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The first thing Nico realized upon waking up was that he had no idea where he was. Well, that and the fact that he had a throbbing pain at the back of his head. It made sense though, really, considering he had apparently decided to take a nap on a random sidewalk in the middle of who-knows-where. His original plan was to get to France, (Can you blame him? He wanted to try out one of those bakeries Will was talking about the other day.) though somehow he (massively) overshot and ended somewhere in- Asia? At least that was what he was going to assume, considering it felt like he had been asleep for quite a while. The whole situation reminded him of when he was in the labyrinth trying to figure out how his powers worked. Nico mentally reminded himself to never mention this to Will. The son of Apollo would never let him hear the end of it, especially since he was technically disobeying his orders of no shadow traveling long distances.
Eventually, Nico decided he'd had enough of lying on the ground and sat up groggily. It looked like he'd ended up near a river not too far away from a city, if the towering skyscrapers in the distance were anything to go by. He reached for his sword, relieved to find it still by his side. He didn't know if there were any monsters nearby. After staying in one spot for so long, it was only a matter of time before something found him. He stood up and began to look around. It seemed like he was still pretty far away from the city, so it looked like he would have to do quite a bit of walking for now.
Just as he was about to turn to walk down the sidewalk, something further down the river caught his attention, yet, when he looked closer nothing was there. Nico frowned. He didn't like the feeling that started to bubble up in his chest. Stray ghosts like that were never a good sign, which meant there had to be something down by the river that was disturbing the dead. Ghosts like that usually never grouped together unless he summoned them. It was also a possibility that they sensed his presence and were only starting to gather near him, but with how restless they seemed Nico doubted that was the case.
The closer he got the the scene the more worried Nico got. A sensation of anger radiated off of the ghosts in waves. Nearing closer, it wasn't long until they began to take notice of the son of Hades. It was almost immediate, the way they swarmed to him and started whispering in his ear, begging for an audience with the son of the lord of the dead. With a wave of his hand, the ghosts were pushed away for him, giving him room to survey the area. "Why are you all here?" He wondered aloud. His question seemed to garner a bigger commotion. Down by the riverbed was a group of ghosts that hadn't been bothered by Nico's presence. Instead, they seemed to be too busy arguing with each other. Nico sighed in exasperation. Disagreements like this among the dead weren't common, but it wasn't exactly rare either.
He figured he might as well sort out the situation while he could. After all, it's not like he had much else to do while waiting to regain enough strength to get back to camp, so he might as well be productive while he had the opportunity.
Nico directed his attention towards what seemed to be the center of the issue for these ghosts. Standing there just above the water line was the ghost of a man with a gunshot wound bleeding from his forehead attempting to keep the others away from something that seemed to be floating down the river.
Nico looked towards the water, it didn't look to be anything much, just what looked to be a shoe floating just barely above water. Maybe the man was trying to protect the river itself? "Why is it that you want to protect the river?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth chaos erupted around him. The ghosts all around started chattering all at once, each trying to explain their case to him. Nico didn't bother trying to focus on anyone's explanation above all talking that was beginning to blend together. Instead, he focused on the one in front of him, who had a bullet wound on his forehead.
The man simply shook his head. "There's a man submerged in the river. The others want to keep him from coming back up to the surface." The ghostly figure's voice sounded impossibly tired, as he gestured to the area where Nico had least seen the floating shoe. Now, however, he noticed that it was gone, presumed to have gone fully under.
Nico quickly dismissed the rest of the undead with a wave of his hand, choosing to focus on what the one in front of him had said. It seemed like it was a case of ghosts trying to interfere with the living. It made a strange sort of sense, in a way. It wasn't too uncommon for the living to accidentally piss off the undead, or to wrong people in life that later came back as ghosts with a vengeance. A part of him couldn't help but be vaguely curious as to which one it was. Either way, now it seemed like the man in the river was being haunted by a small army of ghosts who were probably constantly attempting to make his life miserable.
As Nico had learned during the early days of discovering his powers, having that many ghosts around constantly surrounding you, or simply watching from afar could get tiring very quickly. In fact, he wasn't too surprised the man had decided to go for a 'swim' in the river. The mortal mind wasn't meant to withstand so many ghosts that were constantly taking advantage of every shred of guilt or weakness to mentally torture them from afar.
Pushing those thoughts away for now, Nico began to wonder what exactly he should do. On one hand, he could leave now, since he had already dismissed the hoard of ghosts, and be on with his way. Maybe he could even do a bit of sightseeing while he was here. On the other, the ghost beside him has begun to look increasingly worried about the figure that had since disappeared under the water.
Looking around and seeing no one else in sight, Nico resigned himself to the fact that this issue was now his responsibility. If he did nothing and the man died, then not only would the ghost beside him likely be upset, but he'd also feel bad knowing he could've done something to help and he didn't. (Though, it's not like he hadn't simply let things be before, such as with Octavian. However, unlike the annoying legacy, this man seemed to have someone who cared about him, even if that person was dead.)
Despite Nico's pondering, the ghost next to him had clearly decided that Nico was taking far too long to dive into the water and retrieve the man from the river. This resulted in Nico being shaken out of his thoughts by having to witness a ghost attempt to swim. (Which, in case you've never been dead before, is actually an incredibly difficult thing to do, as most times you tend to pass through the water without being able to swim in it.)
This spurred Nico into action, he had stalled for long enough, especially since it was hardly ever a question in the first place, despite his slight reservations. So, he shrugged off his jacket and unhooked his sword from his belt, laying it on the floor.
Nico silently prayed that whatever water spirit was in charge of the river didn't have a vendetta against the children of Hades, as that was about to make everything a whole lot harder. (Oh yeah, did Nico also mention he had only recently learned how to swim? He didn't need an angry water spirit combined with his shaky swimming skills.)
And with that thought, he jumped in the water and was immediately dragged along with the icy current. Struggling to keep his head above water, he tried to swim with the choppy water towards the faint life force up ahead, which only seemed to be getting farther and farther away. With a gasp, he closed his eyes and dove underwater, kicking as hard as he could using that faint sensation of life as a guide.
The first issue came when he tried to come back up for water. As he tried to swim upwards, the current suddenly became stronger and what felt like a wave crashed into his back, pushing him further under.
It was officially safe to say that whatever water spirit was guarding the river did NOT like him.
For a moment, Nico panicked and frantically started to claw at the water to get to the surface. That break in his concentration was all the water spirit needed to further drag him away from his destination. The water current seemed to keep getting faster, and the water choppier. The previously peaceful-looking river was now one of angry rapids forcefully tugging along any unfortunate soul (Nico) who dared to enter the water.
Finally, Nico was able to break free and take in several gulps of air. He wiped the water clear from his eyes and took note of the water. From his position, it looked like he was close to whoever was submerged in the water. With more direction now, Nico tried to power through and used all his strength to swim further down the river.
He took a deep breath before finally diving back under, this time opening his eyes. He ignored the sting as he finally spotted who he was looking for. It seemed to be a tall man wearing a coat simply floating along with the current.
He was so close, yet he could feel his lungs starting to constrict as panic started to settle in his chest. He grabbed onto the man's coat frantically just as he inhaled a mouth full of water. He clung onto the man for dear life as the raging water tried to tear him away.
With one hand holding onto that coat, he tried to use the other to swim upwards to avail. The edges of his vision started to darken as kept gasping for air, only for water to fill his lungs instead. In a last-ditch effort, he grabbed the man's arm with his other hand and tried to kick downwards, where to light of the sun started to fade and the shadows made the water dark and murky. He could feel himself already fading out of consciousness.
Just a little further. Once I reach the darker shadows I can get us both out of here . He could already feel his legs starting to give out. Just a few more kicks and he would be close enough to pull on the shadows to darken and finally get them out of the water.
At least that’s what was supposed to happen.
Just as he thought that things couldn't possibly get any worse, the man started shifting in his grasp. He grabbed at the back of Nico's shirt and started trying to pull the both of them towards to surface, only to realize just how rough the waters had gotten. Nico fought against him, trying his best to drag them back.
Luckily it seemed that the water spirit didn't want them to go up towards the surface either, as some debris crashed into the man's side, knocking him off balance. This gave Nico the advantage he needed as the man began to sink again, dragging them both down.
Nico ignored the harsh burning of his lungs and used to last of his strength to reach the bottom. He let go of the coat, holding onto the man with an iron grip on his arm, and reached into the shadows, forcing them out of the water and into the nearest pool of shade.
Much like his original mishap with shadow traveling, Nico didn't fare much better this time around. The two of them ended up landing in a nearby tree. Though man beside him seemed to be caught on a branch, while Nico simply fell straight through the tree onto the hard ground below.
Nico landed with a hard thump on the ground below. His vision swam for a moment before he rolled over onto his side and started hacking up the water in his lungs, taking as many labored breaths as he could between coughs.
(He was definitely not letting Will know about this whole situation. He was never going to hear the end of it if he knew Nico almost drowned trying to save a stranger from dying in a river somewhere in Japan.)
Nico ended up staying on the ground for the next few minutes catching his breath. Or at least until he remembered he had originally made the trip with a certain stranger. Nico felt his body protesting against him as he sat up and started looking around.
For a moment, Nico thought he might've left him back in the river, in which case, that whole debacle had been for nothing. That is, until, he looked up to see the man still hanging in the tree. Nico tilted his head as he pondered if he should do anything about that or not. After all, he had officially achieved his original goal of just saving the man's life for the sake of that ghost. So, technically, he could just leave him here and be on his way. As truly tempting as that was, however, a part of Nico couldn't help but be a bit curious about that man. There was just something about him that made Nico's demigod instincts go on high alert, yet looking at him from here, Nico normally wouldn't suspect a thing.
It could also just be the fact that Nico had already been on high alert from the get-go. He didn't even know where he was, much less if any monsters were lurking around waiting to attack him while he was weakened.
That being said, Nico decided he'd try and give him the benefit of the doubt. It could just be Nico's paranoia talking, after all.
Above him, it seemed the man had gotten tired of simply laying in a tree while Nico caught his breath and coughed any residual water out of his lungs. Nico watched as the man rolled out of the tree and tumbled onto the ground below.
The man sat up and began looking around curiously, before spotting Nico, who was still sitting on the floor a few feet away. He looked on at Nico with an analytical eye, studying him for a few moments. Whatever he found must have been sufficient enough, because he stood up and walked over to Nico's spot on the ground, eying him with what looked to be a vaguely amused expression.
Nico took note of the bandages that seemed to wind up the man's arm, past a tan-colored coat, and extending all over his body. They had become soggy and were sticking to the man's skin.
He also seemed to wear what looked like professional clothing, with slacks and a dress shirt that was covered by a vest. Minus the waterlogged way the clothes hung from the man's body, it was a safe assumption that the man had likely just come out of work.
(Privately, Nico thought the fact that the man had seemingly 'fallen' into a river right after exiting work was relatable. If Nico was forced to sit still at a desk all day, he too would probably end up jumping into a river. A job like that was a nightmare for most demigods with ADHD.)
Nico stood up to meet the man's gaze, only to realize just how tall he was, causing Nico to have to look up slightly to look him in the eyes. Nico gave the man a once over, his suspicion of the other only growing at what looked to be a familiar darkness that seemed attached to the man's soul.
Nico was able to recognize it as the tell-tale sign that someone's soul had been cursed. When he made an effort, he could also sometimes see that same darkness around the soul of Percy Jackson. Nico was brought back to the memory of the ghosts that had been haunting the man in front of him previous to Nico's arrival and couldn't help but wonder if the two could be related.
Nico's mind began to supply him with ghost-curse-related theories as, in front of him, the man had begun to speak in what Nico assumed was Japanese. Nico's brain automatically began to tune him out as Nico tried to get a better view of the man's soul while trying not to make it to obvious.
His efforts were soon interrupted when the man began speaking in well-practiced English, and Nico was forced to actually speak to him. "You know, if you were trying to attempt suicide in the river like I was, I don't think you did a very good job at it." The man raised an eyebrow before continuing with a short chuckle, "Trying to save someone from drowning while barely knowing how to swim yourself seems a bit counterproductive."
Nico, who was shocked out of his stupor, tried to resist the urge to roll his eyes in frustration. He had almost gotten himself killed trying to save the life of someone who hadn't even wanted to be saved, only for these to be the first words said to him?
Nico simply frowned. If the man was going to be sarcastic, Nico had no problem doing the same. "Good to know that I could've just let you drown. If you'd like I can always push you back into the river."
The man's face changed to one of exaggerated glee, exclaiming, "You would do that for me, how kind! Who knew my mysterious savior would be so virtuous." He leaned in close, causing Nico to take an instinctive step backward. "Though, do try not to fall in, who knows how you'll be able to save yourself this time." The brunette stood up straight, and how he looked at the teenager in front of him, Nico could only describe as an odd feeling that whatever he said next would be taken with a grain of salt.
In the back of his mind, Nico couldn't help but wonder what exactly the man had seen when Nico had shadow-traveled them out of the water. He had assumed that with the man's undoubtedly foggy mind and the mist, it would be no issue. Now, however, Nico couldn't help but wonder if his initial assumption was wrong.
Outwardly, Nico tried not to show the slight panic on his face, covering it up with a shrug. He looked past the man's shoulder and tried to identify the area where he had left his things lying near the riverbed.
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Nico began moving, taking a few steps in an attempt to make his way past the man before stopping and looking over at him. "It was nice to meet you, though Mr- ?"
"Ah, you can call me Dazai. And your name would be..?" Dazai turned so he was once again facing Nico.
"Nico Di Angelo," Nico announced his name with a tone of finality, hoping that would be the end of it. He had to go get his sword before it was found by the wrong person, but he didn't want a mortal to see it out in the open. He had no idea how the mist would cover up its presence. Dazai could see anything from a baseball bat to a gun, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to be around to find out in case he ended up calling the police.
As he was walking off, however, he could feel Dazai's lingering presence following behind him. With a glance over his shoulders, he could see Dazai walking behind him. When he noticed Nico had spotted him, he waved and hurried his pace to catch up with him.
Dazai fell in step beside him as he continued talking as if Nico had never tried to walk away. "So, what was a kid like you doing over by the river anyway?" He asked. Nico tried to ignore the flare of irritation at being called a kid and tried to focus on coming up with a reasonable excuse for why he ended up where he did.
Nico decided to go with a half-truth instead, figuring it was easier than coming up with a complicated lie.
"I just got here a few hours ago. I figured I would look around the city when I got lost and found myself here."
Nico silently hoped that would be enough to stave off his curiosity for the time being. Or maybe he should be hoping that it confused him because then Dazai might be caught up trying to figure out the details of that to not notice Nico was slowing down as they arrived at the spot where he'd left his things.
The ghost from earlier was long gone, most likely having disappeared as they got closer. Dazai looked like he had something to say, but quickly paused when he noticed Nico making his way down to the small pile by the river.
His things hadn't been moved since he'd left them, which was very much a relief. If something his sword had been missing, this mishap of a trip would have turned much more sour.
He shrugged on his jacket, thankful for the warmth that it provided. With his clothes still soaking wet and barely starting to dry, they were quickly becoming very uncomfortable, especially with the wind making it feel colder than it should be.
It was then that he snuck a glance back towards Dazai. It seemed that he hadn’t gotten caught up in Nico’s poor distraction after all. The man seemed to be looking past him, wide-eyed, at his sword that was lying by Nico's feet.
Nico tried to stay calm and not panic. Based on the man's expression, he was either a clear-sighted mortal, and was sufficiently freaked out at the sight of the sword, or the mist manipulated his sight into thinking it was some sort of weapon. Either way, neither option was very ideal.
So, Nico decided to do the first thing that came to mind, which was to simply act like this was all normal. Maybe if he didn't say anything about it, Dazai would just shrug it off. Nico quickly picked up his sword and hooked it back onto his belt before making his way back towards Dazai.
At the movement, Dazai quickly snapped his gaze from the sword back over to Nico. Whatever confusion or shock that had previously shown on the man's face was now gone, replaced by the same obnoxious grin as earlier.
"Well, Nico Di Angelo, if you're a tourist here why don't I show you around Yokohama? After all, it wouldn't be very responsible of me to leave a teenager wandering the city by himself, right?" Dazai's expression morphed into what looked like a subtly challenging smirk, almost as if he was daring Nico to protest.
Not that it bothered Nico in the slightest. He just brushed past him and called out, not even bothering to look back over his shoulder, "I don't need a babysitter. It was nice meeting you, Dazai."
However, just like before, his attempts to end the conversation were ignored as Dazai just began walking alongside him.
This time, Nico sighed audibly. He could already feel a headache forming that felt suspiciously like the fault of the man named Osamu Dazai.