Krampus plot

[unglitched]

This just isn't Vanellope's day. One minute she's in Milliways minding her own business, the next some hairy horned monster thing is bundling her up in a sack and carrying her off.

The next thing she knows, she's being dumped in a... huh. What is this place, exactly? It looks like something out of an old-school FPS, all bare stone corridors going off in different directions. And the hairy horned monster seems to have vanished completely. Where is she, and how the heck is she supposed to get back home?

Maybe that big guy in the leather armor knows something. She approaches him and clears her throat.

Comments

[its_possible]

He puts a hand on the door he's already standing near. It's as good as the third door, probably.

"Whenever you're ready."

[unglitched]

"On 'three'. One... two..."

[its_possible]

He readies himself to open the door.

Whatever's on the other side, he can handle it. Animals, zombies, bees, angry housekeepers... anything.

It'd be nice if it were a way out, though.

[unglitched]

"Three!"

Vanellope yanks her door open.

And immediately leaps aside to avoid the massive jet of flame that comes shooting out of the doorway.

[its_possible]

Uther's door is more deceptive. It's dark on the other side, with at first nothing but the faint sounds of water, like waves lapping against a pier.

But when the occupants of the other room are disturbed by the light, there's another sound--the ominous buzz-slurp of a hive of octo-bees getting ready to defend their territory.

They're nasty, but they're slow.

[unglitched]

...Vanellope does not know that sound, but it does not sound good.

"What...?"

[its_possible]

He tries to close the door again, but it's not budging.

"Either it's the other door, or none of them," he says. "These are some kind of flying things with tentacles, and they look angry."

[unglitched]

"So open the other door already!" Vanellope tries to close her own door, to no avail.

[its_possible]

If he can do it quickly enough, maybe they can get out of there before the octo-bees get out.

So he scrambles over to the other door, and opens it--

Ice. Not just a solid wall of ice--although it certainly is that--but the wall and floor near the door start to freeze over as well. He steps back, unwilling to risk being frozen.

"No luck."

[unglitched]

The ice continues to spread. It reaches toward the still-present jet of flame, turning to steam that starts to envelop the whole corridor.

"Now what?!"

[its_possible]

"We could try going the other way," he says, already taking a few steps back from the doors. "We're not getting through here. Past where we came in, that must be the way out."

Unless there's no way out at all. But if there's a way in, there must be a way out.

[unglitched]

"Fine by me!"

Her form dissolves into a stream of glowing pixels which stream away from the doors and coalesce ten yards down the corridor.

[its_possible]

That's a handy trick.

Uther has no such option, though, so he has to settle for jogging backward away from the doors, until he's far enough away that he doesn't feel the need to watch for the bees anymore.

[unglitched]

Vanellope is waiting for him, at what she hopes is a safe distance away.

"What kept you?"

[its_possible]

"Making sure we're not followed," he says, glancing now in the direction they'd originally come from.

"Those things looked nasty, whatever they were. And what we have on hand isn't suited to fighting them off."

[unglitched]

"You're sure they're not followin' us?" Vanellope looks warily back over her shoulder.

[its_possible]

"They don't look very... very well-made for flying," he says. "Like bees, but with tentacles instead of legs. They weren't moving very fast, but I wouldn't want them to catch up with us."

And adhere, and sting. Who knows what sort of venom they might have.

[unglitched]

"Don't blame ya."

There's a brief lull, then: "So what's your name, anyway?"

[its_possible]

"Uther," he says. "Uther Doul. Champion of Garwater."

There's more to his official title, but it's not that important. It's just for show.

"And yours?"

[unglitched]

"President Vanellope von Schweetz of Sugar Rush Speedway," she says with no small amount of smugness.

[its_possible]

Presidents outrank mere bodyguards, no matter what skills he might have. That settles that, then.

He likes knowing his place.

"An honor to meet you," he says. "Even in these circumstances."

[unglitched]

"It is, isn't it?" Smug Vanellope is smug. "So how 'bout you scout ahead and see what you can see?"

[its_possible]

"Of course," he says with a nod. "But if you hear buzzing, don't stand still."

Not that he thinks he needs to tell her that; she seems quite capable of taking care of herself. But some people like to play brave, and get themselves hurt that way.

[unglitched]

"Go on! Do it!" She makes a shooing motion down the corridor.

[its_possible]

Wire cutters in hand--hey, it doesn't hurt to be careful--he starts off down the corridor.

It's hard to tell where exactly they'd arrived, with the featureless walls, so he's not sure when he's gone past that point.

"So far, nothing," he calls after a while.