A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

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librarian_7
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A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

Post by librarian_7 »

A/N: This is a little longer than usual, so bear with me. I know that eris recently reposted a version she’d done of “A Christmas Carol” from last year. I haven’t read that one…but I know eris, well, and if she wrote it, it has to be good.

The other day, I was talking with Lilly, and she and I were discussing the idea of doing a Moonlight version of “A Christmas Carol.” (Mr. Lilly had very kindly made a suggestion to her that it might be a workable fic idea, with Josef getting “Scrooged.”) Both of us knew eris had done one, and both of us (neither having read it…) were convinced somehow that her version was Josef-centric. So I said, you know, a Mick-centric one might work. We tossed around some ideas, and I started writing…a few days later, and I was already most of the way through chapter 3 of a projected 4 chapters, when I was talking to eris about something else, and asked her about her “Christmas Carol.” I was extremely downcast to hear that hers, also, was Mick-centric, but she encouraged me to finish it and post it.

And I guess we’re both riffing on Charles Dickens, here, anyway. With apologies to Mr. Dickens, and the disclaimer that as usual, I don’t own Moonlight, or any of its characters, here is…my version of:


A Moonlight Christmas Carol

Chapter 1—Introduction

Vampires and holidays don’t mix well. You can understand that—every 4th of July or Memorial Day, you have to miss the family cookout, before your big sister figures out that you don’t look a day older at 50 than you did at 30. And everyone notices you’ve gone off eating those hotdogs with extra relish and onion that you used to love, not to mention Mom’s famous potato salad. All those family occasions, you end up sitting home, or celebrating with strangers who don’t know what you are. It sucks.

And nothing sucks more than being a vampire at Christmas.

It’s worst, those first few years, but then one by one, the people you love die off, and you start to forget what all the fuss was about. I mean, it’s just a human thing, right?

I thought I’d gotten used to it by December, 1984. And then I had the strangest—well, I’d better just tell it, and let you judge for yourself.

I was stopping by the morgue on Christmas Eve to pick up a little blood to tide me over the holiday. That may be the most depressing sentence I’ve ever uttered. Anyway, the few decorations they’d put up for the holiday looked sadly out of place, tired and worn. Besides, tinsel in a morgue is just bad taste all around. As I said, I needed some blood. I know, Josef never seems to have a problem, but I always had very bad luck with finding a freshie on Christmas Day. Any other day of the year, if I crooked a finger, they’d come running like I was rich. But not on Christmas. If you could find one, she always wanted an outrageous amount of attention, too. It was easier just to go to the bag or the bottle, even if the quality wasn’t as good.

The morgue was quiet—and before you ask, that’s not always the case. In fact, they do booming business over Christmas, and almost every other holiday. Some people can’t seem to celebrate without drinking, and when they drive home…well, let’s just point out that I had to get to the morgue early, before the doubled-up late night shift started. Not everyone who works at the morgue is a vampire, you know.

Anyway, I strolled in, expecting to find my regular guy, and come face to face with a stranger.

“Who are you?” we said in unison.

The stranger, a stocky, Hispanic vamp, sniffed. It was enough to identify my status. “You here for blood?” he asked.

“Yeah. I’ve got a standing deal with Sullivan.”

“We should be able to fix you up.”

“Great. By the way, where is Sullivan?”

The other vamp shrugged. “In the wind. He was close to being outed, so he dropped a dime to the relocation guys.”

“Damn.” It happened, all too often. One night a vamp would be living comfortably with an identity, friends, a routine. The next, he’d be having to pull up stakes—it’s a bad pun, I know—and start over in a new city, a new state. Maybe a new country. So far, I’d been lucky. I’d known Sullivan for ten years. I’d probably never see him again. “I’m Mick St. John, by the way,” I added, sticking out a hand.

He stripped off a latex glove and shook. “Guillermo Gasol. I’m new, they gave me the crap shift.”

I had to smile wryly at that. “Yeah, no double overtime tonight for the new guy.”

He nodded. “Next year, man.” And his tone got businesslike. “So, what type?”

I like a man who comes to the point. Just because I’m a vamp, doesn’t mean I enjoy hanging at the morgue. “A positive, if you’ve got any.”

Guillermo rummaged in a large chest cooler for a few moments. “I think we’re out. I’ve got some nice B neg.”

“I really like the A positive best.”

He sighed and dug around some more. “Found one.”

I took it, and ended up with a couple of B negs as well. No sense taking a chance on running low.

I don’t blame Guillermo for what happened. We got to be pretty good friends, later on, and it’s not his fault if that A positive wasn’t good.

He told me “Merry Christmas” as I left. I didn’t quite snarl “Bah, humbug” at him, but it crossed my mind, and I guess it showed on my face, as well, because he said, “Hey, man, just because you’re a vamp doesn’t mean you can’t get in the Christmas spirit.”

“What’s the point?” Yeah, I know, I was in a real downer of a mood.

Guillermo shook his head. “Doesn’t have to be a point. We’ve got a lot of time ahead, and piling up regrets isn’t going to make it go faster.” He paused, and gave me a serious look. “So…Merry Christmas.”

I didn’t answer.

I was anxious to get away from everything that reminded me of the holiday, and get back to the combination office/apartment I called home. The streets seemed to be filled with last minute shoppers, and even the jazz radio station I liked was only playing Christmas music. Duke Ellington playing “Jingle Bells” and Charlie Parker’s cover of “White Christmas” were bad enough, but when they got to Dexter Gordon’s version of “The Christmas Song,” I snapped the radio off. Somehow I knew “Silent Night” was coming up, and I couldn’t take that. I had too many silent nights as it was, and there was nothing holy about them.

Back at my place, I stowed the B negative in the little hidden refrigerator I’d put in behind a cabinet, and settled down to ignore the holiday with a new book on the Battle of the Bulge, A Time for Trumpets, and a nice tall glass of warm A positive at my side. I remember thinking that the new microwave oven I’d just bought gave the blood an odd flavor, or maybe it was just that morgue taste I wasn’t liking.

Still, even then I didn’t like wasting blood. I drained my glass as I read, finishing off the pint bag over the course of an hour or two.

Even personal experience in the war couldn’t make that book interesting. I guess I dozed off sometime around midnight.

I’m pretty sure I dozed off, anyway.
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Re: A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

Post by eris »

Yay! A Christmas story - it gives me an excuse to use these: :xtree: :xmaslights: (The irony of that being that A - I hate most Christmas stories, and B - I detest decorating, but that's beside the point.)

Anywho....


I like the instant transition of lives. Relocation is very much the vampire equivalent of death. One minute they're there, and the next they're gone - most likely legally dead. And death is a hard thing to deal with around the holidays. Also, there's that inherent selfishness that makes a person left behind focus on how the loss will affect them as opposed to how much it impacted the person who's gone. And it's great to see how Mick met G.


Great start, Lucky (and, just so you know - nothing at all like the one I put up :comfort: ). I'm happy you finished it, and I'll be happier when you post part 2, 3, 4.... :D


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Re: A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

Post by francis »

I really like this because it probably fits the mood of people who are alone at Christmas and don't even have a religious bone in their body to tide them over. The morgue is a great place to hang out in on Christmas - not!
This is really nothing like eris' version. I love how Mick and G meet.

But putting blood into the microwave? Don't you know it kills the corpuscles?
I had too many silent nights as it was, and there was nothing holy about them.
This is wonderfully sarcastic, snarky and sad. You got Mick's mood.

Looking forward to more.
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Re: A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

Post by cassysj »

Really great start and as eris said relocation is the vampire equivalent of death. Looking forward to more.
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Re: A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

Post by fairytoes »

I really like the way Mick and G met for the first time. I'm looking forward to more! :flowers:
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Re: A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

Post by librarian_7 »

Thanks so much! I hope the rest of the story pleases you all as well.

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Re: A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

Post by Lilly »

I've said it before, but I'm nothing if not consistent -- your first person Mick is about as good as it gets. :notworthy: This has the intimacy of a Mick voiceover but with the added edge, as in your "Wrong Turn" piece, of a 1980's Mick. What I haven't had the opportunity to say often enough, though, is that your Guillermo is spot on as well. G always keeps it simple -- “You here for blood?” I can hear his voice so clearly as he eases into his role as the "new guy."

This is so vivid. From the jazz Christmas tunes to the tacky, out-of-place decorations at the morgue, you set the scene of a holiday that was happening all around Mick. Even in trying to read the (then) newly released WWII book, he was still juggling memories of his mortal life, trading thoughts of holiday and family for those of one of his darkest times as a human. He really isn't in a good place.

I can't tell you how glad I am I decided to joke with you about Mr. Lilly's big-deal Christmas idea -- and how delighted I am that you saw it through. :hearts:
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Re: A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

Post by mitzie »

This is a great start!! Mick is definitely all gloom and doom and it doesn't help him to know Sullivan isn't around anymore. Love the Mick and Guillermo meeting! Love the snark about "Silent Night"!! I love this story and can't wait for the next part... :yahoo: :yahoo: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :woohoo: :Mickangel: :shrug: :whistle: :devil: :tree: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :thud: :thud: :thud: :thud: :notworthy: :hearts: :flowers: :highfive:


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Re: A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

Post by Penina Spinka »

I didn't read Eris's but I'm sure it was good. I would like to see more of this. Even tho' I celebrate Chanukah, the Christmas Carol with Alistair Sim is my favorite seasonal movie. It's hard to think of Mick as being Scrooge-like, but maybe he can start enjoying holidays a little.
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Re: A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

Post by MickLifeCrisis »

Wow... off to a good start, Lucky! :thumbs: Am I going to need any Kleenex before this is over? :chin:
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Re: A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

Post by wollstonecraft61 »

Glub, glub, the fish has bitten...I have a feeling that Mick is going to regret going to sleep...
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Re: A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

Post by wpgrace »

Penina Spinka wrote:I didn't read Eris's but I'm sure it was good. I would like to see more of this. Even tho' I celebrate Chanukah, the Christmas Carol with Alistair Sim is my favorite seasonal movie. It's hard to think of Mick as being Scrooge-like, but maybe he can start enjoying holidays a little.

Mine too, Penina!

Yo, Lucky! I forget how fabulously you write Mick! You totally do. So glad to see this! Looking forward to the next installment.

And may I ask, have you read the MacDonald book? I never have... is it a good read, or is Mick's opinion here also your own?
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Re: A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

Post by coco »

I truly love when you write Mick, Lucky. This is wonderful. :flowers:

Looking forward to more. :twothumbs:
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Re: A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

Post by darkstarrising »

Lucky,

Christmas must suck for vamps, as your Mick would say, and not in a good kind of way....

Great start, with the retrospection of why holidays are terrible and his first meeting with Guillermo, but I really loved the ending with Mick reading a book on war in a season of peace.

Wonder how that slightly off A neg is going to affect him, hmmm?
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Re: A Moonlight Christmas Carol, Ch 1 (PG-13)

Post by librarian_7 »

About the book--I haven't read it, but my husband has...he's a military history fan (altho he'd be appalled to hear me put it that way!). I was looking for a "new" book on the Battle of the Bulge, since Mick was there, and might have an interest, and it was an event that happened near Christmas. My thought is that he probably has read a lot, with his being up at night, and that he seems like a non-fiction kind of guy. The juxtaposition of war in a season of peace...was just a bonus.

Look for chapter 2, tomorrow!

Lucky
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