hmmm this one feels a little disorganized but im a lazy mess so it is what it is, heres the "take your significant other to work day" chapter.

Chapter Three.

"A home of science and art."

ooo

GLaDOS spent a majority of her time in Aperture's facility. It felt almost more like home than even Chell's apartment. She was created here. She worked here. As far as anyone was concerned she lived here, though she was free to leave and go to other places when she wasn't working. Aperture was where she was comfortable. She was eager to share this major part of her life with Chell.

And Chell was eager to see it.

No, seriously. Ever since Chell had escaped the chambers, GLaDOS had expressed a genuine desire to know Chell as a person, to be forgiven, that hurting Chell wasn't her intent although by nature of the tests it was more than likely. She couldn't explain what drew her to Chell, but it was too strong to ignore. She hadn't realized it before - feelings were complicated things, weren't they? - but she liked Chell. Genuinely.

And so Chell had given her a second chance.

She'd kept her guard up, those first several weeks after forgiving GLaDOS. But over time, GLaDOS had proven herself, proven that she really was sorry, she really had learned, kept her promise to let no Aperture-related harm come to Chell from then on. By then, Chell had noted that, as it turned out, GLaDOS really did have the capacity to care about something other than her own science. It didn't go unnoticed, the effort that she made to ensure that Chell felt safe and comfortable, that there were accessible exits to every place they entered, and that changes were made to future test designs to make them less life-threatening and honestly more functional. As Chell had put it, "If you are testing how well a certain person can use portals to solve puzzles, any other method would be less lethal and more effective at motivating them." And she'd been right, GLaDOS had realized. It was, after all, sort of hard to guage someone's portal-puzzle-solving ability when they were too busy shuddering in fear in the corner to even solve one. Aperture couldn't argue with that, and so they substituted less life-threatening hazards.

As she participated in making this change, GLaDOS had to notice how unusual it felt to care about making people less likely to get hurt. She didn't tend to do that, or at least she hadn't before. It was strange. She cared about Chell, she was fascinated by Chell, and it was because Chell had explained what testing had done to her that GLaDOS cared at all about how safe it was for the test subjects.

GLaDOS didn't like to admit how much she cared about certain things. At her core (pun possibly intended, I can't decide) she was meant to do science. But she was, after all, based on a human's consciousness. And not a terrible human, either. A decent one. Humans were complex. And was it not the nature of a decent human to care about other people?

GLaDOS pondered this and more as she led Chell down a pristine white hallway, their footsteps echoing down the empty path as they passed closed window after closed door, until finally arriving at an open elevator.

"We're going to head down to the main Enrichment Center. Some of it might be familiar to you, so just be prepared for that," GLaDOS explained to Chell. "We actually put all testing on pause for today, though, so we won't go to the testing tracks themselves. But I can show you the observation rooms, the Extended Relaxation Center... and after that we can go to my chamber. How does that sound?"

Chell nodded in confirmation, offering a half-smile. The elevator began its descent and within a few moments the two were released into another white hallway. This one wasn't empty however; signs and photographs decorated the walls, the lights were brighter, and a man in a green button-down was there to greet them.

"Goooood morning, ladies~" he said, a bright smile shining above a light brown beard. He looked to Chell specifically and remarked, "Hey, haven't seen you around in awhile. Your name's Chell, ain't it?" Chell nodded. "That's right, you were pretty amazin' to watch in there." The man gestured to the closed door behind him, which Chell assumed meant it led to a testing area. "Always nice to see your pretty face again. Name's Rick. Why don't you and I-"

"You'd better watch yourself," GLaDOS interrupted, glaring at him. "She's mine. Now, please tell me you and Floyd didn't burn down the Enrichment Center this morning."

"Nope. Everything's running smoothly, ma'am. No errors in the Extended Relaxation Center or anythin'. We're doin' just fine."

"Oh, good. I need you two to keep it that way. That should be simple enough, since there isn't any testing."

"Yes, ma'am!" As he turned to leave, he stole one last glance in Chell's direction. "See you around, beautiful~"

"And stop flirting with my girlfriend!" GLaDOS yelled. Taking Chell's hand, she whispered, "Ignore him. This way to the observation rooms."

The observation rooms were well provided with windows and computer monitors to watch test subjects. Office chairs and camera screens alike were left empty and silent today, though. "Most of the people who would be taking notes in here are probably making fools of themselves in the lounge..." GLaDOS explained. "But aside from them, the core test observation team - that's Floyd and Rick - they're usually over here." She gestured to a pair of desks situated across from each other through an empty doorway. As GLaDOS described the things that usually happened in this area, Chell took a look at the desks.

On one, a stack of slightly crumpled papers lay strewn, while on the wall a collection of hastily-scribbled sticky note reminders provided a disorderly splash of color to the otherwise monochromatic room. An array of photos were also taped to the wall, many of them depicting exciting landscapes or intense action scenes.

On the other desk, a tidy notepad and pen lay perfectly parallel to each other, and the first page read: "Tungsten has the highest melting point of any metal, at 3,410 degrees Celsius. Hot water freezes quicker than cold water. The first person to prove that cow's milk was drinkable was very, very thirsty." The desk was decorated with little else aside from a framed photograph of a man in a light purple polo shirt smiling smugly at someone else, whom Chell recognized to be Rick.

"Well. I've run out of things to say about this place." GLaDOS said after a minute or two. "Would you like to see my chamber?"

Chell nodded, and held out her hand so GLaDOS could lead the way.

As the couple stepped off the elevator and turned a corner, Chell caught sight of a strange, dark-looking passage where the wall, bathed in a dim red light emanating from an unknown source, seemed to be covered with... something. She didn't have the time to figure out what. Before she could get a closer look, they had turned another corner and a door opened up to a spacious chamber surrounded by moving panels and computer monitors.

"So, this is it," GLaDOS announced. "I know it looks dim at the moment, but give me one moment." She stepped onto a round platform in the center of the room, where a series of wires and machines and metal hung in a cluster from the ceiling. She casually snatched up a couple of wires in one hand as a small panel, barely visible most of the time, opened up in her back. In one swift motion, she connected herself to the complex contraption, and almost immediately the room sprung to life. The lights turned up and the monitors began to display data and camera feeds.

"Ta-dah~!"

Chell stood in the elevator doorway, applauding with a soft, admiring smile on her face. They both let out a light laugh.

"Once I'm connected here, I have access to camera feeds, schedules, past experiments, years and years' worth of scientific research... just about everything Aperture has to offer."

Chell gazed upward in amazement. The grand machinery before her lifted GLaDOS slightly above the platform on the floor, such that she appeared to be floating. She could move quickly and beautifully, elegantly gliding across the edges of the room.

The room itself gave Chell a mysterious vibe. This expansive chamber was capable of controlling so many things - the possibilities were nearly limitless, it seemed - and yet it also felt like if you took the wrong turn, being here might mean you were going to have to come up with outrageous escape plans or otherwise say a painful goodbye to being alive. Interesting.

"Why don't I show you?" GLaDOS said, saving Chell from a bizarre train of thought she didn't want to stay on. "I'll pull up the camera feed for the lobby." She swung herself around to a monitor that indeed began displaying a live video of the front desk.

"Now the Extended Relaxation Center..."

and a series of vacant bedrooms appeared.

"Employee lounge..."

and a room with tables and sofas filled the screen. A few employees were standing face to face; specifically, Chell could recognize Rick and the other man in the photo she'd looked at. In the distant corner of the room, only partially visible, Chell faintly made out Wheatley's face. Beside him stood a young boy, maybe 12 years old, who was currently clinging tightly to Wheatley's left hand. They both looked worried. Rick and the other man looked upset; it seemed like Rick was yelling.

"Oh my god," GLaDOS sighed, mildly annoyed. "This again."

On the video feed, Chell saw Wheatley hurriedly lead the young boy out the door as the other man seemed to poise himself to throw something.

"What is he doing? Hold on," GLaDOS mumbled. "Stay here. I need to stop them before they destroy something." With that, she landed lightly on her feet, disconnecting from her wires and sprinting out the door. Yes, Chell was worried about the two people fighting, and curious about the boy with Wheatley, but most of all she thought, Wow. GLaDOS looks really cute when she's running away.

As her girlfriend disappeared from view, Chell found herself alone in a massive, technologically advanced room she couldn't operate with a feeling she couldn't shake from her core that seemed so real it was as though in an alternate life she had been here before. Her chest filled with an uneasy sensation as reality seemed to alter in a liminal-space sort of surreal way.

She decided to take a peek into the hallway and take a breather.

When she stepped outside, a flickering light caught her eye. Below it, she saw a darkened pathway beyond which all the lights seemed to have died. She decided to investigate. Does GLaDOS know about these places?

As she stepped under the flickering light, her eyes fell upon a painting. A mural. Who left this here? It couldn't have been a test subject. Only employees had access to these hallways. The drawing seemed to depict the chamber Chell had been standing in only moments ago. The same devices and monitors were illustrated, but over them lay a shadow. A face was visible in the darkness, its eyes red but otherwise... strangely familiar. The smaller faces surrounding it were frozen in absolute terror.

Is this supposed to be GLaDOS? ...My GLaDOS? Though she knew the central core was much kinder to her than nearly anyone else, and Chell wasn't particularly well-versed in Aperture's history, it simply didn't seem like this depiction was accurate.

Intrigued by this discovery, Chell left this secluded corner and wandered the halls, wondering if she could find another drawing like this. She found a window a short distance down the hall whose cover wasn't completely lowered. She ran up to it and took a peek through the glass. She could see a spacious, rectangular room that appeared to be an abandoned test chamber. On the far wall, past a raised platform with curved steps leading up to it, another illustration was indeed visible. Again, she could see a simplified depiction of GLaDOS's chassis. Below that, a small drawing of... a human. An unusually familiar-looking human.

Is that me?

Small white ovals surrounded the painting, red lines emerging from their centers, easily recognizable to Chell as sentry turrets. I know she endangered me, but she's told me time and time again that it was because it was part of the test... This is making it seem like all she wanted was to kill me. But she didn't. That's not her, that's not what she's like.

Chell continued staring at the painting. Whoever this artist was, they seemed intent on portraying GLaDOS as some dangerous... monster. Chell knew GLaDOS wasn't really like that. Sarcastic? Absolutely. Simply mean-spirited? Sometimes. But a monster? No, never.

Chell then realized that GLaDOS probably did know these paintings were here. They were pretty close in proximity to both each other and GLaDOS's chamber, it would be hard to ignore these mysterious little corners of the facility. Especially considering one of these paintings was in a test chamber. Chell couldn't imagine what GLaDOS thought about these illustrations. She hated to think that they might be acting as a harsh, unforgiving reminder of past mistakes.

I am going to fix these paintings.

She didn't when, she didn't know how she would get to them all, but in half a second she had already made up her mind that it was going to happen.

"Find something you like?"

Chell yelped in surprise at the sudden presence of a voice behind her. She turned to find GLaDOS standing behind her. What happened with the guys? she asked her.

"I got it sorted out. They both went home for the day. The real question is, what are you doing?"

There's something painted on the wall in there, Chell explained.

"Oh... that?" Almost immediately, Chell sensed a change in her partner's tone. Her eyes lowered, her voice got a little quieter, more self conscious. "There are several of them around the facility. It's... not important."

Chell's instinct was to call out just how unconvincing that last statement had been, but she didn't want to force GLaDOS to talk about it if she didn't want to. So she said nothing.

"Anyway, I was thinking it was about time to head out. You probably need lunch, anyway."

Let's go. Chell offered a comforting smile and wrapped an arm around her girlfriend, and the pair walked out of the facility together, both carrying a hint of sadness in their hearts, but each hoping to help the other forget her worries for a short while.

ooo

whoooo feelings!

i have to admit that the "chell fixes the paintings" idea came from a post on tumblr, specifically post/168772931533/chelldos-hcs-masterpost-go

so shoutouts to them for inspiring me

now, this is where i would say i've got a sort of reference sheet of several of the characters in this AU and you can look at it right HERE, except there is no "here" because there's one character i haven't drawn yet. i plan on putting the picture online once i do, but the best way to know when i do is to follow my ig ( ) and tumblr (melancholy-starlight). i typically leave some sort of indicator that anything related to this AU is related to this AU, so just keep an eye out.

[update: the reference sheet i drew is now online on my art blog melancholy-starlight-art on tumbles. search for 'humanoid nature' in my tags, it will be under that.]

until next chapter,

~melancholy "Really Needs to Go to Bed" starlight