tushanshu | 001 ღ video

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[There’s a beautiful, dark skinned girl with choppy hair looking at ease with the console as she turns the video feed on. She actually looks pretty calm, other than the nervous movement of her hands, as if she doesn’t know what to do with them, and the way she keeps looking around her, as if she can’t believe where she is. After a second, she gives a hesitant smile.] It’s kind of nice to use one of these and not worry about any of the problems that come with it. [Problems being that technology and demigods don’t exactly mix, you know.]

I was wondering if anyone could fill me on the situation? I couldn’t get any answers from the guys who brought me to this suite, which is really nice, by the way. [She sounds a little put out by that, the fact that she couldn’t get answers.] My name is Piper. [No last name, in case people here know her dad, and then she has to go through that awkward explanation phase that, yes, her dad was that hot guy in those movies.]

I’m also looking for my friends. Particularly a guy named Jason. Blond, really good looking, he likes to follow rules. [A grin now.] Although, I guess if any of them are here, they’ll find me this way.

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[Despite, you know, all of the circumstances ever, when Annabeth sees Piper over the consoles, she's glad. Because it's been almost a year since she's seen Piper now, and she's missed the other girl, a lot.]

[Even though all seven of them being here should be a warning, even though things are looking bad on the turtle front, even if Tartarus is bound to loom up eventually, her smile is bright in the feed when she replies.] Hey there stranger. I've got plenty of answers, if you still want them.

[If Piper thought her crying would be more useful than anything else right now, she'd probably do it. As nice as it is to see Percy - she does really like the guy - it's seeing Annabeth that really does it for her. She takes a deep breath, grinning at her friend.

Thank the gods.] It's so good to see you. Are you okay?

[Oh no oh no, she can see in Piper's face, that temptation of crying, the way she holds back and everything else, and then the relief and the grinning crops up instead, and Annabeth is relieved herself.]

[Her smile dampens slightly over it all, but it's still there, because she's still happy.] You, too. You have no idea. [She pauses.] I'm fine, though. Probably a lot more fine at the moment than any of the rest of us here, to be honest. [Of the demigods, at least. Because powers disappearing!!]

[Sorry, Annabeth. Sorry, sorry. She's trying to not act like there's anything super wrong here because hey, you just fell into the worst place in existence with your boyfriend and a busted ankle and that's a lot to deal with. But Piper is nothing if not resilient, and if Jason is here, she can just... freak out later with him in private.]

It kind of sounds like I was missing a party. Fashionably late. [A smile, a relieved one.] So what's going on? I, uh... Couldn't persuade anyone to tell me.

[Annabeth can tell, she can completely and utterly tell, and it's not surprising at all, given how everyone else reacts at seeing her or Percy's face. But Piper holds it all back and there's just so much appreciation for it, as much as that feeling of dread comes back into the pit of her stomach and mixes in with the genuine happiness. Truth be told, if Piper had started crying, Annabeth might have followed suit. But in those six months without Percy, Piper wriggled in and managed to be exactly what she needed in a friend. Good to see that hadn't changed.]

Would it be a bad response to say your mother would be proud? [Of the fashionably late thing. She can't resist, and it's so easy to say it. But then she sighs a little.] A lot's going on. But the short version? The turtle's sick, and everyone's abilities and powers have been dampened and drained.

[Considering what has happened to her friends, she can't really be blamed for being worried or upset, but that's probably not going to be helpful in the least. Annabeth knows what's happened to her. She doesn't need Piper reminding her of it.

Her fingers tap on the desk the console's resting on, and she makes a face.] I think my mother and I would have a difference on what we each consider fashionable. [She sweeps a hand over herself, indicating the Camp Halfblood shirt under her jacket, the messy hair, the smudge of dirt on her face.] So we're really on the back of a turtle? [A beat.] That explains about my charmspeak, at least. Is that related to the turtle?

[It might be something to talk about, later, another time, but right now Annabeth's just grateful for Piper treating this conversation at a level of normal it probably shouldn't have.]

[She grins a little.] More than just what constitutes fashion, really. [That is a compliment, because she'll take Piper's views on just about everything before Aphrodite's tbh.]

But yeah, it's a giant turtle. His name is Asti. He's what fuels all the powers and technology here; it's... possible they won't return, not unless his illness is cured. [She doesn't mean to, but her tone reveals it's a lot more dire than she's explaining upfront.]

[She grins, feeling a little pleased at the compliment.] Just her luck that she had to have a child that was so disagreeable to her. [But no, really. After all this time, she's definitely accepted who she is and where her talents lie. Not everyone can fly or shoot lightning bolts.]

Is there a way to cure his illness at all? [Piper hears the tone and tries to not panic. That doesn't sound good. She doesn't really like the idea of her abilities being gone permanently.]

It's about time, really. Please continue. [Because really, Aphrodite could use more of that.]

[She makes a face.] We're - working on it. [She sighs, running a hand through her hair.] There's actually a bunch of investigations going on right now - and what made Asti sick in the first place, it's the thing we were brought here to fight. [Pause.] Which... you probably haven't heard anything about yet, sorry. There's a lot to catch you up on.

I'll do my best to carry on the tradition of children not like their parent at all. [She agrees, but there's also some good things about her mother. Like love. Love is good. Which reminds her that Piper hasn't even gotten the chance to tell Annabeth about saying that to Jason, weh.]

I've missed a whole lot, haven't I? Good thing I know how much you like explaining things to people, Annabeth, or we'd be in trouble.

[She chuckles a little.] You're already off to a great start. [Oh nooo Piper. It's ok they have a lot of things to catch each other up on, apparently!!]

[Annabeth rolls her eyes, but there's no discontent in the gesture.] Considering I've been here for almost a year now? Yeah, there's a lot to explain. You're lucky you'll get something as concise as I can give.

Wasn't too hard, really. [There might be a little bit of pride in her voice. She likes that she isn't like her siblings. who her parents are shouldn't have to define her completely, after all.]

A year? [Whoops, did she yell that? This is so messed up.] Gods.

[Annabeth smiles over the flash of pride, glad to hear it. It suits her, and watching Piper come into her own over those months was pretty awesome.] Not for you, definitely.

[She makes a face, sort of like an 'oops,' as much as she appreciates the reaction on some level.] Eleven months, technically. The first six, uh, were just me. And I initially ended up here just before the Argo II reached Camp Jupiter. Time? It's pretty weird.

[Piper rubs a hand across her forehead, a pained look on her face.] None of this makes any sense. So how did you catch up to where we are now? [Such a polite way to put it.] Well, where most of us are now.

[She purses her lips.] The Emperor can show you the future, for a price. Percy and Leo - well, they arrived around the same time, and I was behind them both. [And you know how Annabeth is with knowing things.] She basically dumps you in a pool of water, and it's like watching a movie starring you.

For a price. [Piper can't help but repeat that, an unsure look on her face. What did you give for that knowledge, Annabeth? Although, she's not sure if she wouldn't have done it herself.] I wonder how she has that power.

[Annabeth makes a face, almost like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar.] An exchange. Something of equal value to what you want to see. It wasn't - it's fine. [She doesn't even mind telling Piper necessarily, just not over the public consoles.]

If she has the ability to summon people here like she does, it's not surprising. But I think she draws most of her power from the turtle the same as everyone else.

[Don't eat all those cookies before dinner, Annabeth, gods.] That really doesn't make it sound any better. [Deals with devils you don't know and all that. The Emperor sounds like a devil they definitely don't know.]

You said that our powers are probably gone because the turtle is really sick, right? How was she able to pull me through? Or any of the others.

[She'll do whatever she wants!! But she waves off the concern.] I knew what I was getting into.

Mhmm. Think of it like a battery turtle. As for her continued trend of pulling people through, I have no idea how she's still doing it. But she wasn't in attendance at the last audience, so there's no telling what state she's in.

[A nod.] That doesn't mean I'm not going to worry about you.

Maybe she's conserving all of her power to bring in more people, then. Which doesn't make a lot of sense. You'd think she'd be doing what she could to help her turtle out.

[She opens her mouth to object - then promptly closes it. Her face is a cross between grateful and awkward.] There... shouldn't be much to worry about. It's all over with now. [And she got to watch herself fall into hell in the process, good times! 8Db]

Apparently that's what we're here for. To help the turtle out, to save him from this threat. So, the more of us she has, the better?

Edited 2013-07-05 07:23 (UTC)

[No, Annabeth. That's not how worrying works.] And she's definitely not about to come back around and demand for more of whatever? [e_e]

What are we supposed to do?

[Annabeth shakes her head with absolute confidence.] No. I made sure it would be a one time thing. [And she might have outsmarted Eshai a little in the process aww yeah.]

[She sighs.] Good question. A lot of that's still up in the air. Evandau recently gave a bunch of tasks for foreigners to follow up on, but it's honestly the most we've gotten in a while.

Though there's a lot to go over. Preferably off-console.

[A pause before Piper grins.] Of course you did. Look at who I'm talking to.

[She leans back, tapping her fingers on the table a bit. Plotting and figuring out stuff like this isn't exactly her forte, and there's so much information that she really isn't sure what to make of it yet, and she has this feeling it's only the tip of the iceberg...] When can we meet up then? [Because I miss you and you fell into a terrible place and you're going to get an awkward hug, Annabeth.]

[She can't help her own prideful grin, because it never hurts to hear that sort of thing.] See? Told you. Nothing to worry about.

[Annabeth pauses to consider the question, because - well, she'd really like to see Piper in person, too.] I can swing by whenever you're done catching up with Jason? [Small quirk of a knowing smile.] Or you can come to me, but
I'm more familiar with the layout of this place. What's your suite?