[Closed] Sleep and his brother Death

[refantasma]

Who: Ienzo, Mikleo, and Nico
Which: Closed Log
Where: Outskirts of Town.
What: Dreamboard Quest #305
Warnings: Death, considering the board quest and Nico’s general nature.

The people who told Nico otherwise were wrong. Death did come to this strange realm of dreams and sleep.

Nico wasn’t surprised. Hypnos and Thanatos were twins, so there was bound to be an overlap between them. He just hoped he could help the newly departed with finding peace and moving on to whatever afterlife they belonged to before it turned nasty. Ghosts could become worse spirits.

The weather didn’t seem to be agreeing with Nico. It was dark and overcast now, with some rain, but at least it wasn’t pelting down like it was hours ago.

Nico got to the site where the death occurred, drew his sword, held it out blade down, and reached out with his senses. “I am the son of Hades,” he said. “You have nothing to fear; I’m here to help."

Comments

[tsunergy]

The concept of death in a dreamworld had fascinated Mikleo, so he'd followed the clues as well and ended up in the same spot. The rain didn't even remotely bother him; perks of being a water seraph. Someone seemed to have beaten him to it, but not by much, so he paused off to the side, glancing around for any sign of the ghost they were searching for.

He only half expects to be heard, but his track record in this world thus far had been lousy at going unnoticed as a seraph, so he went ahead and openly called out, "If you're trying to put it at ease, drawing your sword isn't a good start."

[refantasma]

"That's why I have it pointed down," Nico said, turning his head slightly to look at the man who spoke.

An older guy, a little shorter than Nico was, with hair as white as Nico's was black. "It also works as a medium."

And it was needed. Two months after his adventure from Greece to New York, he was still recovering from all that energy spent from shadow traveling two other people and a forty-foot magical statue.

"Are you here to help them as well?"

[tsunergy]

Mikleo was about to retort that even pointed down, the sword represents an obvious threat, but the medium comment makes more sense to him, so he nods- both to the question and to Nico's answer.

"That was the plan, yeah. Or if they can't be helped, then at least to learn their story."

That part was almost as important, in his mind. The stories of the dead are among the best ways to learn how to help others in the future.

[refantasma]

"Learning their story is probably the best way to help them," Nico agreed. He turned and lowered his sword to his side. "I'm Nico di Angelo, son of Hades. Who are you?"

From the way the guy was dressed, he wasn't sure he'd know who Hades was, but he didn't want to assume.

[tsunergy]

That's a long name. He definitely doesn't know who Hades is, but longer names in human culture - or being tied to whoever one's parents are - generally means someone of importance, in his experience. He'll keep that in mind, even if it doesn't mean anything to him personally. (Social standing between humans has no bearing on him, so.)

"Mikleo. I'm still new here, but experience is the best way to learn."

[refantasma]

On his side of things, Nico takes notice that Mikleo only has one name. In his experience, that usually means someone important.

"I'm new here too," Nico said. "I was told there was no death here, but well." He gestures in the direction of where the death took place. "I felt that happen."

[tsunergy]

(And then they were both right and wrong in different ways.)

That makes Mikleo blink, following where he points. He can sense certain things himself, of course, but death isn't one of them. Only if malevolence generates wherever that death occurred, in the soul of the one who passed. It's in part what had drawn him here- not malevolence, but the concern that some might develop over time.

"You felt it?"

Maybe he was overthinking the name thing. It could be this person isn't human at all.

[refantasma]

Nico nodded. "I'm a demigod," he said. "My father is King of the Underworld, and I've inherited some power over his domain."

He looked towards the building. "If there's a death nearby or if it's someone I know, I can sense when they pass. And normally, I can control them, but my powers haven't been working right lately."

[tsunergy]

A 'demigod'... the word is essentially alien to him. In his world there are humans, seraphim, hellions, and otherwise normal creatures. There are seraphim who take on animalistic features or bodies, and the normin of course, but they are still full-bodied seraphim. A demi-god would be a... part-god? The equivalent in his world - a half-seraph - doesn't exist. Strange.

"Maybe that's for the best, in this case. I doubt we'd get far in winning their trust if controlling them played a part in resolving this."

[refantasma]

Nico shrugs and makes a face that shows he's not completely happy with this development. "I mostly agree, but if things get hairy, I'd like to have that ability as a backup plan."

He looked back at Mikleo. "Shall we?"

[tsunergy]

Mikleo nods. Having a backup plan isn't something he'd argue against. It's actually a refreshing change, since he's used to cooperating with people who rush in guns blazing and hope for the best... anyway. Time to get to work.

He reaches out, manifesting a long staff into his hand, and with a light spin, water vapour coalesces around him and then spreads outwards, flooding the area with a very gentle, misty atmosphere. You'd think it would obscure the space they're in and make it difficult to see, but it does the opposite, actually. Their forms are still very clear, and the dusky view makes it easier to see the glimmer of their wisp with the rest of the world fading into the background.

[refantasma]

He's used to weapons appearing out of no where, so he hardly blinks when Mikleo brings out his staff.

Nico does take interest in the ... spell? ability? that makes the mist thicken but not hide them from each other.

"Interesting," he said, following his senses to see a glimmer of light that must be the departed's soul.

"Hello," he called out to it. "We're here to help."

[tsunergy]

The wisp offers no response at first, drifting and flickering somewhat erratically. It's clearly frightened, confused. After a lengthy pause it begins to ramble wildly, words blurring together in a disorienting string of information (fell? accident? attacked?), accusation (did you do this?), distress (am I dead? I don't want to be dead!). It's difficult to understand what it's trying to convey.

Mikleo stretches a hand out, making a slow, placating gesture. "Calm down, we can't understand you. Take a-" Deep breath? No, that won't help a ghost. "-a bit of time to settle, and tell us what happened."

[refantasma]

"We're here to help," Nico said again; his voice was gentle this time. He put his sword on his belt and walked towards it, hand outstretched as if to help someone up.

"You are dead, but that's okay; it's a part of life. It's not the end, just the beginning of a new chapter." Gently, he cupped the light as if cupping someone's cheek. "We want to know what happened to help you the best we can."

It was his duty. He was, for all intents and purposes, a priest for the dead.

[tsunergy]

Their calming presence and comforting words seems to have the intended effect, over time. The wisp flutters, its inner light flickering like a light switch, cold beneath Nico's hand. Over time, however, it begins to settle and warm. There's a long, drawn-out silence, until finally, uncertainly, it begins to share its tale in a more understandable manner.

It had been on its roof, trying to repair some of the damage done during a recent storm. It slipped, suddenly, on some terrible black oil that appeared out of nowhere, and before it could save itself, the ground came up fast and then- darkness. It would seem like an accident, but where did the ooze come from? Someone must have planted it, surely! Or it was a terrible beast, trying to kill them! Please, please, won't you catch the nefarious killer and avenge them?

As the wisp began to speak, Mikleo had summoned a notebook and was writing it all down, every detail, no matter how dubious. At that comment however, he looks up and quirks a brow. "...Did you see what they looked like?"

They don't seem very sure about it being a person or a beast... did they see anything at all?

[refantasma]

Nico's used to the coldness that comes with death, so it doesn't bother him. He brought it closer to try to warm it as he listened to its tale.

"Black oil," Nico murmured. He looked up at the roof, then around.

He reached out with his senses. Trying to see if there was magic of some sort at work. But he didn't feel anything aside from the dead person whose soul he was cradling to his chest.

"Didn't see you're attacker then," he said when the wisp answered Mikleo's question.

He was about to look at the older man when he noticed there was a black goop at his feet. "Ah, here's the cause of the death," he said, stepping out of the junk. It smelled familiar. Not bad. Not like oil. "Let's see where the origin of this liquid is."