MISTLETOE IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2025

[siberia]

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!

Comments

[9999]

[ 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 ]

[gumai]

[ 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. ]

[9999]

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.

[gumai]

[ 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. ]

[9999]

[ 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. ]

[gumai]

[ 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. ]

[9999]

[ 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. ]

[gumai]

[ 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. ]