Fic: Advent Calendar (December 10): Telling Santa Claus Stories
Title: Advent Calendar (December 10): Telling Santa Claus Stories
Author: stellaluna_
Fandom: CSI:NY
Rating: PG for language
Summary: In all the wide world, there's this. Stella/Hawkes
Disclaimer: None of these are mine. Characters are the property of Anthony Zuiker, Jerry Bruckheimer Television, CBS, and Alliance Atlantis.
Notes: This is my attempt at a fic version of an Advent calendar. There will be 25 of these.
Danny is explaining to the table at large how wintergreen can enhance various sexual acts; Mac is doing his level best not to hear him.
Stella tries to hide her laughter at this display and turns toward Hawkes. "Why does something like this happen every time we go out as a group?" she says into his ear.
He laughs and cups his hand gently around her knee. "We're scientists," he says. "We like to explain our theories. Add booze into the mix, and you've got yourself the formula for a wild night."
"Clearly," she says, and they both laugh this time, leaning their heads together.
When they look up, the situation has devolved even further: Danny is punching Flack in the shoulder while Flack fends him off, looking very pleased with himself. Mac is shaking his head, and Adam and Lindsay are studiously ignoring the whole thing in favor of playing some kind of game on her Blackberry.
"See if Santa brings you anything this year," Danny says to Flack.
"Is he on the naughty list now?" Adam asks, glancing up.
"He's been on the naughty list since birth," Danny says.
"You wish," Flack says. "I'm not the one who's gonna get lumps of coal in my stocking, unlike some people here."
"Maybe Santa will skip the coal and go right to the beatings," Hawkes says. Everyone turns to look at him. "Or he'll instruct his helpers to do so, anyway."
"Beatings?" Danny says. "What the hell kind of warped Santa did you grow up with, Doc? The elves don't go around beating people."
"Who's talking about elves?" Hawkes says. "I take it you're unfamiliar with the Krampus legends."
"Krampus?" Danny says. "What, is that some kind of punk band?"
"Sounds more like speed metal to me," Adam says.
"Clearly you are unfamiliar with them," Hawkes says. "Allow me to explain." He smiles in a way that Stella knows very well.
"This should be good," she says, and props her elbows on the table. "You've got that look in your eyes."
Hawkes gives her another smile at that, and he squeezes her knee again. "Now then," he says. "Krampus -- "
"Wait one sec." Flack holds up a hand. "Is this something that's going to ruin my childhood forever?"
"Not if you're open-minded," Hawkes says.
"That means yes." Flack picks up his beer. "Anyone want to join me in a game of pool instead?"
"I will," Lindsay says. She turns toward Hawkes. "Not that I don't want to hear, but he's really easy to beat when he's been drinking, and I could use some extra cash. Fill me in later?"
"Sure," Hawkes says. Flack and Lindsay head off to the back, and Adam goes with them, because, he says, they're going to need a referee.
"All right, Doc," Danny says once the others are gone. "Spill. What's up with these Krampus elves who go around beating people?"
"They're not elves, Danny," Hawkes says. "Okay. As you all probably know, the Santa Claus legend has a variety of origins. The version we have here in the U.S. mostly comes from the British and Dutch legends."
"Saint Nicholas of Myra," Mac says.
"Right," Hawkes says. "But there are other versions of Santa Claus that go back to pre-Christian times. In some of the Alpine regions of Europe, like Austria, that means Krampus."
"So Santa is Krampus there?" Stella asks.
"Not exactly. Or maybe. Some stories say that they're the same person, but others say that Krampus is Santa's alter-ego. He, or it, is generally depicted as a horned devil. On December 5th, there's a ritual where people dress up as Krampus and run around the streets chasing people and whipping them with switches."
"Hence the beatings," Danny says.
"Right," Hawkes says, smiling. "And Krampus is always portrayed wearing a mask. Usually wooden, always with goat or ram horns, as well as fangs, more often than not. People who have seen the festivities say it can be pretty disturbing to witness, even when you know that the people in the masks are just teenagers or local students out looking for a good time."
"Never mind the switches," Stella says. "It's the masks that sound like the worst part."
Mac nods. "It plays into all our fears about not being able to see a person's face. And then when you add the horns and fangs into the mix..."
"Boom, watch the lizard brain kick in." Danny takes a drink of beer. "Gotta hand it to you, Hawkes," he says. "You definitely win with the creepy factor of that one."
"Thank you," Hawkes says, looking pleased with himself, and clinks his glass against Danny's when he holds it out.
"Maybe they should put Krampus in Macy's along with Santa, huh?" Danny says. "That'd probably cut down on the crowds."
Stella laughs. "I'd be all for that." She glances at her watch. "For now, I think I'm all for wrapping it up for the night. It's been great, but I've got court in the morning."
"I'll head out, too," Hawkes says.
"What, we've all got the willies, so your work here is done?" Danny says, but he's smiling, and he pounds Hawkes on the back before he lets him stand up.
"Get home safe, you two," Mac says. "Cross the street if you run into anyone with a goat mask."
"Or we'll just call you," Stella says, and he smiles up at her as she pulls her coat on. They call goodnight to Flack, Lindsay, and Adam, too, and then head outside.
"You know, you never cease to amaze me with all the different things you know," she says to Hawkes as they start to walk.
"You're not exactly a slouch with the knowledge yourself, you know," he says.
"I know. But you always tell us about all this great esoteric stuff that most people would never even think about in the first place." She tucks her arm through his. "I like that. I like hearing about things I never even dreamed of. I mean, the fact that people in Austria dress up in horned masks in December, and that it's somehow connected with the Santa legend in that part of Europe...that's amazing. And it's just..."
She stares up at the sky. "I don't know what I'm trying to say. I don't know how to put it into words. It's just...there's this whole big world out there, and there's so much in it. We've got our little piece of it, but people have dreamed up so much. They do so much; they believe so much. It blows my mind, and I'm not even drunk."
"You know what?" Hawkes says. "You just did a very good job of articulating why I know all the things I do. Or at least why I've tried to learn about them. It's a very big, very strange world, Stella; all of it interests me."
"Thank you for sharing it with me," she says.
He moves closer to her, lacing their arms tighter together. "Any time," he says. "But you know, I kind of like our little piece of the world, too."
"So do I," Stella says, and they smile at each other. Right then, it's just the two of them, and she's as glad about that as she is about the rest of it.
Feedback is always appreciated.
Author: stellaluna_
Fandom: CSI:NY
Rating: PG for language
Summary: In all the wide world, there's this. Stella/Hawkes
Disclaimer: None of these are mine. Characters are the property of Anthony Zuiker, Jerry Bruckheimer Television, CBS, and Alliance Atlantis.
Notes: This is my attempt at a fic version of an Advent calendar. There will be 25 of these.
Danny is explaining to the table at large how wintergreen can enhance various sexual acts; Mac is doing his level best not to hear him.
Stella tries to hide her laughter at this display and turns toward Hawkes. "Why does something like this happen every time we go out as a group?" she says into his ear.
He laughs and cups his hand gently around her knee. "We're scientists," he says. "We like to explain our theories. Add booze into the mix, and you've got yourself the formula for a wild night."
"Clearly," she says, and they both laugh this time, leaning their heads together.
When they look up, the situation has devolved even further: Danny is punching Flack in the shoulder while Flack fends him off, looking very pleased with himself. Mac is shaking his head, and Adam and Lindsay are studiously ignoring the whole thing in favor of playing some kind of game on her Blackberry.
"See if Santa brings you anything this year," Danny says to Flack.
"Is he on the naughty list now?" Adam asks, glancing up.
"He's been on the naughty list since birth," Danny says.
"You wish," Flack says. "I'm not the one who's gonna get lumps of coal in my stocking, unlike some people here."
"Maybe Santa will skip the coal and go right to the beatings," Hawkes says. Everyone turns to look at him. "Or he'll instruct his helpers to do so, anyway."
"Beatings?" Danny says. "What the hell kind of warped Santa did you grow up with, Doc? The elves don't go around beating people."
"Who's talking about elves?" Hawkes says. "I take it you're unfamiliar with the Krampus legends."
"Krampus?" Danny says. "What, is that some kind of punk band?"
"Sounds more like speed metal to me," Adam says.
"Clearly you are unfamiliar with them," Hawkes says. "Allow me to explain." He smiles in a way that Stella knows very well.
"This should be good," she says, and props her elbows on the table. "You've got that look in your eyes."
Hawkes gives her another smile at that, and he squeezes her knee again. "Now then," he says. "Krampus -- "
"Wait one sec." Flack holds up a hand. "Is this something that's going to ruin my childhood forever?"
"Not if you're open-minded," Hawkes says.
"That means yes." Flack picks up his beer. "Anyone want to join me in a game of pool instead?"
"I will," Lindsay says. She turns toward Hawkes. "Not that I don't want to hear, but he's really easy to beat when he's been drinking, and I could use some extra cash. Fill me in later?"
"Sure," Hawkes says. Flack and Lindsay head off to the back, and Adam goes with them, because, he says, they're going to need a referee.
"All right, Doc," Danny says once the others are gone. "Spill. What's up with these Krampus elves who go around beating people?"
"They're not elves, Danny," Hawkes says. "Okay. As you all probably know, the Santa Claus legend has a variety of origins. The version we have here in the U.S. mostly comes from the British and Dutch legends."
"Saint Nicholas of Myra," Mac says.
"Right," Hawkes says. "But there are other versions of Santa Claus that go back to pre-Christian times. In some of the Alpine regions of Europe, like Austria, that means Krampus."
"So Santa is Krampus there?" Stella asks.
"Not exactly. Or maybe. Some stories say that they're the same person, but others say that Krampus is Santa's alter-ego. He, or it, is generally depicted as a horned devil. On December 5th, there's a ritual where people dress up as Krampus and run around the streets chasing people and whipping them with switches."
"Hence the beatings," Danny says.
"Right," Hawkes says, smiling. "And Krampus is always portrayed wearing a mask. Usually wooden, always with goat or ram horns, as well as fangs, more often than not. People who have seen the festivities say it can be pretty disturbing to witness, even when you know that the people in the masks are just teenagers or local students out looking for a good time."
"Never mind the switches," Stella says. "It's the masks that sound like the worst part."
Mac nods. "It plays into all our fears about not being able to see a person's face. And then when you add the horns and fangs into the mix..."
"Boom, watch the lizard brain kick in." Danny takes a drink of beer. "Gotta hand it to you, Hawkes," he says. "You definitely win with the creepy factor of that one."
"Thank you," Hawkes says, looking pleased with himself, and clinks his glass against Danny's when he holds it out.
"Maybe they should put Krampus in Macy's along with Santa, huh?" Danny says. "That'd probably cut down on the crowds."
Stella laughs. "I'd be all for that." She glances at her watch. "For now, I think I'm all for wrapping it up for the night. It's been great, but I've got court in the morning."
"I'll head out, too," Hawkes says.
"What, we've all got the willies, so your work here is done?" Danny says, but he's smiling, and he pounds Hawkes on the back before he lets him stand up.
"Get home safe, you two," Mac says. "Cross the street if you run into anyone with a goat mask."
"Or we'll just call you," Stella says, and he smiles up at her as she pulls her coat on. They call goodnight to Flack, Lindsay, and Adam, too, and then head outside.
"You know, you never cease to amaze me with all the different things you know," she says to Hawkes as they start to walk.
"You're not exactly a slouch with the knowledge yourself, you know," he says.
"I know. But you always tell us about all this great esoteric stuff that most people would never even think about in the first place." She tucks her arm through his. "I like that. I like hearing about things I never even dreamed of. I mean, the fact that people in Austria dress up in horned masks in December, and that it's somehow connected with the Santa legend in that part of Europe...that's amazing. And it's just..."
She stares up at the sky. "I don't know what I'm trying to say. I don't know how to put it into words. It's just...there's this whole big world out there, and there's so much in it. We've got our little piece of it, but people have dreamed up so much. They do so much; they believe so much. It blows my mind, and I'm not even drunk."
"You know what?" Hawkes says. "You just did a very good job of articulating why I know all the things I do. Or at least why I've tried to learn about them. It's a very big, very strange world, Stella; all of it interests me."
"Thank you for sharing it with me," she says.
He moves closer to her, lacing their arms tighter together. "Any time," he says. "But you know, I kind of like our little piece of the world, too."
"So do I," Stella says, and they smile at each other. Right then, it's just the two of them, and she's as glad about that as she is about the rest of it.
Feedback is always appreciated.