Interlude: The Ideal Christmas
The word Christmas evokes many sensations in different people – the company and laughter of a family, the tearing of wrapping paper to reveal treasures (or not-as-appreciated-treasures), the solemn uplifting sermons and hymnal strains in a church service. However, these sensations may not be what those people would care to associate Christmas with. In fact, for some, Christmas is a time of dread, of being forced to participate in activities hated, of being stuffed with food unwanted, of receiving gifts so thoughtless it rather makes the whole gift-giving exercise pointless.
If only people could plan their perfect, ideal Christmas, and actually have it happen…
Ciel Phantomhive
The Phantomhives always celebrate Christmas together, with the whole family gathering at the Phantomhive estates. In the morning, we sit outside in a glade of maple trees if the weather is fine or in the Ballroom if it is not, and listen to a short sermon about the true meaning of Christmas. The Phantomhive nativity play follows the sermon before going into the Dining Room for a small lunch. Then we scatter to our various rooms in the Mansion to prepare for the banquet and ball later that afternoon.
I do not really mind spending Christmas as I have always done; in fact, I enjoy listening to the morning sermon. Although I wish the rest of my family held the same disdain for the outdoor world as I did and held the sermon indoors. I also do not mind having Mother and Father fussing over me after lunch to get me more ready for the banquet. I would prefer to spend the rest of the day reading in the library or playing chess or similar games with Sebastian, but I can do that any day, and I barely see my parents, so I make it a point to allow Mother and Father to fuss over me as much as they want to.
My two greatest oppositions to Christmas would therefore be, firstly, the whole family's insistence that I participate in the nativity play every single year. Everyone else in the play is always below the age of twelve, yet they insist on my being in the cast. And not just in the play, but as an angel. A female angel. My second opposition to Christmas would be the family's insistence to dress me in a neo-Victorian style ball gown. As if dressing me as the lead minor female angel was not enough, they have to dress me as a female again.
I have a feeling that some distant relatives actually regard me as a girl. I asked Sebastian if he had noticed too, but he just smirked at me. Which I take as a yes.
So, in conclusion, my ideal Christmas would be if I could spend the whole Phantomhive Christmas celebrations dressed appropriately for both my age and my gender. Really, would that really be too hard to accomplish for us, the leading business empire in the world?
Sebastian Michaelis
I have always spent my Christmases with Ciel and his family. Once a Michaelis has become the partner for a Phantomhive, they are practically adopted into the Phantomhive's family. I find the whole occasion rather amusing, watching Ciel trying to persuade every year that no, he does not want to be an angel again because he is sure that cousin Alice or Katlyn or Zoe wants it, and failing.
What breaks my heart though, are the stories after Christmas. Stories flooding the news about the abandoned kittens at the pound, on the streets, chucked away as rubbish, appreciated for its cuteness for only a few days…
So my ideal Christmas would be if I could rescue all those kittens and cats before they were even received, and hold a cat party for them and with all the other cats that I'd rescued before, or were from neighbouring houses, or were strays just passing by. Because these cats need more love.
Elizabeth Midford
My Christmas right now is perfect already. Morning service at our local church, then a small lunch for only my parents, my brother and me, before we hold separate parties that night for us and our friends.
It's hard getting my group out every year for Christmas for my party though, so the thing I'd probably wish for the most would be them being able to come definitely each and every year. I mean, the only people I ever invite are my five girls, so if they don't come… I'd have to go join my brother's party. And that's just awkward, my brother having to deal with his lil' sister while trying to talk to his friends.
Daddy's asked me before why I don't stay at home by myself, or go with him and Mum. I just tell him that I don't want to spend Christmas alone and he usually stops asking. But seriously. Even awkward convos with my brother's friends would be more fun than sitting with him and Mum listening to business and stuff on Christmas. Like, I know I have to do that someday, but I'll leave that to someday after growing up and graduating or whatever, you know?
Josh Clarke
I always go down to the beach with my mates on Christmas to catch some sun and surf before coming back for our family dinner thing. Which is cool, but it'll be cooler if I could like, I don't know, stay at the beach from morning to night?
It'll be me and my family and my mates and whoever they need to spend Christmas with, so that we don't have to go anywhere afterwards. We'll go to a secluded, no-one-ever-comes-to-this-awesome-beach type of beach and live in beach resort-y huts or whatever. And then we'll wake up at the crack of dawn to catch awesome dawn waves before breakfast on the patio thing.
After that, we'd go to play beach soccer or volleyball, before coming back for some lunch, then going into the water or napping or doing whatever. At night, after the sun's set, we'd build a bonfire on the beach and have the massivest feast right there on the beach, with awesome music blaring out of nowhere and the food just magically appearing, and yeah. How fun would that be…?
MERRY CHRISTMAS! As you can see, here's an insight into their 'perfect Christmas' plans for the four main characters. Josh was totally not going to be a main character when I created him - I was just gonna use him as a running joke about jocks and the 'cool group' in general... but I like him too much now to do that to him hahahahahaha so yeah!
Also, I can't remember to save my life if I'd already given Josh a last name. So from now on it's Clarke.
If it was OOC, sorry. It won't last :P If you wanted to see more of the other character's ideal Christmases, tell me and I'll put them up at the end of next chappie ^^
Part II I'll post on New Year's Day. The moment Sydney enters the New Year! Because greeting a New Year totally deserves a new chappie :D Have fun for your celebrations for that, and don't forget to stay safe! :)
Thank you to the new favouritors, alerters, and reviewers! You make my day! Here's some smuggled turkey and ham and soup and other fancy foods from the Phantomhive banquet for you to nibble on. Proper acknowledgements'll be made next chappie :)))
And that's all from me for now~ Merry Christmas again, and I'll see you all next time~!
et-r
