second tinker | video.

[toolbelt]

[ Sitting in the view of the camera is a sign, written in red crayon.

OPERATION: MAKE FRIENDS SLASH GIRLFRIEND TAKE 1 ]

Hey. [ And the sign gets moved for a second, to reveal a tanned face, a ridiculous shock of curly, dark hair, and bright eyes. That all belongs to Leo Valdez, who you are going to regret listening to in about two seconds. ] The name's Leo, local ship pilot-captain-repair-boy, dragon-fixer, and champion food-eater. I'm from, uhh... that's not really important, but I'm a totally nice guy! I like pretty much anything with a mechanical center, really bad--which really means really awesome--jokes, and trying really hard not to die.

Which, you like too, right? [ Leo gives a grin to the feed, runs a hand through his dark hair, and it's a little more sheepish than he meant for it to come off. ] The not dying part, since that's a problem here, I guess.

[ He rolls his gaze up and off screen for a second, rocks back and forth from his seated position, then returns to actually looking at the camera. ] So on the path of this not dying thing, we should not-die together, and maybe hang out. I mean, if I'm gonna get out of here at some point, I might as well try to do it with a prom date, right?

Right? [ Leo is this a joke. ] So, you know, if you're single and--[ finger guns ] ready to mingle with a...semi-human, hit me up on...

On my not phone. Man, I can't remember the last time I used a phone. That's kinda messed up.

[ There's a brief second of silence before he snaps back to attention and nods at the feed, knocking off a fake salute. ] Right! Okay, well, let me know. See ya!

[ ...click. ]

Comments

video.

[rues]

[ is this actually happening. please tell her this is a hallucination of some kind. this can't be real. this kid can't be serious.

oh gods, he's being serious.

there's a reason her room is an arsenal. for moments like this when she feels the overwhelming desire to shoot herself in the face.

and, really, there's only one thing she has to say to all of this. no witty insults, just: ]

No.

video.

[toolbelt]

[ your demigod brethren right here clarisse. ]

No--you don't wanna be friends, or no in general.

[ look at this totally earnest smile right here. c'mon, he's trying, okay. it was a joke! sort of! ]

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[oikodomae]

[ DAMN IT CLARISSE YOU BEAT HER TO THE PUNCH.

and there's probably a lot for annabeth to say here. 1) not how you meet significant others, try just friends first. 2) semi-human, really? 3) LEO GDI

but for now, she's not even going to respond. just this face. for a good, long moment. then she's going to sigh, maybe facepalm a little.

sorry but she doesn't really have words for you right now. ]

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[toolbelt]

[ ...... aw he is so dead. ]

Heeeeyyy, Annabeth. How ya doin?

[ so he tries for an earnest grin?? ]

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[favourthebow]

[There is really a very exciting number of things Kíli wants to ask about this post, but-- PRIORITIES.]

A champion food-eater? What is that?

video;

[toolbelt]

[ oh man this dude looks straight up medieval. they'd said a bunch of people like that were here, and--well, he's talking about food, and leo can so get behind that. ]

I mean like--huuuuuuge amounts of food. [ wide gesturing with his hands ] Guy's gotta eat, you know? I used to gross out people back at the Wilderness School, 'cept for Jason.

[ because jason could also eat that much. ]

videoooo!!

[itsahotone]

[dear sweet lord what is this]

Did I wake up in the studio audience of the matchmaking game or something? What the hell is going on.

Re: videoooo!!

[toolbelt]

[ helloooo pretty lady. ]

Nah, just tryna' break the ice a little bit. [ EARNEST GRIN ]

( video )

[monopolies]

[ Offering a check list of your redeeming qualities probably isn't how most people make friends, but you know what? Blunt works for America. Hell, Luke had to straight up ask him to make out before he got a hint.

And this guy even did the finger-gun gesture. That just seals the deal. Nodding eagerly, America shoots it right back with an eager grin. ]

You can be my friend! I ain't human, but I'm made of humanity, so we can be semi-human together! 'Fraid I'm taken though. You'll have to settle with somethin' platonic.

But that's just as good! And mechanics, that's somethin' I can get behind. And dragons. Don't got a dragon, but I got raptors!

[ He turns his camera to a massive feathery dino napping in the corner of a room that looks like it was sawed right out of the 19th century. ]

( video )

[toolbelt]

Hey, dude, sounds like a plan. [ it's okay, he was totally in it for the ladies!! but this dude is really energetic and he's gotten a lot of sass for this post, okay. it's good to see his "joke" (ahem) actually worked. ] What's your name?

You've got r--dude. [ TEENAGE BOY SPARKLY EYES ] Is that a dinosaur?! Oh man, that is wicked, where did you even find that?!

[ he's seen some really weird things in his life as a demigod, but dinosaurs are not a common feature of most godly fights. so color him impressed. it's a dinosaur. leo loves jurassic park! ]

video;

[crux_ofmylife]

What do you mean by 'semi-human'?

( not here )

[ripstides]

[ just walk away, harry. just walk away. ]

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[toolbelt]

[ okay by now leo has started to realize that he may have said something really, really stupid. at least he didn't say demigod? ]

I told you! Dude, my eating abilities? Off the charts. Out of this world. Champion food eater in the hizz-ouse.

( video )

[ripstides]

[ okay, so he's seen some stuff in his life. like his mom dying right in front of him while he was powerless to save her and Annabeth falling off a cliff and vanishing into thin air. let's just not even mention how many times he's been betrayed: with a pit scorpion, in the underworld, by the gods, etc.

but this?

man, this is just painful to watch. ]

Uh, Leo. What was that, man?

( video )

[toolbelt]

[ look, okay, he was desperate. and feeling lonely. he doesn't have a lot of friends, and besides, jokes are good. right? ]

Uh. Icebreaking?

[ leo you're so dumb. ]

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[disparage]

[ caroline's laughing. she tries to school her features, but the corners of her lips pull up, betraying her desire for a stern and unimpressed look. ] That's the worst pick-up line I've ever heard.

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[toolbelt]

[ leo holds up both of his hands and winces, but he's still trying not to smile. ]

Uhhh...which part?

[truesight]

[ gods, the rest of the demigod gang are all spoilsports. Rachel's all smiles! ]

So, I'm technically off the market, which is crazy heartbreaking for pretty much everyone, I know, but I can totally be your wingwoman or something. If you wanted one, of course.

[toolbelt]

[ rachel is immediately leo's favorite person in the world, is basically what this could be summed up as. he smiles at her, big and toothy, and nods his head. ]

Yeah? Do you have good qualifications to be a wingwoman? [ but it's teasing, because he totally bet she does. ] Besides being kinda psychic.

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[braiding]

[ finnick should really just turn his communicator off, but, he's glutton for punishment. and this kid looks like he could use some help. he's a dragon-fixer, a champion food-eater, and some pilot guy who can't seem to get a girl; there's so many questions finnick could ask, but he finds himself asking the one at the very bottom of his list. ]

Did you write that sign in crayon?

[ take 1. does he laugh or hang up … ]

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[toolbelt]

[ leo blinks then looks down at his sign. ] Uh, yeah. Kinda a lucky method, I guess.

[ it worked with the argo ii, right? ] Besides, it was all the closet'd give me! Man, you'd think a magic closet would have a couple pens in it.

text;

[halfwinchester]

_{[Another person drawn in by the not entirely human part... "Semi-human," what the fuck.]}

So what are you?

_{[Adam also happens to remember this guy from the amateur porn video Leo had shot on his arrival, which makes this even weirder...]}

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[toolbelt]

[ did he say something stupid? leo rewinds the feed and. yep. yep he sure did. ]

Told you, champion food eater.
:)

[ annabeth is going to kill him ]

[video]

[alwaysnext]

[Unlike every other teenager in Wonderland, Luke watches this video with a sense of awe and excitement.

Leo is the most perfect human being who has ever begged for friends over a social network. Luke is deeply attracted to what he's selling and moves in like the world's most uptight Soviet spy, undermining this entire operation with his own:

Operation: Make Friend More Socially Awkward Than Me And Then I Will Be The Cool One.]

Technology, breathing... looks like we got a lot in common.

[Not Here]

[stoptheviolence]

[...Luke, please.]

[formercheerio]

I think I'd definitely stick to friends first.

[toolbelt]

[ you are way too pretty to be telling him that ]

It was totally worth a shot. [ oh man he can feel that burn from here ] Are you interested in ridin' the Leo train of friendship?

[stoptheviolence]

Hi, Leo.

[Have a bright, genuine smile waving at you from across the screen.]

Do we have to be single to still hang out?

[toolbelt]

Definitely not, man. Most of my friends are the opposite of single, so.

[ hey, half the purpose of this was to make friends! it's a shame because she's really pretty, but leo can, of course, 100% respect that. good on you, man-or-woman who is dating her.

so he smiles back and returns the wave. ]

What's your name?

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[onsilksheets]

[She almost lost it at the finger guns. Seriously.]

Was that supposed to be a personal ad of some description? Or a presentation? I'm not sure what to make of it.

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[toolbelt]

Kind of both? [ leo cocks his head, squinting an eye as he thinks it over. ] An ice breaker, I guess. Like, I've been here for a while but I don't really have a lot of friends besides my friends from home, so...

[ so he is not good with people, is the real thing here. ]