figure called for her. "Still looking for him? Santa's pretty tricky you know, never managed to catch a glimpse of him myself."

Still not looking at her adoptive mother, Shandra said. "This year I'll see him. I know I will."

The matron couldn't help but chuckle to herself. It was just like getting a glimpse through a window in time at her own room when she herself was five years old. "Okay, but I doubt he's gonna be here in the time it takes for you to have some cocoa and plum pastries. With extra marshmallows in one and powdered sugar on the other."

Despite trying to keep watch and resist the temptation, the little girl couldn't keep standing at the window with such delicacies being offered. Those were her favorites and the latter was only made during Christmas. Not only that, but on the tray she found two cups of cocoa and there were half a dozen pastries offered to her. Her eyes gleaming from the joy of all the treats, Shandra asked "There's so many! Can I eat them all?"

Happily tussling her daughters hair with a warm smile, Celia replied "Sure, it's Christmas only once a year after all. But in return you gotta brush your teeth before bed and eat them over the tray so there won't be a mess. Okay?"

Already stuffing half the first pastry in her mouth, Shandra eagerly answered through the pastry "Owkhayh!" As thanks for bringing her treats, she then gave a hug to her mother, who responded in kind. Despite having given up several things when choosing to take care of the little girl, these special few moments made Celia certain it was the right choice.

Now the matron had to return to her guests downstairs since the little girl was set on how she'd spend her evening. Before closing the door behind her, Celia peaked out to say "I'll come tuck you in later."

Holding her cup of cocoa with both hands to warm herself from the little cold seeping to the front of the window. She was dedicated to her task and wouldn't go to bed before Santa fulfilled her wish. "No, I wanna stay up until Santa comes. I wanna get my present right away."

Holding leaving just long enough despite the door being closed enough to only see half the matrons face, she asked "Well, what did you ask for present?"

Still trying to see someone flying in the sky, she replied "It's a secret," before slowly emptying her cup and starting to slowly munch on another pastry. Despite a tinge of curiosity, Celia didn't want to pry if Shandra wasn't going to tell herself. She'd find out the morning after by judging whether the girl got her gift or not. Right now there were more people who wanted her company.

For half an hour there seemed to be no sign of a sleigh being pulled by flying reindeers. There was one pulled by a horse on the streets once, but that one didn't rise an inch off the ground. Not only that, but the girl had almost emptied her tray and was feeling her eyelids grow heavier. She was no longer sure she could last long enough, even trying things like listening to the feint music from downstairs or dancing by the window for what little she could. However the latter only made it harder to stay awake. She was almost ready to give up and admit she wasn't strong enough yet.

Just then something dashed right past her window. It went by so fast she could barely see its silhouette, but there were few things that size going past a second floor window. Immediately pushing the window open, Shandra leaned outside despite the cold to see if her wait finally paid off. Her expression could barely show one fifth of her happiness when she saw from behind an airborne sleigh with a tubby man in red riding it. Waving ecstatically at the man speeding away, she tried to yell "Santa! Over here Santa! Santa!"

Despite making as much noise as she could, the man didn't seem to pay her any attention. Though this didn't even faze the little girl as she just assumed he went too fast to hear. Luckily she had made plans for this night a week ahead, running to her wardrobe and pulling out her winter clothes. Hoping to swiftly give chase, she just pulled them over her pajamas, stuffed the last pastry into her pocket while sticking a pair of toy pistols into the other and grabbed the jump rope from underneath her clothes. Using that to climb down was the fastest way to go chasing Santa since Aunt Celia would just tell her to go back to bed and if she met any mean people, her gun would surely scare them away. Tying the jump rope to the leg of her bed and tossing the other end out the window, Shandra began slowly descending towards the streets to chase Santa Claus. Even loosing her grip at the end and landing butt-first to the pile of snow below didn't deter her from running through the snow-covered streets as fast as she could in chase of the sleigh.

[dunosaur]

In a nearby alley out in the cold, a young boy aged no more than five wandered around in the snow, his lips chapped, knees shaky, and he was hungry as hell. This boy has recently fallen off his bike just two days ago, hitting his head on a mailbox that had the bright pink words "Mr.9" on it. When he regained his conciousness he could not remember anything about himself no matter how hard he tried. And now, he needed to find food and warmth quickly or risk starvation or freezing to death. The young boy Dun, has decided to abandon his bicycle as it was impossible to cycle in this weather.

In the distance, he could smell something distinct despite his nose being almost frostbitten. What is that smell? Chocolate? Pastries? There was however also a strong tinge of alcohol which Dun could not identify, hence he ignored. With tears forming at the side of his eyes, Dun mustered the last of his strength to run towards the source of the smell, Shandra's house.

"Please, please open the door." Dun thought to himself as he dragged his feet closer and closer towards the bar with the frosted windows. It looked beautiful from outside, the young boy was sure that someone who owns such a beautiful house would definately be kind enough to share whatever food they have inside with him. It was at this moment Dun heard an odd, loud laughter from above his head. "Ho Ho Ho!"

Dun looked up and saw something that would've shocked any five year old kid should they not have lost their memories. It was an airborne sleigh with a tubby man in red riding it. A piece of bread dropped from the sleigh, falling gently onto Dun's hands. "FOOD!!!!" the little amnesiac gobbled down the bread so quickly he almost chocked had it not been his small mouth taking tiny bites at a time.

THUD

A little girl had just fallen on the snow next to the house Dun was intending to visit. The girl immediately took off towards the rotund man on the sleigh. "Did she fall from the sleigh too?" motivated by the idea of more bread and possibly tastier pastries, Dun decided to give chase to the sleigh as well.

[Vio]

1

---

“Mama’s going to hit the roof when she finds out what you’re doing,” said a bundle of ashen fur, curled up amongst the sheets of his bed and staring with lazy eyes at the more adventurous member of his family. A second furred figure poked his head from over the edge of three-layered bunk bed’s highest level, joining in one the tired observations of what was happening down below. A flurry of white fur dressed in pinstriped PJs of dark green and light grey was hurriedly darting back and forth across the room, rummaging sneakily through various drawers and cabinets. Every now and then it froze, small rounded ears prickling and swivelling to seek out any strange noises, before returning to its business.

^{“You’re not seriously trying this, are you…?” yawned the second:
“Just wait until morning, then you’ll know.”}

^{“Hush! Just cover for me, alright?”}

“What do you expect us to do? Tell Mama you went to the bathroom and flushed yourself down the toilet by accident?” Poking further from his comfortable confines, a young Badger Mink put a clenched paw to his mouth and yawned widely. His bedding attire was not too dissimilar from the white whirlwind of activity’s own, albeit in deep blue. The only other difference was that it was a few sizes larger than its counterpart set. His comment seemed to provoke a chuckle from upon high, a Polecat Mink in dark red night suit hanging rather precariously now from the top bunk’s guard: “We could come with you, y’know, Erm?”

^{“We’d stand a better chance!”}

^{“Yeah, what Poot said!”}

“No, Mell,” the waking white one answered, flicking a slender tail tipped with sooty black fur. He scratched behind his ear with one of his paws, counting the objects before him on the fingers of his spare hand before continuing his response. “If all three of us are gone, then he’ll get all sausage pus, see?”

^{“Don’t you mean…”
‘Mell’ raised an eyebrow:
“Suspicious…?”}

“I know what I mean! But yes, if he passes by the window and realises all three of us are gone, then he’ll know something’s up,” replied the startlingly cunning Erminio of the Mustelozzi Brothers, weaselling himself (quite literally) into a various articles of winter garb – thick boots, mittens and a toasty jacket that may have been a size or two bigger than was necessary. Sifting through the remaining pieces of gear, the short Stoat Mink pulled out and primed a wooden pistol with a cork in its barrel, soon stuffing it into his coat pocket. “I’m the smallest, so if I go, I won’t be noticed so easily. Plus, I have white fur – I’ll be harder to spot in the snow! It’s generous!”

^{“You mean genius…?”}

^{“I know wh– I don’t even know what that means…”}

“Oi, Erm,” Poot – Putorio – addressed. The Polecat Mink was now somehow hanging from the underside of the top bunk, but the strain in his voice was a clear indication that he was not going to be holding that poise for very much longer. “Do you know what Santa does with nau – Oof… – naughty kids?”

“Nada,” the youngest replied, apparently more focused on arming himself for his eventual eve escapes. One such piece of equipment included a pillowcase, though for what purpose his siblings could not tell. Approaching the window, he managed to prise the catch open, but refrained from opening his chosen route of release into the outside world. He wanted to hear what his brothers had to say, even if he did not necessarily agree with them all of the time.

^{“He gives them a lump of coal!”}

“Am I meant to be imitated by that, Poot?” Erminio quizzed, raising an eyebrow of his own as he looked towards his now stolen bedsheets. Mell, the brother whose proper name was Melesio, opened his mouth to speak. However, he seemed equally confused as to what had just been said.

^{“…I’m not even sure if that’s the right word or not.”}

^{“Just remember it!”}

“Okay. Well, anyway,” the Stoat struggled for a moment, but managed to lift the window up far enough for him to squeeze through. Both Melesio and Putorio trembled, and quite rightfully so, as a bitterly cold breeze washed inside. The youngest Mustelozzi stepped out carefully onto the window’s outer ledge, boots crunching the snow that had lined its wooden surface. He clutched the pillowcase in both paws. “I’ll be back before you know it! I’ll even split the reward!”

Just about managing to close the window behind him, thanking his lithe form and sense of balance, Erminio readied himself. The jump was a mighty one, but he had been planning this for weeks – all was going to go according to plan. With a strong jump, he propelled himself off the edge and down towards the snow-laden earth beneath, the pillowcase expanding and serving to help steady his descent into the stack of straw and soft powder. He landed abruptly, vanishing amidst the white mound, but soon poked his head out and surveyed his immediate environment. All was quiet on this Christmas Eve, save for the odd sound of jingling approaching from the distance…


Their brother gone, Melesio looked up to Putorio and said: “I can’t believe you convinced him that Santa gives a gajillion Beri to any child that manages to catch him on Christmas Eve…”

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{OOC}

ntroducing Erminio, Melesio and Putorio of the Mustelozzi family!

[/font][/sub]

Starring…

_{Erminio Mustelozzi (99ff00)
Melesio
Putorio}

[/ul][/spoiler][/font][/sup][/blockquote][/div][/div][/div]

[Greil9]

Despite running as fast as her legs could take her, the little girl was getting no closer to the sleigh above. If anything it was getting further and further away with every step. Her little legs just weren't enough to match the flying sleighs speed even if there hadn't been snow slowing her down. Despite this, Shandra tried her best to keep up in the hopes Santa would stop at a house sooner or later. Chasing a flying target also provided another problem in the form of the jolly old man simply flying over some houses while the girl was forced to try and quickly seek some alley to get past the houses and follow.

However despite her best efforts, the little girl eventually lost her target. He was simply too fast and didn't seem to stop at even one house. Disappointed, the girl decided she'd just need to go back home. However this soon proved more difficult than she thought, as looking around she realized this was some part of the town not familiar to her. Not helping matters was the fact that the constantly falling snow was covering the footprints she left behind in the thin layer of snow as well as masking any landmarks she could use. Then and there she realized the cold truth: she was lost outside on Christmas Eve. 

Panic was slowly starting to creep into her mind, thinking of all the bad scenarios he five-year old mind could conjure. What if she was found by some mean people who would rob her? What if Aunt Celia got really worried and came after her, getting lost too? What if she never found her way back and got buried in the snow? What if she missed Christmas completely in her effort to get her gift? Squeezing the collar of her dark blue winter jacket, she began to tear up a little. However before she could start crying properly, Shandra was reminded of what her adoptive mother always said. "Shandra, there's never a situation bad enough to stop smiling. When you cry, that's when you give up. But your mother never did, she'd keep smiling and pushing forward. And in the end, she always pushed through a tough spot. So when things seem bad, just keep smiling and keep pushing."

Not wanting to disappoint Aunt Celia, the little girl shook her head a few times and slapped herself on both cheeks both for warmth and to help herself smile again. She was the daughter of a pirate and born for adventures, so who better to get past this obstacle. She'd just need a little moment to rest, ducking into an alley to find shelter from the constant snowfall. She also remembered stuffing the pastry in her pocket, which would give her plenty of energy to go running and find her way back home. Digging it out and holding it in her hands, the girl began thinking of places she'd know and would help her navigate. She'd not cry and she'd finish her adventure.

[dunosaur]

As Dun's gave chase, he could feel his knees buckling, ready to give way anytime soon as the distance between him and the flying sleigh widened. Lips trembling, eyes dry. Dun fell down to the ground, groaning as he looked up towards the weird flying object leaving his sights. He could feel fear creeping from within his chest, he knew no one, he had nothing, he just wanted to go home to his mama but he could not even remember who she was.

"There was a girl here" Dun thought to himself as he picked himself up, dusting the snow off him. Although he never got to take a good look at the child who fell out of the window, he reckoned that they would be about the same age.

The smell of pastries loomed around the town again. "The girl from there weird house! She must be nearby!". Mustering up the last of his strength, Dun gave out a loud shout towards the sky "Pastry girl! I know you are here! Please come out!" Dun fell back onto the freezing snow, eyes gazed towards the sky. If he could smell the pastries, it means she must have heard him too! Dun smiled to himself with that one final, semi-logical thought as he closed his eyes, hoping that when he opens them someone would be out here to rescue him. "Someone please help me.."

[Vio]

2

---

“Brr-rr-rr!” Scurrying from the snowy confines off his softened landing, bundling up the pillowcase and storing it within his coat, Erminio Mustelozzi shivered. It was late, the moon in the sky shining silver and causing the frosty white ground to twinkle like starlight. It was also cold. The bitter chill of the snow threatened to work its way through the bundle of fur’s various layers of protection, but he was indifferent to such a fate. O, the benefits of being a Mink. Thick white fluff only furthered his protection against the cold, his pink tongue poking from between his lips to help regulate the flow of temperature. The cold was one thing, but there was nothing worse for a Mink than being too toasty!

“First step: Check! Now I’ve just gotta find him… If I was a jolly fat man with a great big bushy beard, where would I hide?” the stealthy Stoat stood in thought, beady eyes looking to the moonlit sky above as he pondered – as he pretended to ponder. His thoughts were just not giving him the time of day, but it seemed as if that did not matter. From above, divine inspiration! His ears perked up at the sounds of bells jingling, but it was his eyes that were most taken aback by what they gazed upon. Seemingly defiant of the nature of flight, a vaguely box-shaped craft sailed through the sky, causing Master Mustelozzi’s heart to swell with delight.

It also caused a sly smirk to appear on his furred façade.

^{“Now I’ve got you, Santa Claus,” Erminio muttered:
“I’ll catch him and claim that reward!”}

Darting through the streets of a snow-laden Loguetown as fast as his little legs could carry him, the juvenile delinquent made due haste by weaving in and out of various nooks and crannies. The tight alleys between buildings might have been impossible for grown-ups to traverse, but his lithe little form was perfect for squeezing its way through such gaps, even taking the excess bulk into account. Sure, he got stuck once or twice, but that was of no concern. A few twists and coils and the wayward weasel popped free of such obstruction, all on his quest to capture Mister Claus. Keeping track of a flying sleigh was no easy task, but his honed sense of hearing was at least of some benefit.

^{“I know you are here!”}

Gasp! The youngling froze. Had he been found out already? So focused on the chase had the conniving kit been that he had failed to pick up on the presence of other individuals, forcing him into a state of high alert. Body paralysed in an awkward position, only his eyes and ears seemed to swivel – accompanied by the twitch of his nose and whiskers – in order to search for the source. Prepping himself with his trusted sidearm, cork loaded and a few spares in his pockets, he crept around the corner. Somehow, he managed to keep his upper body almost entirely still while his legs carried him along in an exaggerated tiptoeing gait.

Another kid…? Grr! He must be trying to catch Santa, too! I can’t let him beat me to it. My resolution depends on it! I’ll just– His own chain of thought coming to an abrupt end, Erminio could not help but narrow his eyes and scan the vicinity for signs of his brother, Melesio. The lack of some attempt at correcting his no doubt wrongly used wording was somewhat disturbing. Nonetheless, no fellow five-year-old was going to be cramping the style of the great Erminio Mustelozzi! Peering from around the corner, he took aim, but held his fire. A skyward glance confirmed his suspicions that Santa was still on the move. Was this kid worth the (admittedly harmless) bullet…?

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{OOC}

randishing a loaded (cork) gun! The conniving Erminio observes the wandering Dun!

[/font][/sub]

Starring…

_{Erminio Mustelozzi (99ff00)
Dun (eeeeee)
Melesio (00b4b4)
Putorio (990000)}

[/ul][/spoiler][/font][/sup][/blockquote][/div][/div][/div]

[Greil9]

Just before she could dig in to her treat, Shandra heard a shout from presumably not too far away. "Pastry girl! I know you are here! Please come out!" This seemed a rather odd thing to hear from the streets, especially since they had been basically empty when she ran through them. Though question of who the voice was calling for seemed pretty clear. She herself was a girl and she had a pastry with her. Not too many others like that around as far as she knew. Though she didn't know who it was and while she put on a brave smile, her fears from just a moment ago hadn't just vanished into nothing. To feel safer while checking things out, she pulled out one of her toy guns before getting closer.

What she saw wasn't a mean man, but just a boy around her age lying in the snow. He might have still been a mean kid, though she was the daughter of a pirate and could just punch him if he was mean. Her first reaction was to walk over to the boy and lean over his face, trying to see if he was moving. At least he seemed to be following her face as she leaned around trying to see him from different angles, so the boy was alive. Unsure of what he wanted, the girl asked "Did you call for me? Or is there some other pastry girl in here?" However him eyeing the pastry still in her other hand, she soon realized. For a moment she had to think about giving up her treat to some other kid when she only had these at one time of the year. But it was Christmas and Aunt Celia told her to be nice so Santa would bring her what she wanted. Kneeling down, she handed over the plum pastry and said "Here. It's already cold and some of the jam was smeared on my pocket, but they're still delicious."

[dunosaur]

"Did you call for me? Or is there some other pastry girl in here?"

Dun jolted himself "awake" as he opened his eyes to the little girl which smelt of pastries. Dun was mesmerised by her opal eyes and brown hair, this was the first time someone has actually responded to Dun's cries for help; she must be an angel.

Dun smiled from ear to ear as he received the plum pastry from Shandra, "Thank you. Thank you so much." Dun muttered from under his breath as tears began forming at the sides of his eyes. He tore the plum pastry into halves and offered the other half back, an attempt to be friends with the prettiest thing he has ever laid his eyes on. Dun took cautious bites at his half, careful not to choke.

At the end of the street, a dull clopping sound could be heard. Footsteps? Dun turned his eyes towards the sound, trying to figure out where the source was coming from. The snow was starting to fall harder and harder on these two kids (and also a mink in the corner of the alley). The houses around him seemed to have their lights already off, a sign indicating that the only ones awake are the two children, Ermino, and the weird siloutte that was steadily approaching the two children.

Dun noticed horns shaped like clovers from the silouette approaching them. A beast? Anything with horns must be bad.

[Vio]

3

---

“Did you call for me?” questioned another voice – another child’s voice. Erminio squeezed himself further into cover, stowing his gun. He might have had the better armament, but two against one was nothing short of unfair. His brothers had made sure he understood that. Quiet, his heart beating in his chest, he turned his rounded ears to listen in on the conversation between the two children. Now there was a girl, dark of hair but fair of eye, surrendering what appeared to be a plum pastry from her pocket. The exchange seemed more than unusual, for the two clearly did not know each other. If they did, surely they would have used one another’s names by now?

Clip… Clop… The young Mustelozzi’s ears twitched. A new sound was approaching, treading lightly on the snowy cobbles of the street, which put the mischievous Mink on high alert. Once more, he readied his cork gun, scoping the vicinity. A shadow slowly approached, slender but tall – taller than any of the youngsters – and decorated with branching horns. It continued to draw closer, hooves caressing the snow and making as little noise as possible, until the dark silhouette seemed to melt away.

A reindeer…? Beady eyes observed the curious creature, stood upon long and slender legs and dressed in thick but soft-looking hair of creamy brown. Velvet antlers branched outwards like bracken, while warm breath filled the air before its nostrils with soft wisps of steamy white. From its position just a few yards away, it observed the two children – the pastry girl and her partner – and glanced briefly towards the corner behind which the stealthy stoat was hidden. It seemed hesitant to draw closer, but showed no noticeable signs of fear.

Wait a minute… doesn’t Santa Claus’ sleigh use reindeer to fly? Erminio questioned his understanding. If that’s the case, then he must’ve landed somewhere nearby! Now’s my chance! He can’t escape while his reindeer aren’t there to guide him. I’ll just catch this one and… and… how am I supposed to catch something that big…?

Huff… The deer blew hot air from its nostrils, yawning. It took every ounce of effort, but the wandering weasel managed to stifle his own retaliatory yawn. He did, however, opt to break his hiding spot. Stepping out into plain sight, eyes upon the animal as it curiously bobbed its head to examine the shared pastry, the Mink made his presence known. He still held his cork gun in paw, but that only added to the ridiculously cute appearance he possessed. Despite his best attempts, he could never quite master the intimidating façade, cursed instead with a delicate and puffy white face broken only by dark brown eyes and near black button nose.

^{“I’ve got you now!” Erminio stated, brandishing his weapon:
“Hand over the reindeer and nobody gets corked.”}

Ears pricked forwards, senses muffled by the layers he wore; the miniature Mafioso was unaware of the approach of yet another figure from his rear…

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{OOC}

[/i] to hop and gallop through the sky![/font][/sub]

Starring…

_{Erminio Mustelozzi (99ff00)
Dun (eeeeee)
Shandra (176d28)
Melesio (00b4b4)
Putorio (990000)}

[/ul][/spoiler][/font][/sup][/blockquote][/div][/div][/div]

[Greil9]

The kid lying on the ground seemed to be oddly moved by a mere plum pastry. Sure they were delicious and Aunt Celia only made them around Christmas, but to cry over one seemed a bit too much. Thinking about it, the kid might have been in the same situation as her: lost while chasing Santa on Christmas Eve. She would have cried herself if not for remembering her mothers words. Either way sharing the treat was going to make both of them happy.

That is until something walked behind the boy. An animal all too familiar to Shandra, seeing as it just dashed past her window not too long ago. She might not have gotten a good look, but she could still recognize a reindeer from all the storybooks displayed at shop windows around this time of the year. Her eyes sparkling, the girl realized her chance: this must have been one of Santas reindeers. If she could follow it, she'd definitely find Santa and get her gift. Even better, the animal seemed interested in her pastry. Thinking befriending the animal would actually improve her chances and seeing it actually eyeing their treats, Shandra extended her hands upwards to hand her half of it to the animal. "You want one too? Take it. Then take me to Santa!"

However before the reindeer could bite in to the treat, another kid stepped out to the street. Though this one seemed... weird. He was covered in fur like an animal. In fact his face too looked like some kind of weasel. However more prominently he was holding a pistol aimed right at her and the reindeer. “I’ve got you now! Hand over the reindeer and nobody gets corked.”

Suddenly threatened by the new kid, Shandra had to step back as her half of the pastry fell to the ground. Despite not being very threatening, it didn't take a lot to intimidate the five year old girl lost in the snowy streets at night. For a moment she considered running away in fear of getting beat up. However since the reindeer was her only way to find Santa, so she had to just face the kid anyway and pull out her own pistol. "Go away! I wanna see Santa and this reindeer will take me to him! I got a suction cup gun and I'm not afraid to use it!"

Though before either of the kids could muster up the nerves to fire their (completely harmless) weapons, yet another figure walked to the street. He appeared to arrive out of nowhere behind the animal boy, no small feat considering his wide frame. Especially the bright red outfit clashed heavily against the snowy backgrounds. However upon sighting the man, Shandra immediately forgot about the animal boy, lowering her weapon and running to the man as she enthusiastically shouted "Santa!!" Her search actually paid off. The jolly old man was right in front of her, widening the girls smile to go from one ear to another.

However the old man she considered so jolly didn't appear so hen she got closer. In fact there seemed to be something sinister about the way he looked down at both her and the animal boy in front of him. the way he grinned while looking down at the children looked like he wanted to hurt them and would actually enjoy doing so. Despite her earlier enthusiasm, the little girl began to slow down her running, eventually coming to full stop with her smile completely vanished. At this point, the red-wearing old man dug out a paddle covered by candy-cane pattern.

"What's this? Children outside? Worrying their parents so much they may die? 
Think you're above rules? That's being quite haughty. Now prepare to be punished for being so naughty." Raising his paddle to the air as if he was going to smack the children with it, Santa raised his voice as she shouted "Christmas is nigh and only gift you kids get, is a lesson none of you will ever forget!"

This was all wrong. Santa was supposed to be the nicest man on earth and give her what she wanted as present for Christmas. Despite looking just as she thought, this one was going to act like one of those scary people aunt Celia always threw out of the bar. Completely unable to react to how the man in red was acting in a mix of confusion and fear, the girl was completely stuck in place despite the oncoming threat.

[dunosaur]

As the strange bipedal animal pointed his "gun" at Dun and his new found friend, Dun tensed himself up and got into a defensive stance, raising both his arms up and ready to fight if things were to go awry. It was a terrible stance, but it was one that Dun hoped would be able to deter the strange creatures before him.


A rotund figure dressed entirely in red and white paced onto the street. Appeared to arrive out of nowhere behind the strange bipedal animal, which proved to be a great feat considering his wide frame. He looked pretty happy with a wide grin plasted over his face.

"Santa!!"

Dun was suddenly reminded again of the odd sleigh that flew threw the night, causing him to get lost in the snowly village he is in right now. The plum pastry had Dun immersed in such great bliss that he momentarily forgot his current situation. The pastry girl seemed delighted with the pressence of the jolly red round man.

"Christmas is nigh and only gift you kids get, is a lesson none of you will ever forget!" As the huge crimson man raised his candy-cane patterned paddle, Dun sprung into action before he even knew he was moving. He had to save his benefactor one way or another. Tackling Shandra to the ground as the candy cane hit the snow with a dull "thud".

Many questions flooded the young amnesiac's mind. Who are these creatures? Who is this menancing psycho with a paddle larger than Dun's head? And why was his pastry girl so enthusiastic about him?

"RUN!" Dun screamed as he grabbed a fistful of snow and threw it towards the "giant", hoping to blind him as he gestured for Shandra to escape. Dun however did not factor in his fatique and his strength, as his "snowball" flew towards the mink boy Ermino instead. This was Dun's "first" christmas, and it looks like it is going to be an unforgettable one.

[Vio]

4

---

“Go away!” the girl retorted, much to Erminio’s bemusement. This one wanted to see Santa Claus, too. Did she know about the ‘bounty’ upon the jolly man’s head, or was she here for another reason entirely? If not for his money hungry nature, the Stoat Mink might have actually questioned her. Instead, he merely frowned and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. She was clearly after the cash reward for catching Santa on Christmas Eve – a reward which the young Mustelozzi had no intention of sharing with anybody but his brothers. He held his ground, up until the girl called her own armament: “I got a suction cup gun and I’m not afraid to use it!”

^{“S- Suction cups!?”}

The thief of five years faltered, looking nervously between Shandra and Dun. If there was one weapon in a kid’s arsenal that he had always loathed and feared it was the suction cup – a fierce projectile that Putoria had once told him about. So deadly where those plungers that they could lace a person’s entire being with poison, given the chance to cling long enough, and so it was that Erminio scrunched himself up tightly. How fiendish a girl was this to deploy such deplorable ammunition against him? Was she actually planning to slay Saint Nick – poison the fat man and perhaps hoard the presents of all the little boys and girls the world over?

Whoosh… His whiskers bristled. Movement was nearby. However, despite his senses telling him something was happening, the conniving kid dared not to peel his eyes away from his prize and the obstacle that threatened him so. He swallowed nervously, the cork gun’s wooden barrel clearly trembling in his grasp.

^“Santa!”

“Uh… Excuse me?” Master Mustelozzi raised a whiskered eyebrow, confused as to the cause of the girl’s exclamation. More precisely, he found her sudden abandonment of threatening defence to be even more disturbing than the idea of poison suction cups! What foul trickery was this girl committing to now? His small and rounded ears swivelled, picking up the sounds of breathing from… directly behind him. Turning, his dark and beady were met by the sight of something cherry red with white-furred ruff.

^{“What’s this? Children outside?” a voice rhymed:
“Worrying their parents so much, they may die?”}

^{“S- Santa Claus…?”}

The mischievous Mink was mesmerised. Every child knew that Mister Claus existed – only a fool would believe otherwise and dare dismiss the truth! However, it was not his belief in the big man that was being tested this eve. As Erminio’s whiskered façade examined the mammoth of a man, it was his courage and idealism that was receiving the run. There he was, Saint Nicholas, in all his tubby glory. And yet, much as the girl had become, the Mink was frozen to the spot. Little paws did not want to budge and, for reasons he could not quite place at first, each and every whisker prickled with intensity.

^Thwump!

As Santa’s Campino-coloured cane came down, the second lad – Dun – demonstrated a surprising degree of heroism. In one swift move, he had tackled Shandra and knocked her out of harms’ way, leaving the woeful weasel to fend for himself. The paddle arced around, but instinct kicked in. In an impressive display of agility, the kind that only a Mink could have, Erminio propelled himself into the air. The weapon swung clean beneath him.

^“Run!”

^Smack!

“Uff…!” A flurry of cold, white powder struck him in the face, knocking the slight stoat off balance and causing him to land on his back. In a whirlwind of motion, he brushed the frosty snow from his furry face, squinting up at the night’s sky as a shadow obscured the stars. Ruddy of façade, adorned with a thick beard as pure as the winter’s scenery itself, Claus stared down and brandished his weapon again. Hurriedly, the diminutive don brought his own arms to bear, squeezing the trigger as tightly as he could manage. Pop went the cork (which was a lot more favourable an outcome than the weasel), striking Santa in the jaw. Erminio wasted no time, caring naught for the tool’s effectiveness. Instead, he rolled onto all-fours and bolted through the snow, abandoning both Santa Claus and his reindeer associate and following the footsteps of the escaping children.

This was far above and beyond what he had expected…

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{OOC}

[/sub]

Starring…

_{Erminio Mustelozzi (99ff00)
Dun (eeeeee)
Shandra (176d28)
Santa Claus (e61919)
Melesio (00b4b4)
Putorio (990000)}

[/ul][/spoiler][/font][/sup][/blockquote][/div][/div][/div]

[Greil9]

Being pushed out of the way by a brave boy (the one without fur) finally woke Shandra back to reality. There was someone in front of her with intention to hurt her. Even if it was Santa Claus, it didn't mean she'd stand and take it. No one spanked her without a fight, not even Aunt Celia. Despite the other kids running, she was going to fight the mean man. Still on her back, she fired her little pistol at the mean Santa thrice, hitting him once right on the nose. Though despite flinching a little, the big man in red was mostly unaffected, simply giving everyone a sinister smile.

Even though her effort seemed in vain, the little girl wasn't deterred. Now she was just angry from how things were going. This was supposed to be the best Christmas ever and now this mean man was trying to ruin everything. Firing three more times to empty her pistol of suction cups, she shouted at the supposed Santa Claus. "You're not Santa! Santa is nice and jolly and gives kids presents and never punishes them and he was supposed to come fulfill my Christmas wish! I've been nice all year and I want my present!"

This drew nothing but laughter from the evil Santa, though not the pleasant one he usually greeted people with. "Oh is that right? You want the jolly old Saint Nick? Well he's gone forever, and here's the trick." Tugging at a string around his neck, the man in red pulled out some kind of necklace. It looked to be some kind of really shiny red stone, like it was emitting light on its own. Just to taunt the little kid, he shook the string in his hands, flopping the gem around.
"Not fulfilling my wish was his last mistake. He's trapped in the stone and there's no escape. 
His body I took, it now belongs to me. Now Santa can sleep forever in peace.
As long as this crystal is within my grasp, my version of Christmas will eternally last."

The little girl couldn't believe it: Santa Claus had been somehow captured into a pretty gem and in his place was now someone looking to just punish children. This wasn't even about getting what she wanted anymore: Santa was one of the nicest people ever and he was now destined to just stay inside a tiny gem. As much as she wanted to remind herself about being a daughter of pirates and a natural-born adventurer, the situation was just too much for her so Shandra turned around and ran as fast as she could. Rather than give chase, the evil Santa yelled at the fleeing child. "You run, you hide, but there's no escape. Tonight every bad child receives the same fate."

However since the other kids already fled before she got smart enough to do the same, she couldn't see them anymore. All the girl could do was keep running and hoping to run into someone. The kids she met, her mother looking for her, some other non-mean adults, anyone who could help her. Yet panic clouded the childs mind, giving her no clear plan or route for her aimless running.

[dunosaur]

POP!

Dun heard the sound of a "gun" being fired, but he was too afraid or busy to turn behind to ascertain who has been shot or who had fired it. Glancing to his left, he noticed the furry bipedal creature that appeared before them moments before Santa did.

"Who are you?" Dun panted.

It was then Dun realized that his benefactor was not anywhere near him, although survival was imperative to the young amnesiac, he could not just leave Shandra alone with that dangerous man.

"Why didn't she run" The boy with the tiny beer belly thought to himself as he could feel his tummy aching, perhaps running immediately after eating was not such a good idea. The young boy stopped running while beckoning the mink next to him to do the same.

Dun looked behind him, squinting his eyes a little hoping to catch a glance of Shandra catching up to them, but to no avail. Perhaps the big red villian has caught her already. Has he already eaten her? This Santa guy was definately bad news.

Meanwhile, the horned beast (aka reindeer) yawned as his owner shouted at the fleeing children, giving him a look of disdain. Santa himself seemed pleased for some reason, the present delivery was quicker than usual in loguetown. The reindeer was confused as to why his owner was acting like a baddie, knowing full well that the red stone was nothing more than a typical ruby that Santa was supposed to give to one of the kids that was running away. Perhaps his owner was bored of the typical christmas routine.

[Vio]

5

---

This isn’t how it was supposed to go down, Erminio Mustelozzi faltered as he bolted through the snow. The fellow fleer had beckoned for him to halt, and for some reason he found himself obeying the brief interjection. Confusion rife in his mind, he could not help but look back towards the man in scarlet garb as he let out a hearty, yet sinister laugh. A vivid crimson jewel hung from a necklace, shimmering with a soft radiance and catching the mischievous Mink’s eye. Ears sharp enough, he quickly picked up on what ‘Santa’ was saying – the real deal was sealed!

^{“C’mon already!” the young weasel yelped:
“We need to get out of here!”}

I’m not getting caught because of these slowpokes. If they’re going to wait around for the fat man to catch them, then that’s their problem… Mind restless, legs as well, Master Mustelozzi made a final break for freedom. Though his thick winter coat and the various accoutrements that made up his arsenal were slowing him down, he was still swift enough in his quadrupedal gait to outrun Shandra and Dun, and ideally Claus as well! Fortunately, the corpulent criminal’s trusted company – the reindeer – seemed anything but eager to lend a hoof in the pursuit of a few wayward toddlers.

Through the backstreets he bounded, snow crunching beneath his paws as he hopped along, leaving a distinct mess of prints in the wintry caking that the others were sure to be able to follow. That was not his intention, of course, but speed was of the essence. Erminio needed to find somewhere safe and sheltered, where this enormous evil could not hope to grab him, so that he might plan out the next steps. Curious and conniving, even in panic his brain was working overtime, as if a thousand Hamster Minks were running on exercise wheels! He turned a corner, darted across an empty street, then ducked into a narrow passage between two buildings. A wooden fence proved no obstacle, for the gap beneath was plenty big enough for a child to squeeze through. Finally, he found himself in another dimly lit stretch of cobblestone alley.

^{“Phew! That was–” he gasped “–a close call!”}

For almost a whole minute, the five-year-old thief stood there. Back propped up against the side of a house, one mitten-coated paw pressed against his heaving chest, the heat of his body contended with the crisp coldness of the frosty air that entered his nose and throat. This Christmas Eve was turning out to be a hectic one, for sure! However, the diminutive don’s deserved rest was a short one. He had no idea whether or not the others had been following him after he had bolted, and while he had put his own being above all else, there was still a tingle of worry in his stirred up soul. Leaving those two behind was not the right thing to do, was it?

Pit–Pat–Pit–

His cupped ears perked, whiskers prickling. His head swivelled swiftly to the left, beady eyes scouring the narrow walk. Then, to the right, but his vision was graced with the same scene. The midnight hour swiftly approaching, the pale cascade of moonlight served to offer his eyes naught but visions of twinkling stars upon the streets – delicate crystals of water glistering like silver. Perhaps in years to come, he would learn to appreciate such scenery, but for now it only reminded him of his heart’s ultimate desire. He still wanted to nab Santa and cash in on that reward!

^{–Pat–Pit–Pat–}

“Who’s there…?” Erminio whispered loudly. The blackened brush of his tail flared up, his fur standing on end, for terror was fast encroaching upon his tiny, thundering heart. Somewhere in the inkiness of the town was a vile villain, but the pattering of something swift and small upon cobble and crystal had captured his attention – and perhaps worse, his imagination. All of a sudden, every little shadow and twinkling plume of snow became his enemy, whether it was the vague curl of a reindeer’s velvet antler or a radiant jewel ready to swallow him up. His ears scoured for sounds other than the rush of blood through his veins.

^{–Pit–Pat–Pit–Pat!}

It stopped… But, that sounds like it was coming from…? Swallowing rather loudly, the stealthy stoat craned his neck and peered up towards the moonlit sky. An inky canvas enriched by vivid spays of cosmic dust and an enormous sphere of silver-blue gleam was otherwise quiet, but he knew for a fact that something was up above. Whatever it was, it was hiding well – too well…

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{OOC}

[/sub]

Starring…

_{Erminio Mustelozzi (99ff00)
Dun (eeeeee)
Shandra (176d28)
Santa Claus (e61919)
Melesio (00b4b4)
Putorio (990000)}

[/ul][/spoiler][/font][/sup][/blockquote][/div][/div][/div]