God Jól - Nexus Winter Party Post 2018

[pirateangelbaby]

The winter solstice has arrived, and with it, the Nexus has made good on the promise of frost and snow. Soft white banks blanket the streets and buildings, a darkened evening sky curling overhead with brilliant green and yellow auroras, and just off the Plaza proper, a roaring bonfire offers shelter from the chill. An entire oak tree trunk, carved with nordic runes and anointed with spices, blazes with merry heat in the center of a series of open-sided pavilions, their supporting posts wreathed with holly and pine. The entire gathering is ringed by evergreen trees whose boughs are decorated with ribbons of brightly colored cloth, carved wooden runes, cranberries, and small squares of toasted bread. At the back of the grounds, an enormous straw goat overlooks the proceedings, bound into shape with strips of red cloth.

Beneath the shelter of the pavilions sit long communal tables and benches, decked with greenery and candles that smell of warm cinnamon and cedar and bayberry, and tableware laid out to host a grand feast for all. One table is loaded down with food of all sorts, dishes donated by visitors spread out equally amidst those provided by the host, roasted meats and cheeses and breads, bowls of apples and oranges, and an entire boar's head with an apple in its mouth. At the end of the table sits an enormous silver punch bowl of steaming hot wassail, surrounded by bottles of colder brews, some labeled as non-alcoholic while some others warn against excessive consumption by anyone without a godlike constitution. Staff wearing white goathide cloaks and horned helms tend the tables, replenishing food and drink as needed, and handing out honey cakes and small paper-wrapped parcels to all in attendance.

The jólfather himself can be seen wearing a finer goatskin cloak of dark red, his head wreathed with a crown of woven holly and ivy, a gold patch covering his missing eye, and carrying an oaken staff carved in the likeness of Gungnir, with springs of mistletoe entwined around its head. As guests arrive, and fill their plates and cups with the bounty of the feast, Thor raises a horn of mead to the gathering and speaks the traditional Asgardian Yule blessing. "Come those that will, leave those that will, stay those that will, I declare this place a sanctuary. To all that sit at my hearth, today we are family, and I drink to your health. To a good new year, and peace!"

Welcome to Yule, Nexus-goers. Eat, drink, and be merry!



[OOC: As this is a party post, please feel free to threadhop and mingle to your hearts' content! There is a post in the OOC community about Yule gifts here.]

Comments

[juststeverogers]

Now, Steve and Natasha are more than well aware that their friend and fellow Avenger isn't exactly from around their parts. They're aware he's pretty much a god. It's still a heck of a thing to see him in all the traditional garb instead of his usual armor or their world's clothes.

Natasha's got a slick dress suit on with gold and white trim to add some festive cheer to her normal black and gives Thor a small smile before she makes her rounds. Not doubt making sure there's no one to cause trouble at the God's venue. Steve though, he comes carrying a small wrapped parcel that he passes up to Thor where he's seated once he gets close enough. He's dressed simply but comfortably festive himself.

"Nice setup you've got here. We got you something. Nat's around, but you know her. Merry Christmas."

[courtofmurk]

Natasha's good at moving through a crowd without being noticed more than she chooses. Still, there are some very sharp eyes keeping a lookout. She likely won't be over-surprised when, pausing in the shadows by one of the boundary trees, there's a flapping and the rustle of fir needles near her shoulder.

"Hail, Knight of Brawn! Hail and well met!" Even keeping his voice down, the Knave's voice is never calm.

[red_room]

It always used to be her partner that would stick to the fringes and watch from a distance. Natasha was always the one in the middle of it, blending in but still seen and interacted with. She's doing less of that these days. Now it's her sticking to the edge of the festivities, watching more than she engages.

She frowns visibly at the flapping, though she's already reaching for her plate to toss a bit of seasoned salami toward the noise to cut off the inevitable begging for food. It's not what she gets though. Natasha turns her gaze toward the shadows.

"Well met indeed." What is this avian emissary up to?

[courtofmurk]

Oh. Well, he does want the salami, but she can guess that anyway. The Knave has a greater purpose here.

He's got secrets.

"You were wise to come here, crow-friend. This winter is bitter. Feast and fatten, fatten and feast. We must grow strong!"

[red_room]

"Are you talking about in general, or the spirit in charge of the place?"

Because she can think of several reasons why the Winter Spirit who likes to stick his fingers into everything this time of year might have issue with a bird quite literally shitting all over his creations. Not her problem, really. But if she doesn't share her food she's liable to hear the birds all night.

"I can get you a plate of food but considering how much is here tonight I'm surprised you haven't been gorging yourself on unguarded delicacies already."

[courtofmurk]

"Aha." His response to her question carries a whole weight of suggestion. The little bird cocks his head at her slyly, before her offer distracts him.

"The Knight of Marrow raids the featherless feast even as I speak! He is bold as ever! Undaunted! Fearless! Hardly moping at all! But... I am forbidden from the feast until my message is delivered. So listen well!" He hops closer, head lowered and voice lowered to a harsh whisper.

"The Duke bids all the Court take heed: he has returned! Flown from his nest in the Crow's Wood! Even now he plots and schemes with the most trusted counselors. Hatching plans, gathering shadows. We prepare... for war."

[red_room]

The duke has returned and he's preparing for war? That sounds like either code or something insidious if Natasha's ever heard it but she's not very certain what all that has to do with her. What would war to a bunch of birds even look like?

Swarms, poo projectiles, diving for treats? It sounds like a good day to conveniently be gone form the Nexus, in all honesty.

"And what do you want from me?" Whether Natasha will give it she won't say but it never hurts to ask. Be prepared.

[pirateangelbaby]

"Good Yule to you too," Thor answers, smiling broadly at the captain as he accepts the gift. Most offerings have been for the communal tables, as he expected, but it's nice to receive something more personal, especially from good friends.

Before he opens it, however, he has a gift of his own to give, set aside from the more generic packages that he's been handing out to thank those who've contributed to the tables. The one he hands to Steve is wrapped in red and blue paper, and is suspiciously bottle-shaped, with a single odd lump on the side. Upon opening it up, the lump will turn out to be a stone marked with the Aesir rune tyr. The bottle is of Sakaaran make, sealed with wax, heavy with a honey-colored brew, and a hand-painted label proclaims it Thor's Equinox, a coronation vintage ale. Not exactly aged for a thousand years, like the flask he'd shared at the last party they attended together, but it's just as potent regardless. Autumn's curse was good for something besides teaching him a lesson, it seems.


[OOC: Not the actual label on Steve's bottle, but I saw it and could not resist. XD]

I'm laughing so hard at that

[juststeverogers]

"Natasha helped me pick it out. And ah, don't trust the box. I promise."

He seems a little bit embarrassed about that but that probably means it was Nat who did the wrapping of their gift for Thor. And sure enough, underneath the brown craft paper with golden ribbon wrapping is a playfully colorful box but inside of that is something a whole lot softer and more appropriate for a gift. Steve smiles up at his friend when he's handed back a gift in return. Both eyebrows are up in short order.

Well, well, well.

Someone might just be joining in a new Year's celebration this year.

"I can't tell you how good it is to see you again. Have a friend this close, and in contact."

[pirateangelbaby]

Don't trust the box? Thor has a moment or two to puzzle that over before he tears away the paper, and laughs out loud at what it reveals. You eat one entire box of PopTarts in a single sitting and no one ever lets you forget it. How was he to know what a single serving was supposed to be?

The scarf inside, of course, is far more fitting of a gift than the sugary treats this box would usually contain, and Thor does not hesitate to add the lightning-patterned scarf to his neck, whether it matches the rest of his finery or not. "Thank you, Steven." He claps a hand to the captain's shoulder, just as pleased with his own gift as he is seeing his teammate's surprise. "It's good to see you too, my friend. I'm only sorry I didn't find this place much sooner."

[juststeverogers]

"I..." Didn't stop her, is what Steve is not going to admit. Even if he could have. He told her it was a bad idea and laughed more than he should have but he didn't stop her. He did, however, insist on wrapping it up in the brown paper he's always tied all of his presents up in since he started giving gifts out in the Nexus years ago. It's something he's never quite let go from his childhood.

"You're welcome. I wasn't sure if you got cold the same as me or her but. It suits you." Thor's the type of guy who can pull basically anything off though. It's all in the way you wear it. "I'm sure Nat will be around once she's made her rounds. She can't ever be comfortable in anywhere these days unless she's scoped it out first."

[pirateangelbaby]

"I do, eventually," Thor agrees, though he's not quite sure enough on the math to give any kind of answer Steve can relate to in Earth units. Allspeak never does well with that kind of conversion, and it's never been relevant enough for him to learn how to do it himself, so 'cold as a frost giant's touch' probably won't get him anywhere constructive. Ah well. Either way, the gift is appreciated, and might very well come in handy on his travels. The pattern's incidental resemblance to sol certainly doesn't hurt, either.

"She's welcome to it," he adds, in regards to Natasha's need to secure the perimeter herself. It never hurts to be cautious, even though that's a lesson Thor's spent a hell of a long time to start to pick up. If the security of his Yule feast meets her approval, they'll probably both feel better about the festivities. "I have something for her, too, once she's ready."

[red_room]

"Once who's ready now? Sorry to disappoint you on your gift. Steve insisted."

Natasha slips in between the two buff men as though she'd been there the entire time. Her smile is easy which means they know it's forced. Give her a few moments in their shadow and she'll relax into something more genuine just a little bit. Not softer, by any means. Quieter. More subtle.

"I spied a healthy offering of baklava on my tour of the place. Smacked a couple of kids' hands away from the jello-shot jellow mold your counterpart made. My good deed for the evening is done."

[rogueinladysclothing]

Of the many faces Amelia is eager to see around the Nexus at this party, Steve's is high on the list. When the man isn't busy conversing with the host of the party, the rogue makes her way over. It's been ...longer than she cares to admit since she's reached out to him, but she's hoping an apology and a bright smile will help smooth things over a little bit.

"Hi Steve," she says as she approaches. Her voice is soft, but earnest. "It's good to see you again. I hope you've been well." Her cheeks flush a little as she realizes that apology is probably best to give right up front. "I'm sorry I haven't been around lately. I've had some things to sort out." Understatement of the year, but she'll gloss over that part for now.

Reaching into her coat pocket, she pulls out her box of truffles and opens it. "I didn't realize this party was going to happen or I would have picked up gifts and something to offer to the table, but would you like a chocolate? They're quite good."

Is this helping her case? Even a little? ...probably not because this is Steve and she knows better than to drop off of his radar for long periods of time, but she's trying.

[juststeverogers]

She'd better be careful then because there's two men wearing that face around the Nexus these days. But only only of them carries firey orange fur on their pants and boots as a testament to Sarah's constant shedding and even more constant affection. He recognizes that voice though and the rogue who wields it.

"Amelia." It's been long enough that he's wondered if she hadn't found herself another world to call her own and it's good to see an old friend. He certainly doesn't look as though the time apart has been good for him. Steve's hair and beard are both getting long and unkempt but he's putting an effort into being here too.

"I haven't been around much either. Duty calls." He takes a step forward and rests a hand on her shoulder. "It's good to see you."

[rogueinladysclothing]

Only her Steve would reach out to her like that, which means he's getting a bright smile and then a tight hug. If anyone's earned her trust enough to get a hug without hesitation, it's definitely her oldest friend in the Nexus.

"It's good to see you too." Her smile warms as she pulls back from the hug. She touches his arm briefly in a gesture of affection and familiarity and then draws her hands back to her sides. "I'm glad you were able to take a night off to rest and enjoy a party like this. It's a few days early, but it makes for a good Christmas party, right?" She remembers Steve celebrating Christmas rather than Yule, even if she didn't bring him a gift this year. Being out of touch with everyone means gifts have fallen lower on the priority list, but she'll make up for that later.

[juststeverogers]

"We're in between missions at the moment. One of my team wanted to check in with his mom's family on the down low for the holidays so I decided to head back here for a while. Safer than anywhere back home."

And it hurts to admit that but he's the one who made this bed. He has to sleep in it now. The choice isn't one he regrets even if he misses the way things used to be so bad it's a sickness some days. He's usually too busy fighting his way forward. It's enough to make anyone tired.

"It's a good Christmas party, yeah." He's not got a whole lot for presents this year either, but spending an evening sharing a meal with Amelia is as good as one for him.

[rogueinladysclothing]

So long as Steve is safe, Amelia can't ask for much more. He's always physically healthy and it's impossible to tell how much weight he's trying to hold up on his world, but a warm and inviting party like this is truly safe for him. For them both, really. It's not that parties don't usually take a turn for the worse, but with Steve as friendly with the host as he is and various others making their presence and approval known in more subtle ways? Amelia honestly feels good about this one.

"What's been your favorite part of this party so far?" she asks. It's obvious talk of his world is difficult for him, so the rogue will take the initiative to avoid it. "The food? The drinks? The good company?" A little teasing will help lift his spirits, right? Because Amelia's certainly trying given that subtle grin of hers.

[juststeverogers]

"My favorite part of most things is the food." This many years out of the ice and Steve still appreciates not having boiled food be his primary and secondary means of cooking anything. "I like getting to try new things. I don't always like 'em, but there's so much variety here."

Let him just get Amelia and himself a drink. Sure, they won't do anything for Steve, but he still likes the taste of a lot of them.

"What about you? Getting into trouble?"

[chiron_survivor]

Catching sight of Steve, Adia offers him a bright wave before approaching him, Caspar in tow like always. The Cylon appears distracted, but not in that same tense, guarded way that he normally has about him. Maybe he's comfortable enough in Steve's presence now that he doesn't feel the need.

Or maybe whatever is on his mind is taking precedence. "Merry Christmas," he says simply, when they're close enough. "Your teammate knows how to throw a party."

"Merry Christmas, Steve." Adia gives her friend a hug, then digs through her messenger bag until she finds what she's looking for. A wrapped package containing a selection of charcoal pencils, both plain and tinted, as well as a framed photo of a familiar looking Braviary perched atop a modern wood cabin.

"We finally got Zelus settled on Atlantis," she explains, when he gets to the photo. "He loves it there."

[juststeverogers]

"This is the first party of his I've had the pleasure of attending, to be honest."

He glances around to see if he can spot Natasha but the spy has stepped away like she tends to do so his smile is all for Adia and Caspar as he raises a mug of cider toward them both in greeting. His eyes might be tired but the smile is no less sincere despite it.

"Oh, thank you both." And if a little more life comes back to his face to see the pencils well. Adia can be proud that she's brought a little more of her old friend back to see the yule celebrations. "Look at him posing. He's the same ham I remember all right." It's good to see B--no. Zelus. It's good to see Zelus doing well. "The gals are going to love this. I shoulda thought to do a Christmas photo with them. Maybe next year I'll have to do it."

He lifts the photo toward Caspar with a smile. "How are you two getting on these days?"

[chiron_survivor]

"Really? He seems like the kind of god who likes to party." Caspar's opinion of Thor might be a little skewed. The two times he's spoken to him has been at a party. At least this isn't the kind of festival that ends in mass chaos and violence. Once was more than enough.

The choice of art supplies for Steve had not come as easily for Adia this year as it had in the past. As she learned more about Steve's role as an Avenger (almost entirely secondhand), she wasn't sure if it was the right kind of present any longer. But watching the way his expression shifts, she knows that she made the right decision.

"He loves it up there," she says with a laugh. Her eyes light up at Steve's idea. "Oh, you should. Sarah and Ethel would look so cute in Santa hats."

As for Steve's question, the Cylon shrugs. "He won't always listen to me, but he minds his manners. I think the move to Atlantis did him a lot of good. Everyone else naturally gives him a wide berth."

"He has an enchanted ribbon tied around his ankle so no one thinks twice about his appearance." Adia hesitates a bit before adding, "Loki gave it to me."

[juststeverogers]

It's like a weight is being lifted off of Steve's shoulders the longer they talk. The art supplies remind him of so many good memories he has here with his friends in the Nexus and anchor his heart safely away from all the turmoil of his own world. Zelus is doing well on Atlantis, and is even disguised thanks to...

Oh.

The light hearted smile shatters like glass as something cold and heavy settles in Steve's gaze as he steels himself from the surge in his pulse just from hearing the God's name invoked. He can't help how he's scanning the crowds even now, looking for that greasy haired snake and half expecting him to be there waiting to strike. Loki's doing favors for the folk in the Nexus, is he?

And what happens when the god demands repayment with interest...? How many people will owe him more than they can pay in recompense? And that's if he doesn't delight in torturing them all emotionally first. Steve should have warned Adia and Caspar ahead of time. It's too late now, and even if it wasn't, would they understand? If Loki has wormed his way into their good graces nothing Steve says will do anything to sway them. He's seen proof of that before.

It doesn't make the hurt any less. Nor the worry and guilt.

"Owing favors to gods never works out for us humans in the stories." He finally decides on, voice tight with emotion only barely held back. "I hope you know what you're doing."

[chiron_survivor]

Adia had been testing the waters with her words, wanting to know how Steve felt about her interacting with Loki. She got her answer loud and clear, but oh, how she wishes that she hadn't brought it up. The last thing she had wanted was to ruin her friend's mood, especially on a night such as this.

Her gaze drops briefly. Apologetic, and maybe the slightest bit defensive. How does she explain to Steve that it is her fate -- or luck, or whatever -- to be drawn to into the affairs of gods? Would he rather that she run away like a frightened child every time she crosses paths with the supernatural? Where would that have left her in the Nightmare? Or at the Spring Revelry?

"I know the stories," she says softly. "It's not an owed favor, Loki didn't leave things open-ended. He asked that I warn him if my moon rune senses anything dangerous in the Nexus. That's all." She presses a pleat of her dress between her fingers and rubs at the fabric nervously. "Thor told me what he's done... I'm sorry, Steve. That gives you every right not to trust him. I'm being as careful as I can."

"You know what, while we're here, why don't you give us your side of the story, Steve." Caspar's suddenly looking a lot less relaxed; if the mere mention of Loki is getting the Captain all hot and bothered, then he wants to hear it.

[juststeverogers]

"He wh...He did?"

All this time, Steve's been so careful not to worry his friends in the Nexus. Not to let them know what sort of horrors and battles he's had to drag himself away from in between trips to this place he's called a second home for a few years of his life. All of that effort to have some people still know him as Just Steve Rogers eaten away by a few unintended words from one of his battle comrades.

And still, Adia listened to Loki?

The gaze he turns on Caspar is steeled and full of a fight that only those who have had to face Steve Rogers down will have seen before. A refusal to be silent or to swallow back his beliefs. A fire that drove even the small sickly man he used to be to get his faced pummeled into the ground on so many occasions that he damaged his hearing in one ear. One more ailment gone thanks to his new body, but still remaining in his mind.

"This isn't the place for those kinds of stories." This isn't a fight he wants to have. Once it starts, he won't stop. Steve knows that. Knows himself. "Maybe some other time. It won't change what's already done."