The Park | Monday Evening

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

Mooby burgers were so not the same. Nico had decided to give the fast food joint a chance since there was no McDonald's presence on the island (insane as that sounded) but he was regretting it after two chews of 'udderly delicious' burger. Rather than waste the food, he wandered down to sit on a bench in the park, thinking some weird Fandom bird or fish might be willing to eat what he didn't want.

The choking sounds the flamingo made as it scurried off after gnawing at a piece of bread had Nico guessing this was a bad plan. At least the bovine-sized fries were sufferable. Still not good enough if he was planning to raise the dead, but for a late night snack, Nico would deal.

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[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

Percy hadn't known what to make of the flamingo that ran by him. Spotting Nico didn't make that any clearer but he wandered closer to his cousin anyway.

"How's the food?" he asked by way of greeting, dropping down beside Nico. "Any good?"

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

Nico held out his massive cup of fries for young Percy to try. "Sucks. I don't think I want to live in a universe without McDonald's." It was wrong and there were no prizes at all..

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"It sucks and you're gonna offer me some anyway?" Percy asked, picking out a fry anyway. "Maybe you'll get used to it."

Percy wondered if the lower food quality of Moobyland would mean that Nico wouldn't be able to raise spirits. He'd never thought of ghosts as picky eaters.

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"I could be hopeful that the cook tonight was terrible," Nico realized, perking up a bit. He decided now was a good time to pick Percy's gray-haired brain. "How's life with double going for you?"

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

Percy scowled and slouched on the bench before trying that fry he'd taken from Nico. He immediately wished he hadn't. At least he didn't run away like the flamingo.

"How are you taking this all so easily?" Percy asked, not answering Nico's question. "It's not weird for you?"

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Are you kidding me?" Nico looked at him excitedly. "Weird's what we are. This place is pretty freaking cool. I mean, my roommate's from some other planet." Though her hair was just from a faraway decade he'd missed.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"We're not this weird!" Percy said, still scowling. He didn't think they were, at least. Percy glanced over at Nico at the excitement in his voice and wondered if he'd ever sound like that about this place.

He hadn't heard Nico sound like that since they'd first met and he'd started talking about his Mythomagic game. After that, he'd sort of lost the excitement. Percy supposed it was good it was back now.

"Other people can see Mrs. O'Leary," Percy shared, leaving the topic of Luke alone for now. "They're not demigods. She's in the stables, by the way."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"They see her as a hellhound?" Nico asked, digesting that idea. "Huh, I guess the Mist's not so strong here. Think I should visit her down there?"

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Maybe not a hellhound but they do see a big, giant dog," Percy told him, shrugging. "One girl thought she was going to eat all the students and like end the world or something."

Considering Percy didn't think anyone but Nico and Luke would see her, he hadn't considered the whole size thing. He'd just gotten used to Mrs. O'Leary's being the size of a tank.

"And yeah, if you want," Percy continued. "It's not like she's gonna let anyone but you or me get close to her. She'd probably like to see you."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"I'll take her some toys," Nico offered. "None of this Mooby crap for food, though." Hey, if he wasn't going to offer it to the dead, a living hellhound definitely deserved better.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, this is bad enough that I wouldn't even offer it the gods," Percy said, frowning down Nico's fries. If he offered the gods that, he was sure one of them would find a way to kill him.

And speaking of offerings to the gods, Percy figured now was as good as time as any to bring up something else. "Luke knew she was a hellhound though."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Well yeah," Nico said, looking at Percy like he wished somehow he'd gotten to be smarter in his reality than in Nico's. "What were you hoping a demigod would see?"

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"I was hoping I wouldn't see Luke at all," he retorted, lips twisting in annoyance. "We don't really get along, if you remember. He's kind of the bad guy."

Maybe old age made Nico's memory full of holes.

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

Unlike Percy, Nico understood where Luke was coming from, having been pretty well shafted and abandoned for a long-ass time. Nico simply took a different tactic to get attention. He also had a little more future than both of them and was so not getting involved in that.

"Yeah, I remember," Nico shrugged. "I heard you got in his face, too. Planning on taking him out before he has a chance to do anything wrong?"

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"I didn't kill him," Percy said, inches away from pouting. Not killing him had been a major accomplishment! He'd wanted run Riptide through him badly.

"Yeah." It wasn't like Nico wouldn't see a lie. "But I didn't. That's good, right?"

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"It's the right thing to do," Nico said, somehow the reasonable one here. Yeah, he was amazed, too. "I'm kinda hoping he'll teach me some swordwork. Might come in handy."

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I heard about that too." Percy glanced over at Nico and tried not to grin. "I told Luke I'd tagalong when he trains you. He thinks we should fight each other so he can see your weaknesses."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Me and you? Fighting?" Nico's eyes went a little wide. It was a good damn thing Percy hadn't had a bath yet. "Count me in. Promise I won't drain your life force."

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"You try that and I'll drown you," Percy decided, shaking his head. "You would be the first to try and take me out. No one's succeeded yet."

And here he'd thought his luck sucked. Apparently not.

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

Nico made a face like Percy shouldn't count on this lasting. He did know the future after all. "You say that now. Our powers might be a pretty good match."

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

Their fathers were brothers so Percy didn't think that was a bad assumption. He did wonder if anyone could win when water met death and were being wielded by two teenagers.

"You as good with a sword as you are with powers?" Percy asked. Not that he expected Nico to tell him 'no, I suck with a sword' or anything.

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"No, I just carry this for show," Nico told him, rolling his eyes. "Percy, I trained with the dead for years. There's nothing like fighting against skeletons that can't die to make you learn fast."

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"You act like I've spent the last few years of my life slicing off the heads of training dummies at Camp Half Blood," Percy retorted with a shake of his head.

"I had some of your dead skeleton buddies chasing me awhile ago. The General thought they'd be unstoppable," he reminded Nico. "I know how the dead can fight."

Probably not as was as Nico but still. He had some experience.

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Don't go giving the undead a bad rep assuming they would all follow the General around," Nico warned. "They deserve respect." Like Happy Meals, apparently.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"I respect the dead," he said quickly, holding up a hand. He didn't need Hades or the son of Hades coming after him. He had enough people chasing him.

"I don't respect the General," he clarified, glancing up towards the sky and sighing. "Or how the General used the dead. I'm sure he didn't give them Happy Meals."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"You shouldn't. And if he did, I bet he kept the prize." Nico so wanted a good Happy Meal now. "You know, this Mooby place has totally lame kid meals.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, the fries were pretty bad," he agreed, making another face. "You tried any other places? Maybe there's something decent there? Or does it have to be a Happy Meal?"

Percy couldn't really picture Nico trying to raise the dead with Chinese food or a burrito but who knew the dead had appetites in the first place?

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Nah, I just like burgers and fries," Nico admitted. "But I figured if I like 'em, everyone should. I guess I'll have to wander the boardwalk and try some of everything." What a terrible life.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"You make it sound so difficult, Nico," Percy said, almost laughing now. "When the hardest thing in your life is finding good food, I think you might have it easy."

Easier than him, at least. Percy thought so. Of course, Percy thought he was the center of the universe sometimes so his thoughts weren't already right.

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

Right, Nico had it so easy with the dead sister and mother. Nico rolled his eyes and smiled. "Oh yeah, I'm golden, Percy. Did you get dropped on the head recently?"

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

Hey, hey, Percy hadn't meant overall. Just right now. It wasn't like either of then had to run and hide from a traitorous demigod with a cruise ship at his disposal.

It was kind of strange, actually.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Percy asked, brow furrowing. "My head's fine, thanks. All in one piece."

There had been some close calls.

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Nothing," Nico shook his head. "You stopped waiting for the next attack yet?" Sure it had only been two days, but Nico was feeling antsy for something.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Nope." Percy shook his head, wondering if that over awareness would ever go away. He didn't think so. "That might not be a bad thing since I've heard different things like to attack this island."

Percy paused, remembering something else. "Hey, did you know this place is apparently mechanical? Does Hephaestus make islands now?"

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"No, but uh, Luke told me the Gods don't exist here," Nico said, looking a little odd, like he didn't want to believe it but he'd yet to see a sign that they did.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, he told me that too." And that wasn't sitting right with him. Gods had to exist everywhere. It had just been an inarguable fact of his life for the last three years.

"You believe him?" Percy asked, casting a sidelong glance at Nico. "I've still been making offerings to the Gods. I haven't tried an iris message though."

[deaths-demigod.livejournal.com]

"I don't think I can," Nico replied thoughtfully. "If there were no gods, there'd be no us, right? But I did meet a ghost who's not from our system, soooo there's something to be said for having an open mind. Though I am concerned about Dad blasting me for offering him some of this not so happy meal."

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

Nico had a point there. Percy hadn't even thought about the fact that he wouldn't exist if Poseidon hadn't existed. And Gods were resourceful. If they wanted to find their kids, they would.

"Maybe he'll forgive you this once?" Percy joked, snickering. "This place has an awesome beach. I took a walk down there earlier. I can't believe that my dad doesn't rule over that. He wouldn't miss a spot."

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"Just try not to make friends with every sea creature you meet," Nico recommended smirkingly.

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"That's not my fault," Percy protested weakly. In some ways, it was his fault but it wasn't anything he could help. "At least Bessie didn't follow me here."

Not that she could, being safely in an aquarium in Olympus but Percy had underestimated Bessie before.

"Sea creatures just love me."