and the day keeps on worrying me

[kelpful]

Characters: Percy, Mrs. O'Leary, and YOU
Date: April 9-10
Location: Both Atam and Keeliai. Pick and choose where you want to run into him!
Situation: Percy has a giant hellhound who likes to lick things
Warnings/Rating: IT'S A GIANT PUPPY basically G-rated. Except for Percy and Annabeth oops

[It's no secret that Percy has been in a terrible mood lately. Between everything going wrong on the turtle and what's waiting for him and Annabeth back home, it's difficult for the usually upbeat demigod to maintain a positive attitude. Percy tries to be a source of positivity for the others, but he's still a teenager with the world on his shoulders, so some moodiness is expected.

Except for right now. Because right now, Percy is seated comfortably on the back of a giant black dog - literally, she's about the size of a rhino, or maybe a small elephant. He looks relaxed in a way he hasn't in weeks as he chats to the hellhound; Mrs. O'Leary doesn't really look like she's very interested in what he's saying, tongue lolling out and dribbling drool on anyone who happens to get too close as she looks around the surrounding area. There's a kind of barely restrained energy in her form that says the only thing stopping her from bounding around like a maniac is Percy's presence on her back.

He's not sure how Atam feels about a hellhound in its midst, and the kedan don't seem to happy about her presence in their streets, but they're too intimidated to actually approach the beast of a dog just yet. Besides, she only knocks over a few things, and Percy apologises right away.]

Comments

[kelpful]

[Oh yeah. Some most hellhounds are bad, oops]

No, she's kind of...one of a kind. I think it took her original owner about two thousand years to train her not to, you know, try to eat demigods.

[andaway]

[He raises an eyebrow at the mention of an original owner. Two thousand years? How old must the hellhound be?]

Interesting. Does she have some kind of powers then? I'm not sure how different your hellhounds are from the ones in my world.

[kelpful]

You have hellhounds too? [He leans in curiously, always eager to learn about new worlds] She can do a couple of things, I don't know if I've seen everything just yet. [He scratches behind one of her ears] She keeps surprising me.

[andaway]

Yes... and no? Not in the literal sense. [He crouches to be at eye-level with her as he pets her gently. Now that he knows what she's... uh, capable of he'll be ready.]

They aren't really from hell, just from an Apocalyptic alien world- it's kind of complicated.

[kelpful]

[Mrs O'Leary pants happily, going in for another lick.]

Dude, my brother is a Cyclops. Complicated is the definition of my life.

[andaway]

[He lets out a laugh.] Fair enough, you do deal with gods almost daily.

You see, there was once a war in some far-away planet of the galaxy. A really... really big war, I'm sorry I don't know much more than that about it. But in this war, the planet got separated from the rest of the universe. And it also split in two.

Apokolips and New Genesis. What we call 'hellhounds' comes from the former.

[kelpful]

Believe me, I wish I didn't. [And then he blinks] Whoa, hold on. The whole planet split in half? [There's a little extra concern in his voice there, considering that his enemy back home is earth itself]

Apokolips, huh? Sure sounds Greek.

[andaway]

[He shrugs] Humans could do the same with enough atomic bombs, and people from that planet were... extremely more advanced than we are. Their war ended destroying their own planet.

[He grins] And it fits, it is quite an apocalyptic world. The closest I have seen to hell.

[kelpful]

[Percy falls quiet. The combination of worlds getting destroyed and talk of hell is enough to lead him down paths he really doesn't want to go.]

Hey, do you mind if I really awkwardly change the subject right now? [There's a sheepish tone to his voice]

[andaway]

Of course. [He didn't have to ask, he could feel his heartbeat increasing with worry and anxiety.]

What does your ma'am here eat? [He asked, trying to sound natural as he petted the hound's head.]

[kelpful]

Thanks. [He relaxes, smiling a little awkwardly. The topic change is a success though; he picks up]

Uh, I think it'd be easier to say what she doesn't eat. It's gonna be tough with the rations, I think, but at least she's not picky.

[andaway]

[He lets out a little laugh] There's a reason the Kedan do not keep pets I suppose. I'll make sure to save some of my extra for her, but... with so many people needing it there might not be much left.