Okay, this is what, the third Christmas fic this year? The fifth? WOW! I said that I have too much spirit. Anyway, this one has some of my original characters. For more on them you can read my fiction 'Airplane' it's really funny. Now I sound like an ad, here's the fic.
Disclaimer: I only own Millie the reporter and Rei the camera girl. (And me.)
Christmas interviews
Konoha was finally undergoing Christmas, and that meant that the media was becoming more festive as well. In the shopping district of Konoha, a reporter and her camera girl were walking down the streets and looking for someone to interview.
"You see anyone Millie?" The camera girl asked earnestly,
"No," Millie grumbled, "Why are we doing this again, Rei? I hate celebrating the holidays so early." (1)
Rei snorted, "Because of the media's need to report anything big. And I think the holidays are big. Plus," She added, "We can't head back until we fill our quota."
Millie rolled her eyes as if to say, 'whatever' as Rei got her camera ready in case they saw someone. Millie always thought working with Rei was tedious only because she was aware that the only reason she got the job was due to her sister being in the station where they worked. Nepotism was alive and well it seemed.
"There's someone!" Rei shouted suddenly, "Hurry up!"
Millie moaned and put on a fake, reporter smile (2) as she approached the passerby. She shoved her microphone in their faces in blatant disregard as to what they were doing.
"Excuse me, would you mind telling me your input of the Christmas season?"
"Names." Rei put in.
Millie stopped for a second, "Right, your names please."
"Shikamaru, Chouji and Ino." One of them put in, "Why?"
"It doesn't matter," Rei put in from behind the camera as she zoomed in on the three of them, "Just give us what you've been dying to say about the holiday season." She moved in close and zoomed in on Shikamaru, "You? Come on what do you think?"
"It's troublesome."
"What's troublesome?" Millie voiced, "The holiday, or talking about it."
"Both."
There was a pause as Rei kept filming and they all just stood there. Millie pushed her aside,
"Move it, you're wasting tape." She put her mike in front of Chouji, "What's your favorite part about the holidays?"
"I like the foods that the holidays bring." He said with a smile, "Stuff that just say's Christmas."
"Of course you do." Millie sighed, turning her attention to Ino, "And you?"
Ino pushed the microphone out of her face and spoke in a loud voice, "I love the Christmas get-togethers!" Millie stuck her finger in her ear to clean it out; Ino could really belt it! "And I'm going to get a gift good enough to win over my man!"
"If he's your man, why are you trying to win him over?" Rei asked, "You just call him that I assume?"
Ino looked cross and let out a humph, "What do you know? I will so win Sasuke! I'm so close this year I can feel it. Get a move on guys!"
Shikamaru sighed and muttered, "Close? In your dreams." Too bad Ino heard him.
"Uh, I've got stuff to do," Chouji said, "Later Shikamaru!" He ran off, leaving poor Shikamaru to fend for himself.
He muttered, before she grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled hard. Forcing him to come with her.
Rei laughed as she filmed him being pulled by Ino, "It looks to me as though her man is a bit closer to her than she thinks."
Millie sighed, "It's gonna be a long day."
But despite her moroseness she laughed at the pair going down the streets. Although after they vanished into a shop she grew annoyed. Now they had to find someone else. "Let's go check out the main square. Maybe we can find someone there."
The two news girls headed to the main square for someone else they could get a good interview. They eventually found another pair making their way along. Millie did not want to miss anything; it was better to get more interviews so her boss wouldn't have to send her out again.
"Hey! You two!" She called out, stopping them, "News report! Please could you give us a moment of your time?"
They stopped and turned to them, Millie was breathing hard from running and Rei held up the camera.
"Names please."
"Neji Hyuga." The boy said.
"Tenten." The girl smiled.
There was a beat as they took down the name, "Tenten what?"
"Just Tenten." (3)
Rei began her camera skills as they stared at her, "So do you lovebirds have anything to say?"
The two of them blushed before Neji spoke up, "We were just out getting some fresh air and shopping for Christmas."
Millie smirked, "I bet, now what do you think of the holidays?"
Tenten griped the microphone, "I love the feeling of warmth and happiness around this time of year." She said eagerly.
"Finally a sane response. Sort of." Millie sighed before turning to Neji, "You?"
"I'm not sure." He said, "I thought that I could have had a break from insane people annoying me. I guess I was wrong."
There was a very awkward moment as Rei filmed first Neji and Tenten, then the look on Millie's face. Millie took a moment to regain her composure.
"Right. Well it was nice speaking to you."
And with that she turned on her heel she took off down the lane with Rei at her heel. Before Rei actually took off she turned to the couple, muttered a "Nice!" and rushed off.
"Well he was an interesting interview."
"Oh, shut up."
After some more low-key interviews, the two of them sighed and started to meander through Konoha. And after some walking they had grown weary.
"Maybe there's someone by the ramen place." Rei said, "It wouldn't hurt to look."
Millie gave Rei a look. "You're just hungry for ramen aren't you?"
"Yup!"
Millie would have argued, but she was just as hungry as her camera girl, so the two of them went to Ichiraku ramen to eat up. They ordered some and began to eat. Next to them, a blonde boy and shy white-eyed girl sat nearby.
Millie figured that even if they were the craziest ones they had to interview, than it would be a fine day's job. She nudged Rei and moved over to them.
"Would you two care for a Christmas word?"
"Sure."
Rei zoomed in and adjusted the camera, "Names please."
"Naruto Uzumaki!"
"H-Hinata Hy-Hyuga."
"Cute," Millie said, "All we're looking for is what you love about the holidays."
"Ooh! I love getting gifts from Santa and my friends! Giving them too!" Naruto yelled.
'Jeez and I thought that Ino chick was loud.' Millie thought.
"And you sweetie?" Rei asked gently to Hinata, "Don't be shy."
Hinata shrank into her seat, but eventually managed to take a deep breath and speak up.
"I l-like the get-togethers w-with those you l-l-l-love."
Rei smiled before they finished their ramen and went on their merry way.
"Well they were cute." Rei noted, "I hope the next group is as cute as them."
They were out of luck, because they came across a strange person who just stood there reading, along with someone else who was just smoking and a red-eyed woman who were talking about something.
"Can we just pass these guys?" Millie asked, "I hate the smell of cigarette smoke."
"We have to interview as many people as we can." Said Rei as she stuck the camera in their faces. "Would you care for a quick interview for a local news station?" They looked at each other and nodded, "Names please."
"Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai."
"What do you love about the holidays?" Millie asked, "Be brutally honest."
Kakashi closed his visible eye in thought, "I guess being with others."
"Ditto" Asuma said, "I have a lot of memories with friends, plus I had my first cigarette around this time of year."
"What kind of holiday spirit is THAT?" Millie blurted out. Asuma just shrugged and went back to smoking.
"SMOKING KILLS!" The reporter yelled before she turned to Kurenai, "You have a healthy holiday habit right?"
"I suppose so." Kurenai nodded "Looking back on Christmas is always a fun time."
Millie sighed, "At least this one is short." Before she walked away with Rei following.
Walking around, they met up with a girl with pink hair; she seemed interesting so they decided to ask her a few questions.
"My names Sakura Haruno."
"Okay, so what are you most looking forward too in the holidays?"
Sakura paused in thought, "I suppose I love getting gifts for my friends the most. I also love shopping for my crush." She blushed and turned her face away.
"Uh-huh, so you're shopping for him now?"
"Yeah."
Millie smiled and cheered, "Finally! A somewhat sane interview!"
Sakura gave them an interesting look as they walked away, with triumphant looks on their faces.
"Weirdoes."
After some more looking, they soon came across two boys around the shopping district. They made for an interesting interview.
"Names please."
"My names, Kiba, this is Akamaru." Kiba held up his dog. "That's my teammate Shino."
"Okay, so what do enjoy most about the holiday season?"
Kiba pondered the question for a moment, "Both me and Akamaru like the gift giving part. Not to sound to shallow."
"You talk to the dog?" Rei asked, "Does he talk back?"
Kiba shrugged, "Usually."
Rei moved the camera over to Shino, waiting for a response from him as they asked him what he thought.
All that they got from him was, "I enjoy the time I spend."
They smiled and backed away slowly from them. After they were far enough, they had to find another place for interviews.
They for some reason decided to go to the academy, but one guy who was there and who taught there was willing to give them their piece.
"I can't believe you talked me into coming here." She muttered to Rei, "Your name?"
"Iruka."
"And what is your favorite part of Christmas?" Millie asked,
"I enjoy the time spent with others. That, and the break from teaching."
Rei laughed at the joke, only to stop at the look on his face, which told them that it was no joke.
"Tough break." Rei said, "I feel your pain"
"Well, it was nice speaking to you." Millie said suddenly, "Come on Rei."
They left the academy with some spare tape on Rei's camera; they still had to do a few more interviews, Millie groaned,
"Okay, the next person coming by I'm interviewing."
She turned the corner, and ran smack into a boy. Rei caught every moment on tape as Millie stood up and shoved the microphone in his face.
"Would you care for an interview on Christmas?" She asked, "Name?"
He glared up at her, "Sasuke Uchiha."
"Cool, what do you love about the holidays?" Silence, Millie turned her head and sighed, "Come on, don't be shy."
She looked back at him and he was gone, him and Rei. "Rei? Hello?"
"Just one word?" Rei asked Sasuke, "I just want one sentence from you."
Rei had followed Sasuke as he stormed down the lane. He had ignored her to a point.
"Please?"
Sasuke turned and faced the camera, "FINE!" He yelled, "I don't care about the holidays. Why would I like it? I think it's just a day of the year where people act like worse maniacs that usual. I don't want go give and receive gifts, I just want to be left alone for Christmas!"
Rei paused, "Are you sure?"
"Yes." He said, and stormed off.
Rei smiled and walked, when she met up with Millie she explained what happened, "I got some stuff from that Sasuke guy."
"Really? How'd it go?"
Rei paused, "We can fix it in the editing."
"Oh, well I think well go for one more, than call it a day." Millie told Rei.
They soon regretted that, the last person they came across was the strangest and wearing the worst kind of thing.
"Hello! What can I do you fine ladies today?"
The two of them shivered at him as an older clone of his met him, only creeping them out further.
"Lee! What are these two ladies asking?" (4)
"I do not know Guy-sensei."
"Uh, just a thing for the news." Millie told him, "No need to say your names. Just tell me what you like about it so we can call it a day."
"I enjoy the youthful SPIRIT!" (5)
"I do as well!"
"Lee!"
"Sensei!"
This was repeated several times followed by a hug with a fake sunset backdrop behind them. Millie looked as though she was going to scream.
"That's it, come on Rei." There was a silence, "Rei? Tell me you're not filming that?"
"I can't help it." She cried out in her defense, "It's like they possessed the camera."
"Come on you're wasting tape. Get over here."
They both managed to get in some decent interviews, so they were able to head back to the studio in okay shape. The next day, one of the producers called them.
"Mil! Rei!"
It was Amaya, Millie's sister and Rei's best friend. She had gone over the film that they recorded.
"I just wanted to let you know that this was some of your best work." She said, "And I wanted to tell you that you have a kind of gift with crazy people to interview. I should send you out in the field more often."
The two of them sighed when Rei suddenly remembered something,
"Aya-kichi, (6)" She said, "Did you splice the thing I asked you?"
"You bet!" She smiled and showed them her work. Sasuke was on the screen, speaking his piece.
"I (edit) care about the holidays. I think it's just a day of the year where people (edit) give and receive gifts. I don't want go (edit) act like worse maniacs that usual, I just want (edit) Christmas!"
Everyone in the studio was laughing, Millie and Rei mostly, "Now that is a holiday memory!"
"Merry Christmas."
Footnotes:
1: Millie is based on my sister, who is also called Millie. And yes, she does get like that.
2: I swear when reporters learn to be such, they learn to fake smile.
3: I still hate it that Tenten has no mentioned last name. Is her part THAT small? She rocks.
4: It's surprisingly hard writing for these guys. It's tough to tell if I'm doing it right.
5: I actually made the word 'spirit' caps lock on accident, but it fit the character so I thought what the heck.
6: My friend really calls me this.
This was kind of a pointless drabble, but it was a lot of fun to write. Not my best work, but I hope you all enjoyed it.
Happy holidays.
