Chapter Text
Kristiline Town. Normally, being situated in the Terajuma region of Aevium, it enjoyed fine summer-like weather and warm, tropical temperatures. Residents would partake in activities such as fishing and boating, and the town had a museum and a plethora of activities for visitors looking to immerse themselves in a little of the town’s culture. Maybe not the hottest tourist destination, like Telia, but it was a pleasant destination to spend some time in.
Or, well, at least it was.
Recently, however, a menacing tyrant known only as “Angie” had made this town her domain. Since then, the town had become desolate and isolated. Abandoned, and almost unreachable. In a matter of days, it was as if the town had been completely transformed.
The summer sun could not pierce the thick veil of cold that surrounded the place, resulting in the town suffering from an anomalous permanent temperature drop. The chill in the air sent shivers down the spines of its residents. The presence of Angie could be felt everywhere in the town. Her ordinances of oppression doomed the town to function exactly as she deemed fit.
The town’s citizens suffered under her merciless rule, with a blizzard surrounding the area that kept any would-be rescuers from easily accessing the place. Crawli's rangers had all never returned, and Tesla’s Pokemon couldn’t even pierce the fierce snowstorm guarding the place.
But that’s why Gabriel, Venam and Melia were here. They were going to stop her. They were going to take her down. They were going to free the town. However, they all knew deep within their hearts that this would be no small feat. Together, though, they would break through Angie’s deceptions and finally allow Kristiline Town to know freedom once again.
The three made their way towards the town, the snowfall growing stronger as they proceeded.
Venam shivered slightly as they approached the stairs leading up to one of the main residential areas. “Damn, it’s cold .”
“Yes, we had heard as much. You could have brought a jacket or something…” Melia sighed, shaking her head in slight disappointment at her friend’s lack of foresight.
“I don’t need a jacket to kick Angie’s ass!” Venam retorted, trying to shake off the cold by intimidating it. “Besides, Gabriel’s not wearing one either.”
Gabriel laughed - “That’s cuz I don’t get cold, Venam. My fiery spirit keeps me warm. Hah!” Gabriel steeled his stance, tensing his arms.
Venam almost snorted with laughter - “You’re so damn lame Gabriel, what anime did you get that line from? You’ve been hanging around Saki too much.” As dismissive as she was, her face almost broke into a genuine smile.
“I think both of you are woefully underdressed, personally.” Melia commented, pinching the bridge of her nose slightly - “But at least Gabriel is wearing layers.”
“I don’t think it really counts, those are still summer clothes,” said Venam, looking at Gabriel’s outfit.
“Hey, we were just at Telia resort, and I don’t exactly have other clothes to change into,” Gabriel admitted, shrugging his shoulders. “I didn’t exactly bring any with me - but who cares? I don’t need any of that crap anyway, and if you guys get cold, you can even borrow my overshirt. Probably big enough for both of you, if you huddle close.” He let out a hearty laugh.
Melia’s face immediately went red, and Venam quickly turned away, quickly muttering something under her breath before turning back to Gabriel. “It’d never fit, we aren’t that small - you’re just fucking huge - and besides, you would actually freeze to death.”
Melia sighed once more - “Gabriel, I get that you’re an adult and totally capable of your own decisions or whatever, but you don’t need to show off - if you want to go back for more clothes…”
“Meh. I don’t have any anyway. Things have been pretty hectic and I haven’t really had a chance to buy clothes.” Gabriel said, shrugging his shoulders. He also didn’t exactly have the funds to go buy more clothes at the moment. Money from battles was nice, but when you add together pokéballs, healing items, repels, those donations to the orphanage on Route 4… Well, suffice to say it all adds up. “I like my outfit, anyway! It’s a cool summertime look. Makes me look energetic and fun, right?” he said, turning around and posing with some degree of exaggeration.
Venam and Melia laughed a little, before Melia’s eyes quickly widened and she grimaced slightly. Right. Gabriel’s luggage was likely at the bottom of the ocean. But had he not… thought to buy any replacement clothes in the months he had been living here? Could… could he even afford them? Best to change topics.
“Venam, do you remember the way to where we’re going…?” She asked, smirking slightly as she winked at Gabriel.
Venam quickly boasted about her sense of direction, before immediately heading in the opposite direction to their destination, the Theolia Church.
“...Heh. I knew this would be good.” Melia chuckled deviously as she went to correct Venam’s path before she actually got seriously lost.
After a few rounds of Venam being directionally challenged, she let out a sneeze.
“Alright. That’s it. We’re going to get you something warmer.” Melia insisted.
“Huh? Ain’t Angie gonna be pissed if we turn back now?” Venam asked, trying to avoid Melia’s strict gaze.
“...You might be right,” Melia admitted, putting a hand to her chin, deep in thought.
“...Maybe Gabriel could stay to show we aren’t gonna go anywhere?” Venam suggested, sighing as she gave into the urge to shiver that was overtaking her.
“I don’t really want to leave Gabriel on his own here, though,” Melia remarked, her eyes darting to the side. "Angie might do something if he's alone."
"Tch. If she tries anything, she's gotta face me. Hell, she's probably too busy hiding, after realising she made the mistake of messing with me." Gabriel scoffed.
Melia knew that Gabriel was putting on a front. It was blatantly obvious. She knew the feeling well. Yet, he was so overt about it, that she couldn't help but want to smile slightly. It was a stupid and bold claim, but it somehow made her feel a bit calmer. Maybe it was the way he laughed in face of danger.
Still. She didn't like the plan. Rangers had gone missing, and this place was too cold to just… hang around.
“I’ll be fine! What’s a bit of snow, eh?” Gabriel said, smiling as he gave Melia a thumbs-up. “Just be back quick, okay? Don’t leave your “Big Bro” Gabriel hanging here!” Seems Gabriel was reading her expression, perhaps her worry was obvious.
Melia let out yet another sigh, her breath condensing in front of her. “Alright. We’ll be quick.” She wasn't exactly too thrilled to be doing this, but Venam was starting to turn slightly blue, and she figured that Gabriel staying behind might help keep Angie at bay. If they all "fled", she might chase them or something. Gabriel accompanied the two to the docks, as they both boarded the Yacht.
"We'll be only a moment. If that." Melia insisted.
"Heh. I'll be waiting." Gabriel nodded.
Melia and Venam quickly boarded, engaged the autopilot, and headed for Terajuma island. The vessel quickly faded into the distance, disappearing amongst the snowstorm.
And now, Gabriel was alone. Nothing but the gently crashing waves and whirl of the snowstorm accompanied him. As he tried to focus on the sounds before him, he could feel them creeping in, seeping further and further into his head. Thoughts. His own thoughts. With nothing to focus on, they’d only naturally begin to form. But he didn’t have time for that. Not now. Not now. Not now.
He quickly looked for a source of focus to fend off the incoming chill. The air was absolutely frigid after all. Of course, Gabriel expected that. The whole place was terrifyingly cold. It was overwhelming, but he could endure it. It would be over soon, after all. They just needed to kick Angie to the kerb and free the town from her reign of terror.
Gabriel quickly looked over his shoulder. Funny, he could have sworn someone was there. Maybe it was just a trick of the light? The blizzard was making it quite hard to see at this point.
He focused on keeping himself warm. He tensed his muscles and tried to steady his breathing. He didn’t really want to go anywhere, after all. He wanted to see Melia and Venam when they arrived, to make sure they were safe and sound.
He briefly looked around the dockyard area, but there was not a soul in sight. Figures. Everyone was likely too frightened to venture out into the town. Such a shame. Towns should be bustling with activity and life! Especially in a nice little summer town like this, their whole appeal was often in the close-knit community with each other.
There might be people to talk to in the Pokemon Centre…? Gabriel knew that moving was a bad idea, but he’d be back in time for Melia and Venam. Plus, if he spent some time gathering information now, it’d be less time Melia and Venam would need to waste trying to gather information. Plus, it’d mean they’d be less likely to piss off Angie, as the three of them could just head straight to Theolia Church as they'd already be prepared.
It’d be okay, right? He just wanted to talk to a few people, maybe get out of the cold. Though, would anyone even be open to talking? He had heard people were… punished for that. He couldn’t go and endanger others by asking questions, even if they were fairly innocuous. Plus, if Angie found out Gabriel was doing some impromptu recon, she might…
It was a risky move, but… it was so cold out here. So, so cold… And dead silent too. Why weren’t the waves crashing against the dock anymore? Where was the slight whistling that accompanied the chill of the wind? Gabriel looked for something, anything - to focus his mind on. He couldn’t stand silence. He couldn’t stand it one bit. When everything was silent, his mind began to wander, and he couldn’t stand that. It never wandered anywhere pleasant. (Even when sleeping, he had to have some kind of white noise. It helped keep the wandering to a minimum.)
But Gabriel's journey had been full of times of silence recently. Journeying alone… does that to you. Gabriel mostly just tried to avoid staying still too long. If he kept going, the thoughts didn't have time to form. If he stopped, they would start forming. But now, the bitter frostbite of the silent wind felt like it was freezing his feet in place. He wanted to keep going, he didn't want to stay still like this.
Maybe he should take time to stop more often, though. Maybe if he had stopped - and just thought a little more - the countless tragedies he failed to prevent would never have happened. Perhaps it was his own stupidity and hardheaded nature that was causing all his problems.
He never meant to be reckless. He never wanted to put people in danger. He only ever wanted what was best for everyone! He wanted to protect everyone, but he had lost so much on the way already, that it was difficult to feel he had accomplished much of anything. Maybe he hadn't, in the grand scheme of things. He tried to make plans and be careful where needed, but maybe he was just far too stupid to ever enact them. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
“Ah, it’s happening again…” Gabriel muttered under his breath. Finally catching himself. He realised he had allowed his mind to wander yet again. He just needed focus. Some kind of noise or movement - then he could let his mind hone in on it. He just needed to empty his head a little. Give himself a focus.
He looked around once more, but everything was white. He could barely see anything. Had the snowstorm grown stronger?
He hated blizzards. Granted, he didn’t know many people who liked blizzards, but he especially hated them. They were cold, cruel and masked the beautiful and colourful world in a thick veil of opaque white ice. He just wanted to break through it, but he somehow couldn’t move. Yet, the snow was eerily quiet too, and he found himself unable to focus on even the sounds of the swirling snow. This wasn’t natural, what was happening?
He had to get out of here. Venam and Melia wouldn’t be back for a while and he just had to get moving somewhere - the silence and stillness were starting to really unsettle him.
Just as he started to move, however, a sound finally emerged from the storm. A whisper amongst the snowstorm. And for the first time in his life, he wanted to return to the silence he was suffering from before.
“Andri…”
Gabriel’s eyes widened, and his stance tightened. No. Impossible. It was impossible. He hadn’t heard that name in years. No one was supposed to know that name. How did someone know of that name? He had forgotten all about that wretched, cursed name. Why… why did someone know that name?!
“Andri–”
The voice was distant, and a little raspy, yet it sounded almost venomous in its callousness. Wherever the voice was coming from, it knew what it was saying. It knew. Somehow. Someway. It knew exactly what that godforsaken name was doing to Gabriel, who already looked ready to give out.
“Aren’t you listening, Andri? I know that you are.”
Gabriel wanted to yell out for the voice to stop, but he wasn’t even fully sure it was real. He didn’t even know where it was coming from. He could feel a deep, dormant yet rare rage welling up within him - and yet he could feel no heat from it. It was as if his heart itself was freezing over.
“Aren’t you cold, Andri?”
He didn’t want to, but he was starting to remember. It was buried, deep deep within Gabriel’s mind. As if someone was forcing open a door deep within his heart, previously buried under layers and layers of locks and keys. It was a door he never wanted to open. A door he was just so desperate to keep shut.
“Aren’t you lonely, Andri? Doesn’t it hurt, Andri?”
It was so long ago. It was so, so, so long ago.
“Face it, Andri. This is all you’ll ever be, try as you might - none of your pathetic fire can stand against the Cold Truth.”
The blizzard enveloped the area entirely, and everything went white in an instant.
Memories. In some ways, they’re what make us who we are. Some are good, some are bad, and each of them in turn helps build the person we are today. If our memories become lost or buried, we lose some of who we are. We all hate having bad memories, but sometimes they help make us strong.
And yet, sometimes, the memories we lock away help shape us too. Sometimes the memories we bear threaten to break us, rather than build us. But these parts of our memory can never truly be locked away forever, can it?
Gabriel could see it, in the distance, forming in the snow and shadow. A dreadful scene. Just how long ago was it? 16, 17 years? Gabriel didn’t really know. Gabriel didn’t really care.
He could see, in the distance, two figures. Standing alone as the snow falls down. A taller woman, and a child, clutching a small stuffed Ralts toy.
He didn’t ever want to see this place again. He felt himself back in the north of Unova. He loved his home region, for the most part. But not this place. This was a place of misery and despair. He tried to close his eyes, and he tried to look away.
He knew where he was. The Giant Chasm. It was a very terrifying place, where an evil dragon was said to live. No one ever dared go there. Lacunosa Town lay south of it, and anyone who passed through was warned not to go there. A feared place that many tried desperately to forget.
The nearby Lacunosa town held many traditions. Most of them were based on following the rules and not going out too late. If you were to break the rules, or go out after dark, the scary dragon of the Giant Chasm may catch you, and eat you - or freeze you for eternity. It was a morbid and terrifying threat, and it kept the town very much in line.
Once upon a time, a large and frightful blizzard raged in Lacunosa Town. The blizzard lasted several days and quickly spread fear among its residents. Many thought it to be a punishment from the Giant Chasm, and the dragon that lived within. Many thought it would be the end for them. It was a time of fright and deep despair for the small Unovan town.
However, within the winter tempest, a boy was born to a local couple. Some might call it a miracle amongst tragedy.
Those people could not be further from the truth. That child became the “cause” of the town’s misery. He was blamed for the blizzard that plagued the town. Was any of it true? Of course not. But a lie is close enough to the truth if everyone believes it, is it not? Especially in a traditional town such as this, where everyone knew everyone else. Rumours, and paranoia, spread quickly.
“That child is… not… holy. That child was born from the wrath of the winter beast!”
“That child is a menace, he foretells disaster for us!”
“Oh, why, gods, have you forsaken us?!”
Many thought the boy was born from a curse. He was, after all, born during one of the worst events in the town’s history. While most actually dismissed the paranoia-fuelled denizens, some quietly believed what they were saying. The boy would grow up for a few years - bonding somewhat with the town in his infancy, before a second tragedy would occur, some years later.
A much mightier blizzard plagued the town, cutting off transport and aid to the town. Isolating it from the outside world. The sceptics began to reconsider their stance on the boy, and even those who liked him avoided showing support for the poor child. The child, despite being nothing but sweet and pleasant to whoever he could be, became the villain the town had to rally against. He became the embodiment of their woe.
The boy’s home was targeted with vandalism and attacks. The family were targeted for bringing the disaster to Lacunosa. It was a hell amongst hells.
The child was playing in his room, trying desperately to forget the fighting and yelling outside. Why was everyone always so angry with him? He… didn’t get it. The dragon seemed to make everyone very angry and afraid, but why was that his fault? He didn’t go out after dark or dare to try and annoy the deadly dragon, so why was everyone angry with him? He had only ever tried to help everyone and be nice like everyone always said… Maybe he was doing it wrong, somehow?
Unbeknownst to the boy, an argument was taking place in the main room of the house, as the protests and chaos continued just outside their home. A couple were yelling at each other, a man and a woman, both in clear distress.
“I told you! The boy is CURSED! He has brought nothing but MISERY! We have become feared among the town!”
“T-then what do you propose we do?”
“Let the damned dragon have him.”
“Y-you cannot be serious.”
“I am deadly serious, P@-?!@**. Andri has brought us, and this town, nothing but pain and misery.”
“H-he is our son! He’s our lovely, harmless–”
“Lovely? Harmless?! HAVE YOU GONE MAD, WOMAN? Have you SEEN what he has brought?!”
“That is NOT his fault–”
“...He’s gotten to you, @;!!?!. You would betray our town for this hellspawn?!”
“I… I would not betray anyone. I love this town just as much as you do.”
“...Then let the dragon have him. End this curse upon us! Free us from his wrath and give Andri back to–”
“I… I cannot do that to our–”
“...Then you would damn us all for that monster?”
“...Do you truly believe… do you truly believe it would end things?”
There was a legend. A forgotten legend. Buried deep in the tomes of the town. It was said a sacrifice could calm the raging dragon. Many did not like to talk of this legend, naturally. Why would they? It was a frightful and terrible legend. And yet, where else do people turn to when their back is against the wall?
Wouldn’t it be easier this way? The town would stop suffering, and the child didn’t need to suffer anymore either. If he truly was cursed, his life would just… be endless suffering. Wasn’t it merciful to end this now? End his pain? Wouldn’t that be a good thing? Perhaps so.
At least, this is what the woman began to think. The woman, pressured by her husband and vilified by the town, broke under the weight. Perhaps this truly was the best thing for everyone.
Gabriel opened his eyes once more… The scene was still there. The two figures. He couldn’t run from this, could he? He was going to have to face it, wasn’t he?
Gabriel slowly approached the two figures. The woman was featureless, her body made of shadow - and yet Gabriel just somehow knew. This featureless, faceless figure - Gabriel knew of them. His memories were deeply buried, and he could remember nothing about them - but he did remember their existence. After trying so long to forget…
He turned to look at the child. A small, scared little child, with dark skin and purplish-red eyes. He wore some simple winter clothes and a nice knit scarf. His silverish black hair was so long that it covered his left eye. And, of course, he was clutching the Ralts doll that he loved so much.
Gabriel… lost that Ralts doll. He lost it when the S.S. Oceana…
The snow grew thicker, and Gabriel’s feet were now frozen to the icy ground below. No longer was he in Kristline Town. He was there. The place in the world he had come to hate the most. All he could do was helplessly watch the scene before him.
The child spoke meekly, shocking Gabriel out of his trance.
“S-so I have to stay here?”
“Yes, Andri. You need to stay here and perform the ceremony to please the dragon!”
“Then, um, what should I do?” The child asked.
“Take the amulet that we gave you, and wait. The dragon will sense the offering, and will stop the blizzard for us! Then, you just have to bury the amulet in the snow, and I will come back to get you. We can then all go home together, and have some of your favourite - hot chocolate.”
“B-but what if it notices you?”
“The dragon won’t notice me as long as you perform the ritual to protect us. You’ll do that for us, won’t you, Andri?”
A protector. Ever since he was first able to read - or rather, be read to, that’s all he ever wanted to be. A protector. Big, strong, like the guys in the books who were super tall and strong-! He heard Drayden was like that. He wrestled with dragons! He had to be big and tough. The child just wanted to have the strength to protect everyone he loved. And he could do that now? So soon? It felt great. It felt incredible!
“Okay! I’ll wait right here! I won’t move an inch.” he eagerly announced, planting his feet firmly in the snow below.
“That’s great, Andri. I promise I will be right back. I’m very sure the blizzard will end soon, with you performing the ritual.”
“Mhm, see you later, M@mM7!”
And so, the woman faded into the snow. Leaving the child behind.
The child waited. And waited. And waited. Time continued to pass, and the child’s fear grew. The child wondered if he was missing something. Was he waiting in the wrong place? Did she say to wait somewhere else? Was she okay? Had the dragon found her?! No… No. The dragon was focused on him. As long… as long as he didn’t move…
He had to hold his ground. If he left, the ritual would fail, and he wouldn’t have protected the town! But it had been so long. The thick blizzard made it hard to watch the sky, and he didn’t have a watch or anything. How long had it been? He couldn’t tell time very well. It had felt like a very long time, though. Maybe the amulet needed to be raised a little? The child forced his tiny, weakened little arms upward, fingers curling around the amulet as he did, raising it up slightly.
His body, his already small, frail body, was beginning to buckle under the harsh winter conditions. His skin was gradually growing bluer, and his teeth were chattering uncontrollably. His tears would freeze as they fell, and his voice was almost entirely lost to the chill. It was hard to keep his eyes open. He couldn’t leave though. Not until the blizzard ended! Not until the dragon was appeased!
The feeling in his chest grew tight, and his vision grew blurred. “M@mM7? Where… where did you go? Am I doing it all wrong? Where is everyone? I… I wanna go home..” His head grew light, his limbs lost feeling. The world was becoming ever-so white. It spun around him. He felt the bitter bite of frost throughout his bones and veins. His skin grew icy, and his heartbeat slowed. His thoughts gradually faded.
“Am… am I not strong enough to do the ritual? Does… does that mean… I can’t protect anyone…?”
The child couldn’t remain standing anymore and fell to their knees. The dreadful bite of the blizzard only grew harsher as the boy’s already exhausted body was pushed well beyond its reasonable limits. And yet the cold only grew worse and worse. It was unnaturally cold, even for the most unforgiving winter’s day. Why was it so, so cold?
A fierce cry could then be heard in the distance.
“HAAAAAAHRAAAAAN!”
What… what was that shadow…? What was that large, approaching shadow? No… it couldn’t be…!
Were those icicles? What… what was going on…?
“HAAAAAAHRAAAAAN!”
No! This was… this was it! This was that dragon! Why… why had it approached?! It was so big and frightening, and just like the legends said! Why was it here?! What had he done?! The child couldn’t do anything. The child didn’t even have the strength to react. The child no longer had a voice to scream with. Was it… was it all about to end? Had he truly failed to protect everyone?
Was he just going to die out here?
The icicles grew closer and closer and surrounded the child on all slides.
And then…
Gabriel whited out.
He actually didn’t know what happened after that. The next thing he knew, he was lying in a hospital bed. His memories of the event were sealed.
From what he had heard, he was rescued by a wandering trainer who just happened to be in the area. He didn’t really want to think about it much more than that. He wished he could repay that trainer, but there was no way of ever knowing who they were. He chatted with him once, but the memory was too foggy to pull out. Where did he go...?
Gabriel’s eyes snapped open, and he found himself back in the blizzard. The snow surrounded him on all sides.
“Andri… you had such a wonderful opportunity to come face to face with such a perfect being of ice… and yet, you… spat in its face. No matter. It doesn’t matter how hard you try, Andri, you cannot escape what you are. A cursed child. A cursed child doomed only to bring misery and pain to those he loves. You can hide behind a false name and facade of glory - but you know exactly what you are…”
“It is why it is easier for you to hide behind your self-assigned role. It’s hard to be a person. It’s much easier to be a shield. After all, a broken shield needs not to be mourned, only replaced.”
“It is almost admirable, I suppose, your almost holy devotion to others. And yet it is so utterly misguided. It is a fire within your soul, and it disgusts me.”
Gabriel attempted to fight through the blizzard. He charged through the snow as far as he could. He tried to break his way out.
“Ahaha, running away as always? You’re normally so damn noisy - where’s all that stupid bravado you normally shout? Sit still and perish.”
Gabriel continued to try and push through the snow, and yet no matter how long he ran, he felt like he was going nowhere.
“Hm. As fun as it would be to continue, I would much rather do this elsewhere. It seems you still have some spirit remaining, after all. Do not miss me too much, Andri. It will only be a matter of time. You have a job to do, after all. Come to me, Andri. And let us finish this, with an audience.”
And so, the voice faded - and the blizzard calmed slightly - yet he was still surrounded by endless white snow.
Yet, despite the voice fading, Gabriel felt his own thoughts replace them. Repeating the mantras he had heard countless times before. Only this time, they came from their usual source.
He didn’t need that outside voice to intervene. These feelings, these thoughts, these anxieties… He knew them all too well already.
Worthless. Useless. A failure. A bringer of misery. Every one of his failures piled up on his soul. His chest tightened. His heartbeat raced. He felt everything slowly collapse around him as his thoughts raced around, his own mind helpless to stop them. Everything slowly began to fade around him once more as he held his head - finally unable to run as his knees buckled.
“Gabriel…?!”
Why… why was this happening again? He hated this. He hated this! Why wouldn’t the thoughts just stop, already?! Why wouldn’t it all just stop?!
“Yo, Gabriel?!”
Let it end. Let it end! Just make it stop!
“GABRIEL!”
Upon hearing his name pierce through the torment, he let out a small, startled, “Ah?!”
He… was back in the town. Standing at the docks, as before. Everything was… fine. It was fine. It was fine. Had he just… imagined that whole affair? He looked down and noticed two worried-looking figures staring up at him.
“Ah, Melia, Venam…” Gabriel said, adjusting to being back in what seemed like reality.
“Are… are you okay, dude?” Venam asked, raising an eyebrow. “We tried to say hello and you were just… staring off into space. You had this thousand-yard stare.”
“Gabriel… you should have just gone somewhere warm, you didn’t need to wait for us…” Melia said, worry and concern in her voice. "I know we're worried about Angie, but you could've waited at the Pokémon Centre." Melia seemed disturbed at the thought that Gabriel just kind of stood there while waiting for them. As well as exposing himself to the cold it just seemed like a strange thing to do.
“Eh?! That was nothing. Do you think I get cold that easily? Please. I could be here in my shorts and tank top if I wanted.” Gabriel boasted, waving his hand dismissively as the boisterousness of his voice returned. “Hell, I could stand here in nothing but my swimming gear, and I’d be fine.”
“...yeah, thanks, Gabriel, We get it,” Venam muttered, rolling her eyes. “At least you haven’t lost your voice.”
“...Venam, have you ever heard of the expression, the pot calling the kettle black?” Melia asked, folding her arms and giving Venam a rather judgemental stare. "I'm sure Telia island knew we were coming before we could see the dock on the horizon."
"Hey, what am I supposed to do? Sit there and not sing along to the best song in the world?" Venam asked back with exaggerated gestures.
Gabriel smiled and laughed. Everything would be fine. He just had to keep smiling. He didn't want to worry Melia and Venam. He wanted to ensure they could lean on him. He had to be reliable, and strong. Now was no time to show weakness or hesitation. He had a job to do, after all.
For now, the best thing to do was to keep smiling.
Keep smiling, and stay strong. Don’t falter, don’t frown, and don’t ever cry.
Smile in the face of danger. Smile in the face of dread.
Smile, no matter what.