Blue team, Unite! (percy)

[Issa Lielle]

"Mon Deux", Issa was saying to herself as she surveyed the area, her trusty fans in her belt holsters and her father's gift tied to a loop on her jeans for secure carrying. The thin, spindly strings knotted together kept her own scaled-down version of the bag of winds, which Aeolus had gifted Odysseus with in the old times, kept her company at all times these days, especially during the game. Which she had been named captain of the blue team. How had that even happened? Last week's game had definitely been intense, that was for sure.

She pondered this query from her perch atop a boulder on an incline. Conspicuous, yes, but she was feeling more confident about her defenses this week. After having taken down a charm-speaking Aphrodite girl, in a weird match of wills, then lugging the stockpile of weapons back to the brawny guys who'd sort of managed to drop the ball on guarding thanks to said Aphrodite girl, apparently she was deemed competent enough to be handed the title of captain this round. She was REALLY hoping she wasn't going to let everyone down this week... Well, with the plan in place, she guessed she'd see.

Once she'd gotten all of these wonderings out of her system, Issa drew herself back to attention. It was time for business; which at this moment meant surveying the area for foes and allies alike. So far, no one in the past fifteen minutes or so. She really, really hoped this went well...

Tag: Open
Team: Blue

[Percy Jackson]

Playing Capture the Flag would have been more dangerous to Percy’s life if he had been not invincible. But having the mark of Achilles made it a bit easier. Sure it seemed like cheating a little, but with the majority of camp hating his guts it was the safest thing. He already pushed past a few Athena kids who—if they had the chance—would have killed him. They didn’t understand why he did what he did. Breaking Annabeth’s heart to save her. He wanted them to know that he was hurting just as much as Annabeth was maybe more. He thought that the vision dream thing would have gone away by now but each night he still had the same dream. The one where he had killed Annabeth. No reason given but he had swung a her and attacked and ran Riptide through her. It was the worst feeling in the world.

He was hardly paying attention to the game and felt a spear collide with back scarily close to his weak spot. Panic surged through Percy and while the blade bounced off he felt his heart race for nearly being killed. He spun around and was face to face a son of Hermes. The kid looked alarmed, apparently he didn’t get the memo that weapons didn’t work on Percy. He stumbled backward when Percy raised Riptide at him. Percy wasn’t going to do anything to the kid, and he never got the chance. The Hermes boy ran off in the other direction. He was young probably his first year at camp. Percy smirked after the kid as he ran.

Percy turned and looked up seeing one of his team members. It was Issa, the daughter of Aeolus. She was sitting on a boulder. He arched a brow at her and decided after a moment of staring to join her. He climbed up and came up quietly beside her. Percy got down next to Issa, “Hey, fearless leader. How goes the day?” He just hoped she didn’t hate him as much as everyone else did. Even the people on his team were sour toward Percy. He hated all of this and wished people would just move on from it. It wouldn’t get them anywhere in the up coming battle with Phobos. He needed people to listen to him and to join behind him. But of course at this rate there was bound to be a mutiny.

[Issa Lielle]

Issa had been surprised by the quietness in the woods during the game. By her estimate, she should be about center to the blue territory, but she hadn't seen anyone come this way. Yet. Though, she had heard faint sounds of battle a ways away. She hadn't detected any of the discreet signals she and the team had set in place to signal any danger to the flag or compromised location, which meant the team was doing well in defense. Or someone was being sneaky. She didn't think there was time enough for the sneaking to have gotten to that point yet, so she remained where she was, eager for the view of obvious attacks (some of the more dullwitted of the red team) or for signals. For although she felt better about her fighting ability, she was still not itching for one.

When she heard movement nearby, she tensed. Fingers itched towards her fans, fastened to her specially made belt near her bag of winds. Quietly she spread the ribs and wondered if she ought to stand. She bit back a surprised cry instead, when she saw the camp's celebrity, Percy Jackson (recently turned pariah), about to be skewered by some young red team member. She honestly didn't understand why. Her train of though screeched to a halt when she saw the spear go flying, then strangely bouncing off of the boy as if he had been made of rubber or some other deflective material. "Deux" she muttered to herself, unable to tear her eyes from the scene as the young Hermes child ran for the hills, so to speak. She wasn't sure if she should press pursuit, but she was really too surprised to.

Her mouth shut with an audible 'click' as the son of Poseidon turned to address her, sheepishly trying to remove all evidence of the previous shock on her face. "Bonjour. I'm fine, thanks," she replied with a wry smile, then continued as he came to join her, "Are you alright?" Issa'd heard rumors of Percy's invincibility, but had never been privileged with seeing it in action. She decided by his arched brow and calm manner of coming to sit by her that he was, then plowed fearlessly on into small talk. "How's life been treating the camp's Premiere Ennemi?" She asked the question with a measure of playful sarcasm in hopes of reassuring him that she was not, in fact, among the masses who had turned on him. His business was his business, she figured, and he'd never done anything to wrong her. Besides that, she was hardly interested in camp politics. Well, besides her leadership in tonight's game.

[Percy Jackson]

Percy blinked and stared at Issa for a moment. He could have sworn she was loking at him like---no it was nothing just a part of Percy’s imagination. He kept thinking people were looking at him strange, usually because they were or it was because so many of them were that it just started to seem natural that everyone camp hated him for what happened with Annabeth. Bonjour. That’s right she was French, or she knew French. Percy couldn’t remember exactly which one it was. Then again judging by the accent he was picking up, Percy was going to go with she was French…and knew French.

He heaved a sigh at Issa’s return question. That was something that could be answered in a million ways. Percy pursed his lips stared a head of him at the trees not really looking at them but past them his eyes unfocused. “Oh, you know me. Never better.” his tone was riddled with sarcasm. “Invincible and all has its perks when it comes to the brutal game that is Capture the Flag…and life.” he added on with a low grumble.

Things weren’t going the best for him. Percy remembered his day at Camp Half Blood and the crap he had to put up with when it came to Clarisse and the Ares cabin. Now it was like that but ten fold and with the rest of camp involved. And the one person in this entire universe who might have been there for him no matter what the circumstance was standing on the opposing team probably ready to smother him in his sleep if she got the chance. Percy was having a hard time remembering the reason why he did all of this to Annabeth in the first place. Sure there was that dream but couldn’t he have told her? Together they could have stopped it or figured it out. Heartbroken and scorned Percy would have better luck with his life fighting Zeus or Phobos face to face without a weapon.

The joint sarcasm in Issa’s tone made Percy grin only slightly and for just a moment. Percy turned toward Issa. He was Camp Enemy Number 1. Was it sad that he was probably more hated than Phobos or Deimos? Percy drew in a breath and tried to put on a nonchalant smile, it came off sad. “The girl I love hate my guts. Her siblings want to rip my guts from my body. And the rest of camp wants my head on a trident to display as a warning for those who break the hearts of girls.” He sighed. “Did I leave anything out?”

Percy chewed on his bottom lip for a moment averting his eyes to the ground. He glanced over to Issa again, “So, I bet if it wasn’t for the fact that we are on the same team together you’d probably be in the angry mob as well?”

[Issa Lielle]

Inspired into a somewhat somber attitude as Issa looked the son of Poseidon over, she found herself drawing her knees to her chest and resting her chin on them as the boy stared out and away, awaiting an answer. She’d tried to be light-hearted in her conversation, but something about him seemed to push her into an attitude of sadness. As he answered, she offered a wry smile. “I can definitely see how,” she began playfully. “I guess if I was facing what you are, I’d be glad for that reprieve as well.” She didn’t say the rest of what was on her mind, however. It didn’t seem like the time to be making jokes about sometimes wishing one was dead out of stress or embarrassment.

After her second question, she waited again, patiently and in silence, realizing that it might also be a difficult question. She didn’t have any personal connection with Percy Jackson, but having watched the accusatory glances being shot at him on all sides, his imposed isolation because of something he’d done to the second most popular camper in Camp Half Blood, in lieu of a relationship. For a time, she knew they’d been an item, and had often heard stories about camp life before the battle of Manhattan with someone named Luke Castellan, who also seemed to have returned from the dead. The more Issa thought about it, the more she was starting to realize just how much of a mess things were.

Her musings were put on pause when she heard Percy coming round to answering her second question. She opened her mouth to say something, but didn’t, letting him finish what sounded like an explanation from “John Tucker must Die”. As an attempt to be light-hearted, she replied: “You might’ve failed to mention the death threats I wrote on the camp’s bathroom walls…” before she hastily added, “Kidding, kidding. Nobody’s resorted to that.” After his last question, she felt guilty for saying such a thing. She figured that for all the rumors going around about how bad a person Percy was for his misfortune in love life were blowing things out of proportion, much like the ridiculous celebrity tabloids she used to see in the super-market when she went shopping with her mother.

In reply to his question, Issa turned to look at him, saddened and earnest, and made the decision to put aside any shy pretense tell him what had been on her mind since she'd come to hear about the issue. “Not everyone in camp draws instant vendettas against boys for hurting the heart of a fellow female. I would like to think that I know enough about the great son of Poseidon to know that there is some reason you did it to her, outside of some unprovoked sudden animosity towards a girl you love. Everyone talks about your loyalty,” she paused. “Well, talked about it. It would take more than a relationship scandal to make me think poorly of you, Percy Jackson. My mother said to always give a person the benefit of the doubt, especially if they’ve proven to be a good person. So, no.” She fiddled idly with one of her fans. “I'm not rushing to join your anti-fan club.” She began to rummage about in a pouch attached to her belt and finally fished out two small lumps. She reached over and pulled Percy’s wrist, flipping his hand over to place a small blue truffle in his hand. Then, she released him and popped the other piece in her mouth. “Chocolate always helps a person feel a little better,” she said with a smile. “And if you don’t mind associating with a little-known camper like me, you can at least count me une amie.” In silence, Issa's eyebrows pulled together. She was surprised at having talked as much, especially to someone who was a relative stranger to her. But honestly, she'd heard enough about him and seen first-hand the vulnerability and pain in his expressions that she felt her comments hardly needed introduction to be brave enough to say them.

[Percy Jackson]

Issa was nice. He had never really spoken with her before this but she was a good comfort in this terrible depressing stage of Percy’s life. That was a little melodramatic. It was a good thing Percy hadn’t chosen to say that out loud. She was funny too. At first Percy thought Issa had been telling the truth about the death threats. He scrunched his mouth to one side and looked at her, regarding her humor and deciding to take it with a smile. “Yeah well, I wouldn’t be surprised if it ever reached that point. I’m still waiting for the bricks to be thrown through the window of cabin 3 any day now.”

Percy was pleasantly surprised with the daughter of Aeolus. She was a lot kinder than he first imagined and it didn’t seem like an act. He watched her, his expression boarding on awe. It was a weird sensation knowing that not everyone at Camp Half-Blood openly hated him. He hated himself actually he didn’t need others doing that for him too. The more Issa talked and explained why she wasn’t holding a pitchfork and a torch ready to run him out of camp, the more Percy didn’t feel so alone.

She thought he was a good person. It almost made Percy want to cry. Almost. Very almost. He hated hurting Annabeth. Percy never wanted to be away from her. At one point, on no day in particular in the early days of summer, Percy found himself briefly thinking about the kids they would have one day. He wanted to be with Annabeth forever, sure he was only 17…18 soon. But if he was sure of one thing in entire life, it was that he wanted to be with Annabeth Chase and no one else. But now he had ruined that.

Percy was taken from his thoughts by Issa’s chocolate comment. It was even blue. He couldn’t keep a boyish grin from his face. “Thanks.” his voice was hoarse. Clearing his throat to try again he looked up to Issa. “And I mean thanks for not hating me. And yeah, I did have a good reason though in hind sight it seems pointless and the worst mistake of my life.”

He plopped the blue bit of candy into his mouth. Everything blue just tasted better to Percy. His brow furrowed at the French, “You many?” that probably wasn’t what she said but Percy wasn’t exactly understanding of the language. “Besides, you’re not little-known. I don’t know where you would get that idea.”

[Issa Lielle]

Deciding that she stood by what she said, although it was rather unusual for her, Issa drew herself from her momentary lapse in conversation and smiled at Percy briefly, before her face shaped itself into something like a scoff based on his comment about cabin 3. “If it did reach that point, then I will have lost faith in this camp. I mean, yes. People want to paint you as a bad guy for it and are taking it way out of context. It’s nobody’s business but yours and Mademoiselle Chase’s…” She heaved a sigh then, her eyes turning a bit stormy. “Too bad people can’t keep their noses out of it. Mais, c’est la vie, it’s what people do, I guess…” She caught herself as she peered back over at Percy, finding a faint blush creeping over her complexion at his look.
She wasn’t used to anyone looking at her like she had something profound to say. Not that she really thought she did, and when she considered it, it must’ve been a miracle for this messiah of Camp Half Blood for someone to finally tell him that he hadn’t become a failure to everyone. Her emotions flared momentarily like gas being consumed instantaneously by a fire because she realized that her small struggles to fit in at camp seemed like nothing compared to the villainization he was facing. Were people really so ready to believe the worst in someone? It still made little sense to her; after everything Percy Jackson’d done to make a difference for the home of these demigods…. A sardonic smile crept onto her face as she muttered “Hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn… Or so they say.”

Her eyes widened slightly as she noticed some suspect moisture creating a glisten in the boy’s eye and she felt surprised, embarrassed, and extraordinarily sad that he was really having to worry about this mess. She wanted to give him a hug, but it was extremely difficult for her to even work up the nerve. However, when she saw him smile at the chocolate, the need to hug him withdrew slightly and she was relieved. She had no idea how he would react to a near-stranger giving him a hug, but she was worried that not even her championing his name would be enough to chase the awkwardness in the gesture away. It came back again though as he said he felt like he’d made the worst mistake. “Don’t say that… if you had a good reason, I’m sure if you explain it to her, she will forgive you for it. She may be angry now, but for whatever reason you needed to do it, she is a smart girl and will hopefully look past her wounded ego and remember that you really are good. I would ask… But… I assume that is a private matter.”

Issa gave a sudden laugh at his misunderstanding of French and corrected him automatically. “A friend, Percy Jackson. Not a many. That doesn’t even make sense.” She was grinning and trying hard not to continue to laugh, but it was muted by his last comment. “Oh, well… I… Suppose I haven’t really felt very known since I came here. To be the captain of this team in itself is a higher honor than I would have expected. I feel like not many people would care much about a minor-god daughter who lives alone in her cabin. But, that’s probably the loneliness talking.” She gave him a sheepish smile and popped another bit of chocolate into her mouth, offering another to him in a silent gesture of newfound friendship.

[Percy Jackson]

Percy felt relieved that Issa wasn’t one of those people who wanted to string him up by his ankles and hang him from Thalia’s Pine. He didn’t need any more enemies at camp. They had all once been his friends, it was funny at how quickly people’s allegiance could change. He wasn’t mad at them per say but Percy couldn’t help but be a little bit bitter toward them. Like Issa was saying they should have realized that he had a good reason behind it. Also, it was between him and Annabeth not the rest of the camp. If Percy hadn’t known better it was as though he had broken up with all of Camp Half-Blood.

“Yeah…Annabeth has fury without being scorned. She pushed me into the lake, and even though I didn’t get wet the act itself spoke enough.” He sulked. “I’m afraid to confront her now. Like you said, Hell half no fury.” Percy didn’t even realize he had said the saying wrong. Percy was glad though to have Issa on his side. The two of them hardly knew one another and yet Issa seemed to understand him more than the people he had been closer with.

Percy hesitated scratching his head. How exactly did he go about telling Annabeth his reason? Oh hey Annabeth, so I broke up with you because I had a dream that I killed you and I keep having the same dream. We’re good right? Not the conversation Percy ever wanted to have with his girlfriend.

“Thank Issa and yeah, it’s kinda private. But I swear, I’m doing what I think is best for her…for both of us. I think.” He said still trying not to choke up. Percy loved Annabeth and nothing could ever change that or take that feeling away from him. He could lose his memory tomorrow and still Percy was dead certain he would never forget the way he loved Annabeth Chase.

Percy felt a bit dumb for misunderstanding the French. “Right. Friend.” Issa was a good friend and probably one of the only ones he was going to have for a while. He smirked at Issa, “I’m the son of an Olympian but I know what it feels like to alone. I mean the Poseidon cabin isn’t exactly over flowing at the moment.” For a long while Percy was all alone, and then there was Tyson and most recently Ellie. Percy was thankful for Ellie’s presence though he still felt lonely.

He nudged her a little, “Being Captain is an honor but you’re a great leader! People will follow you. I know a lot of demi-gods and even Gods don’t seem to care for the minor Gods but that’s why I asked Zeus to make sure each God claimed their kids and that each of them were granted their own cabin. Just because you’re under the title of minor doesn’t mean you are.” He took another chocolate and put it in his mouth. Percy chewed and smiled at her the chocolate stuffed to one side of his mouth making him look like a chipmunk.