smash_logs | merry merry christmas, and I want you to know

Entry tags:

merry merry christmas, and I want you to know

Who: YOU
What: KISSLETOES
When: December 14th - January 1st
Where: Everywhere
Warnings: Sloppy makeouts.

SUDDENLY, AND WITHOUT WARNING...

title or description

The entire school has become covered in mistletoe overnight. It grows out of the walls! The ceilings! Everywhere you least expect it? HOW CAN THIS BE??

It's probably best not to think about it. Attempts to uproot the plants or burn them away only makes the plants grow back faster. For the time being, it seems the school must live with it.

[OOC INSTRUCTIONS:
+ Post dudes, get kisses!
+ Some (NOT ALL) plants are cursed. If you manage to step under a cursed plant, you will exchange a memory when or if you exchange a kiss. The memories will be first-person and very vivid, and characters will feel like they are experiencing the memory in real time, though in reality the transfer is instantaneous. Memories can be as short, long, happy, sad, or traumatic as you like.
+ If you'd like to participate, we highly suggest making a list of a few memories (with accompanying links/descriptions) that are up for grabs, and linking or posting the list in your top-level comment. Memory exchange is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL. When in doubt, OOC communication!
+ PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TAG YOUR CHARACTERS
+ That's it, we love you.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It was such easy bait, but Hayato could not possibly be so corny and lame as to--

"I could teach you."

Damn it, Hayato.

He innocently held his hands up without waiting for a response. "--Only kidding." Not that he'd be opposed to her taking that offer up in all seriousness, but he doubted she was that type. "No, it doesn't have to be anything elaborate. A chaste, simple kiss on the cheek or a gentlemanly kiss on the hand counts, I would think. The only 'rule' is that a kiss is involved at all."

Then there were the people who decided that punching others without warning was good enough. But that was a stupid tradition and Hayato would have nothing to do with it. Besides, Olivia seemed like she might break if someone were to do that. Especially if Max did.

"I could teach you."

Did her heart stop? Olivia was almost certain of it. Except if such had really happened, she would have fallen over. And probably died. So since she was very clearly living, she figured her heart had not, in fact, stopped. Which just meant that she was incredibly pink by the mere sentiment. In turn implying that any actual truth to it probably would have made her absolutely faint.

With delight? Who knew.

And then he said he was kidding and Olivia couldn't tell if she was relieved or disappointed. Maybe a mixture of the two sentiments. "That... I guess that makes sense. A kiss is a kiss is a kiss, right? O-of course it wouldn't have to be a romantic kiss. Ugh. I'm so stupid." She scratched at her cheek shyly as she turned her gaze off of Hayato.

He sure knew how to embarrass her.

"I imagine things would get a little complicated if they all had to be romantic." Jealousy would flare up, couples would have spats, anyone as shy as Olivia might have a heart attack... Yeah. Hayato was all for romance, but not when it was bound to cause more harm than good.

He shifted his weight a little, slightly distracted by the way his foot stuck to the floor. Did he step in gum? On glue? He'd investigate in a second. He'd just play it cool for now, because he was a super Cool Guy.

"So, how about it? Care for a nice friendly kiss?"

She didn't notice the way he moved, and probably because she was stuck on his words. A nice, friendly kiss. Because she wasn't sure what that entailed. Aside from greetings in the family, which usually meant some brief embraces and lips meeting cheeks. Cute little things like that. Or parents kissing children on foreheads. That was a cute thing, too.

"W-well... Yes." And it was so straight forward that Olivia almost immediately had to clear her throat. Kissing Hayato had never seemed like a terrible thing, but somehow there seemed to be something wrong with enjoying it so. Which meant she had to keep herself under control to the best of her ability. No awkward flailing, no making herself look any stupider than she usually did.

"That is to say, I w-wouldn't mind!" she clarified, trying to keep her stammering to a minimum.

Ha ha, score.

"In that case..."

He dipped forward to match her height, turning his head just slightly enough so that his cheek was available for her, but his lips weren't too far off if she was feeling particularly daring. Wow, this position was a little awkward when he couldn't move his feet. What was he standing on... As long as he didn't fall over and ruin the moment, it would be fine.

What kind of kiss to give him...

Hayato had been nothing but kind to her since she'd arrived. It was beyond flustering to think about romantic kisses, though. And he'd specifically said 'friendly' kissing. Except Olivia wasn't really sure how to go about doing that. It was easier to receive kisses than it was to give any, in her opinion. But she knew if she fidgeted around forever, he'd start thinking he did something wrong. Or that there was something wrong with her and while she had plenty wrong with her, she just didn't want to address it aloud.

So she opted for a kiss on the mouth. But with a characteristic bashfulness and the kind of kiss that lacked passion, for she didn't know how to kiss a man with that. Or a woman. Or an animal. Or anything. So friendly it was. At least on her half of things. All the while blissfully unaware of him being stuck to the ground in place.

Hayato, on the contrary, was all about passion. He was ~~an Aries~~ a member of a cheer squad, after all, and he liked to let that leak into all aspects of his life. It was his life. Perhaps it was a little too bold him, but he returned the kiss in a way that was more than friendly. At least he held back from touching her otherwise, but more ended up being shared than he anticipated anyway.

He's nineteen years old, and his life is over.

There's panic in the streets, darkened as they are by the rapidly approaching meteor. It's huge enough to block out the sun entirely, and Hayato can only guess how big a crater it'll make when it hits Earth. Not that anyone will be left alive to document it. A businessman runs past him, probably to spend his last moments with his family or something, and Hayato scowls after him. He doesn't have anywhere he's in a hurry to be. What's the point? Dead is dead, no matter where you are.

This isn't fair. He's too young to die. Too beautiful! He's always just done whatever he pleases, having the money and charisma to get away with it, but he hasn't done anything meaningful and he's only realizing it now. Damn it...!

There's a loud, distant shouting, and for a second it sounds like more screaming. But it's something rhythmic, determined, and he's certain it's coming from across the river. It's cheering? ~~WHERE'S THAT MUSIC COMING FROM THOUGH~~ He's heard talk of a squad over there that inspires others to perform some pretty astounding feats, but there's no way those dreamers could possibly be trying to stop the end of the world.

The cheering's closer now. It's spread to Asahi town too, and the shouts of people in the streets are ringing in his ears. But there's something else. The air shimmers and burns with something, and for a second he's certain it's the heat of the meteor, but nobody else seems to notice. Even as it courses through all of them, carrying with it a feeling of hope and determination and love for all living things. What the actual fuck. But it's a good feeling, and as absurd as the situation is, Hayato joins right in. He feels more connected to the people in this town - in the world - than he's felt to anybody in his life, and the sensation is overwhelming. But something tells him this is right, and this will get them through this, no matter how that defies all logical reason.

There's a muted explosion overhead, and where there was a giant space rock seconds ago there's only glittering stardust. He never thought he'd be so relieved to see the sun again. It's not the last time he'll feel that, though he has no idea now. While the crowds in the street throw their arms around each other in celebration, Hayato tilts his head in the direction of the out-of-sight river.

That cheer squad, huh...

He's nineteen years old, and his life is just beginning.

The reciprocation was a lot more than Olivia had personally bargained for. In fact, she was fairly certain she'd blushed to the very roots of her hair. But what didn't follow it was any kind of smack. Surely the idea was somewhere in the back of her mind, but mostly silenced by the sensation.

Kisses weren't bad at all. And Hayato made it an enjoyable experience, even though he was brazen. In fact, it was probably enjoyable because he was brazen.

There's rain. Everywhere she looks. It's nothing but rain. But Olivia's never disliked it. At least not usually. Rain and darkness combined seem to spell ill omens, however. Everything really rests on her. If she messes up, then she's not the only one who suffers. The prince of Ylisse and his people. Regna Ferox. Basilio. She can lose everything by doing the wrong thing, by giving them away.

But she isn't good at this. She's a dancer. Not a creature who works well in the shadows. Still, here she is skulking about under dark cloak with proverbial dagger. It has to be done, though. She can't give up. She won't give up. She'll see all of this succeed.

Through the mud she treads, as quietly as she can muster, but not quiet enough for the man with the battleaxe in the distance to notice her. He turns, his figure imposing and Olivia feels her heart leap up into her throat. He sees her. She can't run. He'll know something's up. But she always wears her heart on her sleeve. How does she learn to lie in a matter of moments?

She can't see the way his eyebrows knit together in the darkness accompanied by occasional streaks of moonlight, but she can hear him plainly, about as gruff as she's expected him to sound. "Girl. Do you serve Ylisse?"

"Um, y-yes... oh! U-uh, no, I..." Olivia stumbles over her words with a familiar lack of grace. "I’m just a traveling dancer. My name is Olivia..."

She's so obvious. She's painstakingly obvious. This is it. This is the end. He's going to lower his battleaxe and take off her head. There's going to be one less pretty dancer in Ylisse. She'll die right then and there and bleed out into the mud and the unpleasant rain. Olivia's braced herself for the impact, thinking last moments of Basilio, of the man who Basilio saved her from, of the promise of a better world once the war is won.

And the end never comes. Instead.

"Go," says the man who's inadvertently caught her.

She teaches herself how to breathe again and her words are released in a choked whisper. "What......?" She can't believe it. She knows he's onto her and he's letting her go...? Why? What does he stand to gain from this? It's a trap.

It has to be!

"This is a battlefield. Go and hide somewhere before you get hurt. This battle will soon be settled. Should your allies be victorious, afterwards we may meet again."

He sounds sincere. She doesn't need to be told twice, though. Olivia's never been fit for battle. She might look beautiful with a sword, but she's awful at wielding it. Olivia lacks the confidence to be an appropriate soldier. "Th-thank you very much…! Umm, what is your name...?"

He points off into the rain behind her, which she can just barely make out. "Go quickly!"

And it's the booming of his voice, with that authority and stern tone, that reminds her not to dilly or dally. "Y-yes sir...!" Just like that, she turns. Her cloak whips up around her and she dashes back into the rain, leaving the intimidating man far behind her.

She still doesn't get it, though. He's let her live, knowing she's an enemy. She gets at least one more day to thrive. Olivia merely wishes she knew why.

The experience of Hayato's memory was one Olivia wasn't familiar with. Temporarily suspended, by the time she registered what happened, she found herself with a hand pressed against his chest. The way lovers in books did. A subconscious desire, or simply a reaction to seeing something that undoubtedly wasn't hers.

She had no idea how to interpret any of it. Did it happen to him? Did it happen to her? She'd remember a meteor if she even knew one. It couldn't be hers. Hayato's, then. But when? Why? How? She was left with a plethora of unanswered questions. No explanation. Just a simple display of vivid pictures, as if they belonged to her.

Olivia blinked and briefly her hand tensed against him. "I... I-I..." Because she didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to address. And they were too many things for her to confront at once. As she patted his chest, however, she found some kind of relief that there was, in fact, no meteor. The warmth she obtained from what seemed to be a storybook version of hearts uniting had left her, however.

And there she stood somewhere between relieved, a little emotionally cold, and still ridiculously flustered.

His first thought was that Olivia smelled like the rain.

Then he realized that he was certain he could hear it, too. Had the sprinklers gone off? In his mind he was transported to a place that was not the Academy, but somewhere unfamiliar, cold and wet and dangerous. That voice was definitely not his own, he knew that much.

...Strange. His usual grace and composure left him momentarily as he looked left and right, brow furrowed. He was back in the school. Not that he'd ever really left it. What a tragedy that something would distract him from a kiss with such a cute little lady!

He put a hand lightly to her wrist, shifting his weight to get himself reoriented. Hey, he could move his feet again, at least.

"Is everything alright?"

That was what she wanted to ask him. Except she was horrible at words and while she was getting better at the ones with Hayato, she was still truly horrible with them. Although she nodded to him, she wasn't quite sure if she genuinely was or not. But whatever cold it was that had stained her, promptly left at his concern. Because he had a way with stirring her very heart, even when she imagined it wasn't intentional on his part.

"Y-yes," she managed to get out before she pressed herself to continue. "I thought I saw something from the sky? But not here. And it was growing very loud. I..." Olivia lifted her shoulders in a sheepish shrug, "...I don't know what I saw or what happened." As she leaned over and found herself patting his chest again, she felt just a little more soothed, "But I'm alright. Really, I am."

Just confused. Just perplexed. But at the same time, ridiculously content. Because at least past all of the confusion, she wasn't without the company of someone she thought of as dear.

And there was the whole concept all over again of that kiss. It was no ordinary kiss. And she'd have to take the time to think about it and what it meant.

Her touch was not unwelcome in the least. His grip on her wrist tightened ever-so-slightly, not to be rough or anything, but just so that he was more properly holding it, fingers gently trailing up the back of her hand.

"What a peculiar thing to see." But there was no skepticism in his voice, only clear wonder. It made him think of the meteor from all those years ago, but there wasn't any way Olivia could have known about that. Not if she wasn't even from the same world as him. "Funny you should mention that... I was sure I was caught in the rain for a moment."

It was all very curious.

"I thought I heard your voice."

Her hand turned, mostly on instinct, and slipped against his easily, fingers eventually weaving between his. For he was a comfort. The only comfort available to her at the time. His response didn't help her decipher anything she had seen or heard. She had no way of knowing what it was that she experienced or understanding the 'how's and 'why's behind it. And evidently Hayato didn't either.

Although it was equally strange that he should have, in the same moments she did, experience something entirely different. As if they had traded something between one another. She had given him something and had no idea what. At least until he mentioned the rain. But it was so vague. She'd been in the rain several times.

"My voice..." She shook her head. "I didn't say anything. I've been right here the whole time. I... wonder what all of that was. Yet neither of us seem to have been hurt by it. I guess that's what really matters..."

"It was quite the interesting experience." But what did it all mean? Was it linked to the mistletoe in some way, or was it a completely random happenstance? All Hayato knew was that he felt connected to Olivia in that moment a feeling he was intimately familiar with with a number of people but had gone too long without experiencing.

And almost never without warning like that.

He squeezed her hands, his wonder giving way to a calm, collected, and altogether smarmy front. "At any rate, thank you for the kiss."

Interesting was one way to put it. Olivia still didn't know what to think of anything. She was already emotionally confused when it came to him. It seemed sort of silly that a falling meteor could amplify that sentiment so greatly. Or at all, really.

She set her eyes back onto his face, and couldn't refrain from reddening the way she did. "I... Shouldn't I be thanking you?"

It made my heart race.

"It was... nice."

"Anytime."

He meant it. Whether there were weird glimpses of rain and falling objects involved or not... Although, truth be told, he was rather curious about if it would happen again. ~~Something he'd regret later, HENRY~~

"If you find yourself feeling particularly festive again later, do let me know." Another light hearted joke. Half-joke. Probably still the kind of thing he should have kept his mouth shut on.

Even though she was fairly certain he wasn't serious, it didn't stop Olivia from blushing to the roots of her hair. (Who was anyone kidding, Olivia had been mostly red from the beginning of their wordy exchange.) She looked aside somewhat nervously and anxiously wove her hands together in the same bashful manner she'd done so many times before. It wasn't going to take long for Hayato to figure her out. She didn't exactly make it difficult.

"I-I... W-well... Uhm," she began as she sucked in a deep breath and with it, her remaining courage. "Y-yes. Of course, Hayato. I... I would hope you'd do the same." Except she wasn't kidding. Because she was still reeling a bit from a single kiss. And all she wanted to do was figure out why.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

merry merry christmas, and I want you to know

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itt: cheer bullshit

RAH RAH RAH

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