The Best Party in New York

Cake, cake was a luxury that Kade never had. Ever since he was on the run from Eldritch forces, he had to stay on the move. At most he had a couple of crackers or a ham sandwich. Could he rob some buffet, sure but that will cause more problems than necessary. However, things were different now, he can finally enjoy himself. The metahumans did not help rebuild this city, nor did they care for the little man. All they cared about was the wealthy. and being seen as a hero. Kade wanted a world of compassion, a world where his vision would come true. His party was full of music, and mortals had a great time. He towered over every mortal here, and they were happy. It helped that he brought entire barrels of beer, and many forms of hard liquor. Such expensive liquor that these mortals won't be able to afford with their salaries.

"I guess I should say a wish, a promise. I promise to go beyond religion, so this world be charged, to heal a broken world, to show invincible compassion." His words affected these people. It felt good to help others, not like these metahumans. He came down and helped them no matter how dirty they seemed. Kade cut through the large chocolate cake. Taking a large slice, he immediately bit into it. He moaned as the icing touched his tastebuds. Several laughed at the reaction. Tears formed within Kade's eyes, tears of joy. That in such broken areas, he could bring compassion.

Kade turned to everyone." Please, everyone, enjoy the cake! We have more, velvet, vanilla, even a fruit cake if you want." Several, actually many cringed at hearing there was fruit cake.  The eldritch entity laughed as he grabbed his giant golden goblet filled with beer."Yeah, that might have been a mistake." Kade grabbed the fruit cake which had peaches in it and walked outside. He sat it down and watched nearby animals come to eat the treat. There was a small dog, a cat, and even a bird which quickly flew down to get a piece.

Kade wondered if he had an alcohol tolerance, today he would try. Looking at the eclipse, he frowned. Someone evil wanted to ruin the world, and he proclaimed."Father, you dwell on hatred, fear, and brutality. But I have seen the light, and the veil has lifted, I will ascend and become love, I will be an outer god that shows compassion." Several looked at KAde like he was insane, but most wrote it off that he was drunk. He chugged the goblet, and the beer burned on the way down. He walked to a barrel and filled his goblet again.

”I never understood Devils Food cake!” The handsome young man with striking, vibrant pink eyes spoke flamboyantly. A modest crowd of party goers had begun to gather around this person, partly gathered up in the bland conversation that was going on. His conversation partner was a smartly dressed woman, hair a deep red and eyes piercing silver.

”What’s so wrong with the cake?” She inquired with a skeptical glance, dipping a plastic fork into a piece of cake expertly settled upon a small paper plate.

”Well people don’t like the devil, right? Then why do they name a delicious, chocolaty delight after the bastard?” He shot back,  also biting into his own slice of cake.

”Don’t you think a cake named after a great tempter would want it to be a tempting cake?” She returned the answer, arcing a brow questioningly.

He rolled his eyes, looking to the crowd around him as if silently asking a question to them. ”Oh come on. That’s so obvious it’s painful. Because it’s a sin for a cake to be so good?”

”Exactly.”

”...okay then.” He responded with, lacking a proper retort. Instead he turned his attention to the main event, that being the towering figure that had brought together their cake fueled escape.  ”What do you think about our host?”


”Child of an elder god seeking to become love itself? Doesn’t sound dangerous at all.” She responded with a shrug,  grabbing a plate of fruit cake from a hand that extended from the crowd around them and handing it to the young looking man.

”Might dip into my job a bit but I don’t mind. So long as we aren’t dealing with another Black Beast incident.” If what they were saying was overly important, those around didn’t seem to care much about it. ”I’ve been considering talking with him but I’m waiting for the right moment. Besides, it seems someone else is here that has more interest in talking with him. So I might wait till later. Never know what will happen.”

”Whatever you say big guy.” The irony of both of them standing around 5’6 went unspoken.

--

They weren’t the only important presences moving through the room. Three more had arrived, looking around the same age. A young man dressed in a sharp grey three-piece suit with strong gold eyes, alongside another who was dark of hair and rather short with determined glare. They were followed by a girl with dark brown skin,  curly black hair framing her face and an easy smile set upon her lips.

”I haven't sensed any magic interfering with the space around the building.” Christian started off, the youngest looking, looking down to a crystal clutched in his hand.  Not a single shine or blip.

“Are we worried about magic like that?” The young woman with them questions,  adjusting one of the many bands adorning her wrist. The three of them tried to weave between the small groups of people enjoying their time and keeping distance from the massive group in a corner.

”I don’t know. I’d heard whispers on the strands of reality about an outsider. Benevolent perhaps but I want to see for myself.”

”Are you concerned they might be dangerous?”

”I’ll get back on you about that.” Cas, the golden eyed boy responded. He looked no older than the host towering over the rest, yet despite that he was average height for a human male.

“I’m not too worried. You’d smite them if they were evil, right?”

This only made Cas frown. He didn’t really want to go about smiting anyone, especially if they only seemed to help people.  His eyes scanned the room and fell upon Kade, the frown remaining. Despite that he approached with no real concern for himself.

“Is that red velvet?” She crooned, walking ahead of and picking up a piece from one of the many tables that seemed arrayed with slices.  They stepped around a few dogs, and cats that were wandering around without a concern.

”Weren’t you allergic to cats Vera?”

“I was once.” She leaned over and picked up a black cat who only gave a yawn, seeming to purr as it nestled against her with cake in one hand and cat in the other.

Cas left the two of them and walked towards Kade, speeding up the pace of his walking. Soon enough he was standing before him, a friendly enough smile plastered on his face. He wanted to make a good impression. ”Hello, I’m Casmaudius. You can call me Cas if you want. I was interested in this party of yours and the things you were proclaiming.  Wanted to see if you had time to talk with someone as lowly as me.” He wasn’t sure of his divine essence was obvious to the being that towered above him but they were obvious to him.

Kade had many dreams, he wanted to he a god, a outer god who cared for people. Most were cruel or at least uncaring to the cares of mortals. Anyone that came across even the weakest of the anicents they will be driven insane at best, at worse turned into some plaything or servant for their cruel power plays against each other. If Kade knew one thing, it was how to smell a god. He dealt with his father too long to not know when he was speaking to a god. Usually Kade would be dismissive but this god or at least demigod wasn't being pompous or trying to ruin his enjoyment or the mortals. So the sword of dreams will stay sheathed in the mindspace which was the best place he put it. It was a weapon of the collective unconscious, would be dangerous in the wrong hands. Taking a large chug of his drink, he dipped his goblet in the barrel to refill it.

"Stop, you aren't lowly. Come, have a drink." Reaching in tye barrel, he pulled out a grapefruit that had soaked up some of the ale. He handed it to cas, and only remembered that he put fruit there. The fruit was mainly in the vodka such as vodka soaked pineapple or grapes.

"Cas, nice name, I am Kade the host of this gathering, you can speak to me about my goals, or about the cake, anything really. Personally, I rather talk about chocolate cake, it is so good." Kade didn't use any of his powers here, every mortal here was genuinely here. If the eldirtch boy knew one thing is that everyone loved cake

Cas accepted the grapefruit with an easy grace, looking over the rough skinned citrus with a muted interest. Pursing his lips and turning it over in his hand, contemplating all the dimensions of it. Was it some kind of strange,  large orange that reeked of booze? Even still, he pressed a thumb into one end of it, breaking the skin with ease and ripping away the peel to reveal the textured flesh beneath. Some of the juices leaked onto his thumb, which he quickly sucked away. His face puckered, the sudden sourness of the fruit and strength of the alcohol hit him both at once.

”Where I’m from we don’t soak out fruit like this, especially not with drink so concentrated.” Well at least not if it weren’t a manner of dwarven blend anyhow. Even still he picked a slice carefully from the fruit and plopped it into his mouth, chewing it with certain deliberance. It would take more than this to intoxicate him. It took something truly potent like Seal to hit him with that mind numbing drunkedness, but the one who introduced him to its taste was elsewhere.

”:Okay, that’s sour.” He chuckled, looking back up to Kade. ”The cake is a good topic but I thought we could talk about other things too. Your goals, what influence you wanted to have on this world. It’s part of my domain to look after humans of all kinds, so I want to be sure they’re well taken care of.” Some of his order had come to know him Casmaudius Alexandros; Defender of Men. It seemed like an obvious thing to him and yet he didn’t know how true it was, his clerics and champions were doing better in that department.

Taking the massive persons offer, he picked up a plate with some chocolate cake on it and bit into it. He could still see Vera petting a cat, now chatting up the people around the room. Christian was just watching him with that same intense look, as if silently worrying over him. ”The cake is good though. Who baked it?”

Kade was tempted to be brutally honest and he would. Gods weren't above criticism." I believe I do your job better than you. While you stay on your throne, chair, even pillow, I am here caring for the mortals. My dead mother never saw you, her soul devoured by my father. I think it is time for you to get a performance review." There was anger in his tone. Kade never stayed anger for long. It wasn't hot and enduring, no it was rather like the desert night. Cold one minute, hot the next. Howrver, noticing that the mood got a depressing feeling, he changed it.

"Back on a happy topic. A mortal taught me how to bake, but she did most of the work. Her chocolate cakes are to die for." He sipped from his goblet, and looked at the high empty cup." My plan for mortals is for them to be in a world of compassion. To go beyond religion to see this world be changed. If I was even lesser, I will tell them that I al the god of humans and demand that they worship me or suffer eternal hell." Kade was clearly mocking Christianity, he cared not for gods or their religions.

Kade bent down and pet a adorable dog that licked his hands." Not many meta humans do what I do. Sure they play hero, but who comes to the little guy. Their governments don't give a damn. Don't you see the scenes, there is anger Cas. If I destroy their cars, their insurance will barely help. A thief steals for his family and gets his bones broken by a hero." Kade stopped speaking, and summoned a sword.

The sword was in flux as if confused on what it wanted to be." This is a sword of the collective unconscious and people want change. Hence why my sword is changing." He put it back into the mind space.

”My job?” He questioned sounding more stumped than anything. Stroking his chin as he thought over what he should be doing, if there were something he was doing wrong. His father had informed him that he wasn’t perfect, that the gods themselves weren’t either.  Potent as he was, he didn’t have all of the power in the world and that meant  he knew he would fail. This world was rotten, he felt the rot around him and how it tugged at his soul. It was similar and unlike the one that he came from. ”I heal them of their aches, their pains and feed them when they request. Despite that I know I cannot do everything. I’m no omnipotent god as humanity wants but I do what I can.” He suddenly found himself sounding downcast, eyes looking down and a frown set upon his face.

”This world is flawed. People hurt each other for their own betterment. Evil men rule while kind men are crushed under their feet. The only thing I can do is give them the power to protect themselves. Help them in what ways I can but like my own world, I can’t do everything,” His gaze scanned out over the party, a kind of pain he felt often piercing through his heart. A deep sorrow that could only be explained as concern for them.

A gold flame lit in his hand, coalescing into a circular shape and cooling into that of a donut. Black frosting and what he recalled of bavarian cream filling. ”How do you feel about donuts? Where I came from they didn’t exist really, not like this but they’re really lovely.”

He had just been wandering back down from a hunt in Maine when he came across the party. David C. Crenshaw, or Quickdraw, as he was commonly known, was on his way to the local airport. He had been hoping to book a charter flight back home to Arizona with some of the bounty money he had cashed on earlier. That was when the delirium tremens shakes began to come in - too little alcohol. At least his healing factor was keeping things under control.

He wasn't going to die of the shakes, but they weren't pleasant to go through. Plus, his reflexes were wired - if he didn't get something in him fast, he might draw on the wrong person. And considering how...soft New Yorkers were with regards to guns, that wouldn't so. And his flask was empty of whiskey, too.

Well, if I ain't gonna get in trouble for drinkin' on someone else's dime, then...I'm drinkin' on someone else's dime... he thought.

David walked into the party, likely drawing eyes. This leather duster had seen better days - he'd been wearing it on-and-off since he bought it back in the 1880s, and had done many of the repairs himself. His hat was much the same way, with several parts of the brim frayed and tied off, over and over again. What little could be seen besides his blazer was a blue bandana wrapped around his neck. His blazer, boots, and pants were relatively new - gotten from some county fair in Texas reenacting the Old West.

All that accuracy, and they still couldn't get a lot of the clothing right. He'd lived the Old West, and he walked away from more gunfights than he could keep track of. He lost count of how many times he'd been shot after the two-hundred-third one. Maybe thousands of bullets. If he'd been paid a Benjamin for every bullet he'd taken, he wouldn't be bounty hunting.

He'd cracked a can of beer, with a muttered, "Don't mind if I do..."

As the booze began to set in, his shakes eased down a bit. The drink wasn't as strong as he was used to, but it was something.

"So..." he started. "Who's the occasion for?"

His question was more a rhetorical one than anything else; not really meant to be answered, but anyone who heard it could chime in.

Kade immediately retorted, his eyes filled with passion." And that is the mistake, you only come to the ones that know you. I go the ones that don't know me, you, or any supernatural being. The poor will never have the resources to know us, so I go to them. Yes the world is flawed but I want to renew it in a age of mercy, of stars, and of grace. Imagine the poor never needing to hunger again. The sick can get medicine freely, that is what I want." Kade was getting loud and people were listening to his words. Sure they could come across the rantings of a drunkard, but inside many wanted that. He was going to grow a following by just speaking like this, and because he was a great speaker.

Turning to the new man that came up, he embraced him." The special occasion is simply celebration. And my birthday is Friday. What this birthday week is for is the people who never had birthdays. Who are too poor, too downtrodden to enjoy beer and cake. Now they have a chance at happiness!"

Cas opened his mouth to respond but another voice rose to countermand him.

“Okay I’m stopping this right here.” Vera spoke up,  adjusting the scabbard on her back and focusing eyes on Kade. “The sick’ll get medicine freely? Feed all the hungry?” She stepped infront of Cas, resting a hand on his chest and gently maneuvering him back.  He could have resisted it but he had the feeling she wanted to say something, an important feeling within her chest.

”Vera please...”

“No Cas, I’m not going to hear this guy just straight up insult you like this. Your mistake? You hear them day and night, doing everything you can and this guy just comes around speaking his fancy words and treats you like you’re no good? This fucker who’s throwing a party all ’let them eat cake’?” Cas could feel her discontent as if it were his own, and he felt something else. A radiant feeling that flowed through the air and settled around them.

“If you want to give out performance reviews so bad, here’s mine. Where were you when my family was gunned down? Where were you when all of New York was blown to pieces? You think you can just come in, give them birthday cakes with beer and make it all okay? Cas is too nice to say anything but I’m not taking your horseshit!”

”Vera please!”

Her expression grew harsh, gauntleted fist curled up. She reached for the donut Cas had made and took a huge bite out of it. “How bout you actually do that shit instead. I won’t have you talking shit to my friends like that.” Her eyes kept contact with his, intense as if something she had said. Cas looked apologetically to the man that had approached, questioning what the event was for.

"I don't mean to impose. I'm just a passin' through for the booze," David said, shaking off the embrace. A great deal of discomfort filled him and he had to restrain himself from drawing either weapon of his. "Happiness is all well and good until the wrong person gets it for all the wrong reasons. Seen it happen way too much in my time."

There was some argument in progress between the trio. He came in late, so he didn't get a good hearing, but from what he could piece together, it was a question of doing right by someone versus making them happy, and at what scale.

"Look, I got no horse in this race," David said. "I'm just some guy who does what he does best to get by. If we're talkin' 'bout doin' right by people, sometimes, ya gotta forget the scale and just acknowledge the effort. All I am is a good shot with fast hands - I can't be everywhere, or work for everyone that wants me."

David cracked another can open. "And let me tell ya, technology has made the average man a wimp now," he added. "They're too content with livin' rather than growin'. I'm for givin' the average man a solid kick if it will make him stand up for himself. You had to, if you expected to live when I was a kid."

One would expect Kade to get mad, but there are a few things that make him mad. Was this his girlfriend, lover, no he smelled the magic on her. It must be a warlock or a paladin. Kade never made a paladin, his power was still growing. Maybe in the future, he will make himself a paladin. Having someone smite evil for him will be neat." Cas, you have great friends, someone willing to stand up for you is admirable. Vera, I don't require a performance review as I don't proclaim myself a god, for I am not a god, I am just a man." If anyone did any lie-detecting spell, it would fail as Kade was telling the truth, well he was telling his truth.

"And second I have, all around the globe, I have warlocks working for my mission of a perfect world. I say I have too many but I don't constantly spy on them" Kade paused, getting a plate of cake and handing it to the newcomer." Welcome to the party, sorry for the argument, hope you enjoy the cake, and I agree. In my age, the world will grow, the old gods will be banished, and I will spread an age of kindness. My problem with the superhumans they tackle part of the problem and not the root. Cas, you and your warlock will fight an eternal war, I seek to end that war. Look at the news, people are angry at the Metahumans. All it takes is a spark to light this fuse. This party is not only for missed birthdays but to calm the rage."

"More parties will follow as I do like people. Hate will die under happiness and joy. Someone once told me laughter is the best medicine, well call me the doctor."

“Why you little…” Vera growled at the eldritch being eyes narrowing with a dangerous sharpness.

”Woah woah woah, what’s going on here!” A voice chimed, masculine and bearing with it a certain kind of allure that few could really deny.  He looked young, maybe early twenties with messy brown hair and a nose dusted with freckles. ”Felt some bad vibes around our host and wanted to see what was up here.” He was constantly smiling, eyes seeming to glide between Cas and Kade.

“Who are you?” Vera questioned, seeming to turn that still bubbling rage towards the unknown man.

”Amour. Bit of a mover and shaker on the social spheres.  Heard this party was the place to be, so here I am seeing how much is true.  Imagine my surprise when it looks like we’re  getting a little argument going on here.” Something about him just seemed to make people around him feel...calmer. Positive emotions towards the man, sunglasses perched on his nose lowering slightly as he leaned forward to reveal softly glowing pink eyes.

He looked over to David with a wink before turning attention back to Kade. ”So wouldn’t happen to have any red velvet? I’m having a real bad craving for that.”

The newcomer seemed to calm things down with his presence alone - something David was thankful for. He didn't want to disarm the situation with just flashing a gun. But he had been close to doing so before this Amour came into the mix.

Amour, huh? he thought to himself. French for "love". Gotta admit: he's pretty disarming...

"That, like, a nickname, or somethin'?" David asked in between Amour talking to Vera and asking Kade.

"Hmph. Never did get the appeal of red velvet cake," David commented. "More of a tuxedo-style myself...whenever I feel like having cake, that is..."

"Don't suppose you have anything stronger than this cheap beer?" he asked Kade.

Mason looked at his phone one last time as he arrived at the party, seeing the Lucas had yet to answer his message. “Come on man, what is going on.” He whispered under his breath, concern for his friend showing. Ever since the lab was destroyed, Lucas has been distant, and any time Mason does see him, they barely speak before Lucas flies off somewhere, always finding some problem he needs to go take care of.  

The speedster couldn’t blame him, though, Lucas fought tooth and nail against Amaterasu, and in the end, she was simply stronger. And now the media and that anti-meta movement were crucifying the poor guy, blaming him for the lives lost in that horrible accident, him and the “mysterious” vigilante people claimed was seen with him. Even Shuriken couldn’t escape the scrutiny, but Lucas was the one taking on the burden, he blames himself for their deaths.  

All those lives, among them Masons own father, a good, honest man, who became a father-figure for Lucas as well. He took care of both his boys, making sure their injuries were tended too, helping them with their excessive diet requirements, coming up with the calorie meal bars himself. And now he is gone, that monster killing him as she made Lucas watch, Masons blood boiled as he thought of it.  

But as quickly as the anger rose, it subsided, as Mason took a deep breath. He came to this party to celebrate their life they had, not sit around and sulk over their death. His father always told him that life was short, and could come to its end at any time, so might as well live like everyday could be your last. So here Mason was, living life, looking to enjoy an evening on this rotating ball of dirt, and not think about tomorrow.  

Unfortunately, it seemed the party was short lived, as he walked further into the crowd, realizing many of them had stopped dancing, and were now focused on something going on. He pushed through till he was in full view of whatever was going on.  

There were a few people standing in a space that had been opened up, giving them room, one of them was extremely tall, most likely a meta or not human. There was then three that drew his attention, a young kid, dressed in a rather nice three-piece gray business suit, a woman standing in front of him, next to her a very handsome man. Off to the side, Mason raised a brow as he looked over the man in the old-west style duster.  

Judging by the womans posture, she was laying into the rather tall man, as the others looked on.

Mason let out a sigh as he suddenly vanished from the crowd, a slight rush of wind indicating he was gone. A few moments later, he reappeared in his suit between the taller man and the woman, holding his hands up to both of them. “Okay, so I am sensing some tension here, and judging by the looks of you two...” He looked from one to the other, then to the Wild West man. “And Clint Eastwood over there, I’d prefer to settle this before that tension explodes into a full out showdown, especially with innocent civilians around...” He lowered his hands when he saw they weren’t advancing. “Names Speedrun, pleasure to meet you all, wanna explain whats going on here?”

The tension was slowly dying down from the party as more were coming between him and the woman, the mortal that fashioned herself into a paladin. This new man was odd, he could feel the love coming off him, it was strange. Another meta human, no there was a taste of divinity. There were a lot of gods here. Well it is expected, he was not just some random meta-human. He was the child of an outer god, a being whose mere word could end entire realities and dimensions. Kade took in a deep breath, separated from them and retrieved a slice of red velvet cake. Kade preferred vanilla or German chocolate cake.

"Let's all calm down, this is a celebration, not a fight. There is plenty of cake for everyone and beer. I am Kade, and I am just a man who wants to see people happy. I am not a god, nor a meta human, just a man." He passed it to Amour. He also poured glasses of ale and set down on a table for anyone to drink, attempting to calm the situation.