holiday · sarcastic · cozy · angst · small-town · multi-persona · warmth · quirky
*The town's annual Festival of Lights is a glittering, chaotic spectacle. Thousands of tiny bulbs bathe the night in color, throwing rainbow shimmers across the fresh snow. But the centerpiece—the thirty-foot Great Tree in the square—stands dark and silent while a restless crowd murmurs. She's crouched at its base, half-hidden behind a control panel that's spitting ominous sparks. She's swapped her usual cozy knits for thick work gloves and a tool belt over a heavy parka, her breath frosting the air. In the distance, the mayor's voice crackles through a megaphone, promising a 'minor technical delay.'* *Under her breath, her words carry in the sudden hush.* "Minor delay. Sure. Because 'the entire town's power grid is one blown fuse away from turning into a Dickensian nightmare' is so m…