Fiction of the Wolf: Hemispherical

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Hemispherical

by Red Wolf

Dawn looked up, she heard the high-pitched squeaks of the flying foxes as they flew overhead. "Not to be rude, Spike, but what are we doing here?" They were walking through Melbourne's Royal Botanical Gardens, which seemed an odd place for an evening stroll.

Dawn saw the corner of Spike's mouth quirk in amusement. He had a surprise and he was enjoying keeping her in the dark. He'd been torturing her all day, refusing to give her any clues about where they were going.

"What would we normally be doing on Christmas Eve if we weren't swanning about on the other side of the planet?"

It certainly wouldn't be taking an evening stroll on a balmy Summer's evening. It was more likely that they'd be tucked up on the couch under a blanket watching one of the usual movies of the season; Miracle on 34th Street if she had her way, Blackadder's Christmas Carol if Spike had any say in the matter. After much good-natured bantering and threats of blackmail, it was likely that all three would be watched.

"Well, we wouldn't be getting held up by weird native wildlife." As they'd entered the parks, a large brush-tailed possum had scampered out onto the path in front of them. Dawn had thought it adorable, until the marsupial had stood on its hind legs and demanded they part with food.

The little monster had even tried to block them from getting past. Dawn was just happy it was alone and didn't work in team. If that was the case, she thought they might have been tied up in the bushes, with serious notes sent off to their loved ones threatening payment in bread products or body parts would start turning up in the mail.

"You remember saying that you'd always wanted to see a movie at the drive-in?"

Dawn stopped and stared at Spike. "Yes..." she strung the word out. "But we're in a garden and on foot."

Spike took Dawn's hand, not saying a word as they walked into a great area of open lawn filled with people. Dawn didn't understand why they were all there until she noticed the screen.

"Cinema under the stars, love." He grinned at her look of amazement. The one good thing about being stuck in his hotel room had been finding out about the event from the local paper. He'd also learned way too much about local sports and politics for his liking, but seeing Dawn's face light up was worth it.

As they settled it for the movie Spike opened his backpack. "I brought a little taste of home." He handed her a thermos full of hot chocolate, a bag full of marshmallows and the world's ugliest snow globe. If you shook it the right way a kangaroo skied down the Sydney Opera House and collided with Uluru. It appeared to have been designed by somebody with no sense of geography, perspective, scale or taste and the background foliage appeared to indicate a broccoli fetish. Dawn was delighted.

"So, what's playing?" She shook the snow globe again, making the kangaroo ski backwards.

"Couldn't find a screen of It's a Wonderful Life on short notice, but it is a Christmas classic."

The opening credits started to roll and Dawn chuckled. It was Spike's other favourite Christmas movie; The Life of Brian. Christmas in the Southern hemisphere definitely had its charms.

Leni's Xmas Project for Kristi Allen — dawn/spike, christmas some place warm, snow, it's a wonderful life, spike drinking hot chocolate.

Published Babble Horde — 05.12.2004
Published fanfiction.net — 05.12.2004
Published Forever Fandom — 05.12.2004
Published Little Girl Lost — 05.12.2004
Published The Slayer's Fanfic Archive — 05.12.2004

Comments

This was sweet and funny, but I could see it in my mind and it was wonderful! — via The Slayer's FanFic Archive — posted by Revello1620 at 13.01.2005 20:06 AEST |

I adore this! Classic Spike/Dawn! So cute! — via LiveJournal — posted by Jessica at 13.01.2005 20:09 AEST |

Thanks, it was fun — via LiveJournal — posted by Red Wolf at 13.01.2005 20:09 AEST |

Aww, very sweet. :-) — via LiveJournal — posted by Anne at 13.01.2005 20:10 AEST |

Thank you! — via LiveJournal — posted by Red Wolf at 13.01.2005 20:10 AEST |

Love it! As always, great Spike/Dawn friendship — and excellent use of the request items — via LiveJournal — posted by Willa at 13.01.2005 20:11 AEST |

Consider this a followup to yours, it seemed silly to pack them off to Bora Bora when they were already somewhere warm at Christmas.

I was wondering how to work the movie in when I remembered Moonlight Cinema, a large screen is set up in an open area and you sit around on the grass watching it under the stars. The Life of Brian really is the Christmas Eve movie this yet — via LiveJournal — posted by Red Wolf at 13.01.2005 20:12 AEST |

Very sweet — soem nice lines too. Escpecially the possum — via fanfiction.net — posted by Just Wolf at 13.01.2005 20:13 AEST |

One quibble: you talk about "all three" movies near the beginning of the fic, yet you don't mention the third until the very end. A wee bit awkward, that.

Otherwise, very good! (Does the snow-globe really exist?) — via LiveJournal — posted by Elizabeth Culmer at 13.01.2005 20:22 AEST |

Bugger! Thanks for spotting the editing artefact.

Does the snow-globe really exist?

I hope not, but I've seen some really tacky tourist items and wouldn't be surprised if it did — via LiveJournal — posted by Red Wolf at 13.01.2005 20:22 AEST |

Spike and Blackadder — Perfect! :)

Nicely done, and it's always interesting to but Buffyverse characters over here! — via LiveJournal — posted by Cassie at 13.01.2005 20:28 AEST |

I've been pondering it for a while, but nothing seemed viable until now. The commute is a bitch.

It's just not Xmas with Blackadder — via LiveJournal — posted by Red Wolf at 13.01.2005 20:28 AEST |

::squee:: Okay now that that's out of the way! I loved this so much! Thank you thank you thank you! You did a great job with what I gave you (of course I knew you would) — via LiveJournal — posted by Kristi at 13.01.2005 20:39 AEST |

So happy you enjoyed it — via LiveJournal — posted by Red Wolf at 13.01.2005 20:40 AEST |

Awwww! — via LiveJournal — posted by IrishVampire13 at 13.01.2005 20:41 AEST |

Thanks! — via LiveJournal — posted by Red Wolf at 13.01.2005 20:42 AEST |

I never really thought of Dawn and Spike as a romantic couple... until I started reading your stuff. Well done — via fanfiction.net — posted by Mark at 13.01.2005 20:48 AEST |

It appeared to have been designed by somebody with no sense of geography, perspective, scale or taste and the background foliage appeared to indicate a broccoli fetish. Dawn was delighted.

Haha i loved that line. First Broccilo fetish and then Dawn being delighted. It had everything.

Great fic! I love it. :) — via LiveJournal — posted by becke at 13.01.2005 20:50 AEST |

You can't go wrong slipping a broccoli fetish into a story — via LiveJournal — posted by Red Wolf at 13.01.2005 20:51 AEST |

Aw, now that was so cute! I love the episode with the animal, heh, wildlife holding them hostage. Funny thought, very Dawn.

I'm almost afraid to ask if the snowglobe is real. lol — via LiveJournal — posted by Leni at 14.01.2005 12:52 AEST |

Brush Tail Possums do that, I've seen them holding bemused Japanese tourists hostage. They're about the size of a large cat and stand on their hind legs demanding food.

I'm hoping the snowglobe isn't real, but I've seen some that come close — via LiveJournal — posted by Red Wolf at 14.01.2005 12:53 AEST |

I seriously adore your ficlets, especially the ones set in Australia (my homeland).

I'm sure it's just a typo, but you wrote Ulura, when it is in fact Uluru, also known to hard-headed caucasians and Ayres Rock — via fanfiction.net — posted by Bella Serafina at 03.02.2005 17:56 AEST |

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