[audio]

[yearrounder]

[Sigh. Really, Annabeth should be used to losing people by now, but, well. She never expected that it would be Percy. He's always been there. He's supposed to be impossible to get rid of. Maybe she'd been getting too complacent, which seems more than a little bit ridiculous for her life. And for a place like this. But she's supposed to be able to count on him.

...right?

She's quiet at first, but sighs once again before she starts speaking.]

I...don't know how many people he knew, but it looks like Percy Jackson left. He wasn't here for very long, but he was the one in the lake. That's pretty memorable, right? [Maybe not. People here can do all kinds of things.]

Anyway. I figured I should tell someone. In case anyone needs to know or anything. I'd want to know.

[She cuts it off there before it can get any more ridiculous.]

Comments

[yearrounder]

As well as I can, I guess. I'm not happy about it, but there's nothing I can do.

[64th]

Yeah, I know what you mean. What's home like?

[yearrounder]

Okay, I guess. There's all sorts of problems, but I'm...mostly not involved.

[64th]

[ she laughs. sounds kind of familiar. ]

That's the method I like to use here. Problems are for other people. Home is different, though.

[yearrounder]

I've dealt with enough problems, I'd just like to be left alone for a while. It probably won't happen, though. I keep getting dragged back in.

[64th]

Not unless you hole up in your home and just... stay there. It works but it's boring and lonely.

[yearrounder]

I'm trying to go to college. Or I was, anyway, until someone decided it would be funny to drop me here.

[64th]

Well I can't help you with that. We don't have much schooling in my world. But there are smart people here, what's stopping you from doing your own college here?

[yearrounder]

There aren't any architects.

[64th]

Oh.

Could you find some books?

[yearrounder]

I guess, but that's not as good as an actual teacher.

...and reading is kind of hard for me.

[64th]

They don't teach people in your district to read? [ no judgment, she's just curious. there are plenty of people at home who ca't read well. ]

[yearrounder]

My what? They teach everyone in school to read, I'm dyslexic.

[64th]

Where all the towns of people like you live. Um - [ what did Connor call it? ] A state. Sort of.

[ anyway: ] What's dyslexic?

[yearrounder]

Oh. That's...weird, but I can understand it I guess.

It means I have a hard time reading English. The letters kind of look like they move around.

[64th]

It's hard for the people to overthrow the government if the people can't read.

[ huh. she has literally never heard of that before. ] Can you take medicine for it?

[yearrounder]

Yeah, that part I understand.

No, it doesn't work like that.

[64th]

Oh. Sorry. That's shitty.

[yearrounder]

It's fine. I'm used to it. It's been my whole life.

[64th]

You must be really smart, to deal with that.

[yearrounder]

It's genetic. But I'm not the only one who has that problem.

[64th]

Well, you're the only one I know.

[yearrounder]

Glad I made such a great impression, then.

There's a couple of others here who have the same problem. Maybe you'll run into them, too.

[64th]

Are they from your world?

[yearrounder]

Yes. Will and Nico, if you run across them. Will is usually in the clinic and I think Nico tends to go with him.