moraled | tuesday, week zero

tuesday, week zero

[THE WATERING HOLE is....not all too impressive to Barnham's mind. It's definitely... water.

And you can presumably fish there.

But otherwise he's not all too interested in it. Still, he's drawn back to it if only by the thought process that maybe his disinterest caused him to miss something in his search. It could be the case.

(Wishful thinking, really.)

Of course, when he sees a familiar face at the edge of the watering hole, he tilts his head to one side, vaguely. Hm...]

Young Percy.

[SUP.]

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[The watering hole is probably Percy's favorite place even if it's slowly bumming him out that nothing's working the way it should. At least by now he's learned that he can't auto-dry so he hasn't dove into the lake fully clothed today. Instead, Barnham will find Percy seated with his feet in the water and Mrs. O'Leary asleep on top of a chewed-up cowboy hat. Upon hearing that greeting, he tilts his head back and gives Barnham a light smile.]

Mr. Barnham, hey. Good to see you. [And strangely he sounds like he means that.] What're you doing out here?

[Presumably, Percy's been out here for...a while. But human company is nice.]

[He has no idea why any human being would want to stick any part of themselves in that water, but... you do you, Percy.]

I was simply intending to give this area one last search. [...And he has to admit, somewhat wryly:] There will be nothing to be found, but idleness does not suit me.

And yourself?

[To be fair it's not like Percy's a normal human anyway, but he smiles faintly. He can understand that very well.]

Idleness doesn't do me much good either. [Being ADHD and stuck in one spot has never ended well, but:] Water helps me think sometimes. I can't do much here without figuring out some kind of plan.

[Planning is usually Annabeth's job and they're working together as they always have, but knowing that they're (sort of) safe right now allows him to let her work on her own during the day.]

[Planning is good, he approves of planning instead of just being dumb and flying by the seat of your pants. A+++]

Indeed. There is little to be done but plan, and search for a solution.

If we could organize amongst ourselves, that, too, would be of use.

[But........... that's easier said than done.]

[After being friends with someone like Annabeth for five years, you learn a thing or two about planning…even if Percy's favorite method of planning is "bullshit my way through it."

Still. He perks up a little at that because he can agree and he's fully turning now to face him. For a moment he doesn't speak and he regards Barnham carefully before deciding that…yes. It will be okay to be a little more personal.]

We've organized our army back home a few times before. [Well, in Percy's case it was "armies", but he's a cheater who had ties to both the Greek and Roman army for a while.] Having everybody focused on the same goal would help instead of trying out a bunch of things and having different priorities. Focus and agree first, divide and conquer after that.

[The Greek style of fighting generally equates to "fight stuff!!" but he's thinking back to the summer before when he finally realized Camp trusted him as the leader in the fight against Kronos. That's what they'd done, wasn't it? Goal: defeat the titan lord. Tasks: split up and take out chunks of the same problem instead of focusing all of their resources on one place.]

Edited 2017-01-16 20:53 (UTC)

[Interesting.

Army.... huh? He wasn't entirely expecting it, but he can't say it's a bad thing. Percy seems young to be leading armies, but that's the thing about fighting and warfare. You don't get to choose.]

Indeed. I would agree with that assessment. The battlefield does not grant us the luxury of choosing when and where we must fight, not in this instance.

We must be united against a common threat, and remain resolved. It is when divided that the outward defenses truly begin to crumble, and that could occur all too easily in a situation such as this.

Right now our common threat is definitely the Sheriff. [Asshole.] The problem is he's bribing us with rewards, you heard him. Think about how many people are going to fall for that if we aren't careful. How do we even know he's really telling the truth instead of tempting us with false promises?

[Like Gaea, he thinks. That's the argument he's been making with a bunch of giants and monsters for the last couple of months.] We need to get everybody to agree one way or another, but…I still don't even know everybody who's here.

[Well... that much is true, though he does think the Sheriff is just a proxy. Either way, if they have a common enemy, they have reason to unite.

He'll take it.]

We certainly do. The best we can do is propose the idea and find ways to keep everyone in line. There is no room for fatal mistakes in a place such as this.

How do you suggest we actually get everybody in one place again so we can talk to them and get everything straightened out? We're all sort of scattered right now, plus...I don't know. I'm not sure all of these people are really opposed to playing along.

[...]

An announcement, or posting, perhaps, would do the job, There will be no way to ensure that everyone is there...though it would certainly help to have a proper headcount before too long has passed.

Forty. [He tosses the number out with ease.] Mr. Lecter told me when he counted the rooms in the hotel. There's no way to ensure everybody's there unless we maybe bribe them with something? We can't make them agree, but we can maybe make them listen.

[Oh perf.]

I see.

Bribery would be one of my last resorts; far more effective, I believe, would be to find some reason that would hold us all together.

[ie a reason for them all to work together and talk together that's more appealing than murder]

With such a diverse group, however...that shall be tricky.

[That's a good strategy and while Percy thinks these type of people might just be easier to bribe, he'd be more comfortable doing it Barnham's way anyway.]

If you have any ideas on what we can get everybody to work toward, I'm listening. Unless that's something we can just get everybody together to vote on. Might be our first step.

Perhaps... Even returning to our own homes is not motivation for everyone, I have learned. It shall take some time and thought to come up with something.

[A slow nod. Right. Time. Everything takes time, especially when they don't have it.]

Do you? Want to return home, that is.

Of course I do. I have unfinished business that must be dealt with, there.

So do we. [He looks solemn for a moment before he turns his attention back to the water.] If we didn't already mess things up by getting kidnapped here. Didn't anybody think of that?

[He stares at the calm lake surface, hands rubbing together for a moment to give himself something to do.] How bad will it be if it's left unfinished?

[Hush, you, don't make this even harder.]

... Bad enough.

While there are others who may be able to take up my work, should I not be there... there are injustices that must be righted, and I fear I was one of few who could see them.

[He's gotta get home.]

... Many innocent people could die, should those injustices not be righted.

...it's like that for me and Annabeth, too. [He hasn't quite detailed this to people yet, but Barnham seems like he'd understand.] Our friends are counting on us. There's something only we can do back there and without all of us, it isn't going to work. Civilization's in danger if we don't put an end to the threats back home.

Maybe that's one of the common threads here. Bringing in people that could change their own worlds or something.

Perhaps. I would caution against that, however.

[He shakes his head, simply.]

It would not do to overestimate our own importance. It could very well be that we were...convenient.

...you think so? [He sounds very surprised because even when he thought of himself as convenient that wasn't the case. Is it worth it to downplay his importance? Yeah, maybe.] So we're just bodies playing their game. That's even worse. Mr. Barnham, they brought kids. How is that fair to them?

It is not.

[IT'S NOT FAIR AT ALL...]

Do not lose hope, Young Percy. It is not necessarily all despair, to think that we may have simply been unluckily pulled here.

If it is a matter of that...then perhaps they do not know what we ourselves are capable of.

You think that's true? Even with them taking things away from people or putting things on the posters, you think maybe they don't know what we're capable of? [He even sounds a little hopeful of that prospect.]

...we don't have time for despair. Despair won't help us find a solution, will it?

You are correct.

[There's no time for despair.]

Despairing over this will only be playing into their hands. They wish for us to obediently play their game--I have no intentions of doing so.

Not a single person, regardless of their abilities, can truly know what a person shall and can do when their back is up against a wall, nothing but enemies before them.

[...aka he thinks they can surprise their captors.]

Neither do I. [Which is alarming that they're going into things like this, but at the same time...]

I think you're right. People find hidden strength all the time when they're left with no choice. But you're not going to do anything too crazy yet, are you?

[Yet.]

Me?

[He snorts, amused.]

Young Percy, you should concern yourself with you. I certainly do not intend to find myself lost before I am able to restore order to this town.

Hey. [There's an almost playful look.] Do I really look like the kind of guy that'd do something like that? I'll be fine.

[Probably.]

[...]

Young Percy, you strike me very much as the meddlesome sort.

It does not work to pretend otherwise.

...if it helps any it's usually not my fault. [It doesn't help.] And anyway...we're going to need someone who's willing to meddle and help. Always do.

The guilty party hardly matters to observers if you are the one who ends up in the midst of the trouble, is that not correct?

[HE KNOWS...]

Simply be certain to keep your meddling to as safe a task as possible, if you would.

That's true enough. [Unfortunately. After enough run-ins with authority, he knows that.]

I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure other people are safe. That has to count for something, doesn't it?

What will count in the end, I'm afraid, Young Percy, are results.

[The desire to protect...

it doesn't mean much in a place like this.]

...then I'll produce good results. Wouldn't be the first time they gave me something impossible to figure out.

[...] Do you really think it won't be easy?

I believe the odds are stacked heavily against us.

[He'll admit that much.]

However--that does not mean it will not be possible.

[There's a short nod.]

If I figure out something, or if my girlfriend does, you'll be one of the first people to know. I promise.

[He nods, satisfied.]

The same to you as well, Young Percy. Take care of yourself and your health.

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