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Malodore relaxed. Just a tiny, tiny bit. At least, it put its hat back on its head. "Ah, now... see, surely there is a rational... explanation," it began, though its brain was spinning now, trying to comprehend this. "Ah. Professor Red said that... we had to use JOY as a component in purifying, so... a respawn in this form, heavily weighted by JOY, would make sense... but what about FEAR..."

Its voice trailed off. It knew what it had to do. Stepping back, it spread its hands and summoned up its own FEAR, trying to funnel it at Jericho... elf... in hopes of revitalizing the FEAR within the former dragon somewhat.

... Too bad it missed.


((Yeah, that was The Chill. But it missed so OH WELL.))

Malodore brightened at that. Ah, si! Si, of course! The simple samples they had brought back from Christmas Town that first trip, so long ago in their first year... they had been converted to proper monsters by exposure to FEAR. So clearly all they had to do was get Jericho back there, and... well. And wait. It was absolutely a sound hypothesis, with data to back it up. And it was so glad it had done that...

You are astonishing, mia cara. A true treasure, it thought back, fiercely, before turning to Jericho-elf. "Si, you should come with us. There are many in, ah... in our town who require your services..."

Oh good, he didn't need to sock the Mindflayer in the face. Jericho smiled as he was hugged, and embraced her right back. It was warming. There was something... somewhere within him that found a very sort of familiar comfort in this action. For now, he just dismissed it because hugs were just awesome and made everyone feel better.

Though, this emotion was interrupted as she began to pat him on the back.

"Um. Lady? You don't need to pat me like that.." he said.

It was also then that he noticed a beaked red thing nearby! Definitely not Christmas either.

"Woah. Woah. Woah. Just who are you guys anyway? And what the Frost are you talking about? Don't even think about experimenting on me! DON'T MAKE ME BITE YOUR KNEECAPS! I WILL DO IT. I SWEAR BY FROSTY'S CORN COB PIPE AND SILK HAT!"

So he was a happy elf. But still one with a temper. He didn't know what 'services' he was needed for by like hell he was going to be stuck as a labrat! And so he began to squirm to try and break free from the mindflayer's grasp.

Grapple check go.

Fascinating.

Canon came to a halt as the bouncing package burst open into a red-haired elf. She remembered elves from her first visit to the Christmastown toy factory, but couldn't help but wonder at the coincidence of this elf appearing from the direction the snow had gone.

However, he appeared to be proficient in the practice of hugging. Canon had been under the impression that hugging was for thanking, but in this case the elf just hugged Riley out of nowhere. Was hugging a Christmas thing?

Her inner musing on hugging would need to wait, though, since stuff was happening. And as it seemed, more and more, that this elf had been the dragon, Jericho, Canon's eye widened in understanding. The plague doctor's explanation, and she felt she understood what it was trying to do with its attempt at attacking. If Jericho was an elf when he had too much JOY, what if she gave him FEAR?

It seemed Jericho the elf would get his wish for more hugs, but Canon wanted to try hugging her way.

That is to say, she took a flying tackle leap at Jericho, concentrating on trying to send FEAR into him.

And suddenly Canon was dangling in the air again. This time, though, Riley was holding her up. She looked up at the older ghoul curiously, and then waved amiably at the elf-Jericho.

"I'm conducting research on hugs." she added helpfully, idly swinging her feet.

No experiments. Ok. So these weren't aliens trying to abduct and probe him. They just needed his help. Jericho was a little skeptical at first, but then another had come in to hug. He would have given her one, but he was still kind of stuck in the arms of the mindflayer.

She too was not Christmas. And neither was that big sewn up looking guy. Something told him he... needed to keep his distance from him.

Turning his attention back towards the mindflayer, he considered her words and calmed down now. Though, he was now looking a little nervous. The 'conducting research' bit did not help with his whole 'I'm going to be a part of experiments' mentally he got going here.

"Where are you taking me? I want to help but... You never even told me who you people are. How can I trust you?"

A part of him felt like he could trust the mindflayer. Feeling that there was truth in her words, but he had just woken up from who knows what.

Sharra had retrieved his grappling hook, rolling the rope 'round wrist and elbow until it formed a perfect circle, and he allowed the collected length of it to hang at his side. He'd been...somewhat dumbfounded by this turn of events, and as Red directed the others, he ambled off towards that direction, arriving a bit late to the scene.

All right, so that was an elf. Who was also apparently Jericho.

The Nergal frowned deeply, and then looked back to check and see if Marosa was keeping up with the lot of them, beckoning the fey boil to follow. In all truth, he wanted the other to stay close. He knew a bit about what Riley was like when angry, and if her attention turned back to the ire that had arisen at the younger student's actions, the blond at least wanted to be present to back the poor boil up. Not that the mindflayer was wrong in her irritation...but now was certainly not the time for it.

"So he's an elf...?" Utterly at a loss, Sharra decided to hang back a touch and watch the hugging, scratching in a befuddled fashion at the nape of his neck. He'd figure out what was going on first...aaaaaand then decide if he wanted to get in on the Joyful hugfest.