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 true and she was a bit surprised that he actually remembered. Like it meant something to him, except there was no reason for it to. In addition, the concept that he remembered stirred something in her that she wasn't expecting.

Ziio caught his eye for many moments before she glanced away in thought. "I didn't think you would remember that. It a year ago, after all. That is many suns and moons and it wasn't so important."

"That's the thing about importance. It's relative."

He did remember it, very well. It had meant something to him, even if it didn't to her.

"So, it's up to you."

"Keep saying things like that Jon and I may start to think you actually like me."

As if implying that it was difficult to like her. Ziio didn't try to be likable and at the end of the day the only person she really cared about the opinion of was her son. Beyond that, she could give or take and chances were that as long as she wasn't threatened, she didn't give a complete damn.

But at the same time, there was something about Jon that she sure liked herself. A hell of a lot, too. She gave him half of a sly smile, like one that tried to be sincere and just wasn't capable of it. "Depends on how long you want my company for. I'm at your compassion for the time being. So if you want to keep my company, I suppose I could stand here. And if you want to get rid of me, you know how to do that."

"If I've made any secret of the fact that I like you, I'll have to apologize."

Maybe it was the fact that she was the one pinned in place this time and he was at an advantage. Or maybe it was the year of personal growth which separated this year's mistletoe from last. Either way, he felt a little more comfortable being open with her right now than he might have last year. The truth was, he held her in high regard and if she thought otherwise, it was probably his fault entirely.

"As for the options you've given me, I'd much sooner set you free AND spend a little more time with you. Call me selfish, if you must, but I'd hate to think the only reason you were to and chat for a bit is because you've no option but to stand in place."

And there it was. Likeness. For doing absolutely nothing of note. She had to wonder when he developed something like that. But on the other hand, it seemed that some genuinely appreciated a self-sufficient woman and Ziio was nothing short of outlandishly independent. Definitely a woman of her own with a mind of her own. She supposed objectively that the right kind of person would have found that charming.

Not that she ever tried to charm someone intentionally. Seduce, yes. Maybe. Except it was less seduction and more honesty and direct behaviour.

"I like you well enough to keep you company," she admitted as she looked aside momentarily. "We are, as it is said, two birds of a feather." A keen observation and while they were from completely different worlds with completely different backgrounds and cultures, Ziio felt amazingly comfortable in his company.

That had to mean something. ~~It was the accent.~~

"Birds of a feather is an apt description. Something less similar than peas in a pod but more alike than oil and water."

Two people, pulled out of time and set apart from the modern world by a lifetime of biases and preconceived notions. Though, Jon was starting to wake up to modernity. He'd been given a cellular telephone for Christmas last year and he'd used it at least four times since. Maybe he'd get her one, this year.

"In any case, where would you like me to do the honors?" he asked, leaning down just ever so slightly. Better he ask and receive absolute, concrete permission than anything else. He'd certainly not want to foist that sort of a surprise on her, if he could help it. Again, behavior unbecoming of a gentleman. Even a gentleman in training.

That sounded appropriate. They weren't peas in a pod by any means and Ziio knew that. But they had more similarities than oil and water. Ziio's knowledge on cooking was less technical and more simply by taste, so the scientific properties that oil and water combined had was lost on her. Sort of. Undoubtedly Gordon would take the time to explain it to her if she asked him.

And hopefully he'd do so in a language she understood instead of his scientific techno babble.

His question caught her a bit by surprise, for she hadn't been expecting it. She'd assume he'd do whatever was easiest. So why was he leaving it up to her? Unless he had a place in particular he wanted to kiss her. Clearly uncertain by his question, she didn't reply at first and then shook her head before offering a dismissive wave. Nonchalance, more or less.

He was no Rick Johnson for sure. ~~May he rest in peace. Or pieces.~~ "Wherever it would please you. I am not particular."

Jon was certainly no Rick. As Evve would have been happy to point out, were she still around campus.

"Leaving it up to me, eh?" he replied. Well, it was nice to know she trusted him not to take advantage and be grabby or otherwise overly forward. Of course, he knew very well that even if he was that sort of reprobate, (Which he wasn't, mind.) she probably had something sharp on her person with which to separate his ribs.

He leaned down just that little bit more and placed a firm kiss on her lower cheek, just barely removed from the corner of her mouth. As much as he'd love to lock lips, as the kids said nowadays ~~no they don't Jon~~ he thought it prudent to err on the side of caution.

His thoughts weren't wrong. If she hated anything he did to her, it'd take a simple thrust and she could jam a short dagger right up into him. It'd certainly teach him not to do it again. Hell, she'd almost pulled her tomahawk on Max, and the guy had merely touched her. Not the most gentle of touches, but it came without warning and that was more the issue.

And while Ziio had still dealt with the issue of being touched, which was something she and Connor had in common (the concept that neither of them particularly enjoyed it), she was willing to accept it from Jon. Perhaps because he was an ally. Perhaps because she knew she'd either be making him fetch food for her for the fortnight that mistletoe was around, or she was going to let him free her so she could later fetch her own food and not be glued to the floor for a fortnight. The reason didn't matter so much as did the actual permitting.

Her head turned ever so slightly as she carefully shifted her weight to test. Sweet success. And while she didn't feel completely hasty to move out of his personal proximity, she did lower her tone, for just the two of them. "...Thank you." Like they were difficult words to say and most often they were. For an invincible woman to need his help and to accept it... It was almost damaging to her pride. Almost.

Jon knew there was no-one around to hear her, so, the lowering of her voice was probably symbolic more so than practical. And so, he replied in kind.

"Most welcome."

He took a small step back, looking down at her feet to be sure that, yes, she was moving them and it had definitely worked.

"Happy to be of service."

As she watched him, she briefly played with the concept of feigning she couldn't move. Just to see if he'd do it again and while it was subtle and sly and very Ziio, somehow she refrained. And indicatively, she moved a foot for him. Just to show him that he had, indeed, become the grand hero.

"I am sure you are," she offhandedly replied. "If I get caught like that again, I will have to let you know, I think. You seemed to enjoy it so much the first time around."

And to think that maybe a year prior they would have acted completely different around one another. And now they were cracking jests. Kind of.

Kind of jests were the best sorts of jests. They were usually the ones with the largest kernels of truth at the center.

"Oh, I'll not deny as much." he replied. "I'll be sure to do the same, though, should you wish to reciprocate. I've been quite good at avoiding them this year, however. You may not get the chance."

What was the word for it? In the academy, she was pretty sure the word was 'flirt.' And truth be told, aside from Gordon, and Haytham while he was there, Ziio was somewhat unfamiliar with that form of attention. Men had wanted her where she came from, if only to be a slave. That's what her people had been good for, after all, according to the colonists like Silas Thatcher.

Yet Jon had a glib way of colloquialism that did make her think of Haytham. And truth be told, she missed the man, despite his Templar views, if only because he was familiar. And she supposed in the same respect, it explained why she was as comfortable with Jon as she was.

"...You are teasing me," she observed with a subtle softness about her. She didn't dare reach over to prod him, though she at least had considered it. "How has it come to this? If you continue that way, I may just start to seem less brooding. You intend to damage my reputation?"

"Certainly not, Ziio." Jon replied. "I'm not in the habit of ruining reputations. I only say as much because there seems to be no-one else about and we're in no danger of your softer nature being overheard."

And it was true enough. He pinged his earlobe with a finger and smiled.

"I've fairly acute hearing, as you may have gathered. Should my ears sound the alarm, I'd certainly not think of teasing you, even gently."

"My softer nature," she echoed with some amusement. "Anyone who thinks I am soft knows me not." At least she didn't think she was very soft. She had soft moments, but she could not consider herself soft in any sense of the word. So she didn't. But she got the feeling he was still... yanking her chain, as the saying went.

Ziio mirrored him with some amusement. "We both do, I should think. If you are going to tease, do so where no one except I can hear. And I will repay you in kind."

"I'm actually less bothered than you might think. I suppose that over the past few years I have gained a certain reputation at this school, and it's certainly very different than the one I arrived with. I'd not say I was viewed as soft. But certainly more... Approachable than I was, once."

He owed most of that to Riwane. But there were others who had won him over and gently pulled his nicer side out from its prickly shell.

"Approachable," she echoed with some thought. "You have always seemed approachable to me. And likely still would have been even when you were not."

If only because they seemed to speak the same language from time to time. "It does make me curious as to how people perceive me." Not that she had plans of changing. Just that she was curious. And nothing more.

"If I'm honest, my reaction to you then would have been much the same as it is now." He knew the sorts of people he enjoyed the company of. It hadn't changed much. The only thing that had changed was his ability to deal with the people whose company he might not have sought out before. He was better at being social, but he still had some pretty strong preferences.

"I'll admit, I've no idea how others perceive you. I'm not a water cooler gossip and I tend to stick to my own affairs. I'd not have thought you bothered as to the opinions of others, besides."

Something about what he said was welcoming. Actually, a lot of things about what he said were welcoming. Still birds of a feather. Still of a familiar kin to one another. Even prior to any of the changes he might have made. Ziio could not only respect it, she could appreciate it.

Even more so, she acknowledged that she respected and appreciated it. The first step in really solidifying sentiments and attachment of a kind. Although in the back of her mind, there was some hesitance in attaching herself to anyone further. In her stoic and maternal way, Ziio loved her students, even if she didn't say so. Kind of in the same way that the Clan Mother loved her people. Because in one form or another, the students (and staff) were her people.

She shook her head, "You are not wrong. Few opinions matter so to me where I am concerned. Yet I feel..." Her right hand lifted and for a moment, she merely motioned, as if she didn't know how to give voice to what she was thinking. "I do not dislike the times we have with one another. They are of import to me." Like she was relearning how to express herself. Simply because it was someone new she had finally felt close enough to in order to attempt.

"I feel the same way. To put it simply, I'm better at being around folk than once I was but there's still a very short list of people who's company I'd seek out because I enjoy it. You're very firmly entrenched in that list."

"Are you..."

As she eyed him in thought, she tried to formulate the proper words. "You mean to say you seek out my companionship, then. Did you do that today?"

Intentionally, even. She had to wonder. And it was a wonderful thing to wonder about.

Jon scratched at his lightly stubbled chin and shrugged. At this point, what could the truth hurt?

"I'd hoped to find you. Yes."

She didn't say anything immediately. Mostly because she wasn't sure what to make of it. Flattering, to be sure. A 'why' she didn't necessarily know. "Is that so." Less a question and more an observation. And in that moment when she eyed him, it was differently than she had any other time prior.

"Why?" A straight forward question, which she imagined had no straight forward responses. But it was a worthy question to ask. Or so she thought.

Why? Now there was a question he was going to have fun answering. Well, sort of. At least they were at a point now where he didn't feel awkward just being frank. And that look in her eye.... well. He wasn't an expert at reading people but if he had to guess, it was something like encouragement.

"Because as soon as I saw the plants, I was reminded of our meeting last year. As such, I foresaw two possible outcomes should we meet again this year. The first of which was we might sit and have a chat, much like we did last season. The second possibility was that we might kiss. An idea which I also enjoyed."

She didn't remember being so kind the year prior. She was, in some ways, different, and in many others, much the same. Complicated and enigmatic. An infinite mystery to many and all. Jon included. Yet talks with him had always been relatively simple. She'd asked him many questions about himself and where he came from. And she'd told him not so much about herself, for that had been safest.

Hearing what he had to say hadn't prepared her for the truth of it all. Of course she knew in some part of her mind the possibilities of what he might tell her. And if she'd thought it, did that mean she'd wanted it to be a possibility? That was too deep for her to genuinely consider. At least in her opinion.

"Either way, it would have been something you would have liked," she observed quietly. "I... suppose I owe you in return then. For liberating me." What a strong word to use. Liberate. Something her people had never gotten. Something she had only briefly tasted before flames swallowed her.

YESSIR.

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