eachdraidh | 5 ☭ VIDEO + TEXT | OPEN TO BOTH COURTS + SEELIE LOCK

[ on january 11, the humming of the macarena comes to a sudden and abrupt halt. it's with a hiss of a snake and the sight of a tongue in the very corner of the camera, it's clear luke isn't holding his locket. it's martha who is, but she doesn't make a sound as a little red fox curls into luke's neck and licks his jaw. she's rowdy and restless, but luke tries to smooth her hackles a little with his fingers stroking her fur. as for the man himself, he looks a little tired. ]

[ his voice is quiet, ] Uh, hey guys. [ the fox in his arms nudges him hard on the jaw. ] Woah, hey, calm down.

Look, I need to make this quick. It's getting colder. I'm not really great at knitting, but — Can anyone help me out here? She needs something to keep her from shivering.

I promised someone I'd take care of her. And — [ he meant it when he'd vowed to the black shuck he'd honour his deceased friend. and that even means doing this. ] Yeah, I'm going to need more than one pair of socks and a scarf. We can work out a trade, if you're not willing to knit for free.

[ the fox settles against him, closing her eyes. there's a quiet hiss of ask from martha. ] And if you can knit two long stockings — [ the camera shakes and luke rolls his eyes. ] And maybe four or so ear muffs — I'd be grateful.

[ and though it appears as though luke's wanting to get off his locket as soon as possible with the fox resting against him, it's all an act. encrypting a text for seelie only, he dictates his own audition advertisement for the seers of the court. please note: this advertisement lacks the extravagance of his cow advert from a few days prior. it doesn't help he has a fox that won't leave him alone in his hands. ]

( SEELIE )

THE DRABWURLD'S NEXT TOP SUPER SEER!

Are you a Seer looking for work? Want to see the Drabwurld through the eyes of High-King Ridire? Think you're strong enough for mind-numbing pain and bright, vibrant colours?

Well, maybe this is the job you've been waiting for!

The Drabwurld's Seer Agency is currently looking for a Seer strong enough to be able to handle the sight of High-King Ridire. It's a glimpse into the future anyone would die for.

ONLY SERIOUS CANDIDATES APPLY WITHIN!

Just drop your name and your qualifications, and we'll see if Tyra chooses you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I don't, because we're not friends.

You're the one who came at this from the wrong angle. If you expect favoritism because we're "friends", then you're the wrong person for the job. Me? I don't know you. At all. Unlike some, I don't look at my friends and see skill sets. I don't talk to them only when I want something from them. Everyone's being treated with the same brush, Red. Unlike some kids you know, I don't let biased opinions taint what I've been tasked to do.

I'm the one who was asked by the HK to compile a list of suitable people who may be able to handle seeing his vision. Either you sell yourself and I write your name down, or you keep climbing up the wrong side of the mountain. I'll make sure he knows you're not the right person for any job if you think the alleged bias I must hold for you because we've spoken only a couple of times means I'll be recommending only you for the task. I'm not the gods; I don't let my favorite go to the ends of the earth without him or her proving themselves to me.

I asked for qualifications. This is an interview process. Either you cut with the shit and realize I'm not PJ and start to get to know me for me or your name isn't going down on the list with the inclusion of your abilities and your experience that I was asked to compile.

[ he's seen it before, over and over, of kids raising their hands to be tasked with something dangerous. but even though they may possess the skill set to hit the ball out of the ballpark, they expected favouritism to pick them each and every time. with each rebuff he's given her, he hasn't heard anything to the contrary of i'm your friend, you should pick me. luke had chosen ethan nakamura and chris rodriguez because they'd proven themselves, jumping through hoops of fire and earning his trust and loyalty, instead of relying on friendship and shared blood, whereas percy would merely pick his best friend without gaining a good understanding of their capabilities. he's not percy — and he's tired of everyone expecting him to roll over and claim the hero title and everyone's supposedly outstretched hands offering him friendships he won't ever allow himself to have. ]

If we're not friends, why do you care how "dangerous" this is? The fact is, I don't care if you consider me a friend, but I do care that you're using this as a way of keeping me from helping our court. Maybe it's arrogant of me to think you'd actually have enough respect for me and who I am to recognize that I can help, but this is the one thing I won't let anyone try and play down, not you or anyone else. It's not favoritism if it's blatant common sense. I've already shown my abilities and experience. You know what they are. You don't have to be my friend to know what they are.

[ she's usually so careful about not even coming close to talking about what happened to his mom, but this is kind of.. exactly that. even if she's not doing it on purpose. it's hard to avoid it. ]

I passed that test. I proved myself. I would have died that day, or worse, if I wasn't capable. Anyone from our world knows what could have happened if I couldn't handle it, so you know that I wouldn't be who I am in our world if I couldn't. Maybe you like trying to pretend you're above who we are back in our world, but I'm not. Taking the oath, earning my place in that world, it matters to me. I'm the Oracle of Delphi. I was worthy of it back home, and I should be given the chance to prove as much here, too. But you keep playing your part. Your part of "not Percy Jackson", apparently. Who didn't want me to take the oath back home, by the way, so don't you dare try and make it sound like he only sees people for what they can do. The difference between you and him isn't that he's biased towards his friends, it's that friend or not, he'd never try and stand in someone's way if they knew they could help somehow. All you're doing here is trying to tear away a chance for me to help. You know what I can do, and instead you're throwing this power play in my face just because you can. I don't have to prove anything to you. And it's not my fault I don't know "you for you", it's things like this. It's your constant need to push and shove at people every time they try talking to you. It's acting like you think me saying I'd offer you a knuckle sandwich is a real threat. Nobody would take that as a serious threat! [ Rachel your lack of faith in his sense of humor isn't the point here.. ] We're not friends because of the fact that you act like I have to prove I'm worth your friendship. No, not even, that much I would understand. But the problem is that you act like I'm not worthy of even typing words at you. That I shouldn't even get the chance to get to know you. And if that's just a defense mechanism then well done, it works spectacularly. But you can't blame other people for it. That's exactly what you're doing right now, with this. You're acting like we need to convince and impress you, then getting mad at me for suggesting you should already know. Only I don't actually need your approval to get my shot at this. I know what I can do, and I know I can use that to help here. As I said, thanks for the heads up. I'm pretty sure we're done here.

[ she's got him with the first question. ]

[ though he may not know what had befallen may castellan, simply believing her being with hermes was enough to drive her insane (aren't the gods always at fault?), what he wanted from her was an act that proved herself not to be a kid from camp who was too big for his boots. he doesn't know rachel from adam; she's the chick with the hairbrush to him, the girl who apparently took on the spirit of delphi for some reason he doesn't think he'll ever truly understand when she had been brand spanking new to this world. but all he's searching for in the people who are stepping up is someone who can fight a titan from overpowering them from the inside. a stubborn and strong will, and the inability to back down — maybe it's unfair he's taking to this as one would when offering themselves up for being the vessel of a titan, but that's all he really knows. it's overpowering and completely dehumanising, being a passenger in your body, that he doesn't want the fate of hal green — being trapped without his voice, without even seeing the outside world, as he had been haunted with the visions of all who he couldn't help — to befall someone else. ]

[ he'd failed annabeth and thalia by not ensuring they were well taken care of, the promise that he had made to them broken the day thalia had taken root outside of camp half-blood and he'd let hate fester inside of him. he has too much to make up for — and it's difficult proving to himself he's worthy of forgiveness when he holds himself to such an impeccably difficult standard. ]

Thanks for the character assessment.

I'll be sure to include beside your name "Excellent analyst of character. Highly recommend, especially without a hairbrush on hand." Except you got one little thing wrong.

[ he thinks it's false, the inaccurate assessment she believes she has to prove herself worthy of his friendship, when it has always been the other way around. from clarisse to percy to annabeth to thalia to even himself, it's luke being required to prove he isn't the monster they all believe him to still be. he doesn't feel like telling her, though. ]

But you're right. You don't have to prove anything to me. And I don't have to prove anything to you — good thing we're not friends, then, because you'd be pretty disappointed.

Thanks for raising your hand. ;)

5 ☭ VIDEO + TEXT | OPEN TO BOTH COURTS + SEELIE LOCK

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