capeandcowllogs | You're a monster, Mr. Day. Your heart's an empty hole.

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You're a monster, Mr. Day. Your heart's an empty hole.

WHO: Calendar Man and everyone on this list and possibly their friends
WHERE: Wherever the presents are delivered
WHEN: December 25th
WARNINGS: Violence, creepy deformed monster toys
SUMMARY: Calendar Man is giving a bunch of people monster toys for Christmas/Hanukkah. See the above linked post.
FORMAT: ~~Poetry~~ Whichever everybody prefers.

Twas the night before Christmas, minutes away
And there was a man getting ready named Julian Day.
His head was covered by the hat of Saint Nick,
Waiting for the moment, watching the clock tick.

All the boxes were wrapped with lids opened up
Needing only the monsters to fill them all up.
And there it was! It was Christmas Day,
Now to summon the toys and load up the sleigh.

He called them forth from the air and the date,
All twenty-five, and quickly – he can’t be late!
He orders them into the boxes he made,
The toys made of claws, fangs, boils and blades.

He packs up the van with the help of his fellow,
The Catman, who dressed in orange and yellow,
The metaphorical reindeer of this mission,
And so they delivered the gifts to those who had no suspicion.

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and next the New Year
These would be holidays that everyone would fear.

((OOC: So this is the Christmas Plot! I MIGHT be accepting late sign-ups, ask me there. If you have any questions/comments/problems, you can comment on that post or private message me on Calendar's account. Please let me know if anything is triggering or disturbing, I'll change it! Happy Holidays. c:
I'm not going to thread out the responses, but you can bring in whoever wants to celebrate with your character or use this post as a launch for a network post. You can treat it like a solo log, but if you REALLY want to thread with someone, I can play the monster for you, just send me a quick note. Otherwise, assume that you can decide what the monster does.))

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The trolls had made the list almost as soon as he had discovered them. To say that Julian was obsessing was putting it as lightly, like when you find out that bowl you’re handling is worth a thousand bucks. He didn’t track them all down, but some of them were more honest where they were living. Apparently a pair of twins had taken them in, and so their landlords were also put on the list.

Five gifts, one house. He placed them on the doorstep, one by one. All the gifts were wrapped in black with stars. For the twins, the stars were gold and the ribbons were gold. For the trolls, the stars and ribbons were silver. The cards were unsigned, though they each were decorated by a constellation.

For Mr. and Mr. Weasley. A pair of identical jester dolls, one blue and one orange. The blue one had a comically sad face, and would weep and weep acidic tears that would burn through everything. Instead of brightly coloured fabric, it wore rags with innumerable dark brown stains. The one dressed in orange had no face, just a flume of fire with a little hat perched inexplicably on top. Tendrils of fire would spurt out when approached. They were both surprisingly fast little things.

For Tavros. A small rocking horse, with bullhorns and wild eyes, gently pushing itself back and forth, back and forth on long curved blades, letting the cat-o-nine tail whip around with the movement. It was very determined to propel itself forward in defense of its owner.

For Kanaya. A baby doll with a head misplaced, leaving only a gaping hole in the neck where it used to be, where tiny teeth chomped on anything that came near, trailing long, strong, gripping tentacles where the arms should be. Any mother would be pleased by such a child.

For Aradia. A large stuffed animal. A ram, to be specific. The fur was steel wool and laced with barbed wire, packed tightly in curls, and the little hooves were sharp and pointed. The horns were made of solid steel, and it was inclined to run them into things, over and over and over again. It wasn’t a very fluffy stuffed animal at all.

Black Mask was a given. It took a bit to track down his swanky apartment, but my now he knew well where it was. Julian took delight in delivering his present, knowing that it would unnerve the man. His gift was wrapped in red with white ribbon, with a small card shaped like a Christmas tree. A wish for a Merry Christmas from Calendar Man.

For Roman. A GI Joe doll with missile launchers for arms and a very tiny grenade for a head. Its own explosions wouldn’t damage it, and it seemed to have infinite ammo. And it was very trigger happy.

Riddler needed a present - that much was clear. Julian needed to repay him for his attentions, and besides, he never did get him a birthday present. It was only polite to send him a gift, and that’s what he did. Green paper with red question marks, specially made. Red and green ribbon with three purple bows that clashed with the other colours. The card had a question mark on it as well, and Calendar Man ardently wished him a Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year.

For Eddie. A hobbyhorse, though the pole slowly split off into eight spider-like legs. It was engraved with chess symbols, and the head was one of the pieces, a very large marble knight. That being said, chess pieces didn’t normally breathe fire. But at least it wasn’t a pawn.

There was something awful about a child not knowing the holidays, a child all alone for Christmas, without a present. He was relatively simple to find, and on his doorstep Calendar Man left him a gift, like he said he would. The package was covered with things that meant Christmas, Santa and Reindeer and elves, and tree ornaments. It was green and red all over.

For Trowa. A train. It needed no track, its wheels were replaced by centipede legs that scurried it about. The train’s whistle sounded like a long, piercing scream, and it billowed out real, heavy smoke. What sort of child doesn’t love trains?

The card read: “Merry Christmas! Your friend, Julian Day. Hope you enjoy the holiday.”

Maggie Mui was one of those he had spotten on the network, evidently missing her home at this time of year, despite not celebrating Christmas, it seemed. Picking her was relatively easy, and as one of the people living at the MAC she was also easy to find. Her gift was wrapped in off-white with a blue Christmas tree ornament pattern and silver ribbon. It was left outside her door, unsigned.

For Maggie. A very large book of fairytales. Between the covers, there were no pages, just large broken sheets of what looked like pale white glass. On the glass, the depictions of the stories were definitely not for children, if the book was still enough to see them. It was sharp like glass too. Between the sheets of glass, little spiders crawled out whenever the pages opened. The book flapped around, like the monster book of monsters, but occasionally it shot out a long strand of spider silk and would web up a room.

The Detective got a gift, of course. Julian had known he would have to do something for Sherlock Holmes the minute they spoke, and he was relatively easy to track down. He was better at solving mysteries than being a mystery. The present was wrapped in shiny black paper, with bright red ribbon and a bow. The card was unsigned, with just a “Happy Christmas”, but Julian was sure he’d figure it out. He left it on the doorstep to the flat.

For Sherlock. Something clever would do. A Rubix cube, yes? Although each little coloured square was replaced by a foot-long spike, and it shifted the patterns all on its own. When the box was opened it would attempt to solve itself (how it could do this was unclear, but the spikes definitely shifted around, making patterns), and if it did, the spikes would launch everywhere and it would grow new ones and start all over again. Calendar Man thought it was charming, rolling around on the floor.

This one didn’t much like the holidays, he had said as much. Calendar had added him to the list, before doing a bit more research. He found where he lived, what he did, and what he celebrated. It was a gift for Hanukkah then, and Julian found the most gaudy wrapping he could find. It was plastered with brightly coloured dreidels and menorahs. The bow was big, blue and covered in sparkles.

For Pietro. A puppet for him. A faux-business man, in suit and tie. As if someone had taken one of the muppets and gave it chattering sledge-hammer like teeth that clacked down, and long, long drooping arms that would grab everything in sight and attempt to eat it. Its big eyes were real, human eyes, that rolled around and peered at everything.

The card read: “Happy Hanukkah” and underneath he had signed: “Calendar Man”.

Nill’s present was the only one Julian was expecting on getting this year, and there was a part of him that regretted that all he had to give was a monster. It did not stop him from packing it into a box wrapped in pure white, with imprints of slowflakes, and curly white ribbons. “Merry Christmas, Julian Day”, read the card, “I do hope you enjoy your new friend.”

For Nill. A broken, cracked nutcracker, which had fused somewhat with what looked like a big, bright red rat. The flat nutcracker teeth had long, venomous canines, and the body meshed, wood becoming fir, limbs becoming claws, and a long whip-like tail.

[ Julian, wearing his Santa hat and a simple red oufit, carried Nill's gift into the church he had heard she spent time at.

The box was big, like the others, but he could handle it. He tried to enter the church as quietly as he could, but he wasn't expecting anyone to be there. ]

[The Christmas Eve mass-goers had long since left, and Nill was busy cleaning up the mess of discarded napkins and paper cups. It had been very nice to have everyone there, singing hymns and holding candles and such. She really wished she'd been able to join them, but she was happy enough to watch.

She hadn't expected someone to come so late, though. When she heard the door open, her wings froze and she swiveled to face the entrance. She held the broom in her hands tightly, ready to either drop it and run or use it as some kind of weapon (not that she really know how to do that, but she could try, right?) if need be. But, seeing Julian, a small smile came to her lips and her small wings flitted behind her back. She saw the box and her eyes went wide; it was really big, bigger than any she'd seen at any Christmas in the City.]

[ He froze. It was one thing to give someone a monster for Christmas, and quite another to have them be there.

None of this showed on his face, and he gave her a small smile back, entering the church a bit more. He puts the box down on the floor.]

Nill. You are up very late.

[A nod; she wasn't sure if he had known about the evening mass, and she sort of felt bad for not inviting him. But something told her that he might not have come anyway.

She started to step towards him, but paused as she remembered that she'd made something for him. Nill held up a hand, gesturing for him to wait for a moment, before she trotted back towards the sacristy. In just a moment, she returned with a small box wrapped in gold paper with a silver bow. Smiling widely, the blonde made her way down the aisle towards him, pausing to hold it out once she reached him. Inside was a light blue hat, knitted with a snowflake pattern on it. There was also a scarf with a similar pattern.]

[ He glances back toward the door as she goes to get the present. He had a lot of presents to deliver, and he didn't want to linger.

But he waits, and takes the box without saying anything. He unwraps it, carefully, and pulls out her gifts.

He looks them over, touching them, feeling the fabric, looking at the designs. After a bit of this, he gives her a smile. He's not sure what to say, really. No one had given him a Christmas present in a very long time.

He wraps the scarf around his neck. He doesn't take off the Santa hat though. The night wasn't over, and it was necessary.

Belatedly, he remembers to say: ]

Thank you.

[She watches him closely, trying not to seem rude, but just really wanting him to enjoy the gifts. She had worked hard on them (she had worked hard on everyone's gifts), and was almost relieved to see him put on at least the scarf. Nill wasn't too worried about the hat; he was already wearing one, after all. Hands folded behind her back, a small blush made its way to her cheeks as she nodded, reciprocating his words with a small gesture.]

[ There's a hand at the scarf now, gently feeling it, and he's watching her with a curious expression.

A Christmas gift from a Christmas angel. Yes, he liked the sound of that. A Christmas angel.

He smiles wider. ]

Merry Christmas.

[ And he turns to leave, leaving his gift on the floor. He knew it would not hurt her, he had ordered it not to.

But he did not want to linger long enough to see her open it. ]

[Another nod was all she gave, not questioning his departure. She didn't know him very well, had no reason to expect him to stay long at all. Besides that, she got the feeling that he wanted to go before she opened the box on the floor, though she couldn't say why. Nill was just happy he had stopped by, really; she hadn't actually known where to take his present.

Almost as soon as he was out the door, she nearly ran over to the box, though her quick steps belied how delicately she would remove the paper and ribbons. She thought she heard something moving inside, but wasn't quite sure. But as soon as she removed the lid and saw the... thing inside, all she could do was stare.

Well. This would be an interesting Christmas.]

The one who celebrated his birthday on the solstice. He didn’t seem to appreciate the holidays very much, clearly he needed something to cheer him up. Raph was easy to find, living at the MAC like many of the others, so Calendar Man left the gift on his doorstep. The card was big and clearly read his name. Unsigned. The package was a bright green with a thick red cloth ribbon, and a massive bow.

To Raphael. A shiny new fire truck. Or was it a dalmatian? It was difficult to tell where the limbs and fur began and where it became red plastic, with little headlights. Instead of a ladder, it had a fire axe that swung off the end, chopping down hard.

Edited 2011-12-23 00:08 (UTC)

Calendar Man hadn’t even hesitated before putting Penguin on the list. Thinking about sending him a Christmas gift had made the man’s party so much more bearable, and so Calendar delivered a gift to the lounge, a light blue wrapping with a soft silvery sheen, and thin black ribbons. The card had a penguin, and signed with his name, and a note that he had enjoyed the 12th.

For Oswald. A stuffed penguin toy with large flapping bat wings made out of old broken umbrellas. Despite this, it could fly. One eye dangled by a thread and it was missing the other, leaving a large gap. Its feet are made from rusty and sharp pieces of umbrella as well, and it was inclined to claw with them. It made terrible squeaky sounds when pressed, like nails on a chalkboard.

Calendar Man had never spoken to Rapunzel, but the darling girl had asked the network so nicely about how to celebrate Christmas. Julian was glad to help her celebrate, and packed her a gift. He’d give her some good cheer. Her present was wrapped in shiny purple paper, with gold and white patterned ribbons, with a gold unsigned card. An anonymous gift, since she didn’t know who he was.

For Rapunzel. A rag doll with long black hair made of thick threads. Very, very, long black hair that was laced by long rose thorns. It would twine and twirl, and grasp, purposely getting tangled in things, and strong enough to lift the doll up off the ground so it could look its black button eyes into a human’s.

Julian didn’t know very much about Kate Kane, but he knew she was from Gotham. That was enough for him, although she was a rather late addition. Still, she deserved a gift for Hanukkah. He tracked her down. Her gift-wrapping was a deep blue with gold swirls and a Star of David pattern on it. The ribbons were thin and gold, with a delicate little bow. The card was signed “to Kate Kane, Happy Hanukkah. Calendar Man.” He hoped she would recognize the name.

For Kate. A cymbal-banging monkey toy. Although this monkey was more like a gremlin, with a wide wicked grin and demonic features. Its cymbals were covered by spikes that fitted together when it banged them together, trying to catch things between them.

Calendar Man knew there was a Batman in the City now, and had gotten him a gift. He kept an eye out while delivering presents, and caught a glimpse of the Batmobile. The gift was left on the hood of the vehicle, wrapped in blue and gold patterns. The card was cut in a bat shape. It said “Merry Christmas”, but was unsigned. Julian knew that he didn’t need to, Batman would know who it was from.

For Batman. A bright acid green tricycle, with the scaly black batwings sprouting from the back wheels, and the front tire was completely covered in a black tentacly substance, with long feelers that had a slight electric charge. Left to its own devices, it would swoop around in a haphazard manner, shocking anyone or anything in its path.

December 2nd, 1949. He remembered. They had spoken a couple of times, and met in person at Penguin’s party. She was honest, open and forward, with strong opinions. And, as one of the few people Julian knew in the City, it was only polite to send her a present. He signed the card with his name, Calendar Man, and a quick “Merry Christmas”, and wrapped the gift in a stylish red paper, with thick blue ribbon, reminiscent of what she wore to the party.

For Laurie. It was a jack-in-the-box, or more accurately, hands-in-the box. It was larger than a normal jack-the-box, with dark swirled patterns. It cranked its own music, a soft, haunting song that would occasionally let out a screech. And when it opened, pale, white painted hands with colourful fingernails would burst out and flip the whole thing over, where it would scramble across the floor, and grab things to pull into the box, never to be seen again.

Ruka was one of the more established and well-known imPorts. She seemed to know everybody, including a couple of people that fell into Julian’s interests. Calendar Man didn’t know her personally, but children without parents were worth attention, especially around Christmas. She didn’t even go to school, tsk tsk. He had presents that needed giving, and still had a few left. She would have to do.

For Ruka. A large stegosaurus toy, though ninja stars replaced the plates along its back, and the spikes on its tail were replaced by the various sharp implements a swiss army knife would have. It would ramble along, smashing its tail into whatever possible.

Unfortunately for Slipstream, she had talked to Julian during the days where he was a “good guy”, and ended up automatically on his list. She didn't live alone, but the only present that place received was hers. She was an alien, so the gift was not overtly Christmassy. It was covered in planets of the solar system and rocket ships. The card showed a galaxy and was signed with his name.

For Slipstream. She seemed to like flying, so she got a remote-controlled jet plane. Without the remote control. It was styled after a WWII fighter get, although instead of a shark head painted on its head, it actually had a shark head, teeth and all. And real albatross wings replaced the wings. It was a rather organic airplane, all in all. It could fly and bite, and was equipped with little cherry bombs, as if it were actually a bomber.

Julian didn’t particularly like Selina Kyle, and he felt that she didn’t particularly like him. That was no reason not to send her a present. Her gift was wrapped in silver paper with gold mistletoe patterns with white ribbon. The little circular card was from Calendar Man, and it wished her a Merry Christmas.

For Selina. A large wind-up ballerina, with a raggedy tutu and cats paws, claws and tail. Its arms formed long drills that whirled and pierced with viciousness at anything soft. It moved by dancing, and played a sad sweet song that was interrupted by bursts of a weird clicking sound.

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You're a monster, Mr. Day. Your heart's an empty hole.

TROLL BURROW - FRED & GEORGE WEASLEY, TAVROS, KANAYA, ARADIA

BLACK MASK

EDDIE NYGMA

TROWA

MAGGIE

SHERLOCK

PIETRO

NILL

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

RAPH

PENGUIN

RAPUNZEL

KATE KANE

DICK GRAYSON

LAURIE JUSPECZYK

RUKA

SLIPSTREAM

SELINA