[ she sees him walking, and it kicks the air out of her chest.
for a solid moment, she is ten years old. she is asking him to take her into the city the next time they go, following him around camp like a child. you were a child she reminds herself, but it doesn't help. it doesn't make it any easier to push the wind back into her lungs, to push the thoughts through to their normal, present speed. but it's harder than it should be, seeing him, him, walking through the city streets.
there is no woman, right now. no group of students all circled around a vent. this is simply the area of town they call old, surrounded by red brick and old architecture, and annabeth feels so horrendously out of her depth. but she can't, she can't let herself do this, because a part of her had always been expecting something like this to happen. they'd be down to tartarus, had been warned that she would meet the faces of her past.
she knew this was coming.
and yet.
annabeth's fists tighten at her side, luke's easy wandering leading him further and further away, and through the shock comes a quick ping of panic. there has to be something going on. there has to be something else happening. but if he gets away- ]
Luke!
[ her voice doesn't quiver, thankfully, despite the way her hands feel like they're shaking at her sides. turn around. ]
revenge-ish? don't question me
for a solid moment, she is ten years old. she is asking him to take her into the city the next time they go, following him around camp like a child. you were a child she reminds herself, but it doesn't help. it doesn't make it any easier to push the wind back into her lungs, to push the thoughts through to their normal, present speed. but it's harder than it should be, seeing him, him, walking through the city streets.
there is no woman, right now. no group of students all circled around a vent. this is simply the area of town they call old, surrounded by red brick and old architecture, and annabeth feels so horrendously out of her depth. but she can't, she can't let herself do this, because a part of her had always been expecting something like this to happen. they'd be down to tartarus, had been warned that she would meet the faces of her past.
she knew this was coming.
and yet.
annabeth's fists tighten at her side, luke's easy wandering leading him further and further away, and through the shock comes a quick ping of panic. there has to be something going on. there has to be something else happening. but if he gets away- ]
Luke!
[ her voice doesn't quiver, thankfully, despite the way her hands feel like they're shaking at her sides. turn around. ]