video;

[iguanasolution]

So, I'm not... [A sigh as he runs a hand through his hair.]

I had never had to do any of these before, but it's like- people do deserve it, one of these. Right? Even if their names are said on the radio when they leave it feels impersonal. But at the same time it feels like I'm mourning them? Which I am not. I really don't want to do that since it's not like they died, they really didn't. [Frank's the one that did, because he happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time- even if he did have the best of companies with him to make sure he didn't harm anyone.]

They just went back home. And while that's not really a relief in some cases sometimes it is in this one now that we know we somehow manage to survive after everything goes to- well. And sometimes we just have to be glad they are there to fight their battles, even if... even if they will be missed.

[A pause.]

Percy Jackson and Leo Valdez are both gone.

Any promise, offer or favor they owed consider it mine. I obviously can't do a lot of the things Leo did when it comes to machines or things Percy did with sealife and water, and I wish I could do something about that. [He wishes he hadn't been the one to stay, not when Leo and Percy were the actually useful ones.]

But I will still do my best.

[Private to Milyn]

I haven't checked on you, sorry. I've been kind of busy in the clinic since I came back and. Well, I never liked coming up with excuses: I just thought I would finally check on you.

So.

What's up?

Comments

private;

[cherrywood]

You don't need to apologize, Frank. I'm sorry to hear about your friends.

private;

[iguanasolution]

[His hand twitches a bit when she says she's sorry, but he tries to hide it.]

It's- well, it's not fine because they will be missed and they could have been extremely useful in the war against Mally. But I'm glad they at least get to go back home.

How are things, on your end? Last time I saw you you were- well, busy.

Re: private;

[cherrywood]

[ She still catches the twitch and wonders if it was the wrong thing to say. For as much as she knows about all of the Foreigners, that information is about them specifically; she has little to no window into their interpersonal lives. ]

Still busy, alas. The Emperor has asked a number of new projects from me, in light of what happened.

private;

[iguanasolution]

[A frown. He doesn't like the sound of that- honestly? He'd been hoping after what went on with the dragon they would be able to... rest, for a while, to take things with ease. Evandau giving her stuff to do makes it clear that isn't going to be the case.]

Projects?

video;

[parallels]

[Oh.

So that explains why she hadn't seen Percy out with Tennyson in a few days. She assumed he was simply busy or maybe had fallen ill with a cold. She'd meant to check on him. But now it was too late.]

Thank you for letting me know about Percy.

video;

[iguanasolution]

Everybody deserved to know, and Percy deserved the goodbye. Was he a friend of yours?

[But he knows Percy had probably become friends with everyone that had ever talked to him. That was Percy's thing.]

[parallels]

In a bit of a funny way.

We were turtle parents together.

[iguanasolution]

Oh! Really? That's- [Cool? He isn't sure how to word it. The loss of Percy and Leo are still recent, every time something amuses him he feels a pang of regret.]

I guess that's a way the turtles brings us together. I got... I found out I was also one, when I got back from the bottle.

video;

[everylittlegirl]

It seems like everyone is leaving. [She sighs.] If you need help like, fulfilling their debts or whatever, let me know, okay?

[Hayley hesitates, then adds a filter: 100% Trek encrypted]

And.. will you try to make sure Annabeth gets what she needs?

video;

[iguanasolution]

[He answers without filter first, so people won't wonder why the reply was unanswered.] I will. Neither would have liked to have to break their promises because they were somehow magic'd out.

[Private - Trek encrypted]

I will, it's what Percy would have wanted. But they were... they were seriously- they are two halves of a whole and she'd already lost him once. I'm not sure I can really do anything about it.

video - Trek encrypted

[everylittlegirl]

Will she be okay? I mean, is she going to hurt herself or something?

voice | 35% encrypted

[necrokinetic]

[ nico is no expert on the comforting thing, especially not when he himself feels strangely bitter about having found out about percy's leaving, but he's here to try something. ]

Did Leo leave at the same time?

voice | 35% encrypted

[iguanasolution]

I don't think so, but I'm not sure. He was always... he could spend days and days inside his suite working on his stuff and no one would hear of him in weeks, and Vanessa was the only one who could get him out and she's also done.

I only finally checked on him because I hadn't seen him since before we went inside the bottle and that long without checking in was too much, even for him.

video;

[werethatgood]

Frank? You want company?

video;

[iguanasolution]

I don't know. Maybe? I think- I do need a distraction and Bianca wouldn't like me overworking myself at the clinic.

video;

[werethatgood]

Got it.

Wanna, hmm. Want to see if we can hire a cart or something and get to the famed beaches at the shell's edge that people who've been around for a while - read, since the summer - always talk about?

audio:

[grigio]

[Julie doesn't really know Fran that well. She just knows losing people sucks. So she sounds concerned.]

They were friends of yours, right? You gonna be okay?

audio:

[iguanasolution]

[A moment of hesitation. He wants to simply say 'no', to actually get some people to talk to that aren't also grieving. He wants to admit he's scared of going through all of this, going through this war without them.

But he can't.] I think I will be? I pretty much have to, for them. They wouldn't want me to just sit around, miss them and be useless.

Re: audio:

[grigio]

[Julie would understand. She has people from home that she misses right now that'd be super useful here. Their presence would make her feel less nervous about everything.]

Exactly. It still sucks, though.

[video]

[looksfine]

That is very generous of you. To accept your close acquaintances' obligations when there is nothing mandating that you do so.

[video]

[iguanasolution]

[A shrug. He isn't feeling very generous at the moment, not when he selfishly wants them back in here when now they are probably safe back at home.]

It feels like the right thing to do? Knowing them they probably had like a hundred unfinished projects. It's unfair that they would get dropped because they were sent back home.

[video]

[looksfine]

I realize there is much I still have to learn about the way worlds work, but even I have come to realize that life, in general, does not seem to appreciate the concept of fairness.

It is not fair that you were parted. It was not fair we were all brought here in the first place. Nor is it fair that you should shoulder such heavy burdens. But it says much about the kind of person you are that you choose to do so anyway.

video; 100% encryption

[sophos]

Thank you. For, you know. Doing this. [There's no way she could have. Not without dissolving into snapping at people for condolences or whatever else. She's still kind of bristling.]

[But then she gives him a bit of a stern look.] You don't need to do what they could do to help people. You have your own talents, Frank.

video; 100% encryption

[iguanasolution]

Yeah, well. [He isn't going to deny he's got his own tricks under the sleeve, he might be a bit insecure but he isn't blind- and working at the clinic has honestly boasted his self-esteem some. He's actually helping people, actually being useful instead of just feeling like a tag-along in a team of wonders.]

I can't do many of the things they did, that's a fact. I can't really save the fishes the way Percy did, or do all of Leo's inventions.

video; 100% encryption

[sophos]

Yeah, and I can't do any of that either. That doesn't make us less useful than they are. [She can't say 'were,' even if they're not here anymore.] We find our own solutions.

If anyone does come to you about favors owed, though... I want to help, too. [She almost doesn't want to offer, but she does anyway; Percy'd approve, she thinks.]