Christmas Open Thread

[rude_not_ginger]

•deck•the•halls•

• THE DOCTOR LEARNS THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS •

~•~

Christmas Eve. 2009.

Comments

[marco_innocent]

The little angel of death in human form looked up at the Doctor curiously, the cup of hot chocolate in his own hands looking big compared to his hands. He was as small as a child, but it was obvious by his eyes that he was much much MUCH older then that.

Maybe even older the the Doctor himself? No one knew that other then Marco himself.

"You are very sparingly clothed for such a cold night, sir" He said kindly, his cup filled with not only hot chocolate, but also big amounts of marshmallows and cream.

Snow was gathering in his heavy blonde curls, and his brown one brown and one blue eye looked up at the Doctor. "You should at least get a hat and gloves".

He looked the man in the eyes, and being who he was, he saw the numerous times he had died, and the ways he was going to die. But not being a human, meant that collecting his soul, was not Marco's job.

[rude_not_ginger]

"Well, it's not that bad for me," the Doctor said, distracted by his own hot chocolate and the device in his hand. He spared a quick glance over the rim of his glasses at the boy, and then looked back to his device.

Wait.

He looked back over his glasses again. The boy looked familiar, in the eyes. Very familiar. Like...someone he'd met before. But that wasn't possible, the Doctor didn't know this boy at all.

"Sorry. Merry Christmas," he said, feigning a wide smile.

[marco_innocent]

Marco, or Azriel as his name actually was, smiled wide back. "Your.. device, what does it do to make you so interested that you don't even see where you are going?" He looked at him mildly.

[rude_not_ginger]

"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]

"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]

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

He paused, narrowing his eyes at the boy.

"How do you know who I am?"

[marco_innocent]

"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]

"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]

"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]

"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]

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]

"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]

"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]

"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]

"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]

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."