I Could Give In To All Of The Gloom (Mute! Percy) (Percico)

Two-Player Game

Nico di Angelo

When I saw him walking towards the beach, I followed the Percy and didn't manage to catch up to him until we actually got to the beach.

"Hey, Percy!" I called out, and he looked back, giving me a small smile.

He gave me his signature two finger salute, saying hello without actually saying it.

I caught up and started walking along side him. You could tell he found this a little weird, but he went with it.

"What's up?" I asked him and then realized something. Mainly that I don't know sign language.

So he tried to make it simple. Pointed at himself.

"Yeah, you."

He shook his head. There was more.

He pointed at himself again.

"You."

He sort of swiped his hand in front of him. A thing people do when saying it's not a good idea.

"Don't... Shouldn't...?"

He put one up, the first one.

"You don't."

Percy put his left palm up and like traced with his finger.

"You don't write?"

He shook his head. That's not it. He pointed at a tree and then did that same action.

"Okay."

He put up a two, made a motion that went out from his mouth, did another two, and then pointed to me.

"Oh!" It clicked. "You don't have paper to talk to me. You can't write anything down."

Percy nodded.

"Oh, don't worry." I told him. "I'll just figure it out. There's wet sand you can write in. But what's up?"

Percy shrugged.

"Not much?"

He agreed.

"Same here," I related to his boredom. "Hey, what do you do in school? Because you can't talk."

We sat down in the sand and he took his finger and started to write.

I have to carry a whiteboard. Percy explained to me.

"Makes sense." I commented. "How many people assumed you were an asshole and just don't talk because you don't like them?"

Percy let out a... I mean, it wasn't a laugh. But it was some sort of weird exhale that you just tell he was humoured.

Like 95% of my school.

"I am so sorry."

He shrugged, not seeming to really care. I'm guessing he's probably used to it. Which, isn't right. But it is how it is.

"So like..." I wasn't sure if I should ask. "You just don't have a voice box?"

He shook his head.

"You don't have one." I confirmed with myself.

He shook his head again and tried to think about how to say it because the sand wasn't working with us too well.

He points at himself.

"You."

Percy did a weird thing and I could only think of one word.

"Have."