The Onsen, Wednesday afternoon

[1000yearstoolate]

There were some pesky plants around, and after spending most of the day trying to stop Issa from chasing them (who knew if they were poisonous) while trying to watch an entertainment, Seivarden had decided to go to the Onsen. This was a perfect day for a bath, and when she entered, she had the pool all to herself. Slipping into the water, she closed her eyes, ignoring the plants hanging from the ceiling.

[open, for mistletoe silliness or otherwise]

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[somethingwithturquoise]

While it was true that the onsen hadn't exactly been the hopping place it had been in previous Wednesdays that seemed, like, ages ago, Summer couldn't help having an (admittedly terrible) thought that day when she realized that there was mistletoe everywhere, and an enterprising young woman such as herself might be able to use that to a particular advantage.

There was some hesitation, of course, because, let's face it, there was something very inherently creepy and wrong in the concept of voyeuristic plantlife that didn't take 'no' for an answer, but, on the other hand, it could make things a little more interesting around here for her, if certain things fell into place.

Better to give it a try and see what happened than not try at all and constantly wonder what could have been, right?

...wrong.

Because she barely got through the door to the onsen to stop in her tracks in abject horror over who'd got there first.

"Well, shit."

And that's what you get for being gross, Summer. Instant karma.

[1000yearstoolate]

Seivarden recognised that voice, which was why she didn't even open her eyes.

"Fuck."

She hadn't figured out what the deal was with the plants, and as she hadn't opened her eyes, she didn't see one of them extending a stalk.

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer had figured it out. Summer knew. And Summer regretted evvverrrrythiiiiing.

"Don't worry," she said, holding up her hands as if to absolve herself from ever having had any gross thoughts about milking this mistletoe to her full advantage, though it was clear that nothing could ever clear her tainted soul now, "I'm leaving."

Or, well, she would, if it weren't for the fact that she turned around to face practically a wall of mistletoe that had grown and placed itself right in her way with...dizzying speed, really, and followed her no matter which way she stepped in an effort to just go around it.

"I said," she informed it firmly, "I'm leaving, get out of my way, you dumb plant!"

If she couldn't go around it, she'd just have to try to go through it, she guessed.

[1000yearstoolate]

Now Seivarden slowly opened her eyes.

"Can you stop yelling at the plants."

That was when the mistletoe nudged her cheek. She tried to brush it away with her shoulder, but it wrapped itself around her upper arm instead.

"What the... Aatr's tits, can't I at least have a bath in peace!"

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Not with this stuff," Summer grumbled, who was dealing with her own arm now wrapped in the stuff from her attempt to just push through it, trying to shake it off, then trying to pull it off, which only resulted in both her hands, and managing to tie them together. Ohhhh, if only she could glare hard enough to just burn herself free, because she was certainly glaring at her hands hard enough to think that she might be able to.

"Mistletoe," she offered by way of explanation. "Or, worse, Fandom mistletoe. This stuff'll set its sights on two people and not leave them alone until they kiss."

She figured it was only fair that Seivarden knew what they were up against. She obviously didn't realize how dire this was. And she figured that, if she knew, that'd mean mean she'd want to fight like hell to prevent it, too.

[1000yearstoolate]

Seivarden turned around to look at Summer.

"What?!"

The mistletoe took this as an opportunity to slip further down around her arm and tug at her wrist, forcing Seivarden to raise her hand above the surface. She stumbled to her feet in the water tugging back.

"I'm not going to kiss you! You're just making this up for me to... fuck!"

The mistletoe was tugging back.

[somethingwithturquoise]

Now that was a very well timed choice of a curse word, right there.

"Why would I make that up?" Summer was almost too busy boggling at that to fend of the little shove forward the mistletoe had given her, which, even without the current situation, was just dangerous, there was a lot of water and edges here, mistletoe, someone could get hurt.

At least she'd managed, thanks to way too much experience with being bound against her will, really, to get her fingers around the mistletoe around her wrists to start prying it away. "But, yeah, sure, I'm going to make up a whole elaborate ruse involving aggressive mistletoe just to kiss you, out of anyone else on this island. You really are delusional, aren't you?"

And that would be Summer then swatting another incoming sprig away from her face.

"I'd rather kiss Leroy," she murmured, and then regretted, because now the mistletoe and the squirrels were going to get idea, but, then again, if it let her off this hook, she'd gladly take it, because she 100% meant what she'd said.

[1000yearstoolate]

Seivarden would really prefer not to flail around showing her bare hands in front of Summer.

"Try find a squirrel then!"

The mistletoe wouldn't get go, which left Seivarden standing with a hand in the air, glares moving between Summer and the mistletoe.

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Ugh," said Summer, who very much did just that, glancing around, hopping out of the way of some mistletoe she was pretty sure was trying to trip her into falling into the water, "never when you actually need them...You hear that, Leroy? You're missing your chance!"

If that didn't work, she might just have to buck up and get it over with. At this point, it seemed her options were going to wind up being between kissing Seivarden and winding up brained on the side of the onsen from falling over thanks to their nudging.

[battlewithstyle]

Mitsutada was oblivious to any weird plants, and instead was just looking for a relaxing soak. So he slipped casually into the water in his trunks and gloves, because of course he kept the gloves on.

He nodded to anyone else in the vicinity. He would respect their right to quiet if they wanted it.

[1000yearstoolate]

Seivarden, who was now aware of what could happen, was sulking. She glanced up at the ceiling, where the mistletoe hung, looking innocent.

"Beware of those plants," she told Mitsutada.

[battlewithstyle]

Mitsutada looked up, then looked back down, and raised his visible eyebrow.

"Are they alive? Do they mean us harm?"

[1000yearstoolate]

"I'm not sure 'alive' is the right word, but they try to get people to kiss."

Seivarden wasn't sure that swords in human form counted as 'people' - no insult intended, at least he was wearing gloves - so maybe that wasn't going to be an issue.

[battlewithstyle]

"...they try to do what?" Mitsutada replied, looking back up at the mistletoe.

"Why?"

That seemed like a very odd thing for plants to want.

[1000yearstoolate]

"How often are there good reasons for things that happen here," Seivarden pointed out. "I just wanted to sit here in peace and... No!"

The mistletoe had been sneaky and grabbed her arm under the surface.

[battlewithstyle]

Mitsutada instinctively jerked his body away from Seivarden in reaction to the outburst.

"Is it trying to drown us now?" he said. "I don't need things to make sense, just to know I am not in danger."

[1000yearstoolate]

"I think it just has a dirty imagination. If its sentient. It might just be..." she shrugged, then felt something wrap itself around her chest.

"Oh, fuck, no, get off me." She groaned.

[built_fjord_tough]

Fjord had had... a day. It had started harmlessly and then had careened directly into mistletoe before he'd even had an opportunity to enjoy his coffee, and so, once he had finished at the Forge, he was making his way to the onsen.

To relax.

With a sword in one hand, the blade and the hilt encrusted with barnacles, leaving drops of water behind it as though it had just been pulled from the sea. He gave a nearby piece of mistletoe a warning glance, and then, frowning, he sank into the water, sword still in hand.

Not today, Christmas. Not today.

[1000yearstoolate]

Oh no.

Seivarden considered just leaving, but that would mean defeat. She was here. For bathing. She stubbornly sank deeper, until the water reached her chin.

"Good thing you brought the sword."

That might have been the first time Seivarden had said anything good about swords.

[built_fjord_tough]

"It's never far," Fjord replied, honestly enough. "Spent some time weighing the danger of coming to the onsen armed versus spending the rest of my day tense and irritable, and the sword won that battle handily."

He turned a warning look toward a slithering piece of mistletoe. Lifted the blade just slightly. The mistletoe balked for a moment, lingering uncertainly in place while it tried to puzzle out what to do from here.

[1000yearstoolate]

"I didn't figure it out until I got here," Seivarden said with a sigh, eyeing Fjord's hand around the hilt. She relaxed a little though. That sword should mean they were safe.

Not that kissing Fjord wouldn't be... no, she refused to go there.

[built_fjord_tough]

Fjord was at least easy enough on the eyes that the kiss wouldn't be too terrible, right?

And hey, he didn't even have tusks.

"I learned the hard way while at work this morning," he noted. "You'd think the plants would be at least slightly wary while in a place with a large furnace handy, but that would be incorrect."

[1000yearstoolate]

"They have no sense of self preservation then."

Seivarden snorted, then caught sight of a mistletoe extending towards her. She scooted to the side.

"Fuck off!"

[built_fjord_tough]

Fjord made a small scoffing sound, and then a moment later his sword was lashing out, cleaving the mistletoe clump that was approaching Seivarden in two.

"No patience for anything that can't respect a person's space," he muttered. "It's awfully rude."

[1000yearstoolate]

"Yes," Seivarden agreed. "Rude."

She added, trying not to look at water running down Fjord's chest.

"Thank you."