Recent Entries

Entry tags:

With everything falling down around me Id like to believe in all the possibilities [W4 Tues Evening]

[Somehow...this doesn't surprise him. Somehow, finding two connecting pieces on sheer accident doesn't surprise him. It's the demigod way, stumbling into things and figuring it out along the way, and it's for that reason he's a little nervous. He had told both parties separately to meet him back out at the homestead near the water, knowing that one party liked to check the animals there and the other would walk that far if he asked.

His head's spinning with information but he's hoping maybe everything will be solved. He knows it means a lot for them to trust him when he isn't a Bounty himself, but he's doing this to protect them both. He'll do whatever it takes to keep everyone who counts safe.

And so, Mrs. O'Leary and Percy sit on the dock, Percy's feet in the water again as he lays on his back and stares behind him. It's hard to say which of them will appear first, but he's ready and waiting.]

Entry tags:

I feel so far from where I've been, so I go, and I will not be back here again [W4, Tues Afternoon]

[Of course he worried. He heard by now about what happened to Jason and Shinnosuke and he worried about what this meant and if they would be able to fully recover. He's seen his fair share of injuries but nothing like that, nothing so permanent.

He doesn't know what to do.

Tuesday morning is spent away from the hotel, but it's early afternoon when he heads upstairs with Mrs. O'Leary slowly hobbling along down the hall with him. They're about to their room when a door across the hall opens and Percy snaps his head up, spotting Jason Todd slowly making his way out of his room.

He watches briefly, interested in where Jason is going before lifting both eyebrows.]

I'm pretty sure Dr. Lecter would tell you to stay in bed, dude.

Entry tags:

Cover up everything you know, come save me from the awful sound of nothing [W4, Monday Night]

[The horse being out of his room helps, but even so Percy finds it hard to sleep. The day's events have been exhausting, strange and mildly unsatisfying. He had received the answers he needed from Sheriff Hal and yet he felt...empty.

Knowing there really was nothing he could have done to save the one person he loves more than the worlds themselves was heartbreaking, but how is it possible for a heart to break when it's already snapped? And maybe that's what happened. Maybe Sara was right. Maybe Percy already snapped. He can't recall feeling anything beyond the horribly strange blankness settling on his chest like a weight, threatening to crush him if he dared try to feel anything.

Guilt and anger and grief had stricken him multiple ways over the weekend, but now he's just...hollow.

And it's for that reason the air is static and quiet when Will enters the lounge. Percy sees him from his place on the couch near the fire, Mrs. O'Leary asleep next to him and his eyes staring straight ahead to seemingly bore straight into Will's head.

Will. How did Will know? It had bothered Percy since Saturday, but he didn't trust himself to speak to the man before now. So with the opportunity in his hands, he takes it.]

Hello, Will. [Even the tone is void of any kind of emotion, measured and careful.] What are you doing up?

I'm gonna fight 'em off, a seven nation army couldn't hold me back [W4, Sunday]

[He and Natalie had spoken about gathering together a small group of people to talk about the game and figure out their next steps. Pool together information, you know? It seemed logical. Natalie was logical in ways that Percy wasn't, just like Annabeth was logical in ways Percy wasn't and Percy was more emotional in ways the girls weren't.

After the events of this week, it's almost emotion that drives him to cancel the idea all together. Without Annabeth, was his part in this game even important? Did it matter to keep trying? Everything felt like it had fallen apart. People were dead. People were hurt. People, murderers were walking free and it was his fault they didn't come to justice.

Natalie had told him to take the night off on Saturday, but too much energy and pent-up anger led to time with Harry and Jason. Noctis and Percy always touched base, and Milla was always the one with the good questions, Natalie's suggestion for this meeting.

It's much later than he'd hoped. It's evening by now and it was an accident that he fell asleep that afternoon after three straight nights of not sleeping. He still looks to be a mess, but there are new bandages on his hands and he doesn't quite smell like booze. He's exhausted, hair ruffled and still sporting dark circles under his eyes, and yet there's what looks like a pizza on the table and a few drinks as he gets the five other people involved in the room.

Harry, Noctis, Natalie, Jason, Milla. Yeah. He trusted all of these people enough. A group of six suited Percy just fine.]

...thanks for showing up, guys. After everything it's...this probably can't wait anymore. Last week, Natalie and I thought it'd make sense to get all of us together and start brainstorming how to get out of this game. [There's a pause and a swallow as he regains control again.] This weekend was really, really bad for all of us. We need to start putting together the pieces of what we already know and see how we can fix everything.

What do we have so far?

Entry tags:

Nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be this hard [W3, Sunday, Post-Execution]

[To be fair, at least he didn't wake up screaming. He wouldn't exactly call the nap restful, but it's more sleep than he's had in the last couple of days and that's enough for him. It's almost by coincidence that he wakes up when he does because he figures it's almost time for everyone to start gathering together for the meeting he was calling.

With that thought in mind he lays there for a few moments, wiping sleep and fatigue from his expression as he pets Mrs. O'Leary's head and allows himself time to process what they're doing. It's only for a few moments though before there's a knock on the door. He remembers telling Noctis to come by a little earlier when he'd told him about the meeting originally. He figures this is it, and so he's up and opening the door.]

I'd say "right on time" but I have no idea what time it is. [Please ignore his hopeless bedhead, Noct, he's trying.]

Entry tags:

Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again [W3, Saturday, Post-Trial]

[It's midnight and he can't sleep. He knows Mrs. O'Leary might be okay to walk but he's carrying her anyway, dagger strapped to his hip and eyes wild as he leaves the hotel. He has every intention of looking for a fight even if his knuckles are still bruised and bloodied, but instead his wanderings lead him to somewhere that's been on his mind.

The saloon. They never did figure out who slept here, did they? Did Annabeth's killer really possibly hide out here? The thought makes him sick, and yet curiosity gets the better of him as he approaches.

The doors to the church open though and he turns his head, spotting a familiar figure walking out.]

Why aren't you back at the hotel yet? [Forgive him, Jason, he just sounds Exhausted.]

Entry tags:

The world could show nothing to me, so what good would living do me [W3, Saturday, Post-Trial]

[By the time Hannibal makes his way back to the hotel it may be fairly late. Percy hasn't gone inside but he's relatively quiet as he cradles Mrs. O'Leary in his lap and leans back against one of the support beams. Upon closer notice, one may find that his knuckles are battered and bruised, split and splintered and bleeding but he doesn't care. His eyes are red and puffy and the circles under them are prominent.

And yet he's as alert as ever. He hears footsteps and his hand immediately moves for the dagger on his hip. He only stops when he recognizes the approaching figure.]

Dr. Lecter. [It's a quiet voice, though clearly curious.] Isn't it late for you to be out here?

Entry tags:

!robowest,
!xion

I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday [W3, Early Saturday Pre-Trial]

[He can't sleep. That's nothing new. He can't sleep but he can't stop shaking, upset and riled up and ready to kill whoever was responsible with his bare hands. It didn't matter now. The most important person to him was gone and he needed to survive. He needed to win.

He needed...Annabeth, unfortunately.

It's about 2am, probably closer to 3 when he glances at the bed across the room and finds Harry sleeping. He's in his pajamas but he's quietly getting dressed before bundling up the injured Mrs. O'Leary in a blanket and carrying her downstairs. He had a mind to just go straight to Town Hall, wait for the trial to begin, clear his head, but a noise from the lobby draws his attention. With light steps he turns that way, peering in and spotting...]

...Xion. [It's a gentle tone all the same, enough to not startle her but get her attention.] It's late.

Entry tags:

And I tread a troubled track, my odds are stacked, I'll go back to black [W3 Fri Post-Investigation]

[By the time Percy comes back upstairs to the room he shares with Harry, he probably looks like a hot mess. There's blood all over his clothes and cradled in his arms is the newly patched up, formerly mauled Mrs. O'Leary. He doesn't seem to care that she's a little big to be carrying. He's doing his best and that's what counts.

Somehow, though, when he gets to the room and through the door he hadn't been expecting Harry to actually be in the room. He stares at the other boy for a moment, grip tightening on his dog and dagger strapped to his hip as he takes a deep breath.]

...it's only been three weeks.

Entry tags:

Im so tired but I cant sleep, standin on the edge of something much too deep [W3 Post-Investigation]

[Not long after Mrs. O'Leary was patched up, Percy went back to his room. It's in one of the short spaces with Harry there that he finds himself curled up around his dog and keeping an eye on her, thinking about everything that had happened this morning.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair, he was supposed to protect her and in a way he finally understood what it really meant to be powerless.

He's aware that his head hurts something awful from a lack of sleeping or eating, but it's not important. He thinks he should get some water for Mrs. O'Leary though, at least, and this is how he finds himself heading for the door to his room and opening it to see Sara on the other side. He stares for a moment, unsure of what to do before he swallows thickly instead.]

...hi.

[It's a start, at least.]

Entry tags:

And so it is the shorter story, no love, no glory [W3, Friday, Post-Investigation

'He was dimly aware of Annabeth shouting, throwing random pieces of drakon jerky at the goddess. The white-green poison kept pooling, little streams trickling from the plants as the venomous lake around him got wider and wider.'

'He glared at the poison flood encroaching from all sides. He concentrated so hard that something inside him cracked – as if a crystal ball had shattered in his stomach.'

'"Percy, please …" Annabeth’s face was still pale and corpse-like, but her eyes were the same as always. The anguish in them made Percy’s anger fade. He turned to the goddess. He willed the poison to recede, creating a small path of retreat along the edge of the cliff. "Leave!" he bellowed.'

'Annabeth stumbled towards him. She looked like a corpse wreathed in smoke, but she felt solid enough when she gripped his arms. "Percy, please don’t ever …" Her voice broke in a sob. "Some things aren’t meant to be controlled. Please." His whole body tingled with power, but the anger was subsiding. The broken glass inside him was beginning to smooth at the edges.'

[He's covered in blood by the time he comes out from under the porch, the bronze dagger drenched even as he cleans it off on his shirt. Who cares. It doesn't matter anymore. She's gone and it's his fault.

Mrs. O'Leary being hurt is his fault, too, and he prays to whoever might be listening (his father, Athena, anyone) that she's not gone, too. He's quick to walk to the hotel, bursting in through the doors before he hears a whimper from the lobby.]

Mrs. O'Leary? Mrs. O'Leary! [His voice cracks a bit but he books it, making a beeline for the lobby to see what the state of his dog is and not at all expecting someone else to be there, too.]

Entry tags:

I wanna be the ocean to your shore, bring you comfort evermore [W3, Monday evening]

[Too much has happened. Too much has happened and he feels like his head might explode, and when that happens he knows he just needs to be alone with Annabeth for a while. Being here has been almost exhausting but that's normal. What isn't normal is not having enough time together. So. He does as he always does and takes matters into his own hands.

This is why on Monday evening, Annabeth will be approached by Mrs. O'Leary whenever she may be. The hellhound will have a piece of paper in her mouth that simply says "we should say hello to the stars." Mrs. O'Leary will bark and wait for Annabeth to follow her. By the time they step outside she'll lead Annabeth to the general store and look up, barking again.

Hanging over the edge of the roof is a sneaker-clad foot. Come on up, Wise Girl.]

Entry tags:

Wait for the dust to settle down around us, and stick to what we know [Sunday Night, W2 going W3]

[Sometimes Percy wishes that he lived a normal life. Sometimes he daydreams about what it'd be like if his world didn't have to deal with danger, if he could be blissfully unaware of the monsters in the world, if he could just be happy and unimportant, a boy with a brand new driver's license, a mountain of homework, and plans for a good date night with the best girl in the world while juggling SAT prep for college.

Instead, he has none of that and in a way he wonders if he has the advantage. The things here don't scare him as much as they would other people, he thinks, (though he's affected even so) and it helps him to keep his cool during moments like this morning's execution.

Truthfully, if he was normal, he's fairly sure he might scream and never stop.

As such, it's easy for him to gather his bearings after the Sheriff's warning and it's almost instinct now that he seeks out Natalie and tells her to meet him that evening. He's aware that privacy is hard to come by in this place, but he figures most people won't be out right now. It's why he waits in front of the general store and raises a hand in greeting, giving her a quizzical look.]

How good are you at climbing?

Entry tags:

I started thinking out loud: I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired [W2, Monday]

[It's pretty early in the morning and Percy's given up on trying to sleep. The hotel is quiet and weirdly peaceful so far. It's Percy's first hint that something might go wrong today, but that's on par for the course. Instead, he quietly climbs out of his bed and beckons Mrs. O'Leary to follow, leaving Harry to sleep in and heading down to the kitchen in his pajamas.

Mrs. O'Leary enters first, snuffling around to check out the area and finding Jason Todd in there instead with a bowl of cereal. She barks cheerfully, remembering Jason from earlier as the nice boy who pet her (which...doesn't say much, since everyone seems to.) It doesn't take long for Percy to come around the corner, still tugging on the hem of his ripped but clean t-shirt and suddenly looking up when he sees the other boy.]

Hey. [He sounds pleasant enough, if a little exhausted, but he gives Jason a half-grin anyway. He's honing in on the cereal though.] Am I the only one who thinks it's weird that some of this food doesn't fit in with their whole cowboy thing?

Entry tags:

Many days fell away with nothing to show, and the walls kept tumbling down [W2, Sunday]

[Time in town has left Percy to his own devices to seek out people who need a hand, people who seem to be struggling after the execution, and people who wanted to compare notes. He hasn't bothered to really decompress himself beyond his initial break-away from the group with Annabeth, but at the same time he knows better. They have to keep moving. They're in this game officially now.

It's why he walks to the saloon with a purpose, seeking out a familiar face and finally looking to get a sense of the scene of the crime. He carefully opens the doors and pokes his head into the saloon, checking around for Sara.]

Anybody home? [It's a bit of a wry joke, if only because he's seen her out and about more than at the actual hotel so far.]

Entry tags:

He fits them together in sunshine or rain, each one is unique, no two are the same [W2, Sunday]

[The execution was quick and fast, but the memory was less quick to fade. He'd watched the whole thing, relieved that Ezio kept his promise to be quick with her death and sickened at the idea that this may not always be the case.

None of this is fair. Two people are now dead thanks to this game and it bothers him more than he'd like. He knows that people are taking care of giving the girls a proper burial though and while it takes time he does find himself wandering toward the graveyard.

It's here he spots Hannibal with a shovel in hand, dirt on his clothing and a grave in progress. Though he almost looks down with it, Percy does approach. He's alone this time, no Mrs. O'Leary with him, and though he can't keep his eyes off of the hole in the ground he does speak up.]

...I don't think I could have ever imagined you with this much dirt on your clothes.

Entry tags:

Can anybody stop this thing before my head explodes, or my head starts to ring [W1, Sat post-trial]

[It's pretty late, long after most people have retired for the evening but not Percy. Instead, he'd stepped out to take another walk to clear his head and found himself settled in the lounge alone. He figured out how to start a fire, not at all worried that someone might come sneak up on him and kill him.

They've seen enough death today, he thinks.

The longer he's alone, the more his thoughts drift to several things. He thinks of the trial, he thinks of what Tiara told him, thinks of things from home, and Annabeth remains at the front of his mind. More than anything he needs to keep her alive now. Keep them alive.

And thinking of Annabeth leads to thinking of things that remind him of Annabeth, and that's why he turns his attention to the small library. He scans the book titles, eyes narrowing as he tries to read them and decide what ones might be nice to take to her later.

This is the scene anyone will find upon walking into the lounge somewhere in the neighborhood of midnight. He's in his sleep clothes (pajama pants he picked up from the tailor and his original ripped (and now thankfully clean) t-shirt and surrounded by books on the floor, mumbling titles to himself. He's perfectly okay being alone, but he hears footsteps nearby. His work stops and he looks up, not quite looking at the entrace of the lounge yet.]

Who's there?

Entry tags:

When the moment is just right you see fire in their eyes [Week 1, Saturday post-trial]

[It's later in the evening when he and Annabeth come back from the lake with Mrs. O'Leary. They'd talked a lot, thought things through and caught up on comparing notes and he genuinely thought he would be okay. He thought it would be better to catch up with people, but then he thinks about two people who also struggled a lot with hard choices in this trial.

Noctis, who chose to interrogate Tiara when no one else wanted to. Harry, who questioned and defied the Sheriff wanting to protect everyone else.

He feels as though those two would be good to talk to, figure out what to do before this happened again. It's only when he's back to the hotel that he knocks on Noctis's door, briefly telling him to come upstairs when he's ready and meet him and Harry in their room. Heading to his room and letting Mrs. O'Leary in, he leaves the door open for Noctis to follow whenever he's ready and isn't at all surprised to find Harry there already.]

So...show of hands. Who thought this totally sucked?

Entry tags:

!robowest,
!xion

And the heart is hard to translate, it has a language of its own [W1, Friday]

[So like. Everyone's Upset. Everyone's upset and confused and too many things have happened today. In a way it's alarming how much has happened and how few answers they have.

It's why Percy goes back to the graveyard later that day. He's not sure he'll find anything they hadn't already discovered, but with Mrs. O'Leary at his feet he figures it won't hurt to let her sniff around. Hellhounds are used to death. Maybe she'll find something.

On the other hand, part of him is looking for someone specific, too. He hadn't meant to find Xion here the first time, but for some reason he feels it might be worth it to check the graveyard one more time for her here, too.]

C'mon, Mrs. O'Leary. Let's see what we can find.

Entry tags:

We were just two kids thrown into the flames, we would never ever be the same [W1, Friday]

[Friday evening finds Percy at odds with a lot of things, confused about the outcome and upset he can't do anything about it yet. He thinks about what he's learned this week and what he's seen and while he can't make sense of it, he knows Annabeth can.

It's been a busy week for the two of them and though he has spent time with her, they haven't spent much time with just themselves as they've started to learn about the town and the people there. So, it's Friday evening and he goes to her room, knocking on the door with a box under his arm and praying Nisha isn't the one to answer. He has a plan for now, but he'd prefer not to be interrupted.]