some quote about spooky scary skeletons

[hellshot]

who: Reaper hellshot and Nico deathkid
what: Reaper calls bullshit on Nico's powers. Nico makes him eat his words.
when: Midday
where: Floor 8 + wherever else they go for weirdass shit involving the dead
warnings: Talk of Death abundant, possible fucked up corpse talk, Reaper's dead face, etc



[Waiting around for the kid to show up was the easy part. The annoying part was making sure that noone else was around the floor that he'd told the guy to show up in. He'd been so cock-sure about proving the kid wrong in terms of his apparent 'power of the gods' that he'd went and invited him right up to his room.

Without thinking who might be in it.

Seems it's lucky for them that the annoying members of old Overwatch are absent from the room when Nico shows up, at least--Reaper sitting out on the balcony with his mask and shitty old hoodie in place, hiding his face entirely from sight.

It's a little harder to hide those smoky black death emissions, though.]

Comments

[deathkid]

[ as soon as nico gets the message from reaper about which room he's in, nico immediately reaches outward with his senses. yep, there's a distinct shadow of death in that location and nico can't help but smirk to himself. since the end of the war with gaea, he hasn't had much chance to use his skills. now he does, and as nico gets up from his own bed on floor 10, he draws the shadows around him before stepping into them.

only to step out of the shadow reaper's body casts against the balcony floor.

despite having lived some 80+ years, he looks entirely like a teenage punk. dark, shaggy hair frames eyes dark as sin and nico is pale with dark circles under his eyes. his clothing: distinctly punk rock with black, torn skinny jeans, a ramones tshirt, and black bomber jacket. there's a skull ring on one finger, and at his hip sits a black sword on a metal chain. the metal of the sword seems to radiate fear.

right now, he's toying with the skull ring as he gives reaper a look over. the mask seems a bit out of place with the hoodie, but who is nico to judge? ]

Nice view.

[ in lieu of a greeting. 'sup old man, how's it going? ]

[hellshot]

Most people use the front door. You know. They show up. They knock. And then when those inside decide they're not being faced with a serial killer or the police, they let them in.

[He turns his head to shoot an unseen glare at the teen--just his luck, it's another brat. Why does he always have to deal with brats since he's gotten 'spirited away' from home? He's so tired.]

Neat trick, I'll give you that. But it's one even I can do.

[Which is... mostly wrong. While Nico can walk around inside shadows, Reaper's a little more limited to line of sight. Not that the son-of-Hades needs to know all the tiny details.

Speaking of which, Reaper's going to move to a stand--towering over the kid at a fair 6'1"--to take a good look at him. Grungy, messy hair, dark eyes, a shitty band t-shirt and edgy jewelry. It reminds him too much of himself when he was a kid and it's annoying.]

So you're 'ghostking'. You want me to call you that, or do you actually have a name, 'Son of Hades'?

[He's so much more friendly in real life, right? And the way his voice echoes out from behind his mask, like he's got his own echo definitely helps.]

[deathkid]

[ despite having to look up at reaper, nico doesn't seem all that bothered. the mask does little to frighten him after having looked into the face of tartarus and come out (mostly) sane. his hands settle in his pockets as he glances around and eventually his gaze settles back on the man lurking over him. ]

Nico di Angelo. But Nico is fine. Your aura is pretty easy to pick up now that I know it's you. You really do feel a lot like death.

[ like he's discussing the weather. no wonder will solace tells him he needs to work on his people skills. pulling one hand from his pockets, he reaches out to draw some of reaper's deathsmoke stuff and coils it around his fingers, playing with it and directing it like the shadows he's so attune to. ]

Anyway, "Ghost King" is more one of my titles. When they asked for a username, it was the first thing I came up with.

[hellshot]

[Of course. Right. Hades' son Nico. Why didn't he guess that. Nico won't see him roll his eyes, but he sure does. He can't say he trusts this 'aura' shit that Nico brings up earlier, but the guy did just walk out of his shadow AND is holding a sword that, upon glance, is just unnerving to look at.]

Don't know how much more I'll need to explain that I'm dead, then, if you can pick up on that shit. [Don't mistake his tone, it's a grateful one. He's tired of having to explain this shit to people when they don't believe him the first few words in.]

...A title. Either you're making up more shit again, or you just really have a love for things that are over the top. [Says the guy with the username 'GraveMistake'.]

...Reaper. [As an aside, gesturing to himself. It's not a name, but it's all he'll give out.]

[deathkid]

[ he notes the fatigue in reaper's tone and has no doubt that he probably does have to explain it a lot. if nico wasn't who he is, he probably wouldn't understand. however, given who his father is, comprehension comes easily. ]

It is a little strange how much you're tied to the shadows.

[ which he's still playing with, idly. ]

Typically only children of Hades or hellhounds have as much control over them. Do you mind if I ask how you died? I can't always tell how, but I can usually sense a when.

[ and he shrugs, giving a wave of his hand to dispel the shadows before leaning against the balcony's edge and shoving his hands back in his pockets. ]

I wouldn't call it a "love". I took the title from the former king of ghosts. I can demonstrate, but I doubt you'd like it very much.

[ because he can physically grasp ghosts and nico can't help but be a little curious if he can do it to "reaper". ]

[hellshot]

[He'd been trying to ignore it--because honestly, it was a bit uncomfortable--swirling around some of the smoke around his fingers like it was the most natural thing in the world. Dead cells and what one would assume is nanomachines, all tied up in a deathly black smoke that constantly leaked from him as his body rapidly rotted, only to regenerate in a neverending cycle.]

...I was in a fire. Explosion, to be more accurate. [He'd be more cautious, telling this to someone were one of the other Overwatch brats around, but--for now, it's fine.] An entire building collapsed down on top of my head. I don't know what killed me first. The fire, or the rubble.

I'm built to last longer than your average mortal.

[Which is what he thinks is the issue with Ziegler's... little Resurrection attempt. SEP chemicals weren't calculated into her formula, and it reacted terribly with the nanomachines she'd used to bring him back from the dead. Or... whatever she'd brought him back to be, as it's clearly not something quite human, but not quite ghost either.]

You've yet to demonstrate much except toying with that gross shit and walking out of shadows.
I'm not interested in title-stealing. I'm interested in the other things you said you could do.

[deathkid]

[ as reaper talks, nico closes his eyes and imagines the scene. it's rather similar to what zeus did to his mother, after all, and he can feel a twinge of sympathy for reaper's sake.

no one should have to live a half-life. ]

I can sense it. The... oddness. It may not be a true second life, but it's still something. If I were you, I'd make something of it.

[ but he won't give any further "advice". he's not about how people should live (or not live). ]

If you want to see more, we'll have to get down to the ground level. Anything I do here could destabilize the entire building.

[ and if gabriel doesn't believe him, nico will lift a brow, hold out a hand, and make a motion as if he's pulling something up. the building they're in rumbles a little. ]

[hellshot]

[He doesn't need to re-imagine the scene at all. It's pushed back into his head and visualizing it isn't in his list of interests. Especially not on a planet so far from earth, with beings like this coming out of the woodwork.]

You don't need to tell me something like that, kid. I'm going to more than make something out of it.

[He doesn't need to know that his aim is revenge, one he might not even get if he's trapped here far from Earth. But those are thoughts left for when he's not facing some guy who looks like he belongs in a mosh pit who is making the entire building rumble.

His instinct is to pull out a gun. He swallows it down.]

Right. After you, or do you need someone's shadow to follow them? [He almost snarls that out with a touch of sarcasm, gesturing a gloved hand to the ground far below.]

[deathkid]

Good.

[ short, simple, because nico isn't the type to push a subject. he's said his piece and it's no longer his business. what's important now is proving himself. so when reaper gets all impudent about his shadow traveling, he just looks up at reaper, lifts a brow, and then in the span of a heartbeat, he's gone.

only to reemerge from the shadow of a tree several stories down below. cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouts up at reaper. ]

Does that answer your question?

[hellshot]

[What a cocky little shit. Reaper watches this little display, arms crossed and looking every bit like a human-shaped knot. With how quick the kid disappears, he's almost shocked, but. Hearing the guy call out from the bottom...

Well.

Maybe later he'll actually tell Nico he's actually impressed, but for now, he just sneers. (Not that Nico would hear it.)
Either way, when his question is answered, he'll make quick of getting down to the ground level, as well.

A foot up on the balcony railing and he's jumping off, his entire form shifting into less of a human shape, and more of a dark, swirling shadow.
It hits the ground a few feet from Nico, where it swirls and writhes for a moment before Reaper stands out of it--re-shaping into a more solid form.

'Not quite a ghost' indeed.]

Right. So you've got more than just a few parlour tricks. [Friendly.]

[deathkid]

[ nico watches the display with a mild expression of interest, hands still buried in his pockets. he's not about to say that what reaper can do isn't impressive, because it is. few mortals could accomplish something like that and nico can acknowledge power when he sees it.

it's a pity the guy is only half-dead. ]

"Parlor tricks." [ blandly as his brows raise. then, stooping as he keeps his eyes on reaper, he presses a hand to the ground and mutters a few words in ancient greek. when he stands again, something begins breaking its way to the surface, out of the earth. within moments, there's a skeletal figures basically digging its way to the surface. it seems to be wearing fashion similar to that of the locals, if a few years out of date. ]

once its jaw is free, it chatters something by clacking its teeth. nico glances down and nods in apparent understanding. ]

He says his face is better than yours.

1/2

[hellshot]

[They can just be quietly impressed with each other and never admit it. That suits Gabriel just fine, at least, straightening up after his straight fall from the balcony above. Watching Nico now as he scoffs out Reaper's own word, fingers moving against the dirt like he's feeling for something just under his hand.

The Greek words are lost on him but the slight shift of the earth under their feet isn't--and he's almost glad he's wearing a mask when the literal skeleton breaks through the ground underneath them to grace them with its presence.

Alright, now he's almost willing to admit he's impressed.]

--Shit.

[That's pretty much the best sort of compliment Nico would get from him--the inflection being one of startled surprise. It'd get the message across.

Not that the tone would stay long as the skeleton starts to talk--insulting his face of all things.

Reaper can't help but to give a low, dark chuckle.]

2/2

[hellshot]

He's not capable of judging that. This isn't my face. It's a mask.

[And normally, he would be opposed--completely--to removing his mask for anyone. Out of how they react out of fear or disgust; he can't handle that. It's irritating and he was already disgusted enough at his own appearance. He didn't need anyone elses' opinion.

However, maybe Nico...

His hand moves up, and he pulls his mask away from his face. Revealing the pallid-skinned, rotting face that hides underneath. Teeth exposed at his cheeks, eyes a glowing red backed in deep, black pits.]

I think he'll find he's wrong.

[deathkid]

[ nico had been about to comment than the mask had been fine by him, but as one of reaper's clawed hands comes up to remove the mask, nico tilts his head. an expression of interest forms and while he won't admit it, he is curious as to what's behind it.

however, he wouldn't be the son of hades, the king of ghosts, if he was startled by reaper's appearance. he is nico di angelo, he walks the shadows, and draws forth death as easily as breathing. he once even diminished a fellow demigod to nothing but a whisp of a ghost without memory or life before casting him to the underworld... all by merely exerting his will. death doesn't scare nico.

(no, his only fear had been coming out and that's in the past)

so, really, the glowing eyes, the rotting flesh, the pale skin.... they don't frighten him in anyway. he doesn't even react much.

the decrepit skeleton, now fully formed and clattering next to nico makes another chattering noise. nico gives it a mild look before shaking his head. ]

I disagree. I think he looks like my chauffeur. [ said to the skeleton.

then, turning back to reaper, he grins. it's dark and rather sadistic, the glint of madness in his eyes that would be familiar to anyone who's ever met nico's father. it's the kind of grin that makes others fear him. for once, he's not afraid of scaring someone off when he smirks. ]

Dad would probably love to have you as one of his head guards.

[hellshot]

[It's a reaction he'd hoped for. One that was barely concerned, no loud exclamations of disgust or shock. If anything, it's the kind of reaction he wished the general public had. But he's faced with a guy who claims to be the son of Hades of all damn people, so of course he'd just give him a blase look as a first reaction.

If anything, it makes the wraith of a man relax, letting his hand fall to his side as he holds the mask idle, now, letting out a breath of black smoke.]

Your chauffeur? I don't know how the hell you understand that clattering. [He gestures at the skeleton, now.] So this power of yours, he'll just stick around until you tell him to continue his dirt nap or something?

[Eloquent.

Completely eloquent as he, as well, takes Nico's sadistic look with a dose of salt--even feeling oddly comfortable around the grungy-looking teen as he pays him that comment of all things.]

...And if your dad offers a fair price for services, I might consider sending him a resume. [Lol.]

[deathkid]

Jules-Albert is actually a zombie, so he doesn't really chatter.

[ another shrug, dark eyes following the way the black smoke escapes reaper's mouth. ]

Most will, basically. Once risen, they're bound to my will until I choose to release them. As for Father, well... he is the god of wealth too.