tuesday, week zero

[moraled]

[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.]

Comments

[hydrokinetics]

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?

[moraled]

[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.

[hydrokinetics]

...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.

[moraled]

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.

[hydrokinetics]

...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?

[moraled]

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.

[hydrokinetics]

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?

[moraled]

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.]

[hydrokinetics]

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.]

[moraled]

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.

[hydrokinetics]

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.]

[moraled]

[...]

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

It does not work to pretend otherwise.

[hydrokinetics]

...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.

[moraled]

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.

[hydrokinetics]

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?

[moraled]

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.]

[hydrokinetics]

...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?

[moraled]

I believe the odds are stacked heavily against us.

[He'll admit that much.]

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

[hydrokinetics]

[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.

[moraled]

[He nods, satisfied.]

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