#ToA Apollo

[yikesy]

you know what?? no, i can't get over it

how did the entire fandom become convinced the guy who pulled this on his introduction

is actually really vapid and stupid and incompetent and not clearly the kind of person who'd write essays for fun

"I just can't see apollo as a teacher lol" DO YOU HAVE EYES!!!??????!

"lmao can you believe apollo is the god of knowledge" I'm exploding you with my laser eyes

[literallyjusttoa]

FINALLY BACK, FINALLY

I completely forgot that dryads served the food at CHB. I was reminded of this fact because Apollo mentions that he's mad because he's too embarrassed to flirt with any of them. Classy, king.

Just an interesting tidbit, Apollo was well aware of what Camp Half-Blood looked like before he and Meg get there, but he mentions that he can't bring up any clear memories of Camp Jupiter. It's just interesting that Apollo has such a larger connection to CHB than he does CJ.

"A father should give more to his children than he takes. I have to admit this was a novel for me." Nice line with some good double meaning. Apollo's never been a good enough dad, and also his dad has never set this example.

Odd that Rick specifically decided to say that Athena brought "Berlitz Portuguese DVD's" to teach the Olympians Portuguese. Just an odd brand drop lol. Also funny that she got the DVD's for the Olympians as Saturnalia gifts.

Once again, Apollo is extremely tuned in to people's body language. He doesn't just notice that Austin starts fiddling with his camp necklace, he also immediately remembers that that's a physical tell that Austin's mother also had. The more I read the more it just seems like Apollo mainly uses people's physical reactions to read them, which makes sense because he does have multiple times where he misreads tone.

Hephaestus regularly builds automatons that apparently destroy cities? Mad scientist core.

A small note, but I really appreciate that Apollo recognizes Meg's swords as Thracian style before he mentions that they are siccae or made of imperial gold. It just makes sense to me that he'd recognize them from their older connection to Thracians first, and then realize their of roman origin.

"She's a communist" line. Classic

No offense to Demeter, sure she's a lovely lady, but it's crazy that she was ever Apollo's favorite aunt when Hestia exists.

Rick definitely stretched some to make the feud between Demeter and Apollo. Apollo says that Demeter got mad at him for dating one of her daughters, Chrysothemis, after she won the Pythian Games. Chrysothemis did exist and won the Pythian Games (The first Pythian Games actually, so Apollo must've been pretty young when this happened) but she was not a daughter of Demeter. She was actually the daughter of the priest who purified Apollo after he killed Python, so like, yeah again Apollo had to have been very young when this happened.

Demeter kids can apparently keep bacterial fungi at bay? Weird little Demeter kid fun fact.

Apollo uses the word "ablutions" instead of just saying he was washing up, which is perfect for two reasons. One, it once again shows he's pretentious as fuck, and two, ablution is specifically the act of ceremoniously washing the body or sacred containers. Which like, of course Apollo describes taking a shower like that.

In contrast to how well Apollo reads body language, he says "If I could trust my understanding of human responses, Meg did not seem thrilled" in response to something Meg said verbally. Yeah, I really think he doesn't get tone.

Yet another uncomfortable metaphor "Suddenly the bacon in my stomach expanded, wrapping around my organs." Why Apollo. Why.

"I didn't want to talk about this with Meg, not until I'd had time to reflect. She had enough to worry about." And he's only known her for about two days at this point. Empathetic king /hj.

Speaking of knowing her for two days, he's already pointing out her habit to shut down emotionally. Observant king /hj

It's interesting that Apollo is immediately suspicious of Meg's step-father. Obviously in retrospect it makes a lot of sense, but in chapter 14 all the information he has is that Meg's step-father gave her the two siccae, and he's immediately criticizing the decision. Something something Apollo has a mistrust of authority and father figures, something something.

I think I'm gonna make a reblog chian of all the little phrases and Apollo uses throughout ToA, now that I'm rereading it. Bc like, he has such a unique way of speaking, and I really wanna dig into it, you know? Ok let's start.

He says "heavens help me" instead of "heaven help me" using the plural the same way demigods do with "oh my gods". I'm guessing this is an acknowledgment of other pantheons? Or I'm looking too far into it, I've just never heard this phrase with a plural "heavens" before.

He calls Cade and Mikey "Ruffians" . And he makes fun of the arrow for being Shakespearean.

He also refers to people as "Mortals" a lot here, which I remembered him doing, but now I want to keep track and see if he keeps that up throughout all the books, or if it peters out near the end.

"I thought how amusing it would be if I could make the snake tattoos around his neck come alive and strangle him to death" I honestly love how violent Apollo's thoughts can be sometimes. Like, you can tell he's someone who has done shit like this before.

I also want to keep track of all the little anecdotes Apollo brings up, so we'll start with the guitar contest against Chuck Berry in 1957, which apparently ended with him getting repeatedly stomped on.

"But something told me this was not she" II love how it's the little things that really get across how old Apollo is. Rick could've easily just said "It wasn't her" or something, but instead he had Apollo phrase this in a way that is far more formal, and more reminiscent of the grammatical patterns of old english. Idk it's just really cool.

(Side note that's not connected to Apollo: Meg's glasses are black? I feel like I've been living a lie, I've been coloring them red for years lol)

God his metaphors are just so striking. Like, I can imagine the phrase "Whatever was left of my pride turned into ice water and trickled into my socks" but I don't want to, because that's such a visceral feeling. I like that Apollo inadvertently proving how poetic he is by making the reader as uncomfortable as possible.

I think I'm gonna start crying out "Horrors!" when I'm upset to. I think I deserve that level of drama.

ahh the classic "My blessings upon you!" Again, I love how every little line characterizes him. Either it's overly formal, like before, or subtly arrogant, like here, or both. It's so fun.

I need to write him saying "Sacred Sibyl!" more. Because that is such a fun little term. Rolls right off the tongue, honestly.

I think I'm gonna leave it there for now, but trust that I will definitely be adding more to this later. Bc Lester-speak is so fun to really look into.

[always---wrong]

Im convinced Apollo is actually talented at literally everything, it's just that in Toa he's somehow convinced himself that he's bad at everything.

Meg humbles him cause she knows anyone with that much talent and skill would have a giant ego. Most of the time.

She doesn't fully realize he freaking hates himself.

That's my hc that's basically at least half canon.

[pjotwitter]

May I request Apollo tweets.. 🙏🙏 begging on my knees

[weatheringandweary]

Apollo occasionally sniffing/smelling people is one of those random character quirks that kills me.

If its true that memories are strongly paired with scents, could it be that Apollo is just building a mental portfolio of how all of his loved ones smell so he’ll remember them more vividly two centuries from now? Possibly.

Could he also just be sniffing people because he’s a weird little freak? Mayhaps.

Peak character.

[im-an-apollogist]

Little Grace siblings draw because I miss them

[theallknowingmimir]

"You are gorgeous and people love you!"

[stephofromcabin12]

Apollonough ☀️

Buy me a coffee! ☕️

[m00nbuggies]

happy pride month guys

[yikesy]

I can vividly imagine apollo bleeding on the ground defiantly looking up at zeus, smiling sharply, and telling him "time eats all his children in the end" with his eyes glowing prophecy green

[literallyjusttoa]

Thinking about Jason, and I thought I’d share this little detail with the world 🥰

[singingcicada]

" ... I joined Meg on the edge, dangling my feet over the abyss from which we'd escaped .... Had it really been only this morning? I couldn't see the net of strawberry plants below in the shadows, but their smell was powerful and exotic in the desert setting. Strange how a common thing can become uncommon in a new environment. Or in my case, how an uncommonly amazing god can become so very common ..." - The Burning Maze, Chapter 11

---

[Image ID: An illustration of Lester Papadopoulos and Meg McCaffrey sitting on the edge of a cistern at Aeithales. The cloudy horizon is cast in an orange glow from the setting sun as stars begin to appear in the night sky through the leaves of a eucalyptus tree. Meg is glancing away with a neutrally guarded expression as Lester eyes her with concern, his ukulele resting forgotten against his back. / .End ID]

[pjotwitter]

Can we have Apollo tweet?

[weatheringandweary]

I love to bully Apollo for the decisions he makes, but tbh he’s incredibly well adjusted by the end of TOA all things considered.

If my father forcefully underdeveloped my brain to that of a sixteen year old and threw me to the wolves, I would have turned the gas stove on at the next solstice meeting and walked out of Olympus.

[im-an-apollogist]

✨️THE NINE MUSES✨️

Calliope (Muse of epic poetry)

Clio (Muse of history)

Polyhymnia (Muse of sacred hymn)

Euterpe (Muse of flute playing)

Terpsichore (Muse of dance)

Erato (Muse of erotic poetry)

Melpomne (Muse of tragedy)

Thalia (Muse of comedy)

Urania (Muse of astronomy)

[somewhereincairparavel]

my nerdy physics king I love you so much