#Emperor Nero fanfiction

[azeutreciathewicked]

Title: "Whatever It Takes" (Explicit)

Word count: 5240

Summary:

Assigned by Heaven to guide the future Emperor Nero to be a good and just ruler, Aziraphale is instructed to do "whatever it takes" to ensure this outcome. Trapped between Heaven's disregard for his safety and the Emperor's desires, the angel has few options left to him, and only one person able to protect him.

AD 54 - Rome: It is the day of Nero's coronation, and Aziraphale finds himself alone with the Emperor-to-be.

CW: Sexual coercion (dubcon), loneliness, pining, shame, oral sex, intercrural (thigh) sex, hair-pulling, scent kink, taste kink, precum play, degradation - light, intrusive thoughts, subspace, corruption, corruption kink, institutional coercion, mention of enslaved people.

Excerpt:

“You must stand by the Emperor, keep his trust and his ear. Whatever it takes.” Another kiss: hungrier, deeper. Aziraphale felt a flush as he tasted himself for the first time on Nero’s tongue as it thrust into his mouth. Eager hands gripped his hips, a firm but yielding mass pressed between his legs, pulsing with fierce heat. “You feel that, my dear tutor? That is my desire for you. Won’t you show me how much you love me? I know you want to — why else have you been by my side all this time, aiding me, guiding me? We are finally achieving what we have worked towards all this time.” Soft lips trailed down the angel’s neck as Nero slowly, inexorably pressed against his body, against his hardness in particular. “What better way to celebrate than with a union of our bodies to match our minds and hearts? Let me help you…”

Click and lick on AO3 (this is another in my series of "cutting room floor" one-shots of scenes that I wrote earlier in my process for the sequel to The Nephilim Loophole that no longer fit the story that has evolved. I wanted to give it life, so it along with other scenes will have a home in my series, "To Serve the Emperor," kicked off by the gifted fic of the same name)

Huge thanks to my outstanding and enthusiastic beta readers as they suffered through the sheer agony of every salacious detail of Nero's seduction of poor Aziraphale: @playdohangel, Mister Scruffy Poo, @rofell, and @ines2925.

[anyarose011]

You're a Mean One, Miss Hunham {Angus Tully x Reader}

Summary: Four days into being stuck in an all boy's school for Christmas break, and you're on the brink of insanity. If it's not because of Angus Tully still trying to one up you in history lessons, then it's Teddy Kountze getting a hand on something personal of yours (prick).

Part 2 of ?? (Masterlist)

Warnings: Swearing, period typical sexism, mentions of pornography, blackmail, minor physical assault, and as always, Teddy Kountze.

You guys don't get to escape being an awkward af teenager just because it's fanfiction, so enjoy! Also, thank you all so much for the love already shown just from the first part alone!

Word Count: 5.0k

You always knew to put a pillow over your head when you heard your father get up from his bed.

“All right you fetid layabouts, it’s daylight in the swamp!” He smacked two metal basins against each other, waking the boys up if they weren’t already, groaning. “Arise!”

It was funny the first day, but by the fourth, it was unbearable. Still, a part of you was grateful for your father; you never had to get up early and run with the boys in the cold, Massachusetts air. Call it nepotism, call it sexism, you were just glad he didn’t want you to interact with them (physically, that is).

The second day you were there, he called you in during afternoon study hall (leaving you on a minor cliff hanger in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre; forget that it was your third time reading it, it pissed you off). Just like he had done months ago, Paul Hunham hosted a trivia game (whether that was to show you off, or get them to study, you had no idea).

What idea you did have, was beating every single one of them.

For Alex and Ye-Joon, they were babies in your eyes, so you would give them more time to think on their answers whenever they were up. Alex got close on one, but overall, they didn’t do so well.

Oh, the boys your age? Yeah, you didn’t show mercy, even towards Jason.

“When was the last king overthrown?” Your father questioned.

You smacked the desk before Jason could even process the question. “509 B.C.”

“What planets are named after Roman gods?”

“Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.” You recited it perfectly.

Teddy scrunched his eyes. “Jesus Christ.”

Your father pursed his lips. “That was the easiest one I have, Mr. Kountze.”

Angus Tully…Angus. Fucking. Tully.

“What emperor temporarily restored peace to Rome and the cost of-?”

Angus hit the desk before your father could finish the question. “-Diocletian.”

“At its peak,” your father eyed you. “how large was the Roman Empi-?”

“2.3 million square miles.” You answered, keeping your eyes trained on Tully.

“Nero had five spouses in total, what was the name of the slave boy he-?”

“-Castrated and married,” you finished for him. “Sporus.”

Back and forth you both went like that, rapid fire at first, and your own levels of exhaustion were catching up to you. After perhaps five minutes of this (maybe ten, twenty, who gives a shit, you were tired), it was one damning question that would haunt you.

“True or false, the Pantheon was built before the Coliseum.”

“True.” You said, slapping the desk with the confidence of a mediocre man.

There was silence in the room, and your father sighed. “False.”

It wasn’t a big deal, it shouldn’t have been a big deal; to literally everyone else but you, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

But it was.

Oh, it was.

It was the second time you lost to Angus Tully overall, the first time from an easy question. Still, while Kountze’s grin made you want to rip out his teeth, it was Tully’s outstretched hand that caused you to snap out of it.

“Good job.”

Two of the most hurtful words in academia, whether it meant for it to be or not. Still, swallowing your pride, you shook his hand, and left the room gracefully.

Then started crying as you walked down the darkened hallway.

It wasn’t like you were weeping, you were just frustrated. Thankfully, by the time your friend Elise came to pick you up, you were fine and had a fun day simply walking around town with her.

You bought cigarettes and chocolate at the drug store, then spent the rest of the day at her house, laying on the floor and listening to records in her room while answering her prodding questions.

“Who’s the cutest one?”

“None, they’re men.”

“Okay,” she rolled her eyes, smiling. “I know that, but if you had to choose.”

“Like, ‘if we were the last man and woman on earth’ I had to choose?”

“Sure.”

“A very tall bridge.”

She laughed, shoving you playfully. “I’m serious!”

“So am I.”

“Really.”

Sighing heavily, you thought for a moment, before smiling. “He’s a football player.”

“What?!” She sat herself up. “You and a football player?!”

“Shut up!” You laughed with her, sitting up.

Elise shook her head. “What about the one you went head-to-head with in trivia today?”

“Ew,” was your immediate reaction. “he’s maybe your type, but not mine.”

“So, you don’t want a smart one?” She questioned. “And that’s mean of you.”

“I’m mean to everyone.” You laid back down on the floor. “And yes, of course I want someone who’s smart, but not smarter than me.”

She mirrored you, laying down and leaning her head against yours. “So, he’s out for the count?”

“One hundred percent.”

“If you say so.” Elise reached up onto her nightstand and handed you a letter. “Also, my aunt left something back at the faculty housing and said she found this in you and your dad’s mailbox.”

You looked at your name in the center of it, and then at the stamp: a toy train.

It took everything within you not to sit up in shock. All you did was smile, say thank you, and slip it into your coat pocket.

You gave Tully his chocolates and cigarettes and didn’t have a problem. It was the fourth day when your father had given them just another ounce of freedom outside of the school, allowing them to walk around the wooded area of campus. You still had your books, but you were also feeling lonesome (the only time you really interacted with any of them was during mealtimes, except for Teddy…fuck Teddy), and you had talked about almost every single thing you wanted to talk about with Mary (God bless that women for letting you read to her too).

So, on December 20th, you laced up your boots (not too tightly), pulled on your mittens, and zipped up your jacket to go on a miniature adventure with the five boys.

“I’m gonna teach you how to play football.” Jason teased you as the six of you walked two by two (you and him at the front).

Shaking your head, you smiled more so at the thought of what you’d look like than his obvious flirting (was he even flirting or just being nice? Decades pass, and you still aren’t sure). “Please no.”

“Come on, it’s easy.”

“Roman history is easy.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s not; you’re just smart.”

“It’s easy to me. Football is easy to you, see what I’m getting at?”

Jason shrugged. “Suit yourself, Teddy?”

“Say no more.” He responded, brushing past you and running up ahead as Jason threw the football to him and he caught it.

That left you by yourself for just a moment before seeing Angus walk beside you. You turned your head over your shoulder to see Ye-Joon and Alex lagging behind as they talked.

“Boys,” you called them. “try and keep up!”

They responded with a chorus of ‘Yeah’s and ‘Sorry’s.

“So what, you’re like their mother now?” The second most irritating voice belonging to a boy asked.

You looked over at Angus, hands in his pockets as he gazed down at you. “You’re not exactly the nurturing type.”

“You don’t know that.”

Humming, you stepped over a log in the middle of the path. “So, what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Jason’s here because of his hair, Alex and Ye-Joon’s family are in other continents, I don’t care nor want to know about Teddy, why are you here?”

He didn’t respond right away, before then saying. “I was supposed to go to St. Kitt’s with my mom and stepfather, but then they decided to say it was their honeymoon and ditch me.”

Your gaze turned to him and saw him pick up a stick, dragging it behind him to make a line in the snow. Even just from his profile, you could see the anger withing his eyes; bubbling more violently than a volcano about to erupt.

“That’s despicable.” You stated plainly.

“That’s one way to put it.” He scoffed.

You didn’t know exactly how to follow up such a personal conversation, but you wanted to make him feel better (at this point during the break, only because it was the decent thing to do), so you just said.

“You beat me fair and square both times.”

Angus looked at you. “Did I? At your dad’s bullshit trivia?”

“You did. Well actually, it was just me versus five of you, and I do believe the more I talk to Kountze, the more braincells I lose, so-.”

“-Don’t sell yourself short.”

You gave him a quizzical look. “I know, I was just telling you why I lost to you both times.”

He shrugged. “The first time you had to go against fifteen of us.”

“I’m sorry,” you chuckled, genuinely not believing it. “are you suddenly saying that you think I’m smart?”

“I never said you weren’t.” He gave you a look.

“Last time, you looked me in the eye and said you knew more than me.”

That’s what silenced him, and when he nor you said anything after that, you simply walked ahead of him. Hell yeah, you had the last word and made him feel like an asshole (you honestly didn’t know that was possible).

The six of you all caught up with one another, and you spoke with the freshmen boys more about meaningless things (but perhaps that’s what made it so meaningful). Angus, still carrying the stick like he was a child, and it was his favorite toy, said to Jason after talking about if there was anything else to do in Barton.

“What about your car? We could take it, go somewhere, Boston maybe?”

“Nah, we’d get in so much trouble.” He shook his head, nudging you. “Little miss perfect here would snitch on us.”

You rolled your eyes at the nickname. “I would not. Besides, it’d be easier to say you all kidnapped me, and everyone would believe me.”

“Face it,” Jason passed the football back to Teddy. “we’re stuck.”

 “If we just had some way to get out of here.” Angus kicked a patch of snow. “Just split.”

Jason pointed towards the quad. “Well, you could put a chopper down right in the quad.”

“A what?” Angus furrowed his brow.

��Helicopter, dumbass.” Teddy mocked. “His old man’s the CEO of Pratt and Whitney.”

Jason nodded. “Yeah, he’s go his own bird. He takes it from Stamford to the city every morning. Lands right in our back yard. Pilot’s name is Wild Bill.”

“Wild Bill?” Ye-Joon asked, amused.

“Yeah, flew to Haystack with it. Took the presents and everything. Minus me.”

“Flying with presents,” Alex spoke up. “like Santa Claus.”

That was perhaps the first time you smiled out of geniuses that day.

“Yeah. Just like Santa Claus.”

Jason whistled, and Teddy immediately dashed ahead of him and caught the ball once Jason threw it. The two drifted off playing catch, leaving you and Angus with the freshmen. Alex spoke just as whimsically as he did about Santa.

“If I was back home right now back in Provo, it would be really warm inside, and my mom would be making baked apples, and the whole house would smell like cinnamon and brown sugar.”

Ye-Joon smiled. “That sounds really nice.”

You nodded. “During finals week, I helped Mary and the other cooks bake cookies for you guys. I still think that’s one of my favorite smells of all time.”

“You helped out with that?” Angus asked.

Dropping your smile, you said. “Yeah, and if I knew which one you’d have taken I would’ve spat in it.”

Before he could even come up with a response, Teddy ran up to Alex and yanked the glove off his right hand. “Hey!”

“That’s what you get for ratting me out, you little Mormon!” He laughed before throwing it into the river.

You marched up to him immediately. “What the fuck is wrong with you?! Like, what the actual fuck?”

Teddy only stuck his tongue out like a child before running back to catch up with Jason. A part of you (somehow) foolishly believed he would’ve berated Teddy for the obviously asshole act; but he didn’t.

Rolling your eyes, you went down to the river with Alex, hopefully trying to find the glove and be able to fish it out. Though, to no avail, you couldn’t find it.

“It’s gone!” He yelled back up to Angus and Ye-Joon. “My glove’s gone!”

“Twisted fucker orphaned that glove on purpose!” Angus responded. “Left you with one so the loss would sting that much more.”

Alex looked down at his hands before tugging off the other glove and throwing it into the river as well. You glared at Teddy as he had a fun time, still laughing and throwing the ball with Jason. Sighing, you looked back down at Alex and pulled off your mittens, handing them to him.

“Here.”

He glanced up at you before staring back out at the water, rubbing his nose. “I don’t need them.”

“Your fingers are frailer than mine.” You continued even when he gave you a look. “That’s not an insult, that’s a fact. It’s alright, I have pockets.”

Alex, after a moment of debating, took them from you and slipped them on, smiling. “Thanks.”

The six of you were on your way back to school when you felt someone slip their hand into your coat pocket.

“Now what do we have here?”

You turned on your heel, seeing Teddy’s face light up as he waved the letter in his hand. Your face dropped, along with your voice.

“No!”

Immediately, you began to chase him around the small, snowy clearing as if you were a dog and he was a car.

“Theodore fucking Kountze, give that back!” You commanded.

He ripped open the envelope. “Or what, Hunham? You’re gonna tell your dad on me?”

“Just give her the letter, idiot.” Angus rolled his eyes.

Of course, Kountze ignored him, taking the letter out, and money falling from the paper. That’s when he stopped in his tracks and so did you. For the first time since…a while, you were frozen, and you had no idea why.

The rest of the boys caught up to you two, and Teddy picked up the money that fell from the letter; a twenty, a ten, and a five-dollar bill. After the initial shock wore off, he read the letter aloud to everyone.  

“‘My dearest girl, how are you? It’s been a while, and I just want to know what you’ve been up to. Merry Christmas, here’s my gift to you. From, Daniel. P.S. Please send another picture of you if you could.’”

Shame crept in like a shaking animal from the cold, and you couldn’t even look at any of them. Still, that didn’t stop Teddy from taunting you; hell, it probably spurred him on.

“The hell kind of business are you running if you got a someone paying you thirty-five bucks?” He laughed, looking back at the guys. “You think she’s in a skin mag or something?”

“Hey, man, shut up.” Jason rebuked.

“No, I’m serious. They take pictures without showing the face sometimes.” He looked at you now. “Which one is it? Penthouse? Modern Man?”

“Leave it, Kountze.” You hissed, not looking at him.

Teddy laughed. “Don’t tell me it’s Playboy; you?”

 “Are you fucking deaf?” Angus asked. “She told you to cut it out.”

“Piss off Tully, you probably saw her tits this morning in study hall.”

You whipped your head around and couldn’t control the face you made; to this day, you still have no idea if it was pure rage, a form of betrayal, or both at once. Still, you watched as how Angus avoided your gaze like he’d done something wrong; he did, but still. Teddy opened his disgusting mouth to speak again.

“Shit, if I were to line up every girl in Barton, you would’ve been the very last one I-.”

“-I’ll let you take the picture.”

All eyes were back on you, and you looked right at Teddy’s; once confident and sly, now widened with surprise. Who knew it would take just six words for him to shut up?

“What?” Was all he responded.

You swallowed thickly, clutching your hands into fists to keep yourself calm (and to not cry). “I’ll let you take the picture of me, but we have to be alone, and you need to promise me you won’t tell anyone else; especially my father.”

This was not what you had envisioned or wanted to happen on your first outing with them away from the adults in your life. You prayed to whatever god above, Christian, Roman, Greek, Buddhist, it didn’t matter, you prayed that Teddy would grow a brain and take the deal.

“Alright.” Was all he said, shrugging with an excited smile on his face that made your skin crawl.

You nodded. “I’ll take my letter and money now.”

He tilted his head, walking closer to you. “Please.”

Taking a deep breath, you said. “Please.”

Teddy’s grin only deepened, then handed you your things. “You know, Hunham, maybe you’re not a total prude after-.”

Your fist met his eye, and the both of you stumbled backwards; him clutching his face, you your hand. Needless to say, you were both cursing. Still, you managed to gather your bearings and push him over.

“Fucking bastard.” You spat before trying to make a run for it.

Teddy grabbed your left foot, causing you to fall into the snow, your teeth sinking into your lip once you hit your chin on impact of the ground. You struggled, then managed to quickly wiggle out of your boot before getting back up and running like a girl (anyone would run like a girl if they were being chased by a man like Teddy Kountze).

You honestly have no idea how he didn’t catch up to you at the time, but you were on the steps of the main building when you turned back. There they were, just five, not-so-little specks that stood out across the valley of pure white snow. It was only when you slowed down did you notice how cold your left foot was. Your sock was dripping wet from the snow, and you then pulled off your other boot, leaving it on the stairs before entering the school.

Taking a deep breath once you closed the door, you wiped your mouth; specks of blood colored your hand, but thankfully, not that much. Sighing, you walked through the halls of the school, trying to make your way back to the infirmary and hoping that your father wasn’t there.

You ran into Mary instead (a fate worse than death).

“Where are your shoes?” Was the first thing she asked once she saw you in the main hall (you got lost; hey, you’d only been there a few times in the past, don’t be too hard on yourself).

You shrugged, smiling. “We were playing a game.”

“What kind of game?”

“Hide and seek tag.” you leaned against the wall, hands in your coat pockets. “First one to get to the school wins, I hid my shoes under a bush, so they thought I was there, and I made a run for it.”

“You take a fall then? Your mouth’s bleeding.”

“You’re telling me you’ve never slipped on ice?” You managed to joke.

She arched her brow, placing her hands on her hips. “Do you know how long I’ve known you?”

It actually took you a few moments to think back on it; it felt like you’ve known her longer, but no. “Since I was nine?”

“And do you think, in the last eight years, I haven’t been able to tell if you’re a bad liar or not?”

“…Well, am I?”

“Did one of those boys put their hands on you?” She asked the question you both knew was coming. “Was it that shitass Kountze?”

Even with it being a serious question, you laughed (both from surprise and discomfort). “Well like, you should see the hands I put on him. Mary, we were just playing, it’s fine.”

The main door opened before she could say anything else, and you saw the same five boys walk in; Ye-Joon holding your boots. You smiled, approaching them as if nothing was wrong, and you took your shoes. “Thank you.”

He nodded, quickly looking away.

“You all should be ashamed of yourselves.” Mary spoke up behind you, and your heart dropped for a moment as well as all of their faces. “I get that you were playing a game, but you don’t need to be so competitive.”

They turned to one another, obviously confused about the whole thing (you were as well). Still, she continued. “Yeah, little miss Hunahm told me everything. Hide and seek, tag, I don’t care what it was, you all need to be just careful with each other. Poor girl over here took a fall, and I see you did too, mister Kountze.”

At his name, Teddy turned away. Angus spoke up. “We’ll be careful next time, miss Lamb.”

“Please, we’re on vacation; just Mary.” She looked at you. “You’re gonna help me with dinner later, right?”

“I will.”

“Good, stay out of trouble.”

“No promises.”

With that, Mary left through one of the doors leading to the teacher’s lounge. The moment she did, Teddy hissed at you.

“What the hell was that?!”

Rolling your eyes you said. “Didn’t you hear? We were playing a stupid game.”

“You mean you punched me in the face.”

“You blackmailed me into doing something I wouldn’t have wanted to do; we can keep going.”

“It’s not my fault you’re a-.”

“-A what?”

He stopped to your surprise, then changed his tone. “I just don’t think your father would be proud of the choices you’ve made.”

On one hand, damn, those words cut deep enough to almost make you bleed; but on the other hand…

“Are you gonna tell him?” You asked, trying not to sound like you gave a shit.

“Maybe,” he shrugged. “I mean, unless you’re gonna say sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” You laughed. “Beating the shit out of you? You started it. Besides, who’s he going to believe?”

Silence was what you were met with. Even at the sight of his face, you only continued to grin. “Teddy, come on, you start ‘not fights’, we all know. It’s not a hard question, I thought you were smarter than this?”

He sighed. “You.”

“Exactly; you’re my bitch, Kountze.” You walked backwards, a little skip in your step. “Don’t you forget that.”

Turning away, you retreated to the infirmary, grabbing your books and escaping to the library in hopes of not having to see any of them for the rest of the day.

Men…so exhausting.

You managed to disappear into the world of The Yellow Wallpaper (not necessarily lighthearted reading, but it was still interesting) and a chapter of The Two Towers before Mary called you down to help with dinner.

After another strange but not so subtle comment from her (“You know you can be honest with me, right? I am with you.”), it was quiet between the both of you. That’s what you always loved with cooking and baking; the quietness, even if you were with one other person. You both just worked in tandem and it was almost frightening how you would both know to move out of the way of each other without saying a word.

Dinner was uneventful; somehow, your father hadn’t noticed the slight bruising on your lip, or Teddy’s eye (the color would probably start to show as days went on, but that was a future problem for you). Not one of the boys your age talked to you; even then, the freshmen kept to themselves a lot too.

So, it was quite a surprise to you, as there was “supervised leisure time” in the library, when Jason Smith sat across from you at the table.

“Hey.” He said softly.

You looked up from Jane Eyre. “Hello.”

“So…” He almost looked nervous (initially about what, you will never know). “you really gave Teddy shit today.”

Tilting your head to the side, you went. “Yeah? Well…he kind of threatened me.”

“No of course. Just…wow.” He chuckled. “You really held him off.”

Nodding, you honestly had no idea what to think. Was he complementing you? In shock? All you were doing was staying silent at this awkward exchange when he asked. “You okay?”

“Huh?”

“Just that, I can’t really read you right now. Did I say something weird?”

“No.” You shook your head, then said. “Well, yes. Sorry, I just…” You tried again. “Thank you, I think? But um…do you want me to be honest?”

“Sure.”

“I’m kind of…no, I am mad none of you stepped in. Maybe not mad but…I don’t know.”

“Well,” he began. “we told him to stop.”

“So did I, but he didn’t.” You wanted to say, but you only knew saying something true would make it worse (this is why you couldn’t be outnumbered by men; it’d make you scared). Instead, you settled on.

“I know, and thanks, but it still would’ve been nice for some help.”

He shrugged. “You seemed to have it handled.”

Six words you thought (and prayed) you’d never hear again; and he said them with a nonchalant shrug. As if, by now, he was already bored and annoyed with a conversation he had started. Perhaps you were reading too much into that last part, perhaps he didn’t mean to come off as callous; but he was still oblivious at the end of the day.

“Look,” he interrupted your overflowing mind when he saw how much it was affecting you. “if it helps, he tried to run after you when you punched him, but Tully and I held him back.”

You took a deep breath as his words sunk in. Then, you chuckled bitterly. “How nice of you to not let him beat me to a pulp.”

He shook his head. “Come on, don’t be like that.”

“Angry? Pissed off?”

“Irritational.”

Your jaw actually dropped. “What?”

He said your name, shaking his head and lowering his voice as if you both hadn’t been quiet already. “Look, Kountze is a dick, we know that. But come on, he said some horrible stuff, and you punched him. That doesn’t really add up.”

“…He threatened me.”

“You basically invited him to take a picture of you alone. I mean, yeah it was to bate him, but still.”

No further questions, you picked up your book and your jacket. Without another word and ignoring how he tried to call you back with a soft tone of voice as he said your name, you walked out of the library without another thought.

Your father asked you about it of course, but all you said was that Jason spoiled a book you were looking forward to reading. He believed you and wished you goodnight, leaving you to lie in your bed and be stuck in your thoughts until snoring reached your ears.

You waited a few more minutes before you stood up, gathering your blanket to wrap around you. As you walked down the hall, the nagging thought of ‘Do I even feel safe in there?’ invaded your mind when you only realized that you were going to be in a room with both Jason and Teddy. You were outside of the hall for longer than you would imagine, when you heard quiet voices on the other side of the wall.

“…I had an accident.”

“Yeah, you did. Shh, stop crying. If they hear you, they’ll crucify you. Which would be ironic, since you’re Buddhist.”

You had to cover your mouth from the unexpected line. How…strange it was to hear Angus Tully be this comforting. You heard the smaller voice again and heard that it was Ye-Joon.

“I know it’s an excellent school, and my brothers went here. But I miss my family, and I have no friends.” His voice broke at the end, and so did a piece of your heart.

Then, Angus with his words of wisdom, said. “Yeah, well, friends are overrated. I’ll help you hide the sheets in the morning, all right? In the meantime, find a dry spot, and try to get some sleep.”

“Thank you.”

You gave it a few moments, still reeling over the gentleness of it all, before entering into the light of the infirmary room. You knocked lightly on the door frame not to frighten anyone.

Angus turned over his shoulder, and somehow didn’t jump when he saw you.

“Hi.” You greeted.

“Hey.” He responded, trying to act like his common, moody self.

You wanted to acknowledge what you heard; tease him (but not in an unkind way) about him being nice, ask him why, in the dead of night, was he like this and not in the daytime? Still, all you could manage was the basic.

“Is everything alright?”

He nodded. “Yeah, just nightmares, you know.”

“No,” you shook your head, deciding to lighten and grace the room with your sarcasm. “I’ve never had one in my life.”

Angus seemed to catch on, and it surprised you greatly to see him actually smile. “Nobody likes a bragger.”

“So that’s why you don’t have any friends.”

…Too much; too much sarcasm.

Both of your smiles fell, and you wanted nothing more than to shrivel up like a leaf and die in front of him, then have someone sweep out the crumbs of your body and then them on fire in the snow before burying the ashes.

You still can’t believe you came up with that metaphor quicker before you could say. “I’m just gonna…”

He nodded. “Yep.”

“Goodnight.”

“’Night.”

You scurried into the other room and under the covers of the bed. The fear of Teddy and Jason no longer was the thing keeping you up at night in that room; it was the worst possible thing you could’ve said to Angus Tully of all people.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

[4th-make-quail]

5, 6, 8, and 18! (If you want to do all of them :3)

Fandom Questions

5. Which fandoms have your written fanfiction for? ahaha quite a few!! mostly video games with a few other canons scattered here and abouts

Final Fantasy XIV (27) Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse) (26) Final Fantasy XII (18) Final Fantasy XV (13) inFAMOUS (Video Games) (13) British Comedy RPF (9) The Magnus Archives (Podcast) (8) Devil May Cry (Gameverse) (7) Supernatural (TV 2005) (7) Baldur's Gate (Video Games) (5)

Interview with the Vampire (TV 2022) RPF (4) Compilation of Final Fantasy VII (4) Interview with the Vampire (TV 2022) (3) Overwatch (Video Game) (2) Final Fantasy X (2) Dishonored (Video Games) (1) The Goblin Emperor Series - Katherine Addison (1) Uncharted (Video Games) (1) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga (1) Metal Gear (Video Games) (1)

6. List your OTP from each fandom you’ve been involved in. AHHHH THIS IS SO HARD I HAVE SO MANY OTPS SDLKGJL'FG okay here goes!

FFXIV: Sartauvoir/Basch, Gaius/Estinien, Lyon/Menenius Resident Evil: Chris/Wesker, Leon/Krauser, Jake/Sherry FFXII: Cid/Vayne, Ghis/Bergan, Ashe/Basch/Vossler, Ondore/Reddas, Ashe/Balthier(/Al-Cid) FFXV: Gladio/Noct, Prompto/Ignis, Nyx/Drautos, Regis/Clarus inFAMOUS: Cole/Zeke, Reggie/Delsin, Eugene/Reggie Britcom RPF: Charlie Brooker/David Mitchell TMA: Jon/Gerry, Martin/Mike Crew, Peter/Elias, Jon/Elias DMC: Nero/Credo, Dante/Vergil SPN: previously Dean/Cas, now Dean/Sam, Dean/Crowley, Sam/Rowena, many many others.... bg3: Omeluum/Blurg, Tav/Emperor, Orpheus/Voss iwtv rpf: Eric/Assad ofc!! iwtv: Armand/(old)Daniel, Louis/Armand/Daniel, Louis/Daniel, Armand/Louis FFVII: Cid/Vincent, Turks Gangbang in various combos Overwatch: Reaper/Soldier 76, Hanzo/Mcree (sorry idr his new name sldhglg) FFX: Auron/Jecht/Braska, Seymour/Anima(or Seymour's mother) Dishonored: Corvo/Daud The Goblin Emperor: Thara/Iana Uncharted: Sam/Sully!!!!! but i wrote Nate/Elena as a gift lol Full Metal Alchemist: Hughes/Mustang, although I wrote Ed/Winry for an exchange MGS: Sam/Raiden, Vamp/Raiden, BB/Ocelot, BB/Kaz, although when i wrote for this fandom it was..... a britcom rpf crossover LOL

8. How did you get involved in your latest fandom? well, i was SUPER into the vampire chronicles as a young teen but i basically read iwtv -> TVA -> blood & gold and then stopped, cos i was mostly HUGELY into Armand and then Marius, and less bothered about the rest. then when iwtv (tv) came out, i was HUGELY into it, but i wasn't back on tumblr back then so i just kinda squeed in my own head? so when i found out s2 was airing (i'd missed like 3 eps i think??) i just finally got into the fandom proper! and having Armand there now just gave me all the impetus i needed to start making things heh. god i love him so much... needless to say young teen me HATED the casting choice from the original film LOL

Current Fandom

18. What ship have you written the most about? it's definitely Eric/Assad atm!! i've written three Armand/Daniel drabbles for Seasons of Drabbles exchange, but man, the rpf has taken me overrrr

[madnessatdawn]

Dumb yet cool things about fate grand order. Is that you'll have characters alternate selves walking around. They can talk to each other, and it's fine (KINDA, I'm sure some of them they haven't tried to kill each other yet), and not weird. You can get a snippet of an idea of how those other selves feel about it but not all the time. When I say alternate selves, I can refer to many things.

Like we have younger and older versions of the same person

Actually just an alternative universe version of that person.

Fanfiction version of the same person (legit, what if this historical figure was an edgy emo that some wished up.)

An edgy emo/goth version that isn't in canon fanfiction come to life

Someone just possesses the body of that person.

Seasonal variants of the same person (cause gotta make that summer and winter gacha money)

Even regional variants of the same person. Percy Jackson style.

Also if you wondering about this lady right here.

Miss Saber herself. Artoria Pendragon, King of Camolot. Not only does she check off most of these. There are also just people in canon that look exactly like her but are not her in any way shape or form.

This is not Artoria; this is Nero Claudius, emperor of the Roman.

Not to be confused with this gal

Who is not Punk Rock Artoria but her son, who she fathered. Mordred

Speaking of Family

This is the Alternate universe version of Morgana ley fey, not Goth Artoria (There are several goth Artorias btw).

Fate is funny, and the creators have a mild obsession

[elentary]

I have two moods about doing my research:

1) spending hours and, sometimes, DAYS to find everything I need to the finest detail.

2) "oh, nobody will care if I got it wrong"

To be fair I'm mostly on the first mood because I'm incredibly curious about many things (especially culture, food and drinks) and often I fall in some Wikipedia rabbit hole (or any equivalent site).

Once I spent 3 days on 1400s men fashion because initially I forgot my story was set in Italy (and Italian fashion was different at that time from some other places in Europe). One of the only two characters was also 30-50 years behind the current fashion (so another little research was added). For the other one, I had to check all the clothing layers involved because I had to make him strip down to his shirt due to his fever (I blame Bernadette Banner and her costuber friends for my fixation on getting the right "lawyering").

And, by the way, their clothes weren't even important for the story but I wanted to get them right. My biggest researches were done on "vin Santo" (an Italian wine that was the main cause of the problem of the story) and an emetic (I remembered that there was an ancient Roman "medicine" but I had to check for the ingredients).

This is just an example.

The funniest thing is that the series, which my fanfictions are based on, is peppered with anachronisms, like sunglasses before emperor Nero, Bastille still present in 1793 (for us it was destroyed in 1789) and the "invention" of a fixed camera in the 1880s (yes, it was Good Omens TV show and I loved every inaccuracies there).

I really like doing my researches, even if sometimes I probably get something wrong.

I think I'm rarely in the "f**k it, who cares" mood because I believe that people could learn a lot of new things through stories, books, series and film (and I don't want to make others learn the wrong stuff).

The only problem is that I often can't show my internet chronology because I search many strange things (hallucinogens, poisons, wounds, disease, weapons, ...).

Behold, my attitudes-towards-research journey for my current WIP:

Oh dear, this fic contains a lot of things I don’t know about. I must embark upon hours of research for even the smallest detail, because if I don’t get everything 100% accurate I have failed as a person

I will do a reasonable about of research, but—for the sake of my mental health—I will forgive myself some minor inaccuracies in this, a work of fiction I am posting for free on the internet

FUCK ACCURACY I’MMA JUST START MAKING SHIT UP AND Y’ALL CAN CHOKE ON IT

[tomwambsmilk]

I really don’t think there’s enough appreciation for the fact that Tom kind of woobified a tyrannical Roman emperor. Like yeah, right off the bat it’s insane that he, a mid-40s Minnesotan who still calls his parents “mommy” and “daddy” and is a corporate stooge for a rapidly decaying media organization and agreed to an open marriage he didn’t want bc he was scared of his wife and is about to go to prison largely for crimes that he didn’t actually commit (like yeah the document destruction is on him but everything else? Not so much) read about a tyrannical Roman emperor and went “he’s just like me fr”. But the fact that he rewrote the Sporus and Nero story so dramatically…. Like most historical sources strongly imply that Nero killed his wife by accident and then married Sporus bc he kind of looked like her. Tom read that and went “okay, but what if Sporus was actually his favourite and he was secretly in love with him and he kinda hated his wife so he killed her to be with Sporus? He really IS just like me fr”. Tom is one more mental breakdown away from writing Nero/Sporus fanfiction and posting it on AO3

[lifeofroos]

Part 26.  I thought this would be a good title because it is a lot like the title I used way back for chapter one. This chapter is the last chapter D.L. (During Lester), so the world will be a little different in the chapters after this one. 

In short: Nico gets therapy from Dionysus. In this chapter, Nico tells Dionysus that the voices in his head have gotten worse. The rest is on AO3 and FanFiction.net! (And also Tumblr tags like Nico di Angelo, Pjo, Fanfiction etc.)

Chapter 26: Demeters’ Divine Orange Juice. 

I did not expect a juice box to appear during dinner time, but I wasn’t surprised either. While the others got up, I stayed at the table. I looked up at Will, who was standing next to me. ‘I said I would help you with the mental health talk during campfire hours…’ Will leaned over and kissed me on my forehead. 

‘It’s okay, Nico. This is more important. It is going to be okay.’ It will not be okay. Not until you get down here, where you belong.

When they were all gone, Dionysus came over and sat down on the opposite side of the Apollo table. ‘Hello, Nico.’

‘Hello?’ I picked up my juicebox. 

‘Did your boyfriend tell you that he spoke to me yesterday?’

‘Yes.’ Of course he did. ‘He… he would not keep something like that a secret.’ How do you know? You can’t tell what he keeps secret from you. That is what they are secrets for. Naïve child. 

Dionysus looked at my pained expression. ‘The voices are taunting you, aren’t they?’

I nodded. ‘Yes. They… they actually quieted down after I got to terms with being able to turn stuff to bones. The only time when they really rose again, was when I was in distress, like when we talked about Bianca. But now… they are there all the time again. They have not been back for long, that is why I didn’t tell you yet. I… I hoped they would just leave again.’ I shrugged. You shouldn’t have told him. You shouldn’t have told anybody. No one here is trustworthy and neither are you. Shut up. 

‘Right. However, next time I’d rather see that you tell me immediately.’ I shrugged again. I did not know what to say. I knew he was right. 

‘Do you think there is a reason that they have flared up? Aside from it being just a random thing for a few days.’ 

I nodded. ‘I have two ideas. One is that something is going on in Tartarsauce, or at least in the underworld. I hope not. What I think is more likely is that it means something is going to happen to Apollo. Maybe they… if I can call them they…’

‘That is actually good. That way they are not a part of you, but something else that needs to get out.’

We are a part of you. We will never get out. ‘They refer to themselves as ‘we,’ so I always thought of them as they. But anyway, maybe there is something cosmic changing and that is why there is a flare up.’

Dionysus nodded. I put in the straw and took a few sips out of my juice carton. It dawned on me that I never actually drank a whole carton of Demeters’ divine orange juice, even though it was the drink that I associated with therapy. 

Dionysus stared at the camp. ‘About every ancient creature already showed its face in the last couple of years. The only one still out and about is the snake, so… I more or less hope that you are right. Well, you are still here. You are quite the menance, won’t you say? You hear voices from Tartarus. ‘The other option is a lot more likely.’  

‘Apollo is coming this way of course. They defeated the second emperor in camp Jupiter, so their last stop will probably be camp Half-blood, to collect a team to aid in defeating Nero and the snake,’ I finished the train of thought. 

A little absentmindedly, Dionysus nodded a couple of times. ‘Listen, Nico. You had a big role to play during the Titan war and the Giant war. There is a chance that Apollo might ask you for help.’ As if anybody would want your help. ‘But I... I think it would not be a good idea to go along with him. You shouldn’t built up any more trauma.’ 

‘I cannot blame Apollo if he asks.’ There is only one person to blame in this situation. 

‘Hm.’ 

‘I mean, he has come far, but he is not there yet. He probably wants all the help he can get.’

‘And it might be best if you let someone else do that this time.’ I looked at the ground. Dionysus sighed. ‘However, I won’t hold you back if you decide to go. You should make that decision yourself. And, well, if the prophecy demands it, I guess trying to stop it will only do more harm. All I can do is tell you that I would rather see you stay in the camp.’ 

I did not answer. I knew I would probably go if asked. Mostly because Apollo would probably also ask Will and I couldn’t let him go alone. 

‘Nico?’

‘I… I know, and I understand.’ 

He gave me a sad look and sighed. ‘I also want you to know that if you do decide to go, it doesn’t mean that I stop helping you.’

‘Yes.’ He will. ‘But, eh... we are talking about a hypothetical.’

‘I have a sneaking suspicion that you already thought about it, a lot. I might even go so far as to say that you have already made up your mind. That makes it more than just a hypothetical.’ I shrugged and took a small sip. The juice tasted like mud. 

For a little while, we were both silent, until Dionysus scraped his throat. 

‘We need to see what will happen. To a certain extent, you are correct. We are arguing about a hypothetical. Until we know better what is going on, you should keep using the strategies I taught you to keep the voices under control.’ I nodded. Keep us under control. Idiot. 

‘Yes.’ Don’t trust him. ‘Eh, one more thing: the voices are more specific if I am talking to someone or doing something. Then they usually try to make me think I am doing everything wrong. However, if I am just, eh... being, it is more… ominous chanting. Come to Tartarus, free our lord, that sort of stuff.’ I shrugged. ‘Not much different from what I had way back in January, when you first reached out to me.’ 

He nodded a few times. ‘Alright.’ He stared at the strawberry fields. The sun had almost completely set at this point. ‘Nico, can you promise me that you will say it if it feels like you can’t handle it anymore?’

‘Yes.’ I nodded. I could say that, although I thought I could not say it with confidence. 

‘Good. If there is nothing else, than you may go.’ 

I slowly drank the juice I had left. ‘Yes. Thanks.’ Don’t thank someone who wants to hurt you. 

‘I think I’ll go join the others at the campfire. I promised Will to help with the mental health speech.’ 

‘Yes, go do that. Perhaps I’ll even join you. I am curious to see what Solace made of it. It can’t be much good, but you know, maybe it is pasable.’ 

A/N: No joke, putting the voice outside of yourself is how they told me to handle my eating disorder. 

Also I like to think Chiron lets Will and Nico sleep in the same cabin, because it helps both of them sleep better. 

After this, the story will be A.L. (After Lester), as I already said. There is already a lot planned, It will be a long time before I run out of story to write!

I reread some parts from tower of nero and realised that I veered off canon here and there. Whatever, Rick Riordan can’t even keep his own canon straight. In the last Olympian, he states that Hades met Maria di Angelo in Washington, which would mean they never were in Italy. However, in The tower of nero, it is said that Nico went to school in Italy. I’ll make of it what I can. 

[kathikon]

For the Fanfiction Work-In-Progress Guessing Game, death

HOOO BOY yes, yes, lots of it. I’ll include it from all of my major wips/aus floating around!

Standing there and staring across the river, the city looked like crooked teeth hidden in the dust and smoke clouding the air from the Howitzers pouring fire and death into it, relentless and unending.

Nate just made a pleased noise in what remained of his throat, leaning in to brush his lips over Brad’s chin, smiling into the skin— he smelled like the desert, not at all like the sea or Nate, just sand and hot gunmetal and death.

Nero. Brad had listened to Nate talk enough about the Classics; whispered words in Latin, rebellion and murders and civil wars, the death of Emperors and the rise of Empires alike. He kept his mouth shut, face calm.

Bonus: Star Wars!AU

He let his thoughts wander slightly, wondered what had happened to Ray’s Mandalorian, that wretched Death Watch boy, as Valla had called him. Was he fighting for his planet?

[royaltyfated]

@themooncell​ asked: ff+ Nero and Tamamo, because why not             @fatefulones​ asked: ff+ Nero and Tamamo             

Why? There were two fan-fictions! Written by anonymous people who so-called to be claimed ‘Shippers’. Ah well, there was no harm done in trying to read these ‘novels’, if you could even call them that. Nero takes a sip of her wine.

Upon picking up the first book....

Sweet heavens. What is Nero supposed to read? The grammar, and typos were all over the place! Nero couldn’t help, but cringe at this disgusting fanfiction! “First of all, author! I am the one who tops the caster! My breasts are not that big enough to be considered ‘G-Sized’!.” Clearly, what she was reading was an attempted purple prose smut between her and Tamamo. “Also, letting her tie me up? Never! You must earn that in order to bed, as one beautiful as me.” The emperor sighs before tearing the first novel.

The second novel is the WORST piece of fanfiction that Nero has ever laid her time to read. What?! Tamamo and Nero fuc.kin.g in a forest?! Her mind went blank. What is this. Why. WHY ARE THEY MAKING LOVE IN A FOREST? WHY IS TAMAMO STILL TOP?! Nero lets out a scream before grabbing her blade and stabbing the novel into pieces!

Send me “ff+” and a character name and my character will react to finding and reading a graphic and sex-filled fanfiction of themselves and that character.

[azeutreciathewicked]

Reflections from my writing research

I have been immersed in learning about the Emperor Nero, as his role has expanded from a small part as a shadowy abuser into a fully-realized tragic character who carries several main themes in his story.

Thanks to works like Everitt's Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome, and Holland's Nero: The Man Behind the Myth, we can rethink what we've been told about him.

The theme of stories being erased and rewritten is a central one for the story I am working on (and for This is Who You Are as well), and without realizing, Nero's story became a demonstration of this theme in such a deeply poignant way.

I knew when I realized that he, the drama queen that he is, wanted a larger part in my story, that I would have to dig into a lot of research that I unfortunately have enough tools to do to get myself in trouble (but not enough to do it like an historian). But I persevere.

Three terms I'm reflecting on tonight:

detestabile et malo publico - "detestable and evil to the public"

what Nero's father said when people congratulated him on having a son. He said that any child produced from him and Agrippina the Younger (Nero's mother) would be detestable.

aeternitatis cupido - eager for eternity

Nero, described by Suetonius, as having a longing for immortal fame

Damnatio memoriae - damnation of memory

the erasure of figures like Nero by the powerful, the ones who had control over the telling of history and the preservation of their legacy

In a way, these three quotes tell the tragic story of Nero, a boy with the soul of an artist who was forced to become an Emperor.

[moodyseal]

Do gods have pity?

It's on AO3 too!

A/N: Hello! This is my first fanfiction in English, and the first fanfiction I write for this fandom. I'm sorry if the characters are a bit (or a lot) OOC, and if some words aren't correct. I used Google Translate sometimes. (hey, Google, thank you.) It's an idea that I had in mind for a long time, so here it is: content for a fandom that doesn't have enough content. I hope you'll like it!

I fell on my knees, finally inhaling air that wasn't contamined with Python's venomous breath. I was extremely tired, and I felt pain radiate from my head throghout my whole body, but I was somehow satisfied. We did it. The emperors were defeated (Nero was defeated by Meg, of course, and I was really proud of her for that; she overcame her fears). The demigods of both camps were working together to rebuild what was destroyed in the battles. We freed the Oracle of Delphi. My punishment was over.

Was it?

Something wasn't right, I sensed it. My mortal memory may have been flawed, but I remembered every little detail of my fight with Python - it gave me nightmares for centuries. He was a monster, obviously, and like all monsters after being defeated - and by that I mean: after hundreds of arrows had hit him - he disintegrated, leaving behind only a pile of dust and a couple of disgusting green scales that I decided to burn right after. This time was different: Python, in his sixty meters of pure evil, layed on the ground of the cave, silent and still. I couldn't see his face, but he seemed to be dead to me.

Then why didn't he disintegrate?

I saw Meg run around the cave, curious to get to know every corner of it, jumping up and down to see things that were situated higher up and that her gaze did not reach. In fact, it was a place of great beauty: despite being covered, the cave was somehow illuminated by the strange silvery glow that came from the fountain that flowed near by - a little waterfall that came out the dark stones of the walls. From some cracks on the ground, once source of the steams that I always found really unhealthy but which, still, gave me the chance to get in touch with my priestesses, grew plants and delicate flowers. Over time, many stalagmites and stalactites began to stretch from the ground and from the ceiling.

Pan would have liked this place, as it is now. Well, without the corpse of the giant snake, of course.

As my lips stretched in a tired smile, Meg approached me. — This sure is a cool place for a giant evil noodle.

I stared at her for a long second.

— Okay Meg, wait, wait. We just defeated something that overcomes any enemy we ever fought against in speed, power and intellect, a giant monster that is mostly deadly and that would have given us a really horrible and painful death if we didn't kill him first, — I said, emphasizing the concept with big hand movements. — and you call him noodle.

She scratched her nose. — Exactly.

I sighed.

We sat in a corner, covered in blood and wounds, trying to regain strenght and discussing on how we would return home. Of course, the first thing to do was to try and see if the communications were functional again and to give the good news to everyone. Somehow, I found a dracma in the pockets of my now ripped jeans. A small hole in the ceiling - so this cave wasn't completely covered! - let a ray of light pass through a cloud of waterdrops formed by the waterfall, and that guaranteed a perfect rainbow for the high-resolution video chats. I just hoped that Iris wasn't busy with some kind of social protest.

I heard a weak wheeze coming from somewhere in the cave, but I thought that it was just the water flowing, or some definitely not funny joke that my mind decided to play on me. Even so, I couldn't get off me that feeling of unease, a pressure on my chest that I felt from the first moment I made eye contact with Python.

I came close to the water, the tail of the dragon-snake behind my back, trying not to groan for sitting down too fast. I started this adventure with broken ribs; the Fates, I supposed, decided that I had to end it in the same way. Just as I was about to throw the dracma into the rainbow, Meg shouted behind me: — APOLLO, LOOK OUT!

Now, the warning of my young friend was quite useless. I mean, the mortal curiosity - which now I, sadly, possess - always prevaled on the survival instinct in these situations: to the cry of a "Look out!", someone will always turn around to see which type of car is about to hit them; to the cry of a "Look out!", someone will always look up to see how badly was made the piece of wall that is about to fall on them; to the cry of a "Look out!", I tried to save humanity from the coming of electro dance, in vain.

So, as mortals do, I turned back too, without getting out of the way first; Meg probably knew I would do that. I saw the tail of Python, tall, enormous, but trembling, as if it was vanishing. I saw the end, and closed my eyes. Idiot!

To whom would I have prayed for the last time?

Before it could hit me with all its force, the small and fast silhouette of a child got in between, opening her arms - Meg.

It happened in a blink of an eye. One moment she was standing in front of me, the other I didn't see her anymore: after a short scream, I hear the frightening sound of bones breaking, one by one and all together at the same time, in a sick and horrible melody that would have haunted me for the rest of my life. Then another long, long scream filled my ears and filled that place that I once thought was so big but which now was trying to suffocate me - only after some time I realized that it was my scream, the cry of a desperate man that couldn't stand to see another of his friends getting caught too soon by Thanatos. All my past lovers, my friends, Jason, Crest. Now Meg, too.

Python turned his head to look at me, faking sadness.

— Oh no, what a shame. I didn't want to hit her, you were the target. Well... nevermind.

An evil grin stretched on his serpentine face; he looked at me with his gold gaze and spoke with his dying, ancient voice: — Have fun, Sunny.

And he exploded, finally turning to dust.

Have fun, Sunny. In my ears, I still heard the deep echo of his voice.

I would have been happy, in another situation. Ah-ha! I beated you even as a mortal, Python! Take that!

But I could not be happy. Not then.

I heard my heart throb in my chest, in my ears.

Meg lied on the ground, ten meters from where I was. She didn't move.

I got up, running towards her even if my legs were heavy and my muscles were extremely proved. The silence in the cave was innatural. I didn't hear the flowing of the water, I didn't hear my steps, I didn't hear my heavy breathing. Just a constant buzz in my ears.

"Father, please", I thought. "Please, please, please. Let me save her. I can, with my powers. Please, Father, please."

A small pool of blood was extending on the ground beneath her, a red rose that stood out on the almost black ground, a terrific parallelism with the death of her father. Her glasses broke again, and were lying right next to her.

Many more injuries covered her skin. Her left arm was folded in an innatural position. In some spots I could see her bones coming out of the skin. She was terribly pale. Her head - oh, her head! - was completely covered in blood.

In spite of everything, her expression was peaceful - if all that red weren't there (the red, more red that filled my thoughts) I could almost think that she was asleep.

I knelt slowly, with my hands trembling. Did any of my useful medical knowledge remain?

Don't move her body, you'll do worse, said my conscience.

Thank you very much, I responded.

— Meg. Meg, stay with me, please. Oh you-you can't die, you can't, come on. — I whispered, while trying to think of something, and my voice cracked as I thought of Jason. Tears rolled down my cheeks. — Meg. There are still many things you have to do. There are many people who want you to be alive. I-I want you to be alive. You still have to learn t-to play the piano, you must learn to play it well, and you pro-you promised me in New Rome that you would teach me gardening, you promised, y-you...

— Crybaby. — I heard her murmur, as the pain strained her face. I never felt so happy in my whole life. She was alive! There was still hope!

But that happiness wouldn't last.

— Meg, resist. I-I'll call someone. They will help. — I started, showing her the dracma. Desperation filled my voice. — I can still save you. I can-

— No, don't.

I looked at her, confused. What?

— Meg, but-

She interrupted me again: — Don't call. It's... — She coughed. — ...useless. They won't... — A cough, again. A thin stream of blood came from her mouth. — ...come in time.

— But Nico can shadowtravel! I'll call...

— Apollo, you... you can't do anything. — she told me, her eyes cloudy and her voice quiet. More quiet than I've ever heard it being. I understood what she meant, even if the truth teared my heart apart. I, too, felt the Fates staring at us. — But I'm a bit scared. I feel like my head split up. — Because it did, I wanted to add, but I knew that it wasn't the best thing to say to a dying person, so I kept silent. — It's painful, I think. I-I feel numb. Am I going to... — She coughed again, squeezed her eyes because of the pain. How was she still alive?

She paused, opened her eyes. Then she glanced at me, saw my sad eyes and understood. — Can you-Can you stay with me?

I smiled, trying not to cry in front of her. My sweet, impulsive friend. So brave for her age.

How many demigods like her have died while trying to complete the impossible quests that we, the gods, assigned to them? How many? — Of course, Meg. I will always be here for you. Did you really think that I would have left you here?

She stayed silent for a bit, looking around the cave.

Then she spoke again: — I'm sorry.

— For what? — I asked, holding her hand, trying to give her some comfort.

— I wa-was rude, didn't treat you well. I betrayed you. — Meg muttered, looking up at the black stones. — We never really talked about that. I'm... sorry.

— Don't feel guilty, it wasn't you fault. Even if you think so. — I replied, preceeding her. — I'm not holding a grudge for that, I never did. You were just scared, it was normal. And I had my flaws too. Actually, I was a jerk. Worship me, miserable mortals!

She tried to laugh, but her ribs were contrary to that. Her face frowned with pain.

Okay, okay, no more extremely funny jokes. Just normal funny jokes.

I prayed for the gods to heal her, somehow, prayed my Father to give me back my powers so I could use them to heal this child. Tears of rage blurred my vision, but I did not let them flow. Not yet, not yet, not yet.

Help me, gods of Olympus! Where is your might now?

— I have to say sorry to you too. — I trembled, looking at her. Her eyes shifted at me, and she looked like she wanted to punch me. Well, not really different from the usual. That was a good sign. — You wouldn't have gotten into this mess if it wasn't for me. You wouldn't...

I sighed, closing my eyes, then said again: — Why did you save me?

She did not reply at first, and I think she was trying to find a really cool last sentence to say as she was ending her mortal life.

While Meg remained silent, I held her hand, muttered a melody I heard at Delos - the song my mother used to sing to me and Artemis when we were still young gods. A melody of happiness, hope, sweet memories.

She finally answered. — Because I felt like it. And because you're a goofball.

I laughed lightly, continued singing, trying to impress in my voice all my gratitude. Her expression relaxed a bit, her eyes were closing. — Meg? — I murmured, as life was abandoning her body. Don't leave, please. Not you too. — Many people love you - Josephine, Emmie, Leo, Calypso, all the people you met. I do too. We are your family, we always were. I thought that you- I thought that you would like to know that.

She smiled, a true smile, and her eyes closed. She didn't breath again.

After a while, the tears I tried to hold back - tears of fear, sadness, sorrow - finally came out, and my heart sank into the ground: one hundred, two hundred meters down, until it got to the most deep abyss of Tartarus. I suddently realized how cold it was there, and started shivering.

It was just me and my feelings. Nobody else. Nobody who was alive, at least.

Now that there weren't any risks, I took Meg's body, holded it in my arms - it was almost like holding a bag of marbles. How did she resist for so long?

Her red blood stained my clothes, my hands.

As many memories crossed my mind, I heard the voice of Styx, loud and clear, painfully mocking.

Look at what you did with your promises. She's dead now.

— Go away! — I cried, grinding my teeth. — I don't need another reminder!

But she was right. It was my fault.

It had always been my fault.

I looked up, got lost in the stretched forms of the stalactites.

I think I got a vision, in that moment. A consequece of freeing the Oracle, I guess.

I saw Meg growing up, living a life somehow normal. Going to camp during summer, living in California with the nymphs the rest of the year. Going to school, making friends.

It would have never happened. Sometimes the Oracle did that: showed you some of the possible futures, the results of the many other choices you could have made.

I got back to reality, looked down again and wanted to scream.

Scream with all my energies, scream with all the air I had in my lungs to the point of almost consuming them. Scream until I could scream, continue to scream even when I didn't have the voice to do so.

I wanted to scream because I thought that the gods didn't hear us, that they didn't hear the sick sounds of the battle; because I thought that the gods didn't care about the death of a brave girl, a girl who fought agains the evil for their sake - for my sake? - until her very last bit of strenght.

Oh, but deep down I knew damn well that they heard us. They just didn't care, on that I was right. I didn't care, once.

A sob echoed in the cave. Another. And another. My vision blurred, because I started to cry again without even realizing it. "I don't want to cry!", I thought, taking deep, shaking breaths. The tears continued to mix with the blood on the ground anyway.

Red, black, red, black in my vision. In my nightmares.

Do gods have pity?

I held my friend, who was now so light in my arms.

And right there, even if just for a moment, I stopped believing in gods.

[greed-the-dorkalicious]

Hello yes just who briefly forgot there’s a character in Vento Aureo named Risotto Nero and was just completely ready to accept that someone had written a Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure fanfiction about the 5th emperor of Rome

[fanfictionlive]

Would you still read a fanfic that had slight religious/Christian references?

I saw another post recently talking about this, and the general consensus was kind of negative, which has me a bit concerned because of the slight religious stuff in one of the fics I’m planning. So I thought I’d describe what I’m doing and see whether people would still be willing to read the fic.

I’m currently in the planning stages for an Ancient Roman AU in one of my fandoms. When I write an AU, I like to go for broke on the research bit of it and make it as historically accurate as possible. So, after all that research, my story’s emperor- the Big Bad- has basically become a cross between Nero and Caligula. And both of those guys have a bit of a reputation for not being especially friendly towards early Christians, which I decided to use as a plot point. I needed a reason for the Big Bad to hate a particular character, so I decided to have that character and two of his friends be early Roman Christians. It wasn’t an arbitrary decision; it advances the plot, and all three of them have a very “goody-two-shoes” personality in canon already, so I felt it worked well.

Literally the only mention of Christianity is “these three are Christians which is why this guy hates them.” That’s it. Theology isn’t discussed or debated, and I don’t use it to preach at my readers. I don’t show any of the characters praying or going to church or any of that; it’s just stated as a fact about them, in the same vein as “he had blond hair.” It doesn’t factor into the story beyond serving as a historically-accurate reason why these three are on the emperor’s bad side. None of them are main characters either, just side characters.

I didn’t think people would have a problem with it, seeing as how I’m not preaching or starting debates, I’m just using it as a fact. But after reading through some of the comments on the other post about religion in fanfics, I figured it’d be a good idea to explain my specific plan for the story and ask whether it would be a turn-off for readers before I start writing. I’d appreciate your thoughts!

submitted by /u/Sincerely-Scarlet [link] [comments] from FanFiction: Where Magical Ponies battle Imperial Titans https://ift.tt/3aPYWqO

[uniquejennyessays]

Greek Myth In Contemporary Society

For years I have been liking Rick Riordan (Rick)’s works, it seemed like I have not written a review on it yet. So, here’s one on my favorite book series of all time.

HOW AND WHEN DID I START ON THIS SERIES?

It all started during my first year of high school, when I had a fixation on Greek Mythology. I admired the humanized personality of different gods, the adventures of heroes with their tragic end, and the inconsistent romance (either a happy or a miserable end). The passion led me to discover the first series of the Chronicles, Percy Jackson and the Olympians (PJO). I think I borrowed the first two books from the school library and bought the rest from the bookstore. I pretty much spend most of my time reading these novels forth and back.

Then it came the Heroes of Olympus (HOO) series, which Rick introduced Roman Mythology. With a set of new characters and old friends, I was even more absorbed into the series throughout my high-school years. I waited anxiously whenever a new installment was published, and was really content when I got to know the continuation of their adventure (which the author is a troll for cliffhangers, just like how they do for Attack on Titan Season 2). The Blood of Olympus (BOO) was published during my fourth year, which the moment I read it I had a mixed feeling of joy and sorrow. The ending was extremely shocking, from Leo’s plotted death to his revival (He’s the Percy Jackson’s Jesus), I nearly wanted to punch the author. But then, Rick created many mysteries inside the book itself. For example, Apollo’s punishment, the prophecy Ella recited, Nico and Will’s relationship, and Leo and Calypso’s whereabouts. These unexplained mysteries just made me go ‘What the hell’ at the end of the book. There were conspiracies that Rick would make a new series, with all these hints. Yet I fulfill all my needs through fanfictions, seeing what people predicted the future ‘book’ will happened.

Good news rained down on me in my last year of high school. During his tour for Magnus Chase series in 2015, he announced his new Greek Myth series, Trials of Apollo (TOA). The Hidden Oracle (THO) came out when I was studying my A-Levels, I went to the bookstore on the day when it was published. Since shipping required an amount of time, I was informed that the book will arrived one week later. Eventually, I waited patiently, and finally I received it. The book was still amazing as ever, with a God as the narrator and the main character. The other main character, the daughter of Demeter (which I predicted accurately) who can perform badass sword-fighting at the age of 12, sometime out of the ordinary Demeter child people would imagine.

During my A-Levels period, my taste has turned to Victorian classics. Besides, I have started on anime. Thus, my need for the series had lessen. Even I bought the Dark Prophecy (TDP) months ago, I managed to finish it. However, this does not stop me from loving the author’s style of writing and sense of humor.

(Additional note: I have finished TDP on Percy’s birthday.)

(picture of the troll)

WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT?

After pouring all my love for the chronicles, so what are the series all about? Americanized Greek Mythology in the modern world. These demigods live in training camp named Camp Half-Blood (another word for demigod) during summer or for the entire year so they can prepare themselves for the dangerous outside world full of monsters. Since it has 3 different plots for each series, I need to introduce them in detail separately.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2005-2009)

The gateway to the demigod universe. It started off with the Lightning Thief (TLT), through first-point of view of our beloved hero, Percy Jackson. He discovers himself as the remaining demigod son of Poseidon, the Greek god of sea. Due to a great prophecy predicted one of the Big Three (Zeus, Poseidon and Hades) children will bring to the fall of Olympus, his presence was a threat to the Gods. He was also set to vanquish Kronos, King of Titans who is under the aid of another demigod, Luke Castellan.

The five books of the series described his journey to be a living legend, with an amount of betrayals, deaths of his trusted partners, slight romance and awesome fighting scenes. His humorous jokes and comments presented Rick’s unique style of writing, giving the readers memorable images.

The final book, The Last Olympian (TLOl), is the greatest among them all. brings up another prophecy which is the key to the next installment. No matter how much Luke is a villain, his devastating childhood stories and his anger towards the Greek Gods made the readers understand his resentment and yearning for a familiar love. Besides, it also revealed another prophecy, which is the key to the next series.

Heroes of Olympus (2010-2014)

The sequel of the previous series, narrating seven demigods on a quest to defeat an ancient deity in the ancient grounds of Greece and Rome. They meet challenges from the worst monsters, mortals and deities, sailing to stop the wrath of Gaea, the Earth goddess.  

This series, is my favorite series among the three. It does not focus on a main character, or written in 1st person point of view. Instead, we got a third person omniscient from 9 different people, who are the seven main demigods (with Nico and Reyna in the last book). We do not get our beloved son of Poseidon in the first book, but we were given a new set of characters with different background. We also discover the Roman Version of Camp Half -Blood, Camp Jupiter, a rigid military-like camp full of Roman demigods and their descendants. The series narrated two parallel sides of the Greco-Roman Mythology working together against a common enemy.

Unlike the previous series, this brought up many backstories of characters even more tragic than Percy’s. The narration was still amusing, yet there’s a sense of seriousness inside. There was an obvious character development when the series goes on. For example, Piper McLean, who refuses to recognize herself as the daughter of Aphrodite, later accepts her identity and able to use her own inherited powers. Frank Zhang, an insecure demigod with a bad reputation, turned into a confident Roman praetor.  

The thing I would like to complain about is the final fight scene in BOO. It was a few pages long with Piper, Jason and Leo putting Gaea back to her slumber. It was not as majestic as people expected it would be. It could be as fantastic as TLOl!

Trials of Apollo (2016-?)

The latest sequel for the previous series, which feature the sun god Apollo as a powerless mortal, finding his way to gain back immortality. Rick had converted back to the first-person point of view style, with the sun god as the narrator. His choice of narrator gives us an insight to a deity’s mind and opinions, how he sees the world compared to how mortals, having an ephemeral life, perception on their life. It’s a philosophical matter which discuss about life and death, and living an eternal life.

In THO, readers could see the improvement on Apollo’s personality. From the arrogant and narcissistic god who cannot accept on his ‘ugly’ condition, finally learns how to be humble and trying to see the world as how mortals would. We also witness the psychological abuse of Nero on Meg McCaffery. Letting her believe her abuser is another person from her adoptive father, but what she does not know Nero and the ‘Beast’ are the same person.

The second book, TDP, probably is my least favorite of the series. There was not much Leo-Calypso endearing moments that I expected it should be. The first half of the book narrating Apollo doing various pet tasks, and remembering his ex-lover, Emperor Commodus. However, I am pleased that Rick put a lesbian couple in the story, which I had no idea that even same-sex relationship is prohibited as well for the Huntress of Artemis. There are old friends from the previous books, which I am delighted to see again.

The third book, The Burning Maze (TBM) will be released next year.

Companion books

As much as the companion books are light and consisted with short stories, I explored the little things that were never mentioned in the main series. Besides fillers, there were information on the demigod world, giving readers a clearer sight of the Greek Mythology and Percy’s world.

The Demigod Files (TDF), narrates how Percy assisted Clarisse on her Ares rite of passage; the discover of the bronze dragon (which later Leo named him Festus); and the children of the Big Three Gods finding the newly forged weapon of Hades (Gods do like causing unnecessary trouble and giving quests to their half-blood offspring).

The Demigod Diaries (TDD), explains the adventure of Luke and Thalia in a trapped mansion, finding Annabeth on their way; the task given by Hermes during Percy-Annabeth’s one-month anniversary date; Leo and his friends’ encounter with the drunken followers of Dionysus; and an extra story written by Rick’s son, with impressive writing style for someone diagnosed with dyslexic and ADHD.

Camp Half-Blood confidential (CHBC) is a collaborated guide ‘made’ by the campers, due to the horrible orientation film directed by Apollo. Poor Nico is the only one who suffered from the film and accidentally humiliates himself in public.

Percy Jackson’s guide to Greek Gods and Greek Heroes are separate two books as a guide introducing to Greek Gods and Heroes. People could actually score Greek Mythology with these two non-boring lecture books.  

Rick also made a crossover on Percy and his Egyptian Mythology counterpart, Carter Kane. They work together to defeat Setne, an Egyptian magician who thirst for divine powers. It was like an official crossover fanfiction.

Diverse Demigods with Dazzling Characteristics

I love the characters in the series, they were just full of animation and so on. I’ll state my top 10 favorites and that one character I truly despise.

First come with my favorite characters of the series: 

(art by viria, she makes the old official arts belongs to the pit of Tartarus)

10. Frank Zhang

One of the cinnamon roll of the series, and the tamest among Mars/Ares children. I’m glad that Rick put a Chinese demigod in it. His Chinese name, Fai Zhang, probably based on Zhang Fei from the Romance of Three Kingdom. He is the only demigod who can read and write normally. He has shape-shifting abilities, inherited from his ancestors, is adapted from the Monkey King from Journey to the West. Like the Greek hero Meleager, his life is depended on a wooden stick, showing his pyrophobia.

Frank started off as shy with low self-esteem. He was raised by his military mother and his strict grandmother who told him various tales of their ancestors. His mother died in a war, giving him a start to train himself as a Roman demigod. In the Son of Neptune (SON), we first see him doing tasks that are undesired by the other campers. He is officially welcomed into the centurion of the fifth cohort, after he was claimed as the son of Mars. His first quest to Alaska causes him slowly gathers courage and discovers his family power. The funniest makeover he has was in the House of Hades (HOH), when Triptomelus rewards him with a buffer and taller figure, saying goodbye to his chubby self. Finally, he is upgraded to praetor.

The dynamic between Leo and Frank plays a vital role. Frank, who is initially afraid of Leo because of his fire power while the latter keeps making fun of him. We can see in the Mark of Athena (MOA), his act of jealousy towards Leo due to his similarities with ‘Sammy Valdez’, Hazel’s first love. As the series continues, Leo gives him a fireproof cloth for him to keep the wood, as a baby step for Frank to give him trust.

I heard that he will be in the subsequent book, as the Dark Prophecy stated him as the ‘changeling lord’. I might see him as a mature praetor on duty alongside with Reyna.

9. Hazel Levesque

Another cinnamon roll in the series. Despite being a daughter of Pluto/Hades, she is the less miserable version of Nico. Originally, she is known to have the abilities of controlling metal and valuables. Her magical abilities in controlling the mist is known in HOH, becoming another useful weapon. Like any child of Hades/Pluto children in the series, Hazel was from the pre-20th century. Her mother, Marie was hungry for wealth, causing her daughter having a cursed ability of attracting metals. Despite Hazel resented her greedy mother, she saved her from raising Gaea. Her heroic deed gave her a token to Elysium, yet she gave up her position to refrain her mother suffer from eternal punishment. As the child of death, she wandered around Asphodel for decades. Until her Greek half-brother discovered her and brought her back to life, giving her another chance to live again, in the 21th century.

In SON, it is revealed that Hazel’s half-brother is Nico. Originally, he wanted to bring his biological sister, Bianca back to life, seeing that the Doors of Death was opened. It was hinted Bianca had chosen a new reincarnated life than staying in the Underworld. Eventually, he learnt about Hazel’s presence and decided to take her back instead. Initially, we thought Hazel as a replacement for Bianca, judging Nico as a selfish person. Slowly, he shows brotherly affection for her in HOH by kissing her forehead, something he would not simply do. In BOO, he accepts Hazel’s relationship with Frank and teases them. He even comforts Hazel when she cries for Leo. It’s a coincidence that their mother almost shared the same name.

As she lived in an era where colored-race were low-key discriminated, with her unusual ability, she was a target of bullying. Her only comfort among these mishaps was Sammy Valdez, who sees her as a diamond. As Leo shares the same looks and last name as Sammy, believing as his reincarnation, she has slight romantic fondness for him. Later, they discover Sammy is Leo’s Great Grandfather.  She finally settles down with Frank, treating Leo as her friend.

Her curse, which will be washed away by a descendent of Poseidon/Neptune, which readers are not sure if it is Percy or Frank. Besides, she probably learns some interesting 21th century stuff she had never seen before. Hopefully she does not craze for fidget spinners (those things are just all over the place!).

8. Annabeth Chase

The Brainiac of the group. Our favorite Wise Girl who is Percy’s love interest and strategist. The architect of Olympus. Someone you would choose as your girlfriend. After meeting her, you will change your views on blonde hair people.

No matter how beautiful and smart she is, she has her own fears and flaws. She has Arachnophobia, based on the feud her mother and Arachne had. In MOA, she faces her greatest fear, mother of spiders Arachne. With her clever trick, she easily defeats Arachne, possibly the first Athena demigod to do so. In SOM, she reveals her fatal flaw is hubris, believing her intelligence and power are beyond the Gods.  

She ran away from home at 7, believing that her father and stepmother had disliked her part god status. On her way, she met Luke and Thalia, who presented her one of her signature weapon, the Celestial Bronze dagger. They were like a parental figure to her, and the first demigods she encountered. In the beginning of TLT, Percy figures Annabeth develops a crush on Luke, who turns out to be a backstabbing traitor and a threat to Camp Half-Blood and Olympus. Her feelings towards Luke varies in the PJO series, we see compassion, sympathy, love, respect, hatred, and regrets. In TLOl, she settles with having a sibling love towards Luke, choosing Percy over him.

The Percy-Annabeth relationship is one of my favorite hetero fictional couple. They treat each other as equal, rather than having Annabeth as his personal sidekick. With her, as the intelligent girlfriend; and him, as the brave puppy-dog boyfriend. We surely remember the first thing she tells Percy in TLT is ‘You drool when you sleep’. Even the rivalry between their parents, Annabeth still treats him as a friend, with one or two disagreements. Of course, I shipped them before they are officially together. In the Titan’s Curse (TTC), we get hints on Percy starting to fancy Annabeth, with Aphrodite’s appearance and her teasing. Next, there was the infamous kiss scene in The Battle of Labyrinth (TBOL), confirming the start of Percy’s romance journey, which becomes true in TLOl (that underwater kiss is so romantic!). After dating for months, Percy is swapped place by Hera/Juno, without any previous memories except for Annabeth. In MOA, she gives him a judo-flip (I laughed at that scene for hours) and spend a night with him in the Argo II stables (Frank does not deserve to see this ‘intimate’ moment).

Besides, do you know that she has a Norse Demigod cousin? Check out Rick’s Norse Myth series to find out.

7. Luke Castellan

You would probably ask why I place him as Number 7, for someone like him as a traitor who almost destroy Olympus and the host for Kronos. He is the anti-hero in the first series, but I like the fact that Rick created someone like him.

Luke is not an entirely a bad person. Normally, he can pass as a protective older brother, a swordsman mentor, or that mischievous and charming friend you want to hang out with. His ambitions to destroy Olympus and feeling of resentment the gods, due to the injustice of the Olympians to their demigod offspring, makes him an antagonist in PJO. He is one of the demigods who can see the flaw of the lawful system, the one who questions the authorities.

Luke constantly seeks for familiar love which his parents failed to give him, with him living with an insane mother and an absent godly father. After he ran away, he was paired with Thalia and Annabeth, giving him a new meaning of family. However, Thalia’s death added as a fuel of his bitterness. His became the head of the Hermes Cabin, leading his half-siblings, but his anger had not fully stopped, with Kronos’s constant impure motivation. He also feels compassion towards minor godly children who have no place in Camp Half-Blood, which most of them serves him during the Titan War.

For most horrible deeds he has made in the PJO series, he finally died as a hero, oppressing Kronos who possessed him. Inspired from his wish, Percy refuses his eternal life by demanding fair treatment for every demigod child.

I ship him with Thalia, which they share a few romantic tensions in a short story in TDD. He is the reason why Thalia declined her offer as a hunter in the first place, and also the reason why Thalia settles down as the lieutenant of Artemis in TTC.

6. The Grace siblings (Thalia and Jason Grace)

It’s a tie. Yes. I could not separate them like how Juno/Hera does. The Grace siblings are the improvised version of their father. We see their father as a womanizing, dramatic and disloyal King of Gods. They showed his best qualities, like leadership. The siblings are very loyal to their partners and masters, like Thalia to Luke and Annabeth in the beginning and Artemis in TTC. Jason, a loyal and supportive friend to his Argo mates and his girlfriend (He did admire Reyna before, but thanks to certain goddess).

Thalia Grace is that cool-looking sister in punk. Her name is from Thalia, one of the Muses. The irony is that she has a great fear of heights, but she can control lightning. Like Percy, Thalia was destined to be the child in the prophecy. She fought the monsters sent by Hades to her death, protecting Luke and Annabeth. Then, she is reborn in the Sea of Monsters. Luckily in TTC, she joined the Huntress. She also been through a rough childhood, with taking care of her baby brother and her irresponsible mother, then with the disappearance of Jason. She had to take the role that her parents failed to perform, yet the Gods accused of her existence before Percy showed up. It’s pretty much Zeus/Jupiter’s fault for not stick with the oath. Not once, but twice! Worst of all, he named his son Jason, like the mortal hero, so he can make his wife happy! Best Dad award for him!

Her brother, Jason, with blonde hair and blue eyes, the typical American boy. The ‘perfect’ boy with duties and leadership, he could live a perfect Roman demigod life in Camp Jupiter. Then, Hera/Juno interfere again. From the Lost Hero (TLH) to BOO, we can see a few changes of him. The rule-following golden boy to a slightly laid-back person with nerd glasses. Most fans expected Percy and Jason had a death-match against each other in MOA, with Percy replaces his position as the praetor in SON and Jason, the legendary son of Jupiter. Unexpectedly, they become best buddies on first sight and gang up against Octavian (We also got that one scene with them fighting while being possessed by eidolons). He also has the most passed out scene in MOA (hence the birth of Brick x Jason). His sympathetic character cares for Nico when he is forced spit out his crush on Percy (who does not have a crush on him, I mean, it’s obvious to fall in love with the greatest hero). He does not question or having a prejudice on the boy’s sexuality. At the end of BOO, him and Piper sit on the roof, remembering his ‘dead’ friend Leo.

These polar-opposite blood-siblings are a unique element of the series. I would like to see more of their interactions, or Thalia spilling out more embarrassing stories of Jason.

5. Leonidas ‘Leo’ Valdez

I called him the second Percy Jackson, with that same level of humor and that friendly attitude. He has a pair of magical hands that can create things and repair broken stuff. In TLH, he modified a simple paper into a small flying helicopter. Leo was partly raised by Hera/Juno, who makes him do dangerous tasks in his childhood (This woman is nuts!). When he was eight years old, Gaea made him believe he caused a fire that kills his mother in her workshop, leaving a scar in his heart.

Leo probably knows himself as the third-wheel, constantly the one being left out. There was a period of time he is jealous of Jason’s charisma and excellent leading abilities, while he is a low-profile mechanic, with no one cares about him. Otherwise, he is a good friend to people who are nice to him. In BOO, Nike/Victoria predicts either Frank, Hazel, Percy or Leo will die in the war. Leo, helping the idea of getting the Physician’s Cure while secretly plotting his own death and his chance of survival.

This guy has a tough time catching the girls’ attention, he keeps falling for the wrong person. In the beginning, he has the hots for Khione, the cold snow goddess who side with the Titans. Next, he falls for Jason’s sister Thalia, who tries her best ignoring him. He has a small chemistry with Echo, a camouflaging nymph who is cursed to repeat people’s sentences (I feel hurtful when Echo disappears). Hazel mistakes him as her first crush Sammy, who happens to be his great-grandfather. Finally in HOH, the Titaness Calypso despise his sudden appearance on her island, later they find themselves being attracted to each other. He is also the first hero who can return to Ogygia and claim Calypso as his girlfriend, and the first demigod known dating an ancient being.    

I need more interaction of Percy and Leo, which was rare in HOO. I expected them to be joking buddies, but in MOA Percy yells at Leo for setting New Rome on fire, not a good start for best friends. Leo also dislike Percy for abandoning Calypso behind, which turned out to be a misunderstanding. I finally get a scene of them making Nike and Adidas joke they made in BOO.

By the way, Team Leo for the win.

4. Piper McLean

I do not get why people would dislike someone like her. There are several fans disliking her characteristics, including an ex-classmate of mine. They think her as the most useless and bland character. I love Rick’s arrangement of her characteristics! What is the point of making her the main character if she does not contribute anything? I mean, she singlehandedly defeats Khione and the Boreads in HOH. When Khione degrades her, she confidently argues with her, proving her strengths.

People stereotyped daughter of Aphrodite as living Barbie dolls, who do nothing but looking into their reflections and gossiping. Sometimes, they either pair people up or break others’ hearts. She breaks that idealistic view as a tomboyish girl who cares less of her look or fashion. She is one of the boldest Aphrodite child who fights for people she loves (the other one is Silena). She is very down-to-Earth about her father’s job as a Hollywood actor, until she is cornered by others. She is also the first person who dauntlessly challenges the cabin leader and oppose the Aphrodite’s rite of passage of breaking other’s heart. Piper is not a dumb-beauty, she already has an abundance of knowledge on Greek Myth and Cheeroke legends which play extremely useful information to other.

That ex-classmate told me Piper is possessive towards Jason. For me, it is very normal for her to be possessive to her ‘boyfriend’, or someone whom she loves, as long as it’s not Yuno Gasai level (see Future Diary for references). Besides, Jason is not the only one she cares about. There is Leo, and her father who is captured by the Giants. There are people dislike her because in MOA, she thinks Percy as cute, but average. Everyone has their own opinion, not everyone fancies the greatest hero on Earth. I really adore her and Percy as best friends, rather than her being another Percy’s admirer.

I would say she has the second-best character development. In TLO, she has the image of an insecure girl. Her adventure as a demigod makes her grow, mending her weaknesses. I love her chemistry with Annabeth in BOO, when fear and phobia prevent Annabeth’s logical reasoning from functioning properly, her feelings guide her to overpower them.

3. Reyna Ramiez-Arellano

Most of the major female characters are taken (except Thalia, the huntress and Rachel, the oracle), she’s the only major female demigod character in the series without a romantic partner. She made a minor appearance in the Sea of Monsters (SOM) as Circe’s apprentice, but soon

Her first appearance in SON gives a dignified and mysterious aura, we barely know her last name and such. She is fearless in battle and a wise leader. In fact, the last book reveals her fear towards ghosts, leading to her haunted childhood of physical abuse. She has moved from home to home, and settles as a praetor in New Rome. Her former sin for patricide might lose her power and trust in New Rome, thus she never speaks of it to anyone except for Nico.  

I am really entertained with the fight between Orion and Reyna. Orion, being the male chauvinist, comments the greatness of male dominance. Reyna proves herself that she can perform as well as a man could do, defeats him by herself while avenging the fallen huntresses and Amazon warriors. ‘You will die at the hands of a girl’, that sentence literally gives me the chills.

She has a successful career, blessed by two divine beings, and having an excellent characteristic. One thing that she does not own is romance, just like Aphrodite/Venus tells her that she will never find romance in half-blood. There might be a chance for her having a mortal lover, or catching the eye of an immortal being.

2. Perseus ‘Percy’ Jackson

He is the key character for us to fall in love with the demigod world with Greek Gods and monsters. He was not only charming, but having a great sense of humor. The dark hair and green eyes of his makes him fall into the category of the stereotypical hot-blooded protagonist with a tragic backstory and secret powers, like Eren Jaeger from Attack On Titan, or Hyakuya Yuuichirou from Seraph of the End. The character is based on Rick’s own son, Hayley Riordan, who suffers from ADHD and dyslexic. Rick used to tell him Greek Mythology as his bedtime stories, until the child gave him the inspiration to create his world with Greek Myth as the base.  

In TLT, he is shown as a troublesome child who gets kicked out of school frequently. He has an abusive stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, a nasty gambler. He does not have any friends except for Grover, who has difficulty in walking, and stands up for him. He nearly loses his mother from a Minotaur. His unfortunate past changes when he knows of his identity as a demigod. From SOM to TLO, we can see improvements in his mortal life, such as gaining a new stepfather, Paul Blofis, able to attend high school, and getting loyal friends. In TOA, it is known that he will have a baby sister.  

Besides his heroic acts and his brave deeds that we all know, he is pretty goofy and sarcastic. We all know of his personality through that first-person point of view about his views on others and the description of his adventures. He is moderately smart and observant, but he can be oblivious in simple stuff around him, like his own romantic encounters. He needs years to realize he is in love with Annabeth, which most of the readers get the clue before him. Reyna confesses her feelings to him in SON, which Percy needs minutes to figure it out. In BOO, when Nico opens up to Percy, Annabeth already gets the point right ahead, leaving him still in a daze.

Percy, despite being the best demigod alive, he acts quite modest and selfless. Most Greek Heroes we all know are portrayed as prideful, arrogant, womanizer or ungrateful. Him, as the son of Poseidon who technically saves the world, he never looks down on anyone. He barely sells himself, except when it’s needed, or in a very sarcastic way. He makes friends with everyone, including non-humans. In SOM, he is a little ashamed that his half-brother is a Cyclops, in the end he accepts him as his brother. The most significant moment is in TLOl, when Zeus offers him immortality. He considers at first, but then realizes the price of it, and turning it down. Instead, he asks for minor deities’ equal rights to claim their demigod children, including Hades, who is not welcomed in Olympus. If I were him I would probably do the same thing, except I might face the wrath of the King of Gods.

**Before revealing my top favorite character, here’s some honorable mentions:

Zoe Nightshade, Bianca di Angelo, Will Solace, Charles Beckendorf, Rachel Dare, the Stolls brother, Ethan Nakamura, Grover Underwood, Tyson, Blackjack, Chiron, Silena Beauregard, Gleeson Hedge, Clarisse La Rue, Calypso

Now here comes my favorite character:

1.Nico di Angelo

I am so sorry, I must put him at number 1 because of my personal bias.

This character has the most noticeable character change and development. He is debuted in TTC, which he is portrayed as carefree 10 years old boy who loves Mythomagic and very curious about everything. The death of his sister, his only known blood relative, caused him fall into despair. Soon, he learnt about his parentage, separating himself from the other demigods.

Despite him as the serious, angry son of Hades with depressing background, he gets a few hilarious moments. He is turned into two types of plants; the Spiderman referenced quote ‘With great power…comes great need to take a nap’; his imagination of Percy joking about farturas; and his confession to Percy.

His personality is mostly seen from other demigods’ views. In TTC, Percy sees him as an annoying little brother and full of curiosity of the demigod world. He seems excited with everything he is involved in, and very eager in participation. He also shows concern for his sister Bianca, asking Percy to protect her. His twist of personality comes in when Percy brings the news of Bianca’s accidental death. In BOTL, he becomes the gloomy, antisocial, and angry child who seeks for revenge and performing necromancy. He also crowns himself as the Ghost King, which the name sounds very Chuunibyou-ish (Chuunibyou is a Japanese term for people who acts like a know-it-all adult and look down on real ones, or believe they have special powers unlike others, see the anime Love, Chuunibyou and other Delusions for more info). In TLOl, he tricks Percy into his father’s lair, which makes Percy angry. He is one of the important ally who aids Percy gaining his Styx River immortality and convincing Hades to fight the Titan army.

There are more demigods involved with his description of personality and people’s opinion of him in HOO. Hazel, seeing him as her savior and brother, showing an amount of respect and admiration. Annabeth, doubting him having a crush on her (which he does not), only sees him as a younger brother. Leo is scared of his necromantic skills, trying to avoid him as best as he could. Frank shows respect and fear to his ‘brother-in-law’, but unexpectedly sharing the same interest in Mythomagic. Jason, originally suggests abandoning him to the Titans while proceeding their main task in MOA, receiving many objections from the other crew members. In HOH, Jason has a sense of sympathy to Nico when Cupid forcefully make him spill out his feelings. He approached the younger boy to befriend him. We also have Reyna, who forms a big sister instinct towards him, and also feels his pain.

We get Nico’s own point of view in BOO. We could not help but to sympathize with his old memories and feelings. We can see his unrequited feelings towards Percy, his moments with Bianca, his hatred towards the Hunters, his intense feelings with his father and the most importantly, his concern towards other demigods. He is not entirely a cold-hearted, unemphatic person like others believed him to be. The way he describes Will, it definitely sounds like a typical boy meets boy fanfiction. Using comparison to other demigods like Jason and Octavian, he has a sense of fondness to the child of Apollo. The Percy-Nico-Will mirrors the Luke-Annabeth-Percy relationship. Both Luke and Percy are the heroic figure to Annabeth and Nico, they are years older than them (technically Nico is older), and they the first demigod they encounter. Annabeth had a love-hate relationship with Luke due to his betrayal; while Nico hates him for breaking their promise and admires him at the same time. Annabeth bickers with Percy like how Nico argues with Will, and they are opposite attractions. In the end of the series, Annabeth tells Luke she sees him as a brother and starts to date Percy in PJO; Nico confesses his past crush towards Percy and sets his eyes on Will, which they end up dating.

I am glad that Riordan arranged Will as his boyfriend. There is a slight change of his personality after they are dating. For example, in CHBC, him and Percy team up and tease Annabeth. In THO, he becomes more participating in camp activities, and willing to socialize with other campers. Plus, he gives an excuse for himself to sit with his boyfriend in the Apollo table. Nice job kid! The loophole of two demigods of the opposite sex cannot stay alone in a cabin gives them a nice chance to spend nights in Hades Cabin, doing stuff.  

The character I despised the most, is none than other:

Octavian

He is purely whiny and annoying, like a fly. I knew he was up to no good when I first know this person. I do not care if he is the descendant of my favorite god (Apollo), this puny auger is terrible. In SON, he reminds Percy as Luke Castellan. In BOO, Nico describes him as a watered-down, unhealthy version of Will Solace. Leo also states he has a girly screaming voice. These descriptions give reader an image of an undesired person, also adding humor in the series.

Octavian is extremely xenophobic. He immediately dislikes Percy, insulting him as graecus scum. He does not show any sign of welcoming to the arrival of the representatives of the Greek camp. Ironically, he fears for Nico, who is a powerful Greek demigod. He discriminates Rachel Dare, Apollo’s chosen oracle, believing she is a fraud who practice sorcery.

His sadistic and prideful side is portrayed in many scenes. For example, he rips off stuffed animals as an offering to the gods. He hopes Percy feel the pain of getting his new SPQR tattoo. When he is in charge as Pontifex, he picks people who are brutal like Bryce Lawrence and strong like Mike Kahle. He casually tells people that his family is wealthy in New Rome and he is a descendent of Augustus.  

In the end, his own pride and lust for fame and power blinds him, giving him a death sentence. His death is graphic and funny. He might receive eternal punishment in the Underworld. My favorite scene of him is when Piper, Jason and Percy tells him to shut his mouth in MOA.

(I almost forgot Gabe Ugliano, who happens to be the worst parent and husband in the fictional world. This man is gone for good!)

Groovy Gods of Olympus

The Greek Gods in Percy Jackson’s world rules the world, which all of them have humanistic personalities. Greek Gods mirrors human’s behavior with their vice and virtues, like Hera’s jealousy, Hephaestus’ diligence, Zeus and Aphrodite’s lust, Hestia and Artemis’s chastity, Zeus and Ares’s wrath, Hestia’s kindness and Dionysus’s sloth. They moved their base from empires to empires, until they found their spot in United States, the world’s superpower nation. Olympus is based on the top floor of the Empire state building, while the entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles. These settings probably make us never see those things the same way again. The gods, adapted to the 21st century lifestyle, with their area of power matches the modern professions.  

Rick still sticks to the original description of the gods, with Athena’s greyish eyes of wisdom, Aphrodite’s changing beauty (depends on different people), Ares’ ruthless behavior, Apollo’s flashy and handsome looks and Hephaestus’s unappealing image. Not all the gods are divine as they should look. Dionysus/Mr. D in PJO series acts as a sluggish camp director. He is banished to Camp Half-Blood due to his flirtatious manners on an off-limit nymph. He does not contribute much to the camp, except for having naps or playing poker with Chiron and a few satyrs. Apollo, the prideful and narcissistic sun god, turns into a mortal by his father in TOA series. He has lost his former glory and powers, leaving him a mortal identity and body to live on Earth. Hestia, the former Olympian in the appearance of a young girl, is easily neglected due to her status.

I would admit that Greek Gods does not make excellent parents. Zeus forbids the gods from visiting their mortal children, except in a few occasions (he is also the douche who broke the oath twice and have 2 demigod children, and he passes most of the blame to Poseidon). Hera, expecting an ideal family, abandons her child Hephaestus because of his ugly appearance. In TLOl, Hades openly declares he prefers Bianca over Nico. However, some gods do care of their children. Poseidon in the series acts as a caring father to Percy (we barely see his angry side like in the myth). Hermes, who has multiple jobs, and countless children, he cares deeply for them. He even kisses Luke on the forehead before the Fates carry his body away. In BOO, it is revealed that Hades has a deep affection for his children, which most of them do not have a happy life. The antisocial and awkward god has difficulties in showing fondness, thus he provides his children gifts (Pluto gave Hazel colored pencils on her 13th birthday while Nico gets a French zombie chauffer).

Usually, gods conceive children like normal human beings. In BOTL, children of Athena are born in a unique way. I was curious at Annabeth and the other Athena’s children birth since their mother is a virgin goddess. There was a story in Greek Myth which she and Hephaestus had a child sprang from her handkerchief (of course they do not have any intimacy). It is told that children of Athena are born from the mind and pure love, not through intimate love and pregnancy. In THO, the daughter of Apollo Kayla Knowles has two fathers. I had to stop and reread that part, and it is true. I still do not get how demigod children are born from same-sex parents. Subjugate mothers? Or maybe like Athena children, sprang out from something. (I need to stop thinking about this or else the complexity will burn my brain cells).

Controversies

There’s a few controversies I have heard around.

Similarities of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter

This one was all over the place. People keep comparing Percy Jackson to Harry Potter. Some complaint that Rick copied the characters Rowling owned. These are the examples people brought up.

1.Percy has green eyes and black hair, living with an abusive parent. He does not know of his parentage. Harry, who has green eyes and black hair, living with abusive relatives.

2.Annabeth plays the smart one in the first trio. She is constantly compared to Hermione, the brightest witch in the Wizarding World.

3.Grover is the timid person of the trio, and the first supporter and companion to the main character. Another character in Harry Potter with the similar personality, Ron Weasley.

4.Chiron, the knowledgeable and caring mentor in the series, like Dumbledore in Harry Potter.

5. Luke, blond hair, the anti-hero. Draco, the anti-hero to Harry.

6. The mischievous Stolls brother, who keeps pranking on people. The Weasley twins, pranksters duo of Hogwarts.

7. Camp Half-Blood that is invisible to mortal’s eye, a haven for Greek demigods to learn defensive skills. Hogwarts, unknown to muggles and where young witches and wizards lean magic.

Maybe the author was not stable with the characterization in the first place, he might get references from the series itself. However, Rick has not confirmed that his characters are based on the Harry Potter series. The characterization became better later.

To be frank, I prefer Percy Jackson than Harry Potter. I love the diversity shown in the book, with good humor in it. Otherwise, Harry Potter gets the best language form.

The Percy Jackson movies

Movie adaptations are barely good, this is one of the examples. Even Rick himself acknowledge that the movie is horrible. I watched both movies, the plotline itself is good, but it cannot satisfy us fans.

The producers casted young adult actors for the roles than 12 years old. They could actually make the actors grow up with the movie, just how they did for Harry Potter. I’m alright with the Percy Jackson actor, I have no prejudice over Movie Grover’s race, Luke’s actor is fine (where’s the scar). I just have problems with the casting on female characters. Firstly, Annabeth Chase. In the first movie, she’s a brunette with blue eyes. I legit thought that’s a random daughter of Aphrodite. Where is the blonde hair and blue eyes? It does not mean I dislike the actress herself, it just her signature curly blonde hair with grey eyes are gone! This mistake was soon corrected in the 2nd movie. In the SOM movie, the Clarisse’s actor looked like a Victoria Secret Super Model, rather than the buff, mean-looking leader of the Ares Cabin.

There is a stark difference from the movie settings and the book settings. Instead of having cabins based on their godly parentage, each member has their own cabin. What is this? Luxury camp for the godly children? There is also no rule on camp clothing, where’s the orange camp shirt? The worst of all, why do they have advanced technologies? It is said that technologies attract monsters, which is unusable for demigods.  

All of these flaws made me prefer a sophisticated anime adaptation than a real-life movie or TV-show.

LGBT+ characters

(whoever made this edit deserves a thumbs up)

This is a recent controversy after the publicize of THO. Mostly from parent readers, they complained on the god’s sexuality and Nico and Will dating. I understand that some parents don’t want their children to knowing much about human sexuality at an early age. What makes me feel mad about the people who complained about having same-sex couple or characters in the LGBT+ spectrum does not realize that homosexuality is accepted in the ancient times.  

It is true that Apollo is bisexual, who has countless affairs with women and men. Other gods are not 100% straight, even Zeus fancied Ganymede. (I know, Greek Myth is one hell of a messed-up pit!)

Besides, I have nothing against Nico and Will dating (Solangelo shipper here!). Rick does not use words like ‘gay’, ‘queer’, ‘homosexual’ to identify their sexualities, which he does not want to label them as a specific identity. In Ancient Greco-Roman, same-sex relationship is highly encouraged in the army to strength the bonds between teammates. Also, as someone in the LGBT+ spectrum, I appreciate Rick’s decision to take the risk and promoting diversity. One thing I am mad about him is the vagueness of Nico and Will relationship. There are so many gaps in between BOO and THO which there’s no description on when they started dating, who confessed first and how do they get together! I need to know more about their relationship! I will be glad if there’s a side story of them. Also, Kayla’s mysterious birth from same-sex parents.

I love the fact that Rick does not give a dam (I simply just put a pun here) about the people who complained. He straight on inserted a kick-ass elderly lesbian couple in TDP.

How the series made an impact on me? My hopes on the franchise.

It is one of the reason why I took the path of writing. The story, and the writing-style had inspired me to be a writer myself. Looking at the vivid image of modernized Greek Gods brought some magic into my dull high-school life. I would also like to cosplay those female demigods in the future. As an anime fan, I hope this series can be created into an anime series, just like how they did for the Powerpuff Girls back then. I also hope I can meet more PJO/HOO fans in my country.

 Jenny (14-21 Aug 2017)

Author’s Note: My first essay describing on a fictional work I like. I tried to avoid any grammatical mistakes and add as much vocabulary as I can in it. The one week of writing this essay gives me neck pain (from looking too much on my laptop), and a better insight to the character and the story. I took a hiatus in the PJO/HOO fandom since I started on Hetalia and other anime. The day I decided to write this fic, I realized there are so many details I have forgotten, thus I need to check the Wikia and the books for references. This is a pleasant experience for me to start on writing reviews and simple creative writing. I might write more reviews or analytical essays for other book series and anime.  

[sapphia]

4, 15, and 19 for the ancient asks!

omg omg ok!!

4. tell me about the classical ladies you love the most

my literal fave of all time is dido, and i can write essays on how she was totally screwed over by the gods, and also by virgil when virgil wrote the aenied. dido was the queen of carthage around the time of the fall of troy, and she was badass as fuck. her husband, sychaeus was murdered by her brother, pygmalion, the king of tyre, because he knew where there was a bunch of gold and pygmalion wanted the treasure. anyway, sychaeus comes back as a ghost and is like “dido, look what your bro did to me” and he also tells her where the treasure is and to get the hell out of there. 

so dido grabs the treasure and a whole bunch of people who are loyal to her, including her sister, and they flee her brother and set up a city on an african coast. and dido becomes queen dido, and she’s fielding off marriage offers left and right because she’s amazing and a queen so who wouldn’t want to marry her? but she’s like nah, i’m still in love with my dead husband and i’m kinda busy setting up this huge and powerful nation. 

and then aeneas comes along and fucks everything up, because he’s fleeing from the trojan war, and has been for quite some years. anyway, he ends up stranded on her shores, and because she’s an A+ person she’s like “sweet, stay as long as you like, by the way lets have a massive feast and you can tell me all about how you got here”. 

but venus (aeneas’s mother) decides to come along and fuck things up, because juno has been harassing aeneas and she wants aeneas to have a bit of a rest, and juno’s really fond of dido, so she sends cupid (her other kid) down to make dido fall in love with aeneas. which i’d like to point out is kinda date-rapey. 

so dido falls in love aeneas and she’s all cut up about it, because she made a vow to her dead husband to never be with another guy. but the love spell is super strong and she can’t think about anything else or govern her kingdom properly, and she prays to a tonne of gods asking for advice, and finally anna is like “for god’s sake, just bang him, you clearly want to”.

meanwhile juno comes to a very similar conclusion and makes a deal with venus to lay off aeneas for a while (she doesn’t want him getting to italy, so she’s quite happy for aeneas to stay in carthage for a while). and she’s like “well, i’m the god of marriage, so lets whip up a storm, they’ll hide in a cave, and i’ll appear to them and tell them to get it on. it’s totally legit and not at all like the plot of a fanfiction”. 

so they do, and dido’s pretty happy for a while, coz she’s got her kingdom and she’s banging the guy she likes and all that. but one of the guys who wanted to marry her hears about what she did and prays to jupiter (who is also the dudes father because everyone has a divine relative in mythical stories) saying “dude, i’ve been friendzoned, can you like, smite them or something??” 

jupiter, by the way, has already told aeneas he’s supposed to be going to italy, so he’s not thrilled that his fave hero seems to have gone on vacation, and he sends down mercury to tell aeneas to hurry it up. and aeneas is a bit bummed, but his destiny comes first, so he tells dido that he’s got to leave, thanks for the sex, i’ll see you later. 

and dido’s very upset about this, because she kinda thought they were married because of the whole juno thing, and aeneas is like “woah, no, i never agreed to that”. and then he leaves her while she’s all upset, and then tries to sneak off in the middle of the night because the gods told him too. 

and dido sees the ships leaving and is really cut up that aeneas is leaving her, and she builds a huge funeral pyre out of all his stuff. and then she curses aeneas to never find happiness or a homeland (which he kind of doesn’t, because he dies shortly after reaching italy) and that the descendants of her city will always be at war with the descendants of aeneas. and then she stabs herself with aeneas’s sword and dies dramatically, all because venus couldn’t keep herself from meddling. 

and i shit you not, that story is the mythological reason for literal centuries of war between rome and carthage. like, these two cities wrecked each other for decades. hannibal crossing the alps? that was coz of this. 

moral of the story; if you fuck over dido, literally 10,000 years later your descendants will still be fighting hers. don’t do it. 

14. Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar?

Alexander the Great. No question. 

19. tell me about an obscure classical figure who needs more love

I kinda covered this with Dido, but i’m sure i can dig someone else up. 

this isn’t so much a person as a thing that happened, but you know nero, right? he’s the emperor who “fiddled while rome burned” (he didn’t actually, fiddles weren’t invented). but fun fact, he very openly took male lovers and didn’t give a fuck. (maybe he should have, because he did get killed for not giving enough of a fuck about stuff). 

but at one point before his death, were two boys named pythagorus (not the math guy) and sporus. nero married both of these dudes, and (heres where it gets interesting), according to ancient sources, “had sporus castrated and paraded him around dressed as a woman” and was referred to with female terms such as mistress and empress. which sounds like a weird thing to do to a guy you’re into  - not, it needs to be noted, a slave, but a freedman who had at least some control over what happened to him. so i spend a lot of time wondering if sporus really minded, or even preferred, being presented to court as a woman rather than a man. 

anyway, it’s not sure how sporus felt about this, or how he felt about nero, because historians only cared about writing about what nero did, and even then only in ways that cast him in the most awful light. but we do know that nero was really into sporus, even performing his death lamentations to him rather than his legal wife. 

interestingly, after nero’s death, sporus went on to become the “wife” of the praetorian prefect, who called him “poppaea”. and after that dude died, sporus got involved with otto, who was also trying to become emperor. however, after otto’s death, sporus ended up in the hands of vitellius. he committed suicide rather than be killed in an extremely realistic and fatal reenactment of the rape of proserpina at a gladiator show. 

and i really wish more historians would consider how biased historians are about sprous and nero, and look at it from different angles - and at least consider the possibility that sporus’s feminine presentation was also by his own will, not just nero’s. 

[rigelianprince]

2, 6, 10, 14, 18

2. who is your favourite Roman emperor?

Listen the emperors are cool and all but the kings!!!??? I’ll talk about both. My favourite king has to be Tarquinius Priscus because his journey to the throne was so cool, being a simple Etruscan noble with a wife who was of higher class than him then travelling to Rome and getting friendly with Ancus Marcius to become god parent of his children and then to get them out of the way when the interregnum ended. Plus his son was Tarquinius Superbus and that’s like the equivalent of your son being Anakin Skywalker it’s the perfect mix of badass and tragedy and I love it.

As for the emperors, I think I’m inclined to say Nero. He’s crazy and not really likeable but the story is pretty deep surrounding his mother, Agrippina, Claudius, the emperor before Nero and his step-father, and his step-brother Britannicus. So if anything I picked him for the whole picture, not just him on his own. (Although I admit his name is awesome and I could call one of my kids Nero.)

6. who is your favourite character from the Iliad or Odyssey?

This is so hard there’s so many great characters in both of these stories…. I’m gonna have to say Telemachus from the Odyssey because he’s just a pure and good boy who tries his best and people say I remind them of him so there’s that (but other than him just being good I really like his character development and story arc of journeying to Sparta and then returning home ready to fight an army of suitors)

10. recommend a piece of fiction about the classical world

Well where better to start than the first and second pieces ever of western literature!? The Iliad and the Odyssey! (Other than that you should totally read my Alexander the Great x Darius III fanfiction)

14. which Greek tragedy is your favourite?

There are so many great tragedies again this is a really tough question but I suppose right now I want to say Medea. The conflict between Jason and Medea is really intense and I enjoyed all of their disputes, especially the incredible climax and how really tragic it actually is. I love the themes of identity, oppression, family and instinct and even though there are more ‘sophisticated’ tragedies like Agamemnon I actually really liked Medea.

18. what is your favourite movie or TV show set in ancient Greece or Rome?

You know I really can’t think of anything for this one. All that’s coming to mind is the TV show Atlantis but I didn’t really enjoy that, the 300 films but they were historically inaccurate and annoyed me. I remember seeing like half of Jason and the Argonauts and that was cool?? So I guess I’ll stick with that for an answer