[Text/Action; Seelie] 05 Shadows

[fell_to_hell]

[Nico debates saying anything over voice, but decides against it. He doesn't trust himself to remain collected. Honestly, he feels...drained. Not only is he left with Bianca's shard, but he's now left with Piper and Jason's.

This is too much for him to think or speak clearly. Text is the better option, despite his dyslexia.

The son of Hades takes a deep breath before typing.]

Jason Grace, Piper McLean, and Bianca di Angelo are no longer with us. I currently have their shards.

[He knows for a fact that Thalia will come running to find him in Caer Glaem, so he doesn't bother sending her a private message. This, he thinks, is something that needs to be talked about in person.

Currently, Nico is out on the grounds, sitting next to his gigantic hellhound and looking much like he had when he'd first arrived in the Drabwurld. Alone, sad, and putting up familiar barriers against the pain of loss. Clifford whines at him, not only sensing Nico's distress, but also the loss of one of his favorite demigods.]

Comments

action!!

[astrapi]

[ This month had... sucked. first talking with Annabeth about Luke, then talking with Luke, then the dogs and getting stupidly injuried, then Annabeth disappearing and now Jason, Piper and Bianca were gone. Seriously, there was no way that it could get any worse. She didn't even have to finish reading Nico's post to know what had happened. She had felt her brother missing. Just as he had been before.

Thalia doesn't take long to go looking for Nico. Hades, she left to find him the moment his message hit the lockets. It doesn't take long either. Her two wolves softly trailing behind her as she sits herself next to Nico. Her own expression as guarded as it had once been before when it came to Jason. ]

[ She doesn't need to say anything, giving Nico the chance to say something first. ]

[fell_to_hell]

[Nico stands to face her. His expression is guarded, but he can't hide a sliver of pain from his eyes. He holds out one of the green shards to her.]

You're the only choice on who should protect his shard. I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't even sense he'd gone.

[He feels like he's failed his best friend in that regard. But Annabeth had come back, looking no worse for wear. Maybe....]

...He's not gone forever, though. Annabeth had been here twice.

[astrapi]

[ thalia is at a slight loss as to what to say. last time jason disappeared, the only one she needed to comfort was herself. and she didn't even do that good of a job at that. regardless, she can't stand to see nico like this. maybe it was part of being a big sister. nico was close to jason, and no doubt he was hurting about bianca. ]

[ thalia doesn't take the shard from his hand nor stand up. rather instead her blue eyes are unusually soft as she glances up past it at him. ] Don't apologize, Nico. I don't think Jason would want you too. [ There's a soft beat as she offers an almost sisterly smile towards him. ] And are you sure you don't need to hear that more than me.

[fell_to_hell]

[That earns a weak, humorless laugh.]

He never does.

[Even when Nico does something wrong, Jason hasn't ever demanded an apology from him. Now that solid presence is gone and Nico isn't sure of what to do. Then there's Bianca's departure, which basically just tears open the old wound to make an even deeper scar on his heart. It's hard to have her again and then suddenly have her leave him behind for a second time.

He shakes his head at her words.]

You're his older sister.

[And Nico knows that this is the second time she's lost her sibling, too.]

[astrapi]

[ Thalia wants to hug Nico and tell him it'll be alright. But she doesn't for several reasons. One being her arm was still pretty badly injured that it'd be a sucky hug and more due to the reasoning that she shouldn't. Nico wasn't exactly the type of person who enjoyed personal contact. Even if the laugh was weak, it was something. And Thalia was going to grasp onto that something. ] Of course not. Jason is a dork like that.

[ with that, she'll gently take the shard from Nico's hand. Pain flicking into her gaze for a sheer second before she turns her full attention down to Nico. ] Are you sure you don't want to hang onto it for a bit longer. You've spent more time with him than I have in a long time. [ It hurt her heart to admit it, but it was true. This one month had been the most amount of time that she had spent with her brother since they were little. But she didn't allow it to show through her voice, keeping it soft and calm for Nico's sake. While all she wanted to do was curse the world and storm off in her usual angry fit - Nico had it worse. He'd lost his dead sister, meanwhile she would be able to see Jason again sometime. ]

[fell_to_hell]

[Nico shakes his head.]

That doesn't make you any less his older sister.

[He looks away from her. Part of him feels guilty for admitting this, but the other part thinks it's justified.]

I don't...think I'm the right person to make any decisions about it. The same with Piper's. I'll be giving hers to Leo when he gets back.

[astrapi]

I know that. [ she'd always be Jason's older sister. No one was going to ever take that away from her. ] But you were his friend. And a close one. So, as far as I'm concerned you are.

[ one-handingly pushing herself off the ground, thalia gives him a confident look. ] As far as I'm concerned, there isn't anyone I would trust more for a decision like this.

[fell_to_hell]

[This...is kind of a big deal for him. Her confidence in him is so much like Jason's that it kind of hurts. At the same time, it's...comforting. Like a fundamental part of his life hasn't changed just because it can carry on in a friendship with Thalia.

Nico crosses his arms as his eyes go back to meet hers.]

Either way, you're family. Anything that happens to his shard should be your decision. I would've done the same thing if it was you.

[It's also why he's keeping Bianca's for a time.]

[astrapi]

[ Thalia can't resist a soft chuckle before playfully nudging Nico in the arm. ]

You're family too, you idiot. It doesn't end with blood. [ There were more people that she considered family that weren't actually related to her than people that were. Even when it came to the gods she'd rather pick Artemis as her family over Zeus. ]

[fell_to_hell]

[There's a flash of surprise in his eyes at that. He just doesn't expect hearing that he's part of someone else's family. Well, Nico's heard it once from Hermione, but she's from another world. Hearing it from someone who's from the same world he is...that's different.]

...No, it doesn't.

[Nico wavers a little, kind of marveling at how much he doesn't mind being part of the Grace siblings' family. He gives her a somewhat wry look.]

I suppose I wouldn't mind being part of the Grace family, but only on the condition that you don't try to recruit my half-sister for the Hunters.

[astrapi]

[ Half-sister? Jason had told her about that, it was some girl called Hazel. She couldn't blame Nico from being wiry of the idea after what had happened to Bianca. Even if she had been against Bianca joining the hunters when she did, Thalia had ended up making the same choice. Surely for different reasons, but being a hunter now made her feel some responsibility. Especially since she was on the quest that Bianca met her fate on. As if she had taken on the guilt that Zoe felt for it once she became lieutenant. ]

I think if you asked Jason, he'd say you already were a part of it. [ But she gives a light shrug. For once, having the last name of Grace didn't feel so bad. It wasn't just a connection to her alcoholic mother anymore. ] But if helps, she is completely banned from joining.

[fell_to_hell]

[He does relax somewhat. Granted, Nico doesn't think Hazel would've left Frank for the Hunters, but still.

This does, however, bring up a good question for him to ask the daughter of Zeus.]

By the way, how much did Jason tell you about what's happened at home?

[astrapi]

[ Thalia furrows her brows. She and Jason didn't talk much honestly. Every now and then they'd send each other small messages, but that was it. Enough so she knew who his friends were and if he was doing stupid. Honestly, messages that she got from Annabeth were way more detailed. ]

Not much. He usually get send general things. Like if he was going on a quest or if something interesting happened.