madness and ecstasy // leo valdez

-grannies and kittens are nice... right?-

[not edited again sorry] it's a long one, get ready. also if you are in any way attached to this book the next chapter will destroy you <3

Annabeth wasn't sure what the deal was with the little tub of chocolate pudding, but Teqi was paler than usual, and she sat down, chest heaving as she muttered swear words over and over again under her breath.

"We should go now," Bob advised. "Really, really go. Before we are killed."

Teqi started flapping her hands by her sides as she stared at the snack, her eye pulsing with purple light. "How the fuck- I didn't put it in there so the...what the shit? How did he..."

She sprung up from the ground and whipped around, her eye watery with tears. Her voice cracked "You guys can see it, right? My head isn't messing with me again, it's actually there?"

Annabeth nodded slowly, exchanging a worried glance with Percy. "Yeah, you must've put it in there on the Argo-"

"No!" Teqi snapped, and started clicking her fingers as she spoke, her words tripping over themselves in a way Annabeth could relate to when she had an idea. "No, no, you don't get it! It's the magic, the toolbelt, the toolbelt pocket is inside the pouch so-"

She trailed off after she intertwined her hands to show them what she meant, looking lost.

She must've passed on the vague idea to Annabeth accidentally, because it clicked. Thoughts did that a lot down here, just faded into nothing or became overtaken with bad memories and even worse ideas. Annabeth reached forwards and snatched the empty knife pocket, but when she stuck her arm into it, it was bottomless. She turned to Teqi, heart in her throat. "Are they connected? Could you put something in one of his toolbelt pockets and it'll come out of another one?"

Teqi's eye widened in realisation. "I... I don't know, it might. I never asked." She threaded her hands through her hair and tugged on it. "Why didn't I ask?"

Annabeth's heart was beating much too fast as she reached her hand out to Percy. "Riptide. I need the pen, and a napkin. Percy! The pen!"

"Okay, okay!" He quickly uncapped it and put the cap on the back, handing her the golden inked pen. "There you go."

Teqi took her knife pouch back and took out a crusty looking notepad of graph paper. One of the sheets had a glob of chewed gum stuck to it. She ripped that one off and threw it to the floor, snatching the pen off Percy. Bob sidled up behind her and picked up the scrunched square of paper, folded it up neatly and placed it on top of the rest of the rubbish in the corner.

There was a tense silence of held breathes and skin prickling with dreaded thoughts of hope. The sound of pen on paper was the only thing audible over distant screams and roars, as well as Bob's humming.

Annabeth fiddled with her camp necklace, which she only then noticed was smaller than Teqi's. The dark-haired girl was bent over, using her knee as a flat surface to right on. Annabeth hoped and prayed they would get a message through, even if it didn't physically help them, she knew it would be a whole lot better down here if they could communicate with their friends on the Argo II.

If Teqi could talk to Leo.

A moment later, Teqi leant back, chest heaving, and scrunched up the note into a little ball, then shoved it into the pouch she grabbed from the black stone floor. "Done."

The trio sat for a second, but nothing happened, even when she took her hand back out and in again, muttering under her breath. Annabeth waited another beat, and then reached for the pen and began scribbling her own note. If even one of them got through, that would be enough.