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II. THE GRINCH

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DECEMBER 1OTH

THE NEXT MORNING came faster than Blaise and Noel would've liked. The sun was cheerfully shining over the blossoming horizon, shimmering rays creeping into the opened windows to create a false sense of joy for those inside. Birds that were once thought to be extinct were soaring high through the skies as they did most mornings, Gaia keeping them safe on her world until she believed it was finally safe enough to gradually return them to their rightful homes as she did with all extinct or nearing extinction creatures.

Gusts of wind playfully rustled the vibrant leaves on the enormous trees surrounding the cozy home, the colors meshing together to create a rainbow-like scene from an all too perfect film. Gaia was somewhere amongst her thriving garden behind her home, cheerfully tending to her many plants and checking up on all of the gentle creatures to make sure all was well within her land. Neither of her sons were anywhere to be seen, both having stormed off to different rooms the night before after hearing what their punishment was going to be. Gaia hadn't been surprised by their reactions, having expected it after she'd made her decision.

What she hadn't expected was for someone to offer to be the boys' guide for their first few days on Earth and teach them the ins and outs of the realm (and also to make sure they didn't make a fool out of themselves; not completely, anyways).

    "My, you look absolutely beautiful," Gaia sweetly gushed, grinning brightly as Eira Henrikdottir made her way towards the red haired woman after arriving from Arcadia ━━━ Eira's homeworld. Eira's white hair was pulled back into an intricate braid, small snowflake barrettes tucked into the strands. Rather than wearing her usual attire of a sleek, blue dress that perfectly framed her figure, she'd exchanged it for a light blue suit and a white button-up blouse that was under a blazer with a blue bowtie secured under the collar. Her makeup was neatly done, her eyeshadow making her eyes pop and plump lips a glossy shade of pink. A chilly breeze seemed to follow the younger woman wherever she went, yet the change didn't come as a surprise to Gaia; like Noel, the cold seemed to find him, too. Eira's abilities to manipulate the cold were almost identical to Noel's, able to change the weather into whatever cold condition they saw fit ━━━ but apparently Eira had a little more self-control than Noel.

Gaia was almost disheartened that despite Eira and Noel sharing such similar powers, the two highly disliked one another and couldn't have been more opposite; she really thought they could've hit it off. Nevertheless, she was thankful that the woman had offered to guide the boys so they weren't completely helpless on an unpredictable world; Gaia had originally planned to seek out a friend of Eira's sister from Earth to help her sons adjust to the realm, but she was relieved that they would have someone they both knew around (even if they didn't like or get along with Eira).

    Eira returned the cheerful smile as she made her way towards Gaia, waving towards the older woman. "Says you! You look more radiant each and every time I see you, Gaia."

    Gaia softly chuckled, dismissively waving her hand at Eira's compliment. "You're too sweet, Eira." She stood up from where she was kneeled beside some roses, wiping the dirt from her hands off on the forest green apron she wore. It wasn't doing much to keep the rest of her from getting dirtied, but she didn't mind. She felt most at ease when tending to nature. She let out a content sigh, stealing a glance over her shoulder towards her home. She knew her sons wouldn't be on time to greet Eira and would sulk inside before they finally came outside to leave. Her gaze returned to Eira, offering her a small smile. "I really appreciate you doing this, Eira. Though, I should warn you━━━"

    "It's quite alright," Eira interjected, breathing out a laugh. "I have three siblings myself, and two of them are boys. I know just how to handle Blaise and Noel."

    Gaia chuckled along with Eira, turning her head when she heard the backdoor accidentally slam shut. Eira followed her gaze, her smile washing away as Noel and Blaise sluggishly descended down the porch. Her eyes sharply narrowed in on them, carefully watching them glumly approach her and Gaia.

"Finally!" Gaia cheered, beckoning her sons to come closer and at a faster pace. "I was beginning to think you boys decided to get a head start."

"Very funny, Mum," Blaise grumbled under his breath, tucking his hands into his pockets.

A prominent scowl appeared on Noel's face when catching sight of Eira, huffing towards his mother. "It's bad enough that you're sending us away like some juvenile delinquents, but does she really have to come along?"

Eira decided to respond before Gaia could. "I'm merely going as your guide, because without one, you two'll get lost and we wouldn't want that, would we?"

Blaise and Noel shared a silent look, sending daggers towards one another for getting them in this mess in the first place. Gaia huffed, shaking a finger towards her sons. "Now, you two will listen to Eira and do exactly as she says. You may know a few things about Earth, but it is a whole other story when you're actually there."

"Mum, we don't need a babysitter," Blaise said, tilting his head to the side. "How troublesome do you think we are?"

Gaia raised a daunting brow towards him. "Do you really want me to answer that, Blaise?" Blaise's silence answered her. Then she quietly sighed, a smile adorning her lips as she faced Eira once again. "If they give you any trouble, you know how to reach me."

Eira smirked, nodding in agreement. "Indeed I do," she replied, shooting the brothers a cautious stare. "So, don't get any ideas."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Blaise shortly sneered, narrowing his eyes just as Eira had done so.

The woman huffed, rolling her eyes. "Well, we really should be leaving now," she announced, deciding to just move on. She was rather ecstatic to witness the brothers' first trip to Earth; something they would most certainly remember until the end of time no matter what the outcome would be. "Let's get moving," Eira said, beginning to head towards a round clearing in the field near Gaia's home. "Wouldn't want to miss out on the excitement of New York, do you?"

At the revelation, both brothers halted in their steps, quickly turning to face their mother in disbelief. New York? Gaia fervently shook her head, rushing forward and placing her hands on their backs, nudging them forward again so they couldn't try and protest more than they already had. "No, none of that, boys," Gaia assured them, watching Eira fiddle with her hair as she stood in the field, right in the middle of a familiar circle that had been imprinted into the ground. "I chose New York because, despite what you've heard, it was the safest option for you boys. Eira is very familiar with the area, and she happens to know some people there who can help out if need be, but I'm hoping that you boys will manage on your own without much help."

"You're sending us to a foreign land and all you can say is that you hope we can manage on our own?" Blaise bitterly snapped, unable to hold back his tongue and let his rage fuel his sharp words.

Gaia tightly pursed her lips together, wringing her fingers together in front of her waist. "I wouldn't do this if I didn't think you boys couldn't handle it. Besides, you will have money and Eira has found a cozy place for you two to stay. I'm not just throwing you out onto the streets, boys."

"Yes, she's not a mortal, you know," Eira chimed in with an overly cheerful tone in her voice; she was soaking every part of the boys' punishment in and she was making sure they knew it, too.

Blaise and Noel unintentionally sighed together, both filled with utter doubt and dread.

There was no way this was ever going to work.

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Earth was nothing like what either of the Miser Brothers had expected when they imagined what they would have to face amongst the human world. It was obnoxiously loud, constant shouting and random noises bursting into their ears without much warning, overloading their senses. The neverending streets were crowded with dozens of vehicles of all models, nearly bumper to bumper in traffic with drivers growing more impatient with the world the longer they had to wait before they could start driving again. People of all races, and species, meshed together on the sidewalks, brushing against mere strangers or twisting and bending their bodies so as not to touch anyone else. A foul stench swirled through the foggy air, making the brothers shudder and cover their noses in disgust.

Eira took notice, rolling her eyes and nudging the boys to move forward. It wasn't often she came down to Earth, but she'd become accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the city and knew the ins and outs. Thankfully, Heimdall ━━━ an Asgardian capable of transporting beings through the Bifrost that connected all of the Realms ━━━ had dropped them off not too far away from an apartment complex where Blaise and Noel would be staying for the duration of their time on Earth. It didn't particularly help that it was nearly Christmas time ━━━ meaning that while Noel was perfectly content with the chilly weather that welcomed the trio ━━━ Blaise was shivering and frantically rubbing his hands over and over again on his arms to create some kind of heat in order to warm himself up.

"Okay, well, we're here," Noel said, pausing near the end of the alley where he had a better view of the grand city. Despite all of the chaos ensuing, it was still rather beautiful, especially with all of the detailed decorations widely spread throughout the city to bring more holiday joy. He turned away, giving Eira a pointed look while Blaise stood off to her side, nose still scrunched with distaste. "You're free to return to Arcadia, or wherever you need to be."

"Yeah, we can take it from here, Eira," Blaise agreed. He and Noel highly doubted their mother actually found a way to keep them from staying within 25 feet of each other, but they couldn't make sure of that without Eira gone and out of their way.

Eira suspiciously hummed, folding her arms over her chest. "Oh, really? Fine, have at it then boys," she encouraged, agreeing sooner than they expected. "Your mother won't be happy to find out you're not sticking together, though."

"That's the thing, Goddess of Snow," Blaise said, cautiously stepping out of the alley with Noel, "We never promised we would."

"See ya later, hot-head," Noel said to Blaise, plastering a smug smirk on his lips as he falsely saluted his big brother.

Blaise feigned a laugh, doing the same. "Good riddance, snowball."

Eira silently watched the brothers, shaking her head in disbelief as they parted ways from each other and started walking in opposite directions without having any clue as to where they were headed. "Unbelievable," she muttered, creeping towards the sidewalk, looking from one brother to the other. She let out a sigh, a small smile beginning to appear on her lips as she casually leaned against the brick wall next to her. "They deserve what's coming."

Silently, Eira kept close watch on the brothers, patiently waiting until they were exactly 25 feet apart. She almost felt sorry for what was about to happen to them, but then again, the whole point of sending them away was for them to grow closer, not further apart.

And, as expected, the second they became 25 feet apart, the brothers were yanked back together as if done by an invisible force. It was like unseen hands grabbed them by the collars of their shirts and forcefully threw them, their shouts of panic no doubt capturing the attention of every nearby pedestrian. Their arms and legs shook as they attempted to stop it, but with their powers gone and no magic tricks left up their sleeves, all they could do was wait for it to end. Then their bodies harshly crashed together, landing on the sidewalk with pained groans leaving their lips.

Eira ignored the strange stares of the New Yorkers, instead crouching down by the brothers while unable to hide her amusement. "I thought that with how smart you two are, you might've known your mother would take extra measures to prevent you boys from doing anything. . .stupid."

Noel grunted in pain, pushing himself up on his elbow. "A little warning would have been nice."

Eira snicked under her breath, holding her hand out to him. He scoffed and shoved it away with a sour expression. She caught Blaise's gaze, giving him a small smile and held her hand out to him. He reluctantly took it, allowing her to help him back onto his feet. Noel pushed himself up and dusted off his clothing, halting when seeing a few people were still gawking.

Eira glanced around at the crowd, lightly chuckling. "Boys," she dismissively laughed, subtly pulling Noel close to her side so as not to raise any more suspicion than they already had. "They do the strangest things, don't they?"

Eira didn't leave room for anyone to respond, instead grabbing Noel and Blaise's arms and tugging them in the right direction. She let go of them once they fell into step with her, a small smile tugged on her pink lips. No one spoke another word the entire time they walked down the sidewalk, but she saw how the brothers were taking the world around them all in, admiring the natural beauty of the city though they'd never admit; she didn't need to hear it when she was seeing it for herself. She didn't comment on it either, simply leading the way with a small smile on her lips and hands tucked into the pockets of her blazer. Neither of the brothers knew where they were headed, but with just a few turns here and there, they'd already become lost; there was no way they could've gone off on their own without some kind of assistance.

Soon enough, they spotted an extremely tall building slotted between a few shorter buildings with the same architecture work. It loomed over them as they stood on the sidewalk below, the gruff brown and black bricks giving it a rugged feel. Trees were neatly planted in front of it, blocking off some of the windows and providing those rooms with some shade. An older doorman stood outside the main entrance, a small smile on his stubbled face as he greeted those who came and went.

"This is where you two will be staying for your duration here," Eira said, carefully crossing the street with Blaise and Noel right behind her. "It's not too close to all of the noise, but it's close enough that, if it actually comes down to it, someone can easily find you and handle whatever situation you boys might've found yourselves in."

"Do you really have no faith in us, Eira?" Blaise questioned, cocking a brow towards the woman when she stole a glance over her shoulder.

Eira falsely laughed, rolling her eyes. "Are you serious, Heat Miser?" She requested to know, pausing on the sidewalk to face them, hands firmly placed on her hips. "You two tried running off the minute we got here! It would have to be a Christmas miracle for this to actually work."

"Sadly, I don't believe in miracles," Noel coldly replied. Eira raised her brows and shook her head, heading towards the complex rather than responding to the younger boy.

The brothers slowly trailed behind Eira, blinking in surprise as the doorman cheerfully greeted the woman and held the door open for her. "Good morning, your Highness," he said, "I was waiting for you to arrive."

"You're too kind, Monty," Eira warmly beamed, stealing a glance behind her. "These two may look like trouble, and they are, but I can promise they will be on their best behavior while they're here. Isn't that right, boys?"

Eira dangerously narrowed her eyes when they failed to respond.

"Yes, we promise," Blaise mumbled, speaking on his and his brother's behalf.

The doorman, Monty, didn't seem to believe them, but he trusted Eira ━━━ she was from his homeworld, after all.

"Come on then," Eira chirped, nudging her head towards the open door. "Destiny awaits."

With the rugged appearance outside, the brothers hadn't expected much from the complex. However, they were both proven wrong the minute they stepped inside the warm building.

Golden pillars were perfectly lined along the wide, square walls, white trim lining the high ceilings and flooring. The floor was shining bright like it was recently polished, almost allowing Noel to see his own reflection shimmering back at him. A large round desk was in the middle of the foyer, couches and chairs on the left and right for people to wait around. A few people lingered near the far hallway, elevators dinging and signaling their arrival. Noel hadn't read the sign above the entrance, but he assumed it was a hotel of some sorts.

Eira moved right past the front desk, offering one of the receptionists' a kind smile as she did so. Blaise and Noel followed along in confusion, eyes skimming every inch of the building.

"What is this place?" Noel couldn't help but wonder out loud, uncertain if it was a hotel like he'd originally thought.

"It's a hotel," Eira answered, pressing the elevator button and stepping aside. Blaise and Noel mimicked her, standing out of the way of people passing by. "But, some people live here, and I've arranged for you boys to stay right next door to someone my sister trusts."

"Do you not trust her?" Blaise requested.

"I do, but if you happen to mess things up with the person, it won't be me you have to deal with, but my sister."

Noel snickered at the thought, folding his arms over his chest. "I've met your sister," he said, hearing the elevator bell ding and the doors part. "She wouldn't hurt a soul."

Eira gave him a wicked smirk, walking past and into the spacious elevator. "Clearly it wasn't my sister you met then."

Noel slowly blinked, huffing when Blaise snickered under his breath upon seeing Noel's reaction. "Is there something you'd like to say━━━"

"There are thousands of things I wish to say━━━"

"Boys!" Eira scolded, shoving her way between them, hands pressed against their chests' and a prominent scowl on her lips with a storm raging in her cold eyes, "You two may be without your powers, but don't forget that I still have mine and I am not afraid to use them."

"Oh, we know all about that, Eira," Blaise sneered, jaw tightly clenched. Eira's face deterred, unable to shield the sting of his harsh words. Noel wasn't fazed by Blaise's hatred, but he didn't expect the words to truly affect Eira. Still, only a little over a year had passed since Eira was taken over by an unknown being, forced to watch herself do things she'd never imagined while she couldn't do a single thing about it to save the lives that were heinously taken without a second thought. It wasn't until Eira's younger sister, Aurora, intervened and just barely saved Eira, relieving New York from the terror Eira had reigned down on them. Eira was plagued with the images constantly popping into her head, reminding her of what she'd done. It might have been out of control, but she'd had a front row seat to it and she would never be about to forget. To bring that event up was an incredibly low blow, but Noel wasn't very surprised Blaise had been unable to keep his mouth shut. He was, after all, a hot head.

"Come on," Eira huffed, dropping her hands at her hips without looking at either of the brothers. "The sooner I leave, the sooner you two can prove to your mother that there's no mending your relationship or your bitter attitudes."

Noel almost wanted to say something to her, but he decided to remain silent. No one said anything as they rode in the elevator, the tension lingering in the air to make sure they all felt it. Once the elevator dinged and the doors opened, Eira stepped out without a single word and led the brothers to a door a few feet away. Then, she knocked.

"WAIT, DON'T COME IN YET!" A shrill voice shrieked from inside, making Blaise and Noel jolt in surprise. The corners of Eira's lips tweaked upwards, patiently standing in front of the wooden door.

The brothers were going to be in for a real treat with Sunny.

Eira let out a content sigh, briefly glancing aside when another elevator chimed. She watched a dark-haired boy exit, hair shaggy with a few pieces falling in his eyes. A worn-down book bag was lazily slung over his broad shoulder, a small smile on his lips as he removed his dated headphones from his ears.

Eira recognized him as Jack Ickermann, the a━━━

"Ah, let me guess," Jack smugly began, fishing out a set of keys from his jean jacket as he casually made his way towards them, "These are the two who'll be living next door until they stop acting like children?"

Eira instantly reached over, placing her hands over Blaise and Noel's mouths just as their lips parted to retaliate. "They are indeed," she replied, keeping her hand on their mouths as she knew they'd sputter out their insults and rude replies the minute she removed her hand. "And if they give you or Sunny any trouble━━━"

"She knows who to call," Jack finished for the woman, his smirk never faltering.

"Will you boys play nice if I remove my hand?" Eira darkly questioned, glancing between them. Jack snickered under his breath, shaking his head. He shuffled past Noel, standing in front of the door to unlock it. Eira's eyes widened, hands falling from the boys' mouths. "Wait! Sunny said n━━━"

The second the door opened, a small, golden ball of fluff went hurtling out of the room and straight down the hall. Jack stumbled in surprise, gasping as the golden retriever puppy took off with her tongue flopping out of the side of her mouth and an excited bounce in each of her steps. A surprised shout echoed from inside the room, a black-haired woman with dark skin came hurrying over with a sun-themed apron tied around her neck and waist, stained with different colors of icing. "No, Lucy!" Sunny desperately shouted, tumbling out of the door with a distressed look upon her features.

"Don't worry, I got her," Jack huffed, sliding his bag off his shoulder and letting it fall beside the door. He hurried after the puppy, hollering and shouting for her to come back, and if she did, he'd give her all the treats she wanted.

Blaise and Noel watched in confusion, eyes trailing after the boy and the energized puppy who only ran faster the closer Jack became; they'd never seen a dog before.

Sunny let out a heavy sigh, shaking her head as Jack rounded a corner behind Lucy. She leaned against the doorframe, folding her arms over her chest. Her attention shifted to Eira and the brothers, doing a double take at their appearances. She wasn't sure what she was expecting exactly when Eira's sister asked her to watch over two of Eira's 'friends', but it certainly wasn't them.

With one brother a fiery redhead and the other with black locks, she almost didn't believe it, but she could see the similarities. She could sense they were both hesitant and cautious in a new world, and she could see that in their eyes. Sharp jaws were tightly clenched, the older of the two standing tall with his red curls dangling on the back of his neck.

With a small smile, Sunny moved aside and motioned to the inside of the suite. "Please, come in," she said, receiving a cheerful smile from Eira.

Eira grabbed the boys' arms and tugged them inside much to their dismay. Sunny carefully eyed them, peeking out of the door to see if Jack was back yet. He wasn't, but she could hear his voice echoing off the walls the longer he chased Lucy. She lightly chuckled to herself, picking up his bag and bringing it inside before partially closing the door.

Sunny gently set it on a stool by the kitchen counter, making her way into the living room where Eira and the brothers were sat ━━━ both as far away from each other as they could possibly be. Eira was quietly chatting with them, neither one very pleased. Sunny was almost unsure if she should've sat down with them, but Eira had finished speaking the moment she walked over. She grinned towards Sunny, seeing the woman sit on the couch opposite of her.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Sunny," Eira stated. "I can assure you Blaise and Noel won't be any trouble."

"We'll see about that." Their heads turned to the side, spotting Jack standing near the dining table with a panting Lucy carefully cradled in his arms. Blaise clenched his fists as Noel dangerously narrowed his eyes towards the boy. Jack ignored Sunny's glare, sitting on the edge of the table. "Say, where are you two from, anyways? Or should ask ━━━ what are you two?"

Sunny heavily sighed, closing her eyes.

It was certainly going to be an eventful December, but Sunny hoped it would still be the most wonderful time of the year.

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Hi, hello everyone!!! So, this wasn't up as soon as I was hoping, but it's here now!!!

I did mention another event from one of my currently drafted fics, but I hope I explained it enough as not to be super confusing for any of you! I didn't want to give it all away, but it is a bit spoilery for one of my upcoming fics, but I just won't say which one!

Anyways, please don't forget to leave your feedback in the comments and I hope y'all enjoyed!!