abraxaslogs | And on the wings of a dream, so far beyond reality

[ Accidents... happen, okay? Sometimes, it's a funny misunderstanding of a phrase that serendipitously works itself out. Sometimes, you bump into someone, oops, and they're not as forgiving as the next guy.

Sometimes, you're magically, accidentally infected with hay fever. Fine, afflicted with hay fever. Nico has had the distinction explained to him before, and likely will again. In the absence of ambrosia and constant presence of his +5 to terrible patient, Nico is still going about his business in Caden; he's carrying an entire stash of hankerchiefs to make up for it.

He's a little pink-eyed and a lot pink-nosed, but no one ever died of hay fever. ]

Ah-choo!

[ The sneeze is a big one, and he barely has time to get kerchief to face. He holds the handkerchief there, fabric blocking his eyes, and counts to four to know that, okay, this round of sneezes is but one. His record so far is 7 in a row.

So the teen doesn't immediately see the skeleton pulling itself out of the dirt beside him. ]

[ Will is really really sorry okay? Did he mention just how sorry he was? His boyfriend trailed behind Nico, because he wasn't going anywhere without him right now, especially because Nico was now sick. Kind of. He caught up to him as he stopped to sneeze. Again.]

....I mean. Aren't you glad it wasn't like....anthrax?

[Way to bright side, Will. You didn't accidentally kill your boyfriend and cause an epidemic. So awesome. His self conscious laughter turns into real laughter as he catches sight of the skeleton Nico just summoned. From sneezing. Gods, he loved his boyfriend.]

Is he going to carry our bags, Nico?

[Will rummages around in his medpack for a cookie because Nico hasn't had the best day so far and summoning a skeleton by sneezing is just one of those things that deserves a cookie. It's also completely hilarious. Will is completely trying to not fall to the ground laughing because the currently the ground is kind of dirty, but Nico isn't making it easy.]

[ Will didn't need to apologize; Nico knows that's it wasn't intentional. If Will wanted to get Nico sick, who knows what might happen? ]

Can you do anthrax?

[ He's genuinely interested in that, stop laughing Will and be serious for a moment. But Nico turns and finally realizes what he's done. His irritation dials up to 11, but dismissing the skeleton feels like equally as much bother. ]

Ha ha, but he can, because I'm not carrying them.

[ Putting the handkerchief in his right side back pocket, which he's calling the somewhat dirty but still good in an emergency pocket, Nico tries to look less sulky so Will stays in giggling high spirits. ]

You know I'm not sure? But I'm sure voting to not find out.

[Will didn't see why he couldn't manifest anthrax, from a purely biological standpoint. It was a bacteria. If Apollo could cause strep throat, he didn't think anthrax was that big of a jump. But Will definitely didn't want to test that theory. A theory he was pretty sure both Apollo and Nadine wanted him to test. Or at least figure out so he could get a handle on it.

Again, Will was very okay with not getting a handle on it and it never happening again.

Will continued giggling because the sneeze summon was so darn cute and so absolutely hysterical. He puts an arm around Nico to show that he sees him trying. To show that he understands he's in a bad mood and Will gets it.

And he was really, really sorry.]

Are you hungry? Maybe our friend here could pick up some snacks?

[How would the locals react to a skeleton trying to be food? One way to find out?]

I'm voting... maybe.

[ The grin he slides in Will's direction, under pink eyes and nose, is sly and winking. It's the dangerous smile he gets when he has an idea that people might necessarily approve of. Anthrax... would be quite a weapon to have at Will's command, although Nico's not sure if the symptoms are as immediately annoying as hayfever.

But he shakes his head at the suggestion, a tiny scowl falling back into place. ]

No. I don't want to scare the shopkeepers. I don't want people screaming when I walk down the street. I've worked too hard for that.

[Will absolutely loves that grin. It's that grin that Nico makes when he starts to really be himself. The self that others might not necessarily approve of, that he thinks might scare others, that puts him him on the outskirts. To Will, it's showing that he's accepting who he is, and that, that's okay.

But then, the smile fades and that look is back. Will doesn't like that look nearly as much. That's the look that says 'no I do care what people think, but I can't let anyone know about it and I'm terrified of being rejected.' So, Will puts an arm around him, to hold him close as they walk. He knows who you are Nico. Even the dark, scary parts. Or at least, he's working on it.]

I don't think people are going to scream when they see you. I think you're selling yourself a little short. Most people, at least here, seem to accept the weird. They'll get to know you because of you. The skeleton wont scare them. If anything they might be curious.

No one seems to even care that I'm a demigod. [It was weird. So he understood how Nico felt. Especially because it was Nico. And the entire situation here was just jarring. But he wanted to get that look back.]

Now back to anthrax. Why maybe?

Edited (spelling) 2024-05-17 02:34 (UTC)

Will. Skeletons scare most people. So do labyrinths and harpies. I don't know if you've noticed, but you're not exactly normal, even for a demigod. Everyone likes you, including Mr. D. He doesn't like anyone.

[ Nico stops to try and fight off another sneeze. After about five seconds of scrunched face and nostril itching, he loses. ]

Ah-choo! An' de anfrax iz a goob weapon.

[ He fishes out the handkerchief to blow his, then sniffles. ]

It's a good weapon. It's bad, and it's not contagious. So you can get one person sick at a time. You wouldn't want to give anyone polio.

Maybe they've never met skeletons who can do choregraphed dance moves, Nico. Or re-enact really cool lightsaber battles. And I believe Mr. D likes both of us. Or.....would prefer we all die last. Which is pretty much the same thing. And people like you too Nico! Or would if you'd give them a chance. A lot of people can be won over by zombies dancing Single Ladies.

[Will got a look on his face that was 'I am definitely not going to laugh at my very cute boyfriend who I made sick and that's completely horrible but also the funniest and cutest thing in existence'. He probably failed miserably at covering it up, because he was Will Solace.]

Nico, you wonderful bright spot in my life, my grumpy ball of darkness, only you would come up with a positive aspect to me giving someone anthrax.

[He leaned over to kiss Nico's cheek, because he was absolutely wonderful.]

I think they'd be stuck on the skeletons, a-and I think they'd like me better if they met me without them.

[ He has to hold firm on this. Nico doesn't think he can leave the alley until the skeleton's back where it belongs, maybe until the sneezing is under control.

Which it isn't, Nico sneezes again, with a kittenishly tiny noise and head jerk.
He doesn't need to told it was adorable. He knows, and he's caught between looking more grumpy as described and cute. He hates it. ]

It's a good aspect. Everyone else needs more imagination.

I think that you think they're going to be stuck on the skeletons and they won't really see the real you if you meet them with the skeletons.

[yes Nico, he was on to you. He knew what you thought, he thought you were wrong. But he also knew you. Very, very well.]

How about this? This is kind of my fault, so why don't I fix it? You can shadow travel back to the room. I'll meet you back there and maybe I'll pick up some sandwiches and cake on the way. We can have a little indoor picnic. With skeletons. Just by ourselves.

[Will bit his lip because that was the cutest sneeze ever and he would never get over it. Nico: Ghost King. Nico: kitten sneezes. Adorable. His boyfriend was adorable.]

I can uh...take Tim here. And if I'm really lucky, I wont give anyone else any diseases and you can think up fun new ways I can use my powers.

Skeletons are for the second date.

[ Nico scuffs a foot on the ground, because Will has a tempting plan there, and Nico doesn't have anything better. Will's plan has cake, Will, and the possibility of a nap.

The original plan, toughing it out, has only Will. ]

I think I can do that. I don't know if Tim will stick around after I'm gone. I'm kind of curious now.

[ He leans up to kiss Will's cheek. It's not his usual habit, but... Nico feels like Will has months of loneliness to be made up. Then he steps back into a shadow and vanishes. ]

[ Nico is in... a place. It's not a place he minds; it's just the place that is. There are a lot of variations of greys and blacks all around, and the light is muted, so at first it's hard to discern what surrounds him.

He does like these clothes, though. Good, solid black boots. Who's Doc Marten? Did he steal the boots? ... whatever, they're his now. They go with the black jeans, which are close-fitting but not tight. Excellent for running and climbing without getting snagged. Nico isn't fooled by the rip at the knee. Look how clean it is; that's an intentional cut that says badass.

The shirt and the jacket, though, those are the scene stealers. Black t-shirt, worn to softness but still crisply dark, with a huge skull-ish graphic that hasn't even begun to chip yet, worn under a shearling bomber jacket.

He puts his hands in the jacket pocket, and they're perfectly placed to give him that instant slouch. He crosses his feet and slowly uncrosses them with a full turn on the spot. Yeah, this'll do. ]

[ It's not Jinora's first time in the Horizon, but given everything that happened her "real" visits haven't been many. She's also learned that Thorne isn't particularly thrilled with long visits in - but she so often relates it to her own Spirit World she can understand... It's too easy to get lost in worlds like it and too dangerous yet, so perhaps limiting visits is for the best. ]

[ Limiting, yes, but she's still curious and invested in learning more and working around her own space... ]

[ Which this isn't, but at the moment it's close to hers in that way they sometimes shift that if she incidentally stumbled in well... Well. It's muted colors are certainly a sight, especially against the deep oranges and reds of the monastic clothing she wears. There's not a lot yet to see except a boy who appeared to be checking out his fashion. ]

Oh. Are you lost? [ A question as she drifts a little closer, folding hands behind her back expression soft. ] If you're wanting a new look, I think you've nailed it.

Lost?

[ Nico blinks at the girl who's come upon him, staring at the orange in her clothes for a long moment. He'd never wear it, but he kinda digs it.

The question though, that's a tough one. He hadn't thought about where he was other as anything other than where he was. Nico frowns when he can't recall where where he is is, exactly. ]

I... don't know where I am, but I don't think I'm lost. I like it here.

[ Lost he repeats and Jinora tilts her head in response, brows furrowing. ]

[ But then he continues and - no to any sensible person he doesn't make sense. If you don't know where you are then you're los; Maybe it's just the circumstances of it that makes her understand. ]

[ She considers their surroundings a moment before asking: ]

I see. [ This must be his first time, ] What do you like about it, do you know?

What wouldn't I like about it?

[ It's a place, and any place that isn't actively trying to hurt him is OK with him. He has to think about it to come up with a coherent answer and just hope that it makes sense. ]

I like the dark colors and the diffused light. It's quiet here. The only thing that's happened is you got here. You seem okay.

It's just a question; There's no wrong answer.

[ Even if she thinks that the emptiness and dark colors is ominous to her personally. Her hands remain tucked behind her back and she offers a small smile, tentative and hesitant: ]

I hope I can be more than okay. [ The short laugh is a breath as she glances around, ] You can make anything you can dream of here.

[ He has a mission, but it's not to buy something. Or it's not to immediately by something. It's to bump into people who doesn't know that he exists and convince them to help him get his hands on a good weapon.

Will had given him a few names - okay, a lot of names, who has the energy to be that much of an extrovert - of people that he'd met here who he said were nice and two that he said knew about swords. Nico trusts his opinion, and he also doesn't want to let him down by not getting along with people. He's getting kinda good at people, but if Will's friends are expecting another Will Solace, Nico di Angelo is a disappointment.

So Nico didn't tell Will about his plan to Find Will's Friends, and that means it's a little tough to find specific people in a city when he only has first names. He can't go around asking if anyone knows a guy named Geralt. ]

Edited 2024-05-06 00:20 (UTC)

[ Now this... this is more like it. Camp Halfblood, the good parts. Those familiar with it might realize that it's a little light on cabins and the cabins are in a jumbled order. The grey-stoned Cabin 3, with its seashell- and coral-studded walls, is set right next door to the stolid, obsidian Cabin 13, which is next door to the golden-in-the-sunlight Cabin 7. Counting is apparently not their strongsuits.

They found space for the dining pavilion, and Nico insisted on the rock wall and the lava. The lake is next on his list, but negotiations continue. Nico suspects that Annabeth will get the final say on everything save the cabins after having the prodigious honor of redesigning Mount Olympus.

As for Nico, he can be found climbing the rock wall or stretched out on a hammock made from thick rope. The ropes leading to the trees are knotted up like a noose. Maybe he's sitting on the head table in the pavilion. It's not like Mr. D can tell him that tables are for glasses. If he's in Cabin 13, however, he's probably in a dour mood. Visitors beware. ]

Edited 2024-05-06 00:52 (UTC)

One day, Zagreus would like to visit Camp Half-blood properly. Get to know the place that was so important to Will and his half-brother. But today he'd instead offered an invitation for Nico to visit Zagreus's domain - the House of Hades - instead. Because as far as Zagreus was concerned, it was Nico's home too.

And as they arrive at the domain, it's very clear where they are. The river of blood surrounding the place makes that rather obvious.

"Here we are! Hypnos isn't here to give the proper official introduction, but...welcome to the House of Hades!" Zagreus says, with a sweeping gesture towards the entrance. "Also, you don't have to come in the customary way. I put stepping stones in."

Zagreus, however, does enter the customary way. Which means that rather than taking the stones across, he just...walks into the river. Nonchalant, like he does this every day - which he does - until the river flows over the top of his head. And then he walks out the other side, shaking his head to toss the blood from his hair.

When Nico follows - whether by stepping stones or a dip in the river - he'll soon find himself joining Zagreus in the entrance of the Great Hall.

"I won't tell Father about the broken protocol if you won't," Nico says, and he struggles to keep the grin suppressed to give the joke the right gravitas. It's not funny if it's not drier than Tantalus' mouth.

The teenager takes the stepping stones at a run, skipping a few for fun, but taking care to avoid the river. None of the rivers in the Underworld are swimmable, even if they're survivable (ish) for a demigod. Gods are a different story. "I'm all full up on rivers.
I took a boat ride on the Acheron last time I was home."

He comes to a stop just outside the entrance, looking up at the palace. "Have you ever been anywhere that was almost a place you remember?"

Nico might be fighting to hold back a grin, but Zagreus doesn't bother as he barks a short laugh. "Not even Father can complain about what he doesn't know about! Not that I ever let his complaining stop me."

In fact at this point, Zagreus's defiance of his father's wishes was outright blatant. Although it wasn't done with animosity and a desire to poke the bear that was the Lord of the Dead - not anymore.

But he lets the humour fade, when he sees how Nico looks around. "I haven't, actually. But...I suspect if I was to visit the House in your world, I might feel the same way about it. And it has been a bit disorienting, learning about versions of our family that don't completely fit with how I know them."

Zagreus moves up several rungs on the ladder of Greek gods Nico holds in his esteem, and he does it so easily, with a laugh and free understanding. He didn't even have to spend a year as a human to do that.

At least, not to Nico's knowledge, but he doesn't think that's a common punishment. "I guess you're right. You get used to certain shadows, the usual staff. It shouldn't make a difference if things are shaped kinda different, but it does."

Nico heads across threshold and looks around the entrance hall. "Just like it felt different without Bob. Iapetus."

Perhaps it's the influence of his mortal grandfather. Zagreus never had the opportunity to meet the man, but the red blood in his veins in proof enough that he's inherited much from him.

Or maybe it's just that the Gods in Zagreus's world don't suck nearly as much as they do in Nico's.

"...There's people missing here too," Zagreus says, with a long sigh. "No Dusa or Achilles, no Nyx or Hypnos...not even Father. It does feel rather empty without them. Cerberus is here, though. Or at least, a recreation of him that I inadvertently made on my first amnesiac visit here."

"You're friends with Nyx?" Nico looks surprised, no, shocked to hear that, and his eyes slide from Zagreus to the entrance - now the exit. How anyone can like Nyx is beyond him, and Nico tries to understand everyone, if he can't like them.

But Nyx has been in Tartarus too long, and there's none of the beauty of night in her anymore. Maybe there never was. Maybe Artemis took all the good parts.

And Zagreus misses her because he doesn't know what she did to Bob or to Nico. Or maybe he knows about equally horrifying actions and doesn't care because she's a goddess and he's a god. Gods, why is he such a bad judge of character? "Don't tell me you miss Minos too."

"Ah...Blood and Darkness, I'm sorry. I should have remembered," Zagreus says, cursing his mistake. "Will told me a little bit about Nyx in your world, and...I understand why you're wary."

He pauses for a moment. This is the trouble with alternate universes. How do you tell someone that the person who harmed them, in your world, isn't like that at all?

"Nyx is very different where I'm from. I've always known her to be kind, and gentle. She raised me, and...she's done more for me than you can possibly imagine. So I won't pretend that she's not very important to me.

"I don't know what happened to her, to make her what she is in your world...but I am sorry she hurt you."

"I am NOT scared of Nyx because I have blood and not ichor," Nico says adamantly. If they're going to have what is suddenly a very unpleasant conversation, he wants it to correctly unpleasant. "I'm not scared of Nyx at all. What she did to me - I'm fine, and so are the Cocoa Puffs. I can accept that maybe she's not 'like that' in your world."

Although how someone who hates other people for changing their nature can change their nature entirely from one world to the next is beyond him. "I feel sorry for her, because she's pushed away her own children, and I hate her, because she tormented Bob for trying to be better. Who does that? Like even for a god, who tortures people for genuinely trying to changing for the better? Not trying to make their circumstances better by hurting others, because he saved others, and she usurped Father's right to sit in judgment. I -"

He pauses, brain catching up to his tongue and wild gesticulations. "Sorry. I know she's not the same Nyx."

Zagreus never said that Nico was scared.

And yet, from the way he so vehemently says that he isn't, despite Zagreus never saying the word...he can't help but think that maybe Nico is. And just doesn't want to admit it.

"...Okay, you're not scared," Zagreus says, agreeing even if he doesn't believe it. "Also I don't know what the Cocoa Puffs are, but I'll take your word for it that they are also fine. How about 'angry'? Because I am definitely picking up some anger."

He pauses too. Lets Nico catch his breath.

"And...you don't need to apologise. I'm the one who should apologise, because I should remembered that she's not going to be your favourite person to hear about. She wouldn't be mine either, if yours was the Nyx I knew."

Angry is... accurate, he thinks to himself, but he doesn't have to like that Zagreus has him figured out. Nico crosses his arms across his chest and holds them there tightly, shoulders and elbows locked. "Fine. I'm angry, but I'm fine with it. It was weeks ago."

He doesn't want to talk about what Nyx did, and he doesn't think that Zagreus really wants to hear about how she ripped out parts of Nico and used them to create demons. Not if she was basically his mom. She raised me. He'll just keep it tucked away with everything else. There's more room now, thanks to Nyx.

"I don't want you to apologize. You couldn't know, but I appreciate the sentiment." Nico doesn't relax his arms, but he means what he's saying. He doesn't get a lot of apologies, so the ones that come up are remembered.

Maybe someone else would pull up at that mention of weeks ago. For Zagreus, however, Surface ways of measuring time are still very new. So he doesn't quite register that that timeframe really isn't long at all.

He might worry a bit more about his new half-brother if he did.

"No more apologies needed, from anyone. Got it," Zagreus says. Clearly, this isn't something Nico is keen to talk about, and Zagreus isn't going to try and make him. Clearly, a distraction and change of topic is in order.

"...Would you like to go and hit things with the Infernal Arms?" Because who wouldn't feel better after some nice senseless violence?

To a 15-year-old, weeks might as well be years when waiting for something to arrive or, in Nico's case, to fade out of memory. He'd dunk himself in the Lethe, if the effects weren't quite so tabula rasa.

And then Zagreus makes an amazing offer, Nico's eyes go as wide as saucers. He hasn't heard the term "infernal arms" before, but he can surmise the meaning and he likes. "Yes, I want to go hit things with the Infernal Arms. I showed up without any weapons in a town surrounded by monsters, and they don't have any Stygian iron or celestial bronze or anything, Zagreus. You're the only one who'll get the joke: it's worse than hell."

Zagreus laughs softly. "Mortal weapons don't really compare, do they? Not that there's many in Solvunn at all. They don't seem to like them much. Not sure why, you'd think they'd like not dying at the hands of any roaming monsters?"

No, the locals seemed rather more contend to leave that sort of thing to the monster hunting crew. Which was all well and good - but surely anyone would prefer to at least have their own weapon to hand?

"Anyway. Infernal arms are through here, past my chambers," Zagreus says, before running off towards a hallway. He dashes twice, shifting through space and leaving trails of red light behind - before he remembers that Nico probably can't do that, and slows to just a run.

Through the hallway, Zagreus will lead Nico through his chambers, at which point it will become immediately clear that Zagreus cannot keep his room neat to save his life. And unless Nico wants to pause and comment on his brother's choice of decor, Zagreus will keep moving through to the the courtyard, where six divine weapons hang floating in mid-air.

And on the wings of a dream, so far beyond reality

Free Cities - Hayfever

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Horizon - First visit

hope you don't mind a bit late, but it feels like a good first meeting!

I don't mind at all

<33

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Free Cities - People Shopping

Horizon - Subsequent visits

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