Home for the Holidays

[sweetcandygirl]

Over the weekend, Harley was busy decorating her Nexus apartment, stylizing everything in soft whites and a few bright splashes of reds.

In the middle of the apartment, where her aerial silks normally hang from the cathedral ceilings, and several pinwheel decorations. And soft Christmas music is playing on the stereos, filling the open areas of her apartment.

The smells of several delicious foods waft from the kitchen. Everything is made with a vegetarian-friendly flare, that is still respectful to the season itself. And to supplement the fact there may not be any meat on the menu -- there is a large keg of ale on a countertop nearby. There is also plenty of wine, cocktails, and eggnog available.

Harley has invited a few people over to her apartment for a small pre-Christmas party. Mostly, those who already live or stay in her apartment.

[No posting order. Mingle around. Thread jump. All is good]

Comments

[chiron_survivor]

It's true that the sweater could be a lot worse. And at least it takes away from Thor's divine looks. He's already tall, muscular, his face aesthetically pleasing. But Caspar is in a nice suit! His tie even matches Adia's dress. No way she'd be looking twice at some god in a dorky sweater. Right?

He puts an arm around Adia's waist, anyway. Just... just because. He's not feeling intimidated or anything. Whatever.

"Poseidon is one of the Lords of Kobol," Adia explains. She snuggles into Caspar's side like it's second nature, which it is, even without the additional warm feelings that come with eggnog consumption. "He's the god of the ocean, so he was very popular on the colonies that had large coastal populations. Not so much on Leonis, but now that we're all living on an island, the Feast is becoming a more popular way to celebrate the Solstice."

Speaking of which, she disentangles herself from Caspar suddenly. "Oh, I don't know if it's Yule tradition, but we got you a present, Thor! One second." She heads over to another part of the living room where she stashed her shopping bag of gifts."

Bereft of Adia's cuddle, Caspar watches her longingly for a moment before giving Thor a look that would make Tony Stark proud. "Your own holiday, huh? Any big sales that day, or is it the stay home and sing carols kind?"

[pirateangelbaby]

Thor's met far more than his fair share of jealous paramours, so Caspar's mildly possessive gesture isn't a terrible surprise, nor the way Adia leans into it like she fits there. But assuring suitors out loud that he doesn't intend to steal their women away rarely helps, so he just hides his grin behind his glass as he drinks, and pretends not to see.

"I'll bet he's pleased with that. Certainly can't hurt to gain his favor," Thor says approvingly. Sure, gods can't always do half of what their admirers ask, but it doesn't hurt to win a little power in your corner for emergencies, even if it's just calling in a favor from a powerful friend.

When Adia heads off to fetch the gift, he's half expecting Caspar to interrogate him on his intentions towards her, given the looks he'd been sporting before. Being asked about the feast instead, well, Thor certainly isn't complaining, and he chuckles. "Not carols, but there is poetry recited, and sometimes speeches, and a lot of mead."

[chiron_survivor]

No, it wouldn't help in the slightest. Adia would cringe in embarrassment and Caspar would forever think of Thor as a condescending tool. And anyway, he doesn't need Thor's reassurance. He knows that Adia's heart doesn't wander, and neither do her eyes. If he started playing the part of the jealous and possessive boyfriend, he'd be the tool, and he's not going to do that to his girl.

"Oh, well..." What a polite way of telling a god that Poseidon might not actually exist, and most of the people who participate in the Feast aren't actual believers, but merely participating in a time-honored tradition? She can't really think of one on the spot, so she shrugs. "We certainly have very mild waters around our island, so maybe?"

While she's off fetching the gift, Caspar silently sips his wine and listens to Thor describe his own holiday. He wasn't entirely expecting such a straight and earnest answer, and is at a loss for what to say in response. Fortunately, Adia is back almost as quickly as promised, a small, square package wrapped in red and green in her hand.

"Here you go, Thor. I hope you like it!" Inside the box is a small silver hammer on a chain. "Our silversmith made it. I thought, um... well, you can keep it in remembrance?"

[pirateangelbaby]

Thor would probably understand more than she might think. It confused him during his first few years on modern Earth that so much of human culture comes from beliefs that few hold anymore, tradition carrying on for comfort more than worship, any witnesses who met gods long since dead, their stories relegated to myth. But then, most hadn't believed in him anymore either, until he'd proven his identity on the world stage a handful of years ago. Whether this Poseidon exists or not, it makes sense to continue to hold his feast, if only to celebrate with their fellow humans. It's just what humans do.

He can't entirely tell, but Caspar seems taken off-guard to him, and Thor can't figure why. Maybe it's a Cylon thing? Before he can ask and probably embarrass them all, though, Adia returns with the little gift box, and Thor is surprised to see its contents, lifting the charm into the light so he can see it better. "It looks exactly like Mjolnir," he exclaims in wonder. He'd know the hammer's shape anywhere, and even the flawed length of the grip is portrayed correctly.

[chiron_survivor]

Thor's status of a god willing to chill comfortably with humans is one that Adia is still getting used to. And, honestly, if she wants to get into the metaphysical relationship between gods and their holidays, she can always talk to Loki about that, and preferably not at the party. She'd rather have a light-hearted discussion, for once.

At least the gift goes over well. She only has a moment to be nervous over whether the made the right choice before she smiles happily at his response. "I asked Steve to sketch Mjolnir so I'd have more than just a description for our silversmith. You should thank him for having a good memory."

Caspar, whose expression has been distant this entire time, returns to the conversation with a thoughtful, "Must have been a hell of a weapon."

[pirateangelbaby]

Thor has a wistful, nostalgic smile on his face as he rubs a thumb over the tiny inscription on the hammer. "He has a good memory, and an eye for detail. I'll need to thank him too."

His attention's drawn to Caspar when he speaks, and nods in agreement. "It was. One of the finest weapons ever forged for Asgard, crafted by the dwarves from a special metal from the heart of a dying star. It could not be lifted or moved, save by those who were worthy, and when I spun and threw it, it allowed me to fly. Mjolnir served me well through centuries of battle, and until its last moments, it never failed to return to my hand when called."

[chiron_survivor]

She almost tells Thor about Steve's life in the Nexus, before he became an Avenger. How he spent nearly all his time drawing. But that's not her story to tell, although it does remind her that he's not the only Steve in the Nexus anymore. "The Steve with the pokémon, to be specific."

At any rate, she's glad that he likes it. So far, when it comes to gifts for gods, she is batting two for two.

Thor's earnest answer doesn't get that strange look Caspar gave earlier. Instead, the Cylon listens with a serious expression on his face. A weapon like that -- one forged for a god, one that could decide the worthiness of others -- it deserves the admiration Thor gives it.

Although one aspect of the imagery eludes him. "When you flew, how did that work? Did you ride it?"

[pirateangelbaby]

...why do people keep asking him this.

To his credit, Thor takes a moment to choose his phrasing a little more carefully than last time. He's pretty sure Korg still suspects his relationship to Mjolnir was slightly different than reality, and at this point, protesting further isn't going to help at all.

"No, I only needed to grasp it by the handle the moment after releasing it, and its momentum would carry me along."

[chiron_survivor]

Maybe because people don't normally use their weapons to fly around? At least when he describes it again, Adia seems to get it, a look of clarity on her face. "Like a discus, except you never let go of it?"

"You sure you didn't ride it? I know someone who can fly around on a broom." Okay, now he's being willfully obtuse. "Pretty useful attribute for a weapon to have, though."

"Maybe you could still do that with a shield?" Adia suggests, thinking of her earlier conversation with Thor. "Or a flail, maybe? With a nice spiky ball at the end."

Caspar looks at Adia like she's grown another head. She's giving a god -- no, scratch that -- she's giving anyone weapons advice? "He'd probably be better off with a blunt instrument, if that's what he's used to fighting with."

"Oh, maybe..." She shrugs. "I already warned him away from scythes, anyway."

[pirateangelbaby]

"Something like that," Thor agrees, and almost unbidden, he imagines Rogers flinging his shield without releasing it. It looks far more comical to his mind's eye than it probably should be, and he stifles a laugh.

Caspar's expression, however, does get an audible laugh out of him, as does the commentary. "Don't worry, I know very well how to use other kinds of weapons. Spears, swords, plasma rifles. My first weapon was an axe, Jarnbjorn. Not particularly magical, but its blade was sharp enough to cut through damn near anything." He shakes his head, smiling. "But I'm afraid Mjolnir's mighty tricks wouldn't work with another weapon. It's all right. We had a good millennium together. Thank you, for this keepsake."

[chiron_survivor]

As if remembering that Thor is standing right there, Caspar gets his expression under control, something closer to neutral but distant, as if he's thinking about being somewhere else. That seems to be his default, when he's not posturing or wondering about the logistics of a weapon that can induce flight.

"No other weapon would let you fly?" That's too bad. Although having to be extra careful to catch the handle of a flying axe for take-off would be a headache not worth having. Adia's smile returns with Thor's expression of gratitude. "You're welcome, Thor. But I do hope you find another a new one that makes you happy."

Caspar would point out that this makes Mjolnir sound like an ex-girlfriend, but he knows what it's like to love and mourn an inanimate object. (RIP suit that got ruined by zombies.) "Should we drink a toast?" he offers, sounding surprisingly sincere.

[pirateangelbaby]

"Probably not," Thor says, after a moment's thought. "Unless it was designed for it. I wouldn't expect anything not made of uru to manage it, anyway. I'll have to ask Eitri, when I next visit his forge at Nidavellir."

Caspar's suggestion is well-received, and Thor loops the charm's chain around his neck before lifting his glass. "To the best hammer ever forged in all of Yggdrasil. May it have a worthy successor."