If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks...

[coldsong]

It's customary to have a Wake after the subject thereof dies. Even Loki knows that. But this is a special occasion. Ego-death is coming to his alternate, and the idea of letting him go off to perish alone, uncertain he will even be mourned, is too dark a proposition even for a flawed and callous person to contemplate.

That, and this Loki has been in a melancholy mood since speaking to the spirit of Frigga. He anticipates a dark choice of his own, sooner or later, and where the fates will send him after that, he can't know. Maybe oblivion, although even at that rate there may be worse places.

What's important right now is that no one dies unremembered. And honestly, any excuse for mischief a party. The first text rolls out to Harley, an innocent enough invitation to join them for milkshakes. Cricket is next, because it occurs to him that Cricket has plenty of liquor, which is good for a reckless celebration.

Things snowball from there.

As long as they don't destroy too much property, they'll call the night a success.

Comments

[fiveofnone]

That's going to be a tall order on Cricket's part. Caspar has a natural wariness towards gods and magic, and he doesn't make friends easily. But it's true that he has at least one thing in common with the adopted Asgardian. He has something in common with Loki and Cricket both, actually, but if Cricket isn't going to ask him how he managed to get from a locked down spaceship to a Cylon resurrection hub, he's not about to tell.

Cricket's response is the best of all possible outcomes. Caspar isn't looking for pity. "War's hell," he says grimly, then rolls his eyes at his own tone. "But it could have been a lot worse for me. Don't concern yourself about it, okay? I'm fine."

So long as he's not thinking about it, anyway.

That's a rather insightful argument that Cricket offers. Caspar nods a little, impressed. "That's the real problem, though, what you just said. It's not the mortals they're angry at, but they drag us into it, anyway. Look what happened to Hunter, caught in the middle of all those goddesses." He frowns, tapping at his jar of moonshine. "Even when they're benevolent, they don't see us as equals."

He could go on about that -- at Loki's party, no less -- but Cricket's response to his question is far more interesting. He doesn't miss that brief glance towards the younger Loki. The fact that it's another man doesn't matter at all to the Cylon -- barely anyone on Atlantis cares about that, especially not any of the robots -- but the fact that he has a crush on a god is another matter entirely.

And after Caspar went on that little rant about gods, too. Whoops. "A little advice?" he says. "Don't be an idiot like me and wait three months to tell someone how you feel. And get them flowers. Everyone likes flowers."

[alittlehinky]

"You don't know that for sure," Cricket says. "They ain't all the same. I mean, I reckon you're right about the Pleiades. Miss Caleno, anyway. I liked her a lot, and I trust her to be fair, but she didn't see us as equal, for sure. But they all have different things they're interested in. Maybe there are some out there that respect humans, too."

He hasn't really thought about that much in the context of the younger Loki. Cricket is a bit of a follower, and he's susceptible to a charismatic personality, which Loki (either Loki, really) is. He's seen a gentleness in the younger version's teasing charm, too. It's more than enough, with or without equal respect, but Cricket probably doesn't ask for that as often as he should.

He glances up at Caspar with a look of open surprise. He didn't realize he was that transparent, and it's doing nothing to clear up the blush on his cheeks. "Um." He says, nodding because he's not sure what to say to that.

"Flowers. M'kay. What, uh, what kind?"

[fiveofnone]

No, he doesn't, but he's cynical enough to think that must be how it is for all gods. It's difficult enough for a human to see a Cylon as equal, or vice versa. How much harder would it be for a god?

He's not quite so callous as to crush Cricket's optimism. It reminds him too much of Adia. "It's a big multiverse," he concedes. "So maybe there are. But let them prove that to you first."

He smiles a little at the surprise on Cricket's face, "Whatever flowers they like most," he replies, taking pity on the young man and not discussing the crush itself. "If you don't know that, roses, tulips, or orchids are always a safe bet. Just stay away from the color yellow. It symbolizes friendship and will send the wrong message."