tushanshu | o5 ♆ video

[Percy is firmly established in Annabeth's suite again. He's frowning absently at the screen, almost like he's totally forgotten what he was going to say. Instead of words, you get the steady pop pop pop of him messing around with a sheet of bubblewrap in front of him. From the right angle, he appears to be popping it in the shape of a sword. Or a stick. Or maybe just a line.

All of a sudden, his hands stop. He glances at the camera like he's just remembered that it's on, and opens his mouth. Shuts it. Open it again] Hey, I think...I'm seventeen now.

[There's a brief moment of silence before a wide grin breaks out across his face. He laughs, and there's a certain relief in the sound.] Not bad for someone who wasn't supposed to make it past sixteen, huh? Oh man, how did I miss this?

[He leans in towards the screen intently, a certain determination stealing his features. Percy's ADHD brain has caught onto an idea, and it is Extremely Important that it be addressed Right Now] Okay, I know that things are really tight and tense right now for everyone, but this is...well, it's important. Or at least, it'd mean a lot to me. Does anyone know where I could get my hands on some blue food dye? Or like, something that dyes...food...blue.

[That's the same thing, Percy.] I can pay. Or, I don't know, blast you with salt water. I guess no one really wants to swim in the canals right now. [Briefly his expression falls, reminded of what he sees as his failure in trying to save the Water Sector] But yeah, if anyone knows where I could get some, that'd be great.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Percy nods] I'm pretty sure it'd be...impossible for most of my world to find out about us. The Mist is strong - the gods were fighting Titans all over America and most mortals put it down to natural disasters and stuff.

Well magic is usually a lot easier to hide than other stuff. It's magic after all. And I think gods would have a lot more practice at hiding from the world than people who just one day discovered they had the power to control magnetism or fire energy beams from their eyes.

We don't really have magic. I mean - I don't know, maybe that's what other people would call it, but that's not really how we think of it here. There are a couple of kids with some really visible abilities like that, but what I was talking about before - we have a thing called the Mist. It means that if someone starts setting fires with their mind or something, ordinary people just see them doing it with a lighter.

[His expression twists a little, a hint of bitterness] The gods might have a lot of practice, but they don't usually pass that on to their kids at all. A lot of people end up taking the flack for things monsters do because of how the Mist twists things. [His expression clears a little as he tries to turn the conversation back towards Vic] But that's all blamed on pretty mundane stuff. I guess people don't really react well to finding out that there are other people with weird abilities they can't control.

So it's like some kind of illusion or telepathic thing?

[He offers a little sympathetic look.] So they cover themselves but leave the kids to take the fall. That really sucks. [He nods.] Yeah, mutants didn't have that kind of cover. Not reacting well is an understatement. There were groups formed specifically to hunt down and kill mutants.

I guess illusion would probably be the best term for it. I had a swordfight with Ares once and all the mortals thought that we were pointing guns at each other. There are a few mortals who can see right through it, but mostly even demigods have to know what they’re looking at. Which is super helpful when you’re being attacked by monsters, let me tell you. [not.

[Percy opens his mouth and then frowns, clearly horrified by this concept] What? Are you serious? I mean, I get people not being happy, but that’s just stupid.

So it's that kind of thing. [It all still seems pretty magicy to him, really.] Is there some kind of way around it? No special goggles or whatever?

[Vic sighs a little.] I'm serious. We had everything from religious zealots to cyborg ninja assassins after us.

[He shakes his head] Not that I know about. Demigods can see through it if they focus, and some mortals are born with the ability. My mom could, and I've got a friend who ended up becoming the Oracle that can see through it too. better than me, actually.

[Percy shakes his head] That's insane You're still people! I mean - I guess you've probably thought this a million times already, but that's messed up.

Huh. Sounds like the stuff could use some improvement or adjustments.

Thought it, heard it, said it...[Vic shrugs.] None of it matters to those people though. They're set on their missions to kill us all or turn us into weapons or just register us all and herd us into camps.

Oh yeah.

Camps? Did they miss the whole second world war or something? I'm really sorry, Vic, that's awful.

Definitely something to bring up next chance you get then.

Oh, they didn't miss it. They took inspiration and jumped ahead from there with things like giant killer robots and kidnapping people for experiments. [He shakes his head.] You don't have to apologize. It's nothing you did.

[There's only the faintest pause here. Percy is not sure he'll ever get a next chance] --Uh, yeah. I'll do that.

I know, I just mean - I'm sorry you have to deal with that, you know? It's messed up.

[Vic nods. He doesn't know much about Percy's world so he leaves the subject there.]

It really is messed up. And I'm one of the few lucky ones.

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