γ → un: ghostking

[deathkid]

[ the view this time is of nico, sitting atop a gravestone. there's a fire crackling nearby, the glow making him look even more gaunt and sinister than usual ( if the dark hair, italian cheekbones emphasized by dark circles under his eyes, and the nearly all black clothing decorated with skulls aren't enough ). against the headstone he's sitting on rests a lethal looking, pure black sword.

it might seem like the beginnings of a horror movie of some sort, except nico is currently munching on french fries while gazing at the toy figurine he got with his quarantine equivalent of a happy meal. it's a pirate, of all things. ]

For those of you who are unaware, I am providing funeral services for anyone who decides to die heroically. Shroud burning, free of charge.

[ cheerful, isn't he. ]

Fortunately, I haven't had to do so yet, but where I'm from it's pretty common, so I might as well offer it here too. Trust me, though. Burning your body is best. You don't know who might decide to raise you from the dead.

[ and he gives a snap of his fingers. the earth at the feet of the tombstone he's sitting on begins to shift and soon enough, a skeletal hand begins climbing out. nico flashes a wry grin, and then turns the feed off. ]

Comments

@necromantica/video

[burntbridges]

If I didn't know better I'd call that a slight at me.

[She's teasing but. Wow that kind of hit a sore spot after the amount of arguments she's been in recently.]

@eddie; text

[causational]

...wow, that's super creepy.

[It also hits particularly close to home.]

[deathkid]

[ does he need to beat someone up for her? ]

Not really. Just a warning for some people to stay alive. There's a lot of reckless people here who just rush into things.

[ like himself, for example. ]

@ghostking; video

[deathkid]

[ sighs. he's trying to do quarantine a favor... ]

People die. It's a part of life.

un avengersfan252

[notasaviour]

[Honestly, it's less creepy, and more worrying. Nico looks kind of young to be hanging out in graveyards and talking about death, not helped by the kid's meal. He can't be much older than Teddy, after all.

It still takes him a little while to decide to answer, because he might be worrying about someone who doesn't need it, but better to worry than not.]

...Never felt an interest in getting into heroics yourself?

un; ghostking

[deathkid]

I'm not much of a hero. I just do what needs to be done.

[ avengers fan... nico wonders if this guy knows loki. as for nico's response, there are quite a few people back home who would disagree... ]

[causational]

Speaking as someone who's died heroically, believe me, I know.

You can't necromance me, can you?

[deathkid]

If you're alive here, you're not exactly dead, now are you?

[causational]

Honestly? I get a little mixed up about that. And I don't know anything about necromancy.

[deathkid]

Only works if you're actually dead. If you've been brought back to life, and that's really rare, then you got lucky. I can't bring people back to life. Just raise them from the dead. Zombies, skeletons, etc.

[causational]

Oh, so you can make dead people walk, basically, but not bring them back to full life?

This is confusing.

[deathkid]

You've got it. They eventually return to the underworld once I've finished my business with them.

[causational]

So...what do you do with them when you bring them back?

[video | un: edward.elric]

[alchemyfreak]

[Ed could almost dismiss this particular broadcast. In fact he almost does, because on one hand either someone is just trying to stir the pot. Or, on the other, he's being entirely serious.

Even if he didn't want to think about it, by now he got that everyone had their own skills from home to advertise in these places - whether they were even necessary or not, in some cases. Sometimes it was just a matter of familiarity, feeling useful, coping with the whole concept of not being home anymore.

Yeah, whatever, he got it. Nothing remotely noteworthy about this broadcast at all, at least until the very end.]

That is not funny.

[notasaviour]

I thought that was pretty much the definition, honestly.

[He could be wrong. But he'd always thought that was exactly what all the big names in the Avengers did.]

Besides, that's a pretty neat sword.

[deathkid]

Usually get information, or use them to fight battles and protect people. My father, Hades, gave me a zombie chauffeur for my birthday to drive me around since I can't get an American license.

[ he's still nomming his fries, btw. ]

[deathkid]

[ nico's never thought of himself that way. after all, most of the things he did were for selfish reasons. like trying to get percy to fall in love with him or stay alive. ]

Thanks. It was forged in the Styx.

[causational]

Well. I guess, if I ever die heroically, you have my permission to borrow me to protect people. But I'd really prefer not to be a zombie chauffeur.

[video | un: ghostking]

[deathkid]

[ shock, he'd expect. maybe being creeped out. but what nico isn't expecting is the anger, or rather... something negative that seems to come from this guy. for one thing, he must've struck a nerve with this... edward elric. for another, he's pretty sure he wasn't making a joke. ]

No, death is not good subject matter for jokes. Which is why you don't see me laughing.

[deathkid]

If you die heroically, you wouldn't be. My chauffeur cheated in the race he died in, so he's a restless spirit always seeking to drive again.

[causational]

Wait, so the way they died affects how they act when they come back? And you take that into consideration when you raise them?

Wow. That sounds like way more strategy than I thought.

[It's really amazing what you can get used to even after living most of your life in a totally mundane way in a totally mundane world.]

[alchemyfreak]

You think no one's going to notice your little sign off, there?

[He did and he's not just going to drop it because Nico's acting like it didn't happen. No it wasn't a joke, and he wasn't laughing, but he might as well have been in Ed's eyes.]

[deathkid]

In essence, yes. There's a lot of strategy in raising the dead. And I usually only do it for battles or fights.

[deathkid]

Because people don't get how valuable their lives are until it's lost. Death is as much a part of life as life is. Doing evil, giving up... those are ways that make it easier for me to call on the spirits of people who have died.

[ a sigh. ]

Look, I didn't ask to be a demigod. I didn't ask to be the son of Hades. But I was born with this power. And I'm trying to make sure people make the most of their lives so that when they do die, they don't end up somewhere they might not want to be.

There is no mercy in the Underworld. Only justice.

[alchemyfreak]

[Ed's been doing this long enough to know things aren't as black and white as he might have once believed. The change of tone definitely gets his attention, but he's not letting him off the hook yet.

He's filing that information about evil and giving up for later, but for now he doesn't comment on it.]

No one asks to be born the way they are, but you're not helping anyone with that stupid little stunt. That's not how you gain anybody's trust.