Christmas Open Thread

[rude_not_ginger]

•deck•the•halls•

• THE DOCTOR LEARNS THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS •

~•~


Christmas Eve. 2009.

The Doctor loved Christmas! Back when he was a wee Time Lord, the first place he ever landed was London on Christmas Eve. He promised himself he'd never miss another Christmas ever, but that promise went into the same pile as "Lose weight" and "Regenerate a better hairline" and "Stop leaving companions in other universes". But the Doctor had never quite gotten the hang of New Years'. (He once spent several hours commiserating on the similarity between the confusing nature of New Years and Thursdays with one Arthur Dent, who will sadly not be appearing in this piece of narrative. -editor)

But! Through all his travels in space and time, he still hadn't quite figured out what Christmas was for exactly. Except as a yearly excuse for turkey, too much wine, and plum pudding (all of which the Doctor approved of). This year, though, as he strode the streets on this wonderful Christmas Eve, the Doctor decided he would figure out exactly what Christmas was all about.

This may or may not have included use of a intergalactic manipulative detector and a full pack of radio stellar isotopian crystals. Oh, and a cup of hot chocolate. In a festively-coloured cup.

There was a lovely light snow, and the Doctor grinned madly at the stars. Christmas. This year, he was going to figure out what it was all about.


~•~

OOC: Open thread, feel free to tag in as if your character is a passerby or as if your character is a long-standing companion! I'll be working on this thread up until the New Year, most likely! Everyone from any verse (or no verse!) is welcome, just let me know if you'd prefer it from a community or specific universe! And, for this thread, threadhopping is totally welcome!

Happy Holidays, everyone! &hearts

Comments

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Oh, it's----"

He looked down at the device and tried to figure out how, exactly, to explain it. Or even if he should.

"Complicated. Finding a bit of Christmas cheer. Quite literally, actually!"

[marco-innocent.livejournal.com]

"Searching for Christmas? Its all around you, Doctor." He smiled. Oh, he knew his name. He knew exactly who he was, where he was born and how he died. He did not know his life thought. Only his start and his end.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Well, I suppose it is, but---"

He paused, narrowing his eyes at the boy.

"How do you know who I am?"

[marco-innocent.livejournal.com]

"Who don't." he said lightly. "You travel a lot you know, not easy to forget. A passer by might hear your name, and rumours fly."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"That's true, but I also change a lot," the Doctor commented with a small nod. "But! I've just started getting used to the idea of being famous. What about you? Who are you?"

[marco-innocent.livejournal.com]

"I am Marco. " he replied. "I just happened to be here. Bought something to drink over there." he pointed at a stand selling coffee and chocolate. "I was cold, so I bought a cup. It is very nice." he smiled.

"What do you see in Christmas? What do *you* believe it is`?"

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Well, nice to meet you, Marco. Now that we're acquainted." He gave the boy a small smile. "You don't belong here, do you?"

He pondered the question for a moment before answering. "Well, it's a complicated thing. Basically, a religious time that's been added bits onto until it's a whole season. Quite fascinating, actually."

[marco-innocent.livejournal.com]

Marco smiled brightly. "No, No I don't. I come from a place very far, yet very close from here. I could say the same to you, hm?"

"Oh, it is very much religious. Or it was, in the beginning. But humans made it into a time of stress and annoyance, by forcing themselves into having to buy more and more expensive things, and forgetting to look at the most crucial things of Christmas. The spirit to help others, and to love."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"That's what I want to understand, you know," the Doctor said, ignoring Marco's first question completely. "Where that comes from, that spirit to help others."

[marco-innocent.livejournal.com]

"Who knows? The traditions date back in hundreds of different religions. Its not only Christmas, Its Yule, Sinterclaas, Christmas, Hanukkah... Everyone have their own name for it, but in its bases, it is the same."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Oh, it's not the name I'm worried about. It's the spirit. Every person, even the Grinchiest of Grinches, they feel it. And that!" He held up the device again. "Is what I'm going to find. Might take me all night, but that's all right."

[marco-innocent.livejournal.com]

"The spirit? I.. I cannot honestly answer that. Maybe people affect each other?" he replied, sipping from his cup. He had never seen it like that. Marco was an angel, a pure Christian, so for him, it was about Jesus.

But he knew it was not only about that.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

The Doctor grew up in a world with a religion completely different to Earth's, though he did know about the Christian mythology and respect it (if grudgingly, considering how many years he spent sorting out that Crusades business).

"Maybe," he said, slipping on his glasses as he looked down at the device. It blipped strangely at him, the readings unusual. "Maybe not."

[marco-innocent.livejournal.com]

He tip toed curiously, his eyes look at the Doctors device.

"What does it tell you?" He asked. Even angels grew curious.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"That something's wrong with the device," he said, giving it a small smack on the side. The same readings. Okay, that wasn't good at all.

"Or, that something's warping the psychic powers in this area. Which would be very bad. Very, very bad, in fact."

[marco-innocent.livejournal.com]

"Ah, umm.. that might be me, sorry." he blushed. "I can't help it." he smiled again, sipping his cooling drink.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Heavy psychic powers on your planet?" he asked. The Doctor waved the controller near the boy, but while he certainly registered as powerful, he wasn't the most powerful creature here. Something was disrupting time around them.

[marco-innocent.livejournal.com]

"Might be?" Marco looked at him. "What does it tell you? " he looked around. "Perhaps its the Christmas spirit you are reading."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Maybe," the Doctor said, though the tone of his voice implied he didn't believe that one bit. "Or maybe it's something more."

[marco-innocent.livejournal.com]

"Maybe." Marco tip toed to try and see. "Elaborate, please?" He bit his inner lip, curiosity tickling his mind at the strongest.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"No idea," the Doctor said. He gave the boy a wide grin.

"One way to find out. Up for a jaunt?"

[marco-innocent.livejournal.com]

"A jaunt? Um.. Okay?" He blinked, eyes wide at him. "Where are we going?" He asked, tilting his head as snow gathered more in his curls.

He finished his chocolate, which was cold by now, and made ready to follow the Doctor.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"No idea!" the Doctor said. "That's the brilliant thing about adventure, Marco! We don't know where we're going until we're on our way."

He hopped ahead with a grin. "Allons-y!"

[marco-innocent.livejournal.com]

Marco hurriedly took hold of the Doctors coat. After all, he was almost half the size of the Doctor, and the man had a lot longer legs then himself. If the Doctor broke into a run where would be no chance for him to keep up.

"French?" He commented as he hurried along, curls and long scarf dancing everywhere as he ran.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Means 'Let's go!'," the Doctor said, excitedly. "And that's...that's clever, isn't it?"

He didn't sound so certain, but the machine in his hands was beeping, and there wasn't much time to worry about it.