riptidejackson (riptidejackson) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2016-12-26 21:28:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !closed, !completed gdoc, !log, ~2016 december, ~25 points, ~~percy jackson (riptidejackson), ~~~reyna ramirez-arellano |
WHO: Reyna Ramirez-Arellano and Percy Jackson
WHERE: The park
WHEN: Late night Dec 15
WHAT: Reyna’s seen a ghost
RATING: PG
STATUS: log; completed
Reyna wasn’t someone who judged her own self-worth by her bravery. She never really saw herself as brave, only willing to do what needed to be done. And if those actions that drove people to think she was brave, she didn't lay claim to it. Still, she wished she could've been braver when the specter of her father had appeared in her room. He'd been in a rage, just as he had been that last, fateful night, and Reyna suddenly felt like a six-year-old again, scared and helpless, and she'd run out of the house, and she didn't stop until she was far away and very cold. She'd thought about messaging Jason, but it was Percy she'd ended up contacting. She didn't think Jason would understand. Jason, too, did what was right - but he had a much more rigid idea of what was right. Patricide wouldn't count. Shivering, she took a seat on a bench and wrapped her arms around herself as she waited for Percy. *** Percy had gotten the message from Reyna and even though he had been laying in bed, he got up, collected his jacket and grabbed some food from the fridge and bolted out of there. Ghosts were never something good to see in the context that she had seen one. Lare’s he had gotten used to after being in New Rome - but this kind of ghost was something he steered clear of. Besides, you can’t kill a ghost with a sword. He walked as quickly as he could towards the park. He knew things about Reyna, but she was deep, like the ocean. There were a lot of mysteries about her, things he hoped to find out about her. Percy looked forward to their conversations on the way home from school or randomly in the kitchen. He looked forward to more with Reyna. Arriving at the park, it took Percy a few moments to spot her before seeing the back of her moving due to the cold. He fluffed the jacket out and carefully walked up to her from behind before laying the jacket across her shoulders. “Percy Jackson, at your service” he said, his characteristic smile trying to lighten the mood. *** Reyna heard the crunch of footsteps on fallen snow, but there was something so Percy-ish about the approach that she didn’t become even more wound up than she already was. When he laid his jacket across her shoulders, she even relaxed and sunk into it. It smelled like him: brine and sea air and freedom. She’d liked that about him from the very start, even before she’d realized how powerful he was and how good of an ally he could be. She hoped Annabeth knew how lucky she was. “Thanks,” she said, turning her face into the collar to warm up her nose. That was when he came into view, and she realized he wasn’t wearing a jacket of his own: that the reason why this one was so warm was that he’d just been wearing it himself. “What about you?” she asked in concern. “Now you’re going to be cold.” *** Percy stood there, enjoying the cold for what it was. He had grown up in New York City and had endured the cold and loss or lack of jackets multiple times for any number of reasons. “Of course. And I’ll make do. Remember, I lived in New York City. I can deal with the cold for right now” he said. “So, what’s the game plan? Because we can’t stay out here all night. And there’s no telling when the ghost is going to come back” he said, trying to figure out a strategy to help Reyna. *** Reyna exhaled, her breath visible in the cold. “We should go back,” she said. “I shouldn’t have left; he could still be back there, wreaking havoc.” He could be talking to Jason right now, telling him about how his own daughter had killed him. Despite the warmth of Percy’s jacket, she grew cold. What would Jason say? He’d never look at her the same way again. Standing, she looked to Percy for strength. She didn’t know how he did it, but for a troublemaker with a sarcastic smile, he always managed to be there when it counted. She gave him a wan smile. “Thanks for coming.” Now, all they had to do was figure out how to banish the ghost. *** “What does he want?” Percy asked. “I mean, ghosts don’t normally show up here. There wasn’t a spell or something, was there? Because I’m good with no ghosts, you know” he said, a bit rambly when he didn’t know what to do in the situation. “And of course I’d come” he said, gently nudging her as they walked. *** “I don’t think there’s a ‘normal’ to be had here,” Reyna said with a short laugh. “Ghosts are the least of it.” But that didn’t answer the question, and she could sense him waiting as they walked. She didn’t really have an answer for him, though. At least not an answer she was ready to give just yet. “There was probably a spell. Or maybe he just decided he wanted to haunt me, and the dome brought him here.” Which was even worse. Because at least with a spell, it could be countered. The dome was notorious for not sending anyone home on a time schedule. *** “Huh” said Percy. He hadn’t dealt with that many ghosts. That was more up Nico’s alley, not that Nico was the most reliable at times. And he wasn’t here, though he was wishing he was at this point so maybe he could have dealt with the ghost. “And the reason for haunting you would be?” Percy asked gently. He could see why Reyna may have ghosts, but with her father? There had to be something there that could be explained. If Reyna wanted to explain it. *** Reyna wished Nico were here too, and not just because he was good with ghosts. The Son of Hades already knew her secret, so she wouldn't have to explain. Percy, however, didn't know what Reyna’s past was like or what she'd done. How would he take it? Reyna suddenly realized she didn’t want him to think badly of her. She wanted him to keep smiling at her like he was doing now, with respect and concern and a desire to help. Would he still feel the same if he knew what she’d done? She’d never been one to shy away from hard truths, though. Turning her head to stare straight forward so she wouldn’t have to look at his face, she said flatly, “Because I killed him.” *** As they were walking, Percy had gone through several ideas of why her dad might be haunting her, but killing him hadn’t been on the top of the list. Or anywhere on the list. He looked over at her and saw her walking with her face still straight ahead He wasn’t sure if she was being non-chalant about it or if she was scared of his reaction. He kept walking, turning his face back to look ahead as well. “My mom. She married this guy Gabe. He was” Percy said thinking of the words “Not the best guy in the world. At all. To either of us. I hated him” he said in a quiet, measured tone. “I would have killed him.” He wanted Reyna to know that he could relate to her. Even if it was his mom who eventually killed Gabe and not him, using the Medusa’s head to turn him to stone. *** Reyna released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She ventured a look at him, and was struck by how serious he looks at the moment. Sometimes Percy could be so playful and sarcastic it was easy to forget he'd been instrumental in saving the world twice now, and seen things most people hadn't. And he understood. “He was a good man once,” she said, glancing back at the path in front of them. This time, she wasn't so fixated on not looking at him. As a matter of fact, she was hyper aware of him walking beside her, their steps in rhythm. “At least that's what Hylla told me. She knew him as he used to be. I only knew him after he'd come back from the war. He was...haunted. Paranoid. He saw enemies everywhere. He'd lock us in our rooms, and eventually he came to see us as enemies.” *** Percy nodded along with what Reyna was saying and could almost see where this story was going. After surviving Tartarus, there were still things Percy couldn’t get out of his head. He could imagine what it was like if he didn’t have the support system he had. “I get it” Percy said softly. “Wars change people. Start one way and end the other” he said plainly, with no emotion. “But he’s got no place here and we will figure out a way to get him out” he said, looking at Reyna. “I’m right here” he said, looking over at Reyna. “For you” he said after a pause that lasted a heartbeat. *** Reyna looked back at him and smiled. And although she wasn’t much for hugging, she took a step closer to him and slid her arm around his waist in a one-armed hug, never breaking stride. “Thanks, Percy,” she said quietly. She felt that it would be okay even if she didn’t tell the whole story, that he’d just accept what she’d told him so far and help her out, but she found that she wanted to tell him. She wanted him to know. “He became a mania, finally. A ghost with only hate and evil left in him. One night Hylla and I tried to run away, but he caught us. He couldn’t touch things anymore, but he could move them, and he threw a chair at Hylla. I thought he’d killed her, and he was coming for me. So I...so I grabbed a poke from the fireplace. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know it was made of Imperial Gold.” *** Percy just kept in stride. A few years ago, her story would have been unbelievable. Something only appearing on those TV shows where a lot of it was just made up to entertain people. Now, after having been through everything he had been through, he nodded his head. The one thing that confused him was the Imperial Gold poke. How had that been there, something made of that material just laying around in a fireplace. Not that it mattered to the story overall. “I won’t let him hurt you. We may not have Imperial Gold here, but I’ve got celestial bronze” he said, patting his pocket. “And if that doesn’t work, then maybe someone who has dealt with ghosts can help us. Like a witch or a wizard or someone” he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. “And I’ll make sure you’re warm all the time” he said, grinning a little. *** Reyna smiled back, feeling a little better already. Yes, the ghost of her father was probably still going to be at home when they got there, but at least she didn't have to deal with him alone now. It was a nice feeling. She sobered, though, when a thought occurred to her. “I can't tell Jason. Patricide is the worst crime a Roman could commit. I could get executed for it.” *** “I don’t think he’d need to know” Percy said. “And he’d have to get past me to even get to you, so I’m fairly confident that’s not going to happen” he said. He remembered their encounters in the past and figured he’d be able to take Jason if need be. “No one is going to hurt you Reyna. Not Jason. Not other Romans. And not the ghost” he said, avoiding the word father. He hugged her shoulder a little more firmly, just to make sure she felt it through the jacket, to give her the feeling of safety and security. *** Although she was the one wearing the jacket, he felt warm. Comfortable. And yes, safe. Reyna wasn't someone who looked to others to keep her safe - not anymore - but she had to admit it was nice to know someone had her back. “Thanks,” she said, smiling faintly as she tipped her head to look up at him. It was then that she realized how close they were. With their arms around each other, she could see the individual flecks in his sea green eyes. Everything seemed to hush in that moment, fade away. She stopped walking and turned to face him, still caught in his gaze. Then, recalling herself with a start, she dropped her arm from around him and moved away. Stupid, Reyna. That's Annabeth’s boyfriend you're making googly eyes at. “We better get back before my father finds Jason and tells him everything.” *** “Sure” Percy said. “We’ll get to him before he gets to Jason” he said. Percy had wanted to just hold Reyna and tell her that things were going to be alright and have her in his arms but he knew there was an urgency there and he didn’t want things to possibly progress from bad to worse. He’d have to make it up to her at Christmas, he thought to himself. |