halfbloodhill | Action/IM, An Announcement

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Action/IM, An Announcement

[So it's time to come clean about this. Have a Percy sitting on the steps of Poseidon cabin, looking mildly uncomfortable. He never wanted to talk about this, but the cat's out of the bag now ~~get back in there, Tybalt~~.]

So I've, uh, I've got something to say. Some people saw me fighting the wolves last month, and they probably saw that one of them, uh... bit me on the arm.

[Oh hi now he looks even more uncomfortable.]

Only it didn't bite me, 'cause its teeth broke. And I didn't turn or get infected or whatever you want to call it. I can't get bitten or whatever, because before the war with Kronos I went and got turned invulnerable so I could fight him, and it hasn't gone away. Soooooo... yeah. I pretty much can't get hurt anymore.

[But boy does it make him eat and sleep a lot when he does have to fight. And no, he's not going to tell anyone how he did it, though people familiar with Greek myth may possibly be able to figure it out on their own. He'd appreciate those few people who know not saying how, either.]

So if it looks like I'm doing something stupid? I'll probably be okay, so don't worry about me.

[There's a casual little salute at the rainbow before he waves his hand through it to dissolve it.]

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[Nico isn't surprised when Percy makes his announcement. He's also not surprised that he doesn't say anything about the whole Achilles thing. He doesn't even care if Percy says 'it's all Nico's idea/fault' because that's true.]

I hope nobody else asks me to help them with that. Once with you was enough.

[The son of Hades is leaning against the side wall of Cabin Three, pretty casual.]

What are you going to tell them if they ask about the story?

[Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllll no he's not saying anything about the Achilles "heel." The only one who knows where that is is Annabeth. And he's worried because that's really the easiest part to guess, at least in that he has one now, for anyone familiar with myth.]

Hey, it was your idea, you know. But I'm not gonna tell them anything - I don't think Egyptians or Norse can get to our Underworld so they wouldn't matter, but no one needs to go Styx-swimming again.

[He unconsciously shudders at that memory. That was the least pleasant thing he's ever done.]

[Nico just looks amused by that statement.]

It was, yes, but that doesn't mean I'd like to see you or anyone else take a dip in the Styx, unless they're stupid enough to do it without knowledge of how to make it work.

[He loses that amusement for the next part, though.]

Oh, they probably can, as long as I take them to it, but the same is true in reverse. I can't go to their Underworlds because I don't know how. Not that it'd be wise for me to go there alone, at least for the Egyptian one. Hel's domain might be different.

I'm not telling anyone how to do it. Half of the people in camp probably couldn't get the blessing anyway 'cause their moms are gods, half of the rest of them don't have moms anymore, and probably most of the rest of those wouldn't give permission. I still don't know why my mom did.

[It had kind of broken his heart a little, to see how worried his mom had been about him. But he'd had to do it, in order to defeat Kronos - defeat Luke. They wouldn't have won otherwise.]

She trusted you. That's why she gave you her blessing.

[Because seriously, it can't be that Sally trusted Nico.]

Regardless, I wouldn't, either. That was a one-time thing, and if we're lucky, nobody will have to do that again for a long time. Watch your back, though. With so many people now knowing about it, I wouldn't be surprised if that information went back to the Red Room. That saying they don't know about it by now.

I'm the kid who wrecked a school bus with a Civil War cannon in fifth grade. Sometimes I don't know how much of the trust I get is worth it.

[Contrary to the words, he's not being self-disparaging - just self-aware. He knows fully well how much stupid shit he's pulled over the years.]

[But the color drains a little from his face at Nico's words. That's obviously something he never actually considered.]

...Crap. Do you think they could? You, Mom, Annabeth, Grover, Nat, Leo, and Chiron are the only ones who already knew, but do you think anyone else guessed?

It depends on what you're doing and why you're doing it.

[Nico takes a moment to think about it. He may not be the strategist like Annabeth is, but he can still make some good guesses.]

I wouldn't rule it out, honestly. I mean, it's possible the wolves didn't report on how their teeth shattered against your skin, but pardon my pessimism on that. If the Titan Lord could guess it, then I'd stake half my father's palace that Gaea could, too. Annabeth can probably give you a thousand different scenarios, but the most obvious one that I can see is that if they do, then they'll try to get you alone so that they can find your weak spot, most likely during a battle. In all that confusion, it'd be a good opportunity to try finding it.

Kronos guessed because Luke'd been through it, too, and Ethan was able to tell him exactly what happened from his perspective. Even if the wolves told, no one in the Red Room's done it so they might not be able to put the pieces together.

[Might not. But it's clear he's also kind of taking Nico's more pessimistic view of the situation. At least he has something of an answer for it.]

I can't change it now. I never stopped wearing armor anyway, I just still won't stop.

Gaea's also the earth. She's been there for every war since the beginning of creation. Not to mention, if she's still in contact with Tartarus, then...well.

[Spies in the Underworld. Hooray.]

Try to keep one or two people with you, too. They're added protection, and if something goes wrong, then at least you'll have backup.

But she's been asleep for forever, too. Do we know how -well, awake she is now? Since nothing's blown up lately, I get the feeling she's still mostly under.

[He has no idea how perceptive Gaea is in any given state. And if he's honest, he doesn't want to know.]

With what I get myself into? About the only people I'd trust with that are the people who knew about all this before now.

[Yes, that includes you, Nico.]

And I don't need bodyguards with this. It's stupid for me to have this and then hide behind others for safety.

She's not fully conscious, but she still has an information network. I think she's mostly asleep, since there haven't been any natural or unnatural disasters.

[After hearing Hazel's tale, he has a pretty good idea on how perceptive Dirt Woman is.

Nico is equal parts pleased and doubtful of this. He takes care not to show it, though, since Percy is...Percy.]

That's not what I meant. If you got isolated in a major battle, then they're going to start throwing things at you to see where your weak spot is. Gaea probably isn't going to care how many she sacrifices if she's really inclined to kill you.

She's really inclined to kill all of us, and I'm probably at the top of the list after what I did to Kronos and Hyperion, so let her come after me. You know there's no way I'm going to keep myself safe at the expense of someone else.

[Really, Nico, you should know this by now.]

And what of the people who are willing to keep you safe at the expense of themselves?

They shouldn't be trading their lives for mine. Enough people've done it already, I don't want any more doing the same thing.

[Beckendorf, Michael Yew, even Ethan...]

[Nico's eyes flash at that.]

That's not going to stop them. Saying "they shouldn't do this" or "I don't want them to do that" is just not going to make even an atom's worth of difference to someone who honestly cares about you. You might as well just not bother making friends if that's how you really feel.

[Oops, he has a lot of feelings on this, but it's not going to keep him from saying all of this bluntly.]

[You know what Nico, Percy's going to give you that same look right back at you. It's times like this that Percy's fierceness shines through.]

There's no way I'm letting anyone else die for me if I can help it. I'm not worth someone throwing away all the chances they've got for their own futures. I don't wanna die, but it's gonna happen someday, and probably sooner instead of later considering how my life's been so far, so I'm just gonna do the best I can with it until it happens. And there's nothing anyone can say that will stop me.

[Nico is not going to back down, Percy. He doesn't care how much stronger the son of Poseidon is in comparison to him, he's going to stand his ground.]

Then you'd better believe that there would be nothing you can say to stop someone else from getting in the way of that destiny, if they can help it. You should know better than anyone that if you care enough about someone, then they're going to do whatever it takes to protect them, no matter how crazy or suicidal it is!

[Nico are you even listening to yourself? You don't know if you even like him half the time and you're insisting that he lets people die for him.]

Maybe so but I'm not going to let it happen if I can do anything about it! I've already seen way too many of my friends die, I don't want to lose anyone else, and fuck what happens to me! I've got a much better chance of surviving stupid things with this, so I'm gonna put it to use! I'm not having another Beckendorf!

[No, because he's speaking from the heart rather than his mind at this point. From here on out, Nico will be using his hands while he talks.]

Stop being so selfish!

[He almost snarls out that sentence.]

You don't want another Beckendorf, I don't want another Bianca! But no matter how much we don't want that to happen again, it most likely will! They both died because they believed in you and they gave a damn about saving your life! Loss happens no matter what, and if you think that anybody would be happy to see you dead in front of their feet, then you've got another thing coming, Jackson! Aside from Annabeth, you're the most important person here! You give people a reason to be loyal to and die for you because you give them that very same loyalty and trust in return!

What's selfish about wanting people to have their lives?!

[Both of them seem to have forgotten they're in public. At this point Percy's also risen to his feet and is facing the son of Hades, definitely looking... well, angry.]

My life isn't worth anyone losing theirs! I won't have people thinking I'm more important than they am and how do you think it makes me feel when I see people throwing themselves in the way of harm for me?! Annabeth nearly died in the Battle of Manhattan because she did that and if she did I couldn't handle it and one life is a better price to pay than five! Why can't you understand that?!

BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU LIKE I LOST BIANCA!

[Nico just shouts that, but there's a part of him that does remember they're in public. It's at least a part that regains control of the volume controls for his voice.]

I'm selfish, too! Possibly the most selfish person I know out of everyone in this whole blasted camp! Because I'd willingly give up my own life to save your sorry, infuriating hide! I'd do it because not only do I care about you, but somehow I managed to actually fell in love with you!

[He comes to a stop and there's horror on his face as he realizes what he just said.

Shit. Shit.

Nico takes a step back instinctively, and in the back of his mind thankful that he's currently in shadow.]

[You know, after all of the years, Percy still fails miserably at realizing that anyone can like him like that. Granted, Nico's signals have been completely different than Annabeth's, or Rachel's, or Calypso's, but once he says that... well, everything snaps into place. And just like every other time he's figured out someone has ~feelings~ for him, his mind short-circuits and all he can do is stare at Nico disbelievingly.]

[Yeah, no. Nico just.

No. No no no no no.

He shadow travels away. He can't...he wasn't ready. He hadn't planned on this.

He just can't.]

[That snaps Percy out of it, and as Nico starts moving Percy knows what he's going to do. He's seen him do it a lot, after all. And he knows that leaving it at this is a really, really bad idea, so- he's going to try and jump forward to grab Nico around the arm and hold him there. Or possibly go with him. But you are not running away from this.]

Nico!

[Nico somehow manages to keep his arm away from Percy and really all he's thinking about is 'get away from the pain.' He's so gone.]

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againstallodds - 2014-02-27 19:57 (UTC) - Expand

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