((IC mistletoe explanation thread continuation, locked to Megan))

[pie_or_death]

((From somewhere around here))

Panic? I'm not panicking. This is not me panicking at all. I am as calm as any person can be; that's me! Calm as a calm pond in the middle of a zen garden in the high mountains in the middle of nowhere. That is how calm I am right now.

Comments

[vegan_megan]

Ned. Breathe. Okay? Just breathe. Think of ... pie?

What is up with you? It can't be just the kissing. You look as if you're going to faint in a second.

[pie_or_death]

Alright. Okay. Breathing. Breathing, breathing, breathing. Isn't it weird how you can forget to do something like breathe? I always thought so.

And, kissing? How can they force people to kiss? What is this, a police state? What if people don't want to kiss? Don't get me wrong, I don't mind it, but there are some situations in which it's entirely immodest and really inconvenient and you know some people just don't want to do it at all.

And, okay, Megan, this is going to sound really strange and I can't elaborate and I can't explain and you'll just have to go with me on this but if this... if you see this happening between me and Chuck can you like... Put some paper between us? I know you're not going to be around all the time but it seems like a good idea if you are?

[vegan_megan]

Do you need a paperbag? A glass of water? A chair?

Preach to the choir! But that's just camp. Stuff like that happens all the time. At least the mistletoe is predictable. Mostly.

Ned, first of all ... you have to put a lot of effort into outweirding me after three years in this place, seriously.

Second, if I would see you and Chuck under the mistletoe and I'd try to interfere I'd just been drawn into the whole thing and I'm pretty sure this is not what you want.

Third, just tell me yes or no, but from your reaction this sounds like more serious stuff than "because she will be really angry" or "because she is actually my sister". I mean, I can't deny that I'm curious as hell, and I'll respect if you don't want to tell me, but maybe I could help if I knew why? You look awfully distressed by this.

[pie_or_death]

*Just opts for the sitting down on the ground miserable option*

It's really not something I can talk about, Megan. But any interference would be appreciated. Because I... This sounds so ridiculous I can't believe I'm telling you this. And you can't talk to anyone else about it, even if it seems obvious or whatever. This is not a thing to be discussed at all.

...Chuck and I... We...

...I really can't do it. I'm sorry.

[vegan_megan]

As I said: I respect this. I mean, you hardly know me, so hey. No need to be sorry. And I'll try to help. But really, if you just keep away from the plants you should be both okay. Just don't worry.

And: I bet that no matter how ridiculous you think it is is, at some point you'll meet somebody in here who has an equally or more strange thing going on in his life. Promised.

[pie_or_death]

Thanks. I really mean it. It's a lot better that you told me before we found out for ourselves.

And that might be the case, but I haven't met anyone stranger yet. I think... Yeah. I'm just going to go to the kitchen. Maybe I'll be able to do some thinking.

Thanks, again.

[vegan_megan]

Judging from your face I'm really glad I could tell you, too. And - no problem. That's what were old stagers are there for after all.

Hey, you just moved in with two Reapers, a girl looking like an elf and your colleagues are a talking rat and a boy with heating hands. And I guarantee you, we're still all pretty normal compared to some folks here.

Have fun baking.

[pie_or_death]

Wait, what? What do you mean, Reapers?

[vegan_megan]

Reapers, like in Grim Reaper. At least I think Daisy is one, too, being a colleague of George and all. Just don't ask me how it even works, I just know that George is actually dead and helps bringing people over to ... wherever they go after they have died. She's pretty zen about it. Just don't mention toilet seats.

[pie_or_death]

...What.

[vegan_megan]

Hey, I told you. This place is really, really strange. Hell, there's a skeleton wearing an afro running around here.

[pie_or_death]

Okay. That's it. I'm just... No one in this entire camp is allowed to touch me. Except, have you died? I mean... Are you fully alive? Like, never have been dead, because apparently just getting up and walking around after you've met your match is just par for the course around here.

[vegan_megan]

I've died in here once, in the Caves of Despair but I saved. Did anyone tell you about the Moogles? That's the reason why death is not an issue here, they bring people back who die in camp. Like in a videogame.

And you can't touch people ... why? Do they die afterwards?

[pie_or_death]

Moogles... I've... heard the name but I never really-- They bring people back to life? Oh. Oh that is not cute.

...No. Um. Not really.

[vegan_megan]

Yes, as long as you go to them and talk about your day, they can bring you back to that savepoint so to speak. Some people don't save, though.

But what happens then?

[pie_or_death]

...

Megan, if I really tell you this, you have to promise that you just won't drop it around in conversation. Because it may not seem like a big deal compared to everything that's going on in this ridiculous, horrible place, but I have had nightmares about people finding out ever since I found out. And I have a tendency to think that they'll end up being true.