(Untitled)

[plntfood]

Always careful, always conscious of his surroundings, Mathias has been carefully avoiding the mistletoe in the door of the rec room since the snow arrived. He realizes that he's taking a light hearted island trick a little too seriously, but there's something about being physically unable to move that makes his heart pound and his hands start to

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[polly_okeefe]

I walked into the room, and stopped to see Mathias standing by the other door, reaching fruitlessly for his dogs. My eyes barely flicked to the lintel before I picked out the mistletoe hanging there.

I sighed. "The mistletoe again? What happened, Mathias?"

[plntfood]

"It's the dog's fault," Mathias says, pointing to where King is still sitting just inside the rec room, his tail wagging at Polly in greeting. Both dogs are just out of his reach and he slumps against the door frame, looking at them dejectedly. "I thought if I kissed one of them, I might get to escape."

Although he really isn't sure how this works, he certainly hopes he doesn't have to kiss someone who isn't Veronica.

[polly_okeefe]

I sighed and gave him a sympathetic smile. "That's too bad. But you know the rules." As I said this, I cast my eyes at the ceiling, and stopped myself just short from shaking my fist at it. "You need any help to get free?"

[plntfood]

"I think the island was absent on the day rules were explained," Mathias answers with a laugh, as King trots past him and noses Polly's hand, wanting his ears to be rubbed now that Mathias is otherwise occupied. He definitely needs help to get free, but he honestly isn't sure how this works.

"If I kiss you on the cheek, do you think it will get me out of here?" he asks. If he has to really kiss someone, he's going to be stuck here until someone can find Veronica for him.

[polly_okeefe]

I rubbed the dog's ears. Mathias had good dogs.

"I'm not sure if a kiss on the cheek is enough," I said. "I had to kiss someone else who was trapped here before. The kiss doesn't have to mean anything, but I think it does have to be a kiss."

[plntfood]

Mathias frowns faintly at that, then looks at Polly again and shakes his head, mostly at himself. "It is nothing against you, you know, of course. I just... with Veronica. I never expected to have to kiss anyone else at all. Even under magical mistletoe."

He wonders if he can just wait until it disappears with the snow.

"Perhaps we can try a kiss on the cheek first," he suggests.

[polly_okeefe]

I nodded. I wasn't insulted. His devotion to Veronica was more than understandable, and quite sweet, even if it seemed a little self-defeating at this particular moment.

"Okay," I said, "We'll try that. But I should say that I'm with Zell right now, and he'll understand if I have to take a kiss in the line of duty."

I came closer, then hesitated. "It's up to you. Shall we try the kiss on the cheek?"

[plntfood]

Mathias laughs finally, because it's completely absurd, this entire situation. The mistletoe and what he has to do to get out from under it and his hesitation and the fact that the dog got him into this situation in the first place. He grins at Polly and throws up his hands. "What the hell," he says, an uncharacteristic expression for him, then leans in to press a kiss to her cheek.

It can't hurt to try, anyway.

[polly_okeefe]

I stepped forward, and felt the force field I'd felt before. If this didn't work, I was stuck to. I leaned in and gave Mathias a chaste but warm kiss on the cheek. Then I took his hand, and stepped back.

To my surprise, the forcefield fell away, and I pulled Mathias into the room.

"Huh," I said. "The rules seem to be a little different from last time."

[plntfood]

Looking around the room, as if seeing it for the first time, Mathias seems almost surprised it's worked. There are so many ridiculous rules on this island and he's never quite sure he's doing things properly.

"Seems that they are," he agrees with a smile. "Thanks for helping me out of there."