It's the most wonderful tiiiiime of the year. For mistletoe!

[ceded]

Oh no, mistletoe!

 

SHOOT. Who put that there?! Well, you’re caught - pucker up!

How to Play

1. Post your character and canon in the subject line
2. Next person who responds is the one you’re caught under the mistletoe with!
3. Go as awkward, sweet, or embarrassing as you like! (Quick cheek peck? Full French? Sure! But you have to kiss or the Nargles will get you!)
4. Comment, Tag, and catch others under the mistletoe. Have fun!

Gratuitously stolen from bakerstreet.

Comments

It ain't torture till I start feeling bad about it. <3

[neurotic_insect]

[Dimitri can sense her before she even runs up to him and is thus ready to greet her without even turning around from his browsing.]

Russians do not hibernate. We ferment. [He chuckles quietly at his little joke and turns to face 202.] All the same, I do have to crawl out of the cave once in a while for fresh air and provisions.

Glad we're on the same page. :D

[unit_202]

[202 smirks in response to Dimitri's quip, then gives a sort of half-bow to acknowledge his intentions.]

Well, it's good to see you out among us again, for any reason. But by all means, don't let me keep you-- I know you've got quite the hungry mouth to feed, and the last thing I need is for Anya to be irritated at me for delaying dinner.

[She moves as if to step back, to give the psychic some space... And then pauses, when she realizes that the single pace's worth of distance between them is as "back" as she can get. Green eyes widen briefly in a sort of panic, darting about... And then settle on the problematic little plant hanging directly above their heads.]

Oh... Hell.

[neurotic_insect]

She's used to waiting when I need the time to plan out a meal. It's better for someone her size.

[His brow furrows at 202's panic, and then he looks up as well. Oh. Well, that's a mark off for awareness of his surroundings. He can feel a blush start up on his cheeks.]

Wonderful...

[unit_202]

[Frowning up at the festive troublemaker keeping them both trapped, 202 folds her arms and lets out a huff of irritation.]

I remember hearing about this, a year or two ago. There's something you're supposed to do, I think, but...

[Shrugging and letting out another annoyed little sigh, she turns her gaze to Dimitri instead.]

I can't remember, I'm sorry. It never happened to me.

[neurotic_insect]

Kissing.

[And the word comes out of his mouth with disdain and just a hint of panic. Kissing means physical contact. Physical contact with women, 202 or otherwise, makes him nervous. He starts tapping his foot as he tries to think of a way out of this.]

One of us has to kiss the other to get loose.

[unit_202]

Kissing? [She scoffs.] No wonder I didn't remember.

[But it's hard not to note her friend's obvious discomfort, and that makes her frown with concern.]

Do you think a kiss on the cheek would work? Or the hand? [A freckled bottom lip is caught in her teeth as 202 wracks her brain as well, looking frustrated-- Though it's more for her inability to ease Dimitri's mind than for their present situation. Trying for a bit of levity, she offers him a hesitant little grin.] ...You could pretend I'm somebody else, if that helps?

[neurotic_insect]

[His shoulders shake with a silent laugh at her suggestions. Thank heaven at least one of them is able to keep a relatively level head about it. He sets aside the items he had been looking at and busies his hands a bit by tugging his clothes into place while considering what 202 had said.]

Hand might do. [Might. Might end up having to try something more...intimate. Dimitri tries to suppress the shudder that starts up at the thought.] As long as I can keep my mask on.

[unit_202]

Well, then keep your mask on and give me your hand.

[Because if anybody can read body language like that, sir, trust the wolf in girl's clothing-- She's not about to just grab a body part, even one as innocuous as that. She does at least soften the request with a polite sort of smile, extending one hand in anticipation of accepting his in response as she tilts her head towards him.]

I don't mind kissing you, I promise.

[neurotic_insect]

[Oh, look at that. His ears are actually turning a bit red. Sweet as she's being, Dimitri still hesitates before placing his own hand in hers.]

Not sure that actually makes me feel better, but thank you, I suppose.

[unit_202]

I didn't say I planned to make a habit of it.

[Chuckling quietly as she curls her fingers loosely around Dimitri's larger hand, 02 keeps her eyes on his face as she bends, rather than raising the limb to meet her. It might look comical to anybody who happens to witness, a backwards sort of demonstration of courtly manners, but 202 hardly seems concerned. She drops her eyes to her task at last, brushing the back of his hand with her lips before straightening up smoothly once more and glancing up at him.]

...There. Not so bad, I hope?

Hope you don't mind! I just like the idea of him having to be affectionate to another person.

[neurotic_insect]

[There's a brow going way up to where his hairline would be, but other than that Dimitri is not very surprised by 202's choice of posture in the act. Rather appropriate, seeing as he's hardly anything worth calling a gentleman.

The red tint to his ears remains as evidence to his embrassment over it all. He tries taking a step back-]

Dammit. I can't move yet.

By all means! Smells like fun to me.

[unit_202]

[Wincing a little at her friend's frustration, 202 gives a helpless sort of shrug.]

It was worth a try, I suppose.

[She drops her eyes, turning as much as the limited space will allow and glancing down at her feet as if to gauge the usable area there.]

I'm not going to press, don't worry. [Nevermind that she's borderline-claustrophobic and has never dealt well with being kept confined in any area smaller than, say, Ruby City...] I can just... We can just sit and wait, maybe. Who knows? It might just wear off on its own, right...?

Oh goody~

[neurotic_insect]

It might be that a kiss on the hand is not quite "affectionate" enough.

[That alone would be par the course with city life and the events. His hands start moving as he tries to figure out an acceptable place to perhaps bestow his own kiss. Hand isn't good enough. Lips and the face are entirely out of the question...

At last, his palm decides to rest upon the top of 202's head.]

Here...might work. [Maybe. He's feeling more than a bit out of sorts about the whole thing.] If you don't mind?

[unit_202]

Maybe...

[202 raises her eyes without moving her head from beneath Dimitri's hand, chuckling quietly.]

I don't mind at all. Though if it turns out that I need to return the favor, you may need to bend down a little. I don't have access to a step-stool while we're trapped like this.

[neurotic_insect]

[Dimitri lets out a snort of a laugh at that.]

One step at a time. [He tries smoothing down some of the curls, but it's a lost cause. There are far too many of them to be even remotely neat about this. Instead, he undoes the lowest strap of his mask and lifts it just high enough to expose his mouth and some of his nose.

The psychic tries to hold his breath as he leans down to kiss 202. For a few precious seconds, he holds this position, praying that it is enough to satisfy the sprig of mistletoe. When he stands back up properly, his ears are very much burning with embarrassment as he tugs the mask back into place.]

Leaving it up to you again! This is fun. x3

[unit_202]

[One might almost be able to envision 02's ears perking up as she tilts her head to look up at Dimitri upon his retreat. So shy, honestly...]

It's not as though I've never seen you without your mask on, you know... You really needn't be so quick to hide behind it.

[Really, the worst he's likely to suffer is picking up on her thoughts-- Which are mostly just appreciative of any physical contact from a friend, especially one who's usually so unwilling.

Tentatively, she edges one foot back to test at their invisible boundaries.]

Maybe now...?

Daww shucks~

[neurotic_insect]

[Repressed is a better word. He's practically invented a lifestyle out of distancing himself physically and emotionally from everybody else.]

Seen the lower half of it, mostly. [Dimitri takes a tentative move back...and finds himself able to take a full step. And then another. The sigh of relief that comes from him is unmistakable.] Oh thank god for small favors.

[The nearby rack becomes something for him to lean on. His hands start working on the cuffs of his sleeves, un-buttoning and re-buttoning them with somewhat shaking fingers.]

I'll be fine, by the way. This is...normal. For me.

[Rambling? Yes. Deflecting away from what they just did? You bet your butt.]

[unit_202]

[Oh, Dimitri. Of all the minds you never really pry into, one of the least judgmental ones definitely belongs to the girl before you. While a memory of seeing the face in question does flash through her mind, it's accompanied only by pleasant thoughts, and a mild undertone of concern for how her friend had been sick on the occasion in question-- But nothing more. A face is a face.

Noting his tremors, 202 gives an inquisitive tilt of her head, and almost steps forth to try and help-- But then his words, as well as the thought that he'd just been forced into keeping so much closer to her than he'd like, both serve to stay her.]

I didn't mean to do that, I hope you know that... I would never have put you through that sort of thing. Especially not if I'd known how much it would upset you.

[neurotic_insect]

[It surprises him, it really truly does, to hear the sincerity in her thoughts. Believing that others can look at him and not feel disgusted never comes easily.

And yet, she thinks that way. 202 can think of him as the person and not just his face or his powers. He nods at her words, grateful that at least a few people in the city understand that he needs his space.]

Of course not. You, I can trust. [Perhaps not with everything quite yet, but he trusts her not to hurt him. He lets out a quiet laugh.] As long as there's no more physical contact, I think it will be all right.

[unit_202]

[It might not be the sort of thing she can precisely sympathize with, being a creature who so highly values physical contact between friends, but 202 can certainly read body language well enough to know how Dimitri feels about it. His words, at least, are somewhat heartening, however, prompting a slight smile from the wolf in response. One might almost imagine the pinned-back ears and hesitantly-wagging tail as she ventures,]

I'll do my best to keep a safe distance, I promise. From you and the stupid decorations.

[neurotic_insect]

[He miiiiight be picturing just that, honestly. It helps him get a better understanding of how her expressions change and what those changes mean. His hands have slowed a bit in their fiddling around with the cuffs.]

To hell with those decorations. [He looks up at the mistletoe that had gotten them and tries to break it apart with his powers. A few berries fall off, but it otherwise stays in place.] It would figure.