(no subject)

[kelpful]

Characters: Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase
Date: Throughout August
Location: Various
Situation: Catchall log for these two dummies
Warnings/Rating: N/A for now

Comments

Pre-date

[kelpful]

Percy just kind of stumbles into their suite, panting a little like he's been running. "Annabeth, are you in here?" He knows she is. He's planned this. "I need your help with something! It's kind of an emergency."

He'll apologise to Arthur for taking his name in vain later. Assuming he ever finds out. It's not that big of a deal, lying about fish-related emergencies to your girlfriend, right? Not when it's in the name of something greater. Or, hopefully greater.

Percy really wants this to go well. He runs a nervous hand halfway through his hair as he waits for Annabeth to respond, before stopping himself. She knows his nervous tics. It would be a really bad idea to pull any of them out right now. He needs a distraction, so he heads straight for the fridge, pulling out some kind of fruit juice he acquired the other day and pouring himself a glass. Are his hands shaking? Must be an earthquake.

[sophos]

Of course she is. She's hunched over her laptop, papers scattered around the desk, but the words emergency draw her away enough to glance up at him. He's out of breath, a little nervous, frantic, but at the same time it doesn't seem to be a super emergency. Especially if he has the time to get something to drink (usually he can only food when things are that dire).

"Where else would I be?" She make a bit of a face with the retort, but her expression does turn into something of mild concern. "What's the matter?"

[kelpful]

He opens his mouth and then shuts it again, because they're mostly around each other these days. But he had to say some when he got in the door, right?

Percy gulps down some juice, waving a hand like that explains anything at all about the situation. "There's this thing Arthur wants me to look into about some business over-fishing or something. He basically said 'hey can you go to this thing and see if there's anything suspicious', and I went 'okay', because - well, you know. Fish. Except it turns out this thing is actually a fancy - I don't know, something, it's fancy. And the chances of me putting my foot in my mouth are pretty much ninety to a hundred percent, so I was hoping that you would come. With me. And help me not do that."

That sounded believable, right?

[sophos]

The worst part is, between fish issues and the fact that she doesn't know Arthur all that well, it kind of is believable. Or at least plausible. Because seriously, even before they started dating, how many times had Percy disappeared into the ocean because some sea creature needed help? He found the freakin' Ophiotaurus by doing just that on a whim. Promptly naming it Bessie.

So Annabeth kind of stares and takes it in for a second, doing a quick analysis. "Fancy, like, what do you mean fancy?"

Foot in mouth syndrome is always a legit concern, though. "And what are you supposed to do, exactly?"

Plausible or otherwise, she's still Annabeth and questions will always be A Thing, okay.

[kelpful]

"Like - dress up fancy and mingle and stuff." He makes a face, which is easy to do when he's legitimately uneasy right now. "Supposed to listen, mostly. For the fish, not to people. He bagsed staking out the ocean I guess."

Cue pleading puppy eyes. "You'll come, right?"

[sophos]

Her face scrunches over his explanation which is still not all that descriptive, but he's pleading and it's over fish, and oh gods why is she actually considering this? Maybe she just hates seeing him nervous and uneasy like this.

"That's still not helpful." She runs a hand through her hair. "Where? When?"

[kelpful]

"It definitely wasn't my idea. Just - anything to help the fish, you know?"

Oh man, that's so weak it's snapping under it's own weight. Percy hurries on, hoping that his next infodump will fluster her enough that she'll forget. He runs a hand back through his hair, justifiably nervous at this point. "Um. An hour?"

[sophos]

Annabeth is about to pester him further, because it's stupid, and there's got to be more detail than that. Even with fish emergencies as an excuse. Except -

"An hour?" The look she gives him is nothing short of incredulous. "An hour. You can't be serious. And you're only telling me now why?"

Congratulations, the lack of time for preparation and planning has successfully distracted her from the first and mysterious part!

[kelpful]

Thankfully, Percy has been expecting that kind of reaction, and reacts accordingly.

"He seriously just came up to me and asked! He had clothes too which was kind of weird but - the fish, Annabeth."

Percy sets down his glass and retrieves the dress he'd gotten her with Vanessa. He'd made sure it was in her favourite colour and that she'd be able to strap a knife under it somewhere, but other than that he'd just had to trust their friend with the details. He hands it over, trying to cover his continuing nervousness with an eyeroll. "Atlanteans, seriously. This is what happens when you make friends with a king, I guess."

oops fighting

[sophos]

Annabeth gets back from her job a little later than usual, having taken a pitstop at the hydroponics garden, just to poke at things. She'd feel a little less bad about it if Percy hadn't been acting vaguely short with her all morning prior. And grumpy. Definitely grumpy. Which in turn sort of fed into her own grumpiness, which sucks after what a great night out they'd had.

She meanders for the kitchen, getting herself a glass of water before settling back in the living room; some of the papers and things she was working on the night before are still laid out, having left them there in preparation for continuation today. She takes a sip of the water before calling out, "Percy? Are you home?" He was oddly quiet since she walked in the door, and she's pretty sure she heard him moving about. But there's a quiet push to just need to hear him speak, for all they've been grumping at each other.

Re: oops fighting

[kelpful]

Percy should have known it had been too good to be true. Asti getting better, powers coming back, things between him and Annabeth going so well. It's probably their date last night that tipped his mind over the edge, swinging right back into the fear that he's going to lose it all.

It's worse now. That absolute, consuming fear that had overtaken him with Malicant returns now, but it's focussed on Tartarus. Before, it had just been some kind of abstract, awful concept. Now there is a sensation Percy can pair with it, and it swallows him whole in his nightmares.

He doesn't get much sleep. At least he manages to be quiet about it, not tossing and turning, lying to Annabeth about getting a glass of water when he finally can't stand being in bed anymore.

He tries his best not to let it effect him, but he can't help it. Not when his fears of losing her and guilt over what happened have combined with an entirely new suspicion that has been growing on him the past few months. An awful, hideous possibility brought about by the whispers of gods in his ears, the memory of Hera telling him that Annabeth would bring about something awful if he didn't leave her.

Percy still thinks it's crap, that there's no way Annabeth would - but what if it's not her? What if it's him, because he can't let go of her? He'd known that Gaea wanted both of them, that their blood was somehow more precious to her than the other demigods', and he'd thrown himself in after her anyway.

He couldn't have made any other choice. It's just not in him to leave her, not ever again. But what if? He spends the day brooding on this, taking out some of his frustrations on his job cleaning the canals, returning home before she does to brood some more. He's busy glaring at a fountain when she comes home; he doesn't greet her, knowing that he's probably in too foul of a mood to be nice about it right now.

"Here." His tone is short, irritated. It's not directed at her, but that's not clear from his tone.

[sophos]

The tone in his reply hits her sharper than she would have thought; she can feel a rise in her own frustrations, but she holds back on snapping at him in return right away.

She's not stupid. Annabeth is the complete opposite of stupid, and she knows Percy Jackson better than the back of her own hand, and even if she has no idea what it is right now, there's something making him act like this, whether he's aware of it himself or not. Despite that, it still annoys her, frustrates her, because that's always been a facet of who they are; that doesn't mean she has to deal with it or him acting this way. Especially if he's speaking to her like that.

So she gets just as snippy. "You could keep hiding, if you're that comfortable in Cave Irritable."

[kelpful]

There's a pause before he pries himself away from his fountain vigil and storms into the room where she is. He leans against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling at her. One part of him is screaming what are you doing, but he ignores it. He needs to just...deal with this tension somehow, and Annabeth is the only person in the world it's safe to do that with.

Not that he's actually consciously thinking that. The only think that's really registering with him right now is annoyance. "I say one word, and suddenly you're biting my head off? Nice to see you too Annabeth, my day was great, how about you?"

[sophos]

She hears him storming before anything else, and one look at his face has her defenses already raising. Her own face contorts with irritation and bemusement as she stares at him in the doorway. She sets the glass down on the nearby table, almost a slam. "Excuse me? I'm biting your head off? Have you heard yourself at all today, by any chance?"

[kelpful]

The thing is, Percy knows she's right. He's pretty much been a jerk all day, for all that he's tried his best not to take it out on her. But he's so caught up in his fears and worries right now that he can't focus on the part of him that usually makes him step back, apologise and ultimately go to her for comfort rather than whatever this is. Instead, he gets defensive.

"I've been a little preoccupied! You're the one who wants space all the time, I thought maybe you'd get the hint."

Beautiful sacrifices to wake the goddess.

Whenever they do finally get to Tartarus, he's going to murder that spider through the voicebox.

[sophos]

She flinches; but it's small enough a movement that anyone else except Percy might miss it. Her eyes narrow into a glare, one that's aimed both at him and at steeling herself. In response, she laughs - an exasperated, almost bitter sound.

"Preoccupied with what? Stomping around the house on the edge of a tantrum?"

It stings, his remark. Annabeth knows she needs her space in ways Percy doesn't, but there's something else in tone and words that pierces and flares her up.

Makes her think of how antsy she's been, because she hasn't had her space lately, not as much as she needs and wants. There's an underlying fear in being too far long away from Percy that prevents that; maybe it's been making her a little irritable, too.

[kelpful]

"Right, because the second someone doesn't agree with you, they're having a tantrum."

He doesn't even know what he's saying anymore, if he's honest. He's just angry, the feeling eating him up inside. He almost feels like he's not in control of himself anymore, just spitting out the first words that come to mind without thinking about them, because thinking means coming face to face with the wall of horror that is Tartarus.

And he's spend all day (weeks, months, since he got on the turtle) dealing with that, and the new terror that is its potential repercussions. He can't deal with it right now.

"But no, you're the only one who could possibly have anything important going on, right?" That's not even based on anything she's said, it's his own feelings of helplessness (uselessness) coming through. This is a side of Percy he usually only saves for gods (Hera) and monsters, but the truth is that this has been building for months now, and where else could he possibly release it?

Not that that's going to be much comfort once it's finally out of his system.

moonlace

[sophos]

It's a hell of a lot easier to go back and forth between Sinbrilee and Keeliai than the previous two landfalls. Despite being underwater this time. At least there's no zombies, so far.

Right now they're back in Keeliai, in Percy's suite, checking on his ever-growing zoo and visiting Mrs. O'Leary. Percy's making a loud attempt to untangle something out of the hellhound's fur, trying to discourage her from thinking it's playtime.

Annabeth's poking around at some fish when she catches sight of something new perched in a windowsill. A plant. She walks cautiously closer to get a better look, reaching out to touch it but pausing to hover at the last second. Moonlace? It looks like it might be. She hesitates for a moment, but she has to ask. "Percy? Is - where'd that come from?"

[kelpful]

"Mrs O'Leary, no - don't - come on, when I said you need to clean yourself better, I didn't mean clean me too!" Percy laughs, wiping dog drool helplessly off his face. He feels a little lighter, visiting his suite and being around the fish and his dog.

Things have been - not strained, exactly, they're just too close for that kind of awkwardness to stick around in their relationship for long. But since their argument, there's definitely been a shift that Percy can't ignore. Tartarus is weighing them both down, heavier than ever, and Percy is stuck dealing with the additional knowledge that he can get really freaking mean.

He's been that angry before, sure. And he's been a jerk before, definitely. But it's mostly been directed at people who deserve it. Never at Annabeth. He feels like the worst boyfriend in the world. Which is maybe why, when he found the moonlace in Sinbrilee, he'd just sort of quietly returned to his suite and placed it carefully on the windowsill without mentioning it to Annabeth.

He never really explained Calypso to her - to anyone. And while there's no chance in - well, Tartarus - that what he experienced with the Titan's daughter could ever hold a candle to what he has with Annabeth, it's still an important part of him. One of those choices that make him who he is, for better or worse. Right now, Percy kind of needs the reminder that sometimes, those choices can ultimately be for better. No matter how hard they might have seemed at the time.

But putting that into words is easier said than done, especially considering that he totally kissed Calypso. Kissed her back, whatever, he's pretty sure the distinction doesn't matter. He could have loved her, if he'd stayed; a part of him did. Trying to explain everything the moonlace is to him just isn't a thing that Percy can do. He'd kind of been hoping that Annabeth wouldn't notice it, and they could just bypass the whole situation.

He should have known better. "It's, um, the moonlace. From my bedroom. Back home, I mean. I found it on Sinbrilee." Just don't ask why it's here and not at home, please, please.

[sophos]

The hesitation and pause before he responds makes her curious. Not quite suspicious, but her eyebrows do crinkle a little. At least she was right about it being moonlace. Come to think of it, she remembers seeing it in his bedroom before, but it never registered as much more beyond a random plant, probably Sally's doing. She feels kind of stupid for not recognizing it at the time, but to be fair, she had a tendency to get preoccupied by one of two things when spending time in Percy's room. And it'd been over a year since she's been.

She pulls her hand away from it, giving it a glance before looking back at him. "When did you find it?" They've separated a handful of times while in Sinbrilee, so clearly it was doing one of those, but he hadn't brought it up. Then it occurs to her that he brought it here, too, instead of their suite in Metal. It's odd. She looks at the plant again, as if it could answer the question mentally.

Spoilers, it doesn't. With the tension that hasn't quite gone out of the air, Annabeth's still a little hesitant when she speaks up again, but she has to. Because he hadn't told her about it, for whatever reason. "And you're keeping it here because...?"

[kelpful]

"A couple of days ago? I was just poking around, and I found it. Like how Mrs O'Leary just showed up last time." He stops himself there, knowing that he has a tendency to not shut up when he's nervous. Especially around Annabeth.

And then she asks the one thing he really didn't want her to, and he stamps on a flash of irritation. It's not like she can read minds, after all. And if she could, then she definitely would have asked, because his girlfriend is nosy.

He opens his mouth to lie about how it was just the first place he came, before realising what he's doing. His mouth shuts with a click as Percy makes a conscious decision to not go down that path. As uncomfortable as he's pretty sure this is about to get, he's sure he doesn't want to see where that path leads.

On the other hand, he also has no idea how to respond to that question. It's such a small thing, to have abruptly become so large in importance right now.

[sophos]

There's nothing inherently weird or off about that statement, unless you include the fact that he failed to mention it before now, and the fact that he's started to ramble. But clearly, it was still important enough to bring back into Keeliai.

Annabeth frowns, waiting for him to continue. And when he doesn't answer her completely, her frown deepens. If it'd been at any other point in time, maybe she wouldn't have suddenly been hit with a wave of grump and start teetering somewhere between annoyance and irritation. She crosses her arms, the look on her face turning expectant on top of the irked. It's on the tip of her tongue to snap at him, but she holds it back, waiting to see if there's a legitimate reason for the pause. Like thinking. Maybe he's thinking.

For some reason, that doesn't make her feel much better. And not just out of a consistent need to tease him over how little he takes the time to think.

[kelpful]

He'd kind of been hoping for her to move on from the subject, but she doesn't say anything. Like she's waiting for him to continue.

He turns back to Mrs O'Leary for a moment, patting her on the side. "Outside, girl." Percy watches her leave, before running a hand through his hair and turning back to Annabeth. You need to stop hiding things from me.

It hadn't been hiding, not really. He thinks. "Okay, this is really dumbly involved for something that's so small, but it's not a big deal or anything, I promise. I just - you remember how I disappeared after Mount St. Helen's exploded?" He pretty sure she does, but it's the first thing that comes to mind.

[sophos]

"Considering I nearly burned your burial shroud, yeah, I think I remember." Maybe that was a little harsh, but it's out before she really thinks about it enough to stop it. It's probably born out of lingering... whatevers.

She bites her lip and sighs, but it's at herself. At least until it catches up with her what he's probably getting at. She's like 90% sure she knows where he was for all that time, but it never felt necessary to bring up, and right now she's 90% sure it's going to head in that direction. Maybe she's still just annoyed he didn't bring up the plant itself until she noticed it. A little less sharply, she says, "Yes. I remember." How could she not? She spent two weeks hoping he wasn't dead.

[kelpful]

Percy scowls. "I'm trying to explain, okay?" he bites out. Guilt pings him right after, and he can't tell if it's about what she said, or about what he did just now.

He shakes his head, cutting short his planned explanation. He doesn't need to get into it. "It's just from then. It's here because bringing it home would have meant explaining, and it's weird, and I just - it's important to me, but it's not a part of us. It doesn't need to be a part of us, or our home, so it's here."