Title: Punk Rock Christmas (My Christmas List)
Authoress: ChibiTari
Rating: PG-13/ R
Warnings: Humor, Romance, OC, AU, OOC, a lot of inappropriate language and CHRISTMAS CHEER (Trust me, with me in the house this HAS to be warning!!)!
Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade and I doubt the legal documents stating otherwise are going to wind up underneath my Christmas tree. I, obviously, didn't make up the most wonderful time of year CHRISTMAS! I do, however, own Miyami Kinomiya and her entire family except for Tyson and Grandpa Kinomiya. Amber Benson belongs to a friend of mine; Zadien (read her fics). Sonia 'Skip' Martini is the wonderous creation of Spitfire-Sae and Arista Belyaev is AzN*PyRo*ArCaDa's. Whew, nearly out of breath and I still have more characters to name off. Okay...Chaya Tate was thought up by KuriQuinn so no one take her and, finally, Aspin Grant's rightful maker is Animerle!! I think I'm done *takes deep breaths*
Summary: ---It's Christmas! I want everything, I just can't wait! Christmas! So don't stop spending and I want a million gifts that's right and I can't wait 'till midnight! Don't forget my Christmas list tonight! --- Persuading her friends to join her on a Holiday trip to Edinburgh, Scotland; Amber Benson organizes the winter vacation of a lifetime! Fresh out of college and ready for the world six girls, three guys and one unsuspecting guardian travel across the Atlantic from California to spend Christmas together. Of course, things wouldn't be the same if there wasn't a twist involved…
R.A.N: Mother of all things holy, it's nearly my favorite time of year! *Stars in eyes* with all of the lights, the decorations…the presents! I love Christmas! *Squeals like a little schoolgirl* I'm dedicating this fic, not only to the 9th House, but also to Zadien, Spitfire-Sae, AzN*PyRo*ArCaDa and Animerle! Happy Christmas my friends! God, you've just gotta love this time of year *sighs happily while daydreaming of Sugarplum Faeries*
Chapter One: Carols and Curses
-*-
Saturday, December 6th, 2008
"Nineteen fucking days!" Miyami Kinomiya shouted, punching the air with her free hand whilst the other held a meager black suitcase. Rolling her ochre eyes, Amber Benson followed her Japanese friend off of the airplane, glancing back at Arista Belyaev who wore an expression of glee at the sight of Edinburgh International Airport.
"Are you coming or do you want to live forever on flight 213 wearing six sweaters and a ski mask?" Tyson said, amused as he watched an old comrade of his wrap her arms around her self, shifting the weight of her duffle bag from one shoulder to the other.
"I don't appreciate this!" Sonia Martini barked out from underneath the ski mask, glaring at the navy headed youth as he neared her, a determined look sketched onto his features. "What are you doing? Go away! Don't come any closer! Tyson Kinomiya, I'm going to kill you…!!" Tyson bent forward, pressing his left shoulder into the American's well covered stomach before lifting himself up again, a loud and rather angry girl flailing her limbs on his shoulder.
"You wouldn't come freely so we had to use force!" Michael Malo laughed, giving his best friend, Rei Kon, a high five, catching the bag the Chinese boy threw over to him. "Where's the taxi going to be waiting for us?"
"No idea," A blond, brown eyed young woman beamed, brushing her hair away from her face. "I think it should be out front where all of the other taxi usually wait for passengers..."
"Cute, Tate, real cute," Malo deadpanned, giving the girl a dry look before making his slow way down the steel steps and onto solid ground after nearly six or seven hours of being in the air.
"Ain't I just?" Chaya replied sweetly, the angelic smile dripping away into a sarcastic scowl as she dragged her suitcase along behind her.
"Ah, finally, we're here! Hello Scotland, here I come!" Rei breathed in heavily, stretching his arms above his head and making his way after Malo and Chaya. Just then a body collided with his own and the drowsy voice of Aspin Grant flooded his ears.
"Are we there yet?" She muttered, rubbing her eyes and pulling her lavender hair back into a high ponytail, leaving only newly cut layers to frame her sleep-deprived face.
"Yep," Rei said, wrapping his arm around his friend's waist, helping over to the little group that had formed at the base of the stairs. "Okay guys, now what?"
"Now we try and find all of our luggage, find the taxi we asked for, get to the hotel after twenty minutes of try to fit into the most-likely-to-be-cramped car and then find somewhere to eat." The silver haired girl answered, leaping onto her Japanese cousin's back after he placed a furious Skip back onto the cement ground.
"You know I love you," He winked, pressing his lips to the American's cheek.
"You damn well better if you want to live to see a stocking full of presents,"
The group laughed boisterously, attracting some very odd stares from other passengers while they made their way into the heated airport. A tall and well built boy with short silver hair and dark grey eyes practically stumbled out of the exit, three or four suitcases and knapsacks in his hands and on his shoulders. Miyami grinned upon seeing her eldest brother, stepping down off of Tyson and racing over to help him with the bags.
"Okay, who belongs to a black corduroy backpack with a Bad Religion patch on it?" She called over to her friends, watching as Malo shot his hand into the air. "Well, come and get it, dumbass! My family ain't born into a life of slavery; you carry your own bags!"
"Man, I already have one," The redhead whined mockingly, taking his worn bag from Alec. "Thanks,"
"No biggy," The twenty-five year-old sighed, dropping the rest of what he had struggled to get off of the massive British Airways plane.
"Now, for the green duffle bag? Anyone?" Tyson went to claim what was his, handing Arista her black and purple knapsack. "Hot pink corduroy bag?" Miyami held the bright backpack high in the air before her eyes snapped open and a sheepish smile spread over her small lips. "Right, that's mine..."
"Let's go guys, we still have to sign ourselves into the hotel and get unpacked for three weeks of madness..." Chaya said, taking Rei's hand and winding through the crowd of tourists and those returning home for the holidays which were quickly approaching.
The airport was decorated for the season with holly strung from the ceiling and immense pin trees lit with reds and whites at the entrance of every boarding station. Miyami's eyes shone as she snuggled further into her boyfriends shoulder, twining her fingers into Malo's own. It was then that his face twisted into disgust and fear and his whispered something to Rei.
"She's back," He moaned, regarding a plump and kind-looking old woman. "God save us,"
Swallowing hard the two boys dashed out of the circle of friends and tore their way down the length of the Edinburgh International Airport, trying desperately to find a safe haven.
"Oh boys!" An aged voice cried after them and the woman pursued with an affectionate and eager expression.
Everyone turned to one another, hardly able to contain the laughter that followed the scene.
And to think, only three years before that Miyami hadn't know half of the people she chose to call a close-knit group of friends. They had all changed since high school, some only through new haircuts and others through their faces or heights.
Amber Benson, Irishwoman if there ever was one, had grown a good five inches or so and just barely reached five-foot-five. The long ebony tangles she had had in Grade Twelve had magically vanished and were cut just below her shoulder with chunky streaks of gold dyed into the tresses.
Rummaging through her rucksack, Amber pulled out her 'Lost Prophets' sweater, pulling it over her head as she tried to warm herself up again. Scotland wasn't as cold as it should have been around December but the air was still chilled and definitely not like the California weather she had grown used to. She wore a pair of dark green, almost black jeans that had been cut a few inches below the knee and a pair of black boots with lime green laces. Nibbling on the sleeve of her sweater, Amber stared around her, taking a seat on her bag while waiting for Malo and Rei to return.
Beside her, Arista Belyaev took a seat on the luggage round-a-bout, leaning back against her cousin, Tyson. The trademark Belyaev silver hair had been layered and the tips remained tinted gold, something she had refused to give up even though Alec had begged her to let him do something new with Russian's mane. Arista had held her ground against her eldest Kinomiya cousin and had done the gold herself when she had returned home in the spring of last year.
The jeans she wore were faded and patched up in certain places but looked comfortable enough. A long sleeved black shirt worn underneath Miyami's snug fitting jean vest was all she wore on top. On her hands were leather fingerless gloves which her mother had bought her last Christmas.
"Where are those two?" She asked, her voice thick and animated.
"No idea," Tyson huffed, playing with the ends of Arista's hair. He was much taller than he was at the end of high school, his hair had been cut slightly and his voice had deepened considerably. Everyone had joked about how puberty had hit him a little late but they stopped once he had grown. He still wore the baseball cap Keith had bought him when he was in Elementary school but instead of his usual 'all-out-colours' look, he went for the more subtle style. A pair of black Dickies were held up with a studded belt, his 'The Clash' shirt partially tucked in. The sleeves were rolled up above the elbow and on one wrist a plain leather band was strapped.
"They'd better get back soon, we gotta go!" Aspin muttered, her fingers moving quickly from one button to the next on her gameboy. "Yes!" Her arms shot into the air as she beat another level of the game she played. "Thank you whoever's up there!"
"And here we thought you said you trusted only your skill as a professional gamer." Miyami grinned.
"Oh, believe me, I do. I also believe that thanking whoever's up there is a good way to enhance those skills..."
"You're bribing God to give you better skills? Man, and I thought I was crazy." Chaya snickered, hearing Amber growl next to her the chewed away material of her sweater caught with her lip ring.
"Crap it!"
Aspin shook her head; pulling her friend over to her and helping her remove the thread that had tied itself to the small silver hoop.
"Cheers," The Irishwoman grumbled, moving back to her original seat on the ground.
"It was nothing," Distracted, Aspin continued with her game, pulling the shirt she had taken from Mariah the day before they left for Canada. Aspin hadn't changed dramatically like Tyson but the lavender locks had been straightened and trimmed, layered only near the front so that she now had long bangs. Because of an accident in Alec's basement barber shop, the front was black whereas the rest was still its natural colour. The day that had happened nobody was too sure whether to kill Alec for his stupidity or let him off the hook and have Aspin do the maiming herself.
Jean capris and Mariah's 'Idoless' t-shirt complemented her style. A grey sweater was tied around her waist for the time being and Arista's boots adorned her feet. Still drying running shoes hung by the laces from her knapsack, soaked through from the incident in Dorval. Malo being who he is got them all into a snowball fight and hadn't realized there was a deep puddle near where he was dragging Aspin. Both he and Aspin slipped and fell into it, then forced to change in the airport bathrooms. It had been six hours and thirty-eight minutes since Aspin had stopped talking to the Irishman.
The necklace her boyfriend, Kane, had bought her on Valentines Day two years ago hung from her neck, standing out from the rest of what she wore. The diamonds which formed a small heart glittered against the charcoal of her t-shirt, making it very visible to the rest of the world.
"Hey, Miyami, did you bring that Rancid CD with you?" Arista asked slowly, unsure if she should name which one she meant or leave the question as-is.
"Yep, the one with 'Red Hot Moon', right?" Miyami rummaged through her things, pulling out her discman and pressing play, increasing the volume so that everybody could hear the song.
"Good, good," Her cousin nodded, stepping over Aspin to reach Miya who now jumped around in place, forming a one-man moshpit.
"Under the Red Hot Moon, take a bus downtown to the graveyard shift tonight! Under the Red Hot Moon, take the bus downtown to the graveyard shift tonight!" The two sang, Miyami waving her hand in the air, throwing out the Kyuss sign. Bobbing their heads in the way they would at a concert, the relatives marched around, singing what lyrics they knew.
"We aren't related," Alec breathed, glancing at his sister and cousin. Tyson sighed in agreement and chuckled helplessly before pushing himself off of the luggage round-a-bout and over to the girls. Aspin, Chaya and Amber, by this time, had joined their friends, jumping around and dancing together, holding the other's hand and pulling in and pushing away from one another, creating a simple jig on the spot.
"Under the Red Hot Moon, take the bus downtown to the graveyard shit tonight!"
Skip shivered and moved closer to Alec who gave her an odd look, placing his arm on her shoulder.
"Are you sure you wouldn't much rather just take off all of those sweaters and that creepy ski mask?" He wondered, raising a silver brow. Skip shook her head and nuzzled further into the elder boy. "Whatever you want, I guess. But seriously, it's not that cold in Scotland!"
"Th-that's what you said about Canada, and look what happened!" The garnet haired girl sneezed, glaring daggers up at her friend's brother. He simply smiled back and waved the group of moshpitting rockers over to him.
"Hey brother-unit, why'd j'ya stop the fun?" Miya panted, a lopsided grin plastered on her flushed face.
"Because Malo and Kon have been sighted, still running away from a now cranky looking old woman. Grab what you can and move to the front of the building. Miyami, you and I are going in!"
"Sir yes sir!" Everybody excluding Skip saluted the eldest Kinomiya and hurriedly grabbed what they could, dumping the heavier bags onto a trolley that seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Of course, the couple who had originally retrieved the trolley for their use thought otherwise and wore shocked and angered expression while they watched seven young adults take off with it!
Miyami and Alec raced over, pushing past Malo and Rei, telling them to go to the font of the airport where the others would meet them. The redhead and raven haired youths thankfully raced off, leaving the siblings to deal with the aged woman.
"Hello ma'am," Alec said politely, grabbing the woman by her shoulders when she tried to move by them.
"Hmm...Oh, hello dear, what is it?" Her voice was high and shaky, but her expression warm. This made the two wonder what could have caused her to get so angry.
"I was just wondering why you were chasing after me friends, it all,"
"Those two boys!" The wrinkled mouth turned downwards into a dark scowl, forcing Miyami and Alec to step a little ways back and away from potential danger. "I sat beside them the entire way over and they had the nerve to tell me they weren't with anyone!"
"Okay, somebody is suffering from miscommunication issues...and I don't think it's the old lady either," Miyami huffed out, urging the woman to continue.
"They are the most rude, inconsiderate, ill-mannered boys I have ever met in my eighty-six years and they have no right screeching and disturbing others on and off of the airplane! You tell them that, would you dears?" The anger in her eyes subsided as she spoke to Miyami and Alec.
"Sure thing," The younger of the two spluttered, turning to find her friends and leave her brother alone with the crazy old bat.
After a few minutes of wandering, she found the front entrance and her comrades, all of whom were panting and laughing, clearly out of breath from their run from one side of Edinburgh International Airport to the other. Amber was slumped over the bags on the trolley, Aspin leaning her weight against its handles. Arista and Tyson were on the floor, laughing at both Rei and Malo. Chaya kept her eyes on the book she had been reading on the plane not out of breath at all. She had ridden the trolley again…
Miyami neared them, glancing at her reflection in the glass of the doors. She hadn't changed much size-wise but her hair had. The long silver tresses had been cut just below her chin, getting shorter as it went back. The back of it was spiked and the front flared outward, her pink, green and black streaks had disappeared, leaving only violet and flamingo pink staining the long hairs in the front. Her eyebrow ring was still there, as was her tragus piercing but most others were gone. From six on each ear to three or four and from two on her stomach to only one on her navel.
Punk-rock was still her chosen look and currently she wore her pink leopard skin cap and her patched and pinned jean jacket. The same jean jacket she had 'borrowed' from Amber at the end of their Grade Twelve year after the band got the record deal.
That's partially how they were able to pay for their trip...
The only thing keeping her legs warm were the patchwork, skin tight shorts which ended above the knee, sewn together from different long pieces of black or normal leopard skin materials. Her faded jean skirt was, as usual, worn short and the black hooded sweater kept the warmth in underneath the jacket. With her sweater now open, her white 'Anarchy' wife-beater was visible.
Naturally, Miyami wouldn't be Miyami if she didn't have her Doc Martin boots but instead of the red laces she had strung through the holes in Grade Eleven, she had pink shoelaces.
"Damnit, what the hell were you telling that freaky old lady!? She's pissed as hell!" Malo pulled his girlfriend over to him, nuzzling his face into her neck.
"I have no fucking clue," He muttered against her skin, pulling in the silver chain she wore around her neck with his teeth.
"Quit it! That tickles!" She giggled, pushing him away slightly.
"Okay you two love birds, let's roll," Amber said, pulling her sunglasses out from her leather jacket.
"Oh God, shut it Ami!" Arista snickered, linking arms with Skip who was still refusing to take all she had on off rather than suffer from heat stroke.
"There's no way you can make me! I could die of pneumonia! You said Canada wouldn't be cold and instead I was freezing, I'm not taking any chances with Scotland!" She snarled out.
Making their way with over to the taxi route, they looked around from which was theirs. A limozine was parked near the front of the line, a sign reading 'Benson' was held up by a fancy looking driver.
"Holy crapdamnshit, your mom sure goes all-out!" Chaya said to the Irishwoman, shocked.
Whistles flew threw the air as Amber and her companions neared their ride to the hotel. Alec came racing after them, weaving in and out through the crowd, a furious aged woman pursuing him with her handbag flailing around in the air.
"Get in!" He shouted, "Get in before she kills me!"
Tossing their bags and things quickly into the trunk, everyone crammed into the limo, shutting the door after Alec had jumped in. The driver nodded curtly to them, asking for directions to where they were supposed to be. Malo handed him a piece of paper with the address of the hotel scribbled on it, hoping it would help somewhat. It apparently did.
Skip remained glare but with the heat from the car circulating throughout she finally chose to remove her six sweaters and the ski mask. Garnet and blond hair tumbled from underneath the mask only to river past her shoulder blades. The front was pulled back into a half-ponytail while wavy bangs had to be pushed away from her aquamarine eyes.
Removing her sweaters seemed quite the task but once everything was off she was left only with her bright Hawaiian blue t-shirt and white blouse, the sleeves hanging over her hands. She wore khaki pants and seemed the most relatively normal out of the bunch. Her running shoes were soaked through as well but she had no other shoes to replace them with, even though Rei had offered her his boots.
"Yeah! Go Skip!" Her friends cheered mockingly. Sticking out her tongue, Sonia laughed along with them, throwing her sweaters at whoever wouldn't stop laughing at her.
"Nineteen fucking days!" The group cried, throwing their arms skyward, their fingers brushing the roof of the limozine.
-*-
Red Hot Moon (Rancid)
Under the red hot moon
take the bus downtown to the graveyard shift tonight
KC's from Campbell, California
She's got a reputation that she didn't ask for
And she's waiting for an escape now
That escape is called the 164
Now KC, she don't want to admit where she is from
And KC, she wants to run run run
She's a punk rocker, she don't trust no one
On a South Bay bus all alone
Under the red hot moon
take the bus downtown to the graveyard shift tonight
KC was never caught up like the rest of the rats in a fucking maze
"Check me out," she said, "I'm in a concrete jungle,
I'm an individual and you are stuck in a haze
Oh hell no, she knows what the truth is, cause she says so
And she knows who her friends are, so fuck you
Don't get no closer, it will only make her run far away
Under the red hot moon
take the bus downtown to the graveyard shift tonight
I knew KC's brother pretty well
Lets say we spent a lot of time hanging out
I always thought he said that she'd be the one
To get out of here and make a life for herself
But when we found her in the little league park
In the dugouts it was cold damp and dark
And no one knew why she wouldn't wake up
I think she finally made it back home
Under the red hot moon
Take the bus downtown to the graveyard shift tonight
[Skinhead Rob's part:] One time for your mind, two times for your
soul, three four, the graveyards and the money I fold. Dipped out in the city
where the sun burns slow, no hope, it's a pity, I can't say no. It's not my
time to go, it's not my time to die, the last thing I want is for my mother to
cry. It was love at first light that very first night; things have never been
the same since I took my first flight. The way I live my life, I love, I live
lavish. You lost me from the start, you lose, you'll never have this. Untouched,
unleashed, back up, you don't want it. Stick him for his cash, his bad; it's
how he flaunts it. Take two and pass, I'll take two and blast. Bust a mother fucker;
I'm out on the smash. Dipped out, I'm high as fuck, I'm outta control. Let's
bounce, rock, skate, man, I'm ready to roll.
Under a red hot moon
under a red hot moon
Okay then that was a very interesting chapter, huh? Made up only of introductions and characteristics...Sorry about that…
Anyway, I recommend that ya'll download My Christmas List by Simple Plan! It rocks and I wrote the entire things while listening to it! It's great! Anywho, thanks for reading this far and in the next chapter things come together a little better. For those Miyami/ Jonny supporters out there, you'll have your fun soon enough! And for those who like Amber/ Kai…you'll see what happens. Aspin/ Kane, Arista/ and someone AzN*PyRo*ArCaDa would kill me for if she found out now and finally Skip/ Ozuma…Ya'll get your chance.
I would like to state now that this does SOMEWHAT follow along after Dancing on the Live Man's Grave but not completely. You'll see why later on.