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[At least he can laugh about it, too.] I really should practice but not a lot of people I know use it so there's almost no point, you know? I wouldn't blame you if you judged a little.

I can probably guess. [He can't. Not to the extent Leo knows and he knows that.] I think I just keep disassociating it because yeah, that definitely doesn't sound like a Blessing. And remind me why you can't just ask your dad to take it back?

Annabeth. Percy's girlfriend? [Assumptions. Lots of assumptions, but he'd heard Annabeth's announcement about Percy's departure a while ago and put that together.] I never met her but no I didn't know that. [A beat.] When'd they send her out?

i kind of accidentally stole annabeth's dream job so yeah i'd say i'm good at building
what's up?

There's definitely not a lot of people around here who speak it, that's for sure. There's not really much reason for you to learn Spanish, but Morse code could definitely help - especially if we started teaching other people so they'd get it, too. I can't be the only one here that knows it.

[ There's a soft laugh. ] Tell me about it. It wasn't so bad, honestly, until my mom - [ He hesitates, and decides to go a different route. ] She made me promise I wouldn't use it. I didn't think it was a problem until I broke it. If I had any way of actually talking to my dad, I probably would have asked him to take it back.

[ Heavy stuff. ]

Yeah, her. It wasn't even that long ago - like a day or two, maybe.

I'm not sure if she's told you about my friends at all, but
All of us are
um
mapmakers, I guess.
We've been marking down paths on the available maps in order to try and get a feel for the land that's more personal than the ones we were given.
We're all Unseelie, so I've only been to Dorchadas, but we wanted to extend out into Glaschu, too
Which is where you come in-- a while ago, I got an item that lets me travel from water source to water source really, really fast
And I was wondering if you'd be willing to help dig and build up a lake.

It could do more than help. We could use it to keep all communication a secret so our information doesn't fall into the wrong hands, right? Have you ever asked the network if anybody else knows it?

I can't say I blame her. [That hesitation is, of course, suspicious, but he won't bring it up yet. Soon, Valdez.] ...breaking promises is always the worse, isn't it? [That's all he says on the subject though.] I'd say maybe try talking to your dad via Morse too but somehow I don't think that'd help. He's a god, right? What about a sacrifice or something?

How do we keep losing people without knowing about it? There has to be a way we can catch them in action and figure out how they're really doing this.

Not yet. I have thought about that, but we don't know how many Unseelie would understand it, either. We'd have to, like, make a code or cipher or something to mask what we're saying, just in case, so they wouldn't catch on.

[ This is Cold War-level stuff, and Leo's not sure he wants to go there. At least the wars back home are all straightforward.

He's quiet for a moment before continuing. ] It sucked majorly. But I never forgot why she asked me not to use it, after that.

[ With a bitter Laugh, he says, ] I'm pretty sure that wouldn't do anything to get his attention. Supposedly, he's been watching over me all these years, but he hasn't even tried to talk to me except that one time. Now they're all locked up on Olympus, Zeus's orders, and most of them are going crazy anyway, so trying to talk any of them is a thousand times harder than it used to be. I don't think my dad is really into sacrifices, either, but I dunno. Never asked. I still try to do the offerings whenever I eat, but I don't know if any of them get it from the Drabwurld.

All I've heard is that one minute they're there, and the next, gone. It's like the second they're alone and the monarchs don't want them anymore, they vanish, and all that's left is their shard. It's messed up.

she didn't tell me much but she did ask me to help build a lake
and i can totally do that no problemo
i was thinking of doing it anyway even though she left
never built a lake before
it'll be fun
we can call it loch valdez

Can you make a code out of morse code and still call it morse code though? [That seems pretty complicated, bro.] At that point we might as well make up our own language.

That's the problem with breaking promises. Really seals the deal whether you want it to or not.

Supposedly? You'd think he'd make more of an effort if he gave you some freaky blessing-curse thing. I'll take a wild guess and say you can't really just march on up to Olympus, can you? [Rhetorical question.] They've made it pretty clear that this world and our worlds aren't connected but I still don't think that makes enough sense if they're supposedly watching us long enough to know who to bring. Or however it's decided.

...this is probably a really, really bad question to ask but where's her shard?

As you say. ( She intones softly, though she does not believe it. ) It would not matter to me. If a friend is in need and they would not see to your welfare, then by God, I would.

Too many have already died needlessly to add another to their number. Both here as well as at home.

( Wow, this went dark awfully fast. She draws her lips into a firm line, and nods. ) Nor mine. I am.. I am glad that you adhere to such a code of honour.

( Far better than her own, clearly. )

The food of the Gods—ah, yes. Does it truly do what is written of it in books?

If you can substitute some letters for others with the normal alphabet, you can probably do it with Morse code, too, [ Leo says pointedly. ] We'd just have to make sure whoever's on the receiving end has the key to decode it.

Yeah, it kind of... burns it into your memory. [ And not a trace of humor in his voice. Now is not the time for humor, Valdez. ]

Technically, we could. The Empire State Building isn't that far away from camp, but Olympus is basically on lockdown. I don't think we'd be able to get in even if we went. [ He snorts. ] And how they watch us before bringing us sounds a lot like the gods watching us from their thrones on Olympus. They're a lot alike, the good and the bad.

[ Leo pauses before answering, considering that. ] I'm... not really sure. Probably one of the other demigods that are still around, but I don't even know all of us. Thalia, maybe?

Hey, I nearly fell off the Grand Canyon before I even knew what monsters really were. I can handle this, okay? [ It's softer than he'd normally say it, though hardly gentle. He doesn't want to offend her, but he doesn't want Elizabeth getting caught up in concern for him, either. He's a demigod; he was basically born for this, even if he doesn't like it. ] You'd have to find me first. Here's a hint, though, in case it ever comes up - follow the flames. Just try not to get burned.

[ Which is basically his way of saying, "Fine, if you're going to worry about me, but don't get hurt on my account." He likes you, Liz. He doesn't want you hurt, Unseelie or no. ]

Yeah, agreed. [ Leo pauses, her phrasing confusing him for a moment. ] I dunno if I'd call it a "code of honor". I've killed plenty of monsters, but... people are a different story. Monsters come back. People... don't.

[ That he knows from experience, and he isn't eager to relive it. ]

Well, I dunno what it does in books, but I know it can help heal a demigod, as long as we don't eat too much of it. Mortals can't have any nectar or ambrosia, though, or they'll die instantly. Probably better we don't have it here.

Loch Valdez sounds totally fair to me.
:)
I'll keep in touch about the process and everything, but it's pretty open to how you want to set it up
Location wise, anywhere sort of near--but not too close--to Caer Glaem would be great.
I'm not picky, and if Annabeth trusted you, I definitely do too.

you got it, bro
i know just the spot
there's a lot of woods around there, so we'll have to clear some of it out, but it would give you some cover when you come in
i'm guessing you do want that just in case, right?

[Leo may or may not be surprised to find a small package for him come Yule, but Hiro's having one delivered anyway. In the package is a bag of Christmas cookies he had somebody pick up for him from another part of the map. There's also a weird kind of tool and a bottle of Drabwurldian-style hot sauce. Because tacos.

There's also a note.

"Maybe you have one of these things in that magic toolbelt of yours, but figured you'd be the only other person to really appreciate it. Weird, right? Just don't use it against me. And obviously the hot sauce isn't for the cookies, but you never know.

-HH"]

[ of course he wasn't expecting anything for yule, and frankly he forgot about it, so when the package shows up, he's confused. then he opens it, and he's... more confused.

what. what is this. it's like a swiss army... hammer... ax thing. hax. it's a swiss army hax. what the frick.

he'll be fiddling with this for the rest of the day, thanks, hiro. ]

[ she uses Thomas' cuff to take the route to the lake Leo built for them, arriving at the usual time, delivers a letter to him directly. she says nothing, but the symbol of the runners underneath the LV written on the front of the folded note makes it clear enough it's meant for him. she disappears before he can ask her anything, because nnnnope she's not ready to talk about this yet. ]

L-

Th & M have both gone home, left their shards behind. I'll be taking their routes, nothing will change otherwise. Thank you for all your help.

- T

[When Leo gets a note, it'll be delivered by a very disgruntled pigeon. The letter is in an envelope with a specific set of runes written across the seal and the letter will only open for Leo. There are two pages. Instructions on how to replicate the runes should he want to send a note back, and the actual note. The handwriting might look familiar from his Yule note.]

Flame on, or off?

[ It takes a few hours of internal debate for Leo to reply - is it really that smart to let the Unseelie in on this? To let them know he now has such a big a disadvantage? The Blessing of Hephaestus was his primary weapon, the chain used primarily to augment it in new ways.

But eventually, he decides he might as well. They'll find out sooner or later, no matter what, and Hiro... Leo wants to believe he can trust the kid. There isn't much to say, though, so he only gets a single word after Leo finally figures the whole thing out. ]

Off.

[Trust him, buddy, it took him a while to really debate if he wanted to share the same disadvantage. In a way it's a relief to know it's not just people on their side. On the other hand...this is kind of scary.

Another note comes back in the same locked fashion.]

Crap. Just be careful.

[And that's all it says. He figures that should say enough and that it should get his intentions across well enough. He's not expecting a reply back but if you get yourself killed, Valdez, he swears...just. Just don't do it.]

[ Leo hadn't initially intended to respond. There wasn't much more to say, and it still stung to be unable to use his power. He had to help all the dwarves relight the forges manually, too, instead of using magical fires like they usually did, and it took time. But then, so did... everything else, and his head is still spinning even as he pulls out the letter to send a reply.

This time, he sends a set of his own instructions, and a single word for a key. The message itself, tucked inside the rune-sealed envelope, is a bunch of dots and dashes - Morse code, just to be sure. He's heard rumors about another audience recently in the Seelie court, and doesn't want to risk either of their necks any further than they already are. ]

Flame on.

[He's not at all surprised that Leo didn't respond for a while and it doesn't bother him much. They're in the same boat. Things suck, powers are gone, and they're on opposite sides of the war.

When he receives the letter though at first he doesn't get it. Promptly ignoring the instructions at first, it took time before he finally caved and figured it out. It's...actually kinda brilliant. So when the letter he sends back to Leo (once more rune sealed) is sent, it's written in the new cipher and it's just one singular word.]

Clever.

[Whether he means Leo getting his powers back or the code itself he doesn't specify. But you can bet he'll be watching closely.]

Hey Leo, just checking in on you, man. Not like you'd ever get in trouble... without me, right? Hah!

[He smirks and he's sure that Leo can hear it.]

Anyway, I wanted to know if I could come with you one of these days, wherever you're going off to?

No way, dude! I just got back from this thing in Redgate, so I'm about to head back to the mountain soon. You want to come with this time?

[ He doesn't want to lose Jason okay?? The last time Leo went somewhere without him, he disappeared. ]

[Jason could say the same about Leo going off on his own.]

'The mountain'? Don't mountains normally come in whole ranges? Not that that'll stop me from going with you.

[He leans down to slide his shoes back on while still talking.]

Should we fly over or is it not that far?

Well, yeah, but Troichean Beinn is mostly confined to one. Supposedly, they're not allowing visitors, but maybe they'll let you in because it's me asking.

[ And if he stays for a while, they can say Jason's technically not visiting, can't they? ]

It's a few days from Caer Glaem, pretty much a straight shot northwest. It won't take us long to get there either way, but if you'd rather fly, that's cool with me. I think there's some pegasi in the stables.

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yule 2701

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feb, 2702

May 14th after Pyrii-loss, letter sent via carrier pigeon

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May 23

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IDK Date, help?

June 28th?

Yep works for me!

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