five | [Location: Levi's Mansion] | got my boots on, the right amount of leather

[levilup.livejournal.com]

New Years Eve.

Levi is ready, decked out in his party suit, and a lot of makeup. He's just finished his preparations, and he's sitting in his living room, waiting patiently for Cordelia to arrive, and then the guests. Of course, the party isn't taking place in his living room. That's much too small for such a large event.

He's having a party in his basement.

His basement is huge, and he's decked it out in lights and such that he's hatched. All of it has a New Years theme, somehow; Levi's good at throwing parties, he knows how to decorate. The room is basically like a nightclub. It's dark, but clear of most beams and supports; there are couches and chairs, and a bar to the far end, stocked with just about every type of alcohol imaginable (as well as a few different types of blood). Here and there, there's potted plants and trees in clumps, as well as a giant throne, surrounded by those plants, further along on the back wall. There's also a large stage towards the middle, with a dancing space out in front of it. And right above the stage is a giant clock, which Levi had set up earlier for the countdown later that night.

As for music, he's got a whole playlist, just waiting to be started. It's a huge mix of things, from pop-y dance music to slow songs for the couples. There's a few setlists, of sorts, pinned to the walls and the bar.

It's about ten minutes before the party arrives, and Levi is waiting impatiently.



[[ooc: Vaguely organized planning post here! If there's a song you suggested and you want it to be played, it will be. Just handwave it. So yes! Have fun. :D

EDIT: Subthread labeled for the countdown to midnight is up! Grab your date and tag there for kissy tiemz. :3]

Comments

[aintnoconvict]

The suit had been hatched with the idea that it would entertain Chiana, but then Glitch remembered that she was gone. Long gone, even. But silver was still a good color, reminiscent of Nick Chopper's nickle plating and magic slippers and- okay, it matched the zipper, it was appropriate.

So he turned up at the party in the shiniest suit ever, smelling faintly of his fourth-wall gift, and tried to blend in. Good luck with that.

[levilup.livejournal.com]

That shiny suit is like a flashing neon light, especially to someone like Levi, who's attracted to shiny things like a moth to flame. Of course, he's also the host, so like hell he's going to ignore anybody. This is about making good impressions, and hopefully, friends. Levi hasn't lived this long by having loads of enemies, after all.

"That is quite possibly the shiniest suit I've ever seen," Levi says, by way of a conversation starter. He's trying not to sneak up on people, but he does have a tendency to just pop up, holding a glass in his hand and looking very pleased with everything.

[aintnoconvict]

That tendency to pop up combined with Glitch's tendency to not being paying attention (okay, he was paying attention...to that bit of art over there, whatever it was supposed to be) contributed to a moment of being startled. There was the usual blink, then the vacantly cheerful smile.

"Oh? Ah, thank you!" Apparently the key to keeping folks from asking after the zipper was to dress even more interestingly than usual. Speaking of: "And and yours is...the spikiest I've ever seen."

[levilup.livejournal.com]

"You're welcome," Levi replies, chuckling. "And thank you, as well. It's a favorite design of mine."

The zipper is what he notices next, but... seeing as it may be a sensitive issue, Levi doesn't ask. The burns on his own face are barely visible, but regardless, he doesn't want people to mention them. So, taking a sip from his glass, he continues with:

"I'm Levi. It's a pleasure to meet you." Insert hand-offering here. Yes, his skin is rather cold to the touch.

[aintnoconvict]

Yeah, good idea to avoid the minefields. It's a party, after all, good times to be had, with boogieing and all of that!

"Host-Levi?" Glitch inquired and accepted the handshake (brr!) with a gracious nod. "N-nice to meet you, name's Glitch. Thank you for..." He gestured around to the shennanigans and the goings-on. "The invitation."

[levilup.livejournal.com]

Woo, boogieing! Levi can get behind that idea.

"Mmhm, Host-Levi," Levi confirms, amused. Aw, this guy is cute, Levi thinks, giving him a bright smile. He loves shy people, or at the very least, timid ones. Coaxing conversations out of them is a hobby of his. "It's no problem at all. I figured this place needed a little bit of cheer."

[aintnoconvict]

Give him a sec, Levi, he'll be more composed in a jiff.

"Everyone could always use more cheer," Glitch replied with a chuckle and tugged on one of his curls. There was a pause, and a frown. "Well. Maybe not like wreaths and and and those berries that make you kiss people. Not that kind of cheer."

Yes, he was blocking that. All of that. A lot.

[levilup.livejournal.com]

As is Levi. He is attempting to forget the entire experience of kissing Buffy forever, thanks. Definitely a traumatic experience.

"No, I agree. That's definitely a type of cheer I'd like to avoid from now on," Levi snorts. "Are you having fun here, though?"

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Well. In a suit like that, Glitch was hardly difficult to spot, and though Buffy was no longer in ridiculously happy mode, she was still happy to see him. Thus, she sauntered over, wearing quite a broad smile, with two raised eyebrows to convey her admiration.

"Hey there Mr. Shiny."

[aintnoconvict]

Glitch tended to default to bubbly, especially so when presented with someone he actually knew. So here, have that big ol' grin and the slightly smug ha, I remember something glint in his eyes.

"Hello!" he greeted with a nod, then tugged on his lapels. "And thanks! Not sure it's worth making up a surname for but...it's not too much, is it? Not for New Annual's. Um. New Year's."

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

"You're very welcome, and no no-- it's not too much. I'd call it exactly the right amount, actually." This was a firm nod of approval here, before she continued, looking slightly sheepish. "I'm sorry, by the way, if I was a little weird the other day. I think there was something making people extra-peppy."

[aintnoconvict]

Excellent! He knew his fashion sense was spotty under the best of circumstances, so any reassurance was welcome. As for the apology, well, there was a blush in reply and some foot shuffling.

"Ah, yeah, I was...similarly affected, I think. But but I'm not sure it was bad, really?" Optimism, oh yes. "And it wasn't just us so...so. Not that bad, no trouble."

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Buffy was all aboard this optimism train, although she thought it whiffed suspiciously of denial. Still, she was willing to ignore this.

"Yeah, that's true. And it could've been way worse-- we could've been singing, right?"

[aintnoconvict]

"Right, or ki-"

Whoa, no, full stop there, complete with blank expression and a good deal of blinking. Never ever bringing that up again, to the point where there was nothing to bring up so he'd better start over.

"Right, or singing." Whew, nice recovery. "I I I didn't mind the singing, really, I just prefer dancing."

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Was Glitch just about to say something about 'killing'? Because yes, that would be much worse, although Buffy was mostly trying to repress Angelus' little foray into Taxon, and her complete failure to do anything about it, thanks to being irrepressibly cheerful. You can't win 'em all. Or... something.

"So do I," she remarked, of preferring dancing. "With singing it's all... loud and having to worry about being in tune and remembering the words. Dancing is by far the superior leisure activity-- hey, do you want to? Dance, that is."

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

"Dance with me."

It was a demand rather than a question, though Drusilla's expression when she turned to Glitch was positively angelic. She gave him a wide smile, her teeth as white as her dress and her lips as red as something it was best not to think about.

"Dance with me."

She held out her hand for him to take. If he said no, she'd be very cross.

[aintnoconvict]

As if Glitch could say no to a requ- demand from a lady, especially for a dance. He smiled in return and offered a neat half-bow before accepting her hand. "It would be my pleasure, Miss-" miss, yes, the woman with the wrong dolls (he'd kept the one, sitting on a shelf to remind him of her) and the pretty name of "-Drusilla."

Such formality, such a contrast to the the way he'd observed people dancing tonight. Time to class up the place, he decided, and set his left hand on her waist in order to lead.

"Tango?" he suggested brightly. It wasn't a perfect match to the song by any means, but he was fairly sure he could work around it.

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

Yes. A tango was ... appropriate. Drusilla didn't match anything or anyone, after all, and didn't see why her dances should. It always far more exciting to play by rules of your very own.

With a smile and a nod of agreement, she stepped closer to Glitch and rested a pale hand on his shoulder.

"It's such a pretty party."

[aintnoconvict]

Which was excellent as he wasn't entirely sure he remembered all the steps, at least in his head. His feet probably had a better idea, so he left the tricky stuff up to them and focused his attention on her.

"It is," Glitch agreed, shifted his arm for a more secure hold, and guided them into the rhythm. "Lots of new folks around. Ha-have you made more friends?"

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

Drusilla kept up the rhythm, although she occasionally altered the steps to suit her own flights of fancy. It was almost as if there was no ground beneath her. Just air. Just air and sky.

"Oh, yes," she purred, "My daughter arrived."

Technically not hers - different universes again, their hosts playing wicked tricks with them - but still a Slayer. Still a beautiful Slayer with fangs. Everything Buffy was supposed to be, that was what she was. How could Drusilla fail to love her?

[aintnoconvict]

He kept up fairly well, perhaps not with her degree of lightness but certainly without toes being stepped on. Glitch wasn't quite sure which of them was leading any longer, but so long as they were enjoying themselves it didn't matter much.

At her news he grinned. "Really? That's fantastic, I'm happy for you!" He couldn't imagine what having family around would be like, but then he couldn't really imagine family, period. The notion brought to mind his friends, and for some reason a scorch mark on an otherwise pristine tablecloth. Another mystery from the wreckage of his brain.

"So she's staying with you, to keep you company?" Someone of flesh and blood would certainly be better than a doll.

[tothelightshown.livejournal.com]

DG was a lot of things, from a princess to a farm girl, but she’d never been – and probably never would be – the sort of person to favour dresses and high heels. She felt far more comfortable in jeans and she’d almost turned up at the party wearing them, too. She’d only selected a dress (http://media.photobucket.com/image/zooey%20deschanel%20dress/jen_ripper/Randoms/upclose.jpg) in the end because her stubborn desire to prove that she could wear one had managed to overwhelm her stubborn desire not to.

It didn’t occur to her to her avoid Glitch. What had happened – which she'd done her best not to dwell on – would only become a problem if they let it become a problem. Besides, the thought of losing Glitch’s friendship was far more terrifying than the thought of a little embarrassment.

“Hey, Glitch,” she said, giving him a wave as she drew closer, “Nice suit.”

[aintnoconvict]

Not dwelling on things was pretty much Glitch's primary defense mechanism, and it had been employed with gusto in this situation. There was no weirdness here, and he was going to go right on telling himself that.

"Oh, this old thing?" he replied, then turned in place so it could best be admired. "I I was thinking of something festive and ended up with this." He stopped preening and gave her a smile. "You look great too! I'm glad you came. I wasn't sure if you would but but I'm glad you did."

[tothelightshown.livejournal.com]

She grinned, partly out of relief and partly because it was difficult not to when Glitch was preening. He looked happier than any prisoner should, but Taxon wasn't a normal prison and, besides, her friend's cheerfulness was often infectious.

"I bet you spent more time getting ready for tonight than I did," she replied, before adding: "I didn't want to miss it. I can't spend all my time hiding in the Northern Island."

[aintnoconvict]

"Maybe," Glitch hedged. He'd quietly begun rediscovering his vanity, and perhaps had done a bit of fussing in front of a mirror (or three) before heading out.

At her assessment of needing to get out more he nodded in agreement, not unkindly. "And that's good. Not staying in the palace, I mean, there's some nice people out there. Oh! I should introduce you to Buffy sometime, you'd probably like her. It'd be nice, having a friend your age instead of...not."

And he was one to talk, really.