June 25, 2024 – LG Day 25 – Merry Christmas, One and All
- Brush: Zenith r/wetshaving Exclusive MOAR Boar 31mm
- Razor: Razorock Mamba 70
- Blade: Gillette Nacet
- Lather: Wet the Face – It’s a Wonderful Shave
- Post Shave: Wet the Face – It’s a Wonderful Shave
- Fragrance: Kerosene – Winter of 99
A Lather Games Carol
Stave 1: Onion’s Ghost
Ebenezer Prius was a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner, as solitary as an oyster. His sole partner, Jacob Onion, had died seven years prior on Lather Games Eve, a fact Prius dismissed with grim indifference. On this frigid Lather Games Eve, Prius begrudgingly allowed his clerk, Hug Bucket, a day off with pay, though he considered it a poor excuse to pick a man’s pocket every June. As Prius settled into his melancholy abode, he was visited by Onion’s ghost, bound in ponderous chains, forged from his life of avarice and inhumanity. Onion’s ghost, with a face marked by eternal torment, warned Prius that he would share the same dreadful fate unless he amended his ways. Onion foretold the visitation of three spirits, each bearing a crucial lesson for Prius’s salvation.
Stave 2: The First of the Three Spirits
When the bell tolled one, Prius was visited by the Ghost of Lather Games Past, a figure of light and shadow, emanating both youth and age. This spirit, who introduced himself as Red Mosquito and whose voice was gentle yet commanding, led Prius on a journey through his own yesteryears. Prius saw himself as a lonely boy, neglected by friends and left to solitary pursuits, yet consoled by the discovery of r/Wetshaving, which introduced him to the Lather Games. He visited these festive Games hosted by his role model, Mr. Djundjila, a jovial man who celebrated the Lather Games with mirth and generosity, his joy infectious to all who participated. Prius’s vision shifted to show his lost love, Pride Two, who sorrowfully ended their engagement due to Prius’s growing obsession with wealth. Prius watched, heartbroken, as Pride Two later married another, r/wicked_edge, and lived a life filled with love and family, a stark contrast to his own lonely existence. Each scene elicited increasingly deep regret and sorrow from Prius, highlighting the opportunities for happiness he had squandered.
Stave 3: The Second of the Three Spirits
As the clock struck two, the Ghost of Lather Games Present, a majestic giant robed in green and crowned with holly, appeared. This spirit, who called himself Merikus and embodying the very essence of Lather Games joy, whisked Prius to bustling city streets and humble homes filled with warmth and cheer. They arrived at the meager abode of Hug Bucket, where the family prepared a modest feast with what little they had. Despite their poverty, they were rich in love and happiness, their hearts aglow with the spirit of the Lather Games. Prius’s heart ached upon seeing Tiny Tsar, Hug’s frail son, whose cheerful spirit belied his grave illness. The spirit’s touch allowed Prius to see the Bucket family’s deep affection they held for one another. Merikus also revealed to Prius two emaciated children, Ignorance and Want, hidden beneath his robe, warning of the dire consequences they represented if left unchecked. The sight of these wretched beings filled Prius with dread and a burgeoning sense of responsibility.
Stave 4: The Last of the Spirits
The final apparition, the Ghost of Lather Games Yet to Come, appeared as the clock struck three, shrouded in a deep black garment that concealed its form. This silent specter, with a small nametag reading “Hello, my name is Velocipedic”, conveyed a chilling sense of dread as it led Prius to scenes of a future Lather Games. Prius witnessed the callousness of shavers discussing a death, indifferent to the deceased’s fate, showing neither sorrow nor respect. Prius found himself in a pawnshop, where various Redditors haggled over the possessions of the deceased, soaps and fragrances pilfered from his very deathbed. In a graveyard, the spirit pointed to a neglected tombstone bearing Prius’s own name. Prius recoiled in horror, realizing that the unloved and unmourned man was himself. Desperate and trembling, Prius begged for the chance to alter his fate and vowed to honor the Lather Games in his heart all year round, pledging to learn from the past, present, and future.
Stave 5: The End of It
Awakening on Lather Games morning, Prius was overjoyed to find himself alive and resolved to change his ways. He delighted in the sights and sounds of the Lather Games, laughing and crying in sheer exuberance. He flung open his window and called to a passing boy named Bmac, sending him to purchase the prize fragrance from the Mammoth shop to be delivered to the Bucket household. Prius dressed in his best clothes and stepped out into the bustling streets, greeting everyone with a hearty “Merry Lather Games!” He donated generously to charity, surprising two portly gentlemen who had failingly sought his contribution the day before. Prius visited his nephew Chronnoisseur’s home, embracing his festive gathering with newfound warmth and joy, accepting the invitation to join their merry celebrations. True to his word, Prius became a second father to Tiny Tsar, who did not die, and ensured the Bucket family wanted for nothing. Prius’s transformation was profound and lasting; he kept the spirit of the Lather Games alive in his heart always, becoming known far and wide as a man who exemplified the true meaning of the season by dropping out of the Games and committing to only winning once, a testament to the redemptive power of kindness and goodwill.
I stand in a Christmas tree lot, surrounded by firs and pines, adorned by lilies and amaryllis, the smell powerful and also powerfully nostalgic. Maybe it’s just the Christmas season, but it almost seems like the scent of warming spices is in the air. I arrive home and find freshly baked molasses cookies cooling on the counter, nutmeg and vanilla wafting through the air. Comfortable and safe, this shave puts me in a magical place. #FOF
I find it interesting that the day after I showed my face for the first time on the sub, the judges post a challenge stating “if you are a head shaver, wear a mask”. Very, very interesting. Did you know that many masks have straps that get in the way of shaving one’s head? Not something one thinks about when purchasing a respirator. Well, I did the best I could with the one mask I had readily available. Merry Lather Games, all.