Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Mar 28, 2019 0:28:09 GMT -5
"Myrnin, I would let you pop out of coffins to scare campers any day. Not sure it'd accomplish what we want it to, but I'd pay to see that." Nico heard the way his voice faltered, but he knew it wouldn't give him away. No, his fear had already been apparent to Myrnin the moment it had rammed into Nico full force. He had spent some time in Myrnin's life, he knew what fear sounded like. He had dreams sometimes, of that room they'd shared... the parts of Myrnin's life he had lived through. They were never nightmares, though. His subconscious seemed to choose only to go through the good parts. But sometimes, when his own nightmares got bad, his mind filtered some of Myrnin's powers into his memory. In nightmares he could hear his own heartbeat racing, his own breath much too loud, but necessary. The scent of unnatural blood. But what he felt now was just pure, human fear.
And yet, when he turned around, a ridiculous and unforeseen smile spread across his face. Of course Myrnin had glow sticks. It was perhaps the most Myrnin thing that Nico had ever seen, and that was certainly saying something. "I... do you remember when you helped me tie up my hair?" he asked quietly, in reference to the glow stick Myrnin seemed to be using as a hair tie. "Would you mind doing that again?" His voice was faint, but he knew Myrnin's presence was helping to keep him stable. He took a few from Myrnin before hearing a response, decorating himself in a way the other campers would never believe unless they saw it themselves. Besides, getting the glow sticks set up meant they had stopped, which meant no more heading into the unknown... or perhaps too-well known. It was a nice reprieve.
His face fell at Myrnin's question. "I.. I don't know." It was at least honest. "As far as I know, there's nothing bad down here. Maybe just memories."
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Mar 29, 2019 3:11:14 GMT -5
"Nah, I don't want the money. I'm probably a millionaire if I collected all the denominations of currency I had. I'd jump out of coffins for fun though," said the vampire, grinning in the mix of red, blue, and white glow. He knew Nico was afraid of something. He didn't like that. He'd stay aware of what was around them, make sure there was nothing physically to worry about. If it was something in Nico's head and memories ... well ... he'd be there for that as well. Hopefully it would be easier if he wasn't alone.
"Of course I remember!" assured Myrnin, waving one glowstick around in the darkness until it created an after-effect of light in the air. "I have a very good memory."
He considered something for a second, then realized he hadn't answered Nico. "Oh, yes. Sorry, of course," he said brightly. He took the glowstick and stepped back to stand beside Nico, reaching out and helping to tie his hair with the glowstick. They were practically matching now, both displaying the glowing decorations as various accessories.
He glanced back at the tunnel and where it stretched into the darkness. "Memories can be just as hard to face sometimes ..." Then he did a bit of a tap-dance or skip until he was standing in front of Nico, holding his hand out as if offering to lead Nico forward. "But you don't have to go alone. Wanna take a vampire down a dark tunnel a bit, just to see? I wouldn't think less of you if you wanted to try turning around." Could they turn back? He seemed to remember the myth about the labyrinth moving. But it was still Nico's choice.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Mar 29, 2019 10:37:06 GMT -5
"It's a deal then," Nico replied, shaking his head in mild and familiar incredulity. He couldn't wrap his head around Myrnin sometimes, but he was looking forward to perhaps terrifying some campers. He still had a reputation, even though he'd proven himself to be just a normal person. He was going to back that reputation up as long as he possibly could, and milk it for all its worth. Myrnin could help with that - besides, it would be a fun practical joke. And a nice distraction to think about now.
He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the proclamation that Myrnin had a good memory. While it was undeniable that such a long life created certain gaps, Nico hadn't really stopped to consider whether or not Myrnin could remember things well that had happened recently. An uncomfortable thought poked at him: if Myrnin forgot his past so easily, how long would it be before he didn't remember Nico? That was part of what he'd been so afraid of when Bianca had joined the Hunters. They could barely remember their childhoods because of the Lotus. Her joining had meant leaving him behind. Choosing to make him part of the forgotten past. He squeezed his eyes shut. What did it matter if Myrnin forgot him? He'd be long dead by then. And then, when Myrnin finally died, he could see him in the Underworld. They could become friends again. Unless vampires went to Tartarus, which was a thought he couldn't bear contemplating. "Thanks," he managed through his haze of thoughts, relieved to have the hair out of his face.
"Let's see what's ahead," he murmured, not thinking before grabbing Myrnin's hand.
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Mar 29, 2019 16:28:38 GMT -5
"Onward!" Myrnin exclaimed in his best - probably ripped right from a movie - dramatic voice. He continued along the tunnel, looking away from Nico and at the walls of where they were going. Faintly, it was illuminated by the glowsticks, but he really didn't need the extra light. He squeezed Nico's hand, a reassurance he wasn't sure the demigod wanted or not. He didn't know where this tunnel would lead, but he thought ... He looked around at the walls, trying to tell if there was anything familiar about them. They weren't. But then again, when he'd been playing out Nico's life he hadn't been paying as clear attention to the structures of the places he'd been in.
That was fine. He was sure he'd find out soon enough.
Ahead, the air seemed to shift just a little. Myrnin could smell more than just dirt, cobwebs and old stone. There was something else, something which said there might have been an opening ahead.
"Hum," he said, not sure exactly what he should say as an indication to Nico. He'd been silent for too long, he knew, leaving Nico with his thoughts. Bad Myrnin.
"Lady Grey came along with me on this tip. I don't know if you know her very well, but I think it may be interesting once she tracks me down again. So if my angry girlfriend tries to kill me as soon as we end up back in New York it's completely my fault. She'll probably like you though. Oh ye, Sam came too. He's fourteen and never washes his hair." Myrnin gave ... such vivid descriptions.
The tunnel opened up a bit in front of them. Myrnin wondered how long they'd been walking as he paused.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Mar 30, 2019 0:49:55 GMT -5
"That's alright," Nico murmured quietly. "Your girlfriend can kill you while Solace kills me. I'll see you in the Underworld." The humor was grim, sure, but it was there. It was a good sign, really, that Nico was attempting to crack a joke. It did get him thinking, though. He wanted to take Myrnin to the Underworld. He wanted Myrnin to meet his dad and Thanatos, which he knew was a really stupid idea because Myrnin, by his very nature, had cheated Death. Myrnin and Thanatos were probably well acquainted - and likely disliked each other very much. Even if Myrnin had never really seen Thanatos face to face. It was... almost an amusing thought. He also thought it was amusing that Myrnin was commenting on someone else's looks. For the longest time, Nico also suffered from greasy hair and never washing it. He had an excuse, but still. Myrnin seemed to care about his hair more than his clothes. No, that was wrong. He obviously cared about his clothes, he just made awful decisions about them.
"I..." Nico was about to say something else when he realized where they were. He dropped Myrnin's hand and moved forward, the black stone barring the way almost calling out to him. He let his hand drift over the cool surface, surprisingly smooth. "I am the Ghost King," he whispered, a hard glint in his eye. He didn't know if Myrnin had seen this moment. He didn't know if Myrnin had heard his hard and angry words - the moment he'd realized he was a force to be reckoned with. Perhaps, almost a moment of redemption before he'd messed things up even more. A moment of rebirth, in an odd way.
Nico turned to glance back at Myrnin. "I... I didn't think this would still be here."
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Mar 30, 2019 4:36:51 GMT -5
"The Underworld where at least two of my other old significant others now reside," muttered Myrnin under his breath, but in such a low voice that he was sure Nico hadn't heard. It wasn't a sentence which actually meant anything other than the fact that there would probably be a couple people in the Underworld who would be more than willing to try to kill Myrnin for one reason or another.
Which meant, very probably, that he wouldn't mind going. It was just a trip for another day, since it seemed like they had a lot to deal with right now without having to worry about not eating pomegranates and not looking back when leaving.
Myrnin slowly walked up to the black stone, a hand reaching out as if to touch it only for his fingers to just waver in front of the rock while he looked over it.
"Yes indeed," he muttered in agreement with Nico. He remembered - not this stone, but the life that he'd seemed to live, if only for a couple moments - the Ghost King. The words more than the situation, though he remembered other instances where Nico - or in the room in the House had been a judge, than Myrnin - had been angry enough to take up the title of Ghost King. He glanced over at Nico, head tilting just a small bit as he murmured. "Ghost King when you want to be. There can always be more than one title and you can make one for yourself."
His hand, very light, reached out and pressed against the stone. He pushed at it, just a tiny bit and without any strength to the movement. "And this? I ..." His brow bunched a bit. "Believe I remember this being important, but I didn't think it was in the labyrinth."
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Mar 31, 2019 1:54:49 GMT -5
"Ghost King still works perfectly well for me," Nico replied, voice hard. The glowsticks seemed to be doing little to do away with the darkness around Nico, as though he himself were sucking in the light. His eyes glinted in the dark, for a solid moment as Myrnin reached out to touch the stone himself. He knew he could let himself be more, he knew he was more, but sometimes it was a nice reminder to have that he had power that most people could barely imagine. Power that he rarely used because doing so killed him a bit more each time he tried, but the fact remained that he had created this, and it had remained here. And it seemed, in the moment, that a bit of Minos seemed lodged in Nico. Maybe in his memory, or maybe just by virtue of being here and remembering it. It was funny, that the final assessment of Minos' training - the thing that would have made him the most proud, had been stopping him. Being here was a reminder of the darker side of Nico. The parts he didn't like to present in the House because that was all he was allowed to be here in his world.
"I grew up in the Labyrinth," Nico told Myrnin quietly. It was more or less true - the year where he'd been forced to grow up too soon. The year where he'd stopped being a child, and had done everything he could to push his childhood away from him and become the adult he was supposed to be. He had been a terrified child who just wanted his sister back. "It was here, where I chose sides. For real." So much of Nico was expressed through his eyes, and now was no exception. His heart was still pounding, he was still scared of what he had created here. Of what could still be lurking in the memory of it. "I..." he closed his eyes. "I don't know how I'm supposed to feel."
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Apr 1, 2019 15:31:15 GMT -5
There was a long pause from Myrnin, since he couldn't tell Nico what to feel. There was a lot to take in and even though he'd had a basis on Nico's history he hadn't ever heard this part of it from Nico himself. The House could have him play it out until all time ended, but it wouldn't be how Nico thought about it.
"You don't have to know," assured Myrnin, running his hand along the stone before dropping it back to his side. "Life's complicated. You don't always need to know how you feel about something." He didn't say anything else, but he thought, You just have to move forward. The past is the past.
He looked at the rock for a second long, but continued to be silent, to let Nico think.
It was then, of course, that his phone started ringing and Myrnin's face flared into something close to a pale pink blush. "Er ... sorry."
He hurriedly reached into his pocket, refusing the call, and then short of shimmied around Nico. He sorta wanted to hug him, but he'd learned to respect Nico's boundaries if nothing else.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Apr 8, 2019 23:23:48 GMT -5
Nico looked up, surprised, at the ringing phone. He muttered an obscenity under his breath although logically he knew that being near a phone wouldn't be enough to get them killed. He just couldn't use it. Right? That was how the technology thing worked? He'd never really had a reason to be clear on that because cell phones confused him anyway, but now that the problem was right in his face he really wasn't sure what to do about it. Just ignoring it was probably the best immediate course of action, so he forced the thought away and accepted Myrnin's hug wordlessly. It was a big stride, being able to hug Myrnin without hesitation, while also maintaining the label he'd given himself what felt like a very long time ago. There was more than one side of him, for sure. He took a deep breath before pulling back from the hug, allowing himself the smallest of smiles.
"Did you need to take that call?" Nico didn't know if it was important, but Myrnin didn't seem the type of person one would call unless it was really important. Or maybe it was a spam call or a prank call... or maybe it was just one of Myrnin's friends looking for him. Frankly, if Nico was gone much longer he wouldn't be surprised if he received an Iris-message from Will or Reyna.
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Apr 12, 2019 4:13:00 GMT -5
(Replying tomorrow, bumping back to my participated list.)
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Apr 13, 2019 1:18:51 GMT -5
"I did not," assured Myrnin. "It was Lady Grey." He half smiled. "And when I'm hiding from responsibility, I do not take calls." He patted his pocket with hesitation then tilted his head at Nico. He'd forgotten about phones and demigods and he didn't remember now either.
"Do you wish to go?" he questioned Nico. "Because we do not have to remain here." He glanced at the rock, bright eyes scanning it before looking back to Nico. "It is up to you." A smile quirked at his lips, though it wasn't exactly a true to Myrnin smile. "We seem to be at a bit of a dead end regardless. Though I probably could make a path with a bit of time." He flexed his fingers. "Might be best to find another way, however. What did you have in mind?"
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 11, 2019 0:40:33 GMT -5
"I get a feeling you've got a knack for annoying Lady Grey," Nico replied with a chuckle. "I'd hate for her to worry about you, but I feel as though I haven't seen you in forever, so I'm willing to let her suffer in uncertainty for a little longer." It was said with a mischievous smile - one Nico had gotten far more comfortable with wearing as the years went on. There was still something in him that seemed uncertain when he smiled, but it was fading.
"Hm? Oh... no, it's... it's fine. We can leave if you'd prefer, but... we could stay if you'd rather just have somewhere away from everything else where we're mostly safe from monsters and the like?" Nico didn't know if Myrnin was particularly inclined to keep exploring the Labyrinth or if he'd rather just have somewhere to sit and catch up. Nico wouldn't have chosen this spot in particular, but if Myrnin wanted to linger then he wasn't exactly going to say no. "I'd also be fine just wandering around and seeing what else may be here... it's not as difficult to navigate as many make it out to be," he admitted with a shrug. "We could probably go almost anywhere if you just wanted to wander."
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 11, 2019 3:12:11 GMT -5
"I am fine with wondering," Myrnin confirmed. They seemed to have managed walking and talking thus far, so he saw no reason why they couldn't continue doing that. His own manic smile quirked a bit further. "But don't worry about taking command of where we go. You're the one showing me around." He chuckled. For now, he turned away and began walking back the way they had come. He didn't want to linger in a place which made Nico uncomfortable, and anyway he was right. There were other places, in or out of the Labyrinth they could go.
"Oh yes," he added, remembering the comment about Lady Grey. "I annoy her incessantly. I'm amazed she's managed to stand my presence for so long. And I doubt she's worrying. She'd probably rolling her eyes."
He waved at the way ahead of them. "So, if this place goes anywhere, where would you like to go? What's a place you'd like to see?"
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 12, 2019 23:21:28 GMT -5
Nico took a grateful step back, away from the wall and away from the memories that haunted him. Minos had twisted him into a desperate wreck of a human being. He had convinced him to do things that were unthinkable now. Although most viewed Nico as someone on the right side of things now, the demigod couldn't shake the feeling that there were still things he needed to do in order to make amends. He didn't know if he'd ever stop trying to make up for who he was then.
He turned his attention back towards Myrnin, letting out a harsh laugh at his description of Lady Grey's irritation. It struck him that such a careless attitude towards irritation directed at him was something so quintessentially Myrnin that it couldn't be touched. It was something that only Myrnin could really pull off.
"Me?" He questioned in response to Myrnin's inquiry. "I... I'm not sure. There are a great deal of places I've traveled accidentally," he admitted with a sheepish grin, "But I'm not sure. I wouldn't go back to Europe any time soon given everything that happened there," he gave an involuntary shudder, "But maybe several years from now there are places in Italy I'd like to see, if I ever remember more from when I was young. I... I'd really prefer you choose a place for us to try to get to. I'm sure I could navigate us well enough. I did spend years of my life down here."
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 13, 2019 19:36:08 GMT -5
If Myrnin had know Nico's thoughts than maybe he would have been able to protest the thoughts he had. But maybe that was a good reason why he didn't know Nico's thoughts. There were things which Nico had to figure out himself. He just had to continue with his life and hope that both of them would realize what they needed to do.
"Europe," Myrnin muttered a bit distantly, clearly thinking about something else. Then he seemed to shake the thought off and looked back at Nico with attentive eyes as he waited to see what the demi-god would decide. "Italy ..." There was that distant sound to his voice again, but like he was remembering something else. Had he had a friend from Italy once? Back when he was younger? He seemed to remember ...
But he pushed the thought away and snorted, "Nico, this is the first time I've been out of Morganville in close to eight years." But that was a thought. "Think this place can get to Morganville?" He waved around at the wall. "I mean ... would you be interested in that?"
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 17, 2019 0:31:41 GMT -5
Nico frowned at the way Myrnin said Italy, with just a bit too much nostalgia and confusion. It was the way his own voice sounded when he thought of his distant memories in the country. When he thought he could just hear his mother’s voice… Nico knew better than most how spotty Myrnin’s memory was when it came to his past, and he recalled what he had kept in for so long. Perhaps because he assumed Myrnin remembered it, though he knew that was unlikely, and perhaps because he thought it respectful to keep that past in the past. He whispered something in Italian that he knew wouldn’t be translated, seeing as they weren’t in the House, and he doubted Myrnin spoke the language. “I think you’d like Italy,” he added in English, very nearly adding on the name he had given to a Myrnin too scared to give his real one so many years ago. How long had it been for Myrnin? It had barely been two years for Nico.
“So you just left Morganville for the first time in almost a decade and… what. You want to go back? Doesn’t quite sound like you,” Nico teased, feeling the shifting of the tunnels. “I could get us there, if you wanted though.” Silently, he added another thought: If I weren’t so scared of it, Amico, I’d take you to Italy. Maybe after Morganville. Maybe it was time he faced his childhood. Maybe it was time he looked at the Coliseum and thought not of being trapped under it, but of exploring it from above.
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 17, 2019 2:11:33 GMT -5
"I speak over sixty languages," Myrnin said in flawless Italian. "Many of the older ones." He half turned to face Nico, arching his eyebrow. He still spoke Italian as he said, "What did you say, Nico?" He thought he'd heard ... but he couldn't be sure.
He dropped back into English, just because it had been his language for almost longer than he could remember. "Though I don't use it very often." There was something about the language which sent shivers down his spine and he wasn't sure why.
But he looked into the dark tunnels and nodded. "I think I would. It's been a long time since I've been." He had a vague, almost fractured memory of going. And there had been a reason to go there but ... he couldn't remember. He'd been a young vampire at that point, having recently killed his master only a couple years before. But now he couldn't place why he'd wanted to go to Italy. There was a giant hole directly after he'd gotten there and even the gently prodding at the place caused a small amount of pain. Something must have happened. He didn't know what.
He laughed a bit, attention brought back to Morganville. "It is my home, Nico. Anyway, I'm not staying there. I still have things to take care of in New York. But I would like to show you Morganville. You might like it. So it might be nice to try." He slowed just enough so he was walking beside Nico and smiled so he could see it. A smile of encouragement.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 17, 2019 23:29:30 GMT -5
Nico raised an eyebrow, grinning. "Does that mean you understood every time I swore like a sailor and thought nobody could understand me?" He asked in Ancient Greek, lips cocked into a smirk. He knew he had a bad habit of swearing under his breath - sometimes colorful things that didn't really bear repeating, and sometimes just strings of insults that would have put Shakespeare to shame. It was an unappreciated art. But perhaps Myrnin had appreciated it.
He frowned slightly as Myrnin asked him what he had said. "I believe I once told a friend I would take him to Italy," he repeated in Italian, this time louder. There was an emphasis on the word 'friend,' as though it ought to have been a proper noun. He turned down to look at the rest of the passageway. They were somewhere under Kansas, it seemed. Nico couldn't quite explain why, but he didn't like Kansas. It just seemed boring to him, not that he would admit that out loud. He didn't want to disparage a state in case Myrnin had a differing opinion. Especially since it was a subject he didn't actually feel all that strongly about.
It wouldn't take long to get to Morganville, Nico supposed. He didn't know exactly where it was, but it probably wouldn't be too difficult to find. They just had to go South, if Nico was remembering properly. He grasped Myrnin's hand and began to walk down the passageway, taking a few turns that should have put them back where they began - four rights in a row - but somehow managing to keep going the same direction. The Labyrinth was shifting around them.
"I get the feeling Morganville doesn't want to be found," he admitted, closing his eyes. "But I think we're close."
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 18, 2019 1:48:59 GMT -5
"Oh yes," Myrnin answered in Ancient Greek. "Usually when people ordain to curse like a sailor I usually ordain to ignore it." He pressed both his hands together and grinned. "Though your more poetic ones I might have stolen for my own use." His Ancient Greek sounded like someone who'd been out of practice for a year or so and he had a thick, unplaceable accent. But it was still passable and given time and practice he probably would have picked up the finer points of it again.
Nico had looked away as he repeated what he had said in Italian a couple moments ago. Myrnin fit it into what he had half heard a couple minutes ago. It didn't fit well. Something was tugging at his memory, but he wasn't sure what.
He almost felt like Nico had said his name, though he wasn't sure why.
"And did you?" he asked. "Take him to Italy, that is?" He felt like he was chasing after ... something ... but he was doing it in the dark and kept hitting everything he tried to avoid. He was still frowning as Nico took his hand. At the contact he ... hissed ... as if stung. But he didn't let go of Nico's hand and continued to follow him.
She'd hugged you when you left and then you went back and ...
Hadn't he heard of Italy as a child?
And you remember what happened what she did when you went back? She was old, she was scared ... you were scared too. But do you remember? What happened to your sisters?
He pushed the thoughts away. He didn't remember sisters and he certainly didn't remember any kindness from his mother. But he had grabbed some scrap from what he was chasing. How could he have heard about Italy when he was younger? It hadn't been around when he was young, had it?
But he smiled and said, "No. Morganville isn't exactly keen on visitors. But I'm here, so I'm sure it will let us through. Getting in is the easy part. Without a bit of vampire help, it's harder getting out. You'd forget having been there in the first place." He wondered how close was. They hadn't been walking for that long. A mile at most.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 19, 2019 23:37:03 GMT -5
Nico reddened. He had sort of just supposed, since he had never gotten any weird looks, that nobody had been able to understand him. In his world, there were many who cursed far more than he did, and therefore it really wasn’t a problem - more of a competition, really - but that didn’t mean he wanted anyone not from his world, no matter how close he was to them, listening in on his rather inventive cursing. “I’m glad you’ve profited off of them,” he replied with a small smirk. He wasn’t going to stop cursing just because Myrnin had heard him, but he certainly would be a little bit more careful about what he said, especially if it had to do with the vampire or any of his friends. He supposed it didn’t really surprise him that Myrnin knew Ancient Greek, it was just a little bit unfortunate. He was grateful Myrnin had never said anything or reprimanded him for it.
He glanced at Myrnin, surprised that he still remembered when he was young and had given Myrnin the nickname, before he’d even known who he was. How different they’d both been then, before the weight of their lives had settled upon them. It was amazing that they were still friends now. Besides, even if Myrnin didn’t seem to remember the nickname, the word Amico still fit him to a T. He’d been more of a friend to Nico than most other people in his life.
“No,” he replied, voice soft. “No, I never got the chance,” he admitted. “I suppose there’s still time, if he ever wants to come with.” He met Myrnin’s gaze, and he wasn’t entirely sure why he didn’t just tell the vampire outright. But if there was anything he knew about memory, it was that it had to be gained back gradually, it couldn’t just be earned through someone telling you what happened, because that could create false memories and cause even more confusion. Nico didn’t want that for Myrnin.
Nico nodded. “We may as well leave the Labyrinth here, then. Perhaps we’ll be able to find some tunnels inside, but based on what you said I think it may just circle around Morganville without actually touching it. I wouldn’t be surprised.” He moved a few feet before smiling tightly and entering a small tunnel that diverged from the main path and led up towards the surface. “Though… I don’t fancy forgetting anything more than I already have, if you can prevent that."
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 21, 2019 2:16:52 GMT -5
"I think you should," said Myrnin, glancing down a side tunnel and pretending that he wasn't getting a feeling like walking on nails. There had to be some reason for it, but it was ever so uncomfortable.
"I mean, he'd probably like it. It's been a while since I've been to Italy, but what I saw of it was nice. I think. Then again, it might have still been something else then or only just Italy. Can't remember much about it only that I liked it for a bit. Went there to find someone I think? Then the next bit I remember is me somewhere in Russia." He shrugged, as if the lapse in memories didn't mean anything. He was still checking tunnels, so his expression wasn't visible. It was doubtful that it was cheerful one, however. He was almost certain that something in there had involved Penny-whatever-he'd-been-calling-himself-at-that-time. It would match up with a lot of the things he understood. But he didn't press at it. Somewhere in there was loss. And there was enough loss in his life to not need to poke at old memories of people who'd Pennywhatever had sent to an early grave.
He snapped out of it and glanced back at Nico, eyes the same reflective of cats. "Sure! I wouldn't be surprised about the tunnels inside though." He jogged after Nico, still smiling. "I can show you my lab! And yeeeeees I can make sure you don't forget anything." He sounded like he'd just been reprimanded by a parent. "It's going out you'd have to worry about anyway. But you'll be fine. I'll just set the defenses to give you a free pass. Doesn't that mist stuff do the same thing anyway though? You mentioned that a couple times I think?" He scratched at his nose.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 30, 2019 23:16:45 GMT -5
“I don’t think he even remembers I told him that I would take him.” It was weird, talking to Myrnin about himself. Was it possible there were people in the House who had made him promises that he couldn’t remember? He shuddered at the thought. He didn’t want to think that there were things that people in the House remembered about him that he himself couldn’t quite recall. It was like reaching into that fuzzy area where his memory was supposed to be, and finding a void instead of the cobwebs that were usually there. “I don’t remember for sure, but I think I told him of Venice. Of the floating city…” he was frowning, slightly, but his gaze lingered on Myrnin for a few moments too long. “It’s a miracle I survived living there for as long as I did. I guess that might be part of the reason my father had us move to America.” It was odd, talking about it like it was something he could remember in detail. He really… couldn’t, but Bianca had remembered it slightly better than him, and he’d heard stories. He’d made his father tell him everything he knew.
Too lost in his thoughts to hear the first part of what Myrnin was saying, Nico started at the sudden enthusiasm in Myrnin’s voice. “I’d love to see your lab,” he replied, picking up on the first thing he had heard audibly. It was a relief to hear that Myrnin would be able to get them back through without any significant loss of memory. “I think we both know that it’s nice to remember what you’ve seen before.” The comment was barely audible, but there was something more to it than just the words. Nico was sure Myrnin would understand. “As long as there’s a way out with my memories, I’m happy to see anywhere you want to show me. But the Mist… the Mist is a bit different. It changes the way you see things when you look at them, if you’re mortal. And if you see something that you really shouldn’t have, then it reroutes your brain to make sense of the situation in whatever way is easiest. But I’ve never been affected by it."
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jul 1, 2019 4:13:43 GMT -5
There was just a small tilt to Myrnin's head. It was hard to tell if it was curiosity or shame. Myrnin wasn't stupid, but he also wasn't good at 'I'm talking about a friend when that friend is really me' types of scenarios. So even if he didn't exactly get that this was about him, he did understand that he was missing memories and so was Nico.
The vampire snorted just a little. But it wasn't a friendly snort. "It always seems like some freak of nature that the ability that's growing inside me seems to involve accessing another's memories, but I have lost so many of my own." He almost said it to himself as he lifted a hand just a little, flexing the fingers while he watched them. "But then again, those abilities always felt other anyway."
He sighed a bit. It was like he was referring to the golden eyed version of Myrnin like another person. That was almost how he saw himself.
But that aside.
"Maybe you should just take him and surprise him?" said Myrnin, using the same hand he'd been looking at to wave around in the air as if waving away bad thought. "Maybe it would be good for you too. Never know. Sometimes life is surprising like that."
The hand paused in mid-air as Myrnin heard Nico's mutter and then fell almost limp to his side. "Yeah," he murmured, so quietly that his lips hardly moved. "Yeah, I know what you mean."
It was like picking at a wound that had almost healed though. Though it was a wound which had been trying to heal for almost two thousand years now. The pain of trying to reopen it now just to see what was wrong was worse, just because Myrnin already knew it would hurt.
He couldn't do it. It couldn't be that important to know, could it? He was sure it would be fine.
"Oh?" he asked about the Mist. "So the borders kind of do a bit of that. Only it does it a long time after you saw something. So, say, you leave the borders but aren't on the list to keep your memories, then you'll forget the location of the town and then just ... glaze over that there were ever vampires in it." His mouth twitched, but not with a smile. Like a cat or other predatory animal, he opened his mouth, taking in more air for the sent more than the oxygen.
"Starting to smell like home. Think this is the closest we can get?"
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 23, 2019 12:08:14 GMT -5
“Nature likes playing cruel jokes like that,” Nico replied, voice quiet. There wasn’t any regret in his voice, just a sort of worn down exasperation, as though he didn’t really have the energy to actually laugh at it anymore. Because they both had to get used to the hand they had been dealt, and they both thought they had, at times. Sometimes Nico wondered if Myrnin actually had managed to have a handle on his life, or if he just pretended to some of the time. It was hard to tell with the vampire. They were both hiding a lot - they both held each other’s secrets, thanks to the House, and if he were being honest, Nico wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“Yeah, no you’re right. That’s a good idea.” He gave a soft smile, thinking of what Myrnin would do if, after Morganville, he told him to close his eyes and just guided him all the way to Italy. It would be dangerous - if the quest’s foray into Europe had taught him anything - but perhaps that was a risk he could take to bring Amico to Italy, just like he had promised. It was a stupid promise. Why did he feel so strongly about making good on it?
“Right,” Nico replied, listening to Myrnin’s description of the borders. “Weird that there’s some kind of list,” he replied with a small smile. “The Mist just sort of goes off of DNA, or godly gifts or whatever. And sometimes the gods can change it so it’ll affect you specifically fi there’s something you saw that you weren’t supposed to. I suppose the Mist isn’t as easy to alter as your borders might be. Sounds like there’s actually someone in charge of those.” He didn’t like the idea of his memories being altered, though he knew he had already expressed that.
“Let’s say I wasn’t on the list to keep my memories,” Nico started, casting a glance up at Myrnin. “Just a stupid hypothetical, but, imagine. If I were to walk out of Morganville, I would forget where it is, and forget about the vampires. But you are a vampire, and I know that before ever entering the town. So would I forget that you’re a vampire, or would I think you were human while we were in Morganville, or would I continue to know you’re a vampire, even when the two of us were inside the town?” He was about to ask more, launching into useless hypotheticals, when he heard Myrnin’s question.
“Probably.” He turned his eyes skyward and placed his hand against the wall. “There’s an entrance to the outside world a few steps that way.”
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jul 24, 2019 4:06:22 GMT -5
"Then I stand corrected. They are two completely different memory altering weird semi or totally magical things," said Myrnin, without any hesitation. Then he laughed at Nico's hypothetical questions. "You were told about Morganville, by me, inside an extra-dimensional death trap. The same goes for finding out I was a vampire. If you were not on the list, then you would forget Morganville's location and that I took you to the town of it. You'd just remember that I introduced you to a sleepy little town somewhere, but not be able to connect the vampire town I told you about to the one which you would find ... that way." He pointed the way Nico indicated.
"I would continue to be a vampire to you regardless of location, because we were introduced outside of it and that introduction wasn't based on any memories formed in Morganville. If I had introduced myself to you there, and then that was where we spent most of the time talking there, then your memories would be at risk. There are vampires who exist outside of Morganville, so the same would go for them. For the most part, the only memory you would loose would be how to find your way back here."
He skipped the rest of the way, coming to rest at the base of a spiral staircase that wound upward. "Here?" he asked, pointing up. It seemed like a good idea to wait for Nico's confirmation, but Myrnin of course didn't. Instead his steps rattled up the metal grating which made up each step of the stairs as he wound up. When he reached the top, within a metal tube like structure which wasn't much wider than his shoulder, he pressed on the wall and a panel slid away. Pulling himself out, he was surprised at the location. It explained the spiral staircase, he supposed.
He looked up at the sign, broad and almost billboard like. Stiff, metal polls supported it, leading to a harsher metal platform. Myrnin whistled. "Well ... really ... Welcome to Morganville indeed."
He seemed amused. They were in front of the city limits sign.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 26, 2019 3:26:59 GMT -5
It made sense that the two things were different, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t at least a little disappointing. Even though they were technically from the same world, they lived by very different sets of rules with very different magical properties, however similar they may seem at face value. Myrnin’s life was still, in many ways, an
enigma despite Nico having lived though chunks of it. Despite the fact that he probably remembered things from Myrnin’s life that Myrnin himself didn’t remember.
Nico shook his head, grateful for the distraction that came in the form of answers to his admittedly ridiculous questions.
“Right,” Nico nodded, as though he understood. He found that, when it came to magic, it was best just to get a basic understanding and then pick it up as you went along rather than making people go back and try to explain it again. Besides, he was a fan of learning by experience rather than by people telling him how things worked. That was how he ended up going to China the first few times he tried shadow travel, and that had ended up working out for the best, hadn’t it?
“Let’s say you were to tell me something important while we’re in Morganville. Something that I don’t know yet, but that is crucial to the future of our friendship. I get that, if I were to be affected by the borders, I would probably forget it if it had to do with you being a vampire. But if you were to tell me again later, outside of Morganville, would I react as though it was the first time you told me, or would it seem familiar?” He knew it was a hypothetical with no chance of actually coming to pass, but that was part of the fun of asking the question, wasn’t it?
Nico, with shorter legs and less of a desire to be seen skipping around, followed more slowly, his question trailing after Myrnin. “Looks like the border of any regular town. Shall we?” Then, without waiting for a response - because where was the fun in that - Nico stepped foot into Morganville. Nothing changed immediately, not that he had expected it to. Yet it was odd that it felt so normal. Distantly he could feel the presence of nonhuman life forms, but he blocked those out. He found in general it hampered social interactions to know which of the people you were talking to were actually undead.
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jul 26, 2019 18:26:02 GMT -5
"It would seem familiar," said Myrnin. "And if at any point your name was putted back on the list for remembering, then you would remember everything you had forgotten from before. So if I told you something important outside of the borders as well, that particular memory would feel like you had heard it before." Myrnin didn't seem to mind answering these questions what so ever. After all, it was the system he had created. Nico called it magic. He called it science. Maybe it was something in between - or neither. Both Nico and Myrnin would not be finding out differently.
Myrnin looked a bit happy as he followed after Nico. He could see the outskirts of the houses, several of which were near them. The further you got into Morganville, the better things looked. Out here, things looked a bit run down.
"Stay close," Myrnin said brightly. "Much like the possibility of dropping me in the middle of Camp Half-Blood, some people might be just a smudge inclined to attack you."
In this case, the vampires. Some of the more dangerous ones hung around the edges of town. Along with the lower class population of Morganville. Otherwise known that it was the bad neighborhood.
"This waaaaaaaay," said Myrnin brightly. "It isn't far."
Morganville was small enough you could walk across it in about half a day or so, ignoring the out lying houses. Near the sign was the shorter walk, because houses tended to gravitate in that direction.
Myrnin adjusted his clothing, then walked boldly ahead, glancing back. "Did you want the tour or the more 'figure it out on your own' style?" His lips twitched up into a smile again.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 31, 2019 1:34:40 GMT -5
“Right,” Nico muttered, taking in the thought and chewing on it for a moment before he turned his attention back towards the town he was now in. Myrnin’s answers were certainly food for thought, but now that they were actually in Morganville, there was more than enough to occupy Nico’s thoughts.
“I’m not particularly in the mood to be mauled by territorial vampires,” Nico quipped, watching in almost every direction. He was a hard person to sneak up on just because of the fact that he could usually sense people’s life forces as they came near him (they were usually a dead giveaway when people were trying to hide, though not always useful when people crept up from behind), but with how dim vampire auras tended to be, Nico honestly wasn’t sure he’d be able to sense them before it was too late if they decided that he was their next bit of prey.
So he followed dutifully behind Myrnin, all of his senses alert just in case something did happen. Although he trusted Myrnin to know if something was wrong well before he did, just on account of vampire reflexes and the benefit of being somewhere he was familiar. It was as though Morganville had stopped in time. Like the rest of the world passed around it… or maybe that was just his imagination telling him that was what he should see in a town full of vampires. Nico honestly wasn’t sure.
“I think a tour could be quite interesting, and I suppose I have the best tour guide around,” Nico replied, cocking an eyebrow. He wanted to see what Myrnin deemed important enough to show him. Surely there would be things that Nico wouldn’t have thought to look at himself, and he was certain that those things were bound to be the most interesting. “It’s weird,” he murmured, shaking his head, “It’s like I’ve been here before. I’ve seen bits and pieces of Morganville through that room, through… well, through your life. It feels like a half-forgotten dream compared to actually being here.”
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jul 31, 2019 19:26:16 GMT -5
"Oh we don't maul people," said Myrnin dismissively, as if this was a conversation about the weather. "Just rip out their throats."
He glanced around. There weren't many shadows, though there were a couple trees. Someone had a park out here, though it looked in bad shape. He walked along the edge of the sidewalk, hopping from shadow to shadow cast by the trees. Most of them, having been displaced from a better habitat, were either dead, dying, or stubbornly holding on.
He went so long without saying anything that, when he finally spoke up again, it was hard to tell what he was talking about anymore.
"Less so now," he said, voice low. "I wouldn't say we were all good people though." There was something in his voice which was ... off. It wasn't like an example, which he was stating to reassure Nico. It was a recent exception to the rules which he was thinking of.
He blinked, and the feeling pasted.
"Here. Lower your chance of mauling."
He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a bracelet. "I don't have any of the wrist watch variety on me right now." He glanced back at Nico and tossed the bracelet at him. It was a silver ring of loose chain, with a silver plate on one side and a clasp on another. The sliver planet had a strange alchemical symbol on it. "That's on loan though. I want it back." Myrnin sounded amused. "I don't want to many of those in circulation."
The tour, apparently, was still on. Myrnin shook his head lightly, amused. "I wouldn't say the best. I've never exactly done one before." But there was a skip to his step - or at least more so than usual - as he turned a corner. "I doubt the Daylighters helped how this place looks to you. I suppose if they did one thing good, it was making sure all the houses got a fresh coat of paint." Myrnin's voice wasn't so much dry as it was slowly getting a bit arid. "Tooooooo your left you see an unremarkable brownstone. But ah, do not let your eyes deceive you, my fine feathered - or not feathered - friend. It is, in fact, home to ... as far as I know ... two people who apparently do not own a crock pot!" Myrnin's arm rose in exasperation. "I've asked. Twice! They just look a bit annoyed when I do." He rolled his eyes, then turned up into the drive. "Wanna see? Very unfriendly sort. Wont even give me the time of day. Or night. I might have asked at 11:30 once." He'd taken a step onto the porch when he noticed the fairly obvious fact there was no car in the drive.
"Ah well. Another time."
He skipped back down the steps, winking at Nico on the way past.
"Did you want to see my lab? I'd be interested to see if you knew the way."
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 10, 2019 1:01:36 GMT -5
“That’s so comforting,” Nico replied with as much sarcasm as he could muster. “I’d much rather have my throat ripped out than be mauled, though I have to tell you, I’d really rather avoid both entirely, if it’s all the same to you.” Yet Nico knew that Myrnin would never let him come to harm. They knew each other well enough that Nico knew he could trust the vampire entirely. He would follow him blindly through Morganville wearing a sign that said “eat me, I’m human” if Myrnin told him to, because he knew Myrnin wouldn’t let him get hurt. And he was sure Myrnin trusted him just as much in return. Otherwise he doubted Myrnin would have been interested in delving down into the labyrinth. It was supposed to be a death trap, surely Myrnin had known that.
“Thank you,” he added, surprised by the fact that Myrnin did actually have something to prevent mauling. Well, maybe not specifically to prevent that, but to make him less interesting to other vampires. “I’ll give it back, don’t worry,” he added with a tight smile. He was good at giving things back… or so he seemed to recall. He didn’t actually know if he had borrowed many things in his life. Mostly he just took what he needed or was given things. “It’s finely made,” he commented, though the truth was he knew little to nothing about the sort of workmanship that went into making bracelets like that. He was curious about what exactly it could do if Myrnin didn’t want too many around.
“You’re the best tour guide here cause you’ve lived here longer than I can even begin to imagine. Besides, you have a good eye for the interesting things, and it’ snot a tour unless you see some things that you wouldn’t have seen if you had just looked up things to do as a tourist. The tour guide shows you the things that only a local would really know to look out for, and so far you’re good at that.” Not that Nico had been on many tours, but that was what he figured was the case, at least. That was what tours of Camp Halfblood seemed to mostly comprise of. “I am quite impressed by the unremarkable brownstone,” he replied with a soft smile. “Would it anger you to know that I also do not own a crockpot?” Perhaps because he didn’t need to. He could get unlimited food at camp, and when he wasn’t there, McDonalds was perfectly fine. Well… perhaps not, given how thin he usually looked and the fact that he wasn’t really used to making sure he was getting all the nutrients he needed. But that was a thought that didn’t really need much attention paid to it at the moment.
Without another word once Myrnin asked his question, Nico closed his eyes and tried to recall the way to the lab. It had appeared in Myrnin’s life when Nico had been forced to live it, and he was determined to get it right. When he walked, it seemed to be out of muscle memory, setting a brisk pace towards the lab. Well… brisk for Nico. His legs were quite a bit shorter than Myrnin’s.
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