Crowley's Christmas Fic Exchange: A Crowley Carol for Midnightsilvers

[crowleysxmas]

Title: A Crowley Carol
Author: ellerkay
Characters: Crowley, Rowena, Castiel, Donna, Sam, Dean, Jack, Death, Jody
Rating: R/Mature
Genre: Gen, Humor
Word Count: ~5250
Disclaimer: All for fun, none for profit.
Summary: It’s “A Christmas Carol” and Crowley is Scrooge! He is NOT happy about it.
Warnings/tags: Swearing, alcohol (including alcohol drunk by

Comments

Comment 2 of 3

[midnightsilvers]

-Fergus gave a slow blink and touched his coat-pocket. In it, Crowley well knew, was a small wooden boat, meant as a gift for the child. He’d stitched the sail himself from spare cloth. - oh he had made a toy but couldn’t hand it over! 😭 I love that he was moved to actually make something. I hate that he couldn’t bring himself to actually give it 😭
-Fergus drained his glass and poured another, his expression angry and miserable. - and I love that you show us that even then he was tormented by it!
-You and Rowena both wanted to love your children, and yet you were afraid to. - yes. This. a keen observation!
-“This is Christmas, 2010,” Castiel said.
“I bloody know when it is, you angelic fucker. It wasn’t that long ago.” 😂 I’m loving this so much! the sass and the banter! I’m watching this play out in my head and it’s fabulous! 😁🙌🏼
- “So.” 2010 Crowley tapped the bottle. “You get Craig, as a token of my very mild respect, - this is so perfectly wonderfully Crowley! He is occasionally moved to do something decent but always has to cover it up and deflect, but we see right through him! (🤗)
-(I’ll weep over that in my Hello Kitty diary tonight,” - and cover it up he does! 😂😂😂 your voice for Crowley is soooo good! 🙌🏼 Awesome line 😁😁)
-Donna is PERFECT as the ghost of Christmas present! 🤗🤗🤗
-Crowley closed his eyes for a moment. “I never thought I’d miss the angel,” - you have me cracking up constantly! 😂 poor Crowley! Donna is far too sunny for him … and for 2 o’clock in the morning! 😂👍🏻
-Awwww Jack makes an adorable Tiny Tim 🤗🥰
-The whole time, the three were chatting and laughing. Crowley tried to tell himself that he was bored senseless, but he couldn’t stop watching. He’d never seen the Winchesters so relaxed, - I really love this. Of course Crowley wants to be bored, the domestic scene is sickeningly sweet but what an excellent point about him being totally absorbed in watching it. He never gets included in the group like this. Never gets to just hang and chill. And he needs it! (He deserves to be loved! 🤗) (thank god for fanfic) (goddamn Chuck has ruin that saying for me🙄)
-Oh the Crowley ornament 😭🤗💛 oh my poor heart 🤗
-Crowley felt a strange little glow in his chest at the idea that he was included in their Christmas celebration in some small way. He took another drink to try and get rid of it. - I know what you are feeling Crowley! don’t fight it my friend, let it in 😭🤗
-Dean snorted. “He’s a demon. And a dick.”
The warm feeling in Crowley’s chest vanished like a fire doused with ice water - 😂(😭) I laughed because I knew that was coming but 😭 poor Crowley! Still one more ghost to go yet tho! 😁 (but thanks Dean 🙄🤷🏻‍♂️😂)
-A pale, gaunt figure stood before him wearing a well-tailored suit and coat, leaning on a cane. - oh I had forgotten death was the third ghost! But of course!! 🤗🤗🤗🤗 and ohhh I hadn’t realised but they haven’t formally met! 👍🏻😄 this is awesome 😄
- “What do you want from me?” he demanded, voice cracking. He put his hands over his eyes, no longer able to bear the sight of the infinite darkness. “What am I supposed to do?”
“You know the story as well as I do, I’m sure.” Death sounded wryly amused. “So many adaptations. Personally, I’m partial to the one with the Muppets.” - 😂 absolutely delighted laugh! Now that first bit I did remember from the book, but then Death himself spared me from having to delve into my terrible memory and brought up the Muppets version 😂 seriously my friend 😁😁😁 you rule! 🤗
- And I love that Crowley got to see the Empty. What do demons have to fear? They are already living their afterlife, already in hell. But for a demon with a Conscience, knowing worse is yet to come is excellent motivation 😄 great idea 👍🏻
- December 25th. 4 AM.
There was still time . - and there we are 😁 hurrah 👍🏻🎉

Comment 3 of 3

[midnightsilvers]

- “Happy fucking Christmas,” Crowley said - I love that he is still blood Crowley after all 😁🤗 don’t have to have a lobotomy just because it’s Christmas 😁👍🏻
(-And you were there,” he straightened up to point at Castiel, who tilted his head in confusion, “and you were there.” - lol 😂 wizard of Oz 😂😂)
-He pointed at Jody. “You - sorry for the time I nearly killed you.” - awwwwww! He got to apologise for that! Brilliant! Thank you 🤗🤗
-not only did I almost die on that bathroom floor, but you left me with the check.” - stop! My sides are hurting from laughing 😂😂😂
-“If she can’t help you save the whippersnapper, I’ll eat my own naughty bits.” - almost redundant to say so again, but that’s another great Crowley line! Your characterisation and voice is just spot on throughout 🤗🤗
- “It was nothing,” Crowley said. “Just saving my own skin.”
“I don’t think that’s true,” Jack replied thoughtfully. - Jack is such a bright nougat boy 🤗 he is good for Crowley 🤗
-“Maybe I could call you Uncle Crowley?”
Before Crowley could tell him ‘absolutely not’ and ‘not in a million years,’ Jack put his arms around him in a hug. Crowley stayed frozen for a second, because he certainly hadn’t seen this coming. Surely Death ought to have warned him about these dire consequences. He should push the lad away.
Instead, Crowley somehow found himself hugging Jack in return. Only for a moment, before he side-stepped neatly away, but still. It made his chest ache strangely. - oh. Oh. 😭😭 right in the goddamn feels!! 🤗🤗 that was just perfect, the reluctance and the acceptance and Jacks innocence (it’s the only way Crowley would believe/accept the sentiment) and of course Crowley still has to bluff it away, but he FEELS it!!!! 🤗🤗🤗🤗
--
Ahhhhhh my friend! I’m so happy. This was absolutely wonderful! And I can’t believe that you managed to tell the whole story in just over 5000 words! I thought it would probably be too big of a feat to tell the whole of A Christmas Carole but not only did you do so but you packed it with feels and laughs and perfect Christmas cheer while staying perfectly in character! Bravo! 🌹bravo 🌹 standing ovation.
Thank you so much for this gift my friend! It is perfect 🤗

RE: Comment 3 of 3

[ellerkay]

:DDDDDDD (imagine infinite happy faces/heart eye emojis here, lol) You are SO VERY welcome; I'm over the moon that you loved this!! Thank YOU for the absolutely amazing, genius prompt - there were so many good ones I was thinking about claiming as I read everyone's ideas, but the second I saw that my brain basically stuttered to a stop and went "THIS. THIS IS THE ONE I MUST WRITE." XD As I told you, this was an absolute joy to write; I had so much fun the whole time.

Don't feel badly that you didn't get the opening line reference right from the beginning - I only know it so well because they make a big deal of it in the Muppets version, lol! That one's my favorite (Scrooged being a close second). I think most of us know this story best from all the adaptations, heh. I did listen to the original in audiobook form read by Tim Curry a few years ago and it was pretty great, but I've seen adaptations far more times than I've read the book.

I'm glad I could cover all the major beats; like I said in my note, I was tempted to do a fuller AU and maybe would have considered it more strongly if there'd been more time. Then I could have had things like Sam as Bob Cratchitt working for Crowley, which I think would have been very entertaining. :P But mostly I really like how this ended up, canon-ish if not truly able to fit into the timeline anywhere. It felt more meaningful to write Crowley as Crowley rather than Crowley as Scrooge, if that makes sense.

Finally, thank you thank you THANK YOU for your comments!!!! It was truly worth it already just to get to write this story, but your response is wonderful (as always) and incredibly gratifying and have absolutely made my day. I knew you'd get and respond to everything I put in and it makes you a delight to write for. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 Happy holidays, my friend!

RE: Comment 3 of 3

[midnightsilvers]

You really did the story justice! It’s so good! Thank you again my friend! Absolutely THE BEST present that I got this holiday 🙌🏼😄🤗 thank you again! 💛

RE: Comment 3 of 3

[candygramme]

I read this with utter delight. I think that, even above Sam and Dean, Crowley is my very favourite character in the show, and from his very first cry of outrage, (They ate my tailor!) I've loved him to death and beyond. This was a stellar version of the Christmas Carol, and I can understand Crowley (our Crowley) saving it as the last story to post in the challenge.

There were so many things to love about this that I don't even know where to start - oh, yes I do! Crowley's assertion that if Rowena can't save Jack, he'd eat his own naughty bits and his subsequent conversation with Dean about that. Subtle! The characterization of everybody. Perfect to the last nuance, especially that of my other favourite, OG Death, who is other worldly and yet so very human. Of course he loves the Muppets. I bet he loves Christmas cookies too. He was probably waiting to see if they left any for him in the bunker.

I've got so much love for Crowley redemption stories. He'll never lose that wonderful snark even if he turns good - and if he doesn't turn good after this, I'll eat my own naughty bits!

Now I have to go find and read the rest of your spn fic. <3 <3 <3

Re: Comment 3 of 3

[ellerkay]

:D Thank you SO MUCH!! It will probably not surprise you to hear that I love Crowley and Crowley redemption arcs, too - and I absolutely think he'll never lose that snark. I love redeemed characters who keep their edge; they're the most fun and I think it's more realistic.

This comment gave me a real boost when I needed it yesterday, so thank you again. :) <3 <3 <3 Feel free to comb through my fic on my journal or on AO3!

RE: Comment 3 of 3

[fledge]

You know, and I've already commented below to review the story, I think this was perfect as it was - I'm sure you would have written a hugely entertaining Sam 'Cratchitt' working for Crowley etc. but it wouldn't have been so true to canon and I really love that about this; that you managed to keep so well to both canon SPN (aside from the little fact of Crowley not being dead) and the original Dickens story at the same time. That's quite a feat. It really did fit the whole timeline if you just adjust for the timing of Jack's illness, not!dead Crowley and not!dick Chuck (I didn't realise who that was meant to be until I read Midnight's comments - doh!! Of course! Actually you described him to a T lol). AND healing Jack in a much more satisfactory (and probably permanent) manner. As far as I'm concerned, it's 100% an improvement on canon! And Crowley makes the perfect Scrooge just as himself, no need for tweaks. I'm so glad Midnight loved their gift so much, but not remotely surprised :)

RE: Comment 3 of 3

[ellerkay]

Ahhhh thank you thank you THANK YOU again!! You got exactly what I was going for and I agree - fun as it would have been in some ways to go more fully AU, I liked keeping it grounded in near-canon. :) Thank you so much for this kind, thoughtful bonus comment. <3 <3 <3