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Barth ended up with a Carol of Bells as well, a two-punch combo of being lightest to carry and easiest to use. The pills were small enough to pocket, he just hoped he didn't get them mixed up with his peppermint points at some crucial juncture.

He mumbled an improvised marching tune to himself.

"Trudging through the snow,
I hope we don't get slain
who knows how far we'll go
since some gnomes crashed our train.

Bells and wreaths and bags,
cannons, snow, and lights
All-of-us-are-going-to-die-if we get in a fight."

To Simone he said, simply, "Very."

But, like Alwine said, it was good that most of their car was alright. For now. He wasn't optimistic about the long term.

Tsetsiliya was beginning to feel nervous again, realizing that she didn't really know anybody in the present company. It was best to have comrades in times like these, wasn't it? It beats trudging through unknown lands without a soul to talk to, after all. She clutched the wreath and glanced from face to unknown face.

The headless ghost bemoaned the loss of her camera, and really, her heart went out to her. She especially felt sorry for the poor thing having had her lovely dress torn to shreds in the crash. Examining her own outfit, she noticed the large rips and bits torn from the dress and sleeves, but otherwise she was fine. Nothing a little basic repair couldn't fix. All that mattered was that the braided belt was still there and undamaged. That would have terribly upset her - now she knew how the ghoul must have felt.

She unwrapped the long sash from around her waist and draped it over her arm. Then, tottering over to the ghost and the boy she was engaging in conversation, she mumbled to the ghoul, "H-Here.. perhaps you might like my sash for wearing? S-since your dress has been ruined.." It was a breaking-the-ice maneuver with the secret hope she could stay involved in the conversation this time (the train ride had made her so sleepy). But also it was an effort to survive the raid - there was safety in numbers, wasn't there?

Sheeki pulled the Sack Full of Joy over his shoulder and started floating towards the rest of the group. "At least we weren't separated..." Sheeki mumbled to no one in particular. It was frightening to say the least, seeing the sleeping occupants in the Krumm car being carried away to the infirmary tents.

He looked towards Alwine and gave a tight frown. Her dress... At least it would be easier for her to move in since they would be forced to fight (he was starting to dislike the Academy staff). "Sorry about your dress Alwine. Though I don't think it's really important if Barth tried out for the play or not; this doesn't seem safe."

When the announcement of the train crashing came Mandy found herself standing in the middle of the aisle out of reach of things to grab onto. Jac- With a lurch Mandy was thrown to the back of the car, slamming into the wall and blacking out.

Waking with a groan she rubbed her head and clambered out of the car, legs a bit wobbly. As she did so the cold hit her hard causing her to give out a violent shiver. Just barley resisting letting out a girly shriek she quickly zipped up her jacket. As she got to the top she went to clip her skull pin together to seal it when she noticed it wasn't there, the pin had turn off as she was thrown. Oh Jack- was she going to turn into her koala form!?! She couldn't travel like that!

The seconds ticked past and nothing happened causing Mandy to give a small "Huh.". Apparently she spent so much time in human form her natural form had given up asserting itself. Well that was convenient.

Shrugging she tromped her way over to the group of students to listen to the gnomes explanation, having missed Professor Shoxx, and then went to grab her gear. Stuffing the pills in her pocket and using the material of the tent to tie the poles to her back she went to look at the weapons. It really wasn't a hard choice for her, the Tangled Christmas Lights sounded similar to her FEAR so why not go with it?

Finally all ready she looked around for her fellow Krumm Car occupants to team up with when she noticed the gnome calling them on their way. Smiling at the convenience of it she jogged over to join back up to the group, waving and giving a small shout as she got closer, "Hey, wait up!"

Barth was getting used to attack-hugs. He chalked it up to the public school experience.

He answered Alwine's question, in spite of Sheeki's protest.

"I did. Under a great amount of duress." Noting some of their party were lagging behind, he added, "We should slow down. For err, Colette and Mandy. To catch up."

He was already slowing down, out of courtesy.

Alessa finally shuffled over to join everyone else form their car, muttering something angrily under her breath about perverted snakes and how just because they were low to the ground didn't mean they had permission to peek up people's skirts. Apparently there were other things besides the cold that was bothering her. She carried with her a Christmas Wreath and unfortunately he shapeshifting was a bit...haywire at the moment. For now it left her awkwardly with a tail that, while hidden by her skirt, definitely looked rather strange to anyone who saw it. It wasn't her fault the Jack damned thing wouldn't go away.

"Sorry guys," she mumbled when she finally reached them, "I don't know how I ended up so far away. I'm not sure I want to. It certainly left me with a bruise on my head." She peeked around at everyone, seeming to relax a little now that she wasn't rambling to herself, "Is everyone okay-um..." She didn't know how to finish her thought after seeing Rain's weapon of choice. Well then...right.

(( Merope is stuck in his true undead sea serpent form, armed with a wreath. ))

Merope followed along behind the students, trying to pick the best path possible for his large form. Not to mention he was slow. Despite practicing earlier, the aquatic undead was swiftly becoming annoyed with how close everything was in the forest. At least he was rather tiny for a dragon -- only eight feet from snout to tail-tip mean he wasn't stuck too often between trees and other pieces of annoying foliage.

He kept his wing-like fins pinned to his back, not wanting any tears in the membranes. He liked these fins! In all honesty, if they became ruined he didn't know where to get another pair. Could he call in sick and go home? No, that wouldn't work. With a sigh, the lost-fathoms leviathan pushed himself forward and wiggled, moving like an over-sized snake to catch up to the group.

"I hope we don't have to walk," he rumbled to Igneous when he caught up, "I have enough difficulty moving around here as it is. Now if there was a way to swim back..."

Mandy gave a little snort of amusement when Sleepy suggested the main group slow down so the rest could catch up, it was nice of him but she could guess that wasn't the only reason he wanted to go slower. Jogging she got level with him and  gave a small smile, "Thanks, I didn't want to run to catch up, this walk sounds like it's going to be long.". Mandy really didn't like that fact, Drop Bears where sprinters not long distance.

"So, ah, I feel sort of obliged to ask this after the mistake with Dasher but why are we stealing from Sandy Claws?", apart from the whole completely opposite from them thing, that seemed a bit of a dodgy reason to her.