Wizards: Tales Of Arcadia

Let Me Have A Little Mistletoe

She smelled hot chocolate the minute she opened her door. Arch was actually acting like a cat, tapping at an ornament on the one of the lower branches curiously. Ding, ding.

"Morning love," Douxie said with smile as he turned to hand her a mug of hot coco, then a few marshmallows on the side.

"Morning Douxie," she yawned as she took the mug. "Thanks. So, what's the plan for the day?" Just after she said that, the tree crashed down in a cascade of bells. Arch just jumped on the couch, pointedly avoiding the two matching glares.

. . .

"Claire, I- this is," NotEnrique muttered as Claire herself was reading in the corner, listening for her parents so she could begin reading aloud. Technically, that was what she was supposed to be doing, but NotEnrique got tired of that in the first hour.

"What do you want now?" She asked, not looking up.

"Um. Toby explained to me about this whole Christmas thing and, and, well I talked six-eyes into helping me..."

He was nervous. Claire could see it plain as day, which proved that it wasn't a trick. Closing the book and getting up to walk over to the crib, she smiled both slyly and genuinely.

"Did you, get me a gift?"

"Yeah, well. I know I can be a brat and unhelpful sometimes-"

"Very much so," Claire chuckled, ruffling the little bit of hair on his head. NotEnrique didn't push her away.

"Yeah. So, I made something for you." He jumped away so he could climb out and under the crib, fetching whatever he had gotten her. "It's not perfect and I will have to refill it every now and then, but.. here."

What NotEnrique handed her was like a compact mirror with a removable back. It glinted silver in the small lamplight of the room.

"So you don't have to sneak away whenever you want to see your brother," NotEnrique explained. "The trick I showed ya before, I had Blinky help me figure out a way to make it work for you on command, though the time limit is the same. Now, I won't go into - woah!"

Claire had picked him up in a hug and twirled him, still holding tightly to the mirror. NotEnrique protested lightly, but laughed all the same.

"Thank you!" Claire exclaimed, tears in her eyes and grin wide. "Thank you, thank you! I'm going to get you two burgers tomorrow!"

NotEnrique didn't expect that out of the deal, but was happy all the same. When she finally stopped spinning them, because he threatened upchucking, she looked out the window and gasped. NotEnrique followed her gaze to the little white flecks falling down.

"Blimey..."

. . .

"It's snowing?" Toby asked as he parked his bike while Jim opened the door to Trollmarket. "In Arcadia?"

"Tobes, grab the other bag," Jim said, either not hearing him or not caring about his words as he slung a bag of his shoulder. "We gotta get these delivered before my mom gets home."

"But it's snowing!"

"Come on, Tobes! We can enjoy it later!"