ꨄ︎ 𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖔𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖆 ༄ care, can i ask you something?
༄ it's like you want me to hit you.
𝗜𝗡 𝗪𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗛
carolina has spend
her entire life waiting
for something to arrive
...
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"okay." percy turned to the group. "you remember the plan?"
"the plan." grover gulped. "yeah, i love the plan."
they stood in the shadows of valencia boulevard, looking up at gold letters etched in black marble: DOARECORDINGSTUDIOS.
underneath, stenciled on the glass doors: NO SOLICITORS. NO LOITERING. NO LIVING.
it was almost midnight, but the lobby was brightly lit and full of people. behind the security desk sat a tough-looking guard with sunglasses and an earpiece.
lina watched grover at his side breathing anxiously. the girl searched on her backpack, finding a red toy ball she had grabbed from waterland and handed it to him. at first, he frowned in confusion, but then he took it and started squeezing it. "better?" she asked and he just nodded, a soft smile forming on his lips.
"if we get into trouble..." percy mumbled taking something from his pocket, "these are our tickets out." he showed them the five pearls shining between his fingers.
"no one's turning back till we all come back." annabeth said.
"we have no idea what's down there." percy continued. "i just think it's safer if i'm not holding them all."
they nodded slightly, each one taking a pearl. "let's go get your mom." lina told him.
thy walked inside the DOA lobby. muzak played softly on hidden speakers. the carpet and walls were steel gray. pencil cactuses grew in the corners like skeleton hands. the furniture was black leather, and every seat was taken. there were people sitting on couches, people standing up, people staring out the windows or waiting for the elevator. nobody moved, or talked, or did much of anything. out of the corner of his eye, percy could see them all just fine, but if he focused on any one of them in particular, they started looking... transparent. he could see right through their bodies.
the security guard's desk was a raised podium, so they had to look up at him. he was tall and elegant, with chocolate-colored skin and bleached-blond hair shaved military style. he wore tortoiseshell shades and a silk italian suit that matched his hair. a black rose was pinned to his lapel under a silver name tag.
