05/05/23 - Party is on and all contests are open!
05/12/23 - Consider this your formal invitation! Join us in zOMG! for tonight's Dev Meat to celebrate! Check the time for your time zone here!
05/13/23 - Happy Birthday, Gino!
05/15/23 - Happy Johnny K Day! Play for exclusive prizes!
05/19/23 - Last day for contest submissions!
05/20/23 - Last day to party, thread closes at midnight!
05/21/23 - Winners announced, prizes distributed!
Rules
You all know how it goes. Follow the ToS, stay on topic, and be good to each other. To this day, just always treat people the way you want to be treated. Whether it’s family or friends or co-workers, I think it’s the most important thing. It's what Gino and Brenda Song would want.
Contests
We've got a few of those! Click the links to get to the posts!
To Enter: It's as simple as quoting me! Just do so in your post, indicate which contest you're entering, and be sure to include / link to your entry! But be sure to quote me, otherwise I may not see your entry!
Dress Code
There's only two real rules here: Think Gambino. But also think SCIENCE!
You can dress in Gambino colors, in an outfit inspired by one of the Gambinos, have a Gambino-family-related item on, or just something you'd throw on for a night at the opera in The Fifth Element! If you want to wear something Gambino related but don't have anything, just let me know and I'll see what I can dig up for you! gaia_gaiagold
If you're looking for some suggestions, check below for the list curated by the incredible Newzpop Reporta Tyro Bong, the amazing Gamori Grigori, and the currently-present myself!
Gino's "Science Fiction / Double Feature" Art Contest
As star-studded as this party is promising to be, science fiction encompasses so much more than space; from laboratories and experiments to technological advancements, and some are even musicals! For the party, you have been requested to create a portrait of Gino in the style of a science-fiction movie poster! What sort of star shall our star be?
Any type of visual artistry is accepted -- it just needs to be one cohesive, finished product (ie no inspiration boards or blueprints)!
IT'S ALIIIIIIIIIIVE!!! And whatever it is has crawled up from the deepest, darkest part of the Labtech labs and made its way to Gambino manor. Oh what is a birthday boy to do?
Recommended word count: 250 - 1,500 words!
First Place: +
Second Place: + + 50k plat
Third Place: + 25k plat
Entries
The Iron Magus
The Experiment
It was nearly midnight when Gino returned to the mansion, exhausted from his travels (not to mention a night of partying). "It was a nice party," Gino's thought, as he approached the main entryway. "I'll have to think of a way to thank Astrid for the lovely evening."
As he neared the door, however, it began to dawn on him that something was amiss. The mansion was completely dark and silent.
"I know it's late, but they could at least leave the light on for me. And Geebus is usually here to let me in, no matter how late it gets." Gino walked up to the huge wooden doors and began to knock. "Geebus? Bucho? C'mon, someone let me-- In?" the door swung open at his touch. The inside was pitch black.
Cautiously, Gino entered, feeling his way through the darkness. "Um, guys, if you're about to jump out and yell,"Surprise!" there's really no need. I just got BACK from a party, you know." But there was no answer.
Suddenly, something caught on his pants leg, nearly causing him to trip. "What the... who left this junk lying around?" He bent down and picked up a heavy piece of splintered wood. "What is this?" Gino wondered. As his eyes began to adjust to the gloom, he realized that the whole room was littered with the broken remains of furniture and tastefully ostentatious decor.
"Did someone ransack the place? It looks like a tornado tore through here." Suddenly, he heard a scraping sound coming from the far end of the hall. It sounded as if something heavy was being dragged across the floor. He slowly began to approach the closed doorway from which the sounds seemed to emanate.
"He-hello? Is anyone there? I have a sword!" he lied. His attention fixed on the door, he suddenly felt a slimy touch on his shoulder... and looked down in horror as a blood-red tentacle began slithering around his neck. "AAAEEEEE!" he shrieked. Just then, the door before him burst open! A hulking figure barreled through and grabbed him by the arm.
"Master Gino. Come with me if you want to live," a deep voice growled at him.
"Bucho?" Gino wheezed, as the tentacle began to tighten around his neck.
"Crap! She's got him!" another voice yelled. A dark-skinned woman with red hair ran through the door and swung a large kitchen knife at the slimy appendage. As it connected, an animal-like screech of pain rang through the hall. The tentacle loosened, and before he could react, Gino was being pulled bodily through the door by Bucho, the burly head of security at Gambino Manor.
Once through, the woman, whom Gino recognized as the former goddess Sentinel, slammed the door shut. Bucho began moving a heavy dresser back in front of the door.
"Let's move,squirt! That barricade won't hold for long!" Sentinel shouted. She dashed down the hallway, leaving Gino to hurry behind her, as Bucho brought up the rear.
"W-what's going on? What WAS that thing?" Gino asked.
"No time to explain!" Sentinel barked. "We need to retreat back to the east wing before she comes back and follows us."
"But where are the others? Where are Marius and Geebus?" Gino asked.
"Oh, Geebus? He's dead," she replied.
"He's WHAT?" Gino exclaimed.
Sentinel started laughing.
"A-HEM. If you ask Geebus, he will tell you that he's quite all right, despite the predicament we find ourselves in," said a voice from behind them. "I was merely guarding our escape route," said Geebus, emerging from a doorway and hurrying after them.
"You mean hiding in a closet while we rescued your employer," corrected Sentinel. "You don't need to worry about him, Gino. Geebus has a keen survival instinct, if nothing else."
"Well, I never," huffed Geebus.
"This way," growled Bucho, pointing down a side hallway. The trio hustled down the corridor, through the great dining hall, and into the kitchen.
"Now what?" asked Gino.
"Marius should be waiting for us in the walk-in freezer," Sen answered. "He's been prepping it as a safe room."
They made their way down the cellar stairs and headed toward the freezer's metal door, which swung open at their approach.
"Hey Marius, how'd you know it was us, and not... you know... the monster?" Sentinel called out.
"I could just tell, I guess," said Marius, emerging from the freezer. His sightless eyes were hidden behind his bangs, but his face still held a warm smile. "Glad you made it here safely, Gino."
"Yeah, yeah, we're all glad he's safe, now let's get inside and barricade the door," Sentinel said.
They made their way inside the spacious freezer, which was only slightly chillier than the rest of the house. "Power's off, as you probably noticed. At least that means it's a bit more comfortable in here," Marius said.
They all pitched in to help barricade the door with heavy kitchen appliances, metal shelves, and anything else that came to hand.
"So, uh... can you guys tell me what's going on, now?" Gino asked.
"Another one of your dead dad's old experiments run amok. What else?" Sentinel snarled.
"Sen, show a little civility," Marius chided. "She could have chosen her words better, but she is basically correct," he admitted to Gino. "It seems like something got loose from somewhere deep in the old lab and has been tearing the place apart. I think Bucho might be able to fill you in on the details."
"Indeed, young master," Bucho said. "This... creature was code-named Experiment Alpha. It has been slumbering deep beneath us, in the lowest levels of the laboratory for many years. We learned early on that Argon gas caused the creature to experience lethargy. A high enough concentration in its holding tank ensured it would remain dormant. However... as you can see, the mansion and the lab have lost power. For some reason, the emergency generators failed to start. Argon is quite simple to extract from the atmosphere, but the process does require electricity. As the argon levels in the holding tank began to decrease, Experiment Alpha began to regain consciousness. Once that happened, it was only a matter of time before it managed to escape."
"What... but why? Why did father create such a monster? And why did he keep it around for so long? Is it impossible to destroy it for good?"
"As the name implies, Experiment Alpha was one of the lab's earliest experiments. It was created with one of the first variants of what we would later term the "G-Virus." It was never meant to turn out the way it did. As far as why it was never destroyed..." Bucho hesitated, appearing conflicted. "I'm afraid... your father just didn't have the heart to do that," Bucho said.
"That doesn't sound like my father," Gino said. "Why would he be attached to such a monster?"
Bucho, Marius, Sentinel, and Geebus exchanged meaningful looks.
"You all know more than you're letting on, don't you?" Gino asked. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Gino, maybe it's better if there are some things you just don't know," Marius said.
"Oh, come on. The kid can take it," Sentinel snapped. "YOU can tell him, with "civility," or I can tell him MY way. Which would you prefer?"
Marius rubbed his sightless eyes. "I guess we may as well. Go on, Bucho."
Bucho nodded. "The fact of the matter, young master, is that the creature... Experiment Alpha... was created using DNA from you mother... from Rosalie."
"WHAT?" Gino shouted.
"Please understand, Gino," Geebus said. "Mister Gambino had been heartbroken since your mother's death. He thought that perhaps there was a way to bring her back. His drive to do so was what led him to start the lab in the first place. After seeing the results of Experiment Alpha, Mister Gambino vowed to not tamper with his wife's DNA again until he was sure of the results. Even the G-Virus was merely a means to that end... though as you recall, that did not go the way he had hoped either."
"My father truly was unbelievable," Gino said sadly. "Why was this kept from me?"
"Mister Gambino didn't wish to give you false hope," said Bucho. "Nor did he wish for you to know that there was a twisted, violent, mutated version of your mother sleeping beneath your very feet. Your father was not a TOTAL monster," said Bucho.
Gino sighed and looked around the room. "All right. So what's the plan now? We just stay locked up in here forever? This place looks pretty secure, and there's lots of food, but eventually it will spoil or run out. And we can't just let Experiment Alpha run loose. Who knows what sort of damage it could do?"
"Indeed, young master," said Bucho. "We must find a way to contain the experiment once again. That is why we have not attempted to leave the mansion. Experiment Alpha is hunting us. We do not believe it will leave the mansion until it has eliminated Geebus and myself... and now you, as well. Anyone that it connects to the Gambino name. If we were to flee, it would undoubtedly follow, and the collateral damage would be considerable."
"So what can we do?" asked Gino.
"We put the thing on ice, obviously," said Sentinel.
"That is to say, we need to put her back to sleep," said Marius.
"Indeed," said Bucho. "Having Experiment Alpha run loose was perhaps your father's greatest fear. He built a fail-safe into the mansion's ventilation system. In the event of her escape, it should be able to pump enough argon into the building's atmosphere to render her unconscious once again. All we need to do is activate the emergency generators, and the system will automatically detect the breach in containment and begin the process."
"And how do we do that from the freezer?"
"We don't," said Marius. "The creature seems to be able to track us by scent. While the door appears to be the only way in and out of the freezer... appearances can be deceiving. Bucho, if you would."
Bucho grunted his assent and began shoving aside an enormous crate that sat in one corner of the room, revealing a metal trapdoor built into the floor.
"This hatch leads to the sub-basement, which leads in turn to the lab... and the controls for the emergency generator. Our plan was to lure the experiment here, and while she's busy trying to breach our safe room, we sneak down and restore power."
"Yeah, the fact that you showed up when you did was actually kind of a complication," said Sentinel. "We'd probably be done by now if we didn't have you tagging along, asking us to explain every little detail."
"Shhh," Marius said.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. "Civility," Sentinel replied.
"No. It's not that." Marius seemed to be listening intently.
"She's here," he said quietly.
"Master Gino, you must leave now," Bucho said. "Take Marius and Sentinel with you, and get those generators running. Geebus and I will remain here as long as it is safe to do so. The beast will undoubtedly be able to detect if it is attacking an empty room. We must remain here as bait."
"What?" said Gino. "That's ridiculous. I can't--"
Just then a resounding "BOOM!" echoed through the small room as something slammed against the freezer door.
"There's no time to argue!" Sentinel said. "We have to go now!"
"Indeed, Master Gino," said Geebus. "If you ask Geebus, he will tell you that it is our duty to defend you. We will be fine. We just have to stay here long enough to buy you some time."
Another thud shook the walls and floor.
"Come on, Gino. It's the only way," Marius said. "If we don't act now, the creature will get us, and then move on to the rest of the island, until it's destroyed everything connected to the Gambino name."
"You guys can stand around arguing, I'm headed down," said Sentinel. She reached down and began straining to tug the hatch open. "Stupid mortal body..." she muttered, unable to lift it on her own. Bucho reached down with one hand and pulled the hatch open.
"We will seal this behind you. Go. Now," he said.
"Fine," said Gino. "I guess I don't have a choice."
"Damn straight," said Sentinel, and she quickly slid down the ladder into the depths of the sub-basement.
"Now you," Marius said to Gino. Gino followed as quickly as he could.
It was pitch black in the sub-basement. "Um, did anyone bring a flashlight, or anything? I can't see a thing," Gino said.
"Uhh, nope," said Sentinel's voice just to his left. Gino heard someone else slide down the ladder and land with a light thud.
"I don't know what you're complaining about, I can see just fine," said Marius. "But maybe you'll do better with this," he said, igniting a lantern, which he then handed to Sentinel.
"Smart-a**," she sneered. They looked around for a moment.
"Come on, the lab is this way," Gino said. They began running as fast as they could toward the entrance. As they got closer, they encountered more and more wreckage, damage done by Experiment Alpha on her way up to the ground floor of the mansion. Soon enough, they reached the doors of the lab... which were hanging off their hinges, as if something had come bursting through them.
"That... doesn't make me feel good about how long the freezer door is going to hold," said Gino.
"That just means we need to hurry," replied Sentinel.
Fortunately, the control room was located just off the entrance to the lab. Gino rushed inside and stared at the switches, levers, and dials before him.
"There's just one problem... I have no idea how to work these," Gino said. "Uh... either of you have any ideas?"
"Yeah, right," said Sentinel. "We're ex-gods, not engineers."
Just then, a booming sound echoed from behind them, in the direction they had come from.
"Bucho! Geebus!" Gino shouted.
"It's up to you to figure this out," said Marius. "We're still a bit unused to modern Gaian technology. You can do it. I have faith in you."
"...fine. I'll do it... somehow," Gino said. He began studying each of the control panels in turn, hoping to find one for the backup generators.
He was about halfway through the control room when a voice came echoing from behind him.
"Giiiiiinnnnnoooooo," the voice moaned. "My little baby Gino..."
Gino felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
"She's here," said Marius.
"No s**t," said Sentinel.
With a horrible slithering sound, a tentacled mass entered the control room. As it entered the lantern's light, Gino saw, to his horror, that it seemed to have the head and torso of a human woman, with writhing masses of tentacles for limbs.
"Gino... don't run away from mommy," the creature said. "Mommy will take care of you... once I've gotten rid of all of these pests. Just like I've gotten rid of this one." From behind her rose the body of Bucho, hoisted aloft with a pair of tentacles. The creature tossed Bucho to the ground in front of her.
"Bucho! No!" Gino cried.
"G....Gino...." Bucho's voice could be heard faintly.
"Thank Gaia, he's still alive," said Marius.
"N...northeast... corner..." Bucho managed, before being swept aside by a thick, red tentacle.
"You don't want to do that, do you, my baby?" asked the creature. "Don't listen to that bad man. Listen to Mommy! Mommy won't hurt you. She could never hurt you. Once I destroy this island, and everything that Johnny stood for... we can live together in peace. Don't you want that, Gino?"
Tears streamed down Gino's face. "I'm sorry, Mom... I have to stop you." He began moving toward the corner Bucho had indicated.
"Oh, Gino. Mommy can't let you do that," the creature said, and lunged toward him.
"Eat s**t and die, freak!" Sentinel shouted, charging forward and driving her knife into the monster's back.
The creature let out an unearthly scream, and turned on Sentinel, just as Gino reached the controls. There they were, clearly labeled: "Emergency Generator Override." He threw the switch, causing the lights to come on and machinery to hum to life.
Immediately thereafter, a siren began ringing throughout the mansion. "Warning. Warning. Containment breach. Emergency protocol Alpha initiated," an artificial voice stated, as a hissing sound began filling the room.
"Oh, baby..." the creature turned slowly toward Gino. "It's OK. Mommy will wait. Mommy will wait... forever..." she slumped forward and lay on the floor, motionless except for her breathing.
It was over. Gino, Marius, and Sentinel dragged the creature's unresistant body to the elevator and rode it down to the lowest levels of the laboratory, where a backup containment chamber lay waiting.
"Come on," Gino said, after they had locked the experiment inside. "We need to go get Bucho a doctor... and see if we can find Geebus."
"Geebus is here, young master," said a voice from the doorway.
"Geebus!" Gino shouted. "You're alive!"
"Of course, master. I merely hid behind the butter shelf. The creature never even saw me!"
"That sounds like you, all right," Sentinel sneered.
"As for Bucho, help is already on the way. Geebus took the liberty of calling for medical assistance as soon as the power came back on. I believe Bucho will be all right."
"Thank Gaia for that," Gino sighed. He slumped to a sitting position on the floor.
"Hey, don't feel bad, squirt," Sentinel said. "We did it! We saved the day."
"I know," Gino said. "We prevented yet another disaster of my father's making. I just hope that this is the last one."
"If Mister Gambino had any further secrets, he kept them from all of us," Geebus said. "Hopefully... there are no more surprises."
"I suppose," Gino said. "But when it comes to my father... you never can tell."
The End?
- A Super -
"Here's to... another year." Gino held up his glass. Inside, the face of the grandfather clock before him was set in reverse amber shades. "Actually, here's to two more. Juuust in case I forget next year."
He chuckled. It sounded nervous when it echoed back out of his glass. Gino fixed the clock with a serious look. Five minutes to midnight.
"It's not like I'm gonna forget, I'm just being overly cautious." He lifted his eyebrows. "Otherwise known as being superstitious in some circles. Look, when you have my luck, you can try not being a little paran--"
Gino jumped when everything was suddenly plunged into darkness, and his drink sloshed over his fingers.
"That's awesome. Seriously, I'm..."
Gino took a deep breath. Maybe the lights would come back on? Or, maybe not. This is fine, totally fine. He'll just cut cake in the dark. Oh! By candlelight! Very moody. And, since he can't see the clock, he'll stop watching it - and, more importantly, talking to it. Every cloud a silver lighting-- er, lining.
With his drink in his other hand, Gino felt along the wall. Ever the optimist, he tried every switch he found on his way to the kitchen. One turned on an overhead fan. He switched it off again. The next one emitted an electrical hum which was promising. But no light flickered to life, so Gino moved on.
Halfway to the kitchen, Gino heard a swish or a hiss, something like a door opening behind him. The air moved, too, like it suddenly had more space to fill.
There was something behind him. There was definitely, definitely something behind him in the darkness.
Gino stopped. Took a sip of his drink. Then he turned around.
A spike of warm breath tickled Gino's face. Whatever it was was at eye level - or was stooped to eye level. He could hear it shifting - unsteadily? Warily? Incorporally? What were the chances that it was super-slow and had no night vision worth bragging about? Gino wet his lips.
"Listen, I-- I made a deal with a clock that I'd be here next year." His grip tightened on his glass. Seeing as he was still alive, Gino kept talking, "So, uh... if you want, you could have some cake, and we could not talk about whatever dark lab room you crawled out of. How's that? My gift to you."
Gino held his breath. Down the hall, the grandfather clock struck the hour. Gino turned on his heel and continued towards the kitchen, the minute counted in sonorous chimes and the sound of heavy footsteps behind him.
By candlelight, in the first hour of the next year of his life, Gino cut two slices of cake.
He has his father's eyes... and his father's penchant for human experimentation. Is Labtech Gino a gentle soul wanting to change humanity for the better, or is he a mad genius with the intent to do anything else?
Please specifically depict Gino Gambino as a Labtech in your entry!
First Place: + +
Second Place: + + + 50k plat
Third Place: + 25k plat
Entries:
battery_bee
Ultrabord
The Iron Magus
LabTech Gino
Keora Kuragami
I see Gino as a young man struggling to live up to his father's legacy. Here we see him doing his best to control everything around him. will it be enough or will things go awry?
Gino has explored the far reaches of our home planet, and has taken it upon himself to venture to the stars! What sorts of wonderful, mysterious things does he find out in the cosmos? Are there friends, enemies, or any life forms at all?
Be sure to include any SDPlus Gino doll!
First Place: +
Second Place: + + 50k plat
Third Place: + 25k plat
Entries:
momo_no kawaii
QiqiAgatha
Keora Kuragami
Gino gazes out into the vast expanse of space.
He's so struck by it's beauty that he weeps.
Or maybe it's allergies.
Today will be a day of dice games, trivia, and exclusive prizes! Join us as we celebrate the big man himself on this, the day of his daughter's wedding birthday!
As last year, I have resigned myself to the unfortunate fact that I work full-time. As such, this year marks the return of our Daily Challenges!
Daily Challenges are exactly that -- at 8am PST each day I will be posting a challenge to the thread; It may be trivia, it may be to locate a specific screenshot, it may be a fashion contest. You won't know until the day of and by 7pm PST I will announce the winner(s) and they will be granted one of the fabulous prizes below.
Scotty has beamed you up and you suddenly find yourself amongst the party goers at Celebration Station. All around you are guests dressed head-to-toe in their sparkliest, shiniest finery, food and drink that looks as out-of-this-world as it tastes, and a jazz band of Zurg playing the same two minutes and forty-five seconds of music on loop. You wonder whether the alien or the Gaian at that table along the wall will shoot first, but that's not what your mind is on right now...
So what is it on?
Using your medium of choice, show or tell us what your avatar's top priority at this party is! Are they taking selfies with one of every alien in the room? Are they shooting the breeze with anyone who will wax poetic about human experimentation with them? Are they observing the planets out the window of the cruiser?
Quote me with your contribution and I'll add it to this post! There may be a special prize in it for you too...
Bearnas Two
He would show off his simple but fabulous outfit to everyone who has eyes, regardless of whether they are otherwise engaged or not.
Handcrafted by himself, it combines the sleek simplicity of a flight-ready (designer) jump-suit and the majesty of space, with a touch of neon and a whole lot of micro LEDs.
Artistic rendering included below.
Punkuma
Although she appears to be barely awake, Punkuma is busy testing all of the foods available at the soiree. Great effort has been put into all of these treats and she will not let them go to waste! Besides, a girl needs a lot of energy to properly dance with the stars.
maskedCandelabra
Spoiler'd in case the humor style doesn't work! Just lmk and I'll change it!
"Eugh...um..."
It seems emCee has a conundrum - some little green thing resembling President (?) Deidrich has handed them a crumpled pair of... underwear. It's underwear.
Where did it get this? Why did it get this, and then go so far as to hand it over to a random participant of Gino's Soiree?
At this time it seems that the only recourse is for emCee to take out their speaking skull mini-podium (with built-in speaker!) and ask around:
"Hey, does anyone know about this not-Deidrich handing out... hopefully unused underwear? Whose even is this? It's...a very Gambino shade of purple, if that...helps."
They truly hope it's fresh.
battery_bee
Temporarily changing my avi into her typical work attire until after the runway theme so I don't influence votes as I post in other threads. But I've attached a spoiler with my soiree outfit.
Soiree Attire:
Work Attire:
B-33 has spent her days fulfilling contracts. There wasn't much that B-33 wouldn't do. Every day - every year has been the same; break into secure facilities, transport cargo and people of varying legal standings, and track down her targets to either kill them or capture them and deliver them to whoever had issued the contract.
But this latest "contract", if you could even call it that...this one was...different. This latest "contract", like many before, had been issued anonymously. The "contract" directed her to dress for an elegant soiree amidst the stars - in order to blend in - and meet with a man by the name of Gino to receive further instructions.
Upon making contact with this strange man, his face lit up before he dove into a long-winded explanation of how he was the one who had issued the contract! He went on to explain that he had heard of B-33's exploits from a Zurg by the name of Nill, and had been interested in meeting B-33. Gino then explained that this "contract" was simply to be a guest at his 35th birthday soiree.
When B-33 asked if he was joking, Gino replied, "Of course not! It's my birthday! So drink!" he said before looking at her face, clearly only just realizing that B-33 was a robot. "Err...if you can..." he continued. "And spend time with my other guests! Just have a good time!"
Before B-33 had the chance to walk away, Gino moved to her side, and linked his arm with hers before raising a phone above their heads to snap a selfie, leaving B-33 at least a little flabbergasted.
B-33 has done MANY things, but partying has never been one of those things. So now, B-33 stands awkwardly, unsure of what to do with herself, or what is expected of her at a party.
"Well...at least this is easy money...I guess..." she mutters to herself, eyeing the other guests closely.
Serafiella
Kari stared out one of the ship’s many windows at the glimmering bits of space dust floating outside, playing absently with the sheer bow of her dress with one hand to keep her split tail from twitching. She was decidedly bored of this trip. Her father and brother were discussing business with a potential client at a nearby table. She’d hoped to have spent the trip whisked away on a gentleman’s arm, dancing until the crowd couldn’t help but notice. Instead she was supposed to wait patiently nearby until the meeting had concluded, and send the client off with a dazzling smile. She bit the inside of her lip as she couldn’t bite her shimmering nails this time. Like hell I want to smile. This guy’s just another bankrolled tub of lard.
Her brother gave a fake laugh from the table behind her. She knew it well. He’d be sure to tell her all the sordid details of the meeting later when they had a moment alone back in the shop. She flicked her catlike ears to drown out the sound and moved as far away as she dared to the nearest table of hors d'oeuvre. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. She didn’t recognize anything before her, or see anything that would suit the finery of her meeting. Certainly the theme of the festivities was space, but that didn’t mean she had to debase herself to eating ringed planet cake pops or curled chest burster salami. Perhaps another table would be better. But she couldn’t stray.
Please wrap up this engagement so I can at least have a few moments of fun…
Sera lay on her beach towel on the cool spring night, turning her head as the ship made another pass to the populated end of the isle for another guest pickup. The tassel of one side of her hat slid to hit her in the nose. She quickly flicked it aside. At least she’d dressed warmly enough for the night.
Hamako laughed at her from her seat on the other beach towel, so Sera quickly flipped back over to give her a friendly poke in the thigh. She’d have preferred the ribs, but the blue kappa’s shell blocked that avenue.
“What do you suppose is going on up there?” Sera asked.
“A bunch of happy Gaians are taking one of the wildest rides of their lives.” Hamako grinned. “Dancing, singing, wearing fancy clothes. I love a good party now and then and this is bound to be one of them.”
“Why didn’t you attend? You recieved an invitation!”
Hamako blushed greenly. “It’s too risky for me to feel comfortable. One weird maneuver and my pool protector falls off and the next thing I know someone’s tried refilling my dish with booze.”
Sera gave her famous snaggletoothed grin. “You’re speaking from past experience?”
“You don’t want to know what happens when you do that.”
The girls giggled into the night, watching the ship come and go on occasion to board and unboard more guests. They nibbled on sandwiches they brought along, enjoying the quiet of the beach as almost everyone else was in the city or the ship, finally heading home before dawn.
The Iron Magus
Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Our forecast calls for mostly clear skies, with the occasional interstellar cloud and light meteor showers. We hope you're enjoying your flight through space and time. *inaudible*
Yes, time, as well; we're currently moving forward at a rate of 60 seconds per minute, thanks to the relativity dampeners. We've really thought of everything for this trip. Don't want you to show up 70 years late for your next Gaia-bound appointment, now do we?
All right, I'm not really the captain. So, what IS TIM doing here?
By all appearances, TIM is busy schmoozing with the other guests, sampling exotic hors d'oeuvres, and putting away a worrying number of Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters.
Yes, just a wealthy layabout partying his fortune away...
At least, that's what he hopes everyone thinks. And if that's all that happens on this space cruise, so be it. But that's not all that's on his mind. Because this party happens to merge two particular interests of his; namely alien activity and the Gambino family. In addition to keeping an eye out for belligerent extraterrestrials, he also hopes to find out more about the Gambinos and their connection to The Committee, formerly known as the Trust Corporation.
Besides, wherever there are Gambinos, interesting things tend to happen, whether involving zombies, demigods, or maniacal clones. Best to keep an eye out.
Newzpop Reporta Tyro Bong
It had been two years since Tyro began her quest.
And so far...The Plan had steadily worked.
But tonight wasn't a night of plotting for this charismatic villainess.
Tonight she deserved a break.
Tyro watched from the sidelines as Astrid and Gino danced, conversed and happily discussed birthday wishes with eachother.
And as Gino yawned and left, Tyro couldn't help but to smile that she had once again gone undetected by any potential meddlesome heroes.
The mint zurg glanced down at her beverage before sipping it. Edible sparkles in the glass reflected the ballroom lights; making the bright green drink almost seem luminescent. From an aesthetic perspective the presentation of the beverage was out of this world; but the taste brought her right back to Aekea. She assumed that the robotic barkeep brought in to make drinks had confused her zurg energy drink with something similiar to the flavorful notes of UFO motor oil. Her face shifted different shades of anything-but-zurg natural hues. She leaned with her left arm on the nearby barkeeper's counter. Both to steady herself and to also set the drink abomination on a sparkly G Buckle shaped coaster.
"Heeeyyy...You don't look too good. You okay there boss?"
As if on queue, an unsettling stomach gurgle could be heard.
Newzpop Reporta Tyro Bong
For, as usual, being the real lifeblood of the party; from helping to plan to spreading the word to assisting me when posts slipped by the wayside!
Mavdoc
For hosting the Dev Meat on May 12th and letting us all party together!
Melissa and the whole Gaia User Events team
For sending out the announcement, making the cutest possible header that ever could be, for giving us an absolutely fantastic grant once more, and for getting Gino to swing by for another year!
[NPC] Gino
For stopping by and regaling us with stories and conversation, and for contributing to the best birthday celebration yet! heart
"Here's to... another year." Gino held up his glass. Inside, the face of the grandfather clock before him was set in reverse amber shades. "Actually, here's to two more. Juuust in case I forget next year."
He chuckled. It sounded nervous when it echoed back out of his glass. Gino fixed the clock with a serious look. Five minutes to midnight.
"It's not like I'm gonna forget, I'm just being overly cautious." He lifted his eyebrows. "Otherwise known as being superstitious in some circles. Look, when you have my luck, you can try not being a little paran--"
Gino jumped when everything was suddenly plunged into darkness, and his drink sloshed over his fingers.
"That's awesome. Seriously, I'm..."
Gino took a deep breath. Maybe the lights would come back on? Or, maybe not. This is fine, totally fine. He'll just cut cake in the dark. Oh! By candlelight! Very moody. And, since he can't see the clock, he'll stop watching it - and, more importantly, talking to it. Every cloud a silver lighting-- er, lining.
With his drink in his other hand, Gino felt along the wall. Ever the optimist, he tried every switch he found on his way to the kitchen. One turned on an overhead fan. He switched it off again. The next one emitted an electrical hum which was promising. But no light flickered to life, so Gino moved on.
Halfway to the kitchen, Gino heard a swish or a hiss, something like a door opening behind him. The air moved, too, like it suddenly had more space to fill.
There was something behind him. There was definitely, definitely something behind him in the darkness.
Gino stopped. Took a sip of his drink. Then he turned around.
A spike of warm breath tickled Gino's face. Whatever it was was at eye level - or was stooped to eye level. He could hear it shifting - unsteadily? Warily? Incorporally? What were the chances that it was super-slow and had no night vision worth bragging about? Gino wet his lips.
"Listen, I-- I made a deal with a clock that I'd be here next year." His grip tightened on his glass. Seeing as he was still alive, Gino kept talking, "So, uh... if you want, you could have some cake, and we could not talk about whatever dark lab room you crawled out of. How's that? My gift to you."
Gino held his breath. Down the hall, the grandfather clock struck the hour. Gino turned on his heel and continued towards the kitchen, the minute counted in sonorous chimes and the sound of heavy footsteps behind him.
By candlelight, in the first hour of the next year of his life, Gino cut two slices of cake.
Avatar Contest - battery_bee!
Scenic Avatar Contest - Keora Kuragami!
Gino gazes out into the vast expanse of space.
He's so struck by it's beauty that he weeps.
Or maybe it's allergies.
Hi hi, hello hello! Astrid said the thread is open for discussion, so I figured I'd do a quote summon and get the questions rolling! emotion_kirakira
The past year there was a dev meet theme to coincide with the Gino party. Did y'all want to do something like that again?
(Note: I'm not involved with planning here; just a question I wanted to bring up to you two! gaia_zurg )
I would absolutely love that, if Mavdoc would be up for it! And especially since I'm able to teleport wherever now lmaooooo
Sure thing, we could do that again! biggrin
Looks like last year we held it on May 13th. When we get closer to the date we'll just need to pick a day ahead of time. Please let me know Astrid or even Newz when the date comes around and there is a good Friday you think would work well, along with possible theme details. 3nodding
Hi hi, hello hello! Astrid said the thread is open for discussion, so I figured I'd do a quote summon and get the questions rolling! emotion_kirakira
The past year there was a dev meet theme to coincide with the Gino party. Did y'all want to do something like that again?
(Note: I'm not involved with planning here; just a question I wanted to bring up to you two! gaia_zurg )
I would absolutely love that, if Mavdoc would be up for it! And especially since I'm able to teleport wherever now lmaooooo
Sure thing, we could do that again! biggrin
Looks like last year we held it on May 13th. When we get closer to the date we'll just need to pick a day ahead of time. Please let me know Astrid or even Newz when the date comes around and there is a good Friday you think would work well, along with possible theme details. 3nodding
Thank you so much! Honestly, I'm pretty immediately thinking the 12th would be the best for this; it's the day before Gino's actual birthday, so it would be really close!
The theme this year is Sci-Fi Soiree, so think sort of a scientific cocktail hour sorta vibe. I'm still kinda hashing out the details (getting a playlist together, formatting the posts, etc) but as I get a more solid image of it I'll definitely pass my ideas along! 3nodding
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