2023 is almost over! What the fudge, that’s crazy. I feel pressure about doing something somewhat Christmas-related for the holiday, but I’m not good at coming up with themed Saturday Notes. Heck, I’m not good at coming up with ideas for Saturday Notes at all. This is what I get for wishing I was Limyaael.
Anyhow I’ve been playing Shadow of War and I still haven’t died yet! That’s encouraging.
Random Ideas for Christmas Stories
I didn’t know what to do, so I thought: what are some cool ideas for Christmas stories that I haven’t seen before?
Siege of the North Pole
You know how Tolkien wrote letters from Santa for his children? And in them, he would talk about adventures at the North Pole, and a colorful host of characters. There’s also bits about fighting off goblins. And I thought, you know, there are a lot of stories about monsters threatening Christmas or Santa Claus. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a story about Santa Claus and his elves fighting off one of these attempts?
[This would also make a great strategy game.]
I’m not asking for a hardcore war story here. It can be cartoonish or kid-friendly. In fact, I think I’d prefer that, with catapults made of candy canes to launch snowballs or something like that. It can be as ridiculous as you can imagine. I just think it would be a cool idea to do a siege story of the North Pole. Either make it a one-time deal, or have it so that the North Pole gets attacked so much that the people living there, like the elves, are prepared and sick of attacking forces. “YOU CAME TO THE WRONG POLAR ICE CAP!!!”
Saint Nicholas
ALL of the Santas
One of the things that amazes is how different countries have different versions of Santa Claus/Father Christmas. I would like to see a story where ALL of them exist, simultaneously, sort of like that one scene in the American Gods show with all the Jesus? Yeah, that, except Santa. And maybe have Krampus chilling out there, too, just for good measure. I feel like there are a ton of stories that try to cram in other figures, like the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, as Santa’s coworkers, and frankly I don’t care. Just put more Santas in there.
I don’t know if this works as a serious Plot, as such, or just a situation to put in a story? Maybe it works a short. You can have Santas comparing how the children in their country act, and how people believe in them. Presumably they all know each other, so it’s not as if they need introductions. But maybe they compare stats?
Imagine American Santa and Russian Santa comparing notes on how children are behaving in their countries, for instance. Or maybe French Santa has a rivalry with British Santa. Okay, yes, I know not every country calls their Saint Nicholas figure ‘Santa’, but you know what I mean. It’d be a fun little scene to picture, I think.
Rescuing Santa
Again, lots of Christmas stories involve Santa being kidnapped or attacked by monsters. I want to see a movie where the entire point is a heist-style story about rescuing Santa Claus. Maybe it’s a crack team of elves from the North Pole. Maybe it’s an international team that knows the world can’t function correctly without Santa Claus. Either way, this is enough material for a full movie or book.
I also think that it’d be funny to see that Santa is not as helpless as he seems when he’s captured? Maybe he just screws with his captors, because as Santa he has enough knowledge of how people work that he messes with them. Or maybe he’s got some fighting moves! Either way, you could make this entertaining as heck.
Christmas Reunions in Urban Fantasy/Superhero Stories/Science-Fiction
Alright, I do see this a lot already, but I want to see more of it: the bits of stories featuring people with weird powers, and they use it to celebrate Christmas. Like that episode of The Flash where Barry decorates the tree at superspeed. Or the episode of Justice League where we find out that the Kents had to wrap their presents specially so that Clark/Superman didn’t see through the wrapping and find out what the presents were before he opened them.
Give me more scenes like this! People with fire powers helping to cook the Christmas meal! People with plant powers growing and taking care of living Christmas trees and wreaths! Using ice powers to make a white Christmas!
Or even weirder things. Does this urban fantasy setting have dragons? I want to see the dragon parked in the yard for Christmas, with kids in the family climbing all over it. Is this science-fiction in space? Show me someone awkwardly hanging ornaments all over the starship. Are there tree people? How do they feel about Christmas trees and decorations? Talk to animals? Are there animals all around the house to celebrate Christmas?
Go nuts! And it doesn’t have to be limited to Christmas. Hanukkah! Kwanza! Whatever! As long as it’s not Human Light. I want to see cool holidays with genre flare on them.
Villain Christmas Break
Do you know that one story about enemy soldiers in World War I who had a truce on Christmas? Yeah, someone do that for, like, a superhero story. There is quite famously an episode of Batman: The Animated Series set around Christmas, and it’s good, don’t get me wrong. But I wonder if all the villains in Arkham have a Christmas party or something. Or if other villains decide that no, hurting or robbing people on Christmas is beneath them.
Someone could easily do something like this in an original universe. A bunch of villains, chilling out, talking to each other about what they’ve accomplished that year in crime, and avoiding causing trouble because it’s a holiday. For bonus points, the hero/heroes know where the villains all are, but because it’s Christmas, and they’re not bothering anyone at the time.
Or maybe the henchmen? Those guys’ lives must be interesting. They should have a good holiday party.
Santa Claus Vs. the Four Horsemen
I don’t know what to do with that, I just had that thought and want to throw it out there.
And that’s all I’ve got.
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