Me: Hey guys, merry Christmas, and to get you in the spirit, a Christmas carol! It's Christmas Eve and I'm going to finish this story, draw picture, and get it all online. Have a merry one!
Cast
All of the cast will be called by their names, except sometimes the ghosts. This is to help you not get confused. E.g., Ichigo is called Ichigo throughout the story. Sorry if some are OOC. May be repeating Characters.
Marley- Keiichiro
Cratchit- Ichigo
Fred (Nephew) - Mint
Ghost of Christmas Past- Kish
Ghost of Christmas Present- Tart
Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come- Pai
Fezziwig- Pudding
Belle- Zakuro
Tiny Tim- Masha
Fan- Lettuce
Grave Robbers- Deep Blue and Chimera Anima
Business (wo)Men- Tokyo Black Cat Girl (Azumi). Sorry!) Berry and Ringo
Portly Donations Collectors- Fat Berry and Fat Lettuce
Man at beginning- Pie
Child at beginning- Tartuto
Other Characters- Masaya
Scrooge- Ryou
Let the story begin!
"Wait, so, Keiichiro's… dead?" Taruto asked Pie. He shivered coldly outside of Ryou and Keiichiro, the café that ran like a bank. "Dead as a doornail." Pie replied. "Does Ryou know that?" Taruto wrapped his scarf around tighter. "Of course he does. They worked together for years. Was his only mourner." Pie told Taruto. "Crap!" "Careful there." Pie looked down at Taruto. "Sorry. But Keiichiro's name is still on the sign." Taruto spoke. Pie sighed. "Ryou's so misery. Why should he spend a penny to fix it? People call him Keiichiro, people call him Ryou, but why should he care? Keiichiro's dead…" Taruto finished his sentence. "As a doornail! I get it, okay?" Pie looked at him. "Nobody ever comes to see him, or asks him what time it is, or wants him to come over for tea. No one! He's a tight-fisted, miserly man like that! If you ever need to talk to him, deliver the message to his waitress, Ichigo. Now we should leave."
Ryou was in his office with the door open to watch his worker, Ichigo. She runs around cleaning tables and tries to warm herself up by the warmth of the heater. Mint bursts in suddenly. "Merry Christmas, Uncle! God save you!" She shouted. Ryou turned sharply. "Bah! Humbug!" For those of you that don't know what a humbug is, it's a hoax or fraud. "Christmas a humbug?" Mint looked at him, astonished. "You're kidding, right?" Ryou glared daggers. "Why should you be so happy? All the poor who are happy! Why?" "Why are you so grey? All of you who are rich! Why are you guys so distraught?" Mint fought back. "Humbug!" "Don't be mad, Uncle." Ryou put down what he was doing and walked over to her. "Christmas is stupid! You pay for what you don't have money for! Paying bills! Giving more than you receive! If I ruled, I would boil everybody who says 'Merry Christmas' in his own pudding and stab him with his mistletoe! You keep Christmas in your way, and I'll keep it in mine!" Ryou flamed. "Keep it? Have you ever even once thought about keeping it? Even I you don't. I've been happy with many things that didn't give me money. Christmas is one of them. Men and women always seem to open their shut up hearts! There's peace! Dine with Fred and me, tomorrow, Uncle! Please!" Ichigo clapped wildly for Mint. Ryou glared at her, and Ichigo turned the heater off. "If you make any more sounds, you'll keep Christmas without a job." He turned back to Mint. "You should be on the debate team, if not Parliament. You are a powerful speaker." "Come and eat dinner!" "No." Ryou said flatly. "Why" "Why did you get married?" She replied anyway. "Because I fell in love." "Then no." "You ever came to see me before, why let it stop you now?" "Good afternoon." Ryou stared, opening the door. "Merry Christmas! And a happy new year! To you, too, Ichigo!" "Thank you!" Ichigo called out. Ryou mumbled to himself. "And Ichigo, with $15 a week, complaining about a merry Christmas…" Two women walked in the room.
"Do I have the pleasure to address Ryou or Keiichiro?" Said the first one. Her hair was green, and very long. She was plump. "Keiichiro's been dead seven years. He died on this very day. Anyway, what do you want?" Ryou asked. "The poor won't have enough to eat at all this year. But it's the time for giving, so please donate." The second one, named Berry, walked up. "How much should we put you down for?" She asked, holding a pen. Ryou rolled his eyes. "What happened to the prisons?" "Plenty of prisons," Berry said, not catching on. "What about the workhouses?" Lettuce, the first, stepped up again. "I wish they weren't, but they are in operation." "And the poor law?" Ryou asked his final question. "In order!" "Oh. I thought something happened and the poor had to be shooed away." "W-well, they are, but… We were trying to get them comforts, like meat, and warmth." Lettuce spoke. "So, what should we put you down for?" Berry asked again. "Nothing!" Ryou said. "Y-you want to be left… anonymous?" "I want to be left alone! If they're going to die, let them, and prices will go down. Why should I stoop into their business, anyway? Goodbye!" Ryou managed to shout. They were on their way out. As Ichigo opened the door, she slipped a couple of dollars into the first woman's hand.
"Ryou, can I have the day off tomorrow?" Ichigo asked. "Why?" "It's Christmas! I'll come in early the next day! Please?" "Fine." Ryou said. Ichigo was almost out the door when… "Merry Christmas, Ryou!" She said, and ran off. "Bah, humbug…"