Week 3; Sunday late afternoon; Percy

[alcobrawlic]

[ She'd thought the second week had been pretty exhausting near the end, but it's nothing compared to how the third week has gone. Three deaths, three murderers, so many upset people and they hadn't even been able to catch any of the actual culprits. It leaves a bad taste in Sara's mouth, and as much as she'd dearly love for there to be monsters around for her to beat up and burn off this frustration...

She doesn't bother to head out this time, opting to stick around the hotel lounge. She can expend that tension later, but for now... she can't help but feel like she needs to be here. ]

Comments

[hydrokinetics]

I'm not gonna die. [Time to miss the point.] I can still fight everybody who tries. [Despite. You know. Not moving at all or even trying to lift his head anymore.]

...does this kind of have to do with the executioner thing? ["And you've told me about where you're from, but this is a person." "That's a story for another day, Percy."]

[alcobrawlic]

...

Ah, right, about that...

[ There's a very quiet sigh. ]

Ever heard of jaegers?

[hydrokinetics]

No, but that doesn't mean much. Every time I think I've heard of everything, something else pops up at home to try and kill me. [Still, he thinks this is probably different.] But what are they?

[alcobrawlic]

Hmmm... then think of them as something like mercenaries. You want bodyguards or someone to do your dirty work and you're willing to pay for it, you hire a jaeger corps. As long as they get paid, they'll get the job done.

[hydrokinetics]

[A slow nod. Okay. That makes sense.]

Are you one of them? Or you fought them?

[alcobrawlic]

Both. More specifically, I was drafted into the corps when I was just a little kid. At the time [ well, still now ] that corps was the only source of income our country had.

[hydrokinetics]

...[He pulls back enough to look at her, face streaked with tears but eyes sharp as he listens.]

But you were a kid. How could they bring you on as a mercenary? [Granted, Annabeth was 7 when she started fighting for her life as a demigod, so.] But was? That means you left the corps, right?

[alcobrawlic]

Yeah, eventually. Someone saved my life, and I got out of there.

But you know, by that point, I'd already done what I had to do to survive.

[ Kid or not, if she didn't work, she didn't eat. ]

[hydrokinetics]

[FROWNING. THERE IS A LOT OF FROWNING.]

Survival's pretty brutal sometimes, isn't it? [He chews on his lip slowly.] So...what happened after that anyway? The damage was done, but after you left the corps. Things were okay?

[alcobrawlic]

Well, I became a bracer-- they're a neutral party who help out civilians, pretty much. But that's a long story too, and involved some more fighting and then I became a teacher when our guild was forcibly shut down.

Aaaand maybe had a run-in with my old group, but--

[ Yeah, she's making a face. ]

[hydrokinetics]

Buuut since you were a bracer you had to fight off the jaegers with your students, I'm guessing. [A sigh.] Somehow it always turns out that way.

[A pause.] I'm sorry, Sara. That shouldn't be how somebody lives either.

[alcobrawlic]

I fought them all by myself, actually. Some fights you have to take on by yourself.

[ She ruffles his hair now, smiling crookedly. ] But what's going on here isn't one of them. We're fighting with you on this one, Percy.

[hydrokinetics]

[It's a weird pause, sure, but he's going over the list of battles he's fought on his own and nodding along.

The hair-ruffle helps put him at ease and there's a tired, imbalanced smile as well. He knows she's right.]

For now. There will be a time I have to do stuff myself. [...] But maybe after a nap? [Yeah. He's pretty much waving the white flag on this one.] A short one. Like an hour.

[alcobrawlic]

Of course. A short nap.

[ She doesn't believe that for a second, but she's just going to grin. ]

Do you need me to walk you to your room or are you going to fall asleep on me as a one-time offer sort of thing?

[hydrokinetics]

I can walk myself. [He says, after zero attempt of moving.] I don't think you'd let anybody fall asleep on you anyway.

[alcobrawlic]

I did say one-time offer.

[ Percy, are you okay ]

[hydrokinetics]

[Considering there's a lull of silence because he's already half-asleep? No.]

...what if I wanna cash in on that later? [Please kick his ass, Sara, this is helping no one.]

[alcobrawlic]

...

I'm not above dragging you.

[hydrokinetics]

I don't think you could drag me. I'm bigger than you are. [Probably, anyway.] Just give me a few minutes...

[alcobrawlic]

... You're sassy even half-asleep. That's kind of impressive.

[ Kind of. ]

[hydrokinetics]

If it's only kind of impressive, I've gotta up my game. [And speaking of up, he finally stands upright and looks very much like he'd be content to sleep standing up.]

...I think I can probably take it from here. [Probably.] But thanks. Really. It means a lot.

[alcobrawlic]

Thank me after you make it to your bed, okay? I mean, like. Hours later.

[ But another hair ruffle for the road. ]

[hydrokinetics]

[He'll take it, thank you very much.]

I'll let you know hours later when I wake up then, how about that? [He gives her a bleary-eyed look though.] What will you do now?

[alcobrawlic]

Probably hang out in the lounge for a little longer. Don't worry, I'll check on you sooner or later.

[hydrokinetics]

Okay. [It's a tentative sort of sound, but with that, he leans his head into her shoulder once more before turning to head out of the lounge.] I'll see you later, Sara. [And off he goes, kind of stumbling over his own feet but at least he's heading the right direction.]