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Post by mintedstar/fur on May 18, 2020 20:25:38 GMT -5
Hazel was right. That was exactly what Nico would do and what they couldn't let him. Even if he did ask to be alone, Myrnin couldn't fathom how that could help him. He might have someone there - though he wasn't sure who it was - but that didn't mean that Nico should be there solely with the ghosts of the death.
It might reflect a bit too much on the sort of state his mind was it when he was among the past and the dead.
He pressed his lips together, gave Nico a small nod, and then backed far enough away from the Iris message that he faded from view. It was only then that he looked at Hazel and nodded with far more severity. One of determination. Somehow, they might have almost ended up on the same side, even though it was just as hard to face the fact that he was lying to Nico. He might not have verbally agreed not to go chasing after his friend, but it didn't matter. He was supposed to respect boundaries and things like that when he was a friend, wasn't he?
But he couldn't really do that. Not right now.
The underworld sounded like a daunting place. It sounded dangerous just thinking about it. But it wasn't anything worse than he had done before.
He walked toward Hazel and gently tapped her arm, nodding toward the horse (who he had forgotten the name of but would never tell).
"Goodbye, Nico," he said softly.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on May 19, 2020 1:29:16 GMT -5
Hazel swiped her hand through the Iris Message, cutting off the connection.
“If he weren’t my brother, I think I’d be tempted to slap him.” It was clear that Hazel didn’t really mean it, she was just frustrated. She had every right to be frustrated. “He won’t leave the Underworld,” she admitted, shaking her head. “And I’m not convinced either of us will be able to enter it safely.” While Pluto seemed to have been perfectly okay with Hazel having a second shot at life, there were others down there that Hazel knew would resent her for it. What would they think of Myrnin? She also knew that taking Arion was a bad idea. The horse would likely refuse to enter the Underworld, leaving them with no way in and no way out, unless Hazel could somehow figure out how to shadow travel them both. Without Nico’s help, she hadn’t even gotten the hang of shadow travelling herself anywhere.
“What on earth compelled you to befriend a demigod?” Hazel asked Myrnin, moving back towards Arion as she tried to come up with anything even resembling a plan. What had led to her brother befriending Myrnin? Nico, who struggled to make friends even with the people who actively put in the effort to find a way past his walls. There must have been something very special about this vampire. Then again, she remembered hearing stories of Nico being the one to talk to people who everyone else ignored. Perhaps Myrnin had been that person, in one situation or another. That, however, was hard to imagine.
“Just how undead are you?” Hazel asked, her tone cautious. She didn’t know much about vampires, but what she did know was concerning. If they were to run into Thanatos…
“I… didn’t even ask, did I? Apologies. I’m going after him whether you’d like to go or not. You’re invited anyway.”
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Post by mintedstar/fur on May 25, 2020 17:37:14 GMT -5
"You could still slap him," Myrnin pointed out unhelpfully. "I don't think anyone could do anything about it, since you are siblings. But I wouldn't know."
He shifted his stance, crossing his arms and nearly bending over in an effort to keep moving.
"I don't think I've done anything safe in a while. Why start now?" he muttered.
He jerked his head up to look at Hazel when she asked her question and he laughed.
"Victims of circumstance, for the most part. Bad timing, for another. And I imagine a common acknowledgment of likeness. Or if you prefer more realism, I'm bloody annoying and started calling him a friend practically the first day I met him and after going through practically hell and back again, I think it stuck. Plus I have amazing wit, charm, and a spider called Bob."
That didn't even brush the surface and Hazel probably knew that, but there was no way for Myrnin to tell what felt like a lifetime worth of story to catch her up. She'd have to take it at that for now.
He did have to snort at her next question and walked forward until he was beside Arion as well.
"Oh, I'd invite myself whether you like me to or not - either that or try and find my own way. Though I have a very strong idea that would be bad. But yes, I'm coming."
He had to shift from foot to foot though, looking suddenly uncomfortable.
"There are gradients to being undead? I mean … I'm a soul reanimating a corpse. I don't have to breathe or keep my heart beating. And I feed of human blood, rather than your basic human idea of a food pyramid. How undead does that make me?"
Probably very, very undead.
He wondered if he should mention something else. It felt a bit unrelated. Or very, very related depending on how you looked at it.
He swallowed, then pressed the palms of his hands together.
"Aaaaand I have a debilitating fear of death - like dying *again* - and complete darkness. Hope that won't be a problem."
Somehow, he still managed to smile.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on May 26, 2020 0:38:14 GMT -5
“Fortunately for him,” Hazel replied, shaking her head just a little bit, “Between the two of us I’m far less compelled to violence.” She had heard what Nico had organized when it turned out Leo wasn’t dead, and though it had made her laugh, she knew she could never do anything like that. Even if they deserved it for travelling to the Underworld and shrugging off the people who cared. If Jason were still around… Hazel bit back the thought. Perhaps Nico was with Jason. Perhaps she’d get to see him again. She’d been too afraid to try to summon his spirit. Secretly, she hoped he had chosen to be reborn. She hoped he had achieved Elysium. But Hazel couldn’t visit the Underworld to check, not like Nico could.
“You must also have extraordinary patience,” Hazel exhaled, amusement filling her voice. “You chose perhaps the most prickly demigod you could to befriend. I’m amazed it worked. Though he does have a soft spot for things named Bob.” Hazel wondered briefly if Myrnin knew about Nico’s visits to Iapetus, then renamed Bob. How it had kept Percy and Annabeth alive. For a boy who pretended he didn’t care, who claimed he was better alone, he sure had a habit of making friends with people nobody else would give a second glance to. He was willing to do everything for his friends, but he wasn’t willing to let his friends do anything for him. Time for that to stop.
“If you went on your own,” Hazel shot at Myrnin, cocking an eyebrow, “You’d be dead almost immediately. Ever heard any of the legends of living people entering the Underworld? They always came to try to rescue one of the dead. Never works. If you’re dead, you don’t get out. Unless you’ve got a half-brother who’s a little to kind for his own good and your father is willing to let it slide.” Hazel shuddered at the memory. She didn’t know how Thanatos felt about the deal her father had struck. She doubted he even knew.
“You especially would be dead,” Hazel murmured, shaking her head. “Thanatos isn’t going to like letting you slide. Neither will Charon, probably, or Orcus. Even my father will probably have an issue with you. Best hope things are a little more Greek when we get down there. Then you’re off the hook with Orcus, and Charon might give you a little more leeway. You’re…” she frowned. “Much more undead than I am. I’m only undead in the sense that… I was dead, but now I’m not. It’ll be easier for me to go than you.” Not that she was rescinding her invitation. Truth be told, she didn’t want to be alone. Even if she was with someone who fed on human blood.
Myrnin’s next comment gave Hazel pause.
“You realize this isn’t just… a nice little jaunt to somewhere dangerous, right? We could let him come back to us, but I think he went somewhere he knew we couldn’t follow. The Underworld is one of the darkest places in our world. If we want to sneak in, we can’t just… carry a light. And he consequences of getting caught? That’s death. Permanent death, for both of us. Well… mostly for you. Pluto might cut me a bargain. Which is why I’m not making you come if you don’t want to. Technically… technically he doesn’t even need to be rescued. But I need to prove to him that he can’t go on believing nobody cares enough to follow. If you don’t want to come, I’ll tell him you send your regards.”
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Post by mintedstar/fur on May 27, 2020 2:21:23 GMT -5
No part of Myrnin really believed this was really just a friendly jaunt into the Underworld, perfectly safe from harm. That would be a little too kind for the world he lived in.
He sighed, shook his head, and murmured, "No. While both of those things *are* true, I think that you underestimate me. I suspect you have come across instances where people you travel with make light of a situation because it is easier than face it head on, yes? Consider that my way of doing so."
He raised a hand and pressed a finger to his lips. "Quiet as a mouse. Don't get caught. I have experience with that. How do you think a man like me would have really missed being noticed by any random human, hum? I have a few tricks up my sleeve."
His eyes widened to a rediclous size, until even in the bright light they reflected like mirrors. Then he hurriedly had to snap them closed and wait for them to return to normal. But he did hold out the hand again and say, "And I think I can deal with a fair bit of darkness. We'll see if something else turns up."
The darkness he was talking about was the complete darkness of the blind. But that hopefully wouldn't turn up.
Though he had to consider.
This wasn't the House.
There wouldn't be any coming back if he died (unless this was the House and he didn't know, but that sort of thinking would get him thinking in circles).
But he had to go. He felt like he had to.
"No, no, I'll be coming," he promised. "And deal with your River Styx when I come to it and things like that. Do I need anything? Hum?"
It seemed likely that he would need something. This was Greek or Roman mythology, after all. He didn't remember much of it outside of what had been refreshed from knowing Nico or what he'd had drudged up from the dingy memories of Gwion.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 3, 2020 0:28:01 GMT -5
Hazel considered Myrnin for a long moment, as though trying to figure out how to read him. As though trying to unravel some of his mysteries in her head. He was right, she had met plenty of people who coped with difficult situations by cracking jokes about them. Hell, she’d almost gone and fallen in love with someone like that. It felt different with Myrnin, though. Perhaps because demigods knew what they were, and how the monsters they faced would interact with them. They studied the mythology, and they knew how to fight what they were up against. Winning that fight was a different matter entirely, of course, but at least they usually had some sort of framework to work with. What she and Myrnin were planning on doing? They had no idea what was going to happen. They were up against an enemy that couldn’t be fought.
“Underestimating people can be a dangerous habit,” Hazel returned, a smile on her lips. “I do my best to avoid that mistake.” That didn’t mean that she didn’t take advantage of it when people underestimated her though. “I’ll trust whatever tricks you have up your sleeve, for now. I just hope they’re enough to keep you alive.” She didn’t dare suggest that Myrnin use them to help keep her alive as well, but the thought was there, in the back of her head. Myrnin could be a powerful ally.
“You need to believe in the impossible,” Hazel murmured, catching Myrnin’s eye. “Neither of us are going to come out alive unless we’re certain that we can. And if we run into Pluto… or Hades… you let me do the talking. If we run into an incarnation of Death? We both lost our ticket out of there.” Hazel hesitated for a moment, glancing at Arion. They couldn’t take him to the Underworld. She wouldn’t jeopardize her horse like that. Meeting the horse’s gaze, she gently patted his side and murmured something under her breath before she turned back to Myrnin.
“Has Nico ever taken you on a shadow jump?” Hazel asked after a moment. She wasn’t great at them on her own, and she’d probably be pretty lousy carrying Myrnin without Nico there to help her, but hopefully they’d be together on the way out. She could manage one jump. After all, Nico had managed enough to drag himself, two people, and a statue halfway around the world. There was no excuse for Hazel not to manage this.
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 6, 2020 4:59:47 GMT -5
"Got it," Myrnin said. "No talking to you and Nico's dad."
He may have said that - and it sounded truthful and convincing - but if it had been Nico he'd been talking to, Nico would have at once known that there was no way that Myrnin would actually keep his word. Not out of malicious intent, but he'd either get annoyed enough to say something or because he wouldn't remember to not talk to the one person who could get him killed (with an option not to die if he stayed quiet, since an incarnation of Death didn't include that option). Either way, Hazel wasn't familiar enough with Myrnin. There was no way anyone would expect her to pick that up.
He stayed back, hovering with his hands behind his back, as Hazel talked to the horse. It seemed like she was the ride out of here anyway, so it was hardly a reason why he needed to here what she was saying (he did anyway).
"Believing in the impossible," he said lightly when she returned, "is easy when you've seen what I've seen."
Not just in his own day to day life. Where he'd met Nico ... that was impossible. It was acceptable to believe that the impossible could exist in this world too.
He did answer her other question with a nod and he held out his hand. "I have shadow jumped before. I'll have no issue with it." He would, but not one which counted for anything. "Is that it?"
He was ready. It was better to be ready than back out of this now. If he thought about it, he'd start plotting. And he didn't have enough information to plot.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 21, 2020 22:36:59 GMT -5
For the first time, Hazel found herself grateful that of all the people Nico could have befriended, he’d chosen a vampire rather than a clueless mortal. Of course, Myrnin still didn’t know much about their world or the things they regularly fought, but he did know enough that he wasn’t immediately terrified by the idea of going to the Underworld. And he was willing to believe in the impossible. That was good enough for Hazel. Had she been a bit more immersed in modern pop culture, she might have been a bit more wary about travelling with a vampire, but she knew very little about vampires as a whole. It was probably for the better – she may not know how to kill Myrnin, but she didn’t know all the ways he could kill her, either. It was easier to trust him when she didn’t know that. Not that she trusted him, just that… well, he was going to help her find her brother.
“Take my hand,” Hazel ordered, reaching out her hand towards Myrnin. They were going to the Underworld. The thought sent a strange shiver through her body. Thanatos technically owed her one. She had saved him, along with the rest of the seven, and she was part of the reason the Underworld was finally functioning normally again. That… that might just be their way out.
She was stalling, and she knew it. Glancing at Myrnin one last time, she steeled herself and glanced at Arion for another moment before closing her eyes and melting them both into the shadows. As unpleasant as shadow travel was when Nico was the one doing it, it was worse with Hazel. She didn’t have any of the control her brother did, and she sent landed them hard on the ground of the Underworld, exhaustion pulling at her body. They had better find Nico, and quick.
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 25, 2020 14:47:42 GMT -5
Taking Hazel's hand was an act of trust that Myrnin didn't particularly like giving out.
But he really didn't like it when they actually started moving.
Vampires didn't usually feel sick. They weren't supposed to get sick and the few times Myrnin had he didn't want to repeat. This was the same situation with Nico, only about ten times more uncomfortable.
Somehow, they made it to what felt like solid ground. Myrnin would have liked to take in the scenery a bit more, but instead he let his knees give way a bit and he ended up bracing both of his hands against the floor. That seemed about right. It stopped the world spinning after a while at least.
"Oh, I don't like that," he said, shaking his head back and forth. This was doubtful to help anything, but it did at least make him feel better.
He pushed himself to his feet before he actually felt ready to. He assumed they sort of needed to get moving sooner rather than later. But he still looked at Hazel with a frown that was deep along his face. He stuck out his tongue and shook his head again.
"Where -" he started.
Then he looked around and rather than an expression of distaste for the trip it became a distaste for the location.
"Grey," he complained in a low voice. "Someone needs to decorate. Everything. Decorate everything. Needs color."
Any other color really.
He still wasn't sure where they were going or where they were, but the complaining helped him not think about where they where and what it meant.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 29, 2020 19:26:22 GMT -5
Hazel looked over at Myrnin, grimacing a little bit in sympathy as she steadied herself. “Sorry,” she said, and she meant it. Somehow, Nico made shadow travelling a little more tolerable, but not by much. It was a skill Hazel had practiced only a few times, and she could tell it had taken its toll on Myrnin as much as it had on her. Well, at least that was some confirmation that Myrnin actually wanted to be here to help get Nico back rather than for some strange ulterior motive. Very few people would want to shadow travel just for the hell of it.
“It’ll be a smoother ride when we get out of here,” she promised, waiting to see Myrnin standing before she began moving forward. It was best not to stay in one place for too long, just in case they set off any Underworld alarms. She didn’t know if those actually existed or not, but she would really rather not risk it.
“Maybe my father will be nice and take paint color ideas from you,” Hazel deadpanned, turning to look at Myrnin with one eyebrow raised. “Unless you want to try to convince him right now, we should probably start searching. I…” she frowned, eyes closing for just a moment. “I can feel that he’s here, but it’s hard to tell where.” Not for the first time, Hazel found herself jealous that Nico had gotten some of the more practical aspects of their father’s powers. She had some of the same abilities, of course, but they seemed to be diluted. Nico likely would have been able to pinpoint the living in the Underworld without an issue.
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jul 18, 2020 4:57:44 GMT -5
"Mentioned about the humor thing," Myrnin muttered. But he didn't otherwise comment. Instead he just stepped after Hazel, feet falling where hers had been only a couple seconds prior. He didn't want to risk his feet getting caught in some vast sink hole or something of the kind.
Amazingly enough, it didn't look like he was looking around. His head remained in the same position, his face angled straight ahead, but his eyes followed along with every possible movement.
The tenseness in his shoulders gave him away.
It was very dark here.
"Where are we now?" he asked quietly. "And where do you think he'd most like to spend his time?"
He thought about that statement for a while.
"He would want somewhere to be alone, no doubt."
Nico wouldn't have gone seeking comfort. That wasn't to say he hadn't found anything down here, but he was more likely to avoid attention as much as possible.
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Aug 1, 2020 3:37:38 GMT -5
"Really doubt that it's with his dad," Myrnin agreed. There had been a bit more consideration when Nico had looked away from the Iris message. Not the impression that Myrnin got when Nico thought of Hades.
He tried to place the names of the various sites within the Underworld and simply pressed his lips together when he did. He craned his neck, looking over the various stretches of grey and black. It wasn't so much dark - there were lights particularly if he squinted in a certain direction (he wasn't going to think about it) - but the location and atmosphere was enough to put even the vampire on edge.
Asphodel. The place where souls went who had, for lack of a better word, been meh.
Honestly, Myrnin thought he'd rather be in eternal punishment rather than just meh, but he would really like to avoid the Underworld all together. Completely. And if he had his way he would.
He had never bothered to ask Nico what happened if you didn't believe in the Greek afterlife, but he supposed believing in it now was a bit unavoidable, so he didn't bother.
It gave him the heebie-jeebies though.
"Yeah," he said. "Elysium might be a better option."
He glanced around. "Uh. Lead the way."
It wasn't like he knew his way around here. He was just going off the vague shapes of places and he really didn't want to look too closely at things.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 1, 2020 23:37:03 GMT -5
Hazel didn’t exactly have a map. She couldn’t just tell Myrnin that, though, so instead she turned her eyes forward and started walking. She was grateful there didn’t seem to be very many gems or precious metals around here. It meant she wasn’t going to accidentally leave a trial leading directly to them.
“The Greek afterlife is slightly different from the Roman one,” she muttered under her breath, shaking her head. Of course Nico had gotten himself into the Greek one. It made sense, because Hades certainly liked him more than Pluto did, but it was still inconvenient for Hazel. “I think… Elysium is over here.” She forged forward, not bothering to look behind her. They had to go through Asphodel, and it was probably better she just didn’t look around her. She had seen the expression that had flickered across Myrnin’s gaze at the mention of Asphodel. She had experienced exactly what he was afraid of.
“I just… can’t think who he might have found in Elysium. His mom’s not there, that’s for certain, and Bianca’s… gone. Unless she’s died already, but that doesn’t make sense…” she cast a glance at Myrnin, wanting to gauge his reaction. She didn’t want to spill Nico’s secrets to this vampire if he hadn’t trusted him enough to share them in the first place. Bianca was one almost everyone Nico was close to knew, so she felt that was more or less a safe place to start. “He’s not really… oh.” Her breath caught in her throat. “Jason.” A conflicted expression flickered across her face. “He might be with Jason.”
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Aug 2, 2020 17:20:37 GMT -5
"Ah yes," said Myrnin. His expression wasn't sad at the mention of Bianca, but it was understanding in some form or fashion.
He knew of Bianca and what had happened, but he tried not to express pity for Nico. He'd made it a long way and understanding was more use than pity.
He was trying to think of any other people that Nico might know, but unless they were someone from the Paradox House ...?
Well, he couldn't be sure of anything. But he didn't think anyone Nico had been super close to existed in this world.
"Jason?" he questioned. He frowned. He didn't know the name, but he didn't see why it wouldn't be worth a shot. "Seems like a good place to start."
He was steadfastly ignoring his surroundings. Instead, he was focusing on the general things right in front of him. Hazel, and if he couldn't manage that, his own hands. Whatever wasn't the world around him. Or the fact that they seemed in the thick of things. He'd seen ghosts before. This was different.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 2, 2020 23:58:03 GMT -5
“Jason was…” Hazel hesitated, her shoulders curving in. “He was one of the best of us. He and Nico were close, if only because of a quest. But Jason died a while ago. I don’t… I don’t know the details of what happened, or even which Underworld he went to, but…” she gave a deep sigh, not sure how much to tell Myrnin. Not sure how much of it was even hers to tell Myrnin.
“I think Jason was one of the first people who ever accepted Nico for the things he was frightened of. He took it hard after he died. We all did. If he’s anywhere, he’s in Elysium.” She grew silent after that, focusing only on what was in front of her. Elysium was near, and she turned back to Myrnin with a finger placed on her lips. Silence. She didn’t know who or what guarded Elysium, but she knew it wasn’t likely to be a breeze getting in. They might have to shadow travel, unless there was an opening. She crept forward a few steps, trying to appear like a bored soul in Asphodel. Lost, confused, and just trying to get a glimpse of what she could have had if she’d been just a bit better in life. The whole experience was uncomfortably familiar.
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Aug 3, 2020 5:37:53 GMT -5
If anyone was more likely to look like a soul out of Asphodel, it was Myrnin. He was already dead, and his eyes were wide enough to look empty and lost. Needless to say, the way he drifted after Hazel wasn't that far off either. He felt a bit lost, that was for. And he was getting the creeping feeling he should stop focusing on the more ... permanent aspects of the Underworld. For example, that he was technically a reanimated shell walking around in a place that was dangerous for the living, never mind the dead. He was just a loosely wrapped little package rather than human's nicely contained and not liable to lose what they technically still had.
He was the one who'd gambled and no one had noticed he had six aces shoved up his sleeve when that should have been impossible for the deck he was playing with.
He had nodded about Jason, but now he just watched from behind Hazel. Maybe wishing ever so slightly that he was wearing dimmer clothing. Then again, everything looked dark and gloomy in the Underworld. Excluding Elysium.
Yes, Myrnin still had a great many complaints about the floor plan of this place.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 4, 2020 2:04:41 GMT -5
Hazel looked back at Myrnin, shaking her head a little bit. He didn’t have the same dejected expression as most of the habitants of Asphodel did, but they both looked uncomfortably similar to the residents. Hazel wanted to get them out of there as fast as possible – it was too much of a reminder of what she had gone through while she waited for eternity to pass. Ultimately, she was glad she had ended up in Asphodel. She hated it, of course, but she was glad. It had given her a second chance. Nico had given her a second chance, which was probably one of the only reasons she was willing to go on this insane death-wish mission to go save him from himself.
“Come on,” she whispered to Myrnin, moving forward and making sure they couldn’t be seen by any guards. And then she began climbing the wall that separated Elysium from Asphodel. It wasn’t easy, but she was managing. They didn’t have much time, but Hazel was able to manipulate some of the stones in the wall to form handholds and footholds, which she kept out just long enough for Myrnin to use them as well. It was probably a good thing in this case that he was a vampire. If Hazel had been with another human as slow as she was… well, it would be a miracle if she and Myrnin made it. If it had been anyone else, they’d have been dead seconds after getting onto the wall.
“You doing okay?” she asked after a moment, offering Myrnin a grim smile as she forced her way to the top. If Arion were here, he probably could have leapt the wall in one bound. But he wasn’t, so they had to make do.
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Aug 7, 2020 6:28:30 GMT -5
There was a second where Myrnin would have tried jumping the wall. But the thing was tall, even by wall standards. Additionally, he didn't trust that a mildly bright looking figure jumping meters into the air wouldn't draw attention. So, instead, he followed Hazel's lead. But he swarmed up the wall with a scary sort of ease, as quickly as he could, and with no exertion being spent. Even still, he found the brief journey up it distasteful. When he reached the top, he was scowling.
Jumping it wouldn't have caused him to think so much.
"Bloody brilliant," he spit, even though the snap was almost a whisper. "If I didn't think I'd get stuck down here permanently, I'd lodge a complaint with your father about his "beautiful" design. Let me guess? The walls this high to not disturb the inmates on the other side?"
He stared down at the much cleaner, nicer Elysium with a spiteful sort of distaste.
"Glad I'm immortal. I want to avoid this place as long as vampirically possible," he growled under his breath.
He glanced at Hazel rather suddenly, as if he just now realized he might have offended her. There was a second of doubt in his eyes, but then it smoothed away to a more solid conviction. He'd meant what he'd said. He wanted to scream his annoyance from the rooftops. None of this was fair. The living world was a big mess. The Underworld should have known better.
As if the blank ghosts in Asphodel wasn't enough. The idea of being blank ...
Myrnin's whole body shivered from toe to head.
He was going to come out of this place with new nightmares. He could tell.
He sat at the lip of the wall and then slipping over the edge, letting himself drop to the ground a bit of distance below. His knees took the brunt of the damage and then he let his legs bend and his hands took the rest on the ground below.
He turned back, looking up at Hazel. He raised an eyebrow, silently questioning if she needed help on the way down.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 8, 2020 0:48:50 GMT -5
For the first time, Hazel began to wonder if vampirism had its perks. It certainly seemed a lot easier for Myrnin to scale the wall than it felt on her end, even with her added affinity for the materials in the wall itself. She herself was almost panting by the time she reached the top, and she kept looking behind her to make sure they hadn’t been noticed. By some miracle, they hadn’t been. Good. She gave a small smile, then glanced at Myrnin where he sat perched on the top. It was quite a long way down, and though Hazel had never been afraid of heights before, even she had to admit it was a daunting fall. If it had been outside of the Underworld, she might have been concerned about Jupiter catching her in his domain.
“People in Elysium aren’t inmates,” she replied, but her heart wasn’t in it. Let Myrnin think whatever he wanted, it wasn’t like he was likely to end up in Elysium anyway. Very few people were. Was that a cruel thought? All she knew about him was that he was a vampire and that he cared about her brother. While any friend of Nico’s was a friend of hers, she found she didn’t like the idea of trusting someone who required human blood to function.
There was something in Myrnin’s expression that surprised her though, and she opened her mouth to respond before staring back in the direction they’d come from.
“I’ve spent enough time here for one lifetime,” she replied quietly, shaking her head. “I could’ve gone for Elysium. But I did Asphodel for… for my own reasons.” She stood up, watching as Myrnin made his way down. It was graceful in a way she knew her descent wouldn’t be. Graceful was a relative term. At least Myrnin hadn’t broken any bones. She was tempted to take his offer of help, but she didn’t know if she could trust him that much. Instead, she let her eyes close and shadow travelled the rest of the way down. She had to catch herself on the wall, palm pressing up against it as she fought the blackness pressing in on the edges of her vision. Maybe that had been a dumb idea.
“Let’s go,” she murmured, before she was fully ready. “The sooner we get out of here the better.”
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Aug 10, 2020 3:59:54 GMT -5
"No," said Myrnin. His expression was grim. "I'm not completely stupid. I've seen Nico wear himself out doing that. Give it a second. I'm listening to see what's around anyway."
He didn't point out that Hazel's actions had been stupid - or at least ill-advised. Maybe he wanted to. But he didn't give that impression. Instead, he did what he had been doing already. He stood in place, listening patiently to see if there was anything or anyone who was likely to be nearby and have noticed their unusual arrival.
He didn't think anyone had. It was quiet here. But it was a different sort of quiet than what he'd heard so far. It was a less populated quiet.
Inmates.
He still had strong opinions. He doubted Hazel shared them, but this whole place disgusted him.
He could see a reason to come here only because at least the one alternative he'd seen was several of his worst nightmares come to life.
He wondered who was here.
He was trying not to think of anyone he'd ever know.
Whether they were here, or not, or whether they were somewhere else, or if they were here what that meant.
It was too complicated and even he didn't want to work it out.
"Come on," he agreed. "No one is paying attention."
He started walking. He assumed Hazel still knew where to go, but he'd still picked a direction. He hadn't heard or seen anything, but it felt ... more right than the others.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 11, 2020 0:18:56 GMT -5
“We can’t afford to stay in one place for too long,” Hazel protested, though she knew Myrnin had a point. She could have just taken Myrnin’s help down, but something about that had felt… wrong… to her. Maybe because she wasn’t ready to trust a vampire with her life. Maybe it was less about him being a vampire and more about him being a stranger. He may have known Nico (and he had proven that successfully), but that didn’t mean that she knew him. That didn’t mean that she could trust him now.
She took the time she needed to breathe and recover – less time than she wanted, but about as much as she needed – before she nodded and followed Myrnin. Nico would have recovered faster, they both knew that. Nico also had more practice. Nico had also almost gotten himself killed with his rigorous shadow travel. Hazel wasn’t keen on trying that one out herself. Both of their powers were a curse, as it turned out. Hazel’s had just been more obvious before now.
Hazel followed Myrnin, unsure how he had picked the direction, but not wanting to argue with it. It seemed as good a place as any to start. The dead were loud to her senses, and though she knew that Nico considered many of them friends, she didn’t know how he could stand spending time in the Underworld. It was as though death was clawing at her, trying to get her to notice. She couldn’t avoid noticing. Deep down, she wondered if part of Nico had to be dead himself to feel so comfortable down here, despite the fact that Hazel had been the one who died.
“Wait,” she murmured, screwing her eyes shut. “Maybe… if I can block out some of the noise… I can figure out where he is.”
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Aug 17, 2020 1:28:24 GMT -5
"The noise?" asked Myrnin softly. But he stopped. He couldn't judge how Hazel reacted to this place or what she heard that he didn't. So he waited, his own senses buzzing. But it wasn't something he could really tune into. It was just the regular situation of seeing something like a hazy reflection. He could work out what he was hearing, but there was something off about it. Same with his other senses, as if they weren't meant to stretch this far or like they were on a slightly out of tune frequency.
He wasn't completely dead. He wasn't completely here or there or even with a foot properly in Nico's world. He toed the line in every way possible.
And if that was the case, he wasn't completely sure that he'd be able to work out where Nico was by any means he might usually have conducted. In theory, he might be able to smell the only thing other than the two of them who was living. But he left this up to Hazel for now.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 20, 2020 1:27:13 GMT -5
Hazel frowned, trying to hone her senses. It wasn’t easy. The feeling of being so surrounded by death was oppressive and overwhelming, and she wanted nothing more than to get out of the Underworld for good. To find her way back up on the surface with her brother safe and this vampire out of her life. He still put her on edge, even if he had been helpful. Even if every piece of evidence was pointing to him and Nico actually being friends. It was still a hard pill to swallow – Nico, with friends. Well… not that, perhaps, but Nico with friends Hazel didn’t know about. Friends that ate people.
“There,” she murmured after a moment, opening her eyes and pointing in the direction she had sensed life. “It’s faint, but that’s probably because of how much death there is.” She hoped it wasn’t for any other reason. “We should be careful. We don’t know how the dead will react to us. They’re in Paradise, but I doubt they’re used to strangers.” She was making that up. She didn’t know what Elysium was like any better than any other mortal did. Except for Nico. Nico knew. Part of Hazel wished he didn’t – it would have been easier if he had more friends aboveground than he did below.
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Aug 22, 2020 16:31:42 GMT -5
Trying to not draw attention to yourself when you are Myrnin is very difficult. As soon as Hazel said anything, it was at once clear that this had become very awkward. But to make up for it, Myrnin still bustled off in the direction that Hazel had indicated. It was as good a start as any. His own nose, which was not having a fun time here what with things not being his senses' definition of normal, was lending a bit of a helping force.
Proceeding in the direction he thought he could tell Nico was, Myrnin debated how this would go. Finally, he admitted the concern.
"What if he wont come with us?"
Nico was hurting. Myrnin didn't even think he could explain why to Hazel. It was just so complicated. But the issues were still there and Nico would likely not be ready to come back. While Myrnin didn't want to pressure him, he didn't think it was healthy that he was here.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 27, 2020 22:00:46 GMT -5
“He’ll come with us.” Hazel’s voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. She closed her eyes for just a moment, pressing forward without even giving herself a chance to consider the alternative. She didn’t know exactly where she was going, but she had enough of a feeling that she felt confident in the direction she had chosen.
After a long moment she hesitated, stopping just enough to meet Myrnin’s gaze. “If he doesn’t want to come, we’ll have to convince him to come with us. It’s dangerous here, even for him.” She grit her teeth and started walking again.
They were getting closer, and at some point Hazel put her arm out to stop Myrnin. “He’s nearby,” she whispered. “He’s bound to feel us here soon enough. Do we have a plan of attack?” She glanced over at Myrnin. “You know what happened. Do you think he’ll be willing to come without us convincing him?”
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Sept 30, 2020 16:51:11 GMT -5
There was a large, hesitant look on Myrnin's face. There were several things which Hazel did not know and he was going to struggle telling if it came to that. There was, for example, a lot of things which had happened in the House which just wasn't his story to tell.
He did manage, "He's lost a friend and was painfully reminded of it. In a rather cruel but unavoidable way." He shifted nervously. "I think he might come with convincing. But it will be an issue of what he wants. Whether or not he's had time to think."
He hoped that Nico might have had some time. But that was still to be seen.
"I'm not sure about a plan of attack, but just ... be there for him," he said. "I don't think there's much more we can do."
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Oct 7, 2020 23:54:41 GMT -5
“Right,” Hazel murmured quietly. She knew what it was like to lose friends. He knew Nico had lost more than his fair share, but to lose a friend that Hazel didn’t know of? That must have stung. Who do you go to for comfort when you lose somebody nobody even knew you knew? Why was it a secret? Hazel figured she’d never find out unless Nico deigned to tell her.
“Well, if he hasn’t had time to think, he still needs to come with us.” It was perhaps a little bit cruel, but essentially unavoidable. None of them were particularly safe in the Underworld, even Nico. “Besides, he has to know that we’re here for him, and we’re a lot better than running to dead people for comfort.” She looked up once her words hit her own ears, surprised that she had referred to herself and Myrnin as “we.” It made sense, though. They were both Nico’s friends, and they were there for him.
“What do you think? Would he respond better to you approaching him or me?”
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Oct 22, 2020 0:37:50 GMT -5
On top of that, Hazel had also basically referred to him as not-dead.
He wondered if that was in the same sense that Nico referred to him as not-dead.
It was a bit about perspective, of course. Undead could mean a lot of things. Dead, but not quite.
'We' had also been a bit of a surprise. He hadn't expected Hazel to consider them a party of two. That might have been a bit fun to mention. Not right now though. Right now, there were other things to do and other issues to address.
"I think this time it might be best for you to start talking to him," admitted Myrnin. He'd given it his best shot at the time, but sometimes he thought that maybe Nico didn't need some friendly words from an overbearing vampire. Sometimes he might just need some other sort of help.
As it was ... someone who didn't know all the details might be better. It just made things simpler in the long run.
"That's my opinion, anyway," he said slowly.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Nov 22, 2020 0:19:21 GMT -5
Hazel considered, then glanced in the direction she knew Nico was in. There was a lot to talk about. Most of it she didn’t think she was qualified to handle. But… if Myrnin thought that someone who was unfamiliar with the situation would be some help? Then Hazel was going to try her absolute hardest to help.
“I can do that,” she conceded after a moment, casting her gaze once again in Nico’s direction. “You can come a little closer with me, or you can stay here. It’s really up to you.” She gave a small smile, already moving towards Nico. If she left Myrnin behind, she would take that as his decision. If he followed… then great. She had a feeling it would take more than her to coax Nico back to the surface. She didn’t know why it was that Myrnin thought6 she was the best bet to get Nico back, bu5 she appreciated the vote of confidence. Slowly, she approached Nico, preparing every argument she had in her head. They would need a lot to get Nico back – he was stubborn. Fortunately, so was she.
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