Merry Christmas… and Have A Happy Holidays!
Christmas music echoed through the streets, mingling with the gentle hush of snowflakes drifting from the sky. The snow blanketed the roads and sidewalks, transforming the town into a picturesque winter wonderland. Outside the cozy glow of the Coco Cabana, a certain ice cream Pokémon stood patiently, watching his frosty breath curl in the air. He waited for his colleagues to finish inside, ready to lock up the building for the holidays.
"..." Vanilluxe gazed up at the building, his eyes locking with the cheerful Exeggutor-themed mascot perched on the sign. This place held a special meaning to him—three years wasn't a long time, but the memories he'd made here felt deeply ingrained, almost as if they stretched beyond his own experiences. It was a strange, comforting sense of familiarity, one he rarely felt elsewhere.
Within the confines of a reality show, he was known as Vanilluxe… but way back when, he was just Lake Spacey, an up-and-coming comedian, who is always down on his luck yet is still tirelessly dedicated to honing his craft.
He was shaken out of his thoughts as a Mr. Rime stepped out of the building, closing the door behind him. He carried a comically large briefcase and wore tall brown boots with a hankerchief sticking out of one of them. "Thank you for waiting for me, Lake! I really appreciate it!" The Mr. Rime said, tipping his bowler hat.
"Oh, don't worry! It's not like I had anything better to do!" Lake assured, shaing his head, his tophat dipping slightly as he smirked. "Besides, I was using the time waiting to work on my jokes, you know? The usual!"
"Oho? Really! Then, you better fire a joke at me, at once!" The Mr. Rime teased, waving his cane around playfully.
"Snow problem!" Lake started sweating. He didn't expect to be put on the spot immediately. "Uhm… okay, get this! An Exeggutor and a Chansey walked into a hospital room. The Chansey said 'I'm expecting!', to which the doctor Audino asked in response, 'Expecting what'. This caused a lot of distress to the Chansey, until Exeggutor barged in from the other room to scream, "NOBODY EGGSPECT THE UNEGGSPECTED!"
The Mr. Rime blinked in shock. He wasn't quite sure how to react but at the very least, he didn't want to hurt the ice cream's feelings. "Well… that was… a joke."
"On a scale from 1 to 10, how would you rate it?" Lake asked, leaning in expectantly.
"Hm… I'll give it… a 5." The Mr. Rime put delicately, fixing his gloves as he smiled at the Ice-type. "I think it needs a little bit of work… but I do admire your commitment to playing a bit. It reminds me of a stage production I've watched at Nimbasa City."
Despite the older Pokemon's kind words, Lake can't help but droop down in disappointment. It really felt like he was being handled with kiddie gloves, because of his circumstances. "You don't have to put it that nicely… just say you didn't like it…" He tried to look directly at the Mr. Rime's eyes but averted his gaze immediately as their eyes met. "You didn't even laugh, Frost …"
"Lake, you know that I rarely laugh at jokes!" Frost assured, patting the ice cream on the back. "I mean… our style of comedy is vastly different. You do stand-up while I do slapstick humor! Two different things!"
"I guess you have a point there…" Lake muttered, managing to break a small smile.
VANILLUXE SIDE STORY - IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL LIFE
"It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you be of good cheer
It's the most wonderful time of the year"
Lake floated over to a nearby bench to take a breather after locking the building for the whole holiday, with Frost choosing to join him, taking a seat right next to him. His face turned red in embarrassment from this. "Mr. F-Frost, you don't have to sit next to me. Don't you have things to do at home?"
"Eh, they can wait!" Frost said nonchalantly before leaning in while arching a brow. "I just wanted to know… do you have plans?"
"P-plans?" Lake sputtered out in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I mean… the comedy club is closed for the holidays… what are you planning to do at that time?" Frost pointed out, removing his bowler hat and putting it over his chest pensively. "If you want, I'm planning to host a Christmas party and I was hoping that you'd want to join us this time around!"
Lake shook his head, eyes wandering off, "Oh! You don't need to! I prefer to stay home alone during the holidays! It helps me think! Besides… I also need to work more on my jokes since… I don't want to be pelted by tomatos again…" He sighed, closing his eyes momentarily. "Exeggutor also said my execution needs… a litte bit of work too and I don't want to disappoint anyone."
"You're not disappointing anyone, Lake." Frost said reassuringly. "You… just need… a bit of time. But, you should take a break once in a while!" He gestured over to the array of holiday cheer sprinkled around town, from the Christmas lights decorating nearby shops to young kids joined together to sing Christmas Carols around a warm fire. "It's Christmas! You should be celebrating!"
"I mean, it's just another holiday! I don't think it's that special…" Lake admitted.
Frost sighed, tone turning stern, "Lake, I'm not just telling you this as a friend… but as your senior. I'm worried for you. I've been inviting you to Christmas parties since you joined… and you have declined every single one. Is anything wrong?"
"I just don't like Christmas parties! It's crowded… and gets really loud!" Lake explained shoddily after taking a long break. "I'm… just not cut out for… very public gatherings."
"Lake, you literally tell jokes in front of an audience." Frost pointed out, seeing through the ice cream's thinly veiled lies. "Is something really wrong?" Noticing the ice cream's expression noticably turn distressed, the Mr. Rime sighed as he shook his head. He didn't want to make the Vanilluxe's mood plummet further. "You know what… you don't need to tell me. I… just… stay safe, okay?"
"I will!" Lake replied as he stood up to start heading home. "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry-" But before Frost could finish his sentence, the ice cream had already floated away, back turned. "... Christmas?" He sighed in exasperation as he slumped on the bench. "Well… he really is a stubborn rascal… I hope he's fine…"
He started pulling at the hankerchief sticking out of his boot… revealing that at the end was a cup of warm hot chocolate. He takes a quick sip, narrowing his gaze. "Merry Christmas, Lake…"
Lake's thoughts began to be jumbled from his conversation as he walked down the street back to his apartment. He felt terrible for refusing Frost's invitations for the third time in a row… but he didn't want to open up again. He didn't want to leave himself open to disappointment.
Lake froze as his gaze landed on a group of kids huddled together, chatting animatedly.
'What do you think Santa will bring us?!' a cheerful Cherubi asked, her face lighting up with excitement.
'You think he'd get you a gift after how bad you've been!' an Igglybuff teased, giggling into her hands.
'I think he'll bring me coal like last year!' a clueless Murkrow chirped, tilting his head.
Lake couldn't help but smile faintly at their innocence. 'Was I like that when I was their age?' he mused aloud, not realizing he'd spoken loud enough for the kids to hear.
Startled, the trio turned to look at him and immediately recoiled.
'U-Uhm… who's this big, s-scary mister?' the Cherubi whimpered, clutching the Igglybuff tightly.
'He's the Krampus! Momma said he eats children!' Murkrow exclaimed, his wide eyes shimmering with terror.
'WHAAAA?!' Igglybuff shrieked, bursting into loud sobs on the spot.
Passersby glanced over, shaking their heads or muttering under their breath as the scene unfolded. Lake's face was drained of color. Was I really that intimidating? he thought, his heart sinking. He'd tried so hard to move on from everything in his past, to be approachable, to be… better.
'He smells funny!' Cherubi whispered, inching backward cautiously.
'He smells like my papa after he comes back from the pub!' Murkrow added, his blunt observation really hitting Lake hard.
Mortified, Lake's face burned with embarrassment. Without a word, he floated past the group, desperate to escape the growing commotion. As the noise of confusion and dismay followed him, he closed his eyes, silently wishing he could leave it all behind—just for a little while.
Lake stopped in his tracks as the noise of the world faded into the background. He found himself staring at his reflection in the ice beneath him. What stared back was a face he barely recognized—a reflection of the most miserable person he'd ever known. No amount of clown makeup or forced smiles could hide the contempt or hate that were barely bursting apart through the seams.
"I couldn't stop anything…" he thought bitterly. "I'm just—"
'Are you okay?' a soft voice broke through his thoughts.
He looked up to see a Leavanny standing nearby, her arms full of groceries. Concern flickered in her eyes as she studied him. Beside her, a tiny Sewaddle clung tightly to her leg, peeking out cautiously. Even the little one seemed unnerved by the forlorn ice cream before them.
Lake hesitated, his gaze dropping back to the ice. 'Yeah... I'm fine,' he murmured, voice shaking.
As he saw the Leavanny starting to reach out, the ice cream immediately floated away, hoping that he could just… be alone again. Solitude became a sanctuary for him… and he needed it right now. He continued to ignore passersby, giving him concerned looks or wishing him a Happy Holidays, until he reached a dingy rustic stairway leading into his apartment building.
"Finally… I'm here…" He said to himself in relief. He can finally rest for once.
Hastily making his way through the dimly lit hallway, he reached his apartment door, fumbling with the lock before stepping inside and shutting it with a heavy thud.
The room was small and bleak, lit only by a single flickering bulb that cast faint, uneven light. Against one wall stood a modest kitchen setup—a sink, a stove, and a refrigerator, all showing their age. In the center of the room sat a plain table, devoid of chairs, standing as an awkward centerpiece. His bed, an old air mattress, was tucked close to the door, its deflated edges a stark reminder of his circumstances. There was a door near the kitchen unit, leading to a small modest bathroom, equipped with a mirror, toilet, sink and a barely functional shower.
Lake exhaled deeply, leaning against the door for a moment. This was his world—a far cry from the cheerful holiday scenes outside. But for now, it was enough. It was quiet. "I'm… home…"
He laughed to himself as per usual, nobody responded. "I don't know why I expect a reply… but whatever…"
He tossed his belongings onto the sagging inflatable mattress before making his way to the fridge. Pulling out a bottle of beer, he placed it on the small table in the center of the room and sat down, his gaze falling on his cracked phone lying nearby.
The screen, fractured and dim, seemed to mock him as he waited for it to flicker to life. He knew what was coming—it was that time of year, after all. The messages would start trickling in. Messages he didn't want to read.
When the phone finally lit up, his breath hitched. A notification stared back at him: a message from Minior. A lump formed in his throat as he stared at the screen, dreading whatever words waited on the other side.
Mustering up enough courage, he grabbed his phone, reading through the missed calls… all from a Minior and the text messages asking him if he was doing alright. He took a deep breath before downing a huge amount of beer before starting to furiously type responses.
"I'm doing good. hbu?"
"You don't need to keep calling me…"
"I'm fine, how are you?"
"I'm better than ever"
He gritted his teeth as he kept deleting his responses. It just didn't feel good enough. He didn't want to disappoint his own younger brother… especially after he decided to leave him behind. It felt disingenous… and made him feel even more of a terrible person than he was now.
Taking a deep breath, he managed to type out "K" then clicking sent, throwing his phone back on the mattress so that he wouldn't second-guess himself out with the replies any further.
He took another long drink of beer as his gaze drifted over to the clock "6:30". Time was moving slower than usual and he absolutely hated it.
Thankfully for him, he was then overwhelmed with a wave of exhaustion passing through his body and his whole body slumped forward onto the table as he slipped unconscious
Lake's eyes fluttered open slowly, the haze of sleep fading as he became aware of his surroundings. His gaze shifted to the clock on the wall that now said, "8:00"
" Oh… I must've fallen asleep… " Lake thought groggily to himself as he floated out of bed. Wait… he visibly remembered falling unconscious around the table.
Shaking off his confusion immediately, he floated into the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His make-up was already runny and starting to wade. He grabbed clumps of tissue paper and began to rub the make-up away revealing dark circles underneath.
"..." Lake sighed to himself as he went back to check on his phone. 'No New Messages'. He looked mildly shocked by this. Usually, his brother would've replied immediately. His shock was further amplified as it started vibrating as he was receiving a call. It was from Frost.
Gulping, he reluctantly picked up the phone, putting it to his ear. "Frost… why are you calling me?"
"I just wanted to ask if you got home safely!" Frost explained, tone dripping with concern.
"I'm home…"
"Oh, that's good to hear! I was worried you'd wander off again…" Frost's voice trailed off for a moment before he quickly recovered. "Uhm… but that aside, I heard your birthday is coming soon so I'd just like to wish you a Happy Birthday in advance!"
"My… birthday..?" Lake muttered in shock. He had forgotten about that, amidst everything. He combed through his memory to remember what day it was… but his memory was rather hazy from drinking last night. "Frost, what date is it today?"
"Oh, it's December 21!"
"December… 21" Lake echoed quietly as starting to shake. How long has it been since he celebrated his birthday? It just felt like… any other day. There wasn't anything special to it honestly. "I see…"
"If you want, I can come over for a visit-" Frost suggested.
"I'm fine… I'm fine!" Lake lied through his teeth, as he bit his tongue to not impose too much. "I'll be fine alone."
"Wait, wha-" Before Frost could interject, Lake ended the call, sighing in relief. That was already too much for him and it was still early in the morning. His relief couldn't last too long though as he received another call. It was from Minior.
He wanted to just… ignore this… but he couldn't do it. Biting his lip, he accepted the call as a youthful voice started talking on the other end of the call.
"Lake… Lake! FINALLY, you returned my calls! I thought you'd just keep ignoring me… so I'm shocked you picked up this time!" Minior's voice bursted through the speaker, a mixture of excitement and disbelief. "But uhm… I'm glad you're finally deciding to talk to me!"
"Hello Septh…" Lake said, trying his best not to sound exhausted. "I'm doing alright, if you're asking. I… just wanted to… talk to you for once. It's the holidays and…" He tried his hardest to get the next few words out in between breaths, "... it's also my birthday so… I don't want you to feel left out or anything."
"Thank you very much, Lake! I'm just glad you finally replied!" Septh's voice was laced with relief and happiness to just… talk with his estanged brother again. "How are you? Are you doing alright? Can I visit?" Lake could feel his world spin from the sudden barrage of questions he was getting.
He almost dropped his phone but he caught it before it fell on the floor. "Uhm… I already told you I'm fine and uh… I don't think mom and dad would let you visit… it's not like they know where I am right now… and that's for the better honestly."
"Ah…" Septh's voice cracked a bit from disappointment. "Well… they're… doing alright, I guess. Still… really… confusing… I don't think they care about me honestly. They were… really hard on me for what happened back then…"
"That wasn't your fault." Lake interjected firmly.
"I know… but… it was still my responsibility to control myself…" Septh explained.
"You know what… let's not talk about these… stressful times for now. Let's take it easy." Lake suggested, hoping to move on to a more… hopeful topic. "I heard that you're still in high school! Are you making friends?"
"H-hey stop! That's embarrassing for me to share, but uhm… people are nicer this year." Septh laughed awkwardly but there was a certain warmth in his voice. They don't ask me questions and for that, I'm grateful. Though, I have to keep telling them that we can't hang out at my house since you know…" Septh fell silent.
"Mom and dad are still as terrible as ever, huh?" Lake spat out, voice dripping with acid and hate. "I'm not shocked. They can't even keep themselves together in front of their kids. It's like a cruel joke honestly."
"Yeah…" Septh's voice faltered before he returned to a more joyful tone. "But uhm… that's not important anymore! Lake, I heard you're doing comedy now! Can you tell me a joke or something?"
"W-who told you that!? I'm… still working on it…" Lake mumbled, blushing in embarrassment. "But uhm… I'll give it a shot! What do you call a Christmas tree with no leaves?"
"What?" Septh asked expectantly.
"A PALM tree!" Lake finished, sighing in relief as he got a burst of laughter from his younger brother. "Was it that good?"
"I like it! You're always so funny, Lake!" Septh said, making the Vanilluxe's chest warm as it was filled with a sense of pride and joy. "I'm sure you must be doing great over there, huh?"
"Thank you, Septh!" Lake said casually before he stopped himself. For a moment, he felt… happy. It felt wrong… yet so right at the same time. His shoulders felt lighter and he sat straight around the table as his expression grew softer. "I'm… happy to hear. I really needed this. Thank you."
"No problem! If you want to know about my life… uhmm… my anger issues are… being handled and I've gone to various anger management courses to work on it!" Septh recounted his past few months freely while Lake smiled to himself, happy that he can hear about his brother's life after so long. "Mom and dad are still mad at that Ultra Beast for editing the show to paint me to be…"
Noticing his brother's voice falter, Lake's voice came out imposing and caring, "Don't even talk about things you'd rather not talk about. Reality TV is messed up… and the comedy in it isn't as cracked up as it used to be! But… regardless, I'm here for you! And… thank you for-"
He stopped as knocking could be heard at the door. He deadpanned. Who could that be. He decided to ignore it for now. "Sorry… there was someone trying to play a prank on me. But anyways, thank you for-"
The knocking grew louder, annoying the ice cream even further.
"Uhm… I think you should answer that." Septh suggested.
"No, it'll stop!" Lake assured.
It didn't. The knocks just grew louder until he could barely hear his brother on the other side of the call.
"You know what… I'll go get it!"
"Okay!"
Vanilluxe floated to the door, expecting to be met by the usual relentless Christmas carolers. But to his surprise, standing there was Frost, holding a gift wrapped in bright red paper. Even more surprising, he wasn't alone. Alongside him were Exeggutor, the owner of the comedy club, Alcremie, and Gholdengo—his colleagues from work, each carrying a gift of their own.
"Frost… and… everyone else!" Lake's voice was weak, still barely comprehending what was going on. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Frost forced us to go here-" The Gholdengo drawled, crossing his arms and not really hiding the fact that he wasn't thrilled to be here. Before he could say anything else, he was nudged sharply by the Alcremie, who shot him a disapproving look.
The Alcremie then turned to Lake, smiling warmly. "Ignore Midas here… it was a group effort and you should see his texts to me. He was worried sick for you!"
"I wasn't!" Midas defended himself, hiding his face behind his present as his face turned red from embarrassment. "Alice, you told me y-you wouldn't tell!"
"He cared the most even!" Alice continued teasing Midas, who had turned into a flustered mess, sputtering out words in a futile attempt to defend himself.
"Lake," Exeggutor said, his voice quieter than usual, his solemn expression a stark contrast to the imposing demeanor he often wore at work. "I know I've been tough on you, and... on your jokes, but I just want you to know that we really do care about you." He paused, clearly struggling with his emotions. "Tyson always saw the potential in you... and while he's...," Exeggutor trailed off, his voice cracking. "I can still see that light in you, just like he did."
"Exeggutor…" Lake was speechless, surprised at this goodwill he's getting.
Exeggutor then let out a deep, booming laugh, patting the ice cream on the back with a jovial smirk. "Call me Coco! We're friends now! You've earned it!"
"You guys…" Lake could feel himself tear up as the group all went into his apartment.
"Lake Lake? Who was at the door?" Septh's voice cut through the moment, still coming from the phone.
Lake froze, momentarily forgetting that Septh was still on the line. He rushed over to grab his phone, his voice barely a whisper as he tried to compose himself.
"It was… my friends…"
The party continued throughout the whole day. It was a simple gathering of friends, sharing stories, gifts and just basking in the warmth of each other's company. Septh had to leave the call in the middle of the party, wishing the ice cream a Merry Christmas.
By 5:00 PM, the group began to gather their things, signaling the end of the celebration. Alice and Midas both hugged Lake tightly before they left—Midas holding on just a little longer than usual, his face turning red as he reluctantly pulled away. Alice couldn't resist teasing him, giggling as she whispered something about Midas "having a thing" for Lake before they made their exit.
With the door finally closing behind them, Lake let out a long, quiet sigh of relief. It wasn't that he was glad to see them go; rather, he felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for having spent the day with people he could call friends. The word still felt strange on his tongue, but he knew one thing for sure: these were the people… he could trust and rely on.
As Lake walked back into the apartment, his gaze was drawn to the table where Frost sat, staring at an old picture frame. It displayed a Toxtricity playing a guitar, frozen in a moment of joy.
When Frost noticed Lake sitting beside him, he blushed, quickly setting the frame down in a hurried attempt to hide his emotions. "Lake… I didn't realize you were there."
"I miss him too…" was all Lake could say, while Frost looked up, closing his eyes in thought.
"We all do…" Frost muttered with a somber look. "Coco especially… he really loved him…"
"I loved him too…" Lake muttered guiltily. "He let me stay with him in his apartment when I had nowhere to go and…" He trailed off, getting overwhelmed by the sad memories.
"And he brought you to us," Frost added, smiling hopefully as he pulled the ice cream in for a warm and tight hug, who looked to the side teary-eyed.
"Yeah…" Lake muttered as he closed his eyes, letting himself be surrounded by nothing but the new joyful memories he had made today.
""Okay, I'll see you in January then!" Frost said with a grin as they stood outside the apartment, preparing to part ways. "Today's been great. Thanks for… letting us in."
Lake scratched the back of his neck, sheepish. "It was… bound to happen, I guess." As much as he hated to admit it, he'd been craving connection, and that longing had given way to everything that had unfolded today. "Thanks again, Frost… and, um…" He hesitated, feeling embarrassed. "About your Christmas party…"
Frost's eyebrows perked up, clearly intrigued. "Hmm?"
"I'm in…" Lake exhaled, his face flushing red. "I'll show up… I want to spend time with everyone again."
Frost let out a relieved sigh, his smile softening. "We'll be glad to have you. Don't forget to bring your jokes too!"
"My jokes? But… they're terrible…" Lake protested.
"Different tastes for different people," Frost replied with a wink. "Besides, I love your jokes. They're a little corny, sure, but they've got that Lake charm to them."
Lake's throat tightened, and he muttered, his eyes beginning to well up. "I feel like I'm going to cry again…"
Frost chuckled, poking Lake playfully with his cane. "Better to let it all out than hold it all in, don't you think? I'll see you on Christmas!"
"Yeah… I'll see you then," Lake whispered, a lump in his throat. He turned toward his apartment, his eyes glistening. For the first time in a long while, he felt a flicker of hope. He chuckled softly, feeling the weight of it all lift just a little. "There's snow place like home… and friends."
He paused in the doorway of his empty apartment, closing his eyes and letting the silence wash over him. He thought back to one of his chance encounters with Toxtricity while he was on the run, the memory flooding back with vivid clarity.
"I love your jokes, Lake! You should do that more often!" Toxtricity's voice echoed in his mind.
Lake smiled to himself, a small but genuine smile. "You know what… I will."
Vanilluxe swallowed hard as the island came into view, looming larger and closer. He couldn't believe it was actually happening. He'd convinced himself he was done with reality TV shows, but well… he wanted his name out there and to have his jokes be shown on a larger scale than it ever was back home. Ever since that Christmas, he'd felt better—physically, mentally. His sleep had improved, and the dark circles under his eyes had faded.
With a nervous gulp, he floated off the Lapras, who gave him a gentle, almost reluctant push to stay. Clearing his throat, Vanilluxe straightened up, trying his best to project confidence. He tipped his tophat, giving off the air of someone who knew exactly what he was doing.
His mind raced through every joke he'd ever thought of, hoping to find the perfect one for a first impression. But then, seeing the large group gathered on the beach, he felt a sudden wave of intimidation. It was a crowd, and he was… well, just him. But he pushed through it, straightened his back, and flashed a smile—one that felt more confident than he actually was.
"Who LOVES ice cream?!" he called out, his voice carrying across the shore.
It's Been A Wonderful Life
Sometimes, I ask myself… how can I be better?
I try, I try… but nothing seems to be changing…
How can I be myself when everyone else is far greater?
So I run away from the pain, stopping myself from knowing…
What can I do now? What's in it for me, you see…
Life's emotionally abusive and you have no choice but to let your body crash along the waves amd
I'm hoping that I'd see you there, in the end
To tell you… "This life was wonderful… could've been better but at least I'm happy"
But I'm not. It hurts, the memory of leaving it all behind
I struggle to keep it out of my mind
All the skeletons in my closet are all overflowing, forcing their ways out
I can do nothing, I can say nothing, there was just no way out.
It's been a Wonderful Life… I guess
It could've been better, but it could've been worse… I couldn't care less
I guess I'm just too young to know better and that's exactly the reason why
I'm hoping, I'm praying that someday these feelings in me would just die
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Vanilluxe's story has been one of the more lowkey stories in Total Pokemon Ultra Revival. There were times when I would just put it in the chapter… but remove it completely, since it causes a shift in tone. And… I think for his own good, it's for the best.
Vanilluxe always struggles with moving on and trying to heal from all the pain. He chooses to run away and ignore everything that had happened, focusing on the now. With new friends and a good relationship with his brother, he didn't see the reason to feel the need to heal completely. He thinks he's okay but he's not. He thinks he's happy but at the end of the day, it can't take away from the fact that he has lived miserably until only recently.
But that's not who he wants to be. He wants to tell jokes, take it easy, not get caught up in the drama. He drank his sorrows away since that would be better than confronting things. He's spiteful, he holds grudges, he hates. That's why he lashed out at Floatzel at the challenge. He felt diminished… like he didn't matter. It called back to times when he was alone.
He hates seeing arguments since it reminds him of a painful time when he was in the middle of all of it. But it's all over now.
And just like this Christmas, his worries and fears are all covered in a fresh blanket of snow. But once ths ice melts, he too, will melt down in the pressure.