Event Eleven.

[awashmods]

"Four ducks on a pond, A grass-bank beyond, A blue sky of spring, White clouds on the wing; What a little thing To remember for years -- To remember with tears!"

he day is normal. It's a bit chillier than it's been, the nip of fall in the air, but as the new people in the Town settle in... things have gotten peaceful. And yet. When everyone goes out to greet their neighbors, to hug their friends, to shake hands or make eye contact or who knows what -- they'll realize very, very quickly that nothing about today is normal at all, actually. Hopefully nobody minds a little extra sharing today. Welcome to Awash's eleventh event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. You are welcome to start your own posts or logs for this event as well. If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

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IA

[umbraportation]

[ Seeing Val is starting to become pretty normal by now as this is the third time they've crossed paths with each other since arriving in the well. When Nico makes the mistake of looking up that's when he's hit by the memory of what is obviously Val.

Val who is probably 400 years younger and still drinking human blood if that rush of power is anything to go by. Not even he's foolish enough to think that feasting on nothing but sardines for hundreds of years wouldn't have some effect on the demon vampire. The Val that Nico knows seems to appreciate mortals more than this so he definitely figures this is a younger version.

Whether this counts as a good or bad memory for the Netherworld resident, he can't exactly say. Maybe it's more of an embarrassed one to look back on himself like this. So instead of pointing out the actually scaring mortals thing, Nico goes for what's supposed to be a light joke. ]

What is it about shadows that we just can't help ourselves with when it comes to going up to people? I'm pretty sure I've made a bunch of people jump whenever I do it.

[ Nico is not that affected by the rush of power feeling he got from Val, not after having his own set of creepy abilities used wrongly in the past. ]

[promissum]

[That was more than 400 years ago. He doesn't get completely caught up in it- he doesn't have any particular need to go about scaring humans here and there. Fear energy wasn't a stable source of strength. No, between his bonds and sardines he would say he's doing better now... even if it might be a bit of a lie.

He does chuckle at the thought.]

Some humans are easily scared by the things they don't see. Shadows themselves aren't inherently threatening.

[umbraportation]

[ Idly, Nico wonders if Val could take on that appearance at will and if it drained him but he doesn't ask. Though he suspects that he'd get an answer if he did. For now the demon vampire seems content with his appearance or at least accepted it as part of his promise to not drink human blood.

Honestly, who is Nico to judge someone popping out of shadows to scare people? ]

Demigods get scared too, though they try not to let it show. [ Jason, Frank and even Leo were sort of jumpy around him for a while. ] Depends on the shadows. That trick I used last time - shadow-traveling - once I nearly became a shadow from using it too much.

1/2

[promissum]

[Valvatorez is, as some people say, "Far too earnest for a demon." If Nico asks, Val will answer without a moment's hesitation.]

I've heard of that. What is it called... "putting on a brave face"? [The humans he knows have less fear and less common sense than most. It doesn't bother him too much since they're his comrades.]

[promissum]

[And then he has to do a double take when he hears how dangerous shadow traveling actually is to Nico? Why did they do it in the first place?]

What? If it was that dangerous we could've found another way out of the forest.

[umbraportation]

[ Maybe some other time he'll feel up to asking. ]

Something like that. They're kind of idiots and one day they'll just stand around watching something come to kill them while trying to film it with their phones. [ Nico's partially glad he's not a kid of the new era.

And he sort of expected that response. ] It's only dangerous if I use it too much. I know my limits now.

[promissum]

Are... Are humans like this these days? Where's their regard for their own lives!? [He sure has a lot of feelings for somebody who's old job was scaring humans.]

Not that I didn't appreciate the quick get away, but we could've flown out without any issues at all.

[umbraportation]

[ At that he shrugs. ] Some are willing to sacrifice themselves if need be but I wasn't even close to that.

[ This time. ] Resting afterwards is enough to replenish my energy and I won't push myself unless it's absolutely necessary.

[promissum]

You said something about taking videos of mortal danger. [He knew some humans were growing fearless but... what is going on up there?]

I'm glad you have some sense of self preservation, at least.

[umbraportation]

Oh well... maybe? I don't really interact with mortals a whole lot. Mostly I'm around the dead, workers of the Underworld or other demigods. [ But from what he's seen... ] Though they are pretty attached to their phones these days.

I try. [ To have self preservation. It's actually a lot better these days. ]

[promissum]

I've only known a few mortals. Usually after they've died. I suppose Fuka counts, even if she's dead. They just put a prinny hat on her instead of putting her in a proper skin. Budget cuts.

[umbraportation]

So they just put a penguin hat on her? [ Nico still thinks the whole thing is weird but each afterlife has its thing. ]

[promissum]

A prinny hat and a jacket, yes. [It's pretty weird, especially the hats and jackets.] Since she was still human shaped she continued to think she wasn't dead. Even at the end of it she said everything that was happening was just a dream.

[umbraportation]

Huh. [ Well, he could see how someone might be confused after dying. Especially since in Val's Netherworld, sinners weren't exactly punished like in the Underworld. ] I don't think I've ever come across a soul who thought that way. Most either knew they were dead or their memories had been washed away completely.

[promissum]

That was my first time meeting a soul like that too. She's really quite a handful. [But there's definitely a little bit of fondness there.]

We don't take away their memories. If they don't remember what they've done, then how will they know what they're working off?

[umbraportation]

Sounds like you might've gotten attached to her. [ Don't think he doesn't pick up on that fondness. ]

Oh, the sinners don't get their memories wiped. That's only for the people who aren't good or bad - or who just refuse to be judged for their life. Though if a good soul decides they want to be reborn, they do get their memories washed away in the River Lethe.

[promissum]

She's my comrade, of course I care. Just like I would for anyone who works with me. Besides that I have a duty to her as a prinny instructor. [ Though between her, Desco and Emizel it was kind of like having kids. ]

... The humans who become angels don't get their memories wiped away. But the sinful souls who reincarnate to humans do.

[umbraportation]

Do you become comrades of all the souls you're an instructor for? [ Just curious. ]

Well, none of our souls become angels. Just human again.

[promissum]

No. Most of them are my charges and nothing more. Once they're done training under me they get shipped out to the rest of the Netherworld.

[ He clears his throat and speaks quickly. ] It's rare in my world.

[umbraportation]

So then she's special. [ Special in the sense that maybe she got dragged in to Val's story. ]

What's rare in my world is that a soul can try for the Isle of the Blest but they have to be reborn three times and make it to Elysium every time.

[promissum]

Hm... Yes.[Just like everybody who ended up in Val's party, she's an oddity. But he's always liked stubbornness.]

Is that... three in a row?

[umbraportation]

[ He'll let the subject drop since she's going to be part of the story Val tells him at some point. ]

Well yeah. People who end in the Fields of Punishment are there for eternity and those who go to the Fields of Asphodel just sort of wander aimlessly because they've forgotten who they are.

[promissum]

[He still finds this idea... unfortunate.]

I suppose they think there's no changing after death? No chances at redemption.

[umbraportation]

[ Nico doesn't run the Underworld. ]

I've never heard of it happening. The gods are pretty set in their ways.

[promissum]

I suppose they've existed for long enough they're stubborn about things. I don't agree, but they aren't here to argue their case.