ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ ♆ i threaten the network with tahini and trash-flavored cabbages

[ripstides]

[ when the feed comes on, there's nothing spectacularly special in the background. a vague cityscape. there's a young man with dark hair and sea-green eyes who somehow manages to sound serious and appear casual at the same time. ]

My name is Percy Jackson. [ boy, how many times has he said that in his life? too many. it feels like waaaay too many times. ] I’m from New York. And as much as I hate to be that guy that puts a personal ad up for everyone to see, I’m looking for some people.

One might even say a camp load of people. Maybe. I don’t know. Do people say that? [ percy, just…...stop. ] Okay, scratch that. Nobody in the history of the universe has ever said that.

[ he rolls his eyes, huffs a breath, and then presses on. like okay, i've got this. ]

I’m looking for one person. Does the name Annabeth Chase sound familiar to anyone? If it does (and she doesn't beat you to saying so), can you point me in the right direction? [ anyone that does know her may notice that he's wearing similarly fashioned camp beads around his neck. ]

One more thing before I go. It's only the most important question of your life. Humor me. [ he steps away for a second to grab something. two somethings. guess who has two hands and is now holding a little basket of onion rings in one and a little basket of french fries in the other? uh, this guy! yeah, he's kiiinda standing a ways back from the camera to manage this. ] French fries or onion rings? You can't say both. Both is cheating. Cheaters get hummus. Or brussels sprouts. [ he narrows his eyes. wait, no, hold on. he can think of something worse, like: ] Hummus and brussels sprouts.

[ he's totally going to eat both, but sure. solve the struggle. and for the record, no, it hasn't occurred to him to scroll a few entries back because fried deliciousness, that's why. ]]

Comments

[plasticbow]

[Percy Jackson...He didn't read those lips wrong, did he? Annabeth Chase - that he's sure he saw right.

[He flips on his video as quickly as he can, signing:]

A-N-N-A-B-E-T-H C-H-A-S-E. Here.

P-E-R-C-Y? [He points to the boy on the other end of the feed.]

((Ooc note: Hearth's ASL projection power allows him to be understood even if the person he's talking to doesn't know ASL!))

[ripstides]

[ for a second, he's perplexed. no, he's supposed to be. he catches on that he can actually understand what's being signed at him, which is new and strange, yet somehow not the weirdest thing to happen to him. ]

I'm not even going to ask how I understand you right now, [ chop it up to demigod hardwiring for all he cares. ] because all I care about is that Annabeth's here. [ he nods, points at himself. ] Yeah, I'm Percy.

Who are you? [ he points at the other guy a little sheepishly, then shrugs. he's not gonna try and make signs he doesn't know. ]

video »

[lesterzeppelin]

[ It's like Zeus actually heard his prayer and brought along someone who just may be able to help him out in his quest! Maybe Percy can even claim him, since Meg isn't here and Annabeth sure passed up on that fabulous opportunity...

Except then Percy has to open his mouth and insult hummus, and Lester just has to kind of stop and stare. ]

I don't know where Annabeth is right now, but uh - if that was your way of asking me to buy you fries, you could've just asked.

video »

[ripstides]

[ oh, it's you. just going to shove approximately four fries into his mouth on camera wordlessly. ]

Gah any katshup? [ got any ketchup? for those watching from home. talking with your mouth full is an appropriate greeting for a god, okay. ]

video 1/2

[fehus]

[hey it's some rule 63 dude with your girlfriend's eyes and hair]

[gets to the most pressing matters first;]

Hummus and brussel sprouts are both good? Don't try to start a war between french fries or onion rings. We're still recuperating from pineapples on pizza or not.

Re: video

[fehus]

-- Hi. We haven't met. I'm Annabeth's McGuffin. Slash cousin.

[she's gonna be so happy. his mouth can't help but quirk, just slightly]

UN: MadMax

[beyourzoomer]

Onion rings, hands down.

[Definitely onion rings. But also:]

And hummus is great, by the way, so for the record that wouldn't be a punishment for anyone who has taste.

[ripstides]

It's the crunch, right? They're great by themselves, on burgers. [ it's a good life. the food fantasy life. ] Beg to differ, but hey, they're welcome to enjoy their bean paste.

Video; Obvs.

[pocketfulof]

You know hummus and brussels sprouts are good for you...[If you want him to shut up, eat an apple a day or something Jackson.]

Annabeth's with her cousin. The woods outside of De Chima in a place called Fauxhalla. [He doesn't get it, but he doesn't question it. Magnus is a friggin cryptid. You don't question cryptids.]

Where'd they stick you?

Video;

[ripstides]

Just not necessarily good for your taste buds. [ which is obviously what's important here. a beat, not too long, because he doesn't want to get in an argument about nutrition. ] Hey, Will.

[ he mouths fauxhalla because it's fun. a+. ]

I'm also in De Chima. What about you?

[drivesadesk]

I like hummus.

I like french fries a lot, too, though. So I guess french fries, but anything fried is good.

[ripstides]

Sorry?

I'm not entirely convinced that magic wasn't involved in creating the deep-fryer. [ or at least that a son of hephaestus didn't create it. ]

[sanguinespell]

First off, obviously the fries.

Second, hummus is great so shut up? And third--I mean, I don't know where Annabeth is but she's around.

[ripstides]

Great answer. The first part, anyway.

My guess would be wherever there are books. Where's the library?

video

[shittywizard]

[ Yeah, he doesn't know shit about what this kid is talking about, but he does have plenty of food opinions! ]

Neither. Onion blossoms are the superior form of deep-fried vegetable.

video

[ripstides]

I don't know about superior, but they're definitely tasty.

video;

[ambasciatore]

Oh gods.

video;

[ripstides]

Yeah. Nice to see you, too.

video.

[admemoriam]

[Hey have a very freckly blond kid holding the camera too close to his face.]

French fries! They're way easier to put in your mouth. And I totally know Annabeth. She's been tutoring me.

video.

[ripstides]

True. And you don't have to worry about the entire onion coming out of the breading in one bite.

Yeah, that sounds like her. Any idea where she is?

voice

[killtime]

You should let Lester treat you. Kid knows his milkshakes.

voice

[ripstides]

Spoken like someone that's seen his rise to milkshake connoisseur status. [ hey, good for him. he has someone in his corner. ]

Video

[disentombs]

[Aaaand we have a a very attractive guy with hazel eyes and sandy brown hair and a million dollar smile.]

If she doesn't find you herself, I would go looking for Magnus Chase, her cousin.

Annabeth is a good friend of mine. A pleasure to meet you, Percy. My name is Gansey.

Video

[ripstides]

[ he can appreciate a handsome guy and be bros with him. it's totally in his wheelhouse. ]

I would have if he hadn't beaten me to it. Thanks, Gansey. [ she's probably got tunnel vision on a project somewhere. ] It's nice to know she has friends here. How did you two meet?

[ not that....... annabeth is hard to like or anything, just very opinionated. ]

im so sorry i've lost this tag twice. screams.

[athnvas]

[ it takes her too long. though by normal, expected standards it's an acceptable amount of time. a few seconds - barely only five - before she recognizes the skyline. the skyline, the view, percy looking back at her with those eyes. he's talking, she understands that and understands what he's saying, but it's lower on the list of priorities in face of recognizing the skyline.

part of her chest feels like it's finally settling into place the more he talks. even if she's not focusing on it, just hearing and seeing him settles a storm she hadn't known she'd been harboring. she's about to respond - before even finishing the feed - when she sees the packet of fries he pulls up. the brand on the label. and that's when she's finally moving, all but lunging through her room to get her boots, and then down the hallway for her key, and then, then, out the door and onto whatever stretch of land percy's settled himself. she realizes she'll have to thank alex later, the transportation keys coming in more handy that annabeth ever imagined, but that's for later.

later.

for now, she appears a few feet behind him, using every bit of her demigod reflexes to catch her fall as she appears just a bit too far off the ground. not that it matters, really, because in three steps she has balance again and she's making her way towards him. he's probably answering one of his messages, talking to someone, when she reaches out and grabs his shoulder - forcefully jerking him away from his response in a movement that would, normally, assume a punch to the face, or some other kind of aggressive, violent act. instead, annabeth pushes at percy's chest, grabbing hold of his shirt before he cal pull too far away- ]

I swear to the gods, Seaweed Brain, if you ever- [ though she doesn't even give herself the time to answer because okay, listen, she has missed this boy and if you thought she was going to go another second without kissing him, you were sorrily mistaken. ]

i will wait forever ok

[ripstides]

[ patience is a virtue for those that haven’t fought tooth and nail to hold onto everything meaningful they have. he’s not pacing. he is restless. he spins that energy into a broadcast - a poll about something silly - to take his mind off of the fact that he may be thousands of miles away from the one person he can’t live without seeing.

( because if he stops and focuses on that, it will knock him to his knees, steal the breath from his lungs and leave him unsteady. only a fraction of the guy he is deep down. and he can’t do that again; be separated from annabeth permanently, or for however the long the gods feel like playing hacky sack with their fate. )

it changes in an instant. hearthstone tells percy that annabeth is here and then a handful of others confirm it. legitimate sources. people he trusts. and then nothing. his leg jumps, wired, worried. there’s a tightness in his back, his shoulders, his jaw. he’s forming connections because wherever he goes and whatever he does, he can make the best of it. make friends. be the glue.

and eventually, he has to stand. set the snacks down and check his device to shoot back what’s essentially facetiming, only there’s a hand on his shoulder. okay, first of all, let’s not get handsy, apollo! it’s right there on the tip of his tongue, scowl prepared, and the world spins when he does. it’s like his mind goes blank. annabeth’s standing directly in front of him, eclipsing every doubt he has. he’s already sliding his device into his back pocket without a second thought, conversation promptly abandoned.

annabeth may not have the power to shake the earth or send lightning bolts through the sky, but when she speaks, or looks at him like that, he swears she’s a force of nature.

it all flashes across his features. he’s annoyed, then a deer in headlights, and in awe, probably endeared. her hands are anchored in his shirt, holding on. like there’s anywhere else he wants to be but right here. he doesn’t rock like a boat on the stubborn sea. he stays right where he’s meant to be. she's threatening him. he's vaguely sure there's a rant about bodily harm in there somewhere, or would be. it's too bad he's stepping in to meet her, leaning into the kiss that she's searching for. this is it. this is home. ]

video;

[romancekiller]

I don't know your friend or whether she is here but if you can find her name on this thing, that should at confirm it for you? [she doesn't know how much luck percy would have with that because she knows it can vary but it was a good way to confirm either way]

Anyways regarding your question— are you asking because you can't decide which one to eat?

video;

[ripstides]

Thanks. I mean it. [ what a good. ] I'll keep that in mind when I'm trying to track people down in the future.

Nope. I'm shoveling them both into my mouth. I just thought it was a good ice breaker. So far fries are winning. What's your verdict?

[battysitter]

What the hell is hummus?

[ripstides]

You're better off in the dark. Trust me. I'm protecting you.

video.

[littlemissfutility]

Fries and onion rings are both good. Acting like one's better is the real cheating.

video.

[ripstides]

Probably. [ he's clearly snacking on both. ] But those are the breaks.

VIDEO

[pummelgranite]

[ He's looking for a Chase, mentioned a camp, Nico knows him. Persephone makes the leap to assume that he's from Half Blood. And if he's a demigod, that contractually obligates her to be as cryptic and extra as possible, even when just saying hi.

Which is why she's responding to his survey from a throne of flowers and animal bones. ]

Salad.

VIDEO

[ripstides]

[ boy, that sure is a throne. he slowly lowers an onion ring mid-bite, chews through it slowly, staring as skeptically as possible. both because of the visual and the idea that leafy green are somehow more impressive. ]

You can't be serious.

[canonized_demon]

Hummus is delicious, don't knock it. But Onion rings, clearly.

[ripstides]

Too late. [ he shrugs. ] With or without barbecue sauce?