Save Our Earth

Date: [December 26th (Text), December 31st/January 1st (Log)]
Characters: Network - [Russell's number], Log: Open]

---

Network: Open Invitation (Mostly)

[In the late hours of the 26th, around 9pm, an emoji-filled text message goes up courtesy of Russell typing his number into his phone again.]

I've decided we're having a party at the flat
If you can read this and your a friend
Or a friend of a friend
You're invited to celebrate the new year and decade

...if your name has 'evil' in it you're not invited

The rest of you! Come party!! 🎉⌛🎉

[There's more celebratory emoji at the end, starting with party poppers and confetti in place of a string of exclamation points, followed by various crossed-circle Nos and radioactive signs and villainous faces to emphasize his other point. Just in case an alien got this and chose to pretend he couldn't read it.]



Mingle: Quite A Normal Party

It all started as a normal, relaxing party idea. Russell's Christmas holidays turned out a little bit stressful, thanks to multiple visits to family where people expressed concern for him. Was money tight, some asked, was his new job not paying enough? Were the doctors sure he was in good health, others whispered in private asides? Well, just have another portion then, someone insisted at every house, and stay over for a big breakfast tomorrow. Reassuring family monopolized the three days, and come the night of the 26th he returned to the flat with every intention of not leaving for a week... but maybe, he mentioned to Walter, having friends visit instead.

So when Walter and Russell had the idea, and Russell posted to the network with a mostly-open invitation, they planned on a "normal" night of it; streaming normal movies, eating normal popcorn, trying to put the insanity of mice and sharks and everything else out of mind. Maybe that plan lasted for most of the days before New Year's Eve, or maybe it fell apart during the network chatter. Whenever it ended, it ended with Russell having second thoughts about the appeal of normalcy

After all, he might have said on the network but definitely said aloud, pacing up and down the hallway of the flat, talking whether he had an audience or not... they were none of them normal, and by now willingly so. After all, he emphasized, if any of them really couldn't bear what was happening, they could move! Some already had! Those still here, whether they admitted it or not, were accepting the strangeness. Choosing it. They might as well come out and say fuck it, we're strange, at least with each other.

(It isn't that simple for everyone, of course, between family obligations and financial limitations. But Russell has his biases.)

In the spirit of embracing it, by the time of the planned party, there's decorations all over the living room, kitchen, and washroom. Streamers and balloons of greens and yellows, grays and blacks, with cartoonish UFOs and aliens all over the place. An aesthetic like this all over. Some of them even say Happy Birthday, because in a manner of speaking it's a birthday for the planet, right? Or at least the calendar.

There's a decent spread of food between some home-cooked things and mostly some store-bought party platters, plus one plate meant more for the canine variety of people. And there's a Russell loitering around near the entrance, quick to open it and greet anyone who comes to visit - maybe even before they knock? (Walter may be giving him a head's up when people are coming).


[If your characters stop by the party, feel free to write top-levels for mingling with each other - this is meant as an open post for everyone! (Except Mr. Evil)]