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Prompt 1: Destiny City has its fair share of infestations--rats, youma, seasonal monsters...There's no shortage of unpleasantries. But, for the first time in a while, there's a pleasant sort of infestation: along with the winter chill and a steady stream of snow, it seems like a herd of small, fluffy white rabbits have overrun the city. They aren't menacing or evil, they're just everywhere. They seem strangely domesticated; they are sweet, curious, and friendly creatures that will eat anything you give them. They always seem cold to the touch, and when they shake, little snowflakes sprinkle off of them. They can show up just about anywhere, either alone or--often--in pairs. They tend to wander off on their own but they seem to appreciate anything warm and will cuddle up to steal body heat.
It was that time of year again. A chill in the air, snowflakes fluttering about, bells carried on the wind, holiday cheer all around. Orias brooded in the darkness of his lab under Regula's house, seated upright in his overly tall high-backed wing chair. Even E.L.A.I.N.E. knew better than to pipe up around Christmas: the AI was quiet and still among the gentle beeping of the machinery that filled the underground space.
On the biggest of the display screens that served as the only real source of light was a giant map of Destiny City. In fact, Orias had reconfigured his M.A.P. system to concurrently detect Chaos signatures and something more personal: anything invading the metropolitan airspace.
"This year is going to be the year, Butt," Orias mused, sipping from his large frosty mug of winter lager and wiping away the resulting foam mustache. "This will be the year that fat boy pays what he owes."
"Er... I was only built this year, Master Orias," B.U.T.L.E.R. replied carefully, the little augmented roomba's digital face showing its best approximation of concern. "Which fat boy? What will he pay?"
"He knows, and that's enough," Orias grumbled snappishly. "Naughty list my furry adorable behind. We'll see what he thinks after he finds out what I have in store for him. And when-"
The monologue was interrupted by a persistent chiming as concentric rings spread in a ripple effect across the displayed map on-screen. It wasn't the alarm of a youma or agent, so the Mauvian's gaze instantly roved for the location. THE FRONT YARD?!
"THE ENEMY IS AT OUR DOORSTEP!" Orias shouted, tumbling from his rather unwieldy chair into a heap of fur on the floor.
In a flash the alien feline had grabbed a bandolier slotted with several little technological bits and bobs and made a mad dash for the lift up to the house.
"E.L.A.I.N.E., alert level Holly Jolly! Butt... do whatever it is you do! I'm going in!"
The door to the lift wooshed shut as the elevator shot upward with its belligerent passenger. The butler roomba spun in a circle to look up at his fellow AI's screens.
"Um... aren't you going to alert level Holly Jolly as Master Orias commanded?" it twittered.
"Master Orias has not actually defined a protocol for an alert level Holly Jolly," came the reply from the speakers about the lab. "Perhaps..."
A virtual projection of a crackling yuletide fire shimmered into view as classical Christmas tunes came over the intercom.
"This is nice. I like alert level Holly Jolly," B.U.T.L.E.R. commented, his little face display blinking a pixelated smile.
Above, Orias tore down the hallway to the front door and pressed the small button he'd installed at his height there. An automated arm unlocked and swung the heavy barrier open wide, revealing the pristine white expanse of Regula's snow-laden yard. Orias quickly tugged on his little feline-sized Wellies, tramping out into the snow and scanning the grey skies above with hyperfocused eyes.
"I know you're here, Tubby," he snarled, spinning in circles and hoping to catch sight of his quarry.
While he was thusly distracted, a snow-white bunny popped out of a nearby drift and hopped over to snuggle up against the upright Mauvian. The cat instantly felt his body temperature start to drop.
"Ew... get off you chilly little bugger. I have much, much bigger fish to fry."
Another rabbit appeared, sidling up to Orias's other side. His wrist comlink started to ping, showing multiple hits on the network all centered in the front yard on which he now stood. With each beep, another rabbit seemed to have appeared. Orias was now definitively chilly and shaking from his little heat vampires.
"Oh, so YOU'RE making the hits," he stammered, kitty fangs chattering.
A short time later in the lab below, Orias stumbled out of the lift and over to his chair, leaving a trail of melted snow behind him.
"Master Orias! Did you get the fat boy?" B.U.T.L.E.R. inquired cheerfully.
"No, but what's out there is just as bad," Orias responded ominously. "We've got an invasion on our hands."
