WEEK FIVE

[al2955]

the pygmalion. . . ONLINE CAPTAIN'S LOG: WEEK (5)

monday - thursday (33) survivors It had been merely a week since the last trial, but you find yourself faced with a new week on The Pygmalion. When you awaken, you will find the handcuff around your wrist gone. The robot in the cafeteria has prepared another breakfast of various foods. (OOC: Please submit your murder proposals by 9 PM EST Tuesday.) taken list profiles private conversations setting rulebook murder proposals ENTER COMMAND_

Comments

[chiseler]

[Of all the things Adelina could ask, that's probably the least offensive.]

Figured I'd take my chances out there than keep staying with my mom. I still don't really regret that either.

[bloodbiter]

...I see. She wasn't an appropriate caretaker, I assume.

[chiseler]

[A little smirk.] My mom was pretty crazy. It...[...how to describe May Castellan...] It was just better for both of us if I left her behind. That's all. I never went back after that.

[...which is mostly true, but those two times aren't important.]

[bloodbiter]

I'm very sorry to hear that. It must be difficult.

[chiseler]

It wasn't, if you can believe that. When we got to Camp things were a lot better after that. It's where we really learned how to fight and protect ourselves. [He nods toward the knife again.] Annabeth trained with that thing and I started learning how to fight better with a sword.

[bloodbiter]

I see. Were there many more people in that camp?

[chiseler]

Way more than I ever thought. Anywhere between 60 to 100 maybe if I had to guess. It was kind of a great thing to have other people around and not have to worry about finding food or, you know, not getting killed.

[He's incredibly casual about this, but Camp Half-Blood was actually both a blessing and a curse for him.] Monsters couldn't cross the boundaries either which helped.

[bloodbiter]

It sounds lovely. Did you make many friends?

[chiseler]

I made enough of them. More than I ever had before we got to Camp. [And then he hit betray on pretty much all of them.] And probably more than I'll be making here. You really think we'll all be able to get along here?

[bloodbiter]

[she shakes her head]

I think even when it becomes obvious to the people here that there will be a murder occurring each week, each person will still have several individuals they trust more than the others. That being said, I highly doubt all of us will get along, yes.

[chiseler]

Camp was like that, too. [It's an idle comment.] So what're you gonna do when it narrows down that far?

[bloodbiter]

...I already think it's foolish to trust anyone in these circumstances when we've scarcely known each other a month. There is a difference between friendship and trust, I think.

[liking most people here but still not being 100% that they aren't going to shank her: a life]

[chiseler]

When it comes down to it, think it's just about how well you can judge just about anybody. [Hmm...] When I was a kid, I didn't really have a lot of choice but to trust the first person I met who was in a similar situation that I was. We'd never spoken before. She was just some girl who was probably more powerful than me and I had to make the decision to trust her. We became friends after that.

[And then he developed hardcore dokis for her and then she became a tree and everything went to hell. But regardless.] Where do you find the difference? [He has his own answers, but oddly enough he respects Adelina enough by now to want to know her opinion.]

[bloodbiter]

I disagree. I think there are people back home who I know I can trust because I've known them much longer than a month. It's hard to say the same for anyone here.

[a thoughtful hum]

For example, there are people here I've enjoyed getting to know and speaking to. That doesn't mean I think it's wise to let my guard down around them. It's different from the situation you've described. I'm capable of protecting myself without the assistance of another, so I'm not in a position where it's necessary to place my trust in another.

If I may ask, though, who was the person you had to trust?

[chiseler]

And even then you can know people for years and still decide you don't trust them. I'm not sure time really has much to do with it even if it helps sometimes.

[But ah yes the million dollar question. He doesn't say anything for a moment as he thinks of the best way to answer without answering. Then again...what's it matter? She won't ever show up here anyway.]

Her name's Thalia. She was a runaway like I was, met her after a few years on my own inside a dragon's cave. We escaped and figured it made more sense to stick together, so we did. We were together for years even before Annabeth came into our lives. I would have trusted her with anything back then. Pretty sure the same is true for her. It's just stuff like that.

[bloodbiter]

A dragon kept you alive in their lair for years? That's rather rare. You must have provided a great deal of entertainment.

[a small smile]

You must miss her.

[chiseler]

[For once, he actually genuinely laughs.]

No way. More like I was alive for years and on the run for years and ended up in a dragon cave for half a day. I think the dragon was more surprised by the two of us than we were of it. Wasn't the last dragon I went up against either.

[...but...] ...but you're not wrong about that. [He misses Thalia like crazy, but he sure did screw that up. Oh well.]

[bloodbiter]

Were you able to kill it, at least?

[a nod, sympathetic.]

What was she like, then?

[chiseler]

Dragons are way harder to kill than you'd think. Most of our weapons won't even pierce their skin and…well Thalia was maybe nine or ten when we first met. It was a priority to get her out of there safe.

[Luke was probably more afraid of the dragon than Thalia was at the time but…details. There's a pause as he thinks for a moment, before he decides how to describe Thalia Grace and the longer he talks the more it becomes clear that even if he was incredibly fond of her, there are a lot of complications now.]

Thalia's always been one of those people that most people would be afraid of. She's intimidating when she wants to be, hardly afraid of anything, doesn't really take things lying down, you know? Anything she was afraid of was something that everybody should really be scared of. She's pretty stubborn and she's good at getting her own way. [A smirk.] She used to be able to get me to do anything she wanted. Doesn't hurt that she's one of the best fighters I've ever known. Didn't really need formal training, she was just good. She knows how to use her weapons to the best of her ability and work with other people in tandem. It was pretty cool to watch…definitely helped when we were together. …she's pretty bad about admitting when she's wrong or when something bugs her, but she's still one of the bravest people I've met and one of the most loyal friends a person could have. Some would even call her a hero.

[bloodbiter]

I know how hard dragons are to kill.

[first hand experience, even! as luke continues with his description, she gives a smile.]

She sounds wonderful. Did she help train you?

[chiseler]

Nah. I didn't get any kind of training until I got to Camp. By then we were already separated. [Which isn't something he dwells on for long.] Before that we just knew what we were doing when we were together. Not the same without her between you and me.

[bloodbiter]

Oh... I'm very sorry to hear that. I would understand if it is too personal, but how were the two of you separated?

[chiseler]

[Judging by how his shoulders tense, it's still incredibly personal years later. But all the same...]

...the two of us and our friend Annabeth and our friend Grover were heading for Camp. We were being chased by a bunch of monsters that wanted Thalia, so in the end she chose to sacrifice herself to save us and make sure we got out of there alive.

[bloodbiter]

[oh my god. judging by her expression she definitely thought separated as in, well, separated, not that.]

I... I'm so sorry, I didn't realize - I'm so sorry for your loss.

[chiseler]

[Ah. He's silent for a second before shaking his head to clarify.]

It's okay. Believe it or not she...well, her soul was sort of trapped into a pine tree. She stayed there for about six years but she's back now. But we haven't really spoken to each other since.