You got a reaction, didn't you? You took a white orchid, turned it blue [W4, Tuesday Afternoon]

[hydrokinetics]

[He's on the porch in the later part of the afternoon, staring at the sky as well as he can with Mrs. O'Leary's head on his stomach. It's strange, really, how empty his thoughts seem now that his ideas girl is gone. Annabeth always brought out the best parts in him, the thoughtful, creative pieces.

Then again, he knows it's because he knew he had to be quick to keep them alive.

Now...his hand idly scratches his dog's ears and his eyes are half-closed when he hears footsteps behind him. He rolls his head back enough and spots small feet before looking up into the girl's face. There's a half-smile.]

Where are you heading off to?

[Easygoing. Conversational. Less panicked than waking up with a horse in their room, at least, and it's only for Xion that he shifts to fully sit up.]

Comments

[hydrokinetics]

[Two dogs and two sad Disneys. This is fine, and he even laughs when Pluto shows up. Mrs. O'Leary barks in greeting before beginning to slowly lead the way, leaving Percy to almost lazily walk behind her and keep his pace slow enough for Xion. To her question, he hums in thought.]

Or, more likely, they can and they choose to make it this way. The borders of Camp are designed to keep rain and snow out. We can still see the sky but it won't get in unless we feel like it. Maybe the Sheriff set up a similar barrier, too.

[ceded]

[ Pluto will whoof and boof as he bounds over to join Mrs. O'Leary, and though he'll snuffle at one of her ears he's otherwise quite respectful of her. Like he's aware she got hurt at some point.

Xion, meanwhile, is giving Percy's idea some thought. ]

I guess I just kind of wonder why he'd need to. What's the point? [ head tilt. ] I just keep thinking that everything about this world is strange. It's almost like it was built for us.

[hydrokinetics]

[With the dogs taken care of he takes that thought into consideration.]

The Sheriff did say that the rounds change every year. Maybe this place was specially customized for us even if I don't understand why it's a wild west theme. Sometimes I think maybe he's not that bad. He wants us to be comfortable Monday through Wednesday. Haven't you noticed we always have food and water? That's what I don't get.

What is the point of keeping us functional and going like this? Not that I don't appreciate it, but you've gotta admit it's strange.

[ceded]

A customizable world....

[ That sounds ... eerily familiar in a way she doesn't like. ]

Maybe his employers just think the wild west theme is funny.

[ Said a bit flatly, but it's the actual best theory she's got. ]

... I think ... that we wouldn't have the strength to fight and kill each other if we were struggling just to survive. If we're not worrying about food and shelter, then we can focus on killing.

[ This is said pretty baldly. But this place is not the first time she's been provided for, and then unwittingly pitted against someone she cares about. ]

[hydrokinetics]

That's probably also true. No different than thinking putting a horse in our room is funny. [Fuck you, Hal.]

...we wouldn't have the strength, you're right, but at the same time without it we'd be a lot more desperate to claw our way to the top for resources and an ending. Don't get me wrong, I really prefer this more than anything, but it's something you have to think about. [And then something else occurs to him.] Do you still trust the Sheriff as much?

[ceded]

[ Xion hums thoughtfully, tilting her head back to stare at the unerringly blue sky. ]

... it's not that I always trusted him. I just ... sympathize, I guess.

[ It occurs to her that Percy does not know why she would. Maybe she ... should tell him. ]

[hydrokinetics]

[It's a weird thing to say, and it's for that reason he actually turns his head to look at her.]

Sympathize how, exactly? [He doesn't sound accusatory or angry, just...curious.]

[ceded]

... we're the same, [ she says simply.

If anyone has earned the right to know what she is, it's Percy. ]

Someone built us ... to fulfill a purpose. I know what it's like to have a job you have to perform, or risk being destroyed.

[hydrokinetics]

[....]

...are you trying to tell me you're a robot? [He still doesn't sound judgmental, but now he's just flat-out confused. But he gets that it also isn't the point, so he shakes his head.] Maybe that's not important. I...what do you mean?

[Even if he isn't saying so, the tone is clear. Despite not knowing the circumstances, he believes that this isn't fair at all.]

[ceded]

Not exactly, [ murmurs, somewhat wry. ] I'm ... a puppet. A doll that was created to copy someone else's powers. I'm a Replica.

[ Her gaze lifts to the sky again, the look in her eyes far away. ]

As a Replica, I had a special job. The Organization wanted me to be a weapon for them, and help them fulfill their goals. If I ever failed ... they could have destroyed me whenever they wanted. To them, I was just a mistake... one they tried to get rid of.

[ Now her gaze settles on the ground instead, staring at it sightlessly as they walk. ]

So I guess I understand what it's like to be the Sheriff. Everyone hates him for what he is. I wonder a lot if he runs the game because they'd destroy him if he didn't.

[hydrokinetics]

[He doesn't stare so much, though he watches her from the corner of his eye with his hands in his pockets. Some things seem to fall into place now, at least. He's patient with her, waiting for her to tell the story as she wishes and only making some sounds now and then to ensure her he's listening.

When she stops, he stays silent. It's not so much that he doesn't know what to say, but rather he's processing everything he's been told.]

First of all, those Organization guys sound like a bunch of jerks. You're not a mistake to people here. [So there.] On the other hand...I don't know if people hate the Sheriff for what he is so much as how he does what he's supposed to do. This might be his job, but you can still have a job and do it differently to help people instead. I think I understand Hal better, but I'm still not sure if he's really willing to help us or if he's too programmed to try.

[He frowns at the dirt.] ...being a Replica means you have someone else's powers, but everything else is still you, isn't it? Not a copy?

[ceded]

[ Percy calling the Organization jerks actually surprises a quick little laugh out of her. Well, it's nice to know she's not the only one who feels that way.

As for the rest she listens to him quietly, her eyes trained on his face. There's no contempt, no disgust, no betrayal.

Why is everyone ... so accepting of what she is? She's a monster. ]

... no. Actually, I'm made of memories. Someone else's memories. It's why I have this face. [ She gestures at herself, her expression indecipherable. ] I look like the girl in all the memories that make me ... me. Sometimes I wonder how much of me is really myself, and how much of me is her.

[ Sora, you lazy bum! ]

I know this is probably pretty confusing. It's hard to explain... but I'm not really real. I was never supposed to exist at all.

[ How has this become easier to talk about? Or is it just ... that it's easier to say the words, even though they rip her up inside? ]

I guess it's part of why ... I have such a hard time understanding the Sheriff. I feel like we're the same, but I ... ran away from the Organization. I couldn't keep doing what they wanted me to do... if I had, it would have been a disaster. So I decided for myself to leave, one day. I wonder if Sheriff Hal has ever felt like that.

[hydrokinetics]

[Again, he isn't unsure of what to say but he's processing. There isn't much like this he can use for comparison, though she's right, it's a little confusing. Having someone else's face, being made of other people's memories. He can think of some things that are similar, but nothing exact.]

...where I'm from, my dad is a myth. People used to think he was real a long time ago, but now most people just think he's a story or a legend, something to explain where the sea comes from. He's kind of made up of stories and people's ideas, too. When he does show up, he can take on different forms to adjust to be whatever people want to see. But he's definitely very, very real. And so are you. Xion, you're about as real as the rest of us no matter what you were created for or what you've done. It doesn't matter what your purpose was. It's how you accomplished it.

I had a job back home, too. I didn't ask for it, I never wanted it, but I was born and that was that. I was tied to that job and I had to find a way to accomplish it before something really bad happened. I ended up doing it my own way with my own allies and my own two hands, but in the end, I had to let things play out in a different way than what we always thought. That's what I'm saying to you. You made a choice. The minute you make a choice, I think that makes you just as real as everyone else.

As for Hal...[Man.] He seems indifferent to most things when we talk to him, but I don't know if the idea of leaving has ever really occurred to him either. We know he likes pulling out new rules whenever we mess up, but it makes you wonder if those rules would ever apply to himself. Maybe there's something we're missing there, too.

[ceded]

[ Percy, that's a lot of words. Can you maybe chill?

Either way, Xion listens with rapt attention, watching him thoughtfully and, honestly, with some surprise. She hadn't expected anyone here - outside of maybe Ash, at this point - to be able to have experiences that related to hers. ]

Your dad sounds ... so much like me.

[ Said quietly, and mostly to herself. She'll let him finish before she comments for real. ]

I never thought that ... making a choice could be something that makes you real. My whole life, it just felt like I was fighting something inevitable, instead of really choosing for myself. As for Hal... [ Xion looks away, towards the horizon. ] I want to talk to him some more. I keep feeling like maybe I can learn something.

[hydrokinetics]

[Percy's chill died in a fire, so no.

He hasn't really explained everything in a matter-of-fact way such as thing, but he figures it's only fair to Xion to do so. He knows part of it may not make sense, and he's prepared to answer questions, but he's not prepared for what comes next. In a way...it kind of breaks his heart all over again.]

...I didn't believe in him either at first. I grew up my whole life thinking guys like him were just stories, too. My mom never told me to keep me safe, but they're very, very real.

When you make a choice, you put thought behind actions. Things that aren't real aren't capable of thinking and things that aren't capable of thinking can't really do anything. You could have mindlessly obeyed that Organization and done what you were told. But you ran away and chose something better. You took control and that's more real than most things. [He's not even sure what he's talking about, but it makes sense.] ...I thought the Prophecy was pretty inevitable, too. And it was. It had to happen, but I got to choose how I would make it happen. Sounds like you did, too.

[There's a pensive silence.] ...if you talk to Hal, be careful. He can be a helpful resource, but we can't trust him too much either.