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The Office Party Meme!

THE OFFICE PARTY MEME!

It’s the end of the year at your place of business, legitimate or otherwise! It’s a time to drink, socialize, be merry! Whether attendance is truly voluntary or politely mandatory, you are at a lovely holiday party with your colleagues. If your canon doesn’t lend itself to stiltedly festive holiday parties, or if you find this setting funnier than your canon setting, then this is the perfect setting for an office AU!

“Icebreakers” // Prompts

1. Mixing and Mingling // You just arrived at the party, picked up a light drink to start with, and now you’re catching up with your fellow coworkers. Is it someone you see every day? Or is it someone from a department you didn’t even know your business had? I’m sure whatever the case, though, there’s SOME juicy office gossip to share.

2. Holidays Abroad // The higher-ups really knocked it out of the park this year! Instead of a boardroom or lunchroom at the office, or a boring old ballroom booking in a business hotel, your company is lucky enough to get a party on location somewhere else! Is it a fancy restaurant? A Medieval Times? A zoo? Just about any business, niche or mainstream, is willing to host a corporate party for the right price: all you need is budget and creativity, and, if you're outdoors, favourable weather. At least, if you want it to go well.

3. Mystery box! // Gift exchange! Are you participating in your office’s secret santa this year? Or is it a white elephant exchange? There’s some kind of gift-giving game happening. Hopefully, you chose your gift wisely! And that you brought the right one, and not that gag gift you meant for your friend!

4. Reindeer Games // HR has organized some fun, non-alcoholic activities for you and your coworkers! Participation may not be mandatory, but it’s very strongly encouraged. Pin the nose on Rudolph, open party crackers, throw beanbags, any of those ~~tortuous~~ fun team building games!

5. Do You Hear What I Hear? // Karaoke alone deserves its own prompt. Are you being pressured by a coworker? Lost a bet? Honestly inspired by the setlist offered? And most importantly... Can you actually sing?

6. Oh What Fun // You actually don’t work here, you’re someone else’s plus-one. Are you their date, or are you just acting like it to help their cover-story? Or are you just here as a friend? And are you going to stay that way by the end of the night?

7. Under The Mistletoe // Relationships are of course discouraged in the office... but you’re not in the office, are you? Still, unless you’ve been lingering at that open bar, you probably want to keep this little hook-up discreet...

8. Festivus For The Rest Of Us // Maybe you greased your social wheels a bit too much at the bar, or maybe you’re just always a grinch, but you have some grudges you’ve been carrying with you all year, and this may be your last chance to settle it. Directly, passive aggressively, or just complaining, it’s your choice.

9. Oh Fudge // Ah, the holiday party incident. Someone drank too much at the bar, or snuck in something they weren’t supposed to, and now.... We have an incident. Whatever that is, indecent exposure, caught snogging your boss’s wife, slipped off the karaoke stage, broke up a fight between the accountants, it’s going down and you need to either do damage control, or record this for tomorrow.

10. eggnog eggnog eggnog eggnog // YOU are the one causing the scene, actually. You’re completely wasted and someone’s got to get you the hell out of this party before you tell your boss what you ACTUALLY think of her.

11. Last Christmas // Your CEO just stood up in front of the whole party, and instead of the usual bland ‘happy holidays, you worked so well, we’re all so close’ speech, he has instead told you that there will be no christmas bonuses this year, and there will be layoffs in the new year. The future is bleak. The bar is open. There’s nothing to lose now. Go out with a bang, whatever that means to you.

12. Die Hard // Wildcard option, in case an apocalyptically drunk christmas party isn’t wild enough for you

For more inspiration/to kill time between tags,1 2, 3, 4

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[This...will have to be AU, of course, lmao.]

[ Yes, the old show. Sue me, I'm a sucker for nostalgia. ]

[ i mean... ]

[Said party probably has Stark's name written all over it. OTA for gen; f/m for anything shippy.]

[ hopefully this won't turn into another fourth of juluau. if we're setting this in canon, they probably felt obligated to invite him, or malory did because... malory. for the canonblind, he's CIA in the 60s/70s, so fair warning - he has gross views that may come up and has done some awful shit. ]

[ let's throw it WAY back :3, def prompt 12! He's from Live Free & Die Hard, but I did watch the first one yesterday, so he's fresh. M/F for shipping, OTA for Gen. Age 25+ Characters only. I'd love his kids, if possible for family bonding under fire. Any questions feel free to PM me at this journal. ]

Edited 2020-12-26 23:53 (UTC)

[Back here in the back with a glass of water just kind of being the best wall-flower ever.]

[Richard Strand does not like Christmas parties.

Well no, that's not true. He does like parties - specific sorts of parties or at least he did years ago but this is an entirely group of people who expect him to be-

Human.

The last party I was at that I liked Coralee was- he shoved that aside the moment he was in and an intern timidly approached him with a pair of reindeer antlers. The girl looked so scared he'd agreed to wear them if only to get her to not walk away crying.

Rolling his eyes he pulled them off his head as he entered the room spotting a pile of gifts on one table and the other collections of Christmas decorations.

The last party I went to like this was the biology department's party. Charlie was out with her friends and Coralee was- He had been to church - the one time of the year he agreed to it out of personal reasons but this...

Grabbing a glass of water he slid over to the wall as coolly as he could, one hand in his pocket scanning for people, one hand gripping the antlers.]

[Alex actually does love Christmas parties for the most part. She loves when people have a good time, and when there's plenty of food and booze for people to imbibe in, and plenty of holiday cheer to go around. The PNWS holiday party doubles as a way of saying goodbye to some of the interns who've had their time end, so it always tends to be a little bit nuts.

Maybe even more than a little bit nuts, which is one of the reasons that Alex wasn't expecting Strand to show up. Parties in general don't really seem to be his thing, let alone parties with college students who have been working their asses off for the rest of the year are going to have their chance to finally cut loose on the company dime. Of course she'd invited him, but honestly the best she had expected was a polite 'no.'

And yet here he was. Seeing him against the wall, Alex just cuts through the crowd in her red velvet dress. It's not too revealing or anything by any stretch of the imagination, but Alex Reagan isn't normally a dress sort of girl. Her dark hair is pulled back in a matching bow, and she's wearing more makeup than normal in brighter shades: red for her lips and some shiny gold glitter by her eyes. Greeting him with a smile, it's clear to see why no one needed to accost her with reindeer antlers.]

Hey! I didn't expect to see you, Richard.

[It's very clear from her smile though she's pleased to have him here, though.]

Ah-I-

[He pauses, raising his glass] Nicodemus sent me an email and my speaking engagement finished in time to make it. Though I'm afraid I might be missing out on the white elephant.

[He pointed to the stack of presents before studying her up and down, his heart catching in his throat] You look festive. I like the gold around your eyes.

[They made them shine]

[That just makes Alex color a little, and her grin softens to something that's a little more shy than one might otherwise expect from someone who is normally so outgoing as Alex is. Tucking a little bit of hair behind her ear, Alex lets out a soft chuckle.]

You should probably be glad you're missing the White Elephant honestly. The interns are kind of notorious for trying to come up with the gift that can make Nic, me or ideal for the both of us turn as red as possible. It's an entire thing.

[A thing that she and Nic had started when the two of them were interns but she doesn't mention that. Sometimes you get what you deserve, and in this case it was probably true for both Alex and Nic. She doesn't want to subject Richard to that, because well... he's Richard for crying out loud.]

But thanks. Can I get you a real drink?

I thought that was supposed to be part of the fun?

[He chuckles lightly, wishing he could put his reindeer antlers away. Glaring at them he stares at his water. Oh god. He can make those sorts of jokes right?]

How strong are the drinks?

[The music and the lights make him smile.] You picked a good day for this. The solstice is supposed to be a magical evening I-

[A pair of swinging interns makes him duck out of the way looking flustered]

Well yeah, but I mean.

[The color in Alex’s cheeks only intensifies and she’s really not wanting to explain that they’d just had increasingly odd sex toys for the last few years. She’s definitely not sure that she was still a good person if she subjected to Strand to it. Especially around people who definitely have their cameras on them.

She’s pretty sure that Richard might murder her if she does.

So instead there’s a change of tact.]

What they’re drinking or what I’ve got. Cause they’re drinking what’s practically rubbing alcohol and koolaid because college students don’t change.

In my office I have some local cider and bourbon.

[And the Christmas present Alex was planning on dropping by his house tomorrow. ]

Shall we abscond to my office, Richard?

[Local cider and Bourbon? Following her, he unwraps his black and paisley scarf before pulling off his wool coat.]

That sounds perfect.

[He doesn't pause. Alex's office feels comfortable and he pulls off his jacket to hang it up he picks out various bits of her around the room.]

I'd feel rude not going back at some point but I have to admit this is much nicer. I'm not much of a party goer.

[Anymore. And to be honest ever again. The thought of being out there with her was bearable but the rest-

When his mind connects her and bearable he coughs.]

Did you...Did you have a nice day?

It was okay. A little busy with getting things for the party but bearable. I had time to change at least.

[The words come with a grin and Alex gestures down to the red dress that she’s wearing. While the dress isn’t out of the ordinary at least she’s still in her flats because trying to walk in heels is hard for her and double when she’s drunk.]

Besides, they’re drunk and going to get drunker and probably aren’t even gonna notice if you don’t come back out. So you didn’t need to worry about that.

[Slipping behind her desk, Alex unlocks the lower drawer and pulls out a bottle of bourbon and then a wine bottle like bottle of cider/]

Which would you like or do you want me to mix them?

[Alcohol in the desk.]

Surprise me.

[Undoing his shirt sleeves he rolls them up over his elbows before undoing his tie]

I gathered some material from my last tape I...thought you might like.

[smooth. His eyes moved to watch her mix drinks and he sits on the couch.] Mostly about sacred geometry. A friend sent me some stuff I have out in my car we could take a look at if you'd like.

[Except she probably wanted to talk about Christmas things. The party out there was so vibrant and lively. His features went cold as he stretched out on the couch. You should maybe not talk business.

Or should he? The last time I was at a party was with Coralee. It was the biology department faculty mixer. I wore a santa hat, she wore mistletoe in her hair.

But her eyes weren't like that. His gaze turns soft as he watches her work.]

...Or we could...talk about other things. Tell me about your day.

[Alex mixes their drinks in the red solo cups that she'd stolen from the party, and she shares the amount of ice between them. Measuring a heavy hand with the bourbon, she then tops it up with the cider and comes over and hands one to him before she comes to join him on the sofa that she'd cleared in case someone needed to be put to sleep on it before they could be herded into an uber home. Honestly, she didn't expect Strand to come, so it's just a nice bonus involved that she'd done that.

Taking a sip of her own drink, Alex is pleased that she doesn't wince at it, a sign that she's definitely not overdone it--at least for her palate. But then again she's not a huge bourbon drinker and had brought the bottle for the long nights that the two of them had spent doing research here over the past year. Honestly, she'd been too chicken to break out the bottle, but that's neither here nor there.

Remembering what else she'd brought for him, Alex quickly hops up and explains:]

Hold that thought!

[Heading back over to her desk, Alex just pulls out a medium-sized box that's carefully wrapped in things that are far more wintery than just Christmas. When he opens it, inside he'd find box of tea flavored truffles, a set of loose leaf teas from around the world, and a thermal tea flask with it's own infuser. ]

Here. I got you some presents that definitely are more winter presents than Christmas ones.

[Alex can't help but to go a little red about the ears as she settles back down next to him after thrusting the box into his lap.]

[Alex's drink is good. It's the perfect balance of burbon and cider and he sips at it feeling the warmth settle in his chest before a box is thrust into his lap and he nearly drops it with a blink. Setting his drink aside he opens it and-

It's so touching.

Good God when was the last time he got a Christmas gift? Or gave one? Picking up a truffle he smiles and turns it in his fingers.]

...This is wonderful thank you.

[Gifts are one of the oldest human traditions. Adjusting his glasses he has to bite back on a thousand and one responses, stories, St. Nicholas, gifts in shoes. Settling back, he moves to set it aside and smile nervously.]

I um-

[He hadn't gotten her a gift had he? He couldn't recall. The thought that he hadn't was a twist in his chest so he allowed himself to ease himself to relax beside her.]

...I'm not good with Christmas parties. I have nothing against the holiday but I confess I tend to say the wrong thing frequently about the holiday's traditions.

[There is no small part of Alex that beams with seeing him enjoy his present. She's the sort of person who puts thought into such things and she wants to make sure that he's going to actually enjoy them and not just hate and gripe about them, honestly. But now that she can see how much he likes it, she just relaxes back into the sofa and takes another long sip of her drink, savoring the flavor of it and stretching out a bit.

Looking to him curiously, Alex is both surprised but not. Well, at least about the not being good at Christmas parties. Strand doesn't seem like the sort of person who enjoyed parties so that's about what she expected, and Christmas parties (even work-related ones) always have that extra bit of stress to go along with them. But honestly Alex did expect him to be against such a secular and captialist holiday. That was the reason that she'd so carefully selected the paper and bow, after all.]

Really? I kind of thought you would hate Christmas and everything that goes along with it.

I dislike the capitalist part of it as well as the inclinations of the church to capitalize on a holiday that should be in March.

[Should he lean into her? He could do that by a hair. Yes that felt good. The gentle press of his thigh against hers. He took another sip of his liquor.]

But when I was a child, my father and mother would take me to Christmas service and I loved the quiet pageantry. The songs and the thurible. The "smells and bells" as my father called it.

It recalled to me, a sense of ancient paganism which I find much more appealing in terms of celebration. But-

[God. She knows about Charlie now and so perhaps she ought to know.]

That and I made a bit of a mistake once. With Charlie, that taught me to respect the holiday.

[Alex just lightly presses her thigh back against his own, as if she's trying to reassure him that everything is okay. Because it is honestly, there's nothing wrong with collegues getting a little closer at the Christmas Party--it's practically a sort of right of passage.

Still, her expression is soft as she listens to him give away secrets that normally Alex would need to beg him for. Now, however they just come so freely but Alex doesn't reach for her recorder. Tonight is a strictly off the record occasion, and both of them deserve it after everything. He definitely deserves a chance to relax.

Still, when he mentions Charlie teaching him a lesson, her eyes light up beneath the gold on her lids and Alex just laughs softly as she shifts on the sofa to be turned more towards him, her arm resting against the top of the pillows as she props her chin up.]

Now why do I imagine this has something to do with saying that Santa isn't real, Richard?

I wasn't raised to believe in Santa Claus.

[He waves a hand before taking a bigger sip of his drink.] My father indulged me with stories of Saint Nicholas rescuing pickled children from serial killer butchers.

I never subscribed to the notion of a large red fat man breaking into houses to leave gifts and take food like some sort of robin hood. So. When Charlie came into my care she was a baby.

Just this- small wriggling creature and I had to shape her mind and introduce her and I thought why, why would I waste her valuable time being good so a capitalist representation of state authority would give her gifts when I was buying them for her?

[He stifles a belch and sets his drink aside because that's delicious. but thinking about Charlie...

He snorts. Then looks genuinely, genuinely happy. So happy it might throw Alex for a loop.]

I would tell her these things, and I explained that it was like a game. That for many children, Santa was a game adults played with them. That we were using it to teach children about happiness and gift giving.

She would not be swayed as I was with stories of violence. Nor did I want that for her. So we didn't subscribe to this but she was young and she has always been...righteous. Tenacious.

So at some point she took offense to the notion of Santa being a myth and decided to spread the truth to other children. At my faculty party. Teaching what my coworkers at the time descirbed as a "lecture on why Santa wasn't real."

[He puts his head in his hands] she took questions.

[God he looks happy. Like really and truly happy in a way that Alex has never seen him look before. Happiness suits him honestly, it brightens up his face and makes him look younger and more carefree and like he doesn’t have the weight of the world on his shoulders. If she could, Alex wishes that she could make him this happy more often.

But honestly Alex doesn’t know if she ever could make him look so light and carefree even as much as she wants to be able to do it. Her smile softens gently and alex needs to hold onto her drink more firmly so she doesn’t put her hand on his arm and wreck this entire moment that’s stretching out between the two of them.

When he reaches the end, Alex can’t help but to laugh, really laugh in ways it feels like it’s been a long time since she had. ]

Oh my god, Richard. Really?

[Alex’s tone is entirely laughter as she asks the question. And even more so when she just shakes her head at herself. ]

I mean of course she did. She is your daughter.

She was absolutely heartbroken when I told her she shouldn't do it. And when I took away one of her presents we fought pretty ferociously.

Since then however I am...careful with this holiday.

[his hand strays to his package before the other hand puts its drink down and takes her fingers.

With a pause.]

Can you make me another drink.

[Alex needs to bite her lip over laughing as in her mind she pictures Charlie and Strand arguing about this, and his taking her present away. After all, it's a good memory and she doesn't wanted to take it away especially when there's tied to fighting and stuff. No, Alex wants to keep that grin on his face for as long as she possibly can.

By a sort of reflex, Alex just trails her fingers over the inside of his when he takes her hand in his own. Despite all this time of Strand being a touch-me-not, Alex can't help but to do it anyway. She's who she is, especially when she's feeling as warm and loose as she does at the moment.]

Of course I can, Richard.

[It's such a silly and easy thing that Alex has no problem doing it for him, especially considering she's very much playing hostess in her office while the party rages outside. Lifting her own drink, Alex drains the glass before she takes his, and moves to the desk to refill both of them with more of the same.

Returning to the couch, Alex just shits next to him again and offers him the drink that doesn't have lipstick on the rim of the glass.]

[His fingers twine with hers - flexing - before she moves away. when she returns he feels his head swim, studying her, meeting the fire in her eyes with a low groan as he drinks.]

...What do you want for Christmas?

[Her eyes are luminous.]

[The two of them don't really touch, and Alex knows it. It's something that they'd seemed to do out of a mutual sort of respect for the other, or because Richard Strand really doesn't seem like a touchy and feely sort of person. But Alex's breath hitches deep in her throat, and she can feel warm all the way down to the deepest marrow of her bones like aftershocks in the the way that their hands part as she moves away.

Color is bright in Alex's cheeks, and she takes a sip of her drink as if it would cool her down rather than the normal way that alcohol reacts to her.

The question obviously takes her off guard, and Alex laughs a little before she tucks that errant piece of hair behind her ear once more.]

Oh! You don't need to get me anything, Richard! Really.

Nonsense.

To pursue good feelings you should always give gifts to important people in your life.

[A pause.]

Colleagues. Friends. The English believed that you needed to leave gifts of salt and bread for fairies to keep their good will. But I want to. You are...

[A friend. Good. He glances at the door before swallowing.]

I think I've had too much to drink.

[Good for introducing absolute chaos to the party.]

[LBH she's trying to escape said party.

S1 winter finale]

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The Office Party Meme!

THE OFFICE PARTY MEME!

diana prince | dceu

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JUST slater → archer

Gwen Leodegrance | Arthurian modern AU

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Speed/Tommy Shepherd | Marvel-616 | OTA

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