It's okay. I don't think I'm all that cool either so I'm not really the president of what is or isn't cool.
(At the offer, Percy shakes his head.)
No thanks. The drinking age is 21 and I'm a few years off from that. My mom would have a hernia.
(Not really. She wasn't the type to get mad or yell at him but she'd be disappointed and that would be significantly worse. Blackjack wasn't bothered by the minor disagreement between the men. He knew his master enough to know he wouldn't start anything serious and he was used enough to general confrontations like that. When Gyro came over, he gave a pleasant whinny of acknowledgement and nudged at Gyro's side, sniffing for treats.)
Some Amara-what? (Percy asks from where he is, not having really hard Gyro all that well.)
There's a 'cool president'? Why's no one told me??
Nyeh- heh, drinking age where?
[What a cute thing to reply with though. He won't push it on him anymore. He WILL keep trying to find everything to make a-]
Ah ha! Amaretto, it's an almond liquor. If you're Earth side, it's usually from Saronno.
[Said as he lifts a small bottle out. He'll quickly click a greeting against his teeth at Blackjack, give him a wink. The bottle is tucked under and arm and he'll move back into the satchel to remove a packet of dates. Hope you like these, they're Valkyrie's favorite, he'll mumble and give him one, giving one to Valkyrie as well before he puts them back and moves back to accompany Percy by the fire. He sets everything down and moves to start preparing the coffee pot, filling it with water.]
You drink coffee? Or are you not old enough for that too?
Cause you're not in deep enough to be told. It's a complicated thing.
In New York. And present time. I'm not so sure what the drinking age is from when you were around.
(He looks thoughtful for a moment but knows it's a lost cause. He was awful at school and school never covered 'drinking age laws' way back when. The only drinking laws they covered were bootleggers and then the speakeasies.)
Ohhhh. Of course.
(Almond liquor. He knew that. No he didn't. But he's going to nod his support anyway. Blackjack perks his head up, ears flicking about madly.
What you...? What this! Ayyyyye boss!
Percy looks over but sees that it's only a date so he snorts, watching as Blackjack doesn't even wait for permission to eat and just dives right on in and munches on the date.
Valkyrie, my man, you got some STELLAR taste that was ugh- the stuff of dreams. You gotta another? Hey....hey! Where you going?
He calls after Gyro but of course, Gyro would hear nothing but a little bit of shuffling around on Blackjack's end. Percy laughs at his horse's despair.)
He liked the date. And is sad you left without giving him more.
(A beat. He looks at the coffee and then at Gyro.)
I know you envy my youth and vitality but harsh man, real harsh. It's okay. I still think you look good for your age. Women are probably into the silver fox thing sometimes.
Was never a big deal. [Near 1860 was when they started to establish drinking laws, but even then it wasn't as heavily enforced in his era. It wouldn't start to be a big push to getting away from liquor until closer to the 1900s and nearing the 20s. So he'll just shrug, setting the pot down on the fire, sparks crackling up from it and spiraling up into the quickly darkening sky.]
[Gyro chuckles at the comment about the date, glancing back. He'll see Valkyrie nudge at Blackjack's neck a little, pushing the end of his snout near his neck in comfort.]
We can't mate, not here. But I'm guessing your guy, that Percy, you lot live over in that fancy city, do ya? So he probably still gives ya a lotta grub, eh? Don't work like that hea.
[It may sound rather sad to both Percy and Blackjack, but it's the truth. Gyro can't hear his horse to know that Valkyrie's understood so well, so he'll mention it himself as well. Still... it'd really mean something were he to know that Valkyrie realized that it wasn't because Gyro was punishing him that he had to be scarce with things like treats. it'd mean something that Valkyrie understood what his master was going through, and the lack of funds he had here.]
That's the only bag for the month, not sure if I'll afford more next one either. [A shrug, pouting as he looks to Blackjack.]
Sorry for that, Blackjack.
[Really sorry actually, but, he tries not to dwell on it. He looks back to the fire, chuckling at Percy's words.]
Women are into me fine, and not a grey hair yet, you wanna look? I pluck them out and use them to floss, nyo-hoho! Fuuuu!
[He swats at that hand, shoves him again, and this time ruffles Percy's hair too. He sure is okay with touching, and Percy has very ruffle-y hair.]
Doubt you want it spiked though, yeah? You're lucky, this stuff took me a while to find, good enough without spirits.
That makes sense. I don't really know when drinking ages started becoming a big deal. Maybe it's because kids started being stupid and killing each other or because they drove drunk. That seems to be the main reason but I don't really know?
(He had never really had a huge urge to get wasted or anything and he was sixteen. Two years off from the old age of drinking. Twenty-one seemed so far off and old to him.
Blackjack looks at Valkyrie and snorts. One thing about Blackjack? He's a natural glutton. Doesn't even need to be spoiled that way.
No way. Boss gives me only what I need and a teeny bit extra on the side. He's all picky on my diet. Says I'd get fat otherwise.
Which in Blackjack's case? He absolutely would. If Blackjack could, he'd likely do nothing but eat sugar cubes from dusk til dawn and splurge a bit between on anything else.
Percy does notice though and glances over before at Gyro. He's aware enough about how mongrels couldn't afford much. Percy grew up dirt poor and that wasn't really something he was surprised about. He still had no idea what to do with the money that he had been given. He hadn't splurged at all. The most he had done was eaten out a lot until he actually figured out how to make food in his place.
But he also gets that most people don't really enjoy hand-outs. He didn't either but it was aggravating to know that someone like Gyro and his horse were just squeaking by. He considers this closely.)
What do you do for Valkyrie? I mean, like, living wise? Does he just stay with you at your place?
(It was a genuine question as much as it was a mildly prodding one. Blackjack mostly flew around. Pegasi weren't fans of stables and needed to be able to stretch their wings far more than regular horses had to stretch their legs. But otherwise, he stayed in Percy's place and that wasn't all that horse friendly in atmosphere.
Aw it's okay, man. Don't sweat it.)
That's - gross. And also sad. I have gray hair but that's totally not my fault.
(He pouts a bit and rubs his fingers through the streak of gray hair in his hair by his temple. Stupid titans. Then Gyro is ruffling his hair and Percy whines though does absolutely nothing to stop it.)
Awww c'mon. My hair's already a total mess. Ugh ew. Why do you drink anyway? It tastes so bad.
[Said with a raised brow. Because they sure as hell do. Makes you wonder why alcohol is legal at all. Sure it won't be for a bit, but it turns out we find out during that period that you can't just take something like from the public, it'll raise crime rates. They'll get it anyway, that and it'll sap money from the economy. So dangerous? Seems like that's not really why people get shit taken away, not really.]
[But yeah, kids do tend to be stupid on a wider level with it. Doesn't seem to stop Amoi from letting them drink though.]
You'll get fat, really? Ya dill! How do ya get fat when we're movin' around all the time, yer favorite things to hitch and bog down?
[Said with a lower of his head and a whinny and huff, laughing at the idea of it. Valkyrie was a very healthy horse, treated that way and in habit. He's not the sort to eat himself huge and takes a lot of enjoyment in moving around. You can tell by how often he moves and how easily, he's very similar to his rider in that respect.]
[Despite the comment about the dates, Gyro doesn't really seem that distraught or bitter about it. It was a normal sort of life, to struggle a bit, wasn't it? A cowboy life, even if he was in no way an actual cowboy. But he wasn't the sort to whine or dwell on his problems, he just did what he had to do to get over them. He sure wishes opening his clinic had made it easier to take less help though... it did a little, but not as much as he'd like. It would if he upped his prices, but what's the point when he wants to keep his clinic more accessible to the Mongrel populace?]
[He takes a drink of his flask, turning the kettle a bit and whipping his hand slightly to get the heat off his palm.]
Mnh well- yeah, depending on where I am, he's in there with me. Most places don't stop him at the door, they don;t know what to even do about a horse and most of the time they think I some how got ahold of a digital version. [Makes them assume he's a pet then though, a lot of the time, and then it fucks him over ugh.]
Still do now, he used to only live in my apartment too, I got a bigger one when I showed up, first floor. But now... a friend of mine got me set up with a small stable at my place here in Diedo. [A pause, sighing out of his nose before he looks down to the fire, busying himself a little by stoking it.]
Big help, stable's a lot better on his hooves. [So he... took it, grinned and dealt with the help. But this place has shown him through constant pressures to be a little more accepting of things like help. Friends often... did that sort of thing anyway, he learned that too. Though he only ever took help when it was associated with Valkyrie or that clinic of his. Otherwise? Nope.]
Nyeh- huuu, you got grey hairs?? Then you have more than me! You're a god's son, right? Maybe you're a liiiar too and you're really like eighty in my own world's years.
[Moving to ruffle his hair again but he stops short this time, psyche-ing him out and hissing a laugh through his teeth.]
You think so? Well I like the taste sometimes, and if I don't like it, I like the feeling afterwards. Being drunk can make things a whoooole lot better. [A shrug.]
Not all the time though. [He's not some alcoholic after all.]
Besides, a little red wine's good for the heart, didn't you know?
(Percy actually laughs at that, loud and bright and completely genuine. Most adults almost never want to admit that they act stupid and kill each other. He definitely, definitely likes Gyro.)
Oh, no, they do that too but adults really like to point out the mistakes of kids and act like they're the ones doing a worse job of things.
(Percy has no idea why they don't take it away or at the very least regulate it better. He had no idea why age reflected responsibility. His stepfather had abused alcohol and wound up abusing everyone else in the process and he was plenty old enough to be more "responsible" than that. It's not like Percy had any ideas of how to fix the system though and really, a bunch of dead kids still wasn't enough to make people wonder about how they ought to start changing the laws around alcohol. Who knows?
Kids were definitely a little stupider. But adults had the years of experience that made it look real bad when they were the idiots. Besides, some adults acted like they couldn't possibly be stupid ever.
Nah I don't think he means fat literally. I think he means I'll get sick on stuff. He's not wrong. One time I found an ENTIRE bag of sugar cubes and puked my brains out after. I got impulse control issues.
Blackjack says this rather solemnly. He might have something of intellect but when push came to shove, he was still a horse. He wasn't the sharpest horse either. Definitely not stupid but very much needed Percy there to keep him from eating badly because he would otherwise simply because something tasted good. Percy knew this well enough about his pegasus. Blackjack was very healthy as well because of Percy's critical eye.
That was the truth enough. Percy understood it. There had been plenty things he just dealt with because there was no other choice. Hell, the kid still had his old converse that were riddled with holes and falling apart at the seams. But in the same instance, he now had money and wondered what help he could do with that.
At the mention of stables, Percy looks over, surprised.)
There are stables here? Did they build it or something?
(There's genuine interest in his voice. It wasn't like Blackjack really liked the floors in his apartment either. Generally speaking, pegasus didn't like enclosures in general. Pegasi stables usually had openings or at least easy access to the outside world so they could stretch their wings. They weren't domesticated like normal horses. You couldn't just train one to keep it around permanently. They had to explore, had to fly, but they would come back if you were an owner worth coming back to.)
I've mostly been letting Blackjack roam. Pegasi need that. They're not completely like normal horses.
(Percy pouts at being called a liar and for a moment, he looks genuinely offended. For just a moment though. Being called a liar was one of the greatest insults in his books but it's pretty evident Gyro is kidding so he eases up.)
Nah. Just sixteen, unfortunately. But yeah. See?
(He turns his head around so that he was looking over his shoulder and so Gyro could see the dull grey strip that slid through his hair.)
It's not like I was born with it. Got it on a quest.
(A hellish quest but seeing as he has a grey lock to prove it -he doesn't need to say that.)
Adults like to feel big too, most of the time they're not, even if they are. There's a lot of assholes out there.
[Yeeeep. He's met a plenty, hell, he IS one of those assholes himself at times, maybe even all the time. But he's met a hell of a lot more adults he didn't like than kids, that's for sure.]
[A glance over, he shakes his head.]
No stables, not in Midas. The one I have is for a single horse, another one might fit, but not for a long term setup. ...He built it, just for Valkyrie.
Unfortunately I can't let him roam like Blackjack. He's too easy to steal. [And sell, or... eat. A digital animal roaming around alone would be stolen too, but once they found he was REAL it was even more of a reason to take him. Gyro didn't want that to happen. Valkyrie wasn't like Blackjack who could fly, or like Liger who was deadly and riddled with fangs and claws. He'd try to get away but he'd still probably get caught... The idea already has him feeling uncomfortable. Plus Gyro had a hard time leaving Valkyrie alone anyway, he liked to roam and stuff too, sure, but Valkyrie was a very social creature.]
Pegasi do? Well he can roam my way if he ever wants to.
[Yeah, he didn't mean the liar thing, he's pretty casual right now as he sits back, waiting for the kettle to boil. He'll look over to Percy though when he brings attention to that patch of grey and frowns, puckering up his lips as he leans a little closer to get a better look.]
Magic? Stress, fear? Lots of things could cause it. Looks neat though, you're .01 percent old, nyeh-heh!
Yeah, true. [Leaning away again.]
Plenty's healthy, how's that an argument against having a drink once and a while? Drink if you want to, don't if you don't, just don't be an idiot whether you do either one or you'll get your ass kicked.
Yeah, yeah they do. You know, not that I thought you were a jerk or anything before, but this whole self-aware thing is really making me like you more.
(He's not even trying to be a little shit nosed brat. He means it. Most adults loathed to admit the fault in their generation. Sure kids were real idiots but that wasn't to discredit all the adults out there who were just as big of idiots without the excuse of lacking experience that kids had.
Percy hums in thought, wondering if there was a way they could set up some sort of real stable system. He had the money....The means, however, was a totally different question. Did they even sell construction supplies or anything?)
No, I'd imagine. Blackjack mostly roams in the sky, not the ground.
(Which was a given but Percy felt the need to clarify anyway. Even if he wanted Blackjack to stay, he still wouldn't. It wasn't quite fair to the horse. Blackjack knew better than to just fly down into populated areas. After all, their camp had been on Long Island Sound and just outside of New York City. Blackjack had flown over the heart of the city plenty of times but knew that if he wanted to land, it was wiser to land on high skyscrapers' roofs and the like. Out of sight completely.)
He probably will whether or not I tell him to.
(Percy laughs a bit at this and glances over at Blackjack and Valkyrie.)
Not gonna lie, he'll probably fly out to hang with Valkyrie a lot now that he knows he's here.
(He tips his head to allow Gyro a better look. He wasn't self-conscious of the grey hair nor was he proud. It was just something that was there. Not with indifference but...muted feelings.)
Uh. Magic and stress? I don't know really. You know the story about the titan Atlas who held the world up? Yeah, well.
(Percy shrugged his shoulders and lifted his arms up as if to imitate the famous depiction of the story.)
For three or so minutes anyway.
(It had been enough to leave permanent damage though. In his hair but also in his head a little. Not that he talks about that sort of thing ever.)
Well anything's healthy in moderation or so they say. How can you be an idiot by not drinking?
(He's not even being preachy. He's just curious how that even works.)
Self aware? [A brow raise at that, pursing his lips to the side before he shrugs and takes another drink, leaning to finally pull the kettle off just as it starts to whistle. He busies himself with preparing two cups of coffee after that. The steaming liquid is poured into two very rustic looking clay cups though Percy will find when he takes the cup it's some how cool in his hand though the liquid's far from drinkable yet.]
[Gyro leans back a little, pouring some of the amaretto from that separate bottle into his own cup, making a smell of almonds rise into the air along with the smell of coffee.]
[As for self-aware? He's never really heard that term before, not really, it's a weird one though he got the meaning quickly. If anything it just meant 'not stupid'. He knew how adults could be, and while pride ate a part of his heart as it did any man, he was smart enough to know he was just as capable of either side of right and wrong like any man as well. While his dad taught him to not be compassionate, he also taught him to be logical and humble. He didn't live up to it all the time, but he still had it drilled into him.]
Well land or sky, he's welcome. Though I better give you my schedule to tell him or he'll come by when Valkyrie's still stabled.
[He works after all, often too. He didn't keep Valkyrie cooped up too long, but he had to when he was gone and when no one else was around to take care of him. The number of people he entrusted Valkyrie to was very few after all, less than fingers on his right hand.]
[A glance over again after he's done inspecting that patch of hair. Close enough Percy'd feel his breath on his neck, but only for a moment.]
In your world... no way! Wasn't Atlas a titan? One of 'endurance', how'd you manage that? You're not buff at all, I could pick my teeth with those arms.
[Said with a smirk as he takes another drink and sighs at how it's temperature and liquor burns his throat and belly. Gyro shakes his head, barking out a small laugh.]
How can't you? The smartest people can be idiots after being sober all their lives, it's human nature. [People are dumb, you can get outta being dumb, sure, but everyone has their moments, even sober. You could manage smart while drunk too, not everyone turned into a full moron after all. Hell... Gyro got a little 'smarter' sometimes when he drank, he sure got better at communication and 'feelings' talks. Not a lot better, but better than he was any other time.]
Yeah, sure. I like people who can admit stuff about themselves or people who are associated with them.
(Kind of like how he could admit he himself was a bit of a dumbass sometimes. Not in so many words but the sentiment was always there. Granted, he wasn't nearly remotely stupid as he thought he was or as everyone else thought he was but hey, point still stands.
Percy isn't too shocked by this. Between the technology and his own naturally heat resistant skin, things like hot coffee normally don't bother him much. He even gives a sip of the hot coffee and seems utterly un-bothered by it. The taste is okay enough. Percy wasn't the biggest fan of coffee but this was a comfortable tasting brew that he really didn't mind sipping at.)
That would actually help a lot, thanks. He's a real smart creature so he'd be able to go by on a schedule.
(Percy doesn't offer help right then. Doesn't actually think to. Gyro seemed like he had things sorted out but really, if Percy knew, he would have gladly helped. He had helped with the stables back at camp and took care of Blackjack.
While Blackjack might be more wild than domesticated, his mane was perfect, combed out and gorgeous in silkiness. His coat and wings were always neat and his hooves were spotless. Not that they were particularly hard to clean since he was an air beast but still. He even had nice teeth. Percy wouldn't mind in the slightest taking care of Valkyrie for Gyro while he worked. Not like he was doing anything anyway most days besides training. He doesn't offer though. Not right now.)
Yeah? I just said he was a titan, didn't I? I told you. I'm a demigod. I think you're severely underestimating the 'god' part in that.
(Percy doesn't seem offended though. He grins. He's really not buff but he's far from lanky too. He leans back and raises his arm to flex his bicep muscle. He's got those nice muscles, the kind of muscles that make the arm holes in t-shirts tight and snug around the shape of them. His thighs are killer and his abdomen is tight and solid, as are his pecs. The kid, without clothes on, is not too unlike classical Greek statues of divine male figures.
He laughs a little bit and shakes his head.)
I don't really get that but I guess so. Isn't that just being stupid by nature though? I don't see how it's relevant to sobriety.
(But he wasn't really arguing it. What did he know about the world of drinking? He takes another swig of coffee.)
I'll let you know then, a lot of my times used up, but after work I wouldn't mind the company.
[Clinic took up the majority of his mornings and middays, unfortunately without another doctor on staff yet, it could take his nights too, and while the nurses were also able to take certain house calls, he had to take the most. So yeah, a lot of his time. It made it hard to pick up his own hobbies again, and he's lucky he hasn;t gotten a call since he's come out here with Percy.]
[Ugh... he takes a drink just thinking about it, letting it burn his tongue a little.]
Does a Pegasus ever get sick?
[Because while Percy isn't going to offer his help just yet, Gyro will offer his if need be. After all, he is a doctor, and he's had to take to being a horse doctor too, considering there are no vets here, and those that would qualify are way out of his budget.]
Yeah so? Different gods do different things, don't they? You said it yourself, you're not really good with music, and I doubt Aphrodite could hold the world up so well, same with you. Heh- a little time though, sure, three minutes you said? I could believe that.
Nooote to self, no arm wrestling with Percy.
[He'll lean over, offering a puckered, playful smirk as he pinches at Percy's flexed arm. Pinch pinch.]
What?? That IS my point, people are going to be stupid no matter what. Alcohol just makes it fun to sometimes.
Makes sex better too.
[Said with a matter-o-fact shrug as he takes another drink of his italian coffee.]
No it's not, not as good as it could be, but I'll take what I can get.
I should come by and bother you too sometimes then.
(Percy was actually a little bit lonely himself. He had made friends, certainly. But he was also used to living in a camp that did daily activities together. He wasn't awful all alone but he definitely had a bit of an ache to....to do more things with other people. This right here was really nice even. Hanging out with Gyro just casually. Even if it had gotten a little sour for a moment there - even that was preferable to silence. Blackjack was great company but Percy wasn't selfish enough to hole Blackjack up inside with him. They did hang out a lot but the pegasus needed his wings room and honestly, Percy needed company that wasn't just a horse. There was only so much they could do and talk about, after all. He was still very much an animal.
At the question, Percy looks over at Blackjack curiously.)
I've got no idea. I imagine they can. Can you get sick, bud?
(Pssssh? Who? Me? Nah, boss, I'm too tough for germs.
That sounded fake but okay. Percy just sighs affectionately at his pegasus, shaking his head.)
He can probably get sick. Maybe it's just harder for him to.
(Percy grins at Gyro then, not even remotely offended.)
You're not wrong at all. I don't know if it's a demigod thing or a particular demigod thing. I mean I'm one of the big three's kids. Technically stronger than other demigods. My friend whose a child of Athena was holding it up before me. It's why I took it in the first place so she get out. I mean technically us demigods are meant to be durable and go to all kinds of vicious wars against monsters and titans. So maybe it has to do with our parents or maybe it's got to do with our blood.
(He really doesn't know. Most kids do have ADHD and dyslexia who are demigods, both of which actually aid them in battle and quests so it wouldn't be hard to believe that they could hold up the world - all of them- despite their parents.)
I wouldn't throw away Aphrodite so easily. She's still a goddess and I think there's a serious power in love.
(Which maybe sounded corny but it was true, wasn't it? Percy had gone through literal hell out of love for his mother, love for his friends.
Percy laughs loudly then and swats at Gyro's pinching hands.)(A total joke but maybe- no.)
All right, fair.
Wait -what? Seriously? But I've heard that alcohol can kind of make it hard to get- you know. Up.
(Or stay up. He doesn't actually remember but he definitely remembered that in health class- the few he had attended- there was a lot about how alcohol could make sex bad.)
I've got two places in Midas, I'll give both to you. When I'm at work though, Valkyrie will only be at the one in Diedo.
[A slightly confusing setup, yes. But either of his roommates sort of fucked off a good deal, had their own things to do. Yata had work and it was often he went to Tanagura to visit a friend, and Jin... well Jin was in Tanagura a lot. So Gyro was in either Midas location, both private housing, when he felt like it. Sometimes when he went to the place in Diedo and no one was there, he'd try the place with Yata and Yata was there, and maybe he just wanted that company. Gyro was good at being a longer, raised to be, but he didn't prefer it. And so he means it when he says he'll give him his addresses, he'd like for Percy to visit.]
That right?
[Glancing to Blackjack himself.]
Well if he does, you know where to find me. I doubt he's that much different from Valkyrie in there. [He's thinking... more fragile bones, faster digestive system, and possibly thicker yet lighter muscles? Hard to say, he'd have to get a look inside to know for sure, which is easier for him than it sounds.]
The 'big three'? Poseidon, Hades, and Zeus?
[Is what he figures anyway. Gyro takes another drink. He's really starting to feel the warm from the liquor now, his vision blurring a little, gaze stuck on the fire and watching it dance. His posture calms a bit too, and a slight red flush starts to colour his cheeks, it'll be hard to notice with the red glow of the fire against him though.]
Love, heh- guess so, it's all we wrote about. [We as in Italians, he chuckles at his own joke, soon moving to point his cup at Percy once.]
Who're you even talking to, old people? If it's too hard for you just tell the other person to do something sexy, it'll get there. [Driiink.]
(Percy doesn't question it. He himself back on his home planet had two homes technically speaking. Percy would visit anyway. He made the assumption that they were now friends which meant that time together would be a thing. He was far from a stray. It's not like he would randomly show up constantly but he'd make an actual effort to be friends with Gyro, to keep an established relationship of sorts going. He liked him and wanted to visit. So he would.
Simple as that.
Percy shrugs and glances over as well. Blackjack looks very proud of himself. Divine blood. It made sense. Percy barely ever got sick either so he could buy that.)
No probably not. Maybe bones and some other structural stuff but I doubt anything organ wise.
(And only because whenever he rode Blackjack, Blackjack felt light. Percy had ridden a normal horse and knew the difference. Subtle but prominent when you rode two of them. If Gyro ever got the chance to ride Blackjack, he would no doubt be able to tell the difference in a heart beat as well.
Percy gives a slight nod, looking away for a moment. Some of that unease was still present. Being a child of the Big Three was extraordinarily dangerous. Even his name, Perseus, was dangerous.)
Well yeah I mean people start wars over love. And like, there's those mortal human women who find the strength in them to lift their car off a baby trapped under it or whatever. I mean sure that's probably mostly adrenaline but...I guess some people could argue love is all chemical but in my world, nothing's just science. All gods.
(He has no idea what he's trying to say. Maybe that he has faith. He doesn't understand that though. It was hard to use the word 'faith' when talking about something you knew to be true. Faith felt like something you had to believe in, not something you knew. No one said that they had faith in the sky being blue.)
No? Like, science teachers. (Percy pouts a little.) I heard older boys say something about 'whiskey dick' before though.
(In the locker room at school. He heard lots of other stuff too but you know. He wasn't about to bring it up.)
I heard in general that older people's stamina and sex drive is normally worse off too.
(Percy says this lightly and now he's just being a little shit.)
[And he won't explain it either. It's an odd situation that reveals more about his emotions concerning some people than he'd like to tell someone. And Percy doesn't push it, so good. Sure you could eventually get answers if you were persistent enough with Gyro and he grew to know you well enough, but pushing him also had a high possibility of pissing him off.]
[So yeah, become his friend and maybe then, right? He might find out anyway.]
[Valkyrie's pretty calm right now, having gotten a good deal of his initial excitement out already. Still, he doesn't stand next to Blackjack for too much longer before he's trotting away. He'll egg on the pegasus to run around with him a little, far enough to not bother Gyro and Percy of course, though not far enough to be out of view.]
[Gyro smirks at his horse before glancing back to Percy and finishing off his coffee just as a warmth of the liquor really starts to settle into his skin and posture.]
To lift a car off a baby?? Wait I've heard things like that. Mother's are the scariest things in the world when they wanna be.
[When they have to be more like. The words make him pause for a moment, a silence moving over him has thoughts of his own mother pass through his mind. A mother he... doesn't remember the name of anymore... His brows furrow, it's very subtle, but there enough to notice if Percy's looking before he adjusts in his seat and breathes in deep.]
Aaahh isn't science 'just gods' too? It's all made by them, if they're real, if you believe them. Even the science you know's somethin' they made and set up, and magic's just science we haven't gotten to figuring out yet, ya know?
Whhha- [A look over to him.]
Whiskey dick?? Nyo-hohohaha no way! Are you kidding me? Good thing I drink gin!
[More laughing, his golden teeth shimmering in the fire's light as the sky starts to really get dark now, going from red to purple to dark blue.]
I don't have any problems with my setup up... [Said as he looks over to him with heavy lids. Call them bedroom eyes if you want but it's really just the alcohol mellowing him out. He does lean a liiiittle closer to Percy though when he continues. Maybe he's poking right back at him though, possibly aiming to make Percy slightly uncomfortable in retaliation for the slight at his damn age again.]
And for stamina? I've run 'round the track more times than most I've "raced with".
(Percy's not much of a pusher. He is when he's closer with people but only to an extent, only if he genuinely feels like it's something that needs to be discussed. The kid's a good friend with good intention and for now, he's more than content to just get to know Gyro better and let this thing develop naturally between them.
It takes absolutely no time at all to get Blackjack to take off after Valkyrie. Blackjack is young and wild and adores any chance to dance around. He sweeps delicately up into the air and flies over Valkyrie low enough that he can lean down and playfully nip at him before landing a few feet away. He's just as aware of staying near the two men as well but he's down for some playing.)
Yeah, I don't know. It's like a brain-adrenaline thing? I dunno.
(He really doesn't. Percy genuinely is not text-book savvy. If only because most of school information doesn't stick well and he also has a shit time reading. But he has heard that before.
Percy does notice. He watches closely and where he might fail in some areas of expertise, he excels in several more. Observation is one of them and considering the topic of mothers, well. His own mother is an amazing woman and easily the nicest person he has ever known in all of his life. He adores her but he's also not stupid enough to think every kid's relationship with their mother is quite so simple or pleasant. Percy casually knocks his knee gently against Gyro's and it's this quiet little sign of support.)
Oh it's totally true. It's just funky thinking about in detail, you know?
(To him it was anyway but he could see like, Athena being responsible for science or whatever.)
I'm pretty sure it isn't just with whiskey.
(But Percy is grinning all the same. He personally thought alcohol tasted foul and good job Gyro for imploring that on him.
What Percy doesn't expect is to be looked at like that. He's been with enough people now, even slightly, to kind of pick up on the look at it surprises him. Even more so when Gyro leans towards him. Percy feels suddenly hyper-aware of their closeness and feels surprised when - when well, he realizes he wouldn't completely mind. With Gyro.
It takes him a moment to respond, a bit dazed, and he slowly nods.)
Huh? Oh, yeah. I don't. No. I uh...
(He really sucks at metaphors on the spot.)
I usually...need a few...laps in the pool myself?
(See that wasn't so hard. Not the best but neither was Gyro's so there. But he means it. He orgasms more than once. His masturbation sessions usually involved anywhere from two to three and sometimes even four times. He's a teenager whose all too virginal and a demigod.)
And if you're sure man. I mean, about your set up. It's okay if it's nothing like mine. Youth isn't forever so I can't hold that against you.
(Okay, now Percy's just being coy and..maybe..something else.)
[Yes! Yes yes playing. Valkyrie makes a higher whinny like sound as he follows after, moving away from Percy and Gyro as he follows Blackjack. He'll making huffing gestures and small stomps whenever the horse flies up and away from him, instigating him to come back down before darting off again. Definitely a good time to tucker eachother out a little, who knows how long they'll be here after all.]
[Gyro's got no aim to leave either anytime soon. He's mostly staring into the fire when Percy bumps their knees, finding himself staring down at the gesture rather blatantly. He's not sure why it was done, he doesn't realize he showed any weakness there concerning family or his mom. The alcohol's doing well to make his emotions show and fade quickly. So he'll just slap a hand down onto Percy's knee loudly, squeezing onto it and still gripping it when the conversation drifts to something more playful. Still there on his knee while Percy contemplates 'with' Gyro, whatever that is. Gyro himself is sort of just joking around. It's not until Percy starts to play along that he actually considers it.]
[And really- looking at Percy that close doesn't help either. He was a... demi-god? He's sure they're made to be pretty most of the time, sure some more than others, but Percy definitely was. He's noticing it now thanks to how honed in drinking has made him, staring more than he means to, and close, his breath smelling like almonds and coffee.]
[But the long, close, staring moment where a kiss seemed like the proper next steps is only to be ruined when Gyro can't help but take a joke set up and run with it. He laughs, pulling back as he lifts his hand from Percy's knee finally and bumps his fingers up under the kid's chin.]
Ooohh yeah? Well will you hold 'something else' against me? Nyeh-hehahaha!
[Being coy and something else, Percy, and you still get him snorting and horse laughing instead of him adding into the moment, sorry. Though it's really not all obliviousness, even if Gyro's good at making it seem like he's just drunk and can't read a mood. He read it all right, and wasn't... sure about it. He never invited Percy out to drink and get fresh with him, and he doesn't want him to think that IS his reason for coming out here. So he pulls back, adds a dumb joke, and even moves to stand up now with a sigh, stretching up his arms and looking over to the sky. Dark now... stars are starting to peek through the veil of night now, along with slivers of the dual moons that rise over Amoi.]
The funny thing about Percy is that he is genuinely awful at this kind of thing. Not because he's clumsy or awkward but because he is truly dense. Girls have kissed him before and he's not gotten the picture that they like him. He is used to reading things the wrong way, used to getting confused, or really he's used to being plainly oblivious. The kid doesn't even seem to always realize what he himself wants. So when Gyro abruptly laughs and knock his chin and runs with a joke, the spell isn't just broken, it's ruined and Percy blinks, wondering idly what had even just happened. Possibilities slip out between them and he regards Gyro once more as an adult because of course Gyro wouldn't be interested in a kid like himself. What had Percy been thinking? That was silly.
So Percy snorts, not even remotely embarrassed because truthfully, he knew he could be an idiot and this was no different. He doesn't even think to feel disappointed or a thing like that. At the most, Percy feels a little weird but Amoi did a great job of making him feel weird and uncomfortable most days. Everyone else seemed to have a completely different mentality regarding sex than he did and he felt behind everyone else, under them all, and not even in a good way. He was too sentimental, cared too much, was loyal to a fault and had no idea what to do with himself half the time. People thought he was trying to find himself but really, he knew himself and that was the issue.
He leans forward, cupping his chin with his palm and gazing into the fire as Gyro stretched. He doesn't respond to him because he didn't want to be more of an idiot, really. He might not have been embarrassed but now he was self-aware. Percy slid a hand through his hair, rubbing at the back of his neck, before he finally bothered with looking over at Gyro once more.)
Weren't we going to have smores or something?
(Let's just change the subject completely. Blackjack had sensed Percy's minor discomfort and trotted closer to him, inquiring whether or not Percy was doing okay. Percy responded that yeah, he was fine, but for once Percy responded telepathically. Blackjack hesitated but then ultimately seemed fine with it. Percy could roll with anything and get over everything so he wasn't too worried about Percy telling the truth. He gave a delighted whinny and wen back to playing with Valkyrie.)
Maybe let this one end, just due to age so we can start something new? That cool?
[Hey, nothing is ruined here. If anything he's made sure Percy won't think that Gyro was trying to get into his pants at all. That was the point. He doesn't want Percy to ever think that that's a problem because here? It happens constantly here. And he likes Percy, wants to be his friend before anything else, so the fact that Percy scraps it from his mind entirely is sort of what Gyro was going for. If thinks come to this again in the future, drink or no drink, Gyro will consider the options then. After all, he only started to get involved with men at all when he had been drinking... thankfully he's grown from that, poor Jin though had to deal with Gyro cock blocking him on multiple occasions from freaking out about it.]
[It took time though to get used to things here, or at least one would think it should. Most of the people Percy sees, even Gyro, have been here long enough to get more comfortable with it, and that's not even bringing up the natives who are only used to a sexually open society. So yeah, at first it'll seem difficult, like you're alone in dealing with how strange things are here, but you get used to it. Gyro's STILL getting used to some things.]
Yeah- you still want to?
[Said as he looks down to him from where he stands, smiling. He lets nothing awkward linger in the air, even instigating to touch Percy again, ruffling that perfect-for-ruffling hair before he moves to the small bag he had gotten from Valkyrie's satchel before.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
(At the offer, Percy shakes his head.)
No thanks. The drinking age is 21 and I'm a few years off from that. My mom would have a hernia.
(Not really. She wasn't the type to get mad or yell at him but she'd be disappointed and that would be significantly worse. Blackjack wasn't bothered by the minor disagreement between the men. He knew his master enough to know he wouldn't start anything serious and he was used enough to general confrontations like that. When Gyro came over, he gave a pleasant whinny of acknowledgement and nudged at Gyro's side, sniffing for treats.)
Some Amara-what? (Percy asks from where he is, not having really hard Gyro all that well.)
no subject
Nyeh- heh, drinking age where?
[What a cute thing to reply with though. He won't push it on him anymore. He WILL keep trying to find everything to make a-]
Ah ha! Amaretto, it's an almond liquor. If you're Earth side, it's usually from Saronno.
[Said as he lifts a small bottle out. He'll quickly click a greeting against his teeth at Blackjack, give him a wink. The bottle is tucked under and arm and he'll move back into the satchel to remove a packet of dates. Hope you like these, they're Valkyrie's favorite, he'll mumble and give him one, giving one to Valkyrie as well before he puts them back and moves back to accompany Percy by the fire. He sets everything down and moves to start preparing the coffee pot, filling it with water.]
You drink coffee? Or are you not old enough for that too?
no subject
In New York. And present time. I'm not so sure what the drinking age is from when you were around.
(He looks thoughtful for a moment but knows it's a lost cause. He was awful at school and school never covered 'drinking age laws' way back when. The only drinking laws they covered were bootleggers and then the speakeasies.)
Ohhhh. Of course.
(Almond liquor. He knew that. No he didn't. But he's going to nod his support anyway. Blackjack perks his head up, ears flicking about madly.
What you...? What this! Ayyyyye boss!
Percy looks over but sees that it's only a date so he snorts, watching as Blackjack doesn't even wait for permission to eat and just dives right on in and munches on the date.
Valkyrie, my man, you got some STELLAR taste that was ugh- the stuff of dreams. You gotta another? Hey....hey! Where you going?
He calls after Gyro but of course, Gyro would hear nothing but a little bit of shuffling around on Blackjack's end. Percy laughs at his horse's despair.)
He liked the date. And is sad you left without giving him more.
(A beat. He looks at the coffee and then at Gyro.)
I know you envy my youth and vitality but harsh man, real harsh. It's okay. I still think you look good for your age. Women are probably into the silver fox thing sometimes.
(He pats Gyro's shoulder sympathetically.)
I'll try some coffee.
no subject
[Gyro chuckles at the comment about the date, glancing back. He'll see Valkyrie nudge at Blackjack's neck a little, pushing the end of his snout near his neck in comfort.]
We can't mate, not here. But I'm guessing your guy, that Percy, you lot live over in that fancy city, do ya? So he probably still gives ya a lotta grub, eh? Don't work like that hea.
[It may sound rather sad to both Percy and Blackjack, but it's the truth. Gyro can't hear his horse to know that Valkyrie's understood so well, so he'll mention it himself as well. Still... it'd really mean something were he to know that Valkyrie realized that it wasn't because Gyro was punishing him that he had to be scarce with things like treats. it'd mean something that Valkyrie understood what his master was going through, and the lack of funds he had here.]
That's the only bag for the month, not sure if I'll afford more next one either. [A shrug, pouting as he looks to Blackjack.]
Sorry for that, Blackjack.
[Really sorry actually, but, he tries not to dwell on it. He looks back to the fire, chuckling at Percy's words.]
Women are into me fine, and not a grey hair yet, you wanna look? I pluck them out and use them to floss, nyo-hoho! Fuuuu!
[He swats at that hand, shoves him again, and this time ruffles Percy's hair too. He sure is okay with touching, and Percy has very ruffle-y hair.]
Doubt you want it spiked though, yeah? You're lucky, this stuff took me a while to find, good enough without spirits.
no subject
(He had never really had a huge urge to get wasted or anything and he was sixteen. Two years off from the old age of drinking. Twenty-one seemed so far off and old to him.
Blackjack looks at Valkyrie and snorts. One thing about Blackjack? He's a natural glutton. Doesn't even need to be spoiled that way.
No way. Boss gives me only what I need and a teeny bit extra on the side. He's all picky on my diet. Says I'd get fat otherwise.
Which in Blackjack's case? He absolutely would. If Blackjack could, he'd likely do nothing but eat sugar cubes from dusk til dawn and splurge a bit between on anything else.
Percy does notice though and glances over before at Gyro. He's aware enough about how mongrels couldn't afford much. Percy grew up dirt poor and that wasn't really something he was surprised about. He still had no idea what to do with the money that he had been given. He hadn't splurged at all. The most he had done was eaten out a lot until he actually figured out how to make food in his place.
But he also gets that most people don't really enjoy hand-outs. He didn't either but it was aggravating to know that someone like Gyro and his horse were just squeaking by. He considers this closely.)
What do you do for Valkyrie? I mean, like, living wise? Does he just stay with you at your place?
(It was a genuine question as much as it was a mildly prodding one. Blackjack mostly flew around. Pegasi weren't fans of stables and needed to be able to stretch their wings far more than regular horses had to stretch their legs. But otherwise, he stayed in Percy's place and that wasn't all that horse friendly in atmosphere.
Aw it's okay, man. Don't sweat it.)
That's - gross. And also sad. I have gray hair but that's totally not my fault.
(He pouts a bit and rubs his fingers through the streak of gray hair in his hair by his temple. Stupid titans. Then Gyro is ruffling his hair and Percy whines though does absolutely nothing to stop it.)
Awww c'mon. My hair's already a total mess. Ugh ew. Why do you drink anyway? It tastes so bad.
no subject
[Said with a raised brow. Because they sure as hell do. Makes you wonder why alcohol is legal at all. Sure it won't be for a bit, but it turns out we find out during that period that you can't just take something like from the public, it'll raise crime rates. They'll get it anyway, that and it'll sap money from the economy. So dangerous? Seems like that's not really why people get shit taken away, not really.]
[But yeah, kids do tend to be stupid on a wider level with it. Doesn't seem to stop Amoi from letting them drink though.]
You'll get fat, really? Ya dill! How do ya get fat when we're movin' around all the time, yer favorite things to hitch and bog down?
[Said with a lower of his head and a whinny and huff, laughing at the idea of it. Valkyrie was a very healthy horse, treated that way and in habit. He's not the sort to eat himself huge and takes a lot of enjoyment in moving around. You can tell by how often he moves and how easily, he's very similar to his rider in that respect.]
[Despite the comment about the dates, Gyro doesn't really seem that distraught or bitter about it. It was a normal sort of life, to struggle a bit, wasn't it? A cowboy life, even if he was in no way an actual cowboy. But he wasn't the sort to whine or dwell on his problems, he just did what he had to do to get over them. He sure wishes opening his clinic had made it easier to take less help though... it did a little, but not as much as he'd like. It would if he upped his prices, but what's the point when he wants to keep his clinic more accessible to the Mongrel populace?]
[He takes a drink of his flask, turning the kettle a bit and whipping his hand slightly to get the heat off his palm.]
Mnh well- yeah, depending on where I am, he's in there with me. Most places don't stop him at the door, they don;t know what to even do about a horse and most of the time they think I some how got ahold of a digital version. [Makes them assume he's a pet then though, a lot of the time, and then it fucks him over ugh.]
Still do now, he used to only live in my apartment too, I got a bigger one when I showed up, first floor. But now... a friend of mine got me set up with a small stable at my place here in Diedo. [A pause, sighing out of his nose before he looks down to the fire, busying himself a little by stoking it.]
Big help, stable's a lot better on his hooves. [So he... took it, grinned and dealt with the help. But this place has shown him through constant pressures to be a little more accepting of things like help. Friends often... did that sort of thing anyway, he learned that too. Though he only ever took help when it was associated with Valkyrie or that clinic of his. Otherwise? Nope.]
Nyeh- huuu, you got grey hairs?? Then you have more than me! You're a god's son, right? Maybe you're a liiiar too and you're really like eighty in my own world's years.
[Moving to ruffle his hair again but he stops short this time, psyche-ing him out and hissing a laugh through his teeth.]
You think so? Well I like the taste sometimes, and if I don't like it, I like the feeling afterwards. Being drunk can make things a whoooole lot better. [A shrug.]
Not all the time though. [He's not some alcoholic after all.]
Besides, a little red wine's good for the heart, didn't you know?
no subject
Oh, no, they do that too but adults really like to point out the mistakes of kids and act like they're the ones doing a worse job of things.
(Percy has no idea why they don't take it away or at the very least regulate it better. He had no idea why age reflected responsibility. His stepfather had abused alcohol and wound up abusing everyone else in the process and he was plenty old enough to be more "responsible" than that. It's not like Percy had any ideas of how to fix the system though and really, a bunch of dead kids still wasn't enough to make people wonder about how they ought to start changing the laws around alcohol. Who knows?
Kids were definitely a little stupider. But adults had the years of experience that made it look real bad when they were the idiots. Besides, some adults acted like they couldn't possibly be stupid ever.
Nah I don't think he means fat literally. I think he means I'll get sick on stuff. He's not wrong. One time I found an ENTIRE bag of sugar cubes and puked my brains out after. I got impulse control issues.
Blackjack says this rather solemnly. He might have something of intellect but when push came to shove, he was still a horse. He wasn't the sharpest horse either. Definitely not stupid but very much needed Percy there to keep him from eating badly because he would otherwise simply because something tasted good. Percy knew this well enough about his pegasus. Blackjack was very healthy as well because of Percy's critical eye.
That was the truth enough. Percy understood it. There had been plenty things he just dealt with because there was no other choice. Hell, the kid still had his old converse that were riddled with holes and falling apart at the seams. But in the same instance, he now had money and wondered what help he could do with that.
At the mention of stables, Percy looks over, surprised.)
There are stables here? Did they build it or something?
(There's genuine interest in his voice. It wasn't like Blackjack really liked the floors in his apartment either. Generally speaking, pegasus didn't like enclosures in general. Pegasi stables usually had openings or at least easy access to the outside world so they could stretch their wings. They weren't domesticated like normal horses. You couldn't just train one to keep it around permanently. They had to explore, had to fly, but they would come back if you were an owner worth coming back to.)
I've mostly been letting Blackjack roam. Pegasi need that. They're not completely like normal horses.
(Percy pouts at being called a liar and for a moment, he looks genuinely offended. For just a moment though. Being called a liar was one of the greatest insults in his books but it's pretty evident Gyro is kidding so he eases up.)
Nah. Just sixteen, unfortunately. But yeah. See?
(He turns his head around so that he was looking over his shoulder and so Gyro could see the dull grey strip that slid through his hair.)
It's not like I was born with it. Got it on a quest.
(A hellish quest but seeing as he has a grey lock to prove it -he doesn't need to say that.)
I've never been drunk. (Obviously.)
I guess but so are a lot of other things?
no subject
[Yeeeep. He's met a plenty, hell, he IS one of those assholes himself at times, maybe even all the time. But he's met a hell of a lot more adults he didn't like than kids, that's for sure.]
[A glance over, he shakes his head.]
No stables, not in Midas. The one I have is for a single horse, another one might fit, but not for a long term setup. ...He built it, just for Valkyrie.
Unfortunately I can't let him roam like Blackjack. He's too easy to steal. [And sell, or... eat. A digital animal roaming around alone would be stolen too, but once they found he was REAL it was even more of a reason to take him. Gyro didn't want that to happen. Valkyrie wasn't like Blackjack who could fly, or like Liger who was deadly and riddled with fangs and claws. He'd try to get away but he'd still probably get caught... The idea already has him feeling uncomfortable. Plus Gyro had a hard time leaving Valkyrie alone anyway, he liked to roam and stuff too, sure, but Valkyrie was a very social creature.]
Pegasi do? Well he can roam my way if he ever wants to.
[Yeah, he didn't mean the liar thing, he's pretty casual right now as he sits back, waiting for the kettle to boil. He'll look over to Percy though when he brings attention to that patch of grey and frowns, puckering up his lips as he leans a little closer to get a better look.]
Magic? Stress, fear? Lots of things could cause it. Looks neat though, you're .01 percent old, nyeh-heh!
Yeah, true. [Leaning away again.]
Plenty's healthy, how's that an argument against having a drink once and a while? Drink if you want to, don't if you don't, just don't be an idiot whether you do either one or you'll get your ass kicked.
no subject
(He's not even trying to be a little shit nosed brat. He means it. Most adults loathed to admit the fault in their generation. Sure kids were real idiots but that wasn't to discredit all the adults out there who were just as big of idiots without the excuse of lacking experience that kids had.
Percy hums in thought, wondering if there was a way they could set up some sort of real stable system. He had the money....The means, however, was a totally different question. Did they even sell construction supplies or anything?)
No, I'd imagine. Blackjack mostly roams in the sky, not the ground.
(Which was a given but Percy felt the need to clarify anyway. Even if he wanted Blackjack to stay, he still wouldn't. It wasn't quite fair to the horse. Blackjack knew better than to just fly down into populated areas. After all, their camp had been on Long Island Sound and just outside of New York City. Blackjack had flown over the heart of the city plenty of times but knew that if he wanted to land, it was wiser to land on high skyscrapers' roofs and the like. Out of sight completely.)
He probably will whether or not I tell him to.
(Percy laughs a bit at this and glances over at Blackjack and Valkyrie.)
Not gonna lie, he'll probably fly out to hang with Valkyrie a lot now that he knows he's here.
(He tips his head to allow Gyro a better look. He wasn't self-conscious of the grey hair nor was he proud. It was just something that was there. Not with indifference but...muted feelings.)
Uh. Magic and stress? I don't know really. You know the story about the titan Atlas who held the world up? Yeah, well.
(Percy shrugged his shoulders and lifted his arms up as if to imitate the famous depiction of the story.)
For three or so minutes anyway.
(It had been enough to leave permanent damage though. In his hair but also in his head a little. Not that he talks about that sort of thing ever.)
Well anything's healthy in moderation or so they say. How can you be an idiot by not drinking?
(He's not even being preachy. He's just curious how that even works.)
no subject
[Gyro leans back a little, pouring some of the amaretto from that separate bottle into his own cup, making a smell of almonds rise into the air along with the smell of coffee.]
[As for self-aware? He's never really heard that term before, not really, it's a weird one though he got the meaning quickly. If anything it just meant 'not stupid'. He knew how adults could be, and while pride ate a part of his heart as it did any man, he was smart enough to know he was just as capable of either side of right and wrong like any man as well. While his dad taught him to not be compassionate, he also taught him to be logical and humble. He didn't live up to it all the time, but he still had it drilled into him.]
Well land or sky, he's welcome. Though I better give you my schedule to tell him or he'll come by when Valkyrie's still stabled.
[He works after all, often too. He didn't keep Valkyrie cooped up too long, but he had to when he was gone and when no one else was around to take care of him. The number of people he entrusted Valkyrie to was very few after all, less than fingers on his right hand.]
[A glance over again after he's done inspecting that patch of hair. Close enough Percy'd feel his breath on his neck, but only for a moment.]
In your world... no way! Wasn't Atlas a titan? One of 'endurance', how'd you manage that? You're not buff at all, I could pick my teeth with those arms.
[Said with a smirk as he takes another drink and sighs at how it's temperature and liquor burns his throat and belly. Gyro shakes his head, barking out a small laugh.]
How can't you? The smartest people can be idiots after being sober all their lives, it's human nature. [People are dumb, you can get outta being dumb, sure, but everyone has their moments, even sober. You could manage smart while drunk too, not everyone turned into a full moron after all. Hell... Gyro got a little 'smarter' sometimes when he drank, he sure got better at communication and 'feelings' talks. Not a lot better, but better than he was any other time.]
no subject
(Kind of like how he could admit he himself was a bit of a dumbass sometimes. Not in so many words but the sentiment was always there. Granted, he wasn't nearly remotely stupid as he thought he was or as everyone else thought he was but hey, point still stands.
Percy isn't too shocked by this. Between the technology and his own naturally heat resistant skin, things like hot coffee normally don't bother him much. He even gives a sip of the hot coffee and seems utterly un-bothered by it. The taste is okay enough. Percy wasn't the biggest fan of coffee but this was a comfortable tasting brew that he really didn't mind sipping at.)
That would actually help a lot, thanks. He's a real smart creature so he'd be able to go by on a schedule.
(Percy doesn't offer help right then. Doesn't actually think to. Gyro seemed like he had things sorted out but really, if Percy knew, he would have gladly helped. He had helped with the stables back at camp and took care of Blackjack.
While Blackjack might be more wild than domesticated, his mane was perfect, combed out and gorgeous in silkiness. His coat and wings were always neat and his hooves were spotless. Not that they were particularly hard to clean since he was an air beast but still. He even had nice teeth. Percy wouldn't mind in the slightest taking care of Valkyrie for Gyro while he worked. Not like he was doing anything anyway most days besides training. He doesn't offer though. Not right now.)
Yeah? I just said he was a titan, didn't I? I told you. I'm a demigod. I think you're severely underestimating the 'god' part in that.
(Percy doesn't seem offended though. He grins. He's really not buff but he's far from lanky too. He leans back and raises his arm to flex his bicep muscle. He's got those nice muscles, the kind of muscles that make the arm holes in t-shirts tight and snug around the shape of them. His thighs are killer and his abdomen is tight and solid, as are his pecs. The kid, without clothes on, is not too unlike classical Greek statues of divine male figures.
He laughs a little bit and shakes his head.)
I don't really get that but I guess so. Isn't that just being stupid by nature though? I don't see how it's relevant to sobriety.
(But he wasn't really arguing it. What did he know about the world of drinking? He takes another swig of coffee.)
This isn't bad, by the way.
no subject
[Clinic took up the majority of his mornings and middays, unfortunately without another doctor on staff yet, it could take his nights too, and while the nurses were also able to take certain house calls, he had to take the most. So yeah, a lot of his time. It made it hard to pick up his own hobbies again, and he's lucky he hasn;t gotten a call since he's come out here with Percy.]
[Ugh... he takes a drink just thinking about it, letting it burn his tongue a little.]
Does a Pegasus ever get sick?
[Because while Percy isn't going to offer his help just yet, Gyro will offer his if need be. After all, he is a doctor, and he's had to take to being a horse doctor too, considering there are no vets here, and those that would qualify are way out of his budget.]
Yeah so? Different gods do different things, don't they? You said it yourself, you're not really good with music, and I doubt Aphrodite could hold the world up so well, same with you. Heh- a little time though, sure, three minutes you said? I could believe that.
Nooote to self, no arm wrestling with Percy.
[He'll lean over, offering a puckered, playful smirk as he pinches at Percy's flexed arm. Pinch pinch.]
What?? That IS my point, people are going to be stupid no matter what. Alcohol just makes it fun to sometimes.
Makes sex better too.
[Said with a matter-o-fact shrug as he takes another drink of his italian coffee.]
No it's not, not as good as it could be, but I'll take what I can get.
no subject
(Percy was actually a little bit lonely himself. He had made friends, certainly. But he was also used to living in a camp that did daily activities together. He wasn't awful all alone but he definitely had a bit of an ache to....to do more things with other people. This right here was really nice even. Hanging out with Gyro just casually. Even if it had gotten a little sour for a moment there - even that was preferable to silence. Blackjack was great company but Percy wasn't selfish enough to hole Blackjack up inside with him. They did hang out a lot but the pegasus needed his wings room and honestly, Percy needed company that wasn't just a horse. There was only so much they could do and talk about, after all. He was still very much an animal.
At the question, Percy looks over at Blackjack curiously.)
I've got no idea. I imagine they can. Can you get sick, bud?
(Pssssh? Who? Me? Nah, boss, I'm too tough for germs.
That sounded fake but okay. Percy just sighs affectionately at his pegasus, shaking his head.)
He can probably get sick. Maybe it's just harder for him to.
(Percy grins at Gyro then, not even remotely offended.)
You're not wrong at all. I don't know if it's a demigod thing or a particular demigod thing. I mean I'm one of the big three's kids. Technically stronger than other demigods. My friend whose a child of Athena was holding it up before me. It's why I took it in the first place so she get out. I mean technically us demigods are meant to be durable and go to all kinds of vicious wars against monsters and titans. So maybe it has to do with our parents or maybe it's got to do with our blood.
(He really doesn't know. Most kids do have ADHD and dyslexia who are demigods, both of which actually aid them in battle and quests so it wouldn't be hard to believe that they could hold up the world - all of them- despite their parents.)
I wouldn't throw away Aphrodite so easily. She's still a goddess and I think there's a serious power in love.
(Which maybe sounded corny but it was true, wasn't it? Percy had gone through literal hell out of love for his mother, love for his friends.
Percy laughs loudly then and swats at Gyro's pinching hands.)(A total joke but maybe- no.)
All right, fair.
Wait -what? Seriously? But I've heard that alcohol can kind of make it hard to get- you know. Up.
(Or stay up. He doesn't actually remember but he definitely remembered that in health class- the few he had attended- there was a lot about how alcohol could make sex bad.)
no subject
[A slightly confusing setup, yes. But either of his roommates sort of fucked off a good deal, had their own things to do. Yata had work and it was often he went to Tanagura to visit a friend, and Jin... well Jin was in Tanagura a lot. So Gyro was in either Midas location, both private housing, when he felt like it. Sometimes when he went to the place in Diedo and no one was there, he'd try the place with Yata and Yata was there, and maybe he just wanted that company. Gyro was good at being a longer, raised to be, but he didn't prefer it. And so he means it when he says he'll give him his addresses, he'd like for Percy to visit.]
That right?
[Glancing to Blackjack himself.]
Well if he does, you know where to find me. I doubt he's that much different from Valkyrie in there. [He's thinking... more fragile bones, faster digestive system, and possibly thicker yet lighter muscles? Hard to say, he'd have to get a look inside to know for sure, which is easier for him than it sounds.]
The 'big three'? Poseidon, Hades, and Zeus?
[Is what he figures anyway. Gyro takes another drink. He's really starting to feel the warm from the liquor now, his vision blurring a little, gaze stuck on the fire and watching it dance. His posture calms a bit too, and a slight red flush starts to colour his cheeks, it'll be hard to notice with the red glow of the fire against him though.]
Love, heh- guess so, it's all we wrote about. [We as in Italians, he chuckles at his own joke, soon moving to point his cup at Percy once.]
Who're you even talking to, old people? If it's too hard for you just tell the other person to do something sexy, it'll get there. [Driiink.]
no subject
(Percy doesn't question it. He himself back on his home planet had two homes technically speaking. Percy would visit anyway. He made the assumption that they were now friends which meant that time together would be a thing. He was far from a stray. It's not like he would randomly show up constantly but he'd make an actual effort to be friends with Gyro, to keep an established relationship of sorts going. He liked him and wanted to visit. So he would.
Simple as that.
Percy shrugs and glances over as well. Blackjack looks very proud of himself. Divine blood. It made sense. Percy barely ever got sick either so he could buy that.)
No probably not. Maybe bones and some other structural stuff but I doubt anything organ wise.
(And only because whenever he rode Blackjack, Blackjack felt light. Percy had ridden a normal horse and knew the difference. Subtle but prominent when you rode two of them. If Gyro ever got the chance to ride Blackjack, he would no doubt be able to tell the difference in a heart beat as well.
Percy gives a slight nod, looking away for a moment. Some of that unease was still present. Being a child of the Big Three was extraordinarily dangerous. Even his name, Perseus, was dangerous.)
Well yeah I mean people start wars over love. And like, there's those mortal human women who find the strength in them to lift their car off a baby trapped under it or whatever. I mean sure that's probably mostly adrenaline but...I guess some people could argue love is all chemical but in my world, nothing's just science. All gods.
(He has no idea what he's trying to say. Maybe that he has faith. He doesn't understand that though. It was hard to use the word 'faith' when talking about something you knew to be true. Faith felt like something you had to believe in, not something you knew. No one said that they had faith in the sky being blue.)
No? Like, science teachers. (Percy pouts a little.) I heard older boys say something about 'whiskey dick' before though.
(In the locker room at school. He heard lots of other stuff too but you know. He wasn't about to bring it up.)
I heard in general that older people's stamina and sex drive is normally worse off too.
(Percy says this lightly and now he's just being a little shit.)
no subject
[So yeah, become his friend and maybe then, right? He might find out anyway.]
[Valkyrie's pretty calm right now, having gotten a good deal of his initial excitement out already. Still, he doesn't stand next to Blackjack for too much longer before he's trotting away. He'll egg on the pegasus to run around with him a little, far enough to not bother Gyro and Percy of course, though not far enough to be out of view.]
[Gyro smirks at his horse before glancing back to Percy and finishing off his coffee just as a warmth of the liquor really starts to settle into his skin and posture.]
To lift a car off a baby?? Wait I've heard things like that. Mother's are the scariest things in the world when they wanna be.
[When they have to be more like. The words make him pause for a moment, a silence moving over him has thoughts of his own mother pass through his mind. A mother he... doesn't remember the name of anymore... His brows furrow, it's very subtle, but there enough to notice if Percy's looking before he adjusts in his seat and breathes in deep.]
Aaahh isn't science 'just gods' too? It's all made by them, if they're real, if you believe them. Even the science you know's somethin' they made and set up, and magic's just science we haven't gotten to figuring out yet, ya know?
Whhha- [A look over to him.]
Whiskey dick?? Nyo-hohohaha no way! Are you kidding me? Good thing I drink gin!
[More laughing, his golden teeth shimmering in the fire's light as the sky starts to really get dark now, going from red to purple to dark blue.]
I don't have any problems with my setup up... [Said as he looks over to him with heavy lids. Call them bedroom eyes if you want but it's really just the alcohol mellowing him out. He does lean a liiiittle closer to Percy though when he continues. Maybe he's poking right back at him though, possibly aiming to make Percy slightly uncomfortable in retaliation for the slight at his damn age again.]
And for stamina? I've run 'round the track more times than most I've "raced with".
[One orgasm usually just wasn't enough, ya know?]
no subject
It takes absolutely no time at all to get Blackjack to take off after Valkyrie. Blackjack is young and wild and adores any chance to dance around. He sweeps delicately up into the air and flies over Valkyrie low enough that he can lean down and playfully nip at him before landing a few feet away. He's just as aware of staying near the two men as well but he's down for some playing.)
Yeah, I don't know. It's like a brain-adrenaline thing? I dunno.
(He really doesn't. Percy genuinely is not text-book savvy. If only because most of school information doesn't stick well and he also has a shit time reading. But he has heard that before.
Percy does notice. He watches closely and where he might fail in some areas of expertise, he excels in several more. Observation is one of them and considering the topic of mothers, well. His own mother is an amazing woman and easily the nicest person he has ever known in all of his life. He adores her but he's also not stupid enough to think every kid's relationship with their mother is quite so simple or pleasant. Percy casually knocks his knee gently against Gyro's and it's this quiet little sign of support.)
Oh it's totally true. It's just funky thinking about in detail, you know?
(To him it was anyway but he could see like, Athena being responsible for science or whatever.)
I'm pretty sure it isn't just with whiskey.
(But Percy is grinning all the same. He personally thought alcohol tasted foul and good job Gyro for imploring that on him.
What Percy doesn't expect is to be looked at like that. He's been with enough people now, even slightly, to kind of pick up on the look at it surprises him. Even more so when Gyro leans towards him. Percy feels suddenly hyper-aware of their closeness and feels surprised when - when well, he realizes he wouldn't completely mind. With Gyro.
It takes him a moment to respond, a bit dazed, and he slowly nods.)
Huh? Oh, yeah. I don't. No. I uh...
(He really sucks at metaphors on the spot.)
I usually...need a few...laps in the pool myself?
(See that wasn't so hard. Not the best but neither was Gyro's so there. But he means it. He orgasms more than once. His masturbation sessions usually involved anywhere from two to three and sometimes even four times. He's a teenager whose all too virginal and a demigod.)
And if you're sure man. I mean, about your set up. It's okay if it's nothing like mine. Youth isn't forever so I can't hold that against you.
(Okay, now Percy's just being coy and..maybe..something else.)
no subject
[Gyro's got no aim to leave either anytime soon. He's mostly staring into the fire when Percy bumps their knees, finding himself staring down at the gesture rather blatantly. He's not sure why it was done, he doesn't realize he showed any weakness there concerning family or his mom. The alcohol's doing well to make his emotions show and fade quickly. So he'll just slap a hand down onto Percy's knee loudly, squeezing onto it and still gripping it when the conversation drifts to something more playful. Still there on his knee while Percy contemplates 'with' Gyro, whatever that is. Gyro himself is sort of just joking around. It's not until Percy starts to play along that he actually considers it.]
[And really- looking at Percy that close doesn't help either. He was a... demi-god? He's sure they're made to be pretty most of the time, sure some more than others, but Percy definitely was. He's noticing it now thanks to how honed in drinking has made him, staring more than he means to, and close, his breath smelling like almonds and coffee.]
[But the long, close, staring moment where a kiss seemed like the proper next steps is only to be ruined when Gyro can't help but take a joke set up and run with it. He laughs, pulling back as he lifts his hand from Percy's knee finally and bumps his fingers up under the kid's chin.]
Ooohh yeah? Well will you hold 'something else' against me? Nyeh-hehahaha!
[Being coy and something else, Percy, and you still get him snorting and horse laughing instead of him adding into the moment, sorry. Though it's really not all obliviousness, even if Gyro's good at making it seem like he's just drunk and can't read a mood. He read it all right, and wasn't... sure about it. He never invited Percy out to drink and get fresh with him, and he doesn't want him to think that IS his reason for coming out here. So he pulls back, adds a dumb joke, and even moves to stand up now with a sigh, stretching up his arms and looking over to the sky. Dark now... stars are starting to peek through the veil of night now, along with slivers of the dual moons that rise over Amoi.]
no subject
The funny thing about Percy is that he is genuinely awful at this kind of thing. Not because he's clumsy or awkward but because he is truly dense. Girls have kissed him before and he's not gotten the picture that they like him. He is used to reading things the wrong way, used to getting confused, or really he's used to being plainly oblivious. The kid doesn't even seem to always realize what he himself wants. So when Gyro abruptly laughs and knock his chin and runs with a joke, the spell isn't just broken, it's ruined and Percy blinks, wondering idly what had even just happened. Possibilities slip out between them and he regards Gyro once more as an adult because of course Gyro wouldn't be interested in a kid like himself. What had Percy been thinking? That was silly.
So Percy snorts, not even remotely embarrassed because truthfully, he knew he could be an idiot and this was no different. He doesn't even think to feel disappointed or a thing like that. At the most, Percy feels a little weird but Amoi did a great job of making him feel weird and uncomfortable most days. Everyone else seemed to have a completely different mentality regarding sex than he did and he felt behind everyone else, under them all, and not even in a good way. He was too sentimental, cared too much, was loyal to a fault and had no idea what to do with himself half the time. People thought he was trying to find himself but really, he knew himself and that was the issue.
He leans forward, cupping his chin with his palm and gazing into the fire as Gyro stretched. He doesn't respond to him because he didn't want to be more of an idiot, really. He might not have been embarrassed but now he was self-aware. Percy slid a hand through his hair, rubbing at the back of his neck, before he finally bothered with looking over at Gyro once more.)
Weren't we going to have smores or something?
(Let's just change the subject completely. Blackjack had sensed Percy's minor discomfort and trotted closer to him, inquiring whether or not Percy was doing okay. Percy responded that yeah, he was fine, but for once Percy responded telepathically. Blackjack hesitated but then ultimately seemed fine with it. Percy could roll with anything and get over everything so he wasn't too worried about Percy telling the truth. He gave a delighted whinny and wen back to playing with Valkyrie.)
Maybe let this one end, just due to age so we can start something new? That cool?
[It took time though to get used to things here, or at least one would think it should. Most of the people Percy sees, even Gyro, have been here long enough to get more comfortable with it, and that's not even bringing up the natives who are only used to a sexually open society. So yeah, at first it'll seem difficult, like you're alone in dealing with how strange things are here, but you get used to it. Gyro's STILL getting used to some things.]
Yeah- you still want to?
[Said as he looks down to him from where he stands, smiling. He lets nothing awkward linger in the air, even instigating to touch Percy again, ruffling that perfect-for-ruffling hair before he moves to the small bag he had gotten from Valkyrie's satchel before.]