Soul of Ice || Pipian
@ianthedisastrous
Now, before we begin:
Sometimes, things happened in Pip’s life that were so vivid and intense, that he had no other choice but to experience it through the lens of a celebrity actress narrating his life story via voiceover. It was one of his (many) weird habits that he’d picked up as a little boy. There was something extremely therapeutic about giving one’s thoughts and emotions over to a disembodied voice floating in the aether. Voiceovers, after all, always knew more than you did. They were so wise, and witty, with a tone as gentle as honey and milk. The first time he’d imagined a voiceover for himself had been when he visited his mum in rehab for the very first time. He was 7 years old. And when he stepped into that strange building, smelling of Clorox and artificial oranges, he imagined Hilary Duff from A Cinderella Story: Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, lived a beautiful little boy......and his sick mother. Okay, it wasn't that long ago. And it wasn't really a faraway kingdom... It was the Liberty House Clinic in Warwick.
You get the point. And naturally, you’ve probably gathered that when Pip saw Tony Rydinger and Wilbur Robinson kiss at the Polar Bear Plunge, he had no choice but to eject himself from his own brain and hire Kate Winslet from the movie The Holiday to step in.
Well, might as well get on with it. Action!
***
Wilbur stepped close to Tony Rydinger. And closer. And closer. And then. They kissed.
Most love stories are pretty much about people who fall in love -- with each other. But what about the rest of us? What about our stories? Those of us who fall in love alone. We are the victims of the one sided affair. We are the cursed of the loved ones. We are the unloved ones. The walking wounded, the handicapped without the advantage of a great parking space. Yes, you are looking at one such individual. Yes, there ... in the cute blue trunks with a thematically accurate sailor’s top. That's right. That's Philip Seville.
Pip’s mouth dropped open.
He has willingly loved that man -- for one whole miserable year. The absolute worst year of his life. The worst Christmases, the worst birthdays, New Year's Eves brought in by tears and Xanax.
Scrambling out of his chair, Pip’s boat shoes pounded on the floor of the cabin. “Get out of my way!” he squeaked as he headed, desperately, for the door.
This year that he has been in love has been the darkest days of his life ... all because he’s been cursed by being in love with a man who does not and will not love him back! Oh, God, ... heart pounding ... throat thickening ... absolutely can't swallow ... all the usual symptoms--
And because Pip’s eyes were so full of tears, he absolutely did not see Ian Lightfoot. He slammed into him, his Styrofoam cup full of hot cocoa splashing down the entirety of Ian’s front. “Oh my god!” Pip squeaked.
