#frigidcoomer

They've been following these footprints for hours. One of them scoffs.

"Did he somehow forget we're in the middle of goddamn nowhere!?"

"Yoohoo, Gooordon! Would you stop playing around already?!"

He's shouting at nobody.

"Hell yeah! With a ride this sweet, I'm ready to take on the world!"

"That's the spirit, Bubby! LET'S GO!"

Coomer yanks his lantern away from Bubby.

"That isn't yours!"

"Who cares? Let's gooooo already!"

Bubby tries to dash ahead, only to immediately loose his footing on the ice.

Coomer catches him by the collar of his coat.

"Tread slowly and carefully, you could slip on the ice!"

"...Thanks."

Coomer lets go of him and immediately starts running, Bubby not far behind.

As the structure gets closer and closer, you start to make out a more distinct shape. It's oblong, positioned upwards, and there's something sharp jutting out of it.

"Is that... Ice?"

The structure finally comes into view.

I'm guessing the fact it's the Glass Snow means it was definitely doing something to your minds. We're you guys aware it had any psychological effects?-

And a small question to see if I'm on the right track. Did Gordon deal with a lot of this snow while you were researching it? Like... was he exposed to it more than you both?

"Psychological effects? I mean - we would never have assumed snowflakes could fuck with your head like, you know... That."

Bubby fidgets with something in his pocket.

"And, uh, I don't believe Gordon handled it any more than I did? Between the three of us, Coomer is the one who liked getting up close and personal with the glass snow."

"...Correct."

"I'm - not so sure about that one."

Coomer picks up a particularly worn-looking notebook.

"Well, they say to never judge a book by it's cover. The answers to all of the cosmos could be in here for all we know!"

"Every single one of them?"

"Yes! Every last cosmo."

"...Bad news Bubby, the cosmos are illegible!"

"Pass it over."

"Oh you're right - this handwriting is absolute shit!"

"Perhaps you should read it aloud for the benefit of our new companions!"

"You can just ask me to read it to you, Dr. Coomer."

"I'm not your companion?"

"You're not new. It says..."

"the batteries are dead on my Game Gear! i'm not gonna go ask where spares are cause I'm below deck slacking off. i said i had to use the bath room for 1 hour. totally fooled them. it's been 2 and no one's come to get me."

"you can't blame me it's freezing out there! the weather guy is a total moron. and the boss was all 'we have a quota to meet before winter comes so get back out on the water' LAME!!! he's SO annoying. why doesn't he just come get the fish himself?"

"This was some layabout's journal, I guess."

"the sun is going down and we're still on the water for some reason. and i wanna go home already. i have left over pizza in the fridge. i went to go see what's up and that guy i don't know the name of was all 'i forgot you were even here' and he called me FAVIO? favio!!! big talk for a guy named. uh. whatever!"

"Bubby, I believe this journal was written by someone named Favio."

"we're on our way back now. maybe they didn't know the route cause it's our first time on this lake. also everyone but me was being stupid (no literally they were basically going in circles) they were all 'why don't YOU steer if your so smart' and no way am i doing that it's snowing even worse now!!!"

"i'm writing to pass time. someone said i should be writing my paper instead. i think i will... NOT! Here is my review of Altered Beast for the Sega Genesis:"

"Oh my god, I'm skipping this part. Does this guy ever shut up?!"

"I'm sure Gordon can tell us all about 'Altered Beast for the Sega Genesis' when we get back, wherever he's gone!"

Bubby rapidly flips through page after page.

"Blah, blah, blah..."

"...It just ends? After all that? Uh, there's one more entry after his 'review.' I think it says..."

Bubby squints at the messy scrawl.

"Look Bubby, a lake! We can use lake water to quench our thirst!"

"Oh thank god."

Bubby and Coomer stand at the very edge of the shoreline. You can't see the other side, despite the flat terrain.

Bubby takes a small step outward, stomping on the ice with as much force as he can manage. It doesn't crack.

"Hmm... I think this is safe enough to cross."

"Ooh, let me try!"

Coomer does the same. There's more strength behind his stomp. Still, the ice remains intact.

"This is the most powerful ice I've ever seen!"

( I absolutely LOVE this concept and the art! )

"Er - last night. We had settled down for the night and... Gordon was gone when we awoke."

"I thought it was too early in the year for bees. Nature is fascinating!"

Coomer slides the shotgun under his arm.

"...We'll be leaving now."

"...The Queen will make your eyes his own; you'll live out the rest of your days under his watch. And when he eventually buries you, you'll both end up right back here, right in my garden, right in the dirt where you belong. It's only a matter of time."

Coomer hesitates, before releasing Herda. She doesn't move, merely glaring at Bubby and Coomer.

Coomer makes his way over to Bubby, helping him up. Bubby leans onto Coomer, and they begin to limp away.

Bubby and Coomer are silent.

Herda is silent.

The flowers are not.