You knew this was coming

[starbolts]

•Mistletoe Meme!•

The Situation:
Crew members who were on Stacy last December remember this. Because GLaDOS is a troll, she has positioned little sprigs of mistletoe on the ceilings of areas of the ship. In hallways, at the entrances to quarters, in a department doorway, at a tavern, she doesn't care how inconvenient it is!

It'd be less inconvenient if it were voluntary, but in this case, the sneaky AI has deployed shields around people who wander under the mistletoe that have not been broken by any known alternate method so far. Any attacks against the shield are absorbed. Attempts at attacking the mistletoe get you singed. The only way to be freed from the confines of your little bubble is to receive some form of affection from another crew member---a strong hug will work for the really uncomfortable, but at least a cheek kiss is expected for most. If GLaDOS wants a mouth kiss, though, let her push for one! Species equivalents of kisses/affection are also acceptable.

So---you're stuck until someone comes to rescue you with a kiss, kids. Have fun, thank you for participating in this crew study experiment, and watch out for the nargles!

((Characters not in the game are of course welcome to join too! It's just on this community this year because it's proven difficult to fit the event around December's plots.))

Comments

[bonnypiperlad]

[Jamie will just be making his disgruntled face forever, thank you very much.]

Och, not again. Very funny, GLaDOS.

[itsanaurakthing.livejournal.com]

Who is GLaDOS, and why would they do this?

[Have a confused-looking aurak poking at the shield, Jamie.]

[bonnypiperlad]

[Oh, hello there, strange Draconian that Jamie does not know. Don't mind the blinking - he's only met Kang before, so this is a little new.] I take it you've not dealt with her yet, if ye are asking that question. She likes to run these wee experiments to see how we react.

[He scowls up at the mistletoe.] You would think since she's done this once before she'd have enough information.

[itsanaurakthing.livejournal.com]

Is she some sort of mage?

[More pokes, and a few murmured words in a strange language. Nothing's glowing except a few items on her person, so it's not a magical shield.]

[bonnypiperlad]

Er...that's rather tricky to explain. I don't suppose you've heard of something called a 'computer', have ye?

[He hooks his thumbs behind his belt, and leans up against the forcefield, watching her poke about.] You'll not be able to get it to come down that way, I don't think. She'll not let us go that easily.

[itsanaurakthing.livejournal.com]

[blink]

...no. What's a computer?

Well then, what do we need to do to get her to let us go?

[bonnypiperlad]

It's a type of...ah, I guess ye could call it a machine, and there's these program-things that make it work. And it...uh...oh, look, I don't know these things. Let me see if I can find something that can show ye instead.

[He starts rummaging around through his sporran, looking for his Omnicomm. While he does that, he continues with the explanation - although he sounds slightly distracted.]

Anyway, GLaDOS is one of those program-things, just one that can think for herself. And, last time, she wanted ye to kiss the other person that was trapped with ye.

[itsanaurakthing.livejournal.com]

[That all sounds terribly confusing, but she's curious.]

So... GLaDOS is a machine?

[...wait.]

We have to kiss? But you're a human. We don't do it like you do!

[bonnypiperlad]

No, she's one of the program-things. Something called an AI.

[Ah-ha! There it is. Now, he can just show her the...wait, what?]

Hey? Och, no. I'd not even thought of that. How do ye kiss, then, miss...er...

I'm sorry, I don't even know what to call ye.

[itsanaurakthing.livejournal.com]

[She's still confused. And, a little flustered.]

Thesik. I'm Thesik. Well, you don't have a snout, so I don't even see how it'd work...

[bonnypiperlad]

I'm Jamie. [Unfortunately, Jamie is not the best person to try and explain artificial intelligence to, well, anyone. He's got his Omnicomm in his hand, though, which might help. Or it might make things worse.]

A snout? Aye, that could be a problem. There has to be some way that we can make GLaDOS happy, though. But...how?

[itsanaurakthing.livejournal.com]

Well met, Jamie. Maybe... maybe if you kissed me on side of my face? Does it have to be a certain type of kiss?

[She's seen humans kiss before, and it looks weeeeird.]

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye. Ye as well. [Hmm. That's a possibility.] Well, no. Not if it was like it was last time. I'd be willing to give it a go.

[And he hates to ask, but...] Do ye think ye would be able to bend down any? You're a wee bit taller than I am.

[voiceofserenity.livejournal.com]

You were one of the ones got caught in it last year, yeah?

[ Don't mind the grinning, Jamie, or the fact that she's not getting any closer to your invisi-bubble. ]

[bonnypiperlad]

[This? This would be Jamie's expression changing not one jot. He sees that, Kaylee.] Aye, I was. And ye don't have to look so happy about it.

[He folds his arms across his chest, and leans back. Might as well take advantage of the forcefield since it's here.] Ye may want to keep an eye out, though. I'd not put it past GLaDOS to trap ye as well.

[voiceofserenity.livejournal.com]

Ain't happy so much as entertained, how'sat?

[ She eyeballs the mistletoe and judges the radius of the forcefield based on Jamie's lean. ]

Long as I stay 'bout here I think I'll be alright~

[bonnypiperlad]

Oh, aye. I see.

She could expand the forcefield, ye know. Or put ye in your own. And then where would ye be?

[voiceofserenity.livejournal.com]

Be in the same spot I am now, in either case.

[ Oh fine she'll stop teasing him so much. Instead, she'll just bat her eyelashes... ]

Now, should I give ya a peck, or run 'n get somebody else for it?

[bonnypiperlad]

Ha ha. Very funny. [He's about to say something else when she offers to help, which has the unfortunate side of effect of making him look like he's gaping for a second.] Er, I...

[Smooth, Jamie. Real smooth. He drops his head, and mumbles the rest.]

I'd much rather have the kiss from ye.

[voiceofserenity.livejournal.com]

Hi-larious, I like to think.

You sure? Could get Billy to do it, y'know...

[ All joking aside, Kaylee tentatively steps into mistletoe-bounds, and puts a hand out to test the force field from the inside. Weird thing, that. She looks back up to inspect the plant above them. How does it pull this off... ]

[bonnypiperlad]

[Why, with Super Amazing Powers of stealth, and cunning, and taking advantage of distracted Highlanders. Or something along those lines, anyway. Jamie has no idea. He raises his eyebrows at Kaylee, still leaning up against the forcefield.]

Aye, ye could, if ye would like us to stay stuck here forever. As fond as I am of Billy, he's no bonny lassie.

[And therefore, kisses are pretty much out of the question.] Besides, would ye really want to do that to him?

[voiceofserenity.livejournal.com]

[ Maybe that's it, but something's got to be generating the barrier, right? Not that she could see it from here anyhow, but still. Something to investigate later. ]

Wouldn't want to do it to either of ya.

[ 'Bonny lassie' doesn't click right away, and when it does all Kaylee can do is grin. ]

Flatterer through 'n through, Jamie McCrimmon.

[bonnypiperlad]

[Jamie follows Kaylee's glance upwards and shakes his head warningly.] I'd not mess with that, if I were you. GLaDOS doesn't seem to like people poking about up there much.

[Not that he would know about that, nope. Not at all. He chuckles a little, though, at being called a 'flatterer'.]

Aye? Well, I suppose ye could say that. But I'd not have called ye bonny if I'd not meant it.

[voiceofserenity.livejournal.com]

[ Jamie gets a glance for that. Like she's never been shocked before, puh-lease. Still, she'll let go of the idea of fiddling with it...for now. ]

Could also just be you tryin' to butter me up some so I'll kiss ya and you'll get outta here...

[ She knows that's not it at all, and it shows through in the form of a grin after a few seconds. ]

[bonnypiperlad]

[Hey, he's just being nice and trying to save her some singed fingers. If she'd rather go ahead and be all stubborn about it...]

Oh, aye. It could be. But if I was going to do that, would I have not told ye that before ye got stuck in here with me?

[He can't help but return the grin with a crooked smile of his own, though.]

Of course, if ye like, we could just stay here instead.