That's what you get when you let your heart win [W4, Wednesday night]

[hydrokinetics]

[This is pretty much what he expected, honestly. Milla told him the day before that the girls were going to do this, and he had expressed his unhappiness with it, but at the same time he knew it had to happen. That doesn't mean he has to like it, nor does it mean he has to like the fact that Xion and Milla are both now paying the price.

Knowing it was Xion's idea angers him. It angers and frustrates him but he does his best to level out his temper before searching the hotel for a familiar pup. With two dogs in tow, he makes his way out to the clinic.

It's a rare moment when she doesn't have visitors and after Hannibal's treated her. It's good enough for him though, but before he can bother to knock or anything Pluto pushes his face forward toward Xion, Mrs. O'Leary right behind him.

So yeah, apparently it's a dog party first. Who knew?]

Comments

[ceded]

[ She's been dozing on and off between visits of people being, you know, mostly frustrated with her. She's tired, physically and emotionally and mentally, but she knows she deserves this.

She won't back down on what she did. But she knows they're right, too.

Xion had actually just started to slip off to sleep again when an excited Pluto comes barging in, lifting up on his hind legs to put his paws on the bed and whine at her. She startles fully awake with a gasp. ]

Pluto...?

[ Blinking, she looks up and sees--

Uh oh. Oh dear. Instantly a little shamefaced, she glances away while lifting a hand to pet Pluto's head. ]

Hi, Percy.

[ She'd pet Mrs. O'Leary, too, but she can't reach. She loves you Mrs. O'Leary. ]

[hydrokinetics]

[Mrs. O'Leary whines to try and also stand up and see Xion, but she's puppy-sized and failing. Percy's going to stand in the doorway and just fix Xion with an incredibly unimpressed look in the meanwhile. He's angry, sure, but more at the game than Xion.

That's not to say he's not frustrated with her, too, but he can understand it a little.]

Hey. [He doesn't move yet.] Looks like Dr. Lecter patched you up pretty good.

[You are in so much trouble young lady.]

i was eating turkey and fucking ashe sat on my keyboard and nearly killed this tag

[ceded]

[ She's looking away for a long moment, but when she finally chances a look back over at him and sees that look--

--her own expression shifts into a glare, her mouth twisting down before she stares away again. ]

... he took care of me. [ In contrast to her expression, her voice is pretty soft. Hannibal wasn't happy with her, either. No one has been, really. ]

WHY IS YOUR CAT SO FAT.

[hydrokinetics]

[He doesn't wipe away the expression either. He keeps his gaze on her and stays in the doorway and stares. He's not about to baby her. Not now. Not yet. That isn't what you do to soldiers who make these choices.]

Mmhm. That's what doctors usually do. We don't really have any at Camp, but we have a cabin full of healers. [His voice is a little clipped, but mostly out of trying to be serious.] So, okay. Would you rather me ask how you're feeling, or what the heck you were thinking?

SHE'S SO FAT! PLEASE YELL AT YOUR MISTRESS WHEN YOU GET HERE FRIDAY.

[ceded]

[ Xion's hands bunch into fists, and her mouth twists. There's so much anger in her. So much more darkness than there was three and a half weeks ago. ]

Does it even matter what I was thinking? Milla and I are both alive and the gunsmith is open now.

you say that like ashe is going to give a shit about anything I say

[hydrokinetics]

[It's fine. Really. After everything, his own frustrations are mounting and he shakes his head.]

Of course it matters! Milla told me you two were doing this and I thought you would have had a better reasoning than "just because", Xion!

you can always just hug her into submission.

[ceded]

[ Xion flinches away from him once he raises his voice, briefly shutting her eyes. It is not, however, enough to break her resolve. She just continues intensely staring anywhere but him, now ignoring her poor upset dog who will pretty much just slink away and try to curl up small. ]

... why did she tell you...?

[ That's her problem? Xion sighs. ]

Why isn't having another boarded up store open a good enough reason?

true, i havent done that in a while

[hydrokinetics]

[It's fine, Mrs. O'Leary probably is joining Pluto since everything is awful for the Disneys.]

It came up in a different conversation, does it matter? I trusted both of you to have some kind of plan and...[UGH.] It's a reason but it's not a good reason when I know you're why you're doing this. Look at me. Look me in the eye and tell me why you really did this.

[Picking a fight won't do, but he needs her to understand.]

[ceded]

[ Continues looking anywhere but at him, her expression growing increasingly stormy. ]

If you know why, then why do you need me to tell you? [ it's actually sort of snide, the way she says it. yikes. ]

[hydrokinetics]

Because I don't want to make total assumptions. That seems to be what keeps happening here and that's part of what's getting killed. [Just a thought. The stormy expression does nothing to him and he doesn't relent even as he approaches and grabs a chair. He sits near the bed but not right next to it, calmly picking up a squirmy Mrs. O'Leary to set in his lap.]

Was it really because you thought it would help? Or was it because you're tired of being just as useless as the rest of us are starting to be?

[ceded]

[ Ah.

Her mask of angry indifference finally slips, and behind it was only pain and frustration. She still won't look at him, but now she ducks her chin, her mouth twisting with sheer unhappiness. ]

I just want answers. [ yup, there it is. ] I'm so sick of not knowing anything! I just thought-- if I could do anything to keep one more innocent person from getting sent to their death--

[ She freezes, and just ... goes quiet. ]

[hydrokinetics]

[How many people have warned him not to act rash? How many people have advised him to be cautious? He's lost count, and perhaps it's hypocritical of him to be so harsh on her but at the same time, it's Xion. At the same time, he knows what anger can drive people to do.

He thinks of Luke, mostly, thinks of the bad path he took when they lost him to the darkness. He thinks about Nico, too, how they almost lost him as well. And he thinks of himself, thinks of how scared Annabeth looked when she saw what he was truly capable of.

He doesn't want that for her.

'I have...seen grief do terrible things. I have seen it tear men I respect apart from the inside, and cause them to do things they later regretted. If, by my presence, I can prevent that... I shall do what I possibly can, I swear this by my friendship with you.']

By possibly sacrificing yourself? ...Xion, I'm sorry about what I said on Sunday. [That's what he thinks of, how he'd been so harsh about heroism and sacrifices. He doesn't regret it, but he thinks, perhaps, that didn't help.] I get it. I really, really do. We're all at a loss right now and I know we have to keep opening buildings and discovering secrets in this place but...[He shakes his head.]

You get why I'm not happy, don't you? [It's not so much he's upset. He's worried. He's worried about her being immobile now, easy prey just like Annabeth was. He's worried that they also just armed the whole town, but whatever.] I wish you had told me yesterday instead of me finding out from Milla and then hearing about the aftermath. We have to stick together here to prevent more deaths, don't we? Telling each other stuff like this.

We need to keep our wits sharp more than anything. More than destroying buildings and uncovering secrets it's about watching our surroundings. Especially now that we're giving people more places to access and more places to hide.

[ceded]

What you said doesn't have anything to do with it! [ instantly the words lash out of her, at once reproachful and worried. ] ... you're not the one who made me do this. I decided this all on my own.

[ She agrees with what he said then, sure. But her decision to do this - to risk life and limb to learn something new - has a lot more to do with seeing Jason, and Shinnosuke, and Riku's head and Tarvek's disappearance into the earth, and feeling three and a half weeks of helplessness boil over all at once. ]

... I know why you're not happy. But if I'd told you, you would have stopped us. [ Another pause, and her expression becomes closed off and sad. ] ... I'm sorry. I can't imagine how you must have felt when you found out what we did. Percy, I trust you more than anyone else still here. [ "Still." ] But I had to do what I did, and I don't have any regrets.

[hydrokinetics]

I never said it did. I said I'm sorry I said it. [There're a few connecting factors here, but hell if Percy knows how to talk about them.] I know you decided this on your own because it's exactly the same thing I'd do.

[And the fight drains out of him then and he leans back, cradling Mrs. O'Leary in his lap and looking at nothing in particular.]

The thing is, I don't think I would have? I told Milla to be careful, but ultimately I said it was okay. I get it. We have to do these things, but I just wish...never mind. [He softly shakes his head.] The reason I'm not more angry is because I trust you. And I never said you should have regrets. I think...I'm sorry for what I said, but I still meant it? About sacrifices and being a hero. Because you did it, someone else doesn't have to.

[He has thoughts, but again, like he'll say so.] I know you didn't do it to be a hero. I know you did it for yourself and that itself is pretty brave. Just...make me a promise you're going to start thinking things through a little better? Please?

[ceded]

[ All she does is watch him. She has no argument for any of it, because he's right about everything. The only thing she'd say is that he shouldn't be sorry he said those things; they helped her, and had no bearing on her decision to do what she did.

In the end, she stares down at her hands.

And then, wordlessly, she reaches for him. ]

[hydrokinetics]

[It's something. It's for that reason he doesn't hesitate to move and take her hand.]

...you still did something that needed to be done. But I don't want to think about losing you, too.

[ceded]

[ Xion squeezes his hand even as her expression screws up tight. ]

I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, either, [ she whispers. ] ... I'll try. Percy, please ... I know it's hypocritical, but you be careful too, okay?

[hydrokinetics]

[He doesn't say anything at first, running his thumb over the back of her hand gently and simply holding on for a time.]

...where I'm from, it's hard for us to consider taking time to be careful. I think we all have to make some adjustments here, don't we? [There's a small, sad grin.] I'm going to keep fighting as long as you do. That's sort of the same, isn't it? We need to be careful to fight a good fight.

[ceded]

... and we'll fight together. [ Finally a little smile. ] Next time I come up with a really stupid plan, I won't leave you out of it. Promise.

[hydrokinetics]

I think that sounds pretty good to me. And I'll try to do the same, okay? We have to have each other's backs in all of this. [He feels better hearing the words at least.] Even if we can't stop each other, we can let each other know.

[ceded]

... okay. [ that gets a real, warm smile. ] That sounds like a plan to me.

[hydrokinetics]

[Good. Good. Something went right for once...]

Good. [Another hand-squeeze.] ...it's probably boring hanging around here all day, huh?

[ceded]

.... yeah, [ she says, giving him a considering look, ] but Dr. Lecter says I should rest.

[hydrokinetics]

He's right, you know. But that doesn't mean me and Mrs. O'Leary have to disappear just yet if you want the company.

[ceded]

[ ... this time, she actually threads their fingers together, still smiling at him. ]

That sounds good to me.