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Here's a Christmas ficlet for you! Slightly silly and fueled by too much Christmas shopping, but hopefully with a warm fuzzy "Awwwww" moment at the end. Plus, it's not quite the weirdest pairing I've ever written, but it's up there.

Author: Beer Good ([livejournal.com profile] beer_good_foamy)
Title: Traditional Christmas Carol
Timeline:
Rating: PG
Pairing: You wouldn't believe me if I told you.
Word count: 872.
Summary: Many Christmas traditions make no sense at all to those who haven't seen them before. As the two surviving members of Angel Investigations are about to discover, however, there are some traditions which are much more pleasant.
Disclaimer: Joss doesn't own Christmas. I think Bing Crosby does. I don't own these characters. Joss does. That leaves me with... uh... 3 more days of shopping. Crap.

Traditional Christmas Carol

December 23rd, 2006

It was two days before Christmas, a holiday of peace, love and goodwill... and consequently, the shopping district was a feverish tangle of stressed-out people shoving, pushing, clawing for bargains and yelling at each other, the smell of sweat and frustration hanging over the city as they fought for every red cent and every single minute to try and get everything done before Sunday.

From a hotel room on the fourth floor, the two last active members of Angel Investigations watched it all with ill-concealed puzzlement.

”I don't understand this.” The blue-haired woman frowned. ”They run around, working extra hard, fighting and hating each other for weeks in order to waste money they cannot afford, all the while being brainwashed by an endless loop of vapid music, only to spend a few measly days arguing with their families before returning to their drudgery, cursing at the amount of work that has piled up while they were busy being miserable and spending the next month trying to rid themselves of the excess fat from their overeating. As if their pitiful lives weren't short enough already.”

Her muscular companion nodded. ”'Tis a season which is most strange, yes. Earlier today a man ran into me, dropping packages everywhere. When I attempted to aid him in picking them up, he cursed at me and called me a name I do not wish to repeat. As I wished him a joyful holiday, he attempted to strike me and once again dropped all of his packages.”

”Such insolence. I would have ripped out his lungs and tied them around his -” She stopped herself as if remembering something and grew quiet.

”I'll freely admit that the thought struck me too. Most unheroic, but there seems to be a curse upon these days that turns even the most peaceful into ruthless berserkers in their hunt for something shiny to carry back to their tribe.”

”Winifred Burkle has memories of this”, Illyria conceded. ”But they are still happy memories. It makes no sense.”

”I think it is traditional. We celebrate the arrival of San'Taclos with the sharing of gifts, to show our honest appreciation for our fellow warriors.” The Groosalugg blushed slightly as he placed the carefully wrapped axe-shaped package on the table in front of her. ”Merry Ksmaas, my lady.”

Illyria cocked her head. ”It is an axe.”

”Indeed.”

”Why have you gone to the trouble of wrapping it when anyone can clearly see that it is an axe?”

Groo shrugged. ”I did not wrap it myself. The servant at the market where I purchased it wrapped it in this colorful paper without asking me. But I thought it pretty. See how it glitters, like all the stars in the heavens. Almost as much as your-”

”I have been to the stars. They don't glitter. They explode.” She peeled the paper off, lifting the brand-new battle axe and giving it a swing. ”It is a good weapon. You have done well. If I had known of this tradition, I would have brought you something in return; we have fought many battles together these last few years, and for a mortal, you are a capable warrior.”

”I hear that it is the thought that counts, my lady, and I am most grateful. However, if you wish to do me some small favor, might I ask you to take two steps forward and close your eyes?”

She regarded him suspiciously, but she had come to trust him so she put the axe down and did as he asked. When her eyes closed, the Groosalugg leaned in and placed a soft but firm kiss right on her lips, the kind of kiss that lingers just a little bit longer than both kisser and kissee originally intended, the kind of kiss that doesn't turn into frenzied making out yet seems to leave a little extra electricity hovering in the air. At least that's what it felt like to Groo as the kiss finally seemed to run its course and he took a step back.

Illyria stood there blinking in surprise for several seconds, completely stunned at his boldness. ”You... you would dare to... to kiss me?” She brought one hand up to her lips as if to check that they were still there.

The Groosalugg bowed his head. ”A thousand pardons, my lady. But,” he pointed to the ceiling, ”you are standing under a twig of mistletoe. That, too, is tradition. If I have offended you in any way, I can only offer my sincere apologies and, if you so wish, promise never to repeat my actions.”

She looked him straight in the eyes with a stare that could have melted steel. ”You would ask this of me? I am Illyria! For eons, I ruled dimensions whose very age is beyond what your human -”

”Pylean, my lady.”

”- Pylean mind can possibly comprehend. I defined kingdoms, religions, laws of nature by my own ideas and flights of fancy. I was worshipped by multitudes for countless millennia even long after I had been murdered. What makes you think, even for a second,” she smiled and put her arms around him, pulling him closer, ”that I would have a problem with tradition?”

END

But feel free to check out the christmas ficlets I wrote last year:
It's A Wonderful Unlife
Have Yourself A Fluffy Cluffy Buffy Christmas


Happy Gurnenthar's Ascendance, everyone!

Date: 2006-12-20 01:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/
Two innocent babes in the wood, trying to understand this world without a compass. Loved it!

Date: 2006-12-20 08:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com
Hehe, well maybe not QUITE that innocent. But yeah. Thanks a lot!

Date: 2006-12-20 01:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jedi-bunny.livejournal.com
I agree with Illyria on the shopper dude. I feel much the same impluse when I have to battle the other idiots (myself included in that for not doing everything online) this time of year.

Good story

~hop~

Date: 2006-12-20 08:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com
Thanks, and I agree completely. I sat down and wrote this all in one go after spending 4 hours Christmas shopping and generally hating humanity in general. Illyria's rant against Christmas is all me.

Date: 2006-12-22 12:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com
"Generally hating humanity in general"? Yeeeesh...

Date: 2006-12-20 02:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dnalalal.livejournal.com
hehehehe This is crazy talk and I like it!! What a unique pairing - never would have put these two together in a million years...

You did a great job getting their voices/speech patterns down and in the end it was very cute!

Thank you!

Date: 2006-12-20 08:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com
Thank YOU!

Well, I enjoy weird pairings. This isn't quite the weirdest one I've written - I mean, it's not Buffy/Clem, Illyria/Cthulhu or Lorne/Elvis - but... I just got the idea and thought they'd be good for each other. Glad it worked!

Date: 2006-12-20 07:28 pm (UTC)
ext_15284: a wreath of lightning against a dark, stormy sky (Default)
From: [identity profile] stormwreath.livejournal.com
Awww. Your Groo voice was spot on - I recognised him from his first line, even though I completely wasn't expecting it to be him.

Also loved the bit about the gift-wrapped axe. :)

Date: 2006-12-20 08:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com
Thanks! I've never written Groo before, but he has a very distinctive voice - this sort of very chivalrous and earnest yet constantly slightly confused speech. He was actually a lot more fun to write than to watch... :-)

Date: 2006-12-20 07:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shinodabear.livejournal.com
Loved this to bits!

Date: 2006-12-20 08:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com
Thanks! *pieces it back together again*

Date: 2006-12-21 01:46 am (UTC)
frogfarm: And a thousand gay men wept. (faith S4 puppy)
From: [personal profile] frogfarm
I FUCKING LOVE GROO *!99 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING HIM TEH HAPPY XMAS SRSLY

Date: 2006-12-21 07:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com
Heee! Well, let's just hope he doesn't disappoint Illyria too much, or he might be in trouble... Or if her ex (http://beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com/15164.html) shows up. That could get messy. Thanks!

Date: 2006-12-21 02:17 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] spikendru.livejournal.com
Oh, I loved this! You have wonderful Groo-voice! And San'Taclos just made me giggle. Might we hope for further adventures of Illyria and Groo? *hint hint*

*bats eyelashes*

Date: 2006-12-21 07:17 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com
Well... we'll see what I come up with. It's an idea, but this was very much a spur-of-the-moment thing, so I really haven't planned anything... but they are awfully cute together, aren't they? Thanks!

Date: 2006-12-22 08:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] skipp-of-ark.livejournal.com
This was sweet. And it made me think for a second...There's fic out there where Buffy, Faith, an army of Slayers, Willow, and/or whatever's left of the Initiative, the Watcher's Council, and probably the KISS Army and Mothers Against Drunk Driving all show up and help the Fang Gang defeat the Senior Partners' army of demons right after Not Fade Away goes black and the end credits roll. How come nobody (to the best of my knowledge) has ever done a fic where the Groosalug shows up and lends a hand? Not saves the day, just helps out. After all, as far as we know, he could be out there, still on Earth doing the hero thing....

And if there is such a fic, where can I find it?

Oh, and I found this story through the Herald.

Date: 2006-12-22 12:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com
Come to think of it, I don't think I've *ever* read a single fanfic with Groo in it, at least not in a prominent role. True, he's not exactly the most interesting character in the Buffyverse, but... look at all the Connor fic there is, haha. It's a pity I'm not into m/m slash much, or I might write an alternate version of "Couplet" in which Angel's and Groo's expedition to that demon brothel goes somewhat different... I mean, it's gotta weird somebody out.

I digress. Thanks for the feedback!

Date: 2006-12-22 06:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thirdblindmouse.livejournal.com
Cute. These two would definitely get along just like that.

Date: 2006-12-22 09:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com
The more I think about it, the more this is starting to look like a real interesting pairing... hehe. Thanks!

(recced by you)

Date: 2007-12-07 11:39 pm (UTC)
deird1: Fred looking pretty and thoughful (Default)
From: [personal profile] deird1
Nice. Very nice.
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