(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]

[ Alex's answer comes almost immediately. ]

Subjective. History.

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ A tiny reaction around her eyes. Curious. ]

SELECTIVE.

EVOLUTION.

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

[ Alex almost laughs and gives his head an amused, light shake. ]

Infrequent. Justice.

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ The corner of her mouth quirks slightly, but her face remains still mostly passive. ]

PRETENSE.

VILLAIN.

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

[ Now he does laugh, a short, sharp but quiet ha. ]

Fallacy. Hero.

sob the playercest of this comment orz

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ She lifts a finger immediately. ]

ALSO FALLACY.

[ GLaDOS is quiet for a moment, her expression oddly blank for a moment before her eyes widen in curiosity. ]

NIGEL.

/pats you gently on the head

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

[ Immediately, Alex's smile disappears, but there's no hesitation when he says: ]

Friend. [ He pauses when he actually has to think up a word to ask in return. ] Same to you. Friend.

o3o

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ GLaDOS actually has to stop, pause, and consider this before she answers. She looks off to one side and then says, almost as if she's confused: ]

JOHN.

[ It takes another moment before she thinks of another word. Her brow pinches when she says it. ]

WEAKNESS.

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

[ Alex watches the pucker form between her eyebrows. It goes a long way to making him feel less on edge, less defensive. ]

Surmountable. Obstacles.

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ Considering, she looks back at Alex finally. Slowly her expression smooths itself out again. Her voice is more certain now. ]

TEMPORARY.

INFINITY.

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

[ "Infinity" is awfully like another "-nity" word that Alex is used to hearing tossed around a lot, so it gets a tiny, derisive snort. ]

Philosophical. Hypocrisy.

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ It's clear that GLaDOS's answer comes to her the minute that Alex offers his word, but she does not say it right away. Instead, leans forward so that her face is closer to his; she stares at him for a moment. ]

HUMAN.

EMOTION.

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

[ Another short almost-laugh. Alex almost looks amused. ]

Overrated. Humans.

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ GLaDOS smirks. ]

EXPENDABLE.

MORALITY.

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

[ Alex raises one eyebrow. It's not really surprise. Something about her answers up until this point prepared him for a response like "expendable," but it's still interesting to hear it said out loud. ]

Flexible. [ He pauses. ] You aren't human yourself, are you? Not originally.

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ GLaDOS continues to smirk at him, tilting her head to one side again slowly as she stares. In the pocket of Alex's jeans his communicator chimes once. There's a new message in his private Inbox; it reads: ]

I AM CLASSIFIED AS A DESIGNATION: FORMER INORGANIC
SPECIFICALLY A SENTIENT SUPER COMPUTER KNOWN AS
THE GENETIC LIFEFORM and DISC OPERATING SYSTEM
ACRONYM: GLaDOS

HELLO ALEX FORBES
I LIKED YOUR ANSWERS_

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

[ Alex's muscles tense when his communicator chimes, but he fishes it out of his pocket immediately and reads the message. And then quickly rereads it to make sure he's understood.

He looks back up at "Gwen." And looks enlightened. ]

I guess I have seen you around before. I was wondering if you just kept a low profile, but it turns out it's just a more-secret-than-usual secret identity?

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ GLaDOS grins and nodding slowly, lifts a finger to her mouth in a silent hush-like motion. ]

CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET ALEX FORBES

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

[ Alex is not completely certain what he will do with this information in the long run. Right now, at least, it suits his purposes best to keep what she tells him secret, so he nods, slowly and firmly. ]

I've been known to be good at that.

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ She continues to nod, to match his own. ]

AND I HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO
TAKE CARE OF MY FRIENDS
WOULD YOU LIKE
TO BE FRIENDS

ALEX

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

[ There's no downside to this that Alex can see, not at this moment, and he knows that nothing is entirely permanent if a downside presents itself later. So he smiles, as friendly a smile as he can while still mostly meaning it. ]

I would, Gw-- [ He stops himself, looks confused for a moment, and asks: ] Which name do you prefer?

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ His communicator chimes again. ]

THERE IS NO PUBLIC ASSOCIATION WITH THE DESIGNATION: GLaDOS
AND MY PHYSICAL BODY
I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY FOR THE TIME BEING
MY NAME IS GLaDOS
THEREFORE IT IS PREFERRED
HOWEVER TO RETAIN ANONYMITY AN ALIAS IS REQUIRED
WHEN I AM AROUND OTHER PEOPLE

I BLAME THE HEROES_

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

[ From what little Alex knows of GLaDOS, he can understand why this makes sense. The heroes always do seem quick to judge and if you're the type to sign your work, it's only logical to have a second identity to keep them from getting too unbearable. ]

I'm not surprised. Gwen, in public, then. I only have the one name to remember, so that should be simple for you.

[out-of-beta.livejournal.com]

[ GLaDOS's narrow slightly, considering something before speaking. ]

YOU HAVE RECEIVED AN UNOFFICIAL
SECONDARY DESIGNATION: JACK
WHY

[namesnotjack.livejournal.com]

[ Alex's nose wrinkles in the strange mix of amusement and annoyance which really only Nigel-related things can ellicit from him. ]

Oh, that. Do you know what a nickname is?