awashlogs | Event Ten.

[Unfortunately for Nico, he'll be tiredly shadow-stepping right into a house with two dads barring whether or not Shiro decides to abandon this said ship for the other Voltron babies. Sasuke actually wouldn't judge Shiro for it.

But Nico's comment gets a small smile out of him anyway, or maybe it's simply the fact Nico is getting comfortable in the claimed room.]

Are you very opposed to the color yellow?

[Only one window is present, but it's enough for Sasuke, even lacking a curtain. He may put one up later when he finds bits of extra cloth. For now, he stands by it and peers out, surveying the view. Flavo doesn't seem to have as many gathered houses as Ruga.

Space. A lot of land. Hm... Sasuke squints gently at something outside, and then he turns to lean back on the sill of the window, gaze lowering to Nico.]

[ Two dads is one too many at a time, Shiro can be more like a big brother instead if he sticks around this place. Though why Shiro would want two Keiths is a mystery.

He shrugs as he puts his laptop on the floor next to him, then digs around his pockets. There's clearly a few somethings in them and Nico doesn't remember having all of it. ]

I guess not. It's okay in small doses. [ A hesitant pause where Nico stops moving around. ] Mostly it reminds me of someone who's... probably not here.

[ The way he says it is with mixed emotions, as if likes said person but doesn't want to admit that much out loud. As Sasuke is taking in the view Nico is unloading his pockets and placing objects on top of the closed laptop lid.

First up is what looks to be a small worn figurine, then a battered scroll. Last is about a dozen dark red seeds - pomegrante seeds which Nico stares down at for the longest time. These can't possibly be... seeds from his stepmother's garden, can they? ]

Hey, did you end up with something you shouldn't have? As in, you were no where near it but it ended up in your pocket.

[ Though he probably shouldn't have them in the sense that these could be pretty bad for him. ]

[Ah... Sasuke's face softens oddly when Nico admits the yellow is a reminder of someone. It feels as if the boy took words right out of his mouth, and, for a moment, he wonders if it's some kind of trick. Maybe the boy actually read his mind, how he felt.

But his mouth closes before he can say anything, and his gaze falls down to the things Nico is putting on top of the laptop.] I don't think so. I am actually missing some things I should have. [Pushing off the window, he wanders over and stops a foot or so from Nico to watch.

Pomegranate seeds?] You came with a supply.

Do they mean anything to you?

[ Being able to pick up on other people's thoughts and feelings is the last ability Nico needs. He already has enough emotional baggage of his own to carry around without adding other people's to it.

The figurine is of a man in a robe and the scroll looks worn as if Nico's looked at it a lot - which he has because he wanted to be mad at Leo when the other demigod came back to Camp. But neither of those items seem to be of surprise to the teen. It's surprising that Sasuke is missing items whereas Nico has gained one. Was there a limit to how many things could come with them?

A frown. ] If these are what I think they are, then they're from my stepmother's garden. They're... special. Eating one will put me in sort of hibernation state - meaning I'll sleep for an entire day, not needing food, water or even a lot of oxygen. It's called Death Trance because it's pretty deathlike, I was told only kids of my father could eat them and survive.

[ Nico has the childish urge to throw them away but if he has them, maybe it means he'll need it. Not a pleasant thought and he shudders visibly. ] I lasted about a week surviving on only these things when some goons put me in an air-tight jar.

[Special pomegranate seeds. Interesting. Nico seems to have quite the wild ride already, being so young. It reminds him of himself, of course. Again.]

Keep them. If you want to hide them, you can hide them here. You don't have to tell me where. I'll make sure no one is being nosy around the house.

[His eye shifts from the figurine to the seeds. Nico has an assortment of things. Sasuke... has shurikens and his sword. But he's missing his scrolls, missing the wire he typically ties to the shurikens for the purpose of surprise.]

What do you mean, "jar"? Literally?

[ There's a moment of debate as he considers Sasuke's offer before he heaves a weary sigh. ]

No, I'll keep them. Trust me when I say that eating these things are the last thing I want to do but there must be a reason these are here.

[ He doesn't want to need them but Nico would rather have them at hand if he does need them than to not. Maybe Nico has these things still because they aren't really useful, mostly just sentimental. The seeds go back in his coat pocket. ]

Literally, a jar. Not one that could just be smashed either.

Edited 2018-09-19 20:25 (UTC)

I see.

[Literally a fucking jar. Who the hell stuck Nico in a jar? Why did they stick Nico in a jar? Sasuke has so many questions, but he's unsure if he really wants to know the likely ridiculous answer to any of them.]

You'll have to tell me that story sometime. [He tips his head in a nod down at the other things Nico had squirreled away in the pockets.] Who is that?

[The figure, he means.]

[ His first reaction is to shoot that down - to not want to tell the story of how he ended up in the jar or even just give Sasuke the Cliff Notes. After all, who wants to talk about the time they walked through the lowest levels of hell. Also literal.

But Nico can clearly recall the words he said to Reyna about being halfway to Asphodel if you don't use your voice. ] Sure. Sometime.

[ Now he looks down at the other things and picks up the figurine, then turning it around so Sasuke can see it. ] It's supposed to be my dad, Hades. Doesn't really look like him though.

Edited 2018-09-20 00:29 (UTC)

[Maybe it's why Sasuke offered Nico the opportunity to tell him the tale at his own pace. It's easier that way. He knows.

Carefully, Sasuke reaches out and down to open his palm at Nico and the figurine, wondering if the boy will allow him to hold it and inspect it. If so, his gaze is simply scrutinizing for the details, nothing more.] Hm.

It reminds me of something at home. [It makes him think of Hokage Rock. The faces of all the former Hokage and current Hokage carved into the stone overlooking the village.]

What does he look like?

[ Before he encouraged Reyna, Nico had been content to not talk about it with anyone. He doesn't want to have said that to her and not follow his own advice.

It shows just how much he trusts Sasuke already that he places the figurine in the man's hand. This is the only physical object he has left of Bianca - something she was never able to deliver herself. ]

Home? You have figures of important people? [ Technically this is part of a game Nico used to play... that he collected.

The question has the teen looking up at Sasuke and he hums quietly. ] A little bit like you, I guess.

[ Huh, maybe that's why Nico seems to trust him so much already. ]

[While turning the figurine gently over in his fingers, his eye skips across to Nico at the comparison. There's a curious, strange look in his eyes, as if he wants Nico to elaborate--physically? in personality?--but he actually doesn't ask anything about why or how.

Finished, he lowers his hand again and offers the figurine cradled in his palm back to Nico for safe keeping. Just an idol, it seemed like really, but holding it, the weight of it.

Perhaps something with enough memento it's mystical.]

Hokage Rock. The leader of the Hidden Leaf Village, the Hokage. It's an esteemed position. All of the Hokage have their face carved into the mountain which overlooks our village, starting with the first.

There's seven now. [A pause.

Sasuke's voice is surprisingly gentle. Maybe it's the previous wanting to ask without asking.] Do you dislike him? Your father.

[ If asked, he'd just say both. Though Sasuke might have that vibe of being deadly, it isn't quite to the extent as his father. Hades wants to appear powerful and dangerous where as it's more subtle with the ninja. Then Hades has black hair and eyes, pale skin, wears dark clothing - though some of the details are a bit different. He's like walking death.

Once the tiny statue is back in his hands, he tucks it into his coat pocket where he usually keeps it. Not exactly the safest place but this way it's with him.

He listens as Sasuke describes his world's version of Mount Rushmore... only it sounds more crowded. ]

Seven faces and they haven't run out of mountain yet? Must be a big mountain. [ A slight joke. ] So is the Hokage position passed down from parent to child?

[ Some cultures do things that way but not all of them so he's curious.

Then Sasuke asks about Nico's feelings on his father. ] Not really, mostly he just frustrates me sometimes. And he helps me out in his own way. Most of the gods and goddesses don't interact with their kids whereas mine keeps a room for me in his palace whenever I visit.

[The joke gets the first bit of a smile out of him.] It is a big mountain. [Admitted in a way he knows Nico was pulling his leg, but he wanted to clarify it was, in fact, large enough for seven faces.

The second smile is... kinder, fainter, and it comes when Nico talks about his father. It's enough for Sasuke to know Hades is probably not Literally The Worst, and... well, Sasuke can appreciate that, being who he is, what kind of father he's been.

An understanding between dads who try their best the best they can.] Fathers can be frustrating. [He is, too.]

A Hokage is chosen by the retiring Hokage, and they are usually a student. If something has happened to the existing Hokage before a successor is chosen, then a successor is selected by the daimyo of our country. This choice goes through many councils for approval.

The Hokage is someone who is both the strongest ninja and the one who understands how to protect our village. The one who knows what it truly means to be a ninja.

Sometimes, people in the same family can become Hokage at different times. The current Hokage, Naruto--his father was the Fourth Hokage.

[ Idly he wonders what they intend to do when they run out of room on the mountain. Will new one have to move to the backside? That would be unfair. He kind of wants to complain that having those faces look down at them all of the time must be weird but knows from experience that the gods do watch them sometimes.

There are some things that Nico has a hard time accepting about his father such as they way he washed away their memories five years ago leaving him with hardly any memories of his mother or how Hades tried to lock him away when everyone else was getting ready for war. (Forget the fact that Nico was about Sarada's age at the time.) But he can at least accept that it was his father's way of protecting him. Nico figures he's allowed to disagree or dislike it - that he's not alone in feeling that way sometimes.

Breathes out a sigh. ] I wish he was less frustrating about some things.

[ As Sasuke talks, he listens quietly to the explanation. It's definitely an interesting way of doing things but understanable. For a village of ninja, picking the strongest and one who understands seems like the way to go. Also makes sense that some bloodlines might be stronger than others.

But there's something more interesting than the way Hokage are chosen. ]

Naruto... You said that name earlier. [ Spoken with curiosity but Nico doesn't outright ask who that person is to Sasuke. ]

[Having not spent much time in the village over the last ten years, much less spent time with Sarada, Sasuke wonders if she thinks the same thing about him. This isn't the first (or the last) time he'll consider her and their relationship.

Does she wish he would be less frustrating? "Papa, you're too strict. Papa, are you leaving again?"] Yes. Naruto, the loser. Usuratonkachi.

Always a thorn in my side. [He looks away, back toward the window, but whether or not he's avoiding Nico's gaze or reminiscing about Naruto, it's uncertain. Maybe both.] ...And my one true friend. [He's not sure if he's ever said this to anyone, not since the day he swore neither of them would leave the Valley.]

It was his dream to become Hokage ever since he was a boy. He finally did, that stupid halfwit.

[ According to Nico and every other person he knows (which mostly includes demigods, gods and the even more powerful titans) the answer is yes. Though the quantity of frustration varies with each family, along with what kids do about it.

As Sasuke describes this Naruto person, to Nico the man sounds both fond and yet exhasperated. A feeling he can relate to. He also sort of figures that Sasuke probably doesn't want this spread around town which Nico can and will honor. ]

The guy attached himself to you and wouldn't give up on being your friend. [ Nico sounds very certain about this. Even though the ninja calls Naruto all sorts of names, he might not approve of others doing the same and the teen is filing that information away in case he ever meets the guy. ]

He's not here?

[The lack of answer to the first comment is very telling on Sasuke's part. An unspoken agreement; Naruto was a leech, always attached. Even after Sasuke tried so hard to get them to hate him... and most did, even Sakura more than likely, a little, in her own way.

But Naruto? Naruto had been an idiot, never giving up on him. On their friendship. He won't ever be able to repay such a debt. In the end, he is more hurt because he knows he never deserved that sort of kindness.

Not after the things he did.] He's not.

It isn't good for a Hokage to leave the people of the village unexpectedly. He should be there, for everyone and for our families.

[ Nico was one of those kids who felt unwanted at camp and therefore pushed everyone away until one day some guy just told him he was wrong. Who said he wanted Nico around. It may have taken four years and a lot of heartache but he found a place he wanted to be.

So he gets it. Having someone attach themselves, who kept following him or going out of their way to find him - Nico's pretty sure it saved his life.

A bit of a scoff. ]

Should be doesn't always mean he will be. It's not like I asked to be kidnapped by a well. Somehow I doubt whatever brought us here cares about where we should be.

If he comes, he comes. I just meant I'm not upset he isn't here.

[He may be... a teensy, tiny bit upset. Not a lot. An iota upset. It's fine. He's fine. It's not like he needs Naruto or anything stupid like that anyway. He spent ten years running dimensions for traces of Kaguya. He can handle this? one simple? thing?

His eye drops down toward Nico's laptop again.] A figure, pomegranate seeds, and--that. [He nods his head. The scroll.]

What is it for?

I get the feeling it's more complicated than that.

[ Like Sasuke would be comforted by having the other around and maybe doesn't like the idea that the guy's so far out of reach but also knows that Naruto is needed elsewhere so he's glad the other man isn't here. Or maybe after having known the blond for so long, Sasuke would be just fine being on his own and it's just Nico projecting his own feelings on the ninja.

Thankfully he doesn't have to dwell on the thought too long because they've moved on to the last object Nico had in his pockets. ]

It's a message sent by an idiot who sacrificed himself and then came back to life. I look at it whenever I want to get angry.

Edited 2018-09-21 03:42 (UTC)

[The answer isn't what he's expecting. He had been looking serious, thinking it may be something like the technique scrolls from his world. Full of secrets, full of abilities. But no. Nico gives him another explanation.

It's so surprising that an amused smile turns the corners of his lips up a little more than normal. It sounds... like something he'd say, honestly. Probably about Naruto, since no one else was Naruto's level of idiot.]

It must say something pretty stupid. [Naruto.] Does it work?

[ Most things that might contain secrets or abilities are either lost in time somewhere or kept behind glass in some museum. Nico may not be a kid born in the age of technology but even he didn't use scrolls for writing when he was little.

The question actually makes him pause. ] It did before I got here. Not sure if it does now.

[ Without prompting, unfolding it onto the floor and as soon as he does a flickering hologram appeared on the surface of the parchment paper. It's the image of a teenage boy with dark wispy hair, mischievious grin and short statue - though the hologram is only three inches tall so it might be hard to tell if one didn't know Leo Valdez. Then he starts talking.

“Hey, guys!” Leo spread his arms for a hug. “Sorry to leave you like that. Bad news: I died. Good news: I got better! I had to go rescue Calypso. We’re both fine now. We’re taking Festus to—” The image guttered like a flame in a strong breeze, disrupting Leo’s voice. “Back as soon as—” Static. “Cook tacos when—” More static. “¡Vaya con queso! Love ya!” The image winked out.

That's it. That's the whole message. Even now Nico's scowling a little at the blank scroll. ] I had this for almost six months before he turned back up at Camp. And when he did get back, I had everyone line up so they could hit him.

[Hmm.

When the scroll’s hologram is finished, when Nico is finished, one of the most surprising things ever happens. If not for all the rest of the weird shit that goes on in this town’s little world, it may have been one of the most surprising things to happen to date for sure.

Sasuke laughs.

It’s not loud or long, but it is wholly amused and very genuine, and it echoes through the room out into the hall. The corner of his eye crinkles, and his mouth, though not open wide, smiles with the motion. He doesn't try to hide it or excuse it, and he doesn’t bring any attention to the fact it happen. It just does.]

And everyone hit him?

[The story is... familiar in its essence. It reminds him very much of his school days, of Team 7 and his peers, of the Uzumakis. Even the newest one, his pupil. Boruto. Thanks for the laugh, Nico. He needed it.]

[ The laugh is so surprising that Nico's head jerks up from the scroll to look at Sasuke. Granted, he's only known the man not even a day but something tells him that the ninja doesn't laugh like that very often.

Well, it's nice. Both in the sense that the guy is amused and that he can still laugh like that even after whatever his life must have thrown at him. Gives Nico hope for his own future.

He folds it back up carefully, not wanting to rip it even if technically the scroll isn't needed now that Nico's been able to hit Leo. ]

Or kicked or did whatever they felt was proper punishment. Then told Leo that he could expect the same treatment down at our ally's camp too. Everyone everywhere who knows him wants to hit him for what he did.

[ Does it matter that Leo saved the whole world by sacrificing himself along with their enemy? Nope. His friends and allies all wanted their turn. ]

[Sasuke's expression is muted, but fond. So this is how they had all been when they were young. He hadn't noticed it at the time, but then again, what kids ever do?]

It sounds as if you all are fighting the battle we had to fight, too. One we never had a hand in at all. One passed down to us from the very beginning.

It's good you have friends.

People you can rely on, even when they decide to be stupid. [His voice is much softer than the surprised laugh from before. It sounds strangely experienced, that he's speaking from somewhere personal.] Even the ones you think you hate.

Don't ever take them for granted.

Event Ten.

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