"So…what'd you want to see me for, Lethe?"
"Quiet, Ranulf! You'll attract the mistletoe stalker!"
The two were sitting in an oddly dark, secluded room hoping that no one would be able to find them. Lethe's tail flicked in agitation.
"Right…right…" he lowered his voice "So; tell me again what we're doing here?"
Just a few minutes earlier Lethe had tugged on his sleeve, demanding he follow her, claiming the matter to be of the utmost importance.
"I've been getting this weird feeling lately…someone, one of our own, is conspiring against us."
"No way!"
"Yes."
Ranulf sat there looking stricken, trying to be overdramatic. He then yawned.
"You don't say…"
"Listen to me!" she hissed as Ranulf shot back into attention mode. "Someone is plotting something dreadfully evil…"
"What-" he didn't finish his question for he was so rudely interrupted. A light fell upon their hunched figures, causing them both to look up. A figure draped in black robes stood in the doorway. Ranulf got a sinking feeling and dared to look up.
"Just as I thought…damned mistletoe…"
"Nooooo!!!" Lethe bolted and tried to escape. Ranulf sighed miserably and got to his feet. Did kissing him really bother her that much? He quickly became upset that the notion of kissing him could really be that bad.
The voice that crudely flowed from the shadowy figure was raspy and cracked, it was unlike any voice Ranulf or Lethe had ever heard before.
"Not before it is done…" a robbed arm grabbed Lethe and threw her back towards Ranulf. It blocked the only way out and was determined to see the ritual completed.
Lethe was disgusted and upset that she should have to kiss Ranulf. She really didn't care for him in particular, but when it came to trusting Laguz, he was the one to go to. She glared at Ranulf he straightened his spine and demanded to know what was so wrong with kissing him.
"It can't be that bad!"
"Oh yes, it can."
"Why don't you want to kiss me?!"
"I don't think of you that way, and it's a disgusting thought…"
Ranulf fumed silently, angry that kissing him was such a nasty thought.
"Here, I'll prove to you that kissing me isn't half as bad as you make it seem!"
"No! Stay back! I command you!"
Despite Lethe's futile attempts at fending him away, he continued to advance upon her. She flailed her arms wildly, hoping that it would fend him away and not hurt him too seriously. He grabbed her wrists to stop the flailing and gave her a warm kiss upon her thin lips. He pulled back looking smug and victorious.
"See? I'm not a bad kisser!"
Lethe spit and wiped her mouth wearing a disgusted look.
"Blech! I NEVER want to talk to you again!" she stormed off in an immense rage.
Ranulf scratched his head and shrugged. It wasn't his fault if she didn't like his kissing. He looked back up to the ceiling, expecting to see mistletoe, but found none.
"That's weird…I wonder where it went…" he quickly scanned the floor to see if it had fallen to the floor. When it wasn't there, an eerie feeling began to arise…
Volke was pushed roughly aside by Lethe who was making her way to her room. Volke stared after her, angry that she had the nerves to push him aside as carelessly as one would toss out an old rag-doll. He was attempting to avoid other people, afraid that the mysterious mistletoe wielder would attempt at attacking him.
His stomach growled and he clenched it. He hadn't eaten in a while, afraid that if he went to dine with the others, he'd get caught by the mistletoe and he really didn't feel like kissing someone in front of others. He made his way steadily down the hall, making sure not to draw attention to himself.
While he was stalking the halls, he was debating with himself when the best time to enact his dastardly plan would be. He smirked at the thought of being able to get a good night sleep. He decided that it should probably be enacted late at night, when most of them would be asleep. He'd just have to avoid those few who didn't sleep, but that shouldn't be much of a problem.
He looked out a nearby window to see a fresh snow flurry. The white powdery flakes danced in the sky, landing gracefully on the stone cold ground. He heard faint laughter coming from outside and assumed that it was Rolf and Mist. He felt a small twang of guilt, but it, like snow caught by the hand, quickly melted.
He turned a corner and immediately leapt back around the wall. Zihark and Muarim stood, trapped by the black robbed creature that had previously gotten Ranulf and Leath. A small thing of mistletoe hung daintily above their heads.
The two stood there awkwardly, not sure of what to do. Muarim's face betrayed not a feeling of emotion whilst Zihark's was full of worry.
Finally, Zihark said something:
"Look, let's just get this over with quickly, ok? There's no one around…" Zihark glanced around nervously, his gaze drifting to where the robbed figure waited, eager in anticipation.
Muarim shifted his weight as in response. He was not too thrilled to have been trapped into kissing another man, let alone a Beorc man…Volke peeked his head around the corner to watch.
"Hurry, I have other victims waiting…"the voice croaked.
Zihark looked back to Muarim, who gazed down at him. They both registered immediately that Zihark had no chance of kissing Muarim; the height difference was too great. Muarim would have to do the kissing.
Muarim groaned mentally and sighed externally. He bent down and quickly kissed Zihark. He then came upright and walked off briskly, heading in Volke's direction. Volke looked around for a hiding spot. He found a slightly opened door and stealthily slipped in and quietly closed the door behind him.
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Volke's heart jumped as he spun around to see who had spoken. He found Soren's icy glare upon him and gave a silent gulp. He was surrounded by books, books that Volke couldn't read. The various, oddly placed candles in the room gave off an eerie glow and made Volke feel uneasy. He didn't like mages…not in the least.
"I said, what the hell are you doing in my room?"
"Escaping."
"Escaping from what, pray tell?"
"…mistletoe madness…"
"What?"
Because Soren preferred to be secluded in his dark room with books, he didn't know what Volke had meant, as he was not up to date with what had been happening.
"You mean, you don't know?"
"Know what?"
"Some crazy fool has been going around cornering pairs of people with mistletoe and won't let them leave until they kiss!"
"And this happened to you just now?"
"No! I witnessed it is all!"
Soren closed the book that was spread out on his lap and continued to stare down Volke. He closed his eyes and sighed.
"Fine. Just get out and leave me alone."
"With pleasure." With that, Volke left Soren to do whatever it was he had been doing before he had intruded upon him.
"Weirdo…" Volke muttered as he made his way back to his own room, continuously on the look out for random sprigs of mistletoe that might come out of hiding.
