December 26, 2024 • 79 mins
Join us in this week's episode to discuss The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch. In this episode we talk about everything from Christmas traditions to possibly sexy Santa Claus. Please send us book recs and follow us on our socials @theRPHpodcast https://linktr.ee/raunchypowerhour
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Welcome to Raunchy Power Hour, a book club for discussing romance, from the erotic to
(00:05):
the erroneous.
As always, this is an explicit podcast and contains strong language, adult themes, and
sexual content.
If you are sensitive to these things, we urge you calmly but sincerely to turn off your
radio now.
This month we are reading The Nightmare Before Kismis by Sarah Rash.
This is part one of The Nightmare Before Kismis.
This podcast will contain spoilers through chapter 11.
(00:26):
If you want to read along with us, stop listening now.
It's okay, we'll wait for you to come back.
This book contains themes of emotional abuse, abandonment, death, grief, and alcohol abuse.
You have been warned.
I'm your producer Ashlyn.
I'm one of your ho-ho-hosts, Sydney.
(00:48):
I'm another ho-ho-host, Christina.
Now get ready to get Christmassy.
That was very cute, Ashlyn.
That was so stinking cute.
Well, Christina, welcome back.
(01:10):
So I have a question for you.
Okay, what's the question, Sydney?
If you could name a book, a holiday book specifically, very closely to a famous holiday movie, what
would you name your book?
(01:34):
What's my book about?
Something, it's like a holiday romance.
Oh, alone.
How alone.
How alone.
I like that.
I like that a lot.
(01:57):
What would yours be?
It's not a family friendly book, I've decided.
The sexy claws.
God.
Well, on that note, Christina, you remember this because you've obviously read this book.
(02:24):
Well, this month we read A Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sarah Roche.
Very cute.
Very sexy.
And before I go into doing our summary of the different chapters, I'm going to give
us all just a little bit of info before we really jump into it.
(02:46):
Is that okay?
Hi, Captain.
So fun fact, this book, guys, this book was published less than two months ago.
It was only published October 8th of 2024, if you were listening to this in 2024, early
(03:08):
2025.
So the author of A Nightmare Before Kissmas, Sarah Roche, is also actually just a pretty
popular just YA and adult fantasy author, which I thought was very interesting.
I did not know this until I looked into her, but she's the author of The Witch.
(03:29):
She's a co-author of that book, which is a very popular book right now.
But The Nightmare Before Kissmas is 368 pages long.
And on Roche's website, the book is described as red, white and royal blue meets The Nightmare
Before Christmas in a sexy, quirky rom-com where the golden hearted Prince of Christmas
(03:51):
falls for the totally off limits Prince of Halloween.
Which that is the book.
It's a very, very good description, honestly, of the book.
A good description, but wait, where's The Nightmare Before Christmas?
Is it just the name?
I think it might just be the name or the fact that it's Halloween and Christmas interacting.
(04:11):
I think, I don't know.
Wait, yeah, that makes sense.
Okay.
Yeah, I think that's it.
It's just Jack Skellington and the Santa and that started making out instead of just...
Sold.
Sold, right.
Yeah, completely sold.
Sold, right.
Yeah, come on, Tim Burton, get on that.
(04:32):
But out of five stars on Goodreads, we have an average of a 4.05 out of 6,814 reviews
as of this recording.
And on Storygraph, we have an average of a 4.1 stars out of 1,983 as of this recording.
(04:53):
So before we get into it, I will introduce our two main characters, which is Nicholas
Cole Claus, who is our Christmas prince, and Hex Hollow, the prince of Halloween.
I just described him as tall, goth, and has a deep voice.
(05:17):
I think that's a pretty good description right there.
Yeah, and I just wrote for Cole a fuck up question mark.
An air Christmas.
With curly red hair.
With curly red hair.
That does get mentioned quite a bit.
But Christina, do you think I'm missing anything before we really jump into it?
(05:37):
I think also Iris is a big character.
True, true.
She's our Easter princess.
She is our Easter princess.
So we have Iris.
I'll introduce Iris, who is, as Christina said, the princess of Easter, and she's BFFs
with Cole, but also his only by a couple months younger brother, Chris Claus.
(06:05):
And yeah, we'll get into their dynamics and everything going into Chapter One.
So when we get into the book, we are met with a crisis because Cole is having one.
He is getting drunk at a bar in New Haven.
(06:30):
We love a crisis.
We love a crisis.
He does say a line about the vodka martini, about being like, oh, you know, it was shot
of vodka, like just on the verge of being a martini.
And I was like, OK, that it was a little cringe.
(06:51):
And I didn't love the book when I first started it.
I will say grew on me.
Anyway, it is a lot of cringe.
It's kind of cringey.
I love her, though.
I do eventually come to love her a lot.
But we're in this crisis.
Cole's at the bar drinking his sorrows away when his brother Chris comes to him and he's
(07:14):
like, dude, what the fuck did you do?
And long story short, what we find out is that Cole was training to be Santa Claus because
we've kind of been to that Cole is going to be the next king of Christmas, a Santa Claus.
(07:40):
And in doing this, his dad has been like training him to be Santa Claus.
Well, we have a problem because Cole and Chris's dad, I'm just going to call him dad or Santa
throughout most of this just because I don't really remember what his name was.
So Santa Claus.
Let's call him King Claus.
(08:02):
He is not the most emotionally available to his children, nor just available in general.
So he's been teaching Cole all these responsibilities kind of.
It's been more of a PR move.
So Cole being upset goes to what is called.
(08:27):
I don't remember if it was the Merry meter.
It was the route planner database.
The North Pole database.
Thank you.
So he accesses the database to just like read up on other letters that kids had sent in
to Santa.
And a couple really hit him like hard, especially about this child who like wrote to him being
(08:49):
like, hi, Santa, daddy's not coming home.
Could you help my mom financially so that she doesn't have to worry about us for Christmas?
And ouch, I would be moved as well.
Yeah, I was like, oh, wow.
But Cole decided to do is that he was going to fulfill these.
(09:13):
Wishes like these Christmas wishes for this, the capital of a small country called New
Coa.
The problem is it's June and not a great time for Christmas presents or money to just
randomly appear in people's bank accounts.
So he does this because he wants to feel good.
(09:34):
He wants to like help these people.
And when it happened, when the news breaks, he's actually at his now ex-girlfriend's birthday
party.
His ex-girlfriend is named Lily and she is Iris's older sister.
Doesn't really come up later.
Just thought I'd bring it up now.
(09:56):
And the news breaks that he's caused like a lot of trouble because of all these wishes
fulfilled and also somehow an economic collapse.
I wasn't always certain how that happened, but I just kind of went with it.
It was a lot of like, oh my God, robberies, hyperinflation, the whole place is in like
(10:18):
a meltdown.
This is where Sidi saying that money doesn't exist and inflation isn't real, it becomes
a problem because it's inflation.
Take money makes real money not worth money.
But money is truly just a concept and we live in a society.
So anyway, you know what?
(10:38):
Real.
I don't think any financial bros are listening to our podcast.
And if they are, I don't know what they're doing here.
Joe Rogan's on your next playlist over.
If you're a financial person, listen to our podcast, hit me up.
I want to talk.
If you're a financial person, let us know like what you think happened in this book
(10:59):
in the beginning.
Like explain it.
Yeah, you actually tell us what happened.
I'd really like that.
Hyperinflation?
And why would that cause rubbers?
It's inflation of money, why is it bad?
(11:21):
Don't we want bigger money?
And we want more money.
I'm really confused.
I just use credit card.
I don't know.
I don't get it.
So this all happens, the news breaks and on top of it, Cole and Lily were going to like
(11:46):
break up at the end of her birthday party just because they weren't really feeling it.
It was like a mutual breakup.
But obviously with all of this and him foreshadowing her birthday, not a good look.
And she was pissed at him.
I would be too.
I'll be for real.
Because of all this, he's doing too good.
(12:08):
This was not a great night for Cole's cause.
But it's about to turn around.
Because while he is lamenting some of this to his brother, his night does get worse first
because he does get a call from dad and dad is pissed.
Like freaks out at him, tells him he's basically like worthless and that he's a fuck up.
(12:29):
And introduces like the daddy issues so early on.
This is all the first chapter still.
I know, I know.
I just remembered, I just wrote so many daddy issues.
It was like so dense with all the issues that this kid has.
(12:50):
Like you're just sitting there and you're like, oh my God.
Oh my God.
And then on top of it, this is when we get revealed that Newkoa is like going through
financial crisis and da da da da.
Now dear reader, listener, whatever you are, you may be asking yourself, but who does the
world not know there's a Santa Claus or that all of this wasn't caused by holiday magic?
(13:13):
There's a holiday press which covers, you know, like basically the celebrity gossip
of all the different holiday royal families.
And then there's like us normies, our press.
And basically what they were saying was it was some sort of cyber attack or something
like that.
They said on one of the headlines, it says presumed bank and shipping errors lead to
(13:38):
rioting as citizens buy out stores, robberies increase.
Yeah, yeah.
So not a great night.
So Iris shows up and Iris, like we kind of said before, she is another Easter princess
and she is BFFs with Cole and Chris.
(13:59):
And she's like, dude, what the fuck happened?
And Cole's like, hey guys, I've had a really bad night.
I think I need some air.
So instead of just telling them what is good intention to her, he goes, I need to go outside.
And so he does deflect.
(14:21):
It's honestly a good representation of Cole's character at this point because he does grow.
He does get better.
Stick around.
Stick around, stick around.
But he decides to go outside and he goes to the back because of the front he sees holiday
press and I'm not going to go into that because he like did a whole info dump on us.
(14:42):
But he goes to the back and he goes out into an alley and he's like basically having a
panic attack and like freaking out when this hot new boy has entered the villa, aka the
alley.
And he's tall.
Cause he's tall, dark, handsome and has a deep voice.
(15:06):
And they proceed to have this moment where Cole is like, feels like he can't actually
tell him what's going on because he'd like blow his whole cover.
And then the guy's like, well, sometimes you just need to focus in on the now so you can
(15:28):
like find that base and everything.
And Cole is so moved that he's like, he has a bi panic moment and he goes, oh wait, this
guy's really hot.
And then they proceed to make out in the alleyway.
I'm pretty sure he went through like an employee exit.
Yes he did.
He did in fact do that.
(15:49):
So they're like making out and having this hot make out session.
Cole like does pause for a second and go, this could be a press guy that I'm making
out with.
Wouldn't be great for my image of on top of doing all this shit and breaking up with my
girlfriend that night.
I'm now just making out with a random dude.
But as he's thinking this thought, he hears the door open and it's Iris calling for him
(16:13):
and he pushes the guys away, turns to look at Iris and he goes, oh sorry, like it's nothing.
And then as he turns back around, the guy's gone.
Into the night.
Poof.
Poof.
And Cole is like, I don't know if he was real, but I still taste him on my lips and stuff
like that.
And then he throws up.
(16:34):
He just keeps on pushing the shoes.
I'm like, and that's like, I'm like what?
It was a whirlwind of a first chapter.
Let's just say that.
You thoroughly have to get invested from here.
You're like, okay, I do need to see what the rest of this is about.
(16:56):
This is also where you kind of start getting like right at the end of that.
It's like still technically the first chapter you're getting like text chains, which I do
find fun.
If you like those like in red, white and real blue, the text chains are really fun in like
a good way that I feel like the humor is introduced.
Like there's lots of like one liners in the text.
(17:17):
Yes.
So we do get like a little text combo about Cole having to pay Iris back or give her new
shoes, which were very expensive and Cole's like, holy shit.
I didn't realize how no is Chris.
Chris didn't know and Cole's like, yeah, dude, they're really fucking expensive.
And Iris is just like, get your shit together, Cole.
(17:39):
And he's like, yep, we'll do.
And then we jumped to a year and a half later.
We just get a little jump and it's Christmas time yet again.
And Cole is in his dorm and he does not want to go home for Christmas.
Like so many college students don't.
(18:04):
And I love to go home.
I like to break.
I'll say I feel like he can relate to a lot, but he's really dreading this year because
his dad has this game cooking up and his dad basically says like they have a big announcement,
which is weird because usually his dad would just tell him and Chris before like the event.
(18:30):
So they could, you know, be perfect and ready for the photo op.
So it's really odd.
But Chris magically appears and we get a little bit of Christmas magic lore.
Basically if you put a little mistletoe in your doorway becomes a magical doorway.
So then the Claus boys can come on and that's how they get so many houses in one night.
Wait, which that was such a fun little detail and I feel like it's not that often.
(18:55):
I was like we could use that more guys.
I thought that was very cute too.
So cute.
There was a lot of like cute lore and I'm like spoiler alert, it doesn't happen a lot
later.
Yeah, I know.
I wish we did have a little bit more.
And Chris is also teasing Cole about not having a serious relationship since Lily and Cole's
(19:20):
like, well, I've been banging my roommate on the side and Chris is like, dude, not the
same thing, a serious relationship.
And this is when Cole's like teasing Chris because he's like, well, you love Iris and
you haven't told her and we've like known her all our life.
So I don't know what's up with that.
(19:41):
So they finally get to the North Pole and dad is acting shady.
We get like a little bit of shadiness.
Oh wait, no, but before this on top of daddy issues, what else have we got, Christina?
Surprise mommy issues.
So many mommy issues.
(20:05):
Basically it's revealed that mom just not a nice person either, which is why the Claws
boys are just so emotionally unregulated.
She literally just like, it's been left for, is it the Caribbean?
She just left one day, which is all we know at this point, that her and Santa are divorced
(20:31):
and that she's in the Caribbean and that she sends them like a weird holiday photo, but
it's like kind of Instagram model esque.
But Cole's on their bullshit.
Chris is still kind of holding out, like kind of wishing in a weird way his mom would come
back anyway.
Wait, mom is dating a beach detector.
(20:53):
Yes.
Right, right, right, right.
I forgot about that.
Then they're like, what is that and it's like people who scour the beach with metal detectors.
Yep, that's it.
That's what her new boyfriend does instead of Santa.
Instead of Santa.
I'm like, I guess that's the opposite of being a frost.
(21:14):
Yeah, I guess.
So they are in the Christmas castle.
There's hustle and bustle and holiday cheer and they change into these outfits to go do
this first event where Santa is going to make a big announcement and Cole's like, I don't
(21:36):
like that dad's not telling us what it is.
So they're at the celebration of hanging a bunch of ornaments on the giant Christmas
tree and then Iris and her dad is there, which is kind of weird again, because usually it's
just for like the inner circle of Christmas, the Christmas court and some like reporters.
(22:00):
And this is where it is revealed that not only has Christmas daddy and Easter daddy
decided to use their children as pawns.
They're good names.
Yeah, but they announced that not only is Cole going to be going to grad school, which
he did does not want to do.
(22:21):
He's not good at school and he's just skimmed his way through school.
But also that apparently he and Iris have been courting and now will be formally doing
it and will see a marriage in the future, which is a shock to everyone involved.
They said, oh, yeah.
(22:41):
Marriage, marriage, question mark.
So Christina, I know that this was kind of like a thing in the back of the book.
So it wasn't like a huge surprise when this happened.
But still, it was a surprise to you.
I didn't read the back of the book.
No, because I think it's more fun with like because romcoms always kind of spoil what
(23:04):
happens and so I'm like, oh, I'll figure it out.
And like, I actually did not see that coming.
So you were generally surprised.
Yeah, because like I obviously I picked up that there's going to be like Halloween in
the mix and I was like, oh, a rivalry.
But I don't know why I didn't like I didn't think Easter was involved.
(23:25):
Well, it is, baby.
So it was generally a surprise for you.
OK, good to know.
Continuing on because I knew I read on the back of the book and I read that something
was going to happen.
Anyway, so we've got a lot of angst and we've got a lot of.
(23:48):
A lot of shock from both Iris and Cole.
Iris a lot because she never thought her dad would like come to that level.
And Cole is not surprised, but he's more like mad at his dad that he's using Iris like without
her consent, basically.
So they kind of so Cole kind of leads Iris out so that they have a minute to, you know,
(24:12):
sit and think.
And then this is and then this is when it's revealed that things have not been going as
well in Easter as Iris has been letting on.
And it's because dad married a normie.
Her daddy decided that he didn't want not a normal Easter mommy.
(24:38):
So apparently in these courts, there's a lot of different houses and these are the houses
that make up the different parts of the holiday.
So like, for example, in Christmas, there's like the Frost family or oh, I just had one.
The Carolers.
Thank you.
I was thinking like Jack something, but I can't remember what it was.
(25:00):
Or the Jacobites.
The Jacobites.
I don't know.
Jacobites.
I think.
Yeah.
Thank you.
And I was thinking Jacob Marley from Christmas Carol.
I just watched them up at Christmas Carol.
I had just watched them up at Christmas Carol.
(25:21):
So that's just me.
I'm pretty good timing.
I like the names in this book.
Like all the little like the creations of the holiday courts.
Was it Lentora is Easter?
That's so fun.
I thought it was very fun too.
But yeah, so Easter dad decided that he didn't want to marry from within the court and he
(25:45):
fell in love with a normal person who then became the Easter queen and the court wasn't
too happy about that.
And this all leads back to Iris also having mommy issues because her mommy died.
There's so many mommy and daddy issues.
Introducing the first two chapters.
I'm like, Jesus Christ, does anyone have like a normal family?
(26:08):
No.
No, not yet.
Not yet.
And so yeah, so Iris is obviously really upset because she was like, I wanted to fall in
love like my dad and my mom, but you know, I guess responsibilities.
And so when Easter dad and Christmas dad come into the room, Cole is like, why would you
(26:32):
do this?
Like how dare you?
And they're like, this is just the betterment for the holidays.
We're just trying to like spread joy and cheer, yada, yada, yada.
It's honestly, this part is really well written because it is.
You feel it.
Like at one point, Cole says, quote, you know what you did was wrong.
(26:56):
I say to Neo when Iris is quiet, we're not pawns.
Yeah.
I'm like, oh, but like it's well written.
We're like, you feel bad.
Yeah.
And honestly, out of a lot of romcoms, I like this conflict in this book because sometimes
(27:17):
you read a romance book and I know you, Christian, understand it.
I know you actually understand it.
I know you understand it.
And I know you listeners know when you read a romance book and the conflict is so fucking
stupid and you're like, it makes sense.
(27:40):
Give it to me.
Because it's like courts.
It's so easy to eat it up because it's like, yeah, they did this back in the day.
They can do this now.
Sure.
Yeah, exactly.
And it's also like, oh, well, it's political and like they have to.
Okay, yes.
This makes sense.
Thank you.
Honestly, Sarah, Sarah Roche, if I can call you that.
(28:06):
I very much appreciated this conflict that was added into the book.
So thank you.
I needed this.
I needed this sweet little treat.
So yeah, Cole and Chris are also pissed because remember, Chris is in love with Iris.
So seeing his big brother marry her, not going to be good.
We're just going to have family issues in general.
(28:26):
Anyway, later that night, after everyone's gone to bed, pissed off.
Actually, before we do before I say that, there was a very cute text message thread,
which I will point out specifically because Cole is like teasing or saying something funny
in the group chat.
Oh, he kept changing the group chat name.
(28:49):
I like stupid things.
This was so funny.
And I especially loved it because I also hate Elf on the Shelf, but basically Cole kept
changing the group chat name.
And every time he did it, Chris was threatening to put another Elf on the Shelf hidden in
Cole's room.
And I was like, thank you for the Elf on the Shelf slander.
(29:10):
I appreciate that.
All of this was so clever.
It was.
What was it?
Christina, can you look for the names and tell us what they were?
Someone's group chat name that your Claws boys put out.
So all this kind of happens after they figure out not only is it like, oh, courting, but
the marriage and stuff is happening at the Christmas evening.
(29:33):
So they're trying to figure out what's going on because there's a Halloween welcome party
and they're talking about boycotting.
And so it starts out with Iris and the Claws boys and then it becomes, Cole names the conversation
two bros and a ho ho ho.
And this is where the text chat becomes less serious because it was serious before this.
(29:57):
And then Cole names the conversation 50 shades of sleighs.
I did like that one, which is really good.
And then, um, then Chris starts talking about like, he says, for each time you make a mockery
of the English language, I'm going to hide one Elf on the Shelf somewhere in your room.
And so he goes, hi, Mark, this was really funny.
(30:22):
You're up to two Elves with those beady soulless eyes just watching you from the shadows.
You won't know where, but you'll feel them studying, learning, waiting.
It was very good.
Um, but this is at the next part, this is when, um, after they've gone to bed, they
(30:49):
wake up to a ruckus occurring downstairs.
So Chris and Cole run back to like the ballroom area where suddenly Halloween envoys have
come to Christmas town.
Not Halloween town, Christmas town now.
(31:11):
And they are like, Christmas has been taking too much of like the cheer and is trying to
like monopolize like all the joy and like, we see this as a threat and Santa's like,
what do you mean it's a threat?
We just want to spread joy and like happiness.
But like, if you want to, if you want to send like your own prints to come court Iris, I
(31:37):
guess we'll do that.
He's giving evil Santa from the Santa Claus too.
Is it too?
I can't remember which one, two.
Okay.
And then three was one when Jack Frost becomes a classic Santa, right?
Okay, I literally had never seen any of the Santa Claus movies until this weekend.
(32:00):
So it's very funny that you bring them up.
It is number two.
Wait, you had never seen them?
The Santa Claus?
None of them.
Never.
Ashley.
I don't, I don't know what to tell you.
I'm sorry.
Talk about daddy issues.
No kidding.
Bad dad, bad Santa.
(32:23):
I mean, I'm seeing some parallels.
I am seeing some parallels, but can we also say that Bernard the elf is one of our first
crushes as a child?
I love Bernard.
I thought Bernard was cute.
Leave me alone.
That's so funny.
My focus as a child was that I really wanted that hot chocolate.
(32:44):
I mean that too.
Bernard.
Bernard the elf.
Listeners, let us know your thoughts on Bernard the elf.
Where did you fall on this?
Okay, on a scale of one to ten, how hot is Bernard the elf when you were a child?
I hate this.
I hate the context in which we brought this podcast.
(33:07):
So yeah, what a segue.
Halloween shows up and is like, we want to throw our hat in the ring, I guess.
And no, Christmas kind of twists it and it's like, oh, well, you guys should try for Iris'
hand and they're like, okay.
(33:28):
So it's either a day later or it's a couple days later when it's the official welcoming
of Halloween to the Christmas castle.
When he first shows up, that's when Cole is like, hey, that's the dude I made out with
in the alleyway.
Yes, I was just about to get to that part.
(33:48):
But yes, you are right, because literally as like the all these spooky people come in.
I thought we were I thought we did jump ahead.
Whoopsie, whoopsie.
It's okay.
Bernard, I got distracted.
Bernard the elf.
All right, we'll cut that out.
(34:19):
Cut that out.
Cut that out.
Start from here.
So yeah, a couple days later, or the day later, I do not remember our timeline.
This is when the official Halloween court shows up to be like, oh, we're ooky and spooky
(34:40):
and bad.
And Chris and Cole have to be there to welcome them.
But they're kind of up in the balconies.
They're watching.
And as this happens, the darkness fades and suddenly Cole sees a very familiar face.
Oh, shit.
(35:01):
Just the guy from the alley.
Yeah, so.
No, that's going to have to get cut immediately.
We cannot sing that.
I forgot.
I just thought I was doing it because he tuned it and then I was like, oops.
You just did the McDonald's jingle.
(35:24):
We cannot use that.
No, I know.
Guys, I'm sorry.
It's OK.
We love you.
So yeah, but this is the big reveal that Hex is the guy that Cole made out with all those
(35:46):
years ago and Cole's like, oh, fuck.
Why didn't I look up his face sooner?
Bow chicka wow wow.
That's what I was thinking of.
And then I accidentally get the McDonald's jingle.
Cole did think Hex is pretty yummy.
So yeah, actually, like I have it marked here.
(36:10):
It's like in their son, Prince Hex Hollow, his name rebounds in my head, cracking into
the parts of my body that have gone immobile and against every rational thought.
I have no rational thoughts.
None.
Not in this moment.
I remember how to inhale and I gasp loudly.
Attention swings to me.
That's so dramatic.
(36:31):
There are a lot of gasps, a lot of gasping dramatically.
Oh, my God.
It's so silly, but I kind of love it.
So next day, Cole is wallowing.
He is just freaking out.
(36:53):
He's just like, I am totally screwed because the guy I made out with in that alley that
both Chris and Iris think was fake is real.
And he's technically my competitor for Iris's hand.
But the whole thing is that the reason they are that Santa is quote unquote, allowing
(37:15):
them to do that is that it's basically already a dead done deal with Cole and Iris getting
married.
And he's like trying to placate them is what he says.
So yeah, he's like completely freaking out.
And then he goes up to Hex.
(37:40):
I don't remember how they get to talking, but they begin talking and he...
Cole's trying to figure out if Hex knew who he was when they made out in that alley.
And Hex is like, yeah, I did know you.
And I also was the one who like...
Hex thinks he's the one who initiated the kiss, while Cole is the one who thinks he
(38:02):
initiated the kiss.
So Cole's like, what?
It's like a moment.
And then he immediately goes straight to the text right after.
Yeah, I was like, it's so dumb.
And the new text is, baby, it's cold outside.
(38:27):
Yeah.
And I like...
It goes there and they're like, oh my god, wait, he's real.
Yeah.
They're like, oh shit.
Like you didn't make up this guy that just poofed.
Yeah.
Oh my god.
But yeah, so...
The next text chain, because Iris changes it back to Iris and the...
(38:54):
Why am I struggling with claws?
Santa Claus.
Iris and the Claws boys.
And then Cole names the conversation, when I think about you, I touch my elf.
Very fun.
I do like these.
I was pretty tempted to steal these for our group chat name, but I decided to keep the
(39:17):
one that I created, which was Dawn, we now are gay in all capitals apparel.
Perfect.
You're welcome everybody for that.
Perjurer's book.
Yeah, truly.
Especially with all the bi and gay panic, we've got a lot.
Wait, the next conversation name was Cole changes it to not just the stockings are hung,
(39:43):
and then Iris changes it to Cole is overcompensating for his tiny candy cane.
Yes.
Oh, and then it got locked by Chris.
Yeah, that was very funny.
God.
So oh, this is actually the next day.
Sorry, the whole conversation between Cole and Hex was right after it's revealed that
(40:07):
Hex is the Halloween prince.
So Cole goes to Iris and he like brings her breakfast and they have a little bit of a
heart to heart about how they both feel about their holidays and their responsibilities
because I mean, neither of them are happy.
(40:27):
And it's also kind of told that Iris originally wanted to go to art school and she was kind
of coerced into doing something similar to global affairs and stuff like that so that
she'd be able to run Easter someday.
And she reveals kind of stuff about how her dad is handling like the court and the pressures
(40:51):
and then also like how the court doesn't really see Iris's father as like a strong leader.
Which is all very sad because mommy issues.
So much mommy issues and then also talks about late stage capitalism and taking things too
(41:12):
serious and like plucking tickets.
And all this is happening while they're eating what sounds like the best breakfast meal with
the cinnamon roll pancakes.
I had that marked.
And like all this is very serious but I'm like I got a little distracted with the food
descriptions.
I might be begging my mom for cinnamon roll pancakes when I get home and maybe we can
(41:34):
have those Christmas morning.
That sounds delicious.
I kind of want that.
And like I do like that you get this scene set up with like all this food and then like
a serious conversation.
But like it's also kind of like it feels like pulling at teeth getting cold to do the serious
conversation.
Yes.
Well Cole is very much not the type of guy to take responsibility and hold on to it.
(41:57):
But it's more because I mean if you can't see it by now.
Honestly when I picked up at this point I was like obviously he's going to get more
serious and care more.
I think it's because he cares too much and he's scared of like that and that's what's
hurting him.
So he'd rather be like more aloof.
That's kind of what I got from his character.
Yeah.
(42:18):
He says like I do care.
I just don't see how caring will change things.
Like that's so sad.
Mommy and daddy itchy got to him.
So sad.
Oh my god.
And then they talk about how like they love their old traditions.
Like it was very Christmassy and sweet.
(42:38):
Also what I'd love to.
Her mom left.
Yeah I know.
No his mom left.
Her mom died.
So missing moms all around.
I will say it did kind of feel like a Disney Channel direct movie because remember how
like whenever like the main character is like moving out of the house because you know he's
got to go and there's like this gorgeous breakfast spread that like supposedly the mom had made
(43:03):
and he only eats like one bite of something.
I'm like that's what it felt like sitting as a reader.
I was like that's such a good comparison.
It felt like they had a whole feast.
Like he literally goes into the kitchens and they're preparing meals and he's like see
ya.
Yeah basically.
Well no he like gives it to Iris and then they don't eat it.
(43:26):
I'm like eat it.
Definitely what it is like.
Race.
I know I'm just hungry.
Yeah I know right.
So but the event of today is going to be reindeer racing.
So Cole leaves to go get ready.
(43:48):
And he comes out back out and he's all decked out.
Get it.
He's wearing his snow suit and everything getting ready to go.
And when Hex comes out Cole's instantly like he's got so much of the hots.
(44:09):
You can definitely tell that.
Chris has got the hots for Hex and Hex definitely has similar feelings towards Cole.
And while they're like staring at each other like this Cole basically like tells Hex what
the rules of the sleigh ride are and that they're going to go do it.
(44:31):
And Hex is like well Princess Iris are you doing it?
And she's like hell no.
I will not be doing this.
And somehow in some way Hex is convinced to then ride with Cole on the reindeer racing.
Because was that King Claus or was that Iris?
(44:57):
I think it was King Claus that's the one who pushed him to do it.
Which is an insane thing to do.
Yeah I don't know why he would have pushed that.
I feel like the press image would have been weird but it's chill and whatever.
So they go sleigh racing and Cole and Hex are you know like so enamored with each other
(45:19):
that by the time the gun like the star gun goes off like Cole is basically in last place
because he was like just staring into Hex's eyes for so long.
And they start racing and things are going well and you know there's touching there's
grabbing there's like some heat and action building when suddenly it just gets thrown
(45:44):
from the sleigh.
Cole of course freaks out goes to check on him and it's like Hex is fine but he's like
but you promised you wouldn't do that.
Foreshadowing for later.
And Cole is like I'm so sorry.
Yes this was very fun.
(46:05):
It was very fast paced and then as they're like again looking deep into each other's
eyes they like jump apart because Chris is like come up because Chris is second at this
moment and then Chris is like you good?
And Cole's like yeah and he's like did you kill the Halloween guy?
(46:27):
Cole's like no and Chris goes look at me and just rides off to go win the sleigh race.
Which this is so fun.
That is very much a younger sibling older sibling kind of thing to do.
Should be like you good?
Yeah?
Okay I'm going to go beat your ass.
(46:47):
No because at this point like it's clear that Cole was like way in the lead.
Like he wasn't in the lead enough to go searching for Hex because he like disappears in the
snow like he has enough time to be like frantically searching and then his brother just like good
bye.
I'm going to go get this thing.
(47:09):
So it reminded me a lot of the chariot racing in Percy Jackson.
It was like I liked that energy.
I think this was one of my favorite sections of the book.
Like revisiting it.
I thought it was so fun or very like petals to the metal with the adventure zone.
(47:31):
Yes it's a sleigh ride.
Oh what do they call them in the adventure zone?
Battle wagons.
Battle wagons thank you.
Listeners if you don't know what we're talking about with the adventure zone you need to
go listen to the adventure zone the balance arc it is amazing and I love it so much.
(47:56):
I won't elaborate further.
Anyway later that day Cole is like I really hurt Hex's feelings and obviously like there's
tension between us.
I really need to apologize to him.
What better way to do it than in the library.
So we're in the library.
(48:19):
It's so cozy.
So cozy I love it.
I just want to I just want to snuggle.
I snuggle up.
There's more food that sounds fantastic.
But then they don't eat it again.
I'm like guys just describe the food and let them eat it.
There's too much pining.
I love eating.
Oh but I loved the pining that was my problem too.
(48:40):
I was like ooh pining.
And a reason for pining.
Nom nom nom nom nom.
A literary feast.
I don't like that.
Anyway so while this is happening Iris and Chris are then employed to basically kind
(49:08):
of distract Daddy Claws and so Cole then goes into the stacks and tells Hex to meet him
there and they meet up and Hex is like so you wanted to talk to me and Cole's like fuck
this is like really romantic because there's like candle lit and like no one's here and
it's like dark we're in like kind of hidden like shit and Cole's like look dude obviously
(49:33):
I feel like there's tension between us and I kind of like you and Hex is like I kind
of like you too.
And then Cole just like spills the beans because he just went by the way this whole engagement
thing it's so fake like actually I'm like whatever happens like I'm going to marry Iris
(49:58):
at Christmas Eve and Hex is like yeah I know your dad's blackmailing me and Cole's like
excuse me?
Santa?
Is doing what?
Blackmailing you?
Like how Cole goes in and thinks he has the upper hand here and it's like he actually
(50:22):
doesn't he doesn't know more.
He knows so far less and Hex is like you didn't know and Chris is I keep saying Chris and
Cole I'm so sorry Cole does not know a thing did not know a thing because his dad has not
been training him or like telling him any of like the deep dark Christmas secrets so
(50:44):
I did write that Chris did like I won't let him hurt you thing to Hex and I just went
oh no Nana Jason who hurt you moment my weakness.
Oh my god and it happens kind of early on like they only had like one video.
(51:04):
Yeah well then here is when we get some hot kissing we get a hot makeout sesh so we're
you know we're making out we're going in the library and honestly I need to read this line
we do we do get an Elsa moment but I need to bring up this line really quick because
(51:27):
when I tell you I squealed with delight when I read this I was like so they're making out
and Cole is thinking this in his head and this is when I squealed listeners things like
I've missed you I know that's insane we're barely friends and tell me you've thought
of me a fraction as often as I've thought of you even just once please please and then
(51:56):
right after he says you taste as good as I remember but why was that kind of hot Christine
is judging me and I'm okay with that I'm judging but like I get it I get it it was just the
(52:16):
dark corner it was more of just like thinking in his head like I want him to tell me that
he's thought of me a fraction of what I thought of him I was like damn damn that's a lie that's
fire there I feel like that's something that you you pool cold with that yeah exactly I
(52:37):
was like no when that's fine that's a very good quote I like that a lot anyway they're
broken apart because Iris is basically like yelling like Cole like what are you quote
unquote reading knowing that he's having a quote unquote conversation with hex so they
(53:01):
break apart and then they realize that Cole has just put a ton of ice like on the windowsill
because he got so hot and horny that he like uncontrolled power for a second it's so goofy
because it's like it's literally like a little Elsa moment and but then yeah happen again
does it like I don't remember happening again okay it doesn't happen again but hex does
(53:26):
bring it up later when true you know when bow tickle bow wow starts happening
anyway this happens and Cole's like I'm gonna go talk to my dad and hex is like good night
(53:50):
Prince Cole and skitters off and then Cole instantly is like I gotta go talk to my dad
after having a hot makeup session with tall dark and handsome Prince so he marches on into
dad's office and it's like what are you doing dad and dad's like are you talking to the
to the Halloween boy and Cole's like no I do love him he's he's very stupid very much
(54:18):
real by his emotions he likes to march into a room and then get surprised yeah and you
know what he does learn from his lesson after a while so that's good but dad's like can
(54:41):
you keep a secret and calls like sure I can keep a secret and dad decides to reveal what
his ultimate plan is and what he's been doing with the other holidays to help them like
comply quote unquote and Cole is given this like this pamphlet about the winter holidays
(55:08):
and it's revealed that Christmas is taking large parts of their joy and if you think
about it like from like a business way or like a real-life way joy equals like money
and Christmas is basically taking a lot so that they can protect smaller holidays and
(55:28):
the reason this is really fucked up is because before Cole and hex started making out in
the library hex revealed that the fall holidays have something which is called like the fall
holidays like collective where they pool all of their joy like in together so they're all
able to like pull from it is it called autumn collective autumn collective thank you and
(55:57):
that's why Cole is like so pissed off with all of this is he's like well Christmas is
basically just taking over these other holidays and like causing them to disappear out of
our greediness to be like the holiday and for growth so Cole is disgusted with what
his father is doing and it's all very political very political has a lot has basically an
(56:26):
existential crisis and he then it comes to his realization that hex is basically the
collateral in this situation between Christmas and Halloween because hex is basically prisoner
because Christmas is holding over Halloween's head that Halloween had entered like discussions
(56:51):
with Christmas like a couple years back to join this like pooling not this pooling of
resources but like be under the umbrella of Christmas and then backed out and Christmas
knows that the autumn collective would not like it if they found out that Halloween had
been trying to coerce with Christmas I know that's a lot that's so much this is where
(57:15):
I was like this is a lot going on because you're because I think basically it's like
oh okay so the autumn collective is like an alliance but then Christmas is more like a
merger where you realize like if joy is influence they're just like taking all this power for
themselves and just merging instead of doing like a hey we can all be the same and have
(57:39):
an alliance yeah and like help each other out and like grow that way it's a lot of a
rom-com and a lot of this I think was definitely related to like capitalism and like colonialism
specifically talking about like within like a larger company taking over smaller ones
and I'm like damn I did not expect this much commentary but pop off pop off sis but pop
(58:05):
off sis I appreciate it so Cole has an extra crisis because he's like oh my god my dad
is meant to be Santa Claus you know the impediment of joy with a man with a belly full of jelly
and he's literally blackmailing people and he's now blackmailing the family of a guy
I find really attractive so like this is really fucked up like I have to do something like
(58:30):
I said evil Santa evil Santa like he is not a nice Santa and I it's so sad he's like
Cole I'm just giving you a test do you think you can handle it like come on just bad dad
all around because Cole is like I need it like I've been wanting to step up and I don't
(58:54):
want to do like the fake bullshit that you've been putting me through for like PR and everything
just like make your image look good so that's this whole thing so next day rolls around
Cole is again just in bed moping and kind of lying around and Chris comes into his room
(59:16):
and then we just get like a lot of like unpacking about their mommy issues there's so much unpacking
so much unpacking and I'm not gonna go into all of it um because it was like a pivotal
moment where Cole's like oh Chris is taking on this caregiver role and I've never asked
him like how mom leaving like affected him um turns out not great he always wished mom
(59:42):
would come back womp womp no and the saddest part is that he he like because Cole actually
stays quiet because he's like trying to learn of like how to be a listener and so Chris
says like they're like this is I'm just so sad thinking about it he said that I know
her mom she'd been reading me a book every night before bed we'd only gotten a few chapters
(01:00:07):
into it I remember thinking she has to come back to finish it she wouldn't just leave
the book isn't finished and then then Christina what book was it British book like dear god
so sad and so that's the book he never got to like finish with his mom like dear god
(01:00:35):
this woman is a monster so that helps put Chris in perspective in my opinion so much
like yeah you're just like oh okay yeah Chris Chris is baby boy Chris deserves the world
he is no wonder he is like fatuated with Iris because he's just like I need to have some
(01:00:55):
womanly figure in my life who won't leave me somebody's will be my best friend anyway
I make you fun of him I'm sorry it was actually very sweet chapter next day it's ice skating
time it's another PR event slash just for cameras so they get ready to go ice skating and as
(01:01:27):
they kind of go out Chris and hex of course run into each other again and they're they're
getting ready and while they're trying to get into the sleigh what is oh hex is wearing
a tie or something or it's I don't remember exactly what it was but it was it like it
(01:01:48):
was a clothing item that represented Christmas and Chris something along the lines of oh
you've been marked by Christmas like someone tells out to hex he goes oh have I and then
Cole like leans in close and goes you don't know what I marked you and I was like Jesus
(01:02:11):
I'm trying to look for where it is because it's kind of funny in comparison at the beginning
of this like ice skating chapter it's mentioned that dad's in full Santa mode red coat red
hat trimmed in white fur and then so you're like that's so traumatic I'm trying to look
(01:02:32):
to see where's the clothing but also again kind of hot I may just be reading way too
much fan fiction right now so please ignore me I might just be going ravenous for this
kind of writing right now and so our our trio and hex get into a sleigh and they're all
(01:02:59):
like bonding and talking about like their different majors and then they find out that
hex actually spends a lot of his time in Mexico and that's because his mother is from the
house of Dia de los Muertos and so throughout parts of the year she spends a lot of time
(01:03:19):
back at her like home court to help run it and then also obviously does stuff for Halloween
so yeah I thought that was really cool and hex does a little teasing with Chris being
like oh yeah you know like the dead and ghosts and everything and he's like are those real
ghosts and he calls like Chris he's fucking with you they kind of all talk about how they're
(01:03:47):
all kind of trauma bonded together because you know they're all like the heirs or the
heir parent to these different holidays and how they all have to take global affairs and
yada yada yada oh my god okay I found it um thank you inside of the jacket or no the
tie on his black button up done with tiny jack-o-lanterns in santa hats it's cute it's
(01:04:16):
cute it's so cute it's so cute I I mostly just love the you'll know when I mark you
I was like oh my god it's like totally from zero to 60 real fast I feel like it's so funny
because like so far their only like interactions have been make out in dark alley make out
(01:04:37):
in dark corner of library toss them off the sled I guess I forgot that one like toss them
off the sled yeah well they're about to have romantic skating um because they arrive at
the little skating arena and here it's in the middle of what's called North Pole City
(01:05:00):
which is where a bunch of creative so creative but this is where I know how like the people
of North Pole City kind of fit into everything because they're kind of in between normies
and like the houses you know it's like because they're not all nobles or no you know what
(01:05:26):
actually that would be a question I would ask Sarah Hosh I'd be like okay what about
the normal people who live in North Pole City I have questions and you have answers for
me and I need to know if this is how this works about that too they show up and the
court and everybody is like gliding over the ice fairy you know gracefully except for Iris
(01:05:47):
because Iris also didn't grow up ice skating but Hex obviously does not know how to ice
skate and I will say this was a small plot hole that it's so small in this book I did
think it was kind of weird that Daddy Santa allowed Cole and Hex to kind of like skate
(01:06:09):
around the rink for a while like go around once or twice I thought he would have immediately
been like Cole go be with Iris what the fuck yeah why wasn't he like helicopter dadding
right then he does eventually do it but anyway we get a very cute little romantic scene between
the two just having like a hushed private conversation while they're ice skating and
(01:06:35):
eventually dad does come to break it up mostly because he also sees Chris and Iris having
fun and skating together and he's like you have to like project the image that I have
put forth and Cole gets pissed off and leaves to go basically comfort Iris and Iris is like
yeah your dad's a piece of shit and Cole's like I know and he apologizes for everything
(01:07:00):
and talks about how like he really wishes like they could they didn't have to go through
with this and if there was any way they didn't have to and Iris is just like Cole just be
my friend for now and he keeps asking her to like kind of lean on him and she's just
kind of unwilling because you know he hasn't been the most solid of a foundation which
(01:07:21):
is fair enough so I don't know it's a really nice moment between the two of them and it
also hints that uh Hex gets a little jealous when Cole and Iris are kind of like snuggling
up on the bench because they're just having like this heart to heart and Cole's like oh
is he jealous and she's like yeah dude he's jealous he wants to be the one snuggling up
(01:07:45):
with me you um and it's also revealed that the reason that Iris's dad agreed to be a
part of this kind of like umbrella like corporation of Christmas and agreed to like the whole
(01:08:06):
marriage thing was because he felt really and Iris thinks he feels really inferior and
he really wants someone else to like kind of lead him so that it's not like his full
responsibility or he's like by himself which fair enough um we get a lot of themes of grief
and how to healthily and unhealthily deal with that um and the dads are failing they're
(01:08:30):
not doing the best job here hey dads let's do better let's do better here um but with
the end of um all of the daddy issues from both Easter daddy and Christmas daddy um
that's our halfway point that is chapter 11 so
(01:08:58):
Ashlyn's distracted she's so distracted it's okay oh wait also at the end it's really sad
when um Iris mentions that she she says that she used to want to have a relationship like
her mom and dad where they like knew it they she says um this is so sad she says i used
(01:09:22):
to want a love story like my parents to look up in a cafe and know it's you and Cole says
you could have one a better one and she says no she meets my eyes i used to i used to want
their love story it's so heartbreaking and then she goes on to say like but i've seen
what it can do now when happily ever after ends this isn't a fairy tale fairy tale Cole
(01:09:46):
we're a prince and a princess but it's our jobs not some storybook title and i know Easter
has problems but i barely know how to keep it afloat and she just asks like what are
we supposed to do and that's really sad it's so sad it's so sad in the middle of my little
romance book how dare they invoke emotion from me we're getting deep here yeah anyway
(01:10:14):
Ashton before we go too deep into sadness do you have any questions for us about this
first half of this book i do have some questions i have some mostly fun questions which i hope
helps thank you so first what are your guys's favorite Christmas traditions what Christmas
movies do you watch favorite songs what do you guys do oh that's a good answer i mean
(01:10:37):
good question sorry that's a good answer sorry i'm tired now i feel my favorite is that my
family we all have a gingerbread house making contest and over the years it gets a little
more and more serious and me and my brother are trying to figure out ways that we can
make the gingerbread houses be mechanical and move interesting i like that see every year
(01:11:05):
on Christmas Eve this is more because my brother demands it more than like any anything else
but he always demands that we watch the polar express on Christmas Eve and recently what
i've been doing is if we um if we're watching it i'll make my i make a really really good
(01:11:26):
hot chocolate and so i'll make the hot chocolate and then serve it out during the hot chocolate
like scene that's cute but what a terrible movie excuse you i love polar express i know
it looks weird i agree movie leave me alone my beef with polar express comes from the
(01:11:49):
sheer fact that i was in band for seven years so i've played it many years in a row many
many Christmas concerts in a row the hot chocolate song the polar yeah the whole soundtrack i
couldn't yeah the theme is i watch it every year i do know the theme that literally does
(01:12:21):
not help me i only know the josh groban song when we get there that's the only thing i
know children before we get copyright claimed actually oh boy so sarah rash has a book club
(01:12:51):
kit posted for this book that features a game called kiss mary banish so a little little
fun game um so i'm going to give you three things and you have to kiss mary banish okay
okay first is going to be ice skating cookie decorating or a holiday movie marathon okay
(01:13:18):
instantly banishing ice skating because i can't balance for shit and trying to balance
on sharpen blades on ice does not sound fun to me i'm mary can't walk in a straight line
on her own two feet i can't i'm actually really bad at it i'm very prone to concussions um
(01:13:44):
i will marry a marathon the movie marathon and then i forgot what my third and what our
third option was cookie decorating well cookie decorating but what are we doing with the
cookies i am actually kind of concerned kiss mary banish i'll kiss uh cookie decorating
(01:14:09):
because my family and i we actually don't decorate a lot of cookies but we do bake a
lot of cookies that's almost like kissing it yeah just
kiss mary banish christmas every day for a year halloween every day for a year or no
(01:14:32):
holidays for a year wait wait christina didn't get to answer the last one oh i'm sorry oh
wait that's fine i i my brain keeps short circuiting say that would say that short circuiting
word one more time okay um i think i would i would marry ice skating because i'm the
(01:14:55):
opposite of sydney and i love ice skating so much i bought my own ice skates lately
i would banish the cookie decorating for no good reason but because i want to kiss a marathon
kissing marathon
continue with ashlyn okay kiss mary banish christmas every day for a year halloween every
(01:15:22):
day for a year and no holidays for a year this is so easy i banished the no holidays
because that seems stupid i marry christmas every day because that's awesome and then
i kiss halloween because i like halloween but more in like a kiss versus mary way see
i'm gonna switch it with the mary and the kiss i wouldn't marry halloween because i
(01:15:45):
like i think halloween's more fun year-round christmas i'll kiss it i do love christmas
don't love the music all year round and i feel like if it's halloween every day you can still
like listen to normal music no no i listen to christmas music like almost year-round
oh i know i lived with you so that's interesting i have a very vivid memory of being outside
(01:16:13):
of a my dorm my sophomore year of college which would have been your guys's senior year
question mark um and a car flying by blasting christmas music in like september and now
i'm wondering i'm wondering it could have been me honestly i would have done it back
(01:16:37):
then but i've been bad about it now because my job it has a lot of christmas all year
round so i have an excuse but i would have oh my god i'm sorry listen to leslie odum
juniors christmas albums and then get back to me those are all year-long albums okay
(01:17:03):
but i've been listening to jay schlatt's christmas album and it kind of slaps oh my god ashlyn
do you have any other questions for us before i wrap it up for the evening get it wrapping
oh lord what do you think of the chemistry between hex and coal right now
(01:17:25):
i get it they're yearning and i like the yearning but it makes sense for them to yearn there's
so much yearning and not a whole lot of like substance though it's mostly just yearning
but i but here's the thing and here's my argument for them they actually kind of they actually
(01:17:50):
have conflict in which actively actually does keep them apart rather than you know pumpkins
spice cafe when they're like oh i just want to be a big girl and i just want to reinvent
myself and guys like i just don't want to love anybody because you know i got my heart
broken that's not conflict we'd love a good opportunity to drag pumpkin spice cafe i will
(01:18:12):
drag that book it was not good and people are like it's this spicy i'm like it was so
bland this is our episodes go listen to uh pumpkin spice cafe if you want to see why
i didn't like it a lot i feel like i rated it way too high but that's just me
(01:18:34):
i don't know i've been looking back at my goodreads stuff anyway what's that
i'm gonna close it out for the evening so like christina said if you guys like the podcast you
should definitely go listen to our other uh episodes um and you should definitely go check
us out on youtube on instagram on x twitch instagram and for now tiktok r.i.p tiktok um you
(01:19:05):
are being banned soon which is very sad um but if you can't find us on tiktok like go follow us on
other sites if you want to keep up with us and if you want to keep uh listening and see what we're
doing and yeah uh with that come check back in next time to listen to part two of the nightmare
(01:19:27):
before kissmas by sarah rosh and with that i'll say good night to you you irresistible elves
Welcome to Raunchy Power Hour, a book club for discussing romance, from the erotic to
(00:05):
the erroneous.
As always, this is an explicit podcast and contains strong language, adult themes, and
sexual content.
If you are sensitive to these things, we urge you calmly but sincerely to turn off your
radio now.
This month we are reading The Nightmare Before Kismis by Sarah Rash.
This is part one of The Nightmare Before Kismis.
This podcast will contain spoilers through chapter 11.
(00:26):
If you want to read along with us, stop listening now.
It's okay, we'll wait for you to come back.
This book contains themes of emotional abuse, abandonment, death, grief, and alcohol abuse.
You have been warned.
I'm your producer Ashlyn.
I'm one of your ho-ho-hosts, Sydney.
(00:48):
I'm another ho-ho-host, Christina.
Now get ready to get Christmassy.
That was very cute, Ashlyn.
That was so stinking cute.
Well, Christina, welcome back.
(01:10):
So I have a question for you.
Okay, what's the question, Sydney?
If you could name a book, a holiday book specifically, very closely to a famous holiday movie, what
would you name your book?
(01:34):
What's my book about?
Something, it's like a holiday romance.
Oh, alone.
How alone.
How alone.
I like that.
I like that a lot.
(01:57):
What would yours be?
It's not a family friendly book, I've decided.
The sexy claws.
God.
Well, on that note, Christina, you remember this because you've obviously read this book.
(02:24):
Well, this month we read A Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sarah Roche.
Very cute.
Very sexy.
And before I go into doing our summary of the different chapters, I'm going to give
us all just a little bit of info before we really jump into it.
(02:46):
Is that okay?
Hi, Captain.
So fun fact, this book, guys, this book was published less than two months ago.
It was only published October 8th of 2024, if you were listening to this in 2024, early
(03:08):
2025.
So the author of A Nightmare Before Kissmas, Sarah Roche, is also actually just a pretty
popular just YA and adult fantasy author, which I thought was very interesting.
I did not know this until I looked into her, but she's the author of The Witch.
(03:29):
She's a co-author of that book, which is a very popular book right now.
But The Nightmare Before Kissmas is 368 pages long.
And on Roche's website, the book is described as red, white and royal blue meets The Nightmare
Before Christmas in a sexy, quirky rom-com where the golden hearted Prince of Christmas
(03:51):
falls for the totally off limits Prince of Halloween.
Which that is the book.
It's a very, very good description, honestly, of the book.
A good description, but wait, where's The Nightmare Before Christmas?
Is it just the name?
I think it might just be the name or the fact that it's Halloween and Christmas interacting.
(04:11):
I think, I don't know.
Wait, yeah, that makes sense.
Okay.
Yeah, I think that's it.
It's just Jack Skellington and the Santa and that started making out instead of just...
Sold.
Sold, right.
Yeah, completely sold.
Sold, right.
Yeah, come on, Tim Burton, get on that.
(04:32):
But out of five stars on Goodreads, we have an average of a 4.05 out of 6,814 reviews
as of this recording.
And on Storygraph, we have an average of a 4.1 stars out of 1,983 as of this recording.
(04:53):
So before we get into it, I will introduce our two main characters, which is Nicholas
Cole Claus, who is our Christmas prince, and Hex Hollow, the prince of Halloween.
I just described him as tall, goth, and has a deep voice.
(05:17):
I think that's a pretty good description right there.
Yeah, and I just wrote for Cole a fuck up question mark.
An air Christmas.
With curly red hair.
With curly red hair.
That does get mentioned quite a bit.
But Christina, do you think I'm missing anything before we really jump into it?
(05:37):
I think also Iris is a big character.
True, true.
She's our Easter princess.
She is our Easter princess.
So we have Iris.
I'll introduce Iris, who is, as Christina said, the princess of Easter, and she's BFFs
with Cole, but also his only by a couple months younger brother, Chris Claus.
(06:05):
And yeah, we'll get into their dynamics and everything going into Chapter One.
So when we get into the book, we are met with a crisis because Cole is having one.
He is getting drunk at a bar in New Haven.
(06:30):
We love a crisis.
We love a crisis.
He does say a line about the vodka martini, about being like, oh, you know, it was shot
of vodka, like just on the verge of being a martini.
And I was like, OK, that it was a little cringe.
(06:51):
And I didn't love the book when I first started it.
I will say grew on me.
Anyway, it is a lot of cringe.
It's kind of cringey.
I love her, though.
I do eventually come to love her a lot.
But we're in this crisis.
Cole's at the bar drinking his sorrows away when his brother Chris comes to him and he's
(07:14):
like, dude, what the fuck did you do?
And long story short, what we find out is that Cole was training to be Santa Claus because
we've kind of been to that Cole is going to be the next king of Christmas, a Santa Claus.
(07:40):
And in doing this, his dad has been like training him to be Santa Claus.
Well, we have a problem because Cole and Chris's dad, I'm just going to call him dad or Santa
throughout most of this just because I don't really remember what his name was.
So Santa Claus.
Let's call him King Claus.
(08:02):
He is not the most emotionally available to his children, nor just available in general.
So he's been teaching Cole all these responsibilities kind of.
It's been more of a PR move.
So Cole being upset goes to what is called.
(08:27):
I don't remember if it was the Merry meter.
It was the route planner database.
The North Pole database.
Thank you.
So he accesses the database to just like read up on other letters that kids had sent in
to Santa.
And a couple really hit him like hard, especially about this child who like wrote to him being
(08:49):
like, hi, Santa, daddy's not coming home.
Could you help my mom financially so that she doesn't have to worry about us for Christmas?
And ouch, I would be moved as well.
Yeah, I was like, oh, wow.
But Cole decided to do is that he was going to fulfill these.
(09:13):
Wishes like these Christmas wishes for this, the capital of a small country called New
Coa.
The problem is it's June and not a great time for Christmas presents or money to just
randomly appear in people's bank accounts.
So he does this because he wants to feel good.
(09:34):
He wants to like help these people.
And when it happened, when the news breaks, he's actually at his now ex-girlfriend's birthday
party.
His ex-girlfriend is named Lily and she is Iris's older sister.
Doesn't really come up later.
Just thought I'd bring it up now.
(09:56):
And the news breaks that he's caused like a lot of trouble because of all these wishes
fulfilled and also somehow an economic collapse.
I wasn't always certain how that happened, but I just kind of went with it.
It was a lot of like, oh my God, robberies, hyperinflation, the whole place is in like
(10:18):
a meltdown.
This is where Sidi saying that money doesn't exist and inflation isn't real, it becomes
a problem because it's inflation.
Take money makes real money not worth money.
But money is truly just a concept and we live in a society.
So anyway, you know what?
(10:38):
Real.
I don't think any financial bros are listening to our podcast.
And if they are, I don't know what they're doing here.
Joe Rogan's on your next playlist over.
If you're a financial person, listen to our podcast, hit me up.
I want to talk.
If you're a financial person, let us know like what you think happened in this book
(10:59):
in the beginning.
Like explain it.
Yeah, you actually tell us what happened.
I'd really like that.
Hyperinflation?
And why would that cause rubbers?
It's inflation of money, why is it bad?
(11:21):
Don't we want bigger money?
And we want more money.
I'm really confused.
I just use credit card.
I don't know.
I don't get it.
So this all happens, the news breaks and on top of it, Cole and Lily were going to like
(11:46):
break up at the end of her birthday party just because they weren't really feeling it.
It was like a mutual breakup.
But obviously with all of this and him foreshadowing her birthday, not a good look.
And she was pissed at him.
I would be too.
I'll be for real.
Because of all this, he's doing too good.
(12:08):
This was not a great night for Cole's cause.
But it's about to turn around.
Because while he is lamenting some of this to his brother, his night does get worse first
because he does get a call from dad and dad is pissed.
Like freaks out at him, tells him he's basically like worthless and that he's a fuck up.
(12:29):
And introduces like the daddy issues so early on.
This is all the first chapter still.
I know, I know.
I just remembered, I just wrote so many daddy issues.
It was like so dense with all the issues that this kid has.
(12:50):
Like you're just sitting there and you're like, oh my God.
Oh my God.
And then on top of it, this is when we get revealed that Newkoa is like going through
financial crisis and da da da da.
Now dear reader, listener, whatever you are, you may be asking yourself, but who does the
world not know there's a Santa Claus or that all of this wasn't caused by holiday magic?
(13:13):
There's a holiday press which covers, you know, like basically the celebrity gossip
of all the different holiday royal families.
And then there's like us normies, our press.
And basically what they were saying was it was some sort of cyber attack or something
like that.
They said on one of the headlines, it says presumed bank and shipping errors lead to
(13:38):
rioting as citizens buy out stores, robberies increase.
Yeah, yeah.
So not a great night.
So Iris shows up and Iris, like we kind of said before, she is another Easter princess
and she is BFFs with Cole and Chris.
(13:59):
And she's like, dude, what the fuck happened?
And Cole's like, hey guys, I've had a really bad night.
I think I need some air.
So instead of just telling them what is good intention to her, he goes, I need to go outside.
And so he does deflect.
(14:21):
It's honestly a good representation of Cole's character at this point because he does grow.
He does get better.
Stick around.
Stick around, stick around.
But he decides to go outside and he goes to the back because of the front he sees holiday
press and I'm not going to go into that because he like did a whole info dump on us.
(14:42):
But he goes to the back and he goes out into an alley and he's like basically having a
panic attack and like freaking out when this hot new boy has entered the villa, aka the
alley.
And he's tall.
Cause he's tall, dark, handsome and has a deep voice.
(15:06):
And they proceed to have this moment where Cole is like, feels like he can't actually
tell him what's going on because he'd like blow his whole cover.
And then the guy's like, well, sometimes you just need to focus in on the now so you can
(15:28):
like find that base and everything.
And Cole is so moved that he's like, he has a bi panic moment and he goes, oh wait, this
guy's really hot.
And then they proceed to make out in the alleyway.
I'm pretty sure he went through like an employee exit.
Yes he did.
He did in fact do that.
(15:49):
So they're like making out and having this hot make out session.
Cole like does pause for a second and go, this could be a press guy that I'm making
out with.
Wouldn't be great for my image of on top of doing all this shit and breaking up with my
girlfriend that night.
I'm now just making out with a random dude.
But as he's thinking this thought, he hears the door open and it's Iris calling for him
(16:13):
and he pushes the guys away, turns to look at Iris and he goes, oh sorry, like it's nothing.
And then as he turns back around, the guy's gone.
Into the night.
Poof.
Poof.
And Cole is like, I don't know if he was real, but I still taste him on my lips and stuff
like that.
And then he throws up.
(16:34):
He just keeps on pushing the shoes.
I'm like, and that's like, I'm like what?
It was a whirlwind of a first chapter.
Let's just say that.
You thoroughly have to get invested from here.
You're like, okay, I do need to see what the rest of this is about.
(16:56):
This is also where you kind of start getting like right at the end of that.
It's like still technically the first chapter you're getting like text chains, which I do
find fun.
If you like those like in red, white and real blue, the text chains are really fun in like
a good way that I feel like the humor is introduced.
Like there's lots of like one liners in the text.
(17:17):
Yes.
So we do get like a little text combo about Cole having to pay Iris back or give her new
shoes, which were very expensive and Cole's like, holy shit.
I didn't realize how no is Chris.
Chris didn't know and Cole's like, yeah, dude, they're really fucking expensive.
And Iris is just like, get your shit together, Cole.
(17:39):
And he's like, yep, we'll do.
And then we jumped to a year and a half later.
We just get a little jump and it's Christmas time yet again.
And Cole is in his dorm and he does not want to go home for Christmas.
Like so many college students don't.
(18:04):
And I love to go home.
I like to break.
I'll say I feel like he can relate to a lot, but he's really dreading this year because
his dad has this game cooking up and his dad basically says like they have a big announcement,
which is weird because usually his dad would just tell him and Chris before like the event.
(18:30):
So they could, you know, be perfect and ready for the photo op.
So it's really odd.
But Chris magically appears and we get a little bit of Christmas magic lore.
Basically if you put a little mistletoe in your doorway becomes a magical doorway.
So then the Claus boys can come on and that's how they get so many houses in one night.
Wait, which that was such a fun little detail and I feel like it's not that often.
(18:55):
I was like we could use that more guys.
I thought that was very cute too.
So cute.
There was a lot of like cute lore and I'm like spoiler alert, it doesn't happen a lot
later.
Yeah, I know.
I wish we did have a little bit more.
And Chris is also teasing Cole about not having a serious relationship since Lily and Cole's
(19:20):
like, well, I've been banging my roommate on the side and Chris is like, dude, not the
same thing, a serious relationship.
And this is when Cole's like teasing Chris because he's like, well, you love Iris and
you haven't told her and we've like known her all our life.
So I don't know what's up with that.
(19:41):
So they finally get to the North Pole and dad is acting shady.
We get like a little bit of shadiness.
Oh wait, no, but before this on top of daddy issues, what else have we got, Christina?
Surprise mommy issues.
So many mommy issues.
(20:05):
Basically it's revealed that mom just not a nice person either, which is why the Claws
boys are just so emotionally unregulated.
She literally just like, it's been left for, is it the Caribbean?
She just left one day, which is all we know at this point, that her and Santa are divorced
(20:31):
and that she's in the Caribbean and that she sends them like a weird holiday photo, but
it's like kind of Instagram model esque.
But Cole's on their bullshit.
Chris is still kind of holding out, like kind of wishing in a weird way his mom would come
back anyway.
Wait, mom is dating a beach detector.
(20:53):
Yes.
Right, right, right, right.
I forgot about that.
Then they're like, what is that and it's like people who scour the beach with metal detectors.
Yep, that's it.
That's what her new boyfriend does instead of Santa.
Instead of Santa.
I'm like, I guess that's the opposite of being a frost.
(21:14):
Yeah, I guess.
So they are in the Christmas castle.
There's hustle and bustle and holiday cheer and they change into these outfits to go do
this first event where Santa is going to make a big announcement and Cole's like, I don't
(21:36):
like that dad's not telling us what it is.
So they're at the celebration of hanging a bunch of ornaments on the giant Christmas
tree and then Iris and her dad is there, which is kind of weird again, because usually it's
just for like the inner circle of Christmas, the Christmas court and some like reporters.
(22:00):
And this is where it is revealed that not only has Christmas daddy and Easter daddy
decided to use their children as pawns.
They're good names.
Yeah, but they announced that not only is Cole going to be going to grad school, which
he did does not want to do.
(22:21):
He's not good at school and he's just skimmed his way through school.
But also that apparently he and Iris have been courting and now will be formally doing
it and will see a marriage in the future, which is a shock to everyone involved.
They said, oh, yeah.
(22:41):
Marriage, marriage, question mark.
So Christina, I know that this was kind of like a thing in the back of the book.
So it wasn't like a huge surprise when this happened.
But still, it was a surprise to you.
I didn't read the back of the book.
No, because I think it's more fun with like because romcoms always kind of spoil what
(23:04):
happens and so I'm like, oh, I'll figure it out.
And like, I actually did not see that coming.
So you were generally surprised.
Yeah, because like I obviously I picked up that there's going to be like Halloween in
the mix and I was like, oh, a rivalry.
But I don't know why I didn't like I didn't think Easter was involved.
(23:25):
Well, it is, baby.
So it was generally a surprise for you.
OK, good to know.
Continuing on because I knew I read on the back of the book and I read that something
was going to happen.
Anyway, so we've got a lot of angst and we've got a lot of.
(23:48):
A lot of shock from both Iris and Cole.
Iris a lot because she never thought her dad would like come to that level.
And Cole is not surprised, but he's more like mad at his dad that he's using Iris like without
her consent, basically.
So they kind of so Cole kind of leads Iris out so that they have a minute to, you know,
(24:12):
sit and think.
And then this is and then this is when it's revealed that things have not been going as
well in Easter as Iris has been letting on.
And it's because dad married a normie.
Her daddy decided that he didn't want not a normal Easter mommy.
(24:38):
So apparently in these courts, there's a lot of different houses and these are the houses
that make up the different parts of the holiday.
So like, for example, in Christmas, there's like the Frost family or oh, I just had one.
The Carolers.
Thank you.
I was thinking like Jack something, but I can't remember what it was.
(25:00):
Or the Jacobites.
The Jacobites.
I don't know.
Jacobites.
I think.
Yeah.
Thank you.
And I was thinking Jacob Marley from Christmas Carol.
I just watched them up at Christmas Carol.
I had just watched them up at Christmas Carol.
(25:21):
So that's just me.
I'm pretty good timing.
I like the names in this book.
Like all the little like the creations of the holiday courts.
Was it Lentora is Easter?
That's so fun.
I thought it was very fun too.
But yeah, so Easter dad decided that he didn't want to marry from within the court and he
(25:45):
fell in love with a normal person who then became the Easter queen and the court wasn't
too happy about that.
And this all leads back to Iris also having mommy issues because her mommy died.
There's so many mommy and daddy issues.
Introducing the first two chapters.
I'm like, Jesus Christ, does anyone have like a normal family?
(26:08):
No.
No, not yet.
Not yet.
And so yeah, so Iris is obviously really upset because she was like, I wanted to fall in
love like my dad and my mom, but you know, I guess responsibilities.
And so when Easter dad and Christmas dad come into the room, Cole is like, why would you
(26:32):
do this?
Like how dare you?
And they're like, this is just the betterment for the holidays.
We're just trying to like spread joy and cheer, yada, yada, yada.
It's honestly, this part is really well written because it is.
You feel it.
Like at one point, Cole says, quote, you know what you did was wrong.
(26:56):
I say to Neo when Iris is quiet, we're not pawns.
Yeah.
I'm like, oh, but like it's well written.
We're like, you feel bad.
Yeah.
And honestly, out of a lot of romcoms, I like this conflict in this book because sometimes
(27:17):
you read a romance book and I know you, Christian, understand it.
I know you actually understand it.
I know you understand it.
And I know you listeners know when you read a romance book and the conflict is so fucking
stupid and you're like, it makes sense.
(27:40):
Give it to me.
Because it's like courts.
It's so easy to eat it up because it's like, yeah, they did this back in the day.
They can do this now.
Sure.
Yeah, exactly.
And it's also like, oh, well, it's political and like they have to.
Okay, yes.
This makes sense.
Thank you.
Honestly, Sarah, Sarah Roche, if I can call you that.
(28:06):
I very much appreciated this conflict that was added into the book.
So thank you.
I needed this.
I needed this sweet little treat.
So yeah, Cole and Chris are also pissed because remember, Chris is in love with Iris.
So seeing his big brother marry her, not going to be good.
We're just going to have family issues in general.
(28:26):
Anyway, later that night, after everyone's gone to bed, pissed off.
Actually, before we do before I say that, there was a very cute text message thread,
which I will point out specifically because Cole is like teasing or saying something funny
in the group chat.
Oh, he kept changing the group chat name.
(28:49):
I like stupid things.
This was so funny.
And I especially loved it because I also hate Elf on the Shelf, but basically Cole kept
changing the group chat name.
And every time he did it, Chris was threatening to put another Elf on the Shelf hidden in
Cole's room.
And I was like, thank you for the Elf on the Shelf slander.
(29:10):
I appreciate that.
All of this was so clever.
It was.
What was it?
Christina, can you look for the names and tell us what they were?
Someone's group chat name that your Claws boys put out.
So all this kind of happens after they figure out not only is it like, oh, courting, but
the marriage and stuff is happening at the Christmas evening.
(29:33):
So they're trying to figure out what's going on because there's a Halloween welcome party
and they're talking about boycotting.
And so it starts out with Iris and the Claws boys and then it becomes, Cole names the conversation
two bros and a ho ho ho.
And this is where the text chat becomes less serious because it was serious before this.
(29:57):
And then Cole names the conversation 50 shades of sleighs.
I did like that one, which is really good.
And then, um, then Chris starts talking about like, he says, for each time you make a mockery
of the English language, I'm going to hide one Elf on the Shelf somewhere in your room.
And so he goes, hi, Mark, this was really funny.
(30:22):
You're up to two Elves with those beady soulless eyes just watching you from the shadows.
You won't know where, but you'll feel them studying, learning, waiting.
It was very good.
Um, but this is at the next part, this is when, um, after they've gone to bed, they
(30:49):
wake up to a ruckus occurring downstairs.
So Chris and Cole run back to like the ballroom area where suddenly Halloween envoys have
come to Christmas town.
Not Halloween town, Christmas town now.
(31:11):
And they are like, Christmas has been taking too much of like the cheer and is trying to
like monopolize like all the joy and like, we see this as a threat and Santa's like,
what do you mean it's a threat?
We just want to spread joy and like happiness.
But like, if you want to, if you want to send like your own prints to come court Iris, I
(31:37):
guess we'll do that.
He's giving evil Santa from the Santa Claus too.
Is it too?
I can't remember which one, two.
Okay.
And then three was one when Jack Frost becomes a classic Santa, right?
Okay, I literally had never seen any of the Santa Claus movies until this weekend.
(32:00):
So it's very funny that you bring them up.
It is number two.
Wait, you had never seen them?
The Santa Claus?
None of them.
Never.
Ashley.
I don't, I don't know what to tell you.
I'm sorry.
Talk about daddy issues.
No kidding.
Bad dad, bad Santa.
(32:23):
I mean, I'm seeing some parallels.
I am seeing some parallels, but can we also say that Bernard the elf is one of our first
crushes as a child?
I love Bernard.
I thought Bernard was cute.
Leave me alone.
That's so funny.
My focus as a child was that I really wanted that hot chocolate.
(32:44):
I mean that too.
Bernard.
Bernard the elf.
Listeners, let us know your thoughts on Bernard the elf.
Where did you fall on this?
Okay, on a scale of one to ten, how hot is Bernard the elf when you were a child?
I hate this.
I hate the context in which we brought this podcast.
(33:07):
So yeah, what a segue.
Halloween shows up and is like, we want to throw our hat in the ring, I guess.
And no, Christmas kind of twists it and it's like, oh, well, you guys should try for Iris'
hand and they're like, okay.
(33:28):
So it's either a day later or it's a couple days later when it's the official welcoming
of Halloween to the Christmas castle.
When he first shows up, that's when Cole is like, hey, that's the dude I made out with
in the alleyway.
Yes, I was just about to get to that part.
(33:48):
But yes, you are right, because literally as like the all these spooky people come in.
I thought we were I thought we did jump ahead.
Whoopsie, whoopsie.
It's okay.
Bernard, I got distracted.
Bernard the elf.
All right, we'll cut that out.
(34:19):
Cut that out.
Cut that out.
Start from here.
So yeah, a couple days later, or the day later, I do not remember our timeline.
This is when the official Halloween court shows up to be like, oh, we're ooky and spooky
(34:40):
and bad.
And Chris and Cole have to be there to welcome them.
But they're kind of up in the balconies.
They're watching.
And as this happens, the darkness fades and suddenly Cole sees a very familiar face.
Oh, shit.
(35:01):
Just the guy from the alley.
Yeah, so.
No, that's going to have to get cut immediately.
We cannot sing that.
I forgot.
I just thought I was doing it because he tuned it and then I was like, oops.
You just did the McDonald's jingle.
(35:24):
We cannot use that.
No, I know.
Guys, I'm sorry.
It's OK.
We love you.
So yeah, but this is the big reveal that Hex is the guy that Cole made out with all those
(35:46):
years ago and Cole's like, oh, fuck.
Why didn't I look up his face sooner?
Bow chicka wow wow.
That's what I was thinking of.
And then I accidentally get the McDonald's jingle.
Cole did think Hex is pretty yummy.
So yeah, actually, like I have it marked here.
(36:10):
It's like in their son, Prince Hex Hollow, his name rebounds in my head, cracking into
the parts of my body that have gone immobile and against every rational thought.
I have no rational thoughts.
None.
Not in this moment.
I remember how to inhale and I gasp loudly.
Attention swings to me.
That's so dramatic.
(36:31):
There are a lot of gasps, a lot of gasping dramatically.
Oh, my God.
It's so silly, but I kind of love it.
So next day, Cole is wallowing.
He is just freaking out.
(36:53):
He's just like, I am totally screwed because the guy I made out with in that alley that
both Chris and Iris think was fake is real.
And he's technically my competitor for Iris's hand.
But the whole thing is that the reason they are that Santa is quote unquote, allowing
(37:15):
them to do that is that it's basically already a dead done deal with Cole and Iris getting
married.
And he's like trying to placate them is what he says.
So yeah, he's like completely freaking out.
And then he goes up to Hex.
(37:40):
I don't remember how they get to talking, but they begin talking and he...
Cole's trying to figure out if Hex knew who he was when they made out in that alley.
And Hex is like, yeah, I did know you.
And I also was the one who like...
Hex thinks he's the one who initiated the kiss, while Cole is the one who thinks he
(38:02):
initiated the kiss.
So Cole's like, what?
It's like a moment.
And then he immediately goes straight to the text right after.
Yeah, I was like, it's so dumb.
And the new text is, baby, it's cold outside.
(38:27):
Yeah.
And I like...
It goes there and they're like, oh my god, wait, he's real.
Yeah.
They're like, oh shit.
Like you didn't make up this guy that just poofed.
Yeah.
Oh my god.
But yeah, so...
The next text chain, because Iris changes it back to Iris and the...
(38:54):
Why am I struggling with claws?
Santa Claus.
Iris and the Claws boys.
And then Cole names the conversation, when I think about you, I touch my elf.
Very fun.
I do like these.
I was pretty tempted to steal these for our group chat name, but I decided to keep the
(39:17):
one that I created, which was Dawn, we now are gay in all capitals apparel.
Perfect.
You're welcome everybody for that.
Perjurer's book.
Yeah, truly.
Especially with all the bi and gay panic, we've got a lot.
Wait, the next conversation name was Cole changes it to not just the stockings are hung,
(39:43):
and then Iris changes it to Cole is overcompensating for his tiny candy cane.
Yes.
Oh, and then it got locked by Chris.
Yeah, that was very funny.
God.
So oh, this is actually the next day.
Sorry, the whole conversation between Cole and Hex was right after it's revealed that
(40:07):
Hex is the Halloween prince.
So Cole goes to Iris and he like brings her breakfast and they have a little bit of a
heart to heart about how they both feel about their holidays and their responsibilities
because I mean, neither of them are happy.
(40:27):
And it's also kind of told that Iris originally wanted to go to art school and she was kind
of coerced into doing something similar to global affairs and stuff like that so that
she'd be able to run Easter someday.
And she reveals kind of stuff about how her dad is handling like the court and the pressures
(40:51):
and then also like how the court doesn't really see Iris's father as like a strong leader.
Which is all very sad because mommy issues.
So much mommy issues and then also talks about late stage capitalism and taking things too
(41:12):
serious and like plucking tickets.
And all this is happening while they're eating what sounds like the best breakfast meal with
the cinnamon roll pancakes.
I had that marked.
And like all this is very serious but I'm like I got a little distracted with the food
descriptions.
I might be begging my mom for cinnamon roll pancakes when I get home and maybe we can
(41:34):
have those Christmas morning.
That sounds delicious.
I kind of want that.
And like I do like that you get this scene set up with like all this food and then like
a serious conversation.
But like it's also kind of like it feels like pulling at teeth getting cold to do the serious
conversation.
Yes.
Well Cole is very much not the type of guy to take responsibility and hold on to it.
(41:57):
But it's more because I mean if you can't see it by now.
Honestly when I picked up at this point I was like obviously he's going to get more
serious and care more.
I think it's because he cares too much and he's scared of like that and that's what's
hurting him.
So he'd rather be like more aloof.
That's kind of what I got from his character.
Yeah.
(42:18):
He says like I do care.
I just don't see how caring will change things.
Like that's so sad.
Mommy and daddy itchy got to him.
So sad.
Oh my god.
And then they talk about how like they love their old traditions.
Like it was very Christmassy and sweet.
(42:38):
Also what I'd love to.
Her mom left.
Yeah I know.
No his mom left.
Her mom died.
So missing moms all around.
I will say it did kind of feel like a Disney Channel direct movie because remember how
like whenever like the main character is like moving out of the house because you know he's
got to go and there's like this gorgeous breakfast spread that like supposedly the mom had made
(43:03):
and he only eats like one bite of something.
I'm like that's what it felt like sitting as a reader.
I was like that's such a good comparison.
It felt like they had a whole feast.
Like he literally goes into the kitchens and they're preparing meals and he's like see
ya.
Yeah basically.
Well no he like gives it to Iris and then they don't eat it.
(43:26):
I'm like eat it.
Definitely what it is like.
Race.
I know I'm just hungry.
Yeah I know right.
So but the event of today is going to be reindeer racing.
So Cole leaves to go get ready.
(43:48):
And he comes out back out and he's all decked out.
Get it.
He's wearing his snow suit and everything getting ready to go.
And when Hex comes out Cole's instantly like he's got so much of the hots.
(44:09):
You can definitely tell that.
Chris has got the hots for Hex and Hex definitely has similar feelings towards Cole.
And while they're like staring at each other like this Cole basically like tells Hex what
the rules of the sleigh ride are and that they're going to go do it.
(44:31):
And Hex is like well Princess Iris are you doing it?
And she's like hell no.
I will not be doing this.
And somehow in some way Hex is convinced to then ride with Cole on the reindeer racing.
Because was that King Claus or was that Iris?
(44:57):
I think it was King Claus that's the one who pushed him to do it.
Which is an insane thing to do.
Yeah I don't know why he would have pushed that.
I feel like the press image would have been weird but it's chill and whatever.
So they go sleigh racing and Cole and Hex are you know like so enamored with each other
(45:19):
that by the time the gun like the star gun goes off like Cole is basically in last place
because he was like just staring into Hex's eyes for so long.
And they start racing and things are going well and you know there's touching there's
grabbing there's like some heat and action building when suddenly it just gets thrown
(45:44):
from the sleigh.
Cole of course freaks out goes to check on him and it's like Hex is fine but he's like
but you promised you wouldn't do that.
Foreshadowing for later.
And Cole is like I'm so sorry.
Yes this was very fun.
(46:05):
It was very fast paced and then as they're like again looking deep into each other's
eyes they like jump apart because Chris is like come up because Chris is second at this
moment and then Chris is like you good?
And Cole's like yeah and he's like did you kill the Halloween guy?
(46:27):
Cole's like no and Chris goes look at me and just rides off to go win the sleigh race.
Which this is so fun.
That is very much a younger sibling older sibling kind of thing to do.
Should be like you good?
Yeah?
Okay I'm going to go beat your ass.
(46:47):
No because at this point like it's clear that Cole was like way in the lead.
Like he wasn't in the lead enough to go searching for Hex because he like disappears in the
snow like he has enough time to be like frantically searching and then his brother just like good
bye.
I'm going to go get this thing.
(47:09):
So it reminded me a lot of the chariot racing in Percy Jackson.
It was like I liked that energy.
I think this was one of my favorite sections of the book.
Like revisiting it.
I thought it was so fun or very like petals to the metal with the adventure zone.
(47:31):
Yes it's a sleigh ride.
Oh what do they call them in the adventure zone?
Battle wagons.
Battle wagons thank you.
Listeners if you don't know what we're talking about with the adventure zone you need to
go listen to the adventure zone the balance arc it is amazing and I love it so much.
(47:56):
I won't elaborate further.
Anyway later that day Cole is like I really hurt Hex's feelings and obviously like there's
tension between us.
I really need to apologize to him.
What better way to do it than in the library.
So we're in the library.
(48:19):
It's so cozy.
So cozy I love it.
I just want to I just want to snuggle.
I snuggle up.
There's more food that sounds fantastic.
But then they don't eat it again.
I'm like guys just describe the food and let them eat it.
There's too much pining.
I love eating.
Oh but I loved the pining that was my problem too.
(48:40):
I was like ooh pining.
And a reason for pining.
Nom nom nom nom nom.
A literary feast.
I don't like that.
Anyway so while this is happening Iris and Chris are then employed to basically kind
(49:08):
of distract Daddy Claws and so Cole then goes into the stacks and tells Hex to meet him
there and they meet up and Hex is like so you wanted to talk to me and Cole's like fuck
this is like really romantic because there's like candle lit and like no one's here and
it's like dark we're in like kind of hidden like shit and Cole's like look dude obviously
(49:33):
I feel like there's tension between us and I kind of like you and Hex is like I kind
of like you too.
And then Cole just like spills the beans because he just went by the way this whole engagement
thing it's so fake like actually I'm like whatever happens like I'm going to marry Iris
(49:58):
at Christmas Eve and Hex is like yeah I know your dad's blackmailing me and Cole's like
excuse me?
Santa?
Is doing what?
Blackmailing you?
Like how Cole goes in and thinks he has the upper hand here and it's like he actually
(50:22):
doesn't he doesn't know more.
He knows so far less and Hex is like you didn't know and Chris is I keep saying Chris and
Cole I'm so sorry Cole does not know a thing did not know a thing because his dad has not
been training him or like telling him any of like the deep dark Christmas secrets so
(50:44):
I did write that Chris did like I won't let him hurt you thing to Hex and I just went
oh no Nana Jason who hurt you moment my weakness.
Oh my god and it happens kind of early on like they only had like one video.
(51:04):
Yeah well then here is when we get some hot kissing we get a hot makeout sesh so we're
you know we're making out we're going in the library and honestly I need to read this line
we do we do get an Elsa moment but I need to bring up this line really quick because
(51:27):
when I tell you I squealed with delight when I read this I was like so they're making out
and Cole is thinking this in his head and this is when I squealed listeners things like
I've missed you I know that's insane we're barely friends and tell me you've thought
of me a fraction as often as I've thought of you even just once please please and then
(51:56):
right after he says you taste as good as I remember but why was that kind of hot Christine
is judging me and I'm okay with that I'm judging but like I get it I get it it was just the
(52:16):
dark corner it was more of just like thinking in his head like I want him to tell me that
he's thought of me a fraction of what I thought of him I was like damn damn that's a lie that's
fire there I feel like that's something that you you pool cold with that yeah exactly I
(52:37):
was like no when that's fine that's a very good quote I like that a lot anyway they're
broken apart because Iris is basically like yelling like Cole like what are you quote
unquote reading knowing that he's having a quote unquote conversation with hex so they
(53:01):
break apart and then they realize that Cole has just put a ton of ice like on the windowsill
because he got so hot and horny that he like uncontrolled power for a second it's so goofy
because it's like it's literally like a little Elsa moment and but then yeah happen again
does it like I don't remember happening again okay it doesn't happen again but hex does
(53:26):
bring it up later when true you know when bow tickle bow wow starts happening
anyway this happens and Cole's like I'm gonna go talk to my dad and hex is like good night
(53:50):
Prince Cole and skitters off and then Cole instantly is like I gotta go talk to my dad
after having a hot makeup session with tall dark and handsome Prince so he marches on into
dad's office and it's like what are you doing dad and dad's like are you talking to the
to the Halloween boy and Cole's like no I do love him he's he's very stupid very much
(54:18):
real by his emotions he likes to march into a room and then get surprised yeah and you
know what he does learn from his lesson after a while so that's good but dad's like can
(54:41):
you keep a secret and calls like sure I can keep a secret and dad decides to reveal what
his ultimate plan is and what he's been doing with the other holidays to help them like
comply quote unquote and Cole is given this like this pamphlet about the winter holidays
(55:08):
and it's revealed that Christmas is taking large parts of their joy and if you think
about it like from like a business way or like a real-life way joy equals like money
and Christmas is basically taking a lot so that they can protect smaller holidays and
(55:28):
the reason this is really fucked up is because before Cole and hex started making out in
the library hex revealed that the fall holidays have something which is called like the fall
holidays like collective where they pool all of their joy like in together so they're all
able to like pull from it is it called autumn collective autumn collective thank you and
(55:57):
that's why Cole is like so pissed off with all of this is he's like well Christmas is
basically just taking over these other holidays and like causing them to disappear out of
our greediness to be like the holiday and for growth so Cole is disgusted with what
his father is doing and it's all very political very political has a lot has basically an
(56:26):
existential crisis and he then it comes to his realization that hex is basically the
collateral in this situation between Christmas and Halloween because hex is basically prisoner
because Christmas is holding over Halloween's head that Halloween had entered like discussions
(56:51):
with Christmas like a couple years back to join this like pooling not this pooling of
resources but like be under the umbrella of Christmas and then backed out and Christmas
knows that the autumn collective would not like it if they found out that Halloween had
been trying to coerce with Christmas I know that's a lot that's so much this is where
(57:15):
I was like this is a lot going on because you're because I think basically it's like
oh okay so the autumn collective is like an alliance but then Christmas is more like a
merger where you realize like if joy is influence they're just like taking all this power for
themselves and just merging instead of doing like a hey we can all be the same and have
(57:39):
an alliance yeah and like help each other out and like grow that way it's a lot of a
rom-com and a lot of this I think was definitely related to like capitalism and like colonialism
specifically talking about like within like a larger company taking over smaller ones
and I'm like damn I did not expect this much commentary but pop off pop off sis but pop
(58:05):
off sis I appreciate it so Cole has an extra crisis because he's like oh my god my dad
is meant to be Santa Claus you know the impediment of joy with a man with a belly full of jelly
and he's literally blackmailing people and he's now blackmailing the family of a guy
I find really attractive so like this is really fucked up like I have to do something like
(58:30):
I said evil Santa evil Santa like he is not a nice Santa and I it's so sad he's like
Cole I'm just giving you a test do you think you can handle it like come on just bad dad
all around because Cole is like I need it like I've been wanting to step up and I don't
(58:54):
want to do like the fake bullshit that you've been putting me through for like PR and everything
just like make your image look good so that's this whole thing so next day rolls around
Cole is again just in bed moping and kind of lying around and Chris comes into his room
(59:16):
and then we just get like a lot of like unpacking about their mommy issues there's so much unpacking
so much unpacking and I'm not gonna go into all of it um because it was like a pivotal
moment where Cole's like oh Chris is taking on this caregiver role and I've never asked
him like how mom leaving like affected him um turns out not great he always wished mom
(59:42):
would come back womp womp no and the saddest part is that he he like because Cole actually
stays quiet because he's like trying to learn of like how to be a listener and so Chris
says like they're like this is I'm just so sad thinking about it he said that I know
her mom she'd been reading me a book every night before bed we'd only gotten a few chapters
(01:00:07):
into it I remember thinking she has to come back to finish it she wouldn't just leave
the book isn't finished and then then Christina what book was it British book like dear god
so sad and so that's the book he never got to like finish with his mom like dear god
(01:00:35):
this woman is a monster so that helps put Chris in perspective in my opinion so much
like yeah you're just like oh okay yeah Chris Chris is baby boy Chris deserves the world
he is no wonder he is like fatuated with Iris because he's just like I need to have some
(01:00:55):
womanly figure in my life who won't leave me somebody's will be my best friend anyway
I make you fun of him I'm sorry it was actually very sweet chapter next day it's ice skating
time it's another PR event slash just for cameras so they get ready to go ice skating and as
(01:01:27):
they kind of go out Chris and hex of course run into each other again and they're they're
getting ready and while they're trying to get into the sleigh what is oh hex is wearing
a tie or something or it's I don't remember exactly what it was but it was it like it
(01:01:48):
was a clothing item that represented Christmas and Chris something along the lines of oh
you've been marked by Christmas like someone tells out to hex he goes oh have I and then
Cole like leans in close and goes you don't know what I marked you and I was like Jesus
(01:02:11):
I'm trying to look for where it is because it's kind of funny in comparison at the beginning
of this like ice skating chapter it's mentioned that dad's in full Santa mode red coat red
hat trimmed in white fur and then so you're like that's so traumatic I'm trying to look
(01:02:32):
to see where's the clothing but also again kind of hot I may just be reading way too
much fan fiction right now so please ignore me I might just be going ravenous for this
kind of writing right now and so our our trio and hex get into a sleigh and they're all
(01:02:59):
like bonding and talking about like their different majors and then they find out that
hex actually spends a lot of his time in Mexico and that's because his mother is from the
house of Dia de los Muertos and so throughout parts of the year she spends a lot of time
(01:03:19):
back at her like home court to help run it and then also obviously does stuff for Halloween
so yeah I thought that was really cool and hex does a little teasing with Chris being
like oh yeah you know like the dead and ghosts and everything and he's like are those real
ghosts and he calls like Chris he's fucking with you they kind of all talk about how they're
(01:03:47):
all kind of trauma bonded together because you know they're all like the heirs or the
heir parent to these different holidays and how they all have to take global affairs and
yada yada yada oh my god okay I found it um thank you inside of the jacket or no the
tie on his black button up done with tiny jack-o-lanterns in santa hats it's cute it's
(01:04:16):
cute it's so cute it's so cute I I mostly just love the you'll know when I mark you
I was like oh my god it's like totally from zero to 60 real fast I feel like it's so funny
because like so far their only like interactions have been make out in dark alley make out
(01:04:37):
in dark corner of library toss them off the sled I guess I forgot that one like toss them
off the sled yeah well they're about to have romantic skating um because they arrive at
the little skating arena and here it's in the middle of what's called North Pole City
(01:05:00):
which is where a bunch of creative so creative but this is where I know how like the people
of North Pole City kind of fit into everything because they're kind of in between normies
and like the houses you know it's like because they're not all nobles or no you know what
(01:05:26):
actually that would be a question I would ask Sarah Hosh I'd be like okay what about
the normal people who live in North Pole City I have questions and you have answers for
me and I need to know if this is how this works about that too they show up and the
court and everybody is like gliding over the ice fairy you know gracefully except for Iris
(01:05:47):
because Iris also didn't grow up ice skating but Hex obviously does not know how to ice
skate and I will say this was a small plot hole that it's so small in this book I did
think it was kind of weird that Daddy Santa allowed Cole and Hex to kind of like skate
(01:06:09):
around the rink for a while like go around once or twice I thought he would have immediately
been like Cole go be with Iris what the fuck yeah why wasn't he like helicopter dadding
right then he does eventually do it but anyway we get a very cute little romantic scene between
the two just having like a hushed private conversation while they're ice skating and
(01:06:35):
eventually dad does come to break it up mostly because he also sees Chris and Iris having
fun and skating together and he's like you have to like project the image that I have
put forth and Cole gets pissed off and leaves to go basically comfort Iris and Iris is like
yeah your dad's a piece of shit and Cole's like I know and he apologizes for everything
(01:07:00):
and talks about how like he really wishes like they could they didn't have to go through
with this and if there was any way they didn't have to and Iris is just like Cole just be
my friend for now and he keeps asking her to like kind of lean on him and she's just
kind of unwilling because you know he hasn't been the most solid of a foundation which
(01:07:21):
is fair enough so I don't know it's a really nice moment between the two of them and it
also hints that uh Hex gets a little jealous when Cole and Iris are kind of like snuggling
up on the bench because they're just having like this heart to heart and Cole's like oh
is he jealous and she's like yeah dude he's jealous he wants to be the one snuggling up
(01:07:45):
with me you um and it's also revealed that the reason that Iris's dad agreed to be a
part of this kind of like umbrella like corporation of Christmas and agreed to like the whole
(01:08:06):
marriage thing was because he felt really and Iris thinks he feels really inferior and
he really wants someone else to like kind of lead him so that it's not like his full
responsibility or he's like by himself which fair enough um we get a lot of themes of grief
and how to healthily and unhealthily deal with that um and the dads are failing they're
(01:08:30):
not doing the best job here hey dads let's do better let's do better here um but with
the end of um all of the daddy issues from both Easter daddy and Christmas daddy um
that's our halfway point that is chapter 11 so
(01:08:58):
Ashlyn's distracted she's so distracted it's okay oh wait also at the end it's really sad
when um Iris mentions that she she says that she used to want to have a relationship like
her mom and dad where they like knew it they she says um this is so sad she says i used
(01:09:22):
to want a love story like my parents to look up in a cafe and know it's you and Cole says
you could have one a better one and she says no she meets my eyes i used to i used to want
their love story it's so heartbreaking and then she goes on to say like but i've seen
what it can do now when happily ever after ends this isn't a fairy tale fairy tale Cole
(01:09:46):
we're a prince and a princess but it's our jobs not some storybook title and i know Easter
has problems but i barely know how to keep it afloat and she just asks like what are
we supposed to do and that's really sad it's so sad it's so sad in the middle of my little
romance book how dare they invoke emotion from me we're getting deep here yeah anyway
(01:10:14):
Ashton before we go too deep into sadness do you have any questions for us about this
first half of this book i do have some questions i have some mostly fun questions which i hope
helps thank you so first what are your guys's favorite Christmas traditions what Christmas
movies do you watch favorite songs what do you guys do oh that's a good answer i mean
(01:10:37):
good question sorry that's a good answer sorry i'm tired now i feel my favorite is that my
family we all have a gingerbread house making contest and over the years it gets a little
more and more serious and me and my brother are trying to figure out ways that we can
make the gingerbread houses be mechanical and move interesting i like that see every year
(01:11:05):
on Christmas Eve this is more because my brother demands it more than like any anything else
but he always demands that we watch the polar express on Christmas Eve and recently what
i've been doing is if we um if we're watching it i'll make my i make a really really good
(01:11:26):
hot chocolate and so i'll make the hot chocolate and then serve it out during the hot chocolate
like scene that's cute but what a terrible movie excuse you i love polar express i know
it looks weird i agree movie leave me alone my beef with polar express comes from the
(01:11:49):
sheer fact that i was in band for seven years so i've played it many years in a row many
many Christmas concerts in a row the hot chocolate song the polar yeah the whole soundtrack i
couldn't yeah the theme is i watch it every year i do know the theme that literally does
(01:12:21):
not help me i only know the josh groban song when we get there that's the only thing i
know children before we get copyright claimed actually oh boy so sarah rash has a book club
(01:12:51):
kit posted for this book that features a game called kiss mary banish so a little little
fun game um so i'm going to give you three things and you have to kiss mary banish okay
okay first is going to be ice skating cookie decorating or a holiday movie marathon okay
(01:13:18):
instantly banishing ice skating because i can't balance for shit and trying to balance
on sharpen blades on ice does not sound fun to me i'm mary can't walk in a straight line
on her own two feet i can't i'm actually really bad at it i'm very prone to concussions um
(01:13:44):
i will marry a marathon the movie marathon and then i forgot what my third and what our
third option was cookie decorating well cookie decorating but what are we doing with the
cookies i am actually kind of concerned kiss mary banish i'll kiss uh cookie decorating
(01:14:09):
because my family and i we actually don't decorate a lot of cookies but we do bake a
lot of cookies that's almost like kissing it yeah just
kiss mary banish christmas every day for a year halloween every day for a year or no
(01:14:32):
holidays for a year wait wait christina didn't get to answer the last one oh i'm sorry oh
wait that's fine i i my brain keeps short circuiting say that would say that short circuiting
word one more time okay um i think i would i would marry ice skating because i'm the
(01:14:55):
opposite of sydney and i love ice skating so much i bought my own ice skates lately
i would banish the cookie decorating for no good reason but because i want to kiss a marathon
kissing marathon
continue with ashlyn okay kiss mary banish christmas every day for a year halloween every
(01:15:22):
day for a year and no holidays for a year this is so easy i banished the no holidays
because that seems stupid i marry christmas every day because that's awesome and then
i kiss halloween because i like halloween but more in like a kiss versus mary way see
i'm gonna switch it with the mary and the kiss i wouldn't marry halloween because i
(01:15:45):
like i think halloween's more fun year-round christmas i'll kiss it i do love christmas
don't love the music all year round and i feel like if it's halloween every day you can still
like listen to normal music no no i listen to christmas music like almost year-round
oh i know i lived with you so that's interesting i have a very vivid memory of being outside
(01:16:13):
of a my dorm my sophomore year of college which would have been your guys's senior year
question mark um and a car flying by blasting christmas music in like september and now
i'm wondering i'm wondering it could have been me honestly i would have done it back
(01:16:37):
then but i've been bad about it now because my job it has a lot of christmas all year
round so i have an excuse but i would have oh my god i'm sorry listen to leslie odum
juniors christmas albums and then get back to me those are all year-long albums okay
(01:17:03):
but i've been listening to jay schlatt's christmas album and it kind of slaps oh my god ashlyn
do you have any other questions for us before i wrap it up for the evening get it wrapping
oh lord what do you think of the chemistry between hex and coal right now
(01:17:25):
i get it they're yearning and i like the yearning but it makes sense for them to yearn there's
so much yearning and not a whole lot of like substance though it's mostly just yearning
but i but here's the thing and here's my argument for them they actually kind of they actually
(01:17:50):
have conflict in which actively actually does keep them apart rather than you know pumpkins
spice cafe when they're like oh i just want to be a big girl and i just want to reinvent
myself and guys like i just don't want to love anybody because you know i got my heart
broken that's not conflict we'd love a good opportunity to drag pumpkin spice cafe i will
(01:18:12):
drag that book it was not good and people are like it's this spicy i'm like it was so
bland this is our episodes go listen to uh pumpkin spice cafe if you want to see why
i didn't like it a lot i feel like i rated it way too high but that's just me
(01:18:34):
i don't know i've been looking back at my goodreads stuff anyway what's that
i'm gonna close it out for the evening so like christina said if you guys like the podcast you
should definitely go listen to our other uh episodes um and you should definitely go check
us out on youtube on instagram on x twitch instagram and for now tiktok r.i.p tiktok um you
(01:19:05):
are being banned soon which is very sad um but if you can't find us on tiktok like go follow us on
other sites if you want to keep up with us and if you want to keep uh listening and see what we're
doing and yeah uh with that come check back in next time to listen to part two of the nightmare
(01:19:27):
before kissmas by sarah rosh and with that i'll say good night to you you irresistible elves
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