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Another fine day at Saganaki. This time Kai is actually on a for real break, lounging in the courtyard with quite the spread. There's no way he could eat all that by himself. There's lamb, dolmas, fresh bread with whipped butter, a bottle of strong red wine, baklava. The elf has gotten in over his head on this one. He sips a glass of wine and regards the courtyard as though it were his domain. Life is good.
Loki drops down from a state of…well, he wasn't actually /invisible/, but…something close to it, like a state of being not-noticed, and settles next to Kai. Long, pale fingers reach out to grasp a bit of the spread he has laid out and he smiles. "Perfect. I knew you would be somewhere relaxing."
Elmo comes through the restaurant to the courtyard, nervously, like he might get ambushed. He spots Kai. Then Loki. Then really transparently rethinks the wisdom of being here. For a second it seems like he's about to just turn around and leave, but—he doesn't. He walks in, trying to hold his head high. That is only modestly successful.
Daire had spoken to Kai only a handful of times since they met outside the community center, but he had stopped by Saganaki and had drifted into the courtyard to settle in for something to eat and had noticed a familiar face. Wandering over he says, "Hey, how is that exhibit going? I was thinking about it the other day."
Kai starts, but not very much since he has grown accustomed to his beloved's comings and goings. He smiles broadly at Loki and leans into him as some of his repast is taken. "It's a great day for relaxing," he says. Then he looks to Elmo and says, "Elmo! Come join us." There's a mercurial glint in his eyes. Oh yes, he's seen Elmo's hesitation, and he's stomping all over it. He gestures to a seat for Daire, too. "Hey there! It's going well. Finally got everything ready. This is Elmo, and this here is Loki." The way he gazes at Loki, he's not even a little bit subtle in his affection.
Loki smiles faintly at Daire, a man he doesn't seem to know, and more devilish at Elmo. "Ahhh yes…the man whom I owe a date at some point. Sorry, Elmo…but…the next trip through the stars, I am taking Kai." His eyes glint. "I know you must be disappointed. Not to worry. I'll get around to it."
"A pleasure…" he does greet to Daire.
Elmo sighs. Kai is helping. So, so helpful. "Hey, guys." He nods to Daire. "You're the guy in that one picture at the gallery. I'm doin' the lighting, so I know your picture real well at this point." He even offers him half of a smile. See, he can pretend to be normal. He makes himself go over to Kai and Loki and join them, like this is super, radically normal. "Kai gets priority," he says to Loki, even a little amused. "He gets all the stars he wants."
And then there is a Loki, and he glances over when Kai calls out to Elmo as well. There's a smile given to each, the horned mutant with the startling green eyes ducking his head just a little bit. When Kai gestures to a chair, he glances back toward the table he had been heading to, and then back to Kai and says, "Oh, sure, I suppose I could for a little bit. Josh isn't off work at the clinic yet." He settles himself into a chair and says, "Nice to meet you," to both Loki and Elmo in turn. He smiles a little and says, "Yeah, Kai drew me once."
"I think I got a few photos of Josh," Kai says. "He's a nice guy." He pours glasses of wine for everyone, just small portions for the mutants, and a larger portion for Loki. "Watch out for this stuff," he says. "It packs a punch." Elmo gets a smile as he says, "You say the sweetest things." To Loki, he offers, "Maybe Elmo would like to see Alfheim. I know Lambert does."
"Josh…the golden one? I know of whom you speak, though not overly well." Loki asks to clarify if it is the same man. "Are you with that man, then?" Probing, unabashedly. He reaches one hand out for more food, then leans back and drapes his arm to touch the back of Kai's.
"I would," Elmo says, relaxing infinitesimally. "Hell I'd love to see anywhere not Earth. Still got a lot of Earth to see, though, so no rush." He picks up the wine, tastes it—then sets it back down hurriedly, going a little pale. "Okay that's too much like…uh… it's, just too much." He fumbles for the words.
Daire takes the glass of wine when it's offered by Kai and he lifts it a little bit before sniffing at it lightly, to test out the scent before lifting his glass and taking a sip from it. He nods when Loki mentions Josh's gold and smiles, "Yes, that's him." And when Loki asks if he's with Josh, he nods his head before glancing over at Elmo, "You okay?"
Kai's eyes lid as he watches Elmo's reception of the wine. He leans into Loki's touch, languid and unafraid. This courtyard is a safe place for people like them. "What do you think, love? Alfheim or somewhere more adventurous. Elmo's quite the fighter when you put him in a corner." He winks at Daire as Daire sips the wine. It… it has a kick. Like a mule.
Loki chuckles as the others drink to their health and find it assaulted by spirits! Alas! Also hilarious. "Ohhh, Alfheim has enough excitement, I think, for Elmo. I'm not sure where I would take YOU though, Kai. I feel…somewhere watery, perhaps."
"Fine," Elmo says, way too fast. "Just, uh. Wine's too. Strong." He's so obviously lying. "So, you're Elixir's boyfriend?" he asks Daire, in a slightly desperate attempt to distract him. Then he gives Kai a narrow look. "Don't encourage him, Kai."
Daire blinks as he sips at the wine and is suddenly hit by the power of it. His green eyes widen a bit and almost seem to glow for a moment before he gives his head a little shake and then sets the glass down on the table. "Wow," he says, though not quite as strong a reaction as Elmo's, he definitely felt it. There's a glance between Kai and Loki as they discuss where they will head next. He nods when Elmo asks about Josh, "Yes."
Kai smiles at Elmo and rests his head on Loki's shoulder. "I'm his beloved," he says. "It's my duty and my pleasure in this life to encourage him. Besides, what are you so jumpy about? You get to have the attention of a god for an evening. How many people get that?" To Daire, he says, "That's satyr wine. It takes wine like this to get them drunk." He gazes up at Loki, food and wine forgotten. "I want to see Atlantis."
Loki takes up a glass of the stuff himself, eager to taste it now that he's watched the reactions of the others. "Its true. He constantly encourages me to misbehave. Tell me, who are you with, Elmo?" he asks curiously, turning the conversation from the fantastical vacation to a subject that lets him learn a bit more about the gossip he hears from Kai!
"Nothing," Elmo informs Kai, with all of the sincerity of someone who doesn't know how to lie. "He promised that nice Diana lady he would take care of me." He winces, when Kai explains that the wine is satyr wine, but takes a breath, because he is not going to get weird about it. HE ISN'T. Loki's question distracts him. "Lindon and Jay. Why you wanna know?"
There's the sound of wings beating, and then the breeze of great pinions. Michael, it seems, scorns the street and the door, when he can fly in. He drops in, gliding down the last little way, for all the world like Mary Poppins come to apply for a job nannying….and lands neatly in the empty space of the courtyard, looking around hopefully, as he folds his wings neatly behind him.
Daire plays a little with his glass of wine, glancing between Loki, Kai, and Elmo as he listens to them talk. When Kai explains the origin of the wine he says, "Ah.. that makes sense." He glances a little suspiciously at his glass and tips it toward him to eye the contents before straightening it once more. The sound of wings beating draws his attention away though, and over toward Michael.
"Just don't tell Lambert I borrowed a bottle," Kai says casually to those gathered at the table. He leans toward Loki and says, "You know Jay, and the other one is the nerd. You know. That guy." He nods wisely. Then his attention is drawn to Michael. He perks up, and he waves the angel over. "Michael! Come here, come here, meet Loki. He's my best guy." To Loki, he says, "Michael's an archangel." Like that's just some normal thing.
"I just…wished to know more about you. Ahh…for a moment, I thought that was your boyfriend, then. But…its not." Loki gestures in the direction of Michael and then he looks the man up and down, thoughtfully, perhaps probing his mind for memories of the angel of the same name, for surely powered ancient beings both familiar on Midgard, might have crossed paths. "Interesting…"
"Michael, my boyfriend?" Elmo says, surprised. "Nah. We went on a road trip though. Hey buddy," he calls to Michael. Is he on 'buddy' status with an archangel? Whatever, it doesn't stop him. He says to Daire, "Careful with that," gesturing to the wine. "It can make you crazy. Literally."
Surely he has - this is an apparition that's showed up on many a battlefield, since time immemorial. Though…..wasn't he more, well, glorious? No shining armor, no halo, no blazing sword. "I have a boyfriend," he says, in that mild voice. "But no, that is not him." He turns a sunny smile on Loki. "Hello. I'm pleased to meet you."
There's a glance over toward Elmo when he mentions that he is with Jay, and that draws a little smile from Daire that's a mixture of pleased and perhaps a little sad, too. It's been a long time since he's seen Jay. He smiles when Michael approaches and lifts his glass in greeting, "Hello. I don't think we've met. I'm Daire." This, to Michael as he approaches. But when Elmo points out that the wine can make him crazy, he sets the glass back down and pushes it away a couple of inches. We'll leave that right there.
Kai nudges some of the food toward Loki as he says, "We're just a pack of queens here tonight." Then to Michael, "Sit, eat with us. I ordered too much food." He nips into a slice of baklava, himself. When he pours the wine, Michael gets a full glass. Archangels can hold their satyr wine, he assumes. "Dinner is on me. It's my payment for being such a good waiter." A small smile flickers over his lips as he sees the mortals forsake the wine. Keen instincts, those mortals. "Isn't it neat?" he asks Loki. "If you just sit here, all sorts of great people happen by."
"Everyone has a boyfriend. What a change there has been around here. And who is yours? I need to know all these things so that I know more about Kai's friends." There IS a bit of a sly look about Loki, as he learns about said friends. Maybe he's coming up with individual tortures? Nah, can't be that! He takes a bite of the food as Kai offers it over. "You are right about that, Kai. A well-travelled street, a gathering place, a near /meadhall/ of a place."
Elmo nods at Daire, like, I know, right? "It ain't really for mortals. Kinda like the Asgardian stuff. More for satyrs and maenads." Kai, he graces with another look. "Lindon," he reminds him. "His name ain't nerd, it's Lindon."
"Lindon is his name," Michael affirms, pleasantly. He lifts the glass of wine in salute, murmurs his thanks. Then he puts a hand out to Daire. "I'm Michael. The first Michael," he adds, as if it needed clarifying. Well…..
Daire seems to relax a little bit as he listens to the conversations going on around him. There's a smile to Elmo and he says, "Yeah.. I'm getting that, and while I'm pretty resilient, I do still have to get back to Mutant Town in not too long." He chuckles. Then he reaches out to take Michael's hand and give it a shake in greeting, "The .. first Michael?" It takes him a moment to get the implication, but eventually it seems to click. "Oh."
"Lindon," says Kai, pronouncing the man's name for the first time. Just to please Elmo, because he's a good friend. He tops off Loki's wine, the doting coming as naturally as breathing. "It's why I hang out here. Always a friend to share dinner with." With Loki set for food, he starts putting plates together for everone else. Eat! To Daire, he asks, "How are things going in Mutant Town? I was just there the other day but didn't linger long."
"I need to turn in soon myself. Something about the wine that could make even a man like me, do soemthing foolish with too much in his veins." Loki answers to the men around him. He leans over and presses a kiss against Kai's cheek. "Do not be gone too late."
"Thank you," Elmo says to Kai, not at all sarcastically in any way. "G'night, Loki." He looks at Daire, interested in the other mutant's answer to how Mutant Town is going. Then sees that he's been hit by the realization of who Michael is, and grins wryly. Yeah, that never gets old for him, either.
"Good evening….I didn't catch your name?" Michael prompts Loki, hopefully. There's a birdlike cock of his head at that monosyllable from Daire, and he nods. "Yes," he adds. "I have many namesakes, I am pleased to see."
"I mean, it's Mutant Town? It's not currently on fire or being attacked, so it's pretty much as it usually is — good spots, bad spots. Eight Ball has been doing alright and hasn't been too rowdy, so I haven't had a lot of fights to break up or anything. The clinic is doing well, and the community center, well it always needs help," Daire says in answer to the question. He glances up as Loki begins to depart, "It was nice to meet you," he says with a smile.
"Not on fire or being attacked is a nice, positive step in the right direction," Kai decides. Then he has a sickeningly smitten moment as he kisses Loki on the cheek in turn and says to him, "I won't be long. I wouldn't dream of not taking advantage of you while you're drunk, my darling." Those big blue eyes are full of sappy affection.
"Loki…of Asgard. Fairly certain that I am the only one of those of note." Here, Loki rises, and bows his head with a crooked grin on his face. He places his hand on Kai's shoulder in an affectionate squeeze, then releases him, and teleports away.
"How very odd. I'm sure I've met him before," Michael says, not a whit surprised as Loki vanishes away. "He's not from this world, is he?" It seems to be a question generally posed.
"No, it .. wouldn't seem so," Daire says as he glances between the departing Loki and Michael. Trickster God and Angel in the courtyard of Saganaki. Daire's exposure to those outside of other Mutants is fairly low, and so he just kind of looks from one to the other curiously. Finally he reaches for that wine and takes another tiny sip.
"He's of Asgard," Kai says. He gestures for Michael to eat some of this succulent food he can't finish on his own, and he's still all aglow from Loki's presence. Apparently saving a guy from death is one way to earn a lifetime's devotion. "Loki is a Prince of Asgard," Kai explains. "Once worshipped here as a trickster god." He pushes some food on Daire as well. At least the food is delicious. "I'm from Alfheim, it's kind of near Asgard."
He apparently likes eating and drinking, even if he doesn't need to. Michael settles and starts picking among the food with evident relish. "I have visited Asgard. They have many mighty warriors, and warriors are rather my bailiwick," he says, modestly, between sips of wine.
There is food pushed in front of him. He hadn't intended to eat anything, but it seems a little rude to refuse, and he did come here to eat after all — so he does finally start digging into some of the items set in front of him. There's a glance between Michael and Kai, but he has nothing to contribute to offworld travels.
"Yes, Asgard produces some fine warriors," Kai says. "My home is known more for, ah, relaxation, I think. It's very lovely." He glances to Daire, smiling his approval at the food being tucked into. He does the same, eating a bit of this and that. "So where's the furthest from New York you've ever been?"
"The center of Creation," Michael says, after a moment's musing. "And Hell," ……when did he ever go to Hell? He swirls the wine in its glass, and sighs contentedly.
Daire glances up at Kai when a question is asked of him and he says, "Oh, I've been to Africa, and Iceland, and a few other countries doing.. work with kids." Rescuing mutant children in various foreign countries counts as that, right? "I've just never been somewhere that wasn't.. on the planet," he explains, making sure to finish off the bite of food he was eating before he speaks.
Kai tells Michael with a crooked smile, "I've heard New York called both those things." Then his expression brightens as he says to Daire, "Oh, wow. You rescue kids? That must be exciting. What do you do with them after you rescue them? I don't peg you for the 'father of hundreds' type."
That has Michael turning that lambent gaze on Daire, curiously. "There is so much to see just on this planet alone," he adds. Kai's asking the questions he would, it seems, for he doesn't expand on it.
"Help them find people who can help them, homes if necessary, teaching, that sort of thing," Daire says with a faint grin and a shake of his head. "No kids for me." He then looks back at Michael and says, "There is, yeah. There are lots of places that I haven't been yet."
"I think that's very nice," Kai tells Daire. "You're a real hero." There's sincerity in his voice, and Daire gets a piece of baklava for his troubles. "I don't think we'll have children either. Just the other day Loki said I'd be a terrible mother, and I can't really argue."
Kai's comment makes Michael's gaze turn to him. "I can't imagine how you would be a mother," he muses. "I suppose if you brooded an egg and it hatched and imprinted on you." As if Asgardians were geese.
Daire shakes his head a little bit and says, "I just help out where I can when I'm needed." He doesn't feel comfortable with the word hero, and that much is clear by the way he dodges the compliment. He does not, however, dodge the baklava, which he nibbles on. He then can't help but chuckle a little at the mental image conjured up by Michael.
Kai tells Michael, "I'll float that by Loki and see what he says." For all he knows, Loki can conjure an egg. "When we're ready, of course. We've already got a dog to care for." Like Kevin is that big of a trial. He then tells Daire, "What else do you think a hero is? 90% of heroics is showing up."
"What do you think a hero is?" It's a question posed to both, it seems, for the angel looks between them as he asks it. Genuine curiosity, it appears.
Kai says his good-byes to Daire, then tells Michael, "I think a real hero doesn't have to act outside himself to do good. I think people can be heroes just by being good-hearted people by nature, and the sort who don't stand by when someone needs help. It's more a state of being than an act, you know what I mean?"
That has the angel considering. "I'm not sure I quite understand?" he ventures, after a moment, turning his attention entirely to Kai.
Kai shifts a bit so he's facing Michael head on. "Okay, let me see if I can explain. Say you're just a guy on the street, and you hear a someone crying for help. If you're already the sort of person who has a good heart and a willingness to be there for people in need, you're going to go check it out and make sure whoever's crying is okay. If you're not the sort of person who's good-hearted and helpful, you won't."
"Nature does predispose one to it, it's true," Michael concedes, as he drains the last of the wine. "Though many are capable of remarkable changes of heart…."
"Yeah, it's all about who you are in the moment, man," he says. He tries to foist some baklava onto Michael, because it's truly fantastic. "That's what I like about humans, though. They're always changing. I think their lives are so quick, they never really have time to really get set in their ways. There's always hope they'll get it before the end."
Michael accepts it….nibbling at first, and then devouring. "I agree. They flash and change, like those little glitter bugs in summer," he says, softly.
Kai beams to find another baklava enthusiast. "They do," he says. "But I remember every one I've ever befriended. I like to think they're never truly gone as long as they're remembered. The friends I have now will live for thousands of years."
"I remember all those I have met. This is the first time I've come to stay in the world of matter, though. It's…strange to see it longitudinally, rather than flashes and glimpses…." Mike sounds almost mournful.
Kai gives Michael's hand a squeeze. "It's hard sometimes," he says. "Lots of people don't know this, but the old people I come to help, some of them I've known since they were young. We were friends, we went on adventures together. A lot of them think I'm an angel or a ghost, because I surely couldn't still be alive and young." It's his turn to look mournful. "It's not much, but it's nice to still have them a little while longer."
That has the angel, unprompted, leaning over to kiss Kai on the forehead. "I'm glad you will last longer than most. It grieves me, to know that time will separate me from the ones I love, until time itself is done."
Kai closes his eyes and smiles. A kiss from an angel is nothing to sneeze at. "It does cause grief," he says quietly, "but without it, there's no joy in sharing the time you have. The joy is worth it." He opens his eyes and smiles at Michael warmly. "At least we can be friends for a few millennia."