13517/Rockin Around The Christmas Tree

Rockin Around The Christmas Tree
Date of Scene:	06 December 2022
Location:	Sheldon Park - Bleake Island
Synopsis:	Christmas Tree Shopping turns dark. Why is it always Demons.
Cast of Characters:	Zatanna Zatara, Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe

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Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Pine resin fills the air from rows of freshly cut trees. In the distance, the chill air carries the incessant ringing of a Salvation Army bell. Scratchy Christmas carols play, distorted by low quality speakers hangin from the blinking lights strung around the lot.

A fat bellied man, the owner, trails Zee as she slowly walks down a row of trees to make a selection.

"Charlie! What do you think of this one?" She has stopped before a tall scotch pine and runs her fingers through its needles.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    Charlie is dressed for cold weather, which means for once it isn't just a wonder women hoodie and all that. Rain in Gotham in Winter tends to turn into freezing sleet and slush way too easily after all. So she is wearing a quite nicely warm looking dark red winter coat, a scarf, cute ear muffs in the shape of kobolds, and gloves. Under which she has her utility belt tucked out of sight of course.

    She stops looking at a little Charlie Brown-esque sad looking little tree to come check out the bigger fancier scotch pine. "That, is the second fanciest tree I have ever seen someone buy for their house." she notes softly, peering up at the tree then peeling off a winter glove to mimic zee and touch the needles.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"The second?" Zatanna asks with an impish grin. She fishes a black glove out of the pocket of her long black cashmere coat and slips it on. "It's a big house so it needs a tall tree. Let's keep looking. Can you help me decorate it this year?"

The owner anxiously rocks from foot to foot as she rejects the tree, following them as they move on.

"I could cut one from around the house. But my father used to come here, so I keep up the tradition. "What are you doing for Christmas?"

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    "I am an expert decorator of Christmas trees." the teen says quite solemnly. She looks around then continues to follow Zee further into the Christmas tree lot.

    "Also you know darned well whose house I saw with a bigger fancier tree." teasing amusment now. She does give the anxious owner of the lot a look of reassurance.

    Then she looks back to Zee "For Christmas... uh... probably going a little schiziphrenic... like.. bouncing between Babs, yours, and another place for various bits of gather." the other is probably Bruce's but she doesn't say it.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"Oh, that will be fun. And it's not a competition. Bruce has always had the best tree," Zee says over her shoulder as she moves further down the line of tall trees. A row over, one of the trees sways, rocked by something moving through its branches. The fat man's eyes widen. He has no scruples about leaving the two alone to select a tree.

Zee's eyebrows furrow as she catches a whiff of something dark under the pervasive odor of freshly cut pine.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    Charlie's breath puffs in the cool air as she looks around the tall trees. "Mmm yeah I mean, appearances to maintain. I do feel awfully spoiled for Christmas at this point and I am exceptionally priviledged and grateful for it." the teen is quite genuine about this. She had a rough childhood, as far as she can remember after all.

    She misses the whiff of dark and sinister under the cut pine, probably doesn't help she got some sap on her fingertips when she touched her nose to sniff it earlier. Now she is peeling her other glove off carefully trying to get the sap off her fingers. "Gah.. sticky!"

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
That darkness against an upbeat chorus of 'Silent Night' is out of place. Zee holds an arm out at waist level to stop Charlie from moving and looks back to see what happened to the anxious Christmas tree salesman. He's gone. The Salvation Army bell has stopped.

Another tree in the next row sways slightly. "Smell that?" the mage whispers. "What do you feel?"

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    Charlie is actually trained. Mostly. When Zee reaches out to stop her like that she will look around and furrow her brow. "Crap." is muttered very softly.

    Still she focuses deeply on her environs inhalling slowly and extending her senses. "Infernal... I think.. with a tinge of chaos... guh.. why do they always ruin good things. I mean... I know it is their whole purpose and everything... but..."

    She is starting to root under her shirt frantically opening a big pouch and pulling her gloves out now. Not the Christmas winter kind.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"Crap, exactly," the older woman agrees quietly. Slowly, Zee parts the branches between two trees. The top of the next tree wriggles under something's weight. Four beady eyes peer at Charlie without blinking. A long blue tongue slithers back into a fanged mouth that nearly wraps the thing's egg-shaped head. The demon, body no bigger than a toddler, clings to the top of a tree like a hellish angel, leering.

Whispering, "I think it likes you Charlie."

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    There is a weary sigh, much much too weary for a teenager who is usually so cheerful, and then nods. "They always like me... chaos seems to be demonic catnip... it is very frustrating.."

    She tap taps taps her knuckles together and channels chaos through her gloves, lighting the runes up that are sewn into the weighted thumpy fabric.

    A split moment later she vanishes in a slither of pink and purple smoke, appearing a split second later behind the blue tonged fiend in the air above it's tree. She snaps out several fast rabbit punches before vanishing before gravity fully takes hold to drop her out of her bounce back by Zee.

    She hopes her demon and angel punching enchanted gloves are helpful. But she is looking to see the results.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Zee watches the Chaos muppet flash in and out of existence with an approving nod. Hands raised, fingers splayed, she waves magical jazz hands, spreading a gossamer net of silver that catches the KO'ed demon as it falls from the tree.

"They do seem to love you." The mage had noted Charlie's heavy sigh, and added her own to it. The burden of so much magic on someone so young is difficult to watch.

"Can you jump it out of here, Charlie? Dimension pop it so it doesn't bother anyone else, if you're feeling like it." The older mage might be sad for Charlie but it doesn't stop her from pushing her limits.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    "I mean... if I bounce it out of here.. it will explode into a gory chunks... which well.. it is a demon... so I'm not sure that is a bad thing really?" she muses thoughtfully.

    "I'd have to open an actual portal and drop it somewhere... which I can try... I've been working on the non-flashy way of portalling but .. another dimension is ..trickier than Metropolis.." she sort of rambles studying the net now. She isn't afraid of the challenge. She is mostly thinking of if they even have to spare it. It is a demon right?

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"Exactly. No harm, no foul. We will make the salesman's day. I bet he's been wondering what's been spoiling the trees and keeping customers away."

A high-pitched wailing emanates from the struggling demon, mixing with 'Joy to the World' playing over the speakers. "You decide. Someplace where it can't harm anyone. Okay? I'll be here when you get back."

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
    Charlie nods and squints at the squeeling demon "I really really dislike these things...." she sighs and starts to work the portal. Trying to ignore the noises as she works slowly through the portal.

    Thing is, she just does it under the netted struggling demon instead of doing it where she will have to haul it through.

    Basically she drops it through the portal... sending it into darkness ... darker than anything else....and then snaps her fingers closing the portal before collapsing to the ground out cold.

    Well she dropped it back to hell.... that was probably not the best choice but it worked.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"Good job, Charlie. You're becoming a dab hand at portals. Exploding it would have been a mess," Zee looks up and down the row of trees, "You know, I liked the first tree we saw back there. Let's get it and take back to Shadowcrest. Ready?"