deernet | video; un: ghostking

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video; un: ghostking

[ Right, here goes. Nico is making this video from the Sanctuary kitchen, so forgive the noise of someone working behind him. ]

I'm sure you've all seen the calls for people helping to shovel snow or offering a room at the Sanctuary on the network this month. While I fully support both of those things, I'm here to offer something else to anyone who finds themselves in an emergency situation between the snow, the monsters, and weird impromptu lake trips out there.

It's called shadow travel.

[ That is kind of exactly what it sounds like. ]

I can take people two at a time from a dangerous situation and drop them off somewhere safe. This is a pretty draining power, so unless someone else has teleportation-like abilities they want to offer up, I will absolutely only be running life-saving free services.

For reference, shadow travel is like being on a roller coaster, in the dark, and cold. It isn't a long trip, since Trench is a relatively small place, but it can be pretty terrifying if you don't like any of those things.

[ Okay, that's about it. ]

If you find yourself in an emergency situation and need an escape, just give me, Nico, a call over the Omnis.

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[nico, continuing to be a good lad. here's how viktor supports that- inventing shit]

I might be able to make you something portable that keeps a small area warm, even when moving. Coldblood gems should make that easy enough. [hextech with bloodstones baby. not sure if that works in this shadow world, but hey, even if not might be useful to have in emergencies.

and of course:] This is a clever idea, Nico. Especially after that miserable snow in.

[ Thanks dad. He appreciates the support. ]

That will help. I'd say "portable is relative with shadow travel", but I'd rather not have to bring along something big again. Did that once, wasn't fun. [ It was a statue. He took a thirty-foot statue across the world along with two people. Nico doesn't think hextech will be a problem with his ability.

A small sound. ] Yeah, I already offered to do pick-ups for the Sanctuary people in trouble, figured I might as well extend my services so long as the weather is going to be this bad.

[never a problem. insert the are you winning son? meme only with nico shadow traveling.]

Ha, I will not force you to carry a full radiator. I can make it something you can slip in your pocket, I believe. Palm sized. I'll let you know when I have a more exact idea.

[tell him the statue story one day though, that sounds fun.] The traps around concern me as well in that regard. That and the lockjoint going around ruining mobility in some. Eh, I suppose it's rather typical for the city all things considered.

[ For now, dad. For now. ]

Pocket-sized is good, since I'll need my hands to hang on to passengers. Attachable to clothing or even like a backpack is also a good substitute otherwise. [ He figures giving more information will help Viktor with the building process.

He can share the story, it's an adventure. ] Seems like typical Trench to me, just with the bonus addition of bad weather on top of it. I'd say I feel at home, but we usually can go a couple of months without some big event happening.

[ominous...

viktor leans over because he's taking just a quick note there. 'attachable, stable enough to handle jostling' that sort of thing.] We'll have to do a small test, just to see how it reacts in this shadow world you mentioned. Give me a couple of days.

[his shadow son gets express service here.]

The pacing does leave something to be desired. Where I'm from everything seems to happen at once between long stretches of boredom.

[ Very.

Both of his adopted dads are such huge note takers that Nico is just used to it already. ] Okay, I'm up for that. It probably won't be a problem, but better safe than sorry.

[ He trusts Viktor's work and throwing off his shadow travel game isn't easy. ]

The last few years have been pretty filled with stuff happening, but we at least get a couple of months where things are quiet. Or stuff is brewing beneath the surface and there's nothing we can do about it because demigods live their exciting lives around poetry prophecies.

[a good skill to learn, better than their eating habits or pal's constant pen stealing for said notes.] My thoughts exactly. It always shocks me how little trouble there is with magic here. It's extremely volatile in my world.

[explosive, even!]

That sounds suitably dreadful. I am curious Nico, what do you think of the Trench? [many truly hated it, some loved it. he expects something on the neutral side from nico, if he's honest]

[ Nico just scrounges around Pal's office to make the pens circulate when he can. If Viktor ever needs one, he can ask the teen for one. ] It can be extremely volatile in other worlds too, but I don't know... I feel like if something is "off-limits" or "forbidden" it makes things worse. People will find a way to do it and there won't be anyone who's openly more experienced to offer advice.

[ This could be applied to just about everything. He's not saying it should be a free-for-all, but those kinds of labels just make it more enticing and tempting. ]

Hm, I don't know. I guess it just sort of feels like "similar problems, different day" to me. The god-like beings, the monsters, the people with powers, dangerous situations on the regular. Trench basically feels like a huge demigod city like the Roman camp, only less organized.

Ha, that is very much true. I suppose that's the story of Hextech, one way or another. [a shake of the head.] I've always seen magic as a tool rather than a force. People will always be the deciding factor, one way or another.

[nico is spot on, honestly. forbidden fruit just made the unsavory types come crawling anyway.]

I am morbidly fascinated by what an organized version of the Trench would look like. Cleaner, I suppose. Though the last thing this place needs is a proper government to grow corrupt.

Humans seem to be curious by nature, completely denying them something tends to make them want to do it more. [ A shrug of his shoulders. ] Yeah, at least if it's allowed, that means someone somewhere is working on ways to prevent others from using it the wrong way. Safety procedures or something.

[ It's the story of Eve with the apple, or Pandora with the pithos. ]

An organized Trench would be weird. But corruption could probably grow anywhere. The first war I was in had been helped along by a demigod in a place where people held meetings around a ping-pong table. The second a demigod in the center of a senate. Granted, they were both influenced and backed by outside sources which were far more organized than we knew.

Is it gauche to comment publically on how cool people's power sets are?

Because my gut reaction is very cool.

And also for you to offer that service, Nico.

[ There's the faintest upturn of his lips. ]

Considering I don't usually get that response, I don't think it's gauche. But then I'm socially awkward, so maybe it is to other people?

[ He shrugs, as if saying "let's not care about those people". ]

Thanks. I'd say the di Angelo Travel Service could be a full-time business, but I'm not capable of doing that. So I'll just save it for emergencies.

[Speaking of socially awkward - Ezra hesitates and decides to flip to private while he gets a little nosy.]

Death and literal darkness related abilities - do um. Do people get weird about that?

[ He knows this is going to be a Conversation when it switches to private. ]

They can, yeah. More the death part, since that involves something that's sacred in most cultures. Using darkness ones just freak people out, especially when I appear out of it near them. Or other things like that.

[ There's a small pause before Nico admits to this. ]

One time, I almost became a shadow. I overused my abilities, and physical things would just pass right through me - even people. Only healing nature magic worked to bring me back.

[Without judgement, just noting-] You got out of balance.

I've probably got you covered, if ever it happens again? Pay back, for helping get properly back on the Sleeper reincarnation cycle.

Not that I wouldn't offer anyway.

Yeah, I guess that's a good way of putting it. My abilities, they come from my father and he's a god. But my mother is mortal, so I'm only half-god. [ So his godly and mortal side became out of balance. Nico did find a balance with a guy who had the god of the sun. Literal light. ]

Thanks, I appreciate it, Ezra. I've been doing pretty good at not overusing them so far. Not sure how many calls I'll get, but I'll make sure to rest when I can.

You're welcome.

And good. Resting when you can is good. I've gotten a couple of lectures on that here, myself.

Yeah, resting isn't something I'm great at, but at least I'm not pushing myself with my abilities here. Or... that there's not much here I'd have to overextend myself for.

[ He was a little hesitant about making this post, but people are climbing out of manholes when soaking wet in this weather. ]

...used to pretty high stakes? [Just a guess, based on Nico's phrasing.]

Just "life as we know it ending and being replaced by something worse" sort of stakes. Usually on a short deadline, too. So it's a lot of pushing to put a stop to it before it's too late.

[ Too much to do, not enough time - that's how things tend to go when things go sideways. ]

Wow, arguably higher stakes than I'm used to, which was life or death as an insurgent under space fascism.

Although I did have the 'I think the Emperor thinks he's found away to control time and fate' thing going on, right before I got yanked from home.

Shadow travel, huh.

[He recalls when Nico helped him with the draugr, he had some neat abilities, though he was pretty distracted by his memories being eaten at the time to take proper stock of it.]

Sounds super edgy, how exactly does it work?

Yep, shadow travel.

[ He remembers this guy, not that Nico has met a ton of people. Plus he probably saved the guy's life or something. ]

Definitely super edgy. I find a shadow and walk into it, head through the dark and cold speedy rollercoaster ride, and come out the other side. Any and all passengers need to be touching me somehow the entire time or they'll get left in there. Landings can get rough, but that usually depends on how tired I am and the distance I'm traveling.

[ There doesn't seem to be any volcano gods here to interfere with the process. ]

If you need someone to help out with you, I've got a teleporting wolf, and he can take two people at a time.

[Just a thought.]

[ Oh hey, it's that guy. ]

A teleporting wolf. [ This isn't the face of disbelief, more a "this is a weird coincidence". ] Most animals don't like me, but hey, I'm willing to give it a try.

[ Nico likes animals, and a teleporting wolf reminds him of a shadow traveling hellhound. ]

What's his name?

Kosmo. He's pretty intuitive... nothing like an Earth wolf. So, he might end up not being scared of you. We could give it a try and see what he thinks.

A non-Earth wolf who can teleport. Sounds pretty cool.

[ It does make him miss the giant hellhound of Percy's and the even larger Cerberus down in the Underworld. ]

I'm at the Sanctuary, and will be there a lot whenever you guys want to come by.

Yeah, sure. We can do that. I don't think I've been over at the Sanctuary, yet.

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do we want to do an action thread for Nico to meet Kosmo?