Whoville
10 years ago

For centuries, Saga has been banished from her home, forced to roam a place so foreign. She had been cast out because of her disdain. Her family, why they considered her a stain to their linage, for they didn't even try to defend her against her friend. Why Odin, he had enough of her ways, so he sent her away to place where there was only happiness and never any nastiness. Whoville was the name, and though Saga was angry at Odin for sending her away, she knew there was no one other than herself to blame.

With the banishment, Saga knew that nobody would know her name. It was a chance to start fresh. She had many options, so she chose refresh and became the Grinch ─ a name many Asagardian had called her ─ and put behind her all the rest. For much time she lived amongst the Whos and she grew in character. All nastiness had went away, replaced with love and happiness. The Whos, why loved her, and the Grinch felt the same. It was like she was home in this new world, and to Asgard she never planned to return.

But this happiness, it did not last. She didn't mean to, of course, but those nasty ways of her past, why they had returned and fast. The Grinch never wanted anything to happen, she forbid herself to grow hateful of the Whos, but she did in the end, it was fateful. Like it was natural instinct for her to be distasteful, she severed the bond of those she grew fond. They grew to fear her with each sneer, so the Grinch left. She went north to a cavern, where she spent many a century. But every century or so when they would forget her name, she come back to try again, this time much more tame.

This was the Grinch's fourth try for happiness. She had to do good this time. "No more nastiness," she whispered to herself while walking the streets of Whoville. She wore a navy blue trench coat with green gloves and fur and boots on her feet as she trudged through snow, glancing around while wondering where to go.

Eventually, the Grinch could hear music. It was a Christmas ballad, ones she's heard many times before, back when she owned a house on Hopewell Who Street. She followed the noise toward a pub. It was a small little nook, but one that stood tall. The Poinsettia Pub, read the sign overhead. "Doesn't look so bad," she said with a shrug as she peered in through the glass window.

"What a bright time, it's the right time, to rock the night away."

A bell chimed above her head, announcing her presence, and why this pub it did have much pleasance. She smiled at those who looked at her, greeting them with kindness. They remained mindless to the fact she was the Grinch, all peering toward the singer on the stage, whose voice was so angelic one would not even flinch. The pub was dark, illuminated in Christmas lights of red and green with tinsel and tuffs of fake snow and yule logs upon the fire with care. The place was rather clean. The food smelled delicious and alcoholic drinks were being served. The Grinch swerved, making her way through the crowd and toward the bar where she claimed a stool and observed.

"Jingle bell time is a swell time to go gliding in a one-horse sleigh."

"What can I get you?" the bartender asked. His name tag read Fred, his hair dark and face handsome. He held a towel in his hand while cleaning the counter in front of her with grace.

"Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet, jingle around the clock."

The Grinch pondered for a moment, and wondered if they still had her favorite drink of peppermint schnapps on the rocks. But then she decided to try something new and said, "What's your best drink of the night, Fred?"

"Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet. That's the jingle bell rock."

"Well, the spiked eggnog has been a favorite of the evening," Fred replied.

"Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock. Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time."

The Grinch smiled. "One spiked eggnog then, please."

"Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square, in the frosty air."

With a nod, Fred began to make her some spiked eggnog. As he did, she turned to observed the crowd, the music still loud. The pub was packed full of men and women of all shapes and sizes, ages varying from fifties to twenties. Some were married, some friends, some lonely ole drinkers, but there was only one person that the Grinch saw that stood out amongst the crowd. The woman sat alone, sipping on a glass of near-empty eggnog at a table. She was beautiful, like a Goddess, as if she could have her own throne.

"Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock. Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time."

"Make that two, please," the Grinch said to Fred, who gave her a nod and poured two glasses instead of one. She thanked Fred and left him some money, before heading toward the table to greet the fine honey. She approached the table with a fast beating heart, the nervous feeling only fleeting.

"Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun, now the jingle hop has begun."

"For you," The Grinch said as she slid the second glass of eggnog toward the brunette woman. She looked up and smiled wide, eyes gleaming with constellations and the Grinch, why she swore her heart died right then and there.

"Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock. Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time."

"Thank you," the woman said as she accepted the kind gesture with poise posture. She motioned across from her at the empty seat, before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, near the neat braid that suited her fair. "Would you like to sit?"

"Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square, in the frosty air."

The Grinch grinned and nodded. "Thank you."

"What a bright time, it's the right time to rock the night away."

"Of course," the woman replied.

"Jingle bell time is a swell time to go gliding in a one-horse sleigh."

The Grinch plopped down across from her, just as the woman introduced herself.

"Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet. Jingle around the clock."

"My name is Martha May Whovier," she said, "and who might I have the pleasure of sitting with?" She nursed her first cup of eggnog, downing the rest in a ladylike fashion, before claiming the new cup with a smile, thankful for this woman's compassion. She's had men buy her drinks before, but never a woman. 

"Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet. That's the jingle bell."

The Grinch hesitated, unsure if she wanted to use her nickname once more. After a moment or two, she gave her answer, one that she hoped would not chase her away. "Most people call me the Grinch."

"That's the jingle bell."

Martha May's demeanor changed. She looked frightened, eyes no longer brightened. Her body grew stiff, lips parting in surprise, and her hand tightened around her glass of nog. But then her doe-brown eyes softened and the Grinch wasn't quite sure why.

"That's the jingle bell..."

Suddenly, the crowd of Whos, excluding Martha, joined in with the singer and hollered back to her with their glasses raised, rock! They burst into applause and the singer dressed like Santa Claus bounced off the stage for another to fulfill her place.

"The Grinch," Martha May repeated the name. It sounded like a whisper, like a soft breeze of wind. "But I thought... huh. How strange."

The Grinch raised a brow. "That's not exactly the reaction I was expecting," she admitted.

"Forgive me, that was rude of me," Martha May apologized. "What I meant to say was that I've heard of you. My grandfather used to tell me stories of a man the lived north of Whoville named the Grinch. He said that the Grinch's skin had become green with envy because he jealous of us. That he was layered with thick fur and he feasted on Who flesh. But you're..."

"A woman?" The Grinch finished.

"Beautiful," Martha May corrected, her cheeks tinted pink.

The Grinch, surprised by her words, choked on her sip of eggnog. She coughed and coughed, a spluttering mess. Martha May gasped, reaching across the table, taking the Grinch's forearm in a gentle grasp.

"Are you alright?" she asked, concerned.

With a nod, the Grinch smiled. "Yes, thank you. It's just... that's not quite what I was expecting to hear. I've never been told that I was beautiful before. Well, only by my parents, but I have not seen them in centuries."

"Centuries?" Martha May questioned. Her dark brows furrowed in confusion and the way she titled her head to the side was almost like the innocence of a child. It made the Grinch's heart go wild.

"It's a long story." The Grinch took another sip of her eggnog to hide her frown. She didn't really want to talk about her banishment, not even now.

"Oh, I see. Well perhaps you could tell it to me another time?" There was hope in Martha May's voice. She wanted to know the Grinch, and not just out of pity. It seemed, to the Grinch, that this Who was fascinated by her. Martha Way waited, staring at her, waiting for a reaction while quietly planning where to have their next interaction.

"Perhaps," The Grinch replied with a hint of a smile on her lips, which grew into a full one as their brown eyes met. Her charming smiled projected back onto Martha May, who could not help but grin back, her heart affected by the kind nature of the Grinch she never expected to actually meet. Let alone, expected to exist.

The Grinch smirked. "And I can assure you, I do not eat Who flesh."

Martha May chuckled softly, her laugh like bells. "Well, I must admit I am relieved to hear."

The Grinch laughed with her, before taking another sip of her eggnog.

"Oh!" Martha grinned suddenly after a moment or two. She pointed ahead, where a thinned woman in a green Santa suit stood on the stage, wrapped in something strange. She was short, yet tall with Christmas spirit. Her blonde head was covered by a tinsel crown, and that of all lights in the pub then went out. All you could see, was the woman as her body lit up with the strands of Christmas lights wrapped around her body giving them sight.

Martha May leaned toward the Grinch and whispered, "This is my dear friend, Noelle. She has the voice of angel, you'll love her!"

And so the Grinch listened closely as the woman, Noelle, parted her lips and began to sing.

"Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away. Well, this year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special..."

As she sat and listened, the Grinch had to admit, this Noelle, why she could really did commit. She sang with a fondness, as if singing was a great love. Her voice that of an angel rose higher than the heavens above. By the time Noelle's song ended, Martha May was on her feet, clapping and cheering while shouting, splendid. Noelle thanked everyone with a big ole grin, eyes crinkling, stars a gleaming as she stretched her arms and gave a small bow.

"Thank you, now you all fun!" Noelle said into the microphone before stepping off stage.

Martha May sat back down and gave a quick look around, still smiling. "Wasn't she wonderful?" she asked the Grinch.

"She was," the Grinch admitted. "I've never heard a voice quite like hers."

"Perhaps you would like to join Noelle and myself the day after next? We are going shopping, and I am sure she would not mind the extra company."

The Grinch raised a brow, surprised by the offer. "Are you sure she wouldn't be opposed to having the Grinch around?"

"You are no Grinch to me."

"Well then, I suppose a day of shopping could not hurt. I've been trapped in my cave for far too long and could use a new style," she smiled.

"Wonderful!" Martha May grinned. She rose from the table and gave her a small nod. "I shall see you the day after next, Grinch."

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a/n: Martha May and the Grinch are absolutely adorable! I cannot wait to write more of them and for you guys to properly meet Noelle. Her and Martha May have the purest friendship. Also, how'd we like the chapter? I'm still trying to do the whole rhyming thing but it was hard for me in this chapter because of all the dialogue