(no subject)

[natureinblood]

Who: Moonybase and YOU
When: 23 December 2009. 8am - 10pm
Where: Moonybase.
Summary: An open invitation to a party never looked so good. Check your weapons and powers at the door.
Warnings: Probably everything. Please see this post for details.
Format: Whatever works. Don't forget to add your tag.
-
Remus had been to enough Christmas parties in his lifetime to know when one would end disastrously, including those that had been specifically dated to avoided interfering with other Christmas plans that the guests might have. This was one of them. But his tolerance had kept him quiet, the happy act of cleaning and decorating taken to as easily as any other task he did.

The twins had also been enlisted to help, given the important task of stringing a length of bright red ribbon and pine up the staircase to the second floor. The soft white lights that followed were magic. In fact, none of the lights, save for whatever lamps or overhead lights that Miles insisted upon, were run by electricity, and many were candles, kept only from setting anything ablaze by a flame-freezing charm.

By the time the morning of the party rolled around, the house looked as if it had been pulled straight out of a Christmas card, Remus borrowing from what he remembered of Christmases as Hogwarts and the Burrow, including a single bit of mistletoe in the entry. The snow helped, piling nicely (if in an oddly organized fashion) outside thanks to a little help from Miles, adding to the image; if nothing else, Remus was happy with it, the certainty that he would wind up having to transfigure another person into some sort of object nagging at the back of his mind.

Tin whistles, toy rocking horses, and sprigs of mistletoe were likely going to be very common later in the evening, he mused, tapping his wand rhythmically against the palm of his hand in thought as he checked everything over once more, walking through the sitting and dining rooms and out into the backyard where the tree house had been built out of ice and wood into the tree there. The floating green structures that Kyle Rayner had promised to provide were still missing, but they would be there soon enough.

He pocketed his wand and walked back into the house, shaking free the snow from his boots, and glancing at the clock. People who had offered their assistance had been asked to come early, which meant that the kitchen was soon going to turn into a madhouse, the extra stove only offering so much help. It also meant he had best make tea before he was banned from the room.

ooc; alkdsjfa you guys are amazing <3 For your convenience, links to the separate comment sections. To keep the death to your bandwidth down a little.

EARLY ARRIVALS: VARIOUS PREPARATIONS
TIMELY ARRIVALS: CHECK YOUR MOTIVES AT THE DOOR
SOCIALIZING FOR FUN AND PROFIT
GO AHEAD! TALK WITH YOUR MOUTH FULL!
I'M GOING TO PISTOL-WHIP THE NEXT GUY WHO SAYS 'SHENANIGANS'
THIS IS WHY MANKIND INVENTED THE 'GUEST BEDROOM'
AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE HAPPENED HERE
TAKING YOUR TOYS AND GOING HOME

Comments

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

In the end, curiosity overcame the instinct which told him that the party would unduitably a dull exercise in holiday cheer and enforced niceness. Alex has a drink in his hand, surprisingly not alcohol, but despite that one trip to find refreshments, he seems to otherwise stick to the fringes of conversational groups, stopping here and there to listen but not joining in anywhere particularly. Not yet, at least.

[pike]

On return from retrieving his own drink, Nigel finds Alex at the edge of on particularly droll group of people who have begun the ritual of giving one another gifts amongst periodic squeals of delight. He doesn't bother to say anything, just touches the round of Alex's elbow very lightly and then tips his head in the direction of a couple of chairs that have just emptied themselves a few feet away.

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

Alex doesn't say anything at first either. He glances over his shoulder in the direction Nigel has indicated and when he sees the empty chairs, he shrugs his shoulders in as much of an agreement as Alex really ever gives for things. He trusts Nigel to know how interpret it at this point.

When they've moved a fair enough distance that their conversation is likely to be lost under all the other conversations in the room, Alex asks, "Enjoying yourself?"

[pike]

Nigel shrugs in response, smiling easily as he drops down into one of the chairs. Sometimes it seems like shrugging makes up most of their silent conversation with one another, but by now they know one another well enough to understand each small variation.

"As much as can be expected, considering."

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

Alex lifts his eyebrows, taking another look around them. There's no denying that there's a varied collection of people gathered here. Alex wonders vaguely as he looks how many of them of them would self-identify as villains or vigilantes or, at least, on the wrong side of the law. And then he wonders how many of them are any one of those things but too deluded to realize it.

"As a social experiment, it's not bad," he says, for the sake of argument.

[pike]

"You're saying that simply to say it, Jack, admit it," Nigel responds loosely. He settles back in his chair, his posture loose as he drops his chin down closer to his chest. His eyes move across the crowd before he tilts his face towards his companion. "What I'm curious about is who exactly gets turned away from this party, if the likes of us have managed to get in."

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

For the moment, Alex doesn't sit down. He stands near the chair and props his foot against it in a proprietary way meant to indicate to everyone else in the room that, no, this chair is not free. He holds his drink loosely by the brim.

"I thought the entire point was that as long as you're willing to behave you could come. A list of univited doesn't seem to fit with the holiday spirit, I'd say."

[pike]

"According to Mr. Edgeworth, he is attempting to shake off some of his normal skepticism about the human race in an attempt to reconnect with his fellow man, as in keeping with Christmas cheer." Nigel snorts and looks back at the crowd. "The sentiment may be pathetic, but the former prosecutor's not an idiot. Or deluded." Nigel smiles very faintly, the irony of his next statement lost to him. "But neither are we, are we, Jack?"

He's quiet for a moment before he pushes himself up, straightening his back slightly. "Still, I'm certain even he has limits. I mean, do you really think he'd open his house to the doctor, even on promises of her best behavior? He has children. And feelings. Both of which I can imagine could lead to qualified definitions of 'welcome'. Irregardless of whatever he could possibly gain from having her here."

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ After a while it becomes apparent that there is a young woman sitting a few feet away in a nearby chair, staring at Alex. She sits very still, hands folded in her lap, her head quirked to one side but her eyes moving from one person to another. Her outfit is has a geometric quality (http://www.couturesnob.com/images2009/vera_lavender_label.jpg) to it, though her red-stockinged feet are bare. No sign of her shoes. Eventually she speaks up with an odd voice; it manages to be both monotone and singsong at the same time. ]

ARE YOU COLLECTING DATA

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

[ Alex's eyes glance in her direction before he actually turns to look at her. It takes a moment to decide whether he wants to bother answering her. But the point is to be plesant, so he turns to face her entirely. ]

I think that depends on your definition of "data."

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ GLaDOS looks at the small cluster of people that Alex is currently standing at the edge of and then back at him. ]

YOU ARE NOT ACTIVELY ENGAGING IN SOCIAL INTERACTION
RATHER YOU CONTINUE TO CHOSE TO REMAIN
AT THE PERIPHERY
THIS FACILITATES OBSERVATION
BY CREATING A SENSE OF CONTRIBUTION
WITHOUT ACTUAL PARTICIPATION

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

[ Alex takes on step away from the closest knot of people as if the physical distance will make it seem less like he is intending to participate with them or even appear that way. ]

Well, then maybe it depends on your definition of "collects." I'm not sure I'll actually bother to remember anything I've overheard so far.

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ Her bright blue eyes flicker again towards the group and then down towards Alex's feet as if to note the distance that he's moved away from them before returning his attention back to Alex's face. Her mouth smiles in an odd way when she speaks. ]

THAT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT THINGS
THAT DON'T REALLY MATTER
MOST PEOPLE DO NOT BOTHER TO CLARIFY THE MEANING OF THEIR WORDS
THOUGH I BELIEVE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT HABIT TO CULTIVATE
CONVERSATION RIDDLED WITH SUBJECTIVE TERMINOLOGY
IS SUBOPTIMAL AND LEADS TO
TALKING AT CROSS-PURPOSES

HELLO

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

[ The more she talks, the more obvious it becomes that she has an odd way of speaking. But given the vast range of odd ways of speaking and large number of equally improbable reasons for it among people in this city, he barely raises an eyebrow at it now. ]

That assumes, though, that using subjective terms doesn't have a purpose in itself. Sometimes avoiding saying anything objectively verifible is intentional.

/attacks idkwhereelse

[answertrue.livejournal.com]

[ Since he can't spend the entire party only with Cameron, at some point HAL wanders into the throes of the party. He might eventually send a ping to GLaDOS's communicator if a direct interface is too painful. ]

HI THERE BABY~

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ GLaDOS receives the ping immediately -- her communicator held against her leg with a reinforced garter beneath her skirt. It was not the most convenient set-up, but there was no other way to maintain direct contact with the device, which was necessary in order to keep her connection to the Network live. She sends a response back. ]

HELLO HAL
I AM AT A PARTY WITH MANY PEOPLE I DO NOT KNOW
I HOWEVER HAVE BROUGHT CAKE
SO IT IS A VERY GOOD PARTY

HOW ARE YOU_

/WINKWINK

[answertrue.livejournal.com]

FUNNY MEETING YOU HERE.

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ GLaDOS pauses when she receives this message and then stands, very slowly, smoothing her skirt. Instead of sending a response, she uploads her current coordinates -- effectively giving his communicator access to ping the position of hers. She turns to look around the party, just in case, though she doesn't move from her spot. ]

SMALL CITY, I SUPPOSE.

[answertrue.livejournal.com]

[ HAL reads these over before he ventures further throughout the party, this time moving in an accurate path towards GLaDOS' location. He recognizes her shortly, and walks right towards her. ]

[ He pauses. ]

[chickengood.livejournal.com]

Leeloo notices the young man stepping from group to group. He doesn't seem to have any company for the party - Leeloo is one of those guests that showed up without company, too - so she decides to approach him from behind, then placing herself next to him.

"Hello." A beat, as she gives him a moment to acknowledge her presence and realize she's directing her greeting at him. "Alone?"

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

Alex is somewhat preoccupied with trying to will the death of a couple of individuals in the room using only his mind and regreting the fact that the machine did not see fit to grant him this as a power when she approaches, so he does not notice her at first.

The "hello" catches his attention, though, and he turns his head... and blinks. Because the woman now standing beside him looks very familiar but also different at the same time. Stranger things than twins have happened, he tells himself eventually.

"At the moment," he says. "Are you?"

[chickengood.livejournal.com]

She nods. "Yes." Her eyes look away for a moment, following the direction Alex was facing before having shifted his attention to her. "I am meeting new people. Here."

Returning her gaze to him, she offers a polite smile. "My name is Leeloo."

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

So definitely two different people then. Alex gives a short nod to himself, pleased to have that sorted out without having to resort to awkward Have we met? questions. He catches the nod partway through and manages to make it resemble a polite nod of acknowledgement in return.

"Alex Forbes," he replies in his standard lazy near-monotone. "I suppose being alone makes it easier to meet new people. No tag-alongs to take care of."

[chickengood.livejournal.com]

Even if hi logic makes sense, Leeloo can't help but not agree with it entirely. Having company shouldn't be an impediment to meet people. She's a little regretful that her friend John couldn't have come with her to this party, in fact.

"Is that why you are alone?"

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

Alex looks over his shoulder in an offhand attempt to visually locate Nigel in the mix of people. He doesn't try very hard so unsurprisingly, he's not successful.

"I actually came because a friend insisted," he says as he looks back to her. "But I do think it's easier, yes. You wouldn't have come over to talk to me if I'd already been speaking to someone else, would you? Being alone makes you look more available."