Iceland crouched on the roof of a hotel and watched a young man walk out its front doors onto the street. Behind him, Norway and Denmark were fighting over the map they'd brought that showed the whole (tiny) town. The man Iceland was watching had a silvery coat, which looked thick enough, but he didn't have a hat or gloves or anything else, so Iceland hoped he didn't get caught outside after dark. Iceland's phone started to ring, the reception in this Finish town was lacking, but the call still managed to get through. It was from Hong Kong.
"Hey." Iceland answered. He tried to get his brothers to shut up.
"Hey Ice! Whatcha up to?"
"Well, it's a long story. How 'bout you?"
"Nothing much. I'm down here with China for Christmas this year, so I'm just, like, sitting around waiting for New Year's basically." Hong Kong sighed audibly.
Iceland felt bad, he loved Christmas and he knew Hong Kong did too. "Hey, why don't you come up here for the holidays!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, sure. Come on up. You can help us spy on my family."
"Cool! I'll be right up!" Hong Kong hung up abruptly, not even questioning Iceland's weird proposition.
"K." Iceland turned to his brothers who were still fighting over the map. "I invited Hong Kong down for Christmas."
Norway hit Denmark on the head and took the map. "Ask if he'll pick up Sea and Ladonia on his way down."
"Alright." Iceland sent Hong Kong a text, then went back to watching the man. His fluffy blonde hair shone in the sun as he walked into a café and out of sight.
Tino walked inside a small café. He scanned the room. Alright. I only have four days to find this guy. I'd better focus. He hopped in line at the counter.
"Moi! What can I get you?" The girl at the counter smiled. Tino ordered a coffee and a muffin. She gave them to him. "Anything else?"
A lightbulb went off in Tino's brain. "Yeah, can I pay for whoever orders next?"
She smiled at him. "Sure, just wait here while I take the next order." Tino smiled and stood by the cash register. He watched the girl walk over to the counter and take the next person's order. They had a hood, so Tino couldn't quite see who it was. Nice. A man of mystery. Two destined lovers pulled together by fate and coffee. Tino continued watching with a big smile, waiting to see the person's reaction. He saw the girl laugh at something the person said and point at him. The person turned and pulled off their hood.
Tino froze. The next person in line was an old lady, she smiled and waved to him. The girl said something quietly to the old lady, then the lady walked over to Tino.
"Thank you young man!" Her smile made Tino want to smile. "Please, come sit with me! Let's have a coffee, that was very sweet of you!"
Tino gave the money to the girl, grabbed his coffee, then let the old woman take his hand and lead him to a table. She sat down and started to talk to him amiably. "I'm Sofia. I come here every day, but I've never seen you hear before. What's your name? Where are you from?"
"I-" Tino tried to start before realizing, "I don't know where I'm from." He looked at her apologetically. The woman's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "I don't think you'd believe that, but-"
"Oh, come now." She sipped her coffee knowingly, "I think you'll be surprised at how much you do know. Come. Tell me everything!"
"Well… I woke up this morning in a hotel room-"
"Ah! It must be at that hotel at the edge of the woods then; that's the only hotel in this town."
"I guess so." Tino wondered what her reaction would be to what he was going to say next. "Then I got up and I found this letter." He pulled the note out of his pocket. "It says that somewhere in this town is a man who loves me more than anything. And that I only have until Christmas Eve to find him!" Tino blushed at how he'd blurted the last part. He looked up apprehensively at Sofia.
She smiled at him. "Let me see that note." He handed her the letter. She read it, then looked him over. "I think you forgot to mention who the note was from."
She handed the letter back to Tino. "I didn't think you'd believe me-"
"This is an opportunity to be taken!" She sounded excited, like she'd just been waiting for some confused young man to get dropped in her nowhere town in search of Christmas love. She took his hand. She was still smiling. "Don't worry. I'll help you!"
Tino couldn't help but smile along with Sofia. Her enthusiasm drove into him as he sipped his coffee and listened to her talk. She told him about the little town (it was a very small town in Lapland) and all the attractions in it (there were few). After they were done, she told him to go back to the hotel and make sure he had all his things, then to come to her house. She wrote the address on the back of Tino's letter from Santa.
"Now you stay safe out in the cold, dear." She fuzzed up his hair a little. "And I'm sorry, I didn't get your name!" She called after Tino, who had already started walking through the frozen snow on the ground back to his hotel.
"It's Tino!" He called back. Then he picked up the pace, hurrying along to get back out of the cold.
Tino. His name was Tino. Berwald sat at his table in the café where he'd been sitting drinking his coffee. He'd been watching the man who'd come into the café just before him. Berwald wasn't sure what it was about the man, but he felt drawn to him. Like some magical force was pulling them together. He'd seen him come out of the hotel a little after him, and they had both gravitated toward that little café. Berwald had held the door open for Tino, quietly hoping for a moment of recognition, or a chance to make conversation, but Tino hadn't really noticed him. He'd just walked by with wonderstruck and confused looks in his eyes.
I guess I'm not one to judge about 'confused' today. Berwald finished his coffee and left the café. Now what? He looked around. Not sure how to approach Tino about all this. Tino doesn't even know who I am, I guess I shouldn't bother him. He seems to be a noraml resident of the town, so I should probably just head back to the hotel. I guess… if we're really related somehow… he'll know too.
Berwald walked along back to the hotel. Once he was inside, he headed up the stairs. Tino passed him on his way down, carrying his coat under his arm. Out of his pocket fell a flower, a Lily. Tino rushed to the bottom of the stairs, not noticing he'd dropped it, but Berwald stopped. Picking it up, he turned to give it back to Tino, but Tino was already out the door. This is it. My chance to meet him. Berwald turned out the door to follow Tino.
Hong Kong knocked at Norway's front door. "Hello? Sealand? Ladonia?" The door was unlocked, so he stepped into the house and looked around. "It's Hong Kong." He couldn't see anyone, all the lights in the house were off. He tried flipping some light switches on the wall. Nothing turned on. "Hello?!"
Hong Kong was starting to freak out, he pulled out his phone to get a flashlight. Opening the front screen, there was a news notification.
'SWEDEN DECLARES WAR ON FINLAND; FINLAND EAGER TO FIGHT BACK. IS A NEW NORTHERN WAR BEGINNING?'
"What? Why are they at war?" Hong Kong went through the house to the backyard, where he saw Ladonia and Sealand, or at least two adults he assumed were Ladonia and Sealand, fighting each other rifle and dagger to pistol and sword.