θ → ( 𝗏𝗂𝖽𝖾𝗈 ) un; ghostking

[deathkid]

[ it's late, but the stars are shining and the moon is big enough to reveal that nico is once again in the graveyard, sitting atop a gravestone as he munches some fries. his legs swing back and forth. with his mouth full, he pauses and regards the feed. ]

I've been doing a lot of thinking. Mostly about the future. So we're stuck here for five years, right? How many people are planning on staying after that? If so, why?

I mean... [ another bite of fries and he swallows this time before continuing. ] What do people miss the most about their original homes and is it enough to want to go back? If there was one thing about this place that could make you stay, what would it be?

I dunno. Anyway- Loki, I need to make sure I have Wednesday night off. And Jason, I need some advice. Also, Ed, I have a few questions about your alchemy.

Comments

[deathkid]

Really? I mean, I guess if anyone knows, it's you, but I was under the impression we were stuck here, at least for the five years.

[ a shrug. he could be wrong. after all, he'd been pretty pissed during the orientation and ignored part of it. and that was months ago. ]

Anyway, I was gonna ask if you could lend me a hand with something. There's an unmarked grave here and that means the spirit is restless. I want to put it to rest, but to do so, I need a gravestone. I can get the rock easily enough, but chiseling the name in it... seems something you could do easily.

[alchemyfreak]

This place promises to work toward sending you back if you're against being here. I did some research on it, talked to the people investigating the portal, if you want to leave you tell them. They do what they can to point that portal to your destination and when the time is right someone lets you know. I've only been here since June and I've seen enough friends go through it already to know it happens, most of them arrived after me, so they hadn't been here five years. They quarantine us for five years before sending us out into their universe, once they're sure we're safe. Until that five years is up? We can take that portal anywhere we want to go once it's pointing in the right direction.

[Like Yuffie, Lockon, Li, Letha. Not really the topic Nico wants to discuss though, is it?]

Yeah, no sweat. That will only take a second.

[deathkid]

Oh. Okay. I guess I should've paid more attention during that orientation way back. I was just so... pissed at the time, I didn't listen to it much. But if they can send me home...

[ that's got nico thinking. after all, he misses hazel and her boyfriend, jason, reyna, and even percy. ]

Thanks, Ed. I appreciate it.

[alchemyfreak]

It makes sense, a lot of people were. They can try, that's really all they offer. If they succeed you go home, if they don't well... When you do go home everything is the same way it was when you left. In the end none of it matters, this is all just some vacation that we'll probably forget.

[He's seen that enough times, too.]

Anytime. Just let me know when you have the material.

[deathkid]

A vacation we'll probably forget...

[ if that's true, then he'll forget all about loki. that's some good news, but he's also aware it comes with a price: he'd forget jason and ed and ivar. the friends he's made since coming here. ]

I'm not sure I'd like that.

[alchemyfreak]

Me neither, that's why I'm planning to stick around. Al's got his body back, so I know I accomplished what I set out to do. Everything else can wait.

[Like World War era Germany.]

I don't want to forget any of the friends I've made.

[deathkid]

[ quietly. ] Me neither. I've already lost a lot of my memories from when I was little. I don't want to lose anymore. Save for maybe one.

[alchemyfreak]

What happened with your sister...?

[Ed knows that he's not aware of every shitty thing that's happened in Nico's life, but he also knows that a memory like that one is hard to top.]

[deathkid]

No. I don't want to forget about what happened to my sister. That helped make me who I am today. What I want to forget is something else.

[alchemyfreak]

[Not everybody wants to be who they are today because of the things that happened in their life, but he doesn't comment on that. But since Nico didn't seem inclined to share and Ed had learned not to push his luck with him, he let's the matter drop.]

I hear those memory canisters could- if you actually wanted to, that is.

[He's not an expert on the topic, but it was possible.]

[deathkid]

[ a sigh. ]

No, I've lost too many memories already after my father had me dipped in the Lethe. Even if it hurts, I suppose I'll have to tolerate it. I've done it before.

[alchemyfreak]

Losing memories you don't want to lose isn't easy. I guess it would make sense that you wouldn't want to give up the others you have, even if they are painful.

[deathkid]

It's even worse not really knowing who you are. I struggled with that for a while. And when the terrible things happened, it was hard knowing what to do. I became pretty impressionable.

[alchemyfreak]

Because you didn't know who you were?

[That sounded tough, Ed had definitely never been in that position, unless one counted de-aging events, which he wouldn't considering nothing really terrible happened to him at the time.]

What kind of things happened?

[deathkid]

Aside from getting attacked by monsters or being stuck in a casino for seventy years?

Understanding myself took a while. I let myself be led astray by a vengeful spirit.

[alchemyfreak]

Didn't realize those were related.

What kind of vengeful spirit?

[deathkid]

You'd be surprised.

The kind that wanted to be restored to life, regardless of the cost. He misled me, or tried. I sent him back to the Underworld in the end. And took his title of "King of Ghosts."

[alchemyfreak]

So you figured things out and got the upper hand in the end.

[deathkid]

I did, and banished him back to the Underworld.

[alchemyfreak]

I bet that was a lesson in underestimating you.

[deathkid]

[ his expression darkens and a smirk forms on his lips. ] Oh, most definitely. After that, people started taking notice of what I can do. Sure, most were frightened, but they didn't underestimate me anymore.

[ a pause and he looks up, the smirk disappearing to be replaced by a thoughtful look. ]

Except Percy. I was always surprising him.

[alchemyfreak]

[That sounds like a double edged sword for someone that wants to fit in, but Ed doesn't comment, ever watchful of crossing that line since the last time.]

Percy underestimated you?

[He didn't think they were opponents at any point, so....]

You mean he didn't think you could keep up?

[deathkid]

I think he always saw me as an annoying little kid. Bianca's little brother. Rarely did he look at me as anything else.

[alchemyfreak]

[Ouch, and Nico had a crush on him?]

That couldn't have been easy if he didn't see you as equals.

[deathkid]

I tried really hard to make him see me differently, but... [ a sigh. ] He never even realized I liked him until I admitted I had a crush and that I was over him. Granted, I didn't make things easy for him. I was usually pushing him away.