o1 ♆ video

[kelpful]

[A messy-haired teenage boy is eyeing the computer with an expression somewhere between dubious, irritated, and relieved] One minute I’m falling to Tartarus, the next I’m stuck on a giant turtle and surrounded by water. I’m pretty sure that no one can blame me for thinking that sounds too good to be true.

We are on a giant turtle, right? Like, I didn’t hit my head and hallucinate that or anything, there’s definitely a turtle with a whole city happening on its back and everything? Has anyone tried talking to it yet? Because I could really use an answer that isn’t ‘ask the Emperor’ right now.

[He glances down at his hands and falls silent for a moment. One of them shows signs of the skin being ripped and torn, but it’s the other one he seems to be focussing on. He clenches his hand fruitlessly for a second, before glancing back up at the camera] Uh. I’m Percy, by the way. I’m looking for a girl called Annabeth Chase. She’s tall, has curly blonde hair, and a bad attitude. If you tell her I’m looking for her, she’ll probably start badmouthing me. Or – Frank, Hazel, Nico, Leo, Piper. Jason, even. If you’re here, get in touch.

Comments

[notdreaming]

[ Eyebrow raising... ]

So...?

[ They have water on Krypton, too. ]

[kelpful]

Like I said before, a giant turtle's not the weirdest thing I've heard of. Maybe we're not on Earth, but if it turned out we were? I wouldn't be surprised.

[notdreaming]

It's definitely not the Earth that I know, but it could be a Earth. With theoretically infinite parallel universes we couldn't know.

[kelpful]

[Percy makes a bit of a face] Oh man, now that's starting to hurt my head.

[notdreaming]

It doesn't matter really one way or the other. As long as we're stuck here we could be anywhere. So we have to either take it as it is or find a way out.

[kelpful]

Story of my life. I'm guessing no one's found a way out or we wouldn't be talking, but does anyone have some ideas?

[notdreaming]

Not many. There are a few who think the Emperor might be able to send us home.

[kelpful]

...I'm definitely going to have to try the turtle.

[notdreaming]

Let me know what he says. I've been over there, it's very peaceful. [ Far too peaceful, actually. She had to drag herself away. ]

[kelpful]

If I get anything worthwhile, I can post over this network thing, right?

Something this big's gotta be pretty old...

[notdreaming]

It could just be born big. [ They have dragons on krypton, size is not unheard of. Although from her experience Earth creatures are a good deal smaller. ]

But you're probably right. The city seems old enough. [ A thought... ] Can you talk to turtles?

[kelpful]

Yeah, it just...I'm getting a feeling.

[He coughs a little] It's a talent.

[notdreaming]

That's useful, since you've found us on this giant one.

[ Kara blinks a moment. She's just realized something. ]

I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Kara.

[kelpful]

[He snorts, good-natured] Trust me, we should definitely wait until after I've tried talking to it before we decide it's useful. If my dad doesn't have any power here, it won't even have to pretend to listen to me.

Nice to meet you, Kara. I mean, given the circumstances and all.

[notdreaming]

It's not ideal, but there's no reason not to make friends. [ We all speak the same language! That's reason enough, trust her. ]

But I doubt it will know your father... you'll just have to find out.

[kelpful]

I've made friends in weirder places. Not that much weirder, but still.

Yeah, once I've got the lay of the...turtle, I'll head on down and see if I can get anything useful. If I'm lucky, it won't even try to eat me.

[notdreaming]

[ Oh. That sounds bad. ]

Would you like someone to go with you, just to be safe?

[kelpful]

Nah. I'll be safer underwater than on the turtle back, it's fine. [Plus he wants to take his girlfriend on a turtle date okay]

[notdreaming]

If you're sure. Just be careful not to get too far away. The barrier can cause a lot of trouble.

[kelpful]

What is this barrier, exactly?

[notdreaming]

Exactly what it sounds like. There's an invisible force-field around the turtle. I heard that anyone who hits it loses consciousness.

[kelpful]

As if things weren't already exciting enough. Thanks for letting me know. Is there any way to tell when you're about to smack into it, or do you just have to sort of hope for the best?

[notdreaming]

I don't know, I've never tried it before. But the turtle probably won't try to eat you... [ She hopes. ] So it should be okay?

[kelpful]

Hey, I've survived things trying to eat me before. But thanks again, you've been a lot of help.

[notdreaming]

I'm glad I could help. Good luck.