[All I Want For Thanksmas Is You]

There comes a derisive snort from the spidery goblin as the trio moves so they're no longer barring the way. One of them mutters about stupid orders and how they don't get to have any fun.

It would appear as though someone had told the goblins to scare away people who were snooping around, but rebuffing their intimidation three times is enough to get them to stand down. The redcaps definitely don't seem happy about this since they would rather crack some skulls.

That means our heroes are free to climb the radio tower. Once they reach the control room at the top they'll find an interesting sight.

A brownie. Not the food. You know, a kobold. NO! Not the funny little reptile people! An elf. No, not the sexy elves that Wenomir likes. Goodness, too many of these terms get used for other things, don't they? There's a sprite of civilization up here. A short, whimsical looking little humanoid who simultaneously looks quite childish and quite ancient. He's wearing a little uniform from BigBoxMart. He's also cackling madly.

"Yes! YES! Suffer as I have suffered! You'll have to listen to that awful music all season too! Bwah ha ha!"

Yep. It's a crazed kobold using the radio tower to broadcast the curse.

And not just ANY kobold.

A kobold that looks like he was pressed into service at a soulless retail outlet during peak season. At the moment he represents the simmering contempt of retail workers everywhere.


[Brimstone Park]

Rose nods and folds her legs under her body, laying down so Sekhmet can place a hand on her. At the young woman's touch, the world melts away...

"Oh wowie you're so pretty," Rose mutters at the glimpse of the core of Sekhmet's being. Outwardly Rose is... sort of clear. The corruption still oozes across the surface of her soul. But the other Mask, Alexandria? It's far worse. Since Rose manifested she's been shunting the growing corruption to Alexandria so she can remain clear-headed rather than falling under Sapphira's thrall. But that means Alexandria has been rapidly descending into depravity and increasingly zealous devotion to Sapphira.

Sapphira had done a whole bunch of grand-standing about free will but in the end she's just as bad as Buttercup. She doesn't care about what people want. She's more than happy to steal their minds and their wills to get the corrupted servants she desires.

"I'm... it's not as bad as it was on Charcoal, right? You can cure me?" Rose asks, her voice filled with equal parts hope and dread at what the answer will be.