MISTLETOE IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2025

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MISTLETOE IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2025

you know what to do. whether it's magic compulsion (feat. magical attraction or not), that you're trapped until you kiss, or just tradition and social pressure, you've been caught under the mistletoe and that means you have to kiss.

platonic is ok too. feel free to leave your own comment or reply to one of mine with a blank if you want me to write a starter!

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[ He just called him Gu-kun, in public, out loud, instead of jokingly in private. Yeah, he definitely did that. And that's left Date feeling flustered too, his cheeks going pink as he's called out on it and his shoulders slumping in on himself a little as he buries his hands more in his pockets and tries not to get defensive or something silly like that. But he is definitely a little flustered. ]

I — yeah.

[ Oh my goddddd, he's so embarrassed. Just let him grimace for a moment before moving on, because his eye flickers over to the lady who is now looking curiously between the two of them and then he looks back at Gustave and then up at the mistletoe. Okay. Okaaaay. ]

Anyway!

[ Said a bit too loudly. Chill out, Date. ]

Mistletoe. It's mistletoe you're standing under and there's — there's a tradition. When it comes to. Mistletoe.

[ Guy who is explaining all this oh so poorly but now he's getting shy himself over what's happening. Maybe this was a bad idea... except no, then that lady would've flirted with his man and he would've absolutely died because he wouldn't be able to tell her off in French. No, this is the best way to, uh, establish dominance. ]

[ meanwhile, Gustave remains perplexed. Jealousy is one thing - is Date jealous that this woman was, what, looking at him in a slightly flirty manner? Surely not, right? - but the immediate embarrassment into shyness combo while fixating on the aforementioned plant-slash-decoration is nothing short of confusing. He can't even properly enjoy Date actually getting embarrassed by something dumb he said for once!

Benignly puzzled, he just nods. ]

A-all right, should I be... doing something? I didn't know.

[ is he committing some kind of big faux pas by not doing The Tradition? Now he also looks somewhat nervous. ]

[ Date is realizing his beating around the bush is confusing Gustave even more and so he puts on his big boy pants and explains what, exactly, is going on. He pulls one of his hands out of his jacket so he can drag it over his face and his eye glances back up at the mistletoe before back to Gustave, cheeks pink and not because of the cold. ]

If you're caught standing under the mistletoe during the holidays, you're supposed to kiss. You and whoever you're caught with. That's the tradition.

[ Which, well, guess who he's standing with under the mistletoe and is looking shy about the whole thing. At this point, the lady is just watching them, probably wondering if they're going to kiss or if they're going to keep loitering in front of her stall. There's also a sign in the corner that probably makes more sense now, it says For every kiss, a free hot cider! ]

[ see, this is exactly the sort of thing that he might suspect Date made up as an excuse to kiss him - not because he makes things up often, but because he's always saying totally off-the-wall things that he, at least, seems to believe whole-heartedly - but that sign in front of the (no doubt beleaguered) merchant's stall backs up his claim. A few things click then. One: she probably (definitely?) was angling for a kiss with him, which makes him blush by itself, and two: Date was definitely jealous because he figured that out. Hence the blustery swooping-in. It's very sweet, really; Gustave's tickled by the notion that Date's possessive, though it absolutely lines up with the rest of his personality.

That leaves three: they're going to kiss, in public, in front of this strange lady and also whoever else is around. Which is also embarrassing. It's not that he's ashamed or anything - he's just shy about anything grander than hugging or holding hands when it comes to displays of affection. The cold weather already has his cheeks pretty red, but they definitely look a little redder as he listens to Date. ]

Oh. We're, uh - now? In front of -- [ he gestures vaguely to the lady and the market. ] -- I mean, not that I don't want to, I do, you're - I always do, this is just sudden. Um...

[ this is why he went and hid in a closet first back on AYTO. A bit sheepishly, he reaches for Date's hands, either to pull him in closer or for some comfort. Probably both.

grown ass men. ]

[ GROWN ASS MEN INDEED.

Because Date is taking Gustave's hands in his own, curling his fingers into him and stepping closer, all instinct and affection as he watches Gustave stammer through his response to that. There is relief that he believes him on this because honestly, if he was Gustave, he wouldn't believe Date even a lick about this. But he's not lying! He's trying to show him a tradition that... even Date can't be foolish about right now.

Mostly because he's still stuck on the thought of someone else trying to kiss his Gustave and he hates it. He hates it so much! No! He's the only one allowed to show Gustave this tradition! But at the very least, the lady at the stall seems to realize what's going on and even if she's a little exasperated by it, they're not the first couple who has lingered in front of her stall for a sweet kiss. Though they're probably the most mutually flustered about it. ]

It can be quick, okay? Not like — [ Cutting himself off immediately before he says something embarrassing like not like our usual kisses. Oh my god. He gives a shake of his head, face pink and snow still falling down lightly around them. It really is wonderfully idyllic right now and his eye flicks up to watch some snowflakes settle in Gustave's hair before he looks back down at him and smiles.

God, he loves this man.

— Ah, wait, that's too much again. Stop thinking like that, Date! ]

Hey, just let me.

[ And Date is leaning in, sweet as can be as he presses his lips to Gustave's in a soft kiss. Chaste though, not deepening it just yet, just a solid press of lips to lips in soft affection but he doesn't want to draw too much attention on them either. ]

[ Date does not need to finish that sentence for Gustave's brows to immediately ascend towards his hairline, although the fact that he doesn't at least keeps them from launching into orbit. It's a small miracle that Date has the tact to not blurt his raunchy thoughts out loud all the time. Still, Gustave's fingers tighten undeterred around Date's, silently trusting even while they're out here embarrassing each other. Because Date's embarrassed, too - that flush on his face isn't just from the weather, Gustave knows - and that just makes it all rather silly. What a couple of fools they are. They're too old for this nonsense.

Back home, his love life was a matter of public opinion -- as was everyone else's, with the ever-shrinking population and nonstop stream of orphans. He'd always resented that. Things are different here; he can share a kiss with someone in front of all these people and none of them will even remember it happened five minutes from now, let alone pester him about marriage or children or all the other things he'd wished he could have. Things are different. He watches Date watching him, and, briefly, feels a funny sort of way, but he doesn't dare to feel it for too long - he just gives him that lopsided smile, sheepish, and ducks his chin in a little nod. ]

O-okay?

[ his eyes flutter shut, and of course Gustave kisses him back, innocent and a touch shy even though he's long lost count of how many times he's kissed this man. In the cold, Date's lips feel warmer than ever; if it weren't for his keen awareness of the eyes on him, he'd want to linger, hold him closer, but he's too self-conscious to dare. It's only a moment before he gently pulls back, a bit bashful, and the metal fingers of his left hand flex to entwine with Date's almost in apology.

He's caught between being embarrassed and being a little extra smitten with Date's continual sweetness. ]

Was that... good? Did we do it right?

[ It's such a chaste, normal kiss that it's kind of funny to Date. No pressure to make it deeper, no chasing each other, no falling into something a little more desperate and needy. Just a kiss, smitten and fond and Date can't help but smile into it for half the kiss. When Gustave pulls back, Date's expression is still so helplessly fond, especially at his questions, that he nods. ]

Yeah, I think so.

[ He'll take his fingers in hand, finding comfort in the cool metal in a way he's grown to appreciate over their time together. He wants more time with Gustave now, though they still have plenty of Christmas festival to wander about. And they still haven't even gotten close to that Ferris Wheel which Date still isn't sure if they're going on or not. He should probably ask Gustave what his thoughts are.

He's so busy staring fondly at Gustave though that he only looks up, surprised, when the woman at the cider stall clears her throat. Looking over at her, she pushes two cups of hot cider their way with a wink and says:

For the kiss, your ciders.

Date doesn't know what she's saying, since it's in French, but he does pick up on what she means from the way she offers them the ciders and gestures to the sign advertising free ciders for couples who kiss. Alright, yeah, that's nice. ]

Oh — right.

[ Date will take one of the ciders and awkwardly offer a merci of thanks to the woman before looking back at Gustave. ]

[ by the way, hearing Date trying to speak French is unbearably adorable to Gustave. He'd never thought much about how the two of them were able to understand each other until he came here - now he figures it must be some kind of enchantment they got on the show, considering he didn't understand anyone else's Japanese, either. It's a bizarre and fascinating convenience. It also makes Date's attempts to actually speak his mother tongue a little more special. (And endearing. He's sure his own efforts to say anything in Japanese aren't as cute...)

Gustave blinks over at the woman, too, giving her a chagrined nod and his own thank you, sorry before taking his cider, too, and gratefully waving at her before shuffling off with Date. At which point a smug smile starts creeping across his face. ]

Kaname... You were jealous, weren't you? Worried she was going to try and trick me into a kiss?

[ he gently bumps his shoulder against Date's before gingerly lifting the apple cider for a sip. Very gingerly, because it's extremely hot -- but also extremely good. They definitely didn't have drinks like this back home. Or in his new home in Tokyo, for that matter. ]

[ Oh, he's being teased. There's a ducking of his head slightly and a pinking of his cheeks that has nothing to do with the light snow as his shoulder is bumped and they walk off, with Gustave's words ringing in his ear. He holds the cider in his hands, fingers curled around the drink and letting it warm himself up and he bites his bottom lip for a moment before admitting it, because there's no point in hiding it. ]

... Yeah. Look, she — you — ughhhh.

[ Closing his eyes a little as he grimaces. He's jealous, alright! And possessive! And Gustave is his, his, his! ]

You keep underestimating how handsome you are, you know. Drives me crazy. So, yeah, I don't want anyone to kiss my man except for me.

[ Said half-mumbled and with a pout on his face. After his admission, he feels even sillier though and he will just focus on taking a sip of his cider as well. Though it is very hot and he does grimace at an initial burn to his tongue when he didn't blow on it enough. Everything's coming up Date! ]

[ also unbearably adorable: Date when he gets all embarrassed. While he's grimacing, Gustave's grinning, looking irrepressibly flattered by the confirmation of his suspicions. This little jealous streak of Date's doesn't bother him one bit, clearly. When Date calls him my man, he even laughs a little, not derisive, but warm and fond and perhaps a bit bashful at being - once again - so openly wanted. ]

You keep underestimating how much I like you, chaton. Your man is very devoted to you.

[ if they weren't out in public, he'd lean over and plant a kiss on Date's hair - disregard the fact that they did just kiss in public; that was a special occasion! - and if his hands weren't full of hot beverage, he'd at least loop his arm through Date's. Alas, all he can do is hang close and keep their shoulders touching to show his affection for his possessive Perfect Match. ]

That does go both ways, though. No sneaking under the mistletoe with any, er, busty moms while I'm not looking, all right?

[ look at him, almost saying milfs ]

[ Gustave almost said milfs!!! It really does amuse him greatly, enough to bring him out of his embarrassed sulking and he blinks, looking back at Gustave and laughing a little softly as they continue walking. He gives a soft shake of his head and teases back. ]

Oh, Gustave, you're the only busty mom for me.

[ Not that Gustave is busty or a mom, but that's the point!! He is everything Date wants, even if he's not The Exact Thing Date always jokes about wanting instead. He's also filled with the urge to loop their arms together or just generally be closed but no...! First, hot drink. Then, moving closer. The festival is still so lively and bright and there's plenty more to see but with their hot drinks, they probably should take a stop somewhere to enjoy them.

Idly, Date's gaze travels to the ferris wheel in the distance and he thinks now is probably the time to ask Gustave about his feelings towards it. With anyone else, Date would just drag them over but he's trying to understand what works for Gustave and what doesn't. ]

Hey, you know how you told me once about the big wheel that one of your expeditions used to travel? It was basically a ferris wheel, right?

[ Glancing over at Gustave to meet his eyes. ]

I don't know if they scare you or not because of that but if they don't, we should ride the one here. It would be... nice.

[ Romantic, really, but Date's too shy to use the word. ]

Thank you.

[ he laughs, too, nudging him with an elbow before taking another sip of his cider. Finally, he's graduated from regular guy to busty mom... I wrote "busy mom" and that's also true.

Gustave's still enraptured enough by the novel scenery (hell, the snow itself) that he's not really thinking about any plans in particular, just staring out at the stalls and the lights and enjoying being here with Date. Obviously, the ferris wheel had caught his eye - it's hard not to notice it - but he hasn't paid it any particular thought until Date points it out to him, at which point he raises an eyebrow. ]

You - you think I'm scared of the wheels? Come on. I've always thought they were... [ he trails off. "Cool" isn't really the word when he's always thought they were a somewhat foolish use of resources and engineering know-how, but there's still something to be said for the spectacle of it all. ] Fascinating? Fascinating. Not scared at all, especially not of one that doesn't move. They did work, you know? There were just... terrain issues. And that wasn't really their fault. It's hard to plan Expeditions when we don't know exactly what the modern world looks like outside the city, so they...

[ once again, he trails off, but this time, it's because he realizes he's rambling about historical Expedition stuff. ]

Um. Yes, we should ride it, is what I'm saying.

[ It's something Date has noticed. The way Gustave will cut himself off sometimes when he thinks he's going on too long about a subject. Date doesn't think he ever goes on too long about anything though, loves to hear Gustave talk and loves to hear about his world in all the different ways he can. He's especially picked up on the fact that Gustave must be a little different than his peers, in the enthusiasm he shows about Expeditions.

So, Date looks a little amused when he agrees to ride it and his reply is nothing short of sincere instead. ]

Let's ride it. And in the meantime, you can tell me a bit more about what this Expedition did in particular. All I know is the Ferris wheel and the sea monster. Which is why I thought you might find it kind of... morbid or something. Either way, I wanna hear it.

[ WHICH... SIB IS ALLOWED TO GLOSS OVER IN THE META INSTEAD OF WRITE UP A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS NOT FOUND IN THE GAME AS WELL!!!

But Date means it, he's here to listen, even as he tilts his head to silently indicate which direction they should turn to Gustave, so they can start making their way to the Ferris wheel. ]

[ a nod! Riding in one of the wheels... here's something he never thought he'd do. And he doesn't even need to worry about getting gobbled up by a serpentine Nevron while he does it. ]

You do? [ he raises an eyebrow curiously, but smiles, shrugging his shoulders rather bashfully. ] Well, all right. Although I can't say there's all that much more to tell - there weren't any survivors, obviously. But I know how it got started? Our attempts at making flying machines years ago hadn't worked out, but...

[ and hear it Date will. For all his hemming and hawing when he's nervous, Gustave's an animated speaker when he's relaxed and talking about something he likes with someone he likes, and he enthusiastically relates what he knows about Expedition 50 - mostly a story about the increasing desperation within Lumière, especially among those volunteering for the Expedition, and the eccentric ideas that came hand-in-hand with it. Gustave had been alive to see this group set off, a teenager, and remembers very well watching the explorers roll onwards into the ocean upon their enormous wheel-contraption. ]

-- Honestly, it didn't even seem like a terrible idea? When I was a kid, I saw Expedition 60 leave - that was something. Their whole plan was just to train like crazy and head out into the continent with as few supplies as they could manage. Just -- a bunch of naked bodybuilders on a boat. I can't believe the Council let them go with that plan...

[ now they're standing in line for the ride, and Gustave, while still blathering, is gazing up at the wheel. It's actually not as tall as the ones from Expedition 50... which makes sense, since this doesn't need to rise up out of the sea floor. ]

[ And Date listens. The more insight he has into Gustave's world, the more he understands a bit more about Gustave himself. Gustave describes it as desperation, to find the solution, to make progress, but Date also sees it as hope. Throw everything at the wall, see what sticks, because something inevitably will stick.

And something did, didn't it? Even if Gustave hasn't gone back yet to check, but Date likes to have faith that Lumiere is still standing, with everyone there waiting for his return. Even if it means Date will lose him eventually too.

He's mostly done with his cider by the time they're in line for the Ferris wheel and so he drops his cup in a trash can nearby and tucks his hands away in his jacket. There's a raised eyebrow at the description of Expedition 60 because that seems... like some crazy survivalist TV show. A bunch of naked bodybuilders... Date is glad he isn't into bodybuilding so the image isn't even sexy to him. ]

Do you think... if you all figured out how to fly, the Nevrons would have figured out how to fly too?

[ Just an idle thought that comes to mind as Gustave describes the difficulties in getting to the continent and the different methods of traveling. But he thinks too of this serpentine Nevron eating the wheel Expedition. ]

Like, evolution. You all adapted so they adapt too. Or maybe it's less symbiotic than that and I'm reaching.

[ A shrug. He's still wrapping his head around Nevrons as a whole, really. ]

[ after he brought them up, Gustave did briefly worry that Date was going to start taking an unusual interest in Expedition 60. Random unknown Date fetish dodged! This time. ]

I... have no idea, to be completely honest with you. I'm no Nevron specialist, outside of putting them down. But I can tell you that plenty of them already know how to fly.

[ High enough to intercept flying vehicles? Maybe. He's pretty sure he's seen some big ones way up in the clouds, if only in the distance, including that serpent Date's thinking about. ]

If you want my opinion as an Expeditioner, I don't think they're evolving or anything like that. We're just uneducated, outnumbered and outclassed.

[ after that disaster on the beach, he feels quite confident that it's not an arms race between them and the denizens outside of the dome; they're closer to a bunch of organized mice trying to take down a pack of wolves. They never really had a chance. There's no skill involved, no competition - only sheer luck. A grim look creeps briefly onto his face, but Gustave does his best to let it pass him by, and, not for the first time, prays that his wish actually worked. ]

[ Wow, that's even more depressing than he thought it'd be. He was envisioning something different, the Nevrons adapting to the humans but if the Nevrons are just all powerful and too strong to fight... what a shame. Date watches Gustave as his expression grows grim and before he can stop himself, he's lifting a hand to ruffle Gustave's hair. ]

Well, once you go back home, it'll be fine. Once you're there, you can figure out what to do next about Nevrons.

[ Unless his wish got rid of them? He's not entirely sure how detailed Gustave got, or what the wish would've changed even with Gustave's guidance. The point is: Lumiere is back to normal and everyone is alive. That's all that matters, right? ]

Look, it's almost our turn too.

[ It's true, they're next up for the ferris wheel, it looks like. ]

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MISTLETOE IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2025

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im alive GRAHHHGHHGHHGG

ME TOOOOOOO

Re: ME TOOOOOOO

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