Don't think you're more than this, or above all this [W6, Monday Afternoon]

[hydrokinetics]

[He manages to catch her after the fiasco that is the corpse pile and he jogs up to her with Mrs. O'Leary in his wake, easily falling into step with her and dropping his voice to a lower tone.]

Hey, can I talk to you for a minute? I think most of the town's busy dealing with our corpse pile.

Comments

[hydrokinetics]

Natalie, please. [There's a deep inhale.] I'm not trying to die, but if one of us has to, it has to be me. Okay? Trust me. You trust me, don't you?

[robitussin]

I trust that you want what's best for all of us, but you think you're more expendable than you are. If all of us work together, the chances of something horrible happening go way down.

[A pause, and it's quieter when she speaks.]

I'm not losing you or Jason. I fucking refuse.

[hydrokinetics]

[...she's right, of course. But he has so much to say, so much he needs to make her understand. But maybe now isn't the right time? It's confusing.]

We'll work together as long as we can. I promise you that. [But...there's a sad look before he turns, gesturing for her to follow him out.] You're not going to lose Jason. And like I said, I'm not trying to die.

[Still will though.]

[robitussin]

There's no such thing as as long as we can. We're all making it out, Percy.

[She follows him out obediently, though.]

Is there something else up, though?

[hydrokinetics]

Yeah. I know we are one way or another. [His hands are in his pockets, and there's a small, funny little grin even as he keeps his eyes forward. Mrs. O'Leary's still following dutifully as well, as one does as an NPC dog.]

I'm just a little tired of dealing with corpses, I guess. [Well.] I might go lay down for a while? I don't know. I feel like that's like giving up. Now that we know who our target is we can't slow down.

[Another pause.] You ever feel like you've broken apart so much there's no point in holding pieces together all the time?

[robitussin]

No, not one way or another, I'm not letting you die.

[He might be looking straight ahead, but he can probably tell from her tone that she's glaring at him.]

...Yeah, I know. But resting isn't giving up, seriously. [A sigh.] Probably not as much as you. But that's what we're all here for, if you let us.

[hydrokinetics]

I think you're going to regret saying that. [Kind of like he regrets saying that? But he stops again.]

...Mr. Barnham got on my case about needing to let people help sometimes. And I'm used to working with a team and I know that. [He chews his lip thoughtfully.] I think I need to talk to Hal about some stuff. Maybe that'll help.

[It's not even remotely close to an explanation, but he's also fairly sure he'll break everything if he tells her any of what he's thinking.]

[robitussin]

Shut up, Percy.

[She tilts her head. Even for him, he's acting strange.]

...If something's up, you know you can tell me, right?

[she says, after just telling him to shut up]

[hydrokinetics]

[Yeah that happens. He still can't look at her.]

It's pretty shitty, isn't it? Telling everyone that we have to trust each other and getting people to trust each other when I have my own doubts? How's that fair? Fuck. [He laughs, not at all amused.]Fuck!

[Just. Fuck. He shakes his head then, quelling his anger slightly.] I hate this. I hate doubting people. I can't doubt or everything's going to fall apart. [And yet.] Do you trust everyone else? Damian, Milla, Noctis, Shinnosuke and Jason. Do you trust them?

[robitussin]

[She stops in her tracks, staring at him in clear alarm.]

...Tell me what happened. Something must have happened.

[hydrokinetics]

[He's probably still walking, shoulders tight and tense.]

Of course it did. Something always happens in this fucking place. But answer the question. Do you trust the rest of them?

[robitussin]

[She sighs harshly before continuing to walk, looking at him once she catches up.]

If I answer, are you going to tell me what the hell is up?

[hydrokinetics]

[He's staring ahead, but there's a short nod once he's sure nobody else is around.]

Yeah. Sure. [Of course he trusts Natalie. That doesn't mean he isn't terrified now that he's backed himself into a corner.]

[robitussin]

I trust you to be thinking of everyone's well being but your own. I trust Milla to be strong, I trust Jason to be there for me, I trust Shinnosuke to be pragmatic, and I trust Noctis to be almost too good sometimes.

[A sigh.]

So yeah, I do. We make a pretty good group, I guess.

[hydrokinetics]

[...how many times in this game is Natalie going to see him completely defeated? His shoulders slump and he looks at his feet instead, nodding. He's satisfied with that answer.] I can agree with all of those, I think.

...did you know that now that we know Dr. Lecter's the Deputy, we know all of the roles and players in this game? We're a good team that way, figuring stuff out like that. [Yeah. A real fucking good team. Sure.] It'll be easier now that we don't have to do guesswork.

[robitussin]

[She pauses for a moment.]

Percy, you realize we don't know the—

[Oh.]

...Holy shit.

[hydrokinetics]

[There's a very long pause.]

Yeah. [His voice is small, but firm.] …you can punch me if you want. [He'd say she could kill him, but he's not sure how well that'd go over.]

[robitussin]

I don't want to punch you.

[She pauses, uncertain how to move forward.]

...When Sara was talking about why she accepted the Bandit thing, she said the Sheriff was threatening her with a bunch of awful shit. Did he do that to you?

[hydrokinetics]

[There's a low sigh. Okay...this...isn't as horrible? It's awful, naturally, but.]

...Hal said if I didn't accept the job and if I said anything, Annabeth and I would be disqualified and never get back home. [A bitter sort of chuckle follows.] A lot of good that did, huh? Pretty sure he doesn't even care now since he's giving me information to help you guys.

[A pause.] That's how I'm getting my information, by the way. My merit. The Coal Miner job.

[robitussin]

So, the people who have been going missing... Some of them were you?

[She doesn't sound accusatory; just recalibrating what she knows about him.]

[hydrokinetics]

[A quick, sort of jerky nod.]

I didn't kill Ocelot. That was Nisha. Nisha killed Diego, too. That's the real reason his horse was in my room. "Parting gift" or whatever. Wish she kept her mouth shut that there was a second miner, but I guess Hal would have said it anyway.

[...] They asked to die, Natalie. [This is the hard part.] When Hal dropped them into the mines with me, they didn't mind dying. They figured being straight-forward was almost a relief, both of them. They were happy to die, so I made it quick and as painless as I could.

[And it's been destroying him anyway.] Still counts, according to Hal.

[robitussin]

[She chews on her lip, and then shakes her head.]

...They would have died if it were anyone else but you, too, and they might not have decided to make it as fast as you did.

[hydrokinetics]

Awesome. I'm a better person because I fight and kill fast. [But he gets her point and nods again.] You really think people like Damian, Milla and Noctis will listen to that reasoning? Or that Jason won't be pissed and Shinnosuke will ever trust me again? I may have been fast and they may have asked for it, but I still murdered people. Or. A person and a grim reaper. That was a weird conversation.

That's what I worry about. [A lull.] I think everyone on Hal's list is gone though. I'm going to ask. If his list is clear, my job is done for now.

[robitussin]

No, you are because you don't have to do it that way, but you do anyways. [She chews on her lip.] I think Shinnosuke, Jason and Noctis will get it. Probably Milla, too. Damian might be too high and mighty for it, though. And I'm not going to ask about the grim reaper thing.

That job is done, but your overall job isn't, Percy.

[hydrokinetics]

...when I was in Tartarus with Annabeth. [A pause.] I told you about the Arai, right? I don't know if I ever explained what they are. Curse demons, pretty much. You kill one, they inflict a curse someone put upon you. I've...killed a lot of monsters, Natalie. I just never thought about the fact that they probably felt something, too, not until I was bleeding everywhere and dying from gorgon poisoning. I still fought them all to get them away from Annabeth. I'm going to fight here, too, to make sure all of us get out of here alive. But I don't have to do it the way I did back there. Maybe I'll tell everyone else. Maybe I won't. It might...not be a bad idea? Especially since Hal confirmed I'll never be a Bandit this way. I'm going to ask why.

[He knows she's right, but he lowers his gaze again.] I know it's not. And I'll figure something out, I'm just...tired. That night off was kind of nice. [It's a joke. It's a shitty, shitty joke about how he took time for himself right after Annabeth's trial.]

Sorry, anyway. [Brushing that aside.] So now you know, and now you know why I'm going to talk to Hal and see what other information I can get from him before Thursday. Do you think we should tell the others about Dr. Lecter yet or wait to see what else we can find out?