#All of Jackson would understand

[tlou-obsessed]

I've talked about this before like way before but it has renewed in my mind .There is something so interesting about this interaction.

I cannot imagine Maria would judge Joel for how he coped with the trauma of losing his child, especially her. Like in my mind there is no other explanation other than Tommy villianized Joel to the extreme, thinking he would never see him again.

Thats a woman protecting her husband and tribe, "Tommy was following Joel" that's bullshit and I know she knows and he knows too.

Its a pretty reasonable coping mechanism from Tommy, he saw his brother die and become self destructive, nothing could stop the path Joel was on, and watching a loved one suffer so horribly much is something you can't imagine, knowing you can't stop it. He left Joel, adding even more guilt, but to deal with that he might've tried to forget the good memories, because forgetting the soft father, the big brother was easier, remembering the monster he left was easier. Because this Joel was something else, this Joel was unhinged and crazy and had no room for emotions and remorse. This is the Joel he gave Maria, and she has every right to act like that, and holy shit did she stutter?

But this doesn't mean my heart doesn't clench for Joel

But also can you imagine Tommys guilt, as he sees more and more of soft father Joel and blames himself for leaving and cutting Joel off like that, imagine him wanting to apologize to Joel with tears in his eyes

[chironshorseass]

the thing is, we were never meant to sympathize with luke when he betrays percy. we aren’t meant to see his inner turmoil. we aren’t meant to see hesitancy, or regret. it’s meant to be a slap in the face. luke takes percy to the woods knowing full well what he’s about to do. in tlt kronos orders him to kill percy because he’s too volatile; kronos said so himself when percy hijacked luke’s dreams and began to figure out there were bigger things at play. the thing is, when kronos orders luke to kill percy, he doesn’t hesitate. that’s the point!!! it is essential that luke is so blinded by rage and vengeance for the gods that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants (the god’s destruction). percy accuses luke that kronos is using him, but he just retaliates that the gods do the same, and they do!!! but see, the thing is, luke’s whole point is that he’s so focused on the god’s injustices that he forgets what’s important. he goes for the “greater good” but he destroys his family, his life, in the process. by attempting to dismantle a system, he turns to another system that follows the same oppressive logic. THAT is why luke fails. THAT is why it’s so important he be blinded by rage, because it’s his inevitable, tragic end. he’s doomed by the narrative from the start. yes, we’re meant to be surprised by his betrayal because of how cold and calculating it is, but also it’s important to set the grounds for luke’s character to be this angry, vengeful boy because later on we come to understand why it is that he made those choices. we see annabeth’s side of things and percy’s side. we see luke’s side. we see many sides. we see a man who is too far gone yet comes to understand, in the end, that he’s been doing more harm than good to those he was supposed to protect (annabeth is the most obvious example). we get a complex character who won’t hesitate to kill but who also won’t hesitate to sacrifice himself so that he can save the family he has left.

the thing is, luke was supposed to be angrier in the show. percy was supposed to be angrier in the show. they’re both foils. luke is what percy could become, if percy lets his anger win. so, to change—even if it’s only slightly altering—their characters, is to change the point of the story. because luke tries to kill percy in his betrayal and later percy tries to kill luke but then percy starts to understand luke…until luke is gone and kronos is gone yet the gods don’t change but percy does. and percy’s initial anger is supposed to transform and he’s supposed to see what luke saw and the cycle continues. the thing is, it’s not even one of the worst changes the show made, yet it’s still so, so telling that they failed to see why it’s important to let your characters do bad things, to make mistakes, because that’s how a story can carry on. that’s how you give a story depth.

[lukecastellanshandholder]

Quick question! Why do we as a fandom never talk about the mental torment that Luke went through while being trapped in his own body as Kronos fought the other demigods during the Battle of Manhattan?

Think about it! He had to watch his own body slowly kill the people that he wanted to protect and he could barely do anything ,because Kronos was slowly sucking the soul out of his body. He saw friends and comrades die. He saw his body killing them all when he wanted nothing more but to help them.

All he could do is watch innocent demigods die as Kronos tormented him with all of his short comings and all of the mistakes that he had made. He was fighting harder than anyone just to take back control of his own body only so that he could end himself and Kronos. Luke had to literally fight for his life… just to die.

Rick could probably never write the battle of Manhattan from Luke’s POV because it would be a psychological horror.

[goldenn-moments]

I'm sorry but THE PARALLELS OF SALLY TELLING POSEIDON THAT PERCY IS BETTER THAN WHAT THE GODS WOULD MAKE HIM, AND ANNABETH TELLING HEPHAESTUS THAT PERCY IS BETTER THAN THE GODS AND THEIR HUNGER FOR POWER AND GLORY. JUST. I-

percy is the change the godly world needs because sally gave him the tools. then years later, a girl who's only steady part of her life has been the gods and their callous ways, knows percy for less than a week and starts to change for the better too. the power of one mother loving her son enough to affect what will eventually be a whole generation, and the future of demigods as we know it

sally jackson the goddess that you are

[sukibenders]

Is it just me or does the way Hera is portrayed in the PJO/HOO series feel out of touch? By that I mean, while it plays into the idea of Hera's relationship with her husband's children and ideals of family, it seems like Rick just took that and ran with it without actually wanting to dive into those aspects and develop them more (ngl, his writing for his female characters, especially the goddesses, could use some work even if I do enjoy them). The reason Hera is the way she is with her husband's children is because she can't punish him [Zeus] directly due to him being more powerful (and the last time she turned against didn't he literally hang her from the sky)? And even while I'm not justifying her actions, there's a method to them, so why would she go after other random demigods like Percy and Annabeth? Or at least in a way that was written better than her falling into a trope (I enjoy this series with my heart, but the criticism about how the gods are written holds some value that shouldn't just be ignored either). Like, I don't know, it just feels like there was more that could've been done with her character instead of just immediately writing her off as the cruel, cold-hearted, evil stepmother (a trope that's overplayed, especially when not even bothering to give them any depth). I could write ideas, but then we'd be here all day.

[happyk44]

Something something Percy wishing he loved Nico in the same way because he can't stand the idea of hurting him, even though Nico has never needed Percy to love him in the same way or even to love him at all.

[the-one-and-only-aroace]

Do you ever think about the meaning of Meg’s title, as protector of Southern California. Is that just a symbolic title, such as Greek kings, or is it an anointment. Does her being the protector mean she is a god? A nature spirit? Does it even matter when people pray to her as if she was?

do you think, when she gets her first period, she sees a mix of red and gold. Because as she becomes a woman, she also becomes something other than human? Or if she’s wounded in battle, she sees how a reminder of her mortality is also a reminder of her lack of it?

does she at first use her powers to help everyone she can, assisting nature at any cost. And then people pray, and she can give them guidance. She is built temples out of groves and altars out of meadows. Then her blood turns gold and she feels her body becoming foreign. The prayers are overwhelming and she can’t help everyone. Someone is hurt, or killed, and she couldn’t save them. She realizes that there is no excuse, she could’ve solved it, she was a monster. Eventually she becomes powerful enough Zeus bothers with making sure she abides by his rules, his laws. And then she’s trapped in Olympian hell.

what started with a name she wanted to stay worthy of, turned into the very thing that was destroying her brother. She could no longer rebel even the slightest, because that would mean her dummy being punished, as well as the few people she allowed herself to be attached to. She’s young and she’s stuck because the beast could be killed but Zeus can’t. She can’t run away from him or being a god, shes stuck. She’s trapped the same way Apollo was trapped and she has no one to go to. All her mortal friends are dead and making new ones dooms her to a broken heart and them to an early death.

do you ever think that Meg is very well aware of what immortality can do to a person, and how she would never want it. That no matter how hard she fights against it, people turn heroes into gods and it’s her that suffers for it. It’s her job to protect people which means it’s her job to handle divinity, no matter how young she’s stuck feeling, no matter the blood now oozing from her hands, which she can’t even pretend is her own. Do you ever think that Meg knows being a god is a curse, and she has no way of stopping it from infecting her with its creeping rot?

[asocial-skye]

as the holidays come to a close, i'm left to wonder....

how does religion work in the pjo universe?

[tending-the-hearth]

i can't sleep and all i'm thinking about is how percy and clarisse are best friends but best friends in the most sibling "i hate you more than anything but if anyone so much as looks at you wrong i will kill them in a heartbeat" way

like their quest together where they saw each other's biggest fear, percy overhearing clarisse's conversation with ares, clarisse pleading with percy to understand that silena was a hero????

you cannot tell me that sally jackson didn't take one look at clarisse and not completely want to engulf this broken, hardened teenage girl in the warmest hug possible.

just percy and clarisse being best friends and no one knows the specifics, no one except for annabeth and chris knows exactly what went down.

and god forbid these two have a normal friendship, they will bicker and snap and say the harshest things, but they can also have entire conversations with their eyes and know exactly when the other is being triggered into a bad memory and needs to spar or talk.

like yes they're each other's rival but they're also each other's support system. they're best friends, they're siblings, they're enemies to friends to "i hope you get eaten by a hellhound but if that happened i'd go down to the underworld to get you back because i platonically can't live without you".

these two are trauma bonded to the max and i'm begging people to start talking about their friendship more

[ghostkingdoesstuff]

Your fave supports genocide through silence

Not a debate, just a reminder.

[floralovebot]

ANYWAY in my perfect world, garth doesn't pass on the aqualad name to jackson because 1. aqualad isn't a symbol stop making them batfam dc are you listening to me dc do you he- and 2. while garth is fond of the name, he also thinks it's embarrassing because of his trauma SO instead jackson should be the one to Ask for the name.

jackson, who looks up to arthur and garth, and really, really doesn't want to be associated with black manta, makes the decision to ask for the name aqualad, because to him it's a symbol of Good. garth, who hates when people look down on him because of his past as aqualad, should be like "are you fucking serious right now". and while i still think jackson should have a Different hero name, if they're really stuck on aqualad, then garth can agree. this helps jackson feel like he truly belongs, that they trust him, that he's not like his father, etc. and it helps affirm to garth that his existence as aqualad actually meant something and he wasn't just aquaman's lame sidekick.

after that obviously garth should become a mentor figure to jackson. Not a second dad or even an older brother figure, though i am slightly more agreeable to the latter, but a mentor who helps him and is There for him. even if garth didn't care about jackson in the slightest, you can't convince me that he would just ignore this kid.

[ladynicte]

Concept, that during the months where Percy went missing, and the whole Camp was searching for him 24/7, Nico just sorta developed this habit of waiting around Percy's door.

Nico is not really used to spending time in Camp, he doesn't really spend time at Camp at all, and sure, he could go with Dyonisus, or Hestia, but he doesn't wanna bother.

Nico knows, they can tell Percy's dissapearing has really started to affect him.

And sure, he's got his own Cabin now, and he used to be so excited about that, but he's found out, he doesn't really like spending time there, to spend time alone with ghosts and bones, he could just go back home.

But still, Nico doesn't want to leave.

Because, what if they manage to find Percy, or he contacts them somehow, or some other threath comes near Camp, and maybe, just maybe, Nico still has this little hope, that the next morning the doors to the Poseidon Cabin will just suddenly open up on their own, and Percy will come out of them, yawning, with his hair all messy, asking for breakfast.

He knows that doesn't happen, and will never happen, but sometimes, Nico allows himself to dream.

And, Nico knows he could actually just enter the Cabin, it wouldn't even be trespassing, not really, either way, it was Percy who first asked him to stay there with him, who first begged him to stay there, before dissapearing.

But, Nico had said no back then.

And, regardless of whether Percy is there or not, it doesn't really matter, his essence of sea salt is everywhere.

Everything on his Cabin is so quintessentially him, and Nico knows, he knows he could never get too close, he could never allow himself that much indulgence, because otherwise, his bones and blood might just boil, and there will be no more coming back from there.

Nico knows he could get lost on Percy Jackson, and if he does, there will be nothing left to salvage of him, afterwards.

So Nico must tread lightly, stand right in front of the ocean, without ever walking in.

Which, to him, translates into appearing from one of his long travels to Camp Jupiter, jumping out of a shadow, and just sitting down, right in front of Percy's Cabin door.

Nico only allows his back to hit against it, he sleeps with his head between his hands, on top of the blue marble, and that's it.

That's as close to Percy as Nico will ever allow himself to get.

And on the other hand, there's Annabeth.

Annabeth, who's dying of worry, who's hair is greying once more because of it, who feels like everything in the world is her responsibility, and Annabeth, who for the love of all The Gods, just cannot find her boyfriend.

She doesn't let other people see her like this, (Or, she tries to not let other people see her like that, at the very least.) But still, she misses Percy.

Is not just the prophecy, or the end of the world, is not just that the Camp needs both their leaders, and is not just that it's a necessity.

Is that she loves Percy and she can't see him.

So, when she's sure everybody else is supposed to be asleep, and she's breaking the rules once more, just for him, she sneaks out of her Cabin, like any self-respecting Athenea Cabin Leader, shouldn't do, and she runs to the Poseidon Cabin.

And at first, she's not sure if it's the Mist, or it's the darkness, or if she's way too tired, and way too overworked, and her eyes are starting to deceive her, but she's sure she sees it.

A little dark shadow, cuddling to the door, like a puppy begging to be let inside, in the middle of a storm.

Against her own instincts, she decides the best tactic is to approach it gently, later on, she's thankful once more to her mother.

Because, Annabeth doesn't know what Nico di Angelo would have done to her, if she suddenly ambushed him while he was dead asleep.

They decide not to talk about it, Annabeth notices the trees and grass around them starting to die, she wonders if Nico can kill even the plants buried deep under the sea.

She doesn't ask.

Instead, they both sit in silence together.

This is probably the most accompanied Annabeth has felt in ages, which is really odd, because sure she knows Nico isn't a bad person, but he still scares her, like the night, and the spiders, back when she was little.

Nico understands neither of them wants to leave, but he would, if only he wasn't so damn tired all the time, he knows he shouldn't shadowtravel so much, but if his body, and his health, are the toll for finding Percy, then so be it.

This pattern repeats every night ever since.

Nico sleeps on the entrance to Percy's door, but never goes in, Annabeth always finds him, but she never speaks.

Eventually, Annabeth starts noticing the way Nico's bones pop, barely visible underneath his dark shirt, or the way his eyebags seem heavier and darker, like a growing bruise on his face every night, the way his veins show through his pale skin, and the way he never eats, well, anything at all, really.

And just the same, Nico notices her grey hairs, the chunks of it that just randomly fall off due to stress, her dirty clothes, the way she can go almost a week straight without remembering to shower, or brush her teeth, the bruises on her body, thanks to all the excersice she's forcing her body to stand, the eyebags that only grow, and grow.

They both know they need to actually sleep at some point.

And sleep for real, not just pass out from exhaustion on Percy's floor from time to time.

Nico has never been the sort to blink first though, so Annabeth understands, negotiations here, are gonna have to fall onto her.

She tells Nico that they need to sleep, like actually quality sleep.

Nico only nods, he doesn't look like he's paying attention to her, but Annabeth's brain has already come up with the most pragmatic, and powerful strategy, to achieve what she wants right now.

Annabeth stands up, and goes back to her Cabin, not without first warning Nico that she will be back in five minutes.

Nico doesn't look like he believes her. Annabeth understands he has got no reason to believe her, it makes the strategy all the more important.

But first, not without terrorizing herself with what she's planning to do.

She sneaks back into her bed, and quietly opens the tiny backpack, that her dad helped her put together, back in their house, before she arrived back home.

She grabs her precious little bag, she opens it, and she sighs.

Annabeth shuts her eyes, and forces herself, to carry her own plan to fruition.

She comes back to Nico, with Percy's shirt, well-carried, on her hands, well, one of his shirts, his preferred Camp Half-Blood shirt.

Percy had given it to Annabeth, before she left to go live with her dad, as a sorta remember-me-by, and Annabeth had never taken it out of its package, for anything at all.

She took it everywhere with her, like a sacred symbol, of some sort of home.

And Annabeth couldn't lie, and say she wasn't scared, mostly, because Nico's stare scared her a little, she thought, if anybody would be able to call her bluff, it wouldn't be Percy, it would be Nico.

(Annabeth was also sure, Nico had a completely clear sight from birth, but that was neither here nor there.)

Her fear wasn't of Nico, though, her fear was on holding the shirt, and not being able to let go.

Of holding onto it, and ruining it, with her strong warrior hands, and her desperation, that ran organs-deep, because she knew the logical outcome here, once she grabbed it, it would eventually stop smelling like Percy, and she would hate it, and then, the illogical outcome she feared so much, that if she lost this one shirt, she would lose all connection to Percy.

And that, would kill her.

And then, it would be like she had never even met him, gone with the wind, lost at sea, like a dream, she would be left with no way to prove, she once knew a boy named Percy who saved the world.

Who loved her just as she loved him.

After that, what would Annabeth even do with herself, anymore.

That all is completely irrational, Illogical, and impossible, Annabeth understands that too, so she forces her legs to keep on moving.

She stops before Nico, and presents the shirt to him, and it isn't lost on Annabeth, the way Nico almost backs off in surprise, and the way his lips open, just ever so slightly, and the way his one visible eye gets wide, and the way Nico's cheeks get this sorta, cutesy rosey, tint to them.

And she's sure she understands, but she cannot make herself deal with that right now.

She tells him "Let's find neutral territory for the moment." She's not sure if she knows what the moment even is.

But still, Annabeth grabs his hand, and against all odds, she's surprised, as Nico allows her to, and she has to force herself not to shiver, because Nico is cold as a corpse, and Annabeth knows way too well, just how quickly corpses get cold.

Nico knows it far far better.

Nico notices. He already knows. He always does.

He doesn't judge her for it, he hates himself too much for it.

Annabeth stops them on a grass patch, some pond nymphs near by, and she can see the nymphs snarling at Nico, and for some reason, she feels so angry all of a sudden, because Annabeth knows, it's not like Nico has ever actually done anything to them.

Annabeth is suddenly reminded of her first big fight with Hera, of screaming at her face, that Nico did belong, back then, it felt so instinctively true.

Now, Annabeth could see the way the Camp died away at his presence, the way the rest of the kids never approached him, unless they needed Nico's help for something.

And yet, Nico did always help them.

Before Annabeth can catch herself, she's already running towards the nymphs, her fists raised, and she knows there was a time where not every single little thing, disturbed her like this, but Nico just grabs her arm, and this time, Annabeth can't hold back the shivers because he's so so cold, and so strong.

Nico quietly tells her, for all to hear "They are just scared, it's fine."

Annabeth knows she can't blame them, because she's scared too, and Nico knows it.

Annabeth slaps her head, forcing herself to back down, she makes herself keep glaring at the pond, but her angry stare just doesn't hold, as she slowly, but surely, forces the shirt done her frame.

Annabeth wants so badly to hold onto it and make it eternal.

The shirt is old, it's only a little oversized on her, it smells exactly like Percy, exactly like the sea.

She's a strong girl, Annabeth doesn't cry, but if she does cry, Nico isn't gonna tell on her with anybody, either way.

After a while, where nobody says anything, where Nico only stares at her:

Annabeth lays quietly on the grass, her eyes wide open, on the moon, and she spreads her arms wide, she can hold them open for an eternity, if that's what it takes until Nico accepts it.

It does feel like an eternity, a little bit like holding the weight of the world in her shoulders, before Nico, looking like a mysterious shadow, slips into her arms.

They don't talk about it, but they can hear their hearts beating way too fast, and way too loud.

Nico has his arms tightly wrapped around her waist, and Annabeth has got to remind herself, that he's holding onto Percy's shirt, not onto her, there's a part of her, that's curious to see, to try to test Nico's limits, to toss the shirt at a fire, and watch Nico chase after it.

But she loves this damn shirt far too much to ever do something like that.

Slowly, Annabeth lowers her own arms, and she's holding onto Nico's hair now, his head heavy between her hands, and Nico is holding onto Percy, which leaves Annabeth wondering, what exactly is her excuse then, in their situation.

At some point, her eyes close, and she doesn't even notice it.

It's the first night of true sleep Nico has gotten in a really long time, for once, not searching for Percy even in his dreams.

The next morning he has breakfast, that he doesn't really eat, but he stays, and it occurs to Annabeth, that Nico staying anywhere, was everything Percy had ever wanted.

She would have to brag about it to him, once Percy got back.

Percy and Nico never admit it out loud.

They understand they are doing something odd.

But Annabeth keeps wearing the shirt, and Nico keeps falling asleep by her side, and there's no excuse to it, anymore, they both can tell the shirt has long since, stopped smelling like Percy and sea salt, and started smelling like shampoo, and Nico's rotten corpse, and pomegranates essence.

Somehow, Annabeth finds, she doesn't hate it that bad.

Nico despises it, but he can't let go of one of the very few soft things he's ever known.

And that's fine, because Annabeth keeps laying with her arms open without asking any questions, and Nico keeps falling asleep, while holding onto her waist, without offering any explanations.

They both know it will never be the same, not ever what they are actually craving, and searching for, because this whole situation has only made them hunt for Percy even harder.

But they can still keep each other company, until they manage to find Percy, somehow, that is.

Annabeth is surprised to find that now, instead of dying, the grass underneath Nico grows mushrooms.

Nico is too.

[vulpixhoney]

(hot?) take but I prefer black Annabeth more than blonde Annabeth because I didn't like blonde Annabeth as a kid. Percy was very me-coded and having some blonde white girl call him stupid for things he has no reason knowing was upsetting to me. BUT Annabeth as a little black girl who is trying to prove how capable and smart she actually is, instead of being undervalued in favor of other (white) people, is faaarrr more relatable and likeable to me personally

[talktonytome]

Another thing that bugs me is when people, esp in fic, act like Hannibal is clueless about modern music, pop culture, or certain phrases.

[luckycheesefoodie321]

You know what I realised now… (PJO SHOW AND BOOK SPOILERS)

We’ve all been torn over how quickly the golden trio have figured out all of their adversaries and picked out just the right myths to help them succeed with near ease each episode. At no point have they truly been unaware of the danger they are facing. Does not mean they haven’t fumbled on occasion but by in large their encounters with monsters and traps have left them relatively unscathed.

But let us all recall there is still one “monster” left. One danger yet to be uncovered. One that none of them have seen coming. Maybe Percy will piece it together after the Ares fight?? I can’t say for sure.

Imagine how confident they’ve become in picking out exactly what dangers they’ve been facing and the fact that they get to return to camp triumphant in their success only to be met with the ultimate surprise.

Imagine how hard it’s gonna hit when they discover the mastermind behind this whole quest is not a god, or a monster, or a mythological being.

It’s someone who Percy felt confident enough to call his friend after being cast into an unknown world. Who made him feel like he belongs for the first time in his life. Someone Annabeth has looked to as family since she was 7 years old. Someone Grover probably deeply admired for his bravery and his leadership skills.

The one person they felt confident enough to confide in with their suspicions about the true lightning thief, because how could it be him? Charismatic, charming, passionate, kind, natural-born leader.

Imagine how hard it will hit when they realise Luke is the traitor. And all that knowledge and cleverness could never have possibly prepared them for this kind of betrayal.

[creative-hanyou-girl]

If the PJO show gets renewed for future seasons, I really hope the audience doesn't give the child actors crap for being a little older than their characters in the show. I'm already seeing some people be like "they better film season 2 and 3 ASAP NOW!!!!" and like, I get that as fans you want the characters to still pass as certain ages, but its neither the child actors nor the PJO crew's fault if things get delayed a bit, especially when they haven't even been given the greenlight to film yet.

And another thing: I don't want the cast and crew to feel pressured by being on a deadline, whether its given by Disney themselves or by the audience pressuring them to start filming as soon as possible. Especially the child actors like Walker, Leah, and Aryan. We've seen on how deadlines can affect the overall quality or payoff of a piece of media with Frozen 2. But more importantly is the fact that the cast and crew have lives OUTSIDE of PJO and television that they deserve to experience. They are not machines who exist purely for us, the fans', own benefit. Especially the child actors.

I think it'd be great if we could get a season 2 or 3 renewed soon, but I also know that the PJO people can't do much until given the greenlight. Walker, Leah, and Aryan can't help that they are growing up. And again, putting deadlines on the cast and crew can really effect the quality of a season, as well as be very stressful on said cast and crew, especially the younger actors.

To put it short, be kind guys. If the show is renewed, be kind to the young actors and don't give them crap for being like, 1 or 2 years older than the characters they are portraying. They can't help the fact that they are growing up. And putting a deadline on them and the PJO staff would just add more stress on everyone involved and can effect the quality of the end result. Again, they've all got lives outside of PJO and TV too, and deserve to experience those lives without pressure from fans.