Happy Birthday//Welcome Home!

[alittlehinky]

The garden is flourishing, a riot of blooms at one end, plants heavy with fruit at the other. The chickens are in place, over two dozen of them in an oversized coop at one end of the property. The barn is unfinished, but the moonshining shed is massive, shiny and new, with locks on the doors and storm shutters on the windows, in case of another winter like the last.

The house is not huge, a sturdy two-bedroom place built with thick stone walls. It contains single floor for living, a small attic, and a deep split-level cellar. The furniture has been moved in; it's all secondhand but repaired and refinished.

By Cricket's own standards, the place is practically a palace. He never dreamed he would own so much land--granted, this is the Nexus so the topography and acreage may fluctuate, his claim may be challenged legally, whatever--it belongs to him right now, he bought it with money he earned, and he's got the living space upon it arranged to his liking.

It's sunset, and there are fairy lights strung up on the porch and in the yard, tables with food and moonshine set out, and beneath the treeline off to the right of the house there are fireflies flickering. There's a radio playing music, and lots of blankets spread on the grass for sitting or watching the stars. It's meant to be a low-key affair, but enough people wanted to see Cricket's place he felt like a party was the right idea. A small one. A quiet one.

(This is the Nexus, and there are Lokis. There is always a chance small and quiet may not stay small and quiet.)

The cake, in case anyone wants to know, is vanilla with blackberry filling. There's no writing on it, but it's the centerpiece of the food table. Cricket's not in the habit of demanding attention on his birthday, but...blackberry cake.

[[ETA: Please feel free to assume if your character knows Cricket they were invited via text or face-to-face discussion. If your character doesn't know Cricket personally but you want them to drop in, feel free to PM me and we'll figure out a reason to get them there.]

Comments

[chiron_survivor]

It takes a couple of minutes for Adia and Caspar to make their way to the birthday boy. Adia first has to look over the house, and the yard, and the garden. She's especially taken with the garden, pointing out the various flowers to Caspar while he listens with a smile, as if he doesn't already know the names of most of them.

Finally, they make their way to Cricket. Adia is dressed in a simple summer frock. Caspar is likewise casual, wearing a suit, but forgoing a tie. "Happy birthday, Cricket," Adia greets with a smile and a hug. "Your garden is so beautiful. It reminds me of home."

Caspar offers a wrapped package to Cricket. "Got you a little something," he says casually, although there's a hint of a smile on his face. It's a glass blown cricket, shiny and iridescent, something that would sit nicely on a windowsill and catch the light.

[alittlehinky]

Oh, they will get a full tour once Cricket spies them, if they want it. In the garden, there's a neat little herbal border of creeping thyme and lily of the valley, and flowers include zinnia, black-eyed susans, fire pinks and bee balm and brightly colored phlox. Cricket has encouraged some of the wildflowers at the edge of the woods, too, and added a few plants he hopes will spread, dropping compost and fertilizers where they're needed. His favorites are mostly early spring flowers--alas, the trillium and lady's slippers are done blooming for the year--but there's queen anne's lace, rhododendron, thimbleberry and sumac.

Cricket is in a relatively casual outfit, with a highly peculiar cat sweater on over his button-down and slacks. Maybe Loki picked that one out? Or maybe not. Cricket's taste is a little quirky.

He grins and hugs Adia gently, and looks happily surprised to have a present at all, shaking Caspar's hand firmly before opening the package. The gasp of delight ought to be rewarding. "Thank you! Oh, it's pretty!"

He'll put it next to the repaired sandglobe, on the bedroom windowsill.

As he's still exclaiming over it, none other than Willie the Lillipup trots over, possibly recognizing Adia's voice. She is, as always, sharply dressed, in a sailor costume, with a matching blue bow on her head. She hops up on her hind legs, resting her paws on Cricket's leg braces and peering at the guests curiously, tail wagging away.

[chiron_survivor]

Adia returns the hug warmly and easily, as she always does with Cricket. Caspar is a little surprised by the handshake, but seems pleased by it all the same. His equivalent of a hug, maybe. And that gasp of delight is indeed rewarding. Enough so that he can overlook that nightmare of a cat sweater. Cricket, really. It's not anywhere close to Christmas.

"Glad you like it," he says, and is about to say something else, but then Willie makes her appearance. He has never seen a lillipup before, and certainly not one in a sailor dress, so he is not prepared for the onslaught of concentrated cuteness. His eyes take on a shine that is the opposite of cynical, the line of his mouth softening while he looks at her.

No. It's too cute.

"Oh, hello, Willie!" Adia leans forward and pets her on the head in greeting. "Caspar, this is Willie, Cricket's lillipup. Isn't she adorable?" Caspar makes a quiet, almost tortured sound of agreement, and Adia flashes Cricket a quick grin, knowing full well how this was going to play out. "We'd love a quick tour of the house when you get a chance. Did you have it custom built or was it already on the property?"

[alittlehinky]

It could be worse, Caspar. He could be wearing his Smash the Patriarchy hoodie. Not that the message is bad, there, but it is neon pink.

"It's really beautiful," he says of the gift, cradling it carefully in his hands. And he, like Adia, watches Caspar's transformation with amusement.

Willie's tail-wagging only increases when Adia speaks to her. She gives a couple upbeat little yips and lets herself be petted, but if there is any pause in Adia's attentions, she's going right for Caspar. She's acute enough to recognize admiration and will take her tribute now, thank you very much.

"Sure thing!" Cricket's enthusiastic about offering tours. "I had it built. Bought the property first, then took out a loan to build on it, but housing's cheaper in the Nexus somehow than back home. I guess 'cause of the materials and technology available?"

He heads slowly for the side door, giving Willie and Caspar plenty of time to keep up.

[chiron_survivor]

No, the message is great, especially if it's a human patriarchy. The neon pink, not so much. Although pink has its place in the color wheel of fashion choices, certainly.

"The Nexus is pretty generous that way," Adia hums thoughtfully, giving Willie one last little pet before straightening up. "I think that's great that you had it custom built. You can make it just the way you like it." She's eager to see inside, and follows Cricket before pausing a moment and looking back at Caspar. "Honey? Are you coming?"

Caspar is crouched down, petting Willie affectionately, letting the dog love all over him, a helpless smile on his face. He blinks at Adia, then blushes furiously. "Um, y-yeah. Yeah, sure." He looks down at Willie again and reluctantly stands up. He'd offer to carry her, but he doesn't know if she'd like that, and it also feels weirdly like a betrayal to Princess. Dusting off his hands, he tries to pretend like none of that just happened and joins them at the door, Willie following alongside.