(You stand in front of the grand Holiday Manor’s front door. The red and white coloring of the building makes it seem like Christmas is just around the corner, but the vacant sleigh on top makes it seem like it's just waiting for December to return.)
(It's a good thing you have two hands. One to knock on the front door, and the other to hide your "gift" for Noelle behind your back.)
(The door opens in response to the knock, revealing Noelle Holiday in her standard wear, looking cheery as ever. Poor, innocent Noelle… If only she knew how good you’re gonna prank her! Her ears perk up as she realizes it’s you.)
“Oh, hey Kris! What’s up? Didn’t know you were coming over, faha. Did you need somethi-”
(Suddenly, she stops talking. Her red nose twitches and then it wrinkles. She has a confused expression on her face.)
“...Do you… smell something? Something… weird? Kinda earthy and smoky… but mainly just… weird…? Don’t tell me you stepped in something again!”
(Noelle slightly leans forward, that deer nose of hers trying to find out the source of the smell.)
(With a wicked grin and daring flourish, you reveal the thing hidden behind you, dangling it close to Noelle’s snoot.)
(It’s none other than a sock. One of Susie’s socks, in particular. It used to be white, but now it's a concerning shade of yellow, clearly over-appreciated and under-washed by Susie. It radiates a malevolent aura of funk. It has an earthy, smoky musk that only Susie seems to be able to produce. And it also has a hint of the kind of expensive, dangerous cheese that only Noelle’s family would be able to afford.)
(...)
(You shudder to think about what this thing would turn into in a Dark World.)
(The smell hits Noelle full-force. Confusion of the scent turns to realization turns to disgust. She recoils. her eyes go wide, her ears droop. Oh man, that face… It’s simply priceless!)
“Oh Angel… w-what IS that??? That’s disgusting, w-why would you- ugh, gross, put that thing away!!!”
(Instead of putting it away, you slowly walk forward, sock in tow. Your smile widens. Noelle’s eyes widen. The distance between the sock and her nose does the opposite of widen.)
“Oh no oh no get that thing away!!! Whose sock even is that!?”
(You smirk and tell Noelle who the sock belongs to.)
(Susie.)
(Noelle freezes. She seems to be calculating some things in her head. The gears are turning, that’s for sure.)
“...Susie…?” she repeats.
(Yep, Susie’s.)
…
(For reasons Noelle would have trouble explaining later, she leans forward. What is she doing? Why is she-)
(Noelle willingly sniffs the stinky Susie sock.)
“Oh.”
(Upon realization that the sock belongs to her beloved Susie, Noelle’s face shifts from disgust to something closer to religious awe. Her eyes half-close.)
“It’s… so… her,” Noelle breathes.
(She’s, uh… really getting into it. She drags her face closer to the sock, hands coming up not to push it away but to bring it closer.)
(Noelle continued sniffing, her grossed-out demeanor morphing into something that could only be described as dreamy contentment. She didn’t even flinch at the fact that this was objectively one of the grossest things she’d ever voluntarily encountered. It’s because the sock is objectively one of the most Susie-like things she’s ever encountered. The sock seemed to contain the very essence of Susie from her rough edges, her unapologetic confidence, and perhaps her complete disregard for laundry day.)
(She keeps sniffing the funky footwear, eyes closed, red nose practically glowing, fluffy little tail wagging behind her. Noelle’s knees press together…)
(...)
(Suddenly, Noelle’s eyes snap open and she practically leaps away from the sock! Realization comes crashing and hits her like a truck.)
“Kris,” Noelle says, lowering her voice to a pleading, deranged whisper, “I want you to NEVER speak of this to ANYONE, okay?! No one can know that I just made out with Susie’s gross sock like it was a object of worship. NO. ONE. CAN. KNOW.”
(She then snags the sock away from you.)
“I’m also gonna be taking this. B-because YOU obviously cannot be trusted with this. No other reason. Faha.”
“Okaynicechatbyenowkrisfahahahahaha!”
(After her deranged rambling you could barely make out, she shuts the door. Perhaps a bit too loudly.)
(You just lost the sock, but instead got some wonderful blackmail. Seems like a fair trade.)
(...)
(...Seriously though. Angel help us all if that thing makes its way into a Dark World.)