(no subject)

[tooprettytodie]

Valkyrie felt a bit out of it. Only a bit though, she wouldn't admit to being more than just a bit. She had only had a little bit to drink at the party, mostly just because she could, and made sure she didn't get all out drunk or anything. Besides, she'd had a pretty fun time of it. It was just all a bit much with everyone there knowing each other and being such good friends that after a while she couldn't quite take it anymore. She didn't expect to fit in right away, and she didn't begrudge anyone their fun, but after a while she had to get out of there.

She hadn't been in her new place long, only just a week or so, but already it was becoming to feel uncomfortably like home. It was a cute little cottage that she couldn't imagine why no one would have snatched up so far, but when she saw it she loved it. It was almost ridiculous with how picturesque it looked.

Valkyrie almost felt like she was violating the wholesomeness of it with her costume. Trinity from the Matrix was not all that wholesome. But that's what the clothing box had given her, and she thought she had looked good in it so she went for it. Besides, it reminded her a bit of her clothes from back home.

Yawning and stretching, she stumbled over to her bed. It wasn't late and she really shouldn't fall asleep in her costume, it wasn't exactly breathable, but she just wanted to crash without too much introspection. Flopping down into her bed, she gave a happy sigh as her head hit the pillow. Reaching out she pulled close the stuffed bear that Percy had won for her at the fair and closed her eyes to fall asleep.

Comments

[percy_jackson]

Later that night, or early that morning, I ran through the jungle searching for Valkyrie's hut. She'd told me where it was, but hadn't shown me, and my desperation was making me waste time. But I was desperate. The things we'd won two weekends ago were coming to life and getting murderous.

I could just hear Annabeth in my head right now. "Told you so, Seaweed Brain."

"Quiet, Wise Girl," I muttered. "You're not helping."

I was angry with myself. I should have seen it coming. Annabeth would have seen it coming. But, no, I had to go win Coraline a life-sized Dora the Explorer doll. Dealing with it hadn't been my finest hour. And then there was the teddybear I'd won for Valkyrie.

Well, maybe she wasn't a girl who slept with her teddybears. Maybe she locked it in her closet. But, just in case, I knew I needed to check on her.

I burst into a clearing and there was a hut in front of me. It looked like what Valkyrie had described. Even if it wasn't her, I'd be doing my duty warning whoever was inside. Without a second thought, I rushed up the steps and banged on the front door. "Valkyrie!" I shouted. "Val! Are you in there?"

[prettywithawill.livejournal.com]

Valkyrie had a headache. In fact, her entire body ached like someone was twisting her all wrong. If this is what a hangover felt like after even a mild night of drinking she was a shame to her Irish heritage and she wasn't going to be drinking anytime soon.

Also, whoever was knocking on her door and shouting was going to die a very painful death. Every shout and knock drove a dagger of pain behind her eyes. Groaning, she moved to get up and found she couldn't. Opening her eyes, she blinked away her blurred vision and tried to make sense of what was going on.

She didn't remember falling asleep on the floor. Nor did she remember tying up her wrists and ankles behind her back.

"What the bloody hell?" she growled, thrashing around a bit to try and loosen the knots. No matter how she struggled though, they wouldn't give.

That's when she saw it, the bear that Percy had won her at the carnival. Only she didn't remember the bear being quite so murderous looking, or with sharp teeth and claws.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," she growled as three more carnival fair animals lumbered into view.

[percy_jackson]

It wasn't a cry for help, but I heard enough of an edge of alarm from Valkyrie's voice within that I knew I had to do something. I took a few steps back and rushed the door with my shoulder. And bounced off. I clutched my shoulder in pain. "Hades! Ares!! Sweet Hephestus!!!"

Again I could hear Annabeth in my head. Use your feet Seaweed Brain!

"That advice would have been nice a little earlier!" I muttered through gritted teeth. I hauled back and kicked the door with all my might. It took three kicks before the wood splintered and the door sprang open. I rushed inside.

[prettywithawill.livejournal.com]

She heard someone pounding at her front door and shouted for them that she was in the bedroom. All she needed to do was to make sure that she survived long enough for them to get back here. Surely just about anyone could take out a few scary stuffed animals, right? With... teeth and claws and such.

To give whoever it was as much time as possible, Valkyrie rolled and flopped away from the creatures. If it had been just one, she might have tried to take it. Her costume would have provided her with some protection, and maybe she could get it to bite through the bra it had taken from her dresser to tie her up.

The teddy bear advanced at her and she spun onto her back, feet toward the creature. Thank goodness for falling asleep with her boots on.

"I am going to stop you into tiny bits of fuzz," she growled, arching her back and raising her feet up to smash them down on the monster.

[percy_jackson]

I heard Valkyrie's shout and charged into the bedroom. There, I stopped to see Valkyrie bound hand and foot, and being advanced upon by not one, not two, not three, but four murderous teddybears. "Val!" I shouted, and I pulled out my short sword and brought it swiping down.

The first teddybear was split down the middle before the other three turned to look at me. The second was cut through the body at an angle. It flopped to the floor, spilling stuffing everywhere. The third and fourth backed up and looked ready to pounce. I knew I didn't have a moment to lose. With a quick swing, their heads went flying to roll into the corner. "Ha!" I yelled, pumping my fist.

"Valkyrie, are you all right?" I knelt beside her and tried unknotting the bonds that held her wrist. Among other things they'd used a bra -- her bra -- but I didn't let that distract me, much. I set to work untying the knot. "I'm sorry," I said. "If I'd known the prizes would try to kill us, I wouldn't have won you that teddybear. Though I don't know where he got his friends."

I frowned. I don't know how they managed to tie Valkyrie up, but they tied her up well. This knot wasn't coming undone. "I might have to use my sword on this..."

[prettywithawill.livejournal.com]

"You are not going to cut one of my bras!" Valkyrie said, twisting a bit to glare at him. You didn't just go around cutting a girl's bra because you couldn't get it undone.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to get the right size, color, and style out of the clothing box? Look, just see if they tied it or used the clasp."

It may have seen like an odd thing to argue about in a time of crisis, but Valkyrie hardly considered this a crisis. Strange, stuffed animal monsters attacking her were hardly going to rate above her mild hangover and certainly not above the pain of having to try and find another bra to replace the one that Percy was about to destroy.

"And I don't mean to alarm you, but the things you decapitated are totally not dead. Also, it's Valkyrie, not Val."

[percy_jackson]

"Hold still," I hissed, in frustration, because I'd just felt the knot shift. I leaned after it and struggled with the tie once more and the knot loosened further. It wouldn't be long before Val-- Valkyrie, I mean, was freed. "I almost got it--"

Then Valkyrie looked past me and, though her voice was calm and light, her eyes told me that I needed to look behind me right now.

I looked behind me. And immediately got a face full of fur as one of the two bears leaped off the floor and hit me square on the nose. I stumbled back, fell over Valkyrie, and hit one of the struts of the wall with a bone-jarring thunk.

Then the bear, with its claws hooked on my ears, began pulling my head back and forth rapidly, beating me repeatedly into the offending strut. It was like, thunk-"Ow!"-thunk-"Hey!"-thunk-"Stop!"-thunk-"Quit it!"-thunk-"Ow!"-thunk

I wasn't sure where the other surviving bear was.

[prettywithawill.livejournal.com]

Just when Valkyrie was about free, one of the things tackled into Percy, knocking him onto her and then against the wall. The thing then proceeded to smash his head repeatedly against the wall. It was probably not the rescue the either Valkyrie or Percy was hoping for.

One of the other monsters charged at her, mouth gaping wide. She kicked hard, planting a boot right into the open mouth of the animal and ever thankful that her boots were of extremely durable quality.

"Bad carnival toy," she growled, twisting and shifting her feet until she heard a loud 'rriiiipppp' and the head of the animal split wide open at the seams of the mouth. Flopping over, she threw herself against the one that was still attacking Percy, sinking her teeth into the fuzzy hide and biting down as hard as she could, yanking her head in an attempt to pull it off Percy.

[percy_jackson]

Did I mention that the bear had hooked its claws over my ears? My head jerked forward and I let out a loud "Owwwwww!" and I thought I was going to lose parts of me. But the shock of this new pain shook some sense into me. My hand flew up and grabbed the bear, and tore him free of my face and Valkyrie's... mouth. The sword was still in my other hand. I brought it down and it skewered him, busted neck to feet. The point stuck into the floor and stood there, shivering. A real bear-kabab.

Then the pain registered again. Wincing, I reached up. My hands came away with blood, but my ears still seemed attached to my head. Mostly. "Ow." I looked over at Valkyrie. "Are you all right?"

[prettywithawill.livejournal.com]

Valkyrie eyed the sword that was sticking into the floor, her floor, and over to Percy. She wondered if it had really been necessary to damage her house to kill the bear. When she saw how Percy was bleeding though, she couldn't really stay too mad at him. Actually, if she was being completely honest, he looked pretty hot all wounded from saving her, concern for her on his face... which was rather close to her.

"I'm fine. Really. The being tied up doesn't seem nearly so much of a problem now that nothing is trying to kill me."

[percy_jackson]

The way Valkyrie was looking at me -- the way she was calling attention to the fact she was still tied up -- made me very aware of just how she looked in that rather... sultry outfit. Which she filled out very nicely by the way. I have to say that some rather forbidden thoughts were entering my head.

Was she flirting with me, tied up as she was? Was she serious? But I didn't dare press the matter. Even tied up, she could probably hurt me bad.

"Yeah, well, it can't be comfortable," I said, a little blearily. "Let me help you out of that." I reached to undo the knots.

"Nice outfit, by the way," I added. "Do you usually wear that to bed?"

[prettywithawill.livejournal.com]

Any lingering frustration Valkyrie felt over Percy stabbing her floor with his sword was gone the instant he complimented how nice her outfit was. At least he had noticed, she would have been upset if she had gone through all the trouble to wear it if he didn't notice.

"I'm not sure we're really at the point where I'm comfortable discussing with you what I wear to bed," Valkyrie said, shifting so that he would have an easier time of it to untie her. She almost wished that she had taken her coat off, just so he could see how well she looked in the pants.

"Apparently you feel entirely comfortable asking me about it though."

[percy_jackson]

"Yeah, that could have come out better," I said. I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks, but I gave a little grunt of triumph as the knots came free and the bra fell from Valkyrie's wrists. "It's just that, it's not all that usual and, and... I thought you looked nice."

Now, normally I wouldn't have said something like that. That's what you call 'digging yourself deeper'. But when you are as disoriented as I was, having had my head bashed repeatedly into a support beam, you sometimes don't know which way is up.

I did have some sense that I'd said the wrong thing, though. And possibly my body tried to cover for me by sending me a twinge of pain in the vicinity of my ears. I winced and touched my right one tenderly. "Ow."

[prettywithawill.livejournal.com]

As soon as he untied her, Valkyrie kicked the bra off of her ankles and unlooped it from around her wrists. It was perhaps, no definitely, the most humiliating way she had been tied up.

She was itching for a fight, her heart pounding a bit and she was not nearly satisfied with the little action she had gotten. At the very least, she had been rescued by a rather handsome, if somewhat bashful and possibly clumsy hero. After rubbing her wrists and getting some circulation back in her hands, she pulled Percy forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"That's for saying I looked nice in my costume. And this is for saving me..."

She pulled him close by the collar and kissed him hard and fast before letting him go. She felt giddy at the action, her lips tingle and stomach flip flopping. It had been a complete spur of the moment decision that she was blaming on the heat of the moment, but she had definitely enjoyed it.

[percy_jackson]

When Valkyrie kissed me on the cheek, I could feel my cheeks reddening. When she kissed me, hard, on the lips, I didn't feel that way anymore. Any sense of bashfulness, any thoughts of Annabeth, were banished from my mind as I felt her lips against mine. As I felt myself kissing her back. It felt good. It felt really good.

Then Valkyrie released me with a little push, and I fell back. Where to land, I didn't know, or care. The memory of that kiss filled my senses, until...

Thunk!

I hit my head on the gods-damn support strut again.

I slumped on the floor with my hand on the rapidly forming goose-egg. "Ow!" I said, ruefully. Then, quite involuntarily, I let out a chuckle, which turned into a laugh. "Ow!" I said again, and laughed harder.

[prettywithawill.livejournal.com]

Valkyrie couldn't help but laugh at Percy, more at the fact that he was laughing, not necessarily that she found his pain amusing. She liked that about Percy, that he was someone she could have a laugh with. Also, he was a pretty decent kisser.

"Come on," she said, grinning at him as she got to her feet. "I want to put the heads of the decapitated ones on the picket fence as a warning to others. Then we'll take a look at those injuries."

[percy_jackson]

"Okay," I said, reaching out for her hand to help myself up. I kind of liked the idea of her ministering to my injuries, "But there's more of those things out there. All of the things won at the carnival. They're all attacking. People need our help."

[prettywithawill.livejournal.com]

"Your injuries first, then we'll go," she said, pulling him up to a standing position. She almost pulled him close enough to kiss again, but that moment was gone. One fast kiss for her rescuer was one thing, another one a few moments later was something different. A something that she didn't need to get into right now.

"And then we'll go see about killing all the rest of these things."