#and gaea knowing this about her. because gaea's also a mother

[hazellvsq]

i think this might be my favorite hazel scene because of how it recontextualizes all her other flashbacks. after three horrible ones after each other, there's finally one where things went right, in the beginning. its the beginning of the end but hazel doesn't know that its all going to go wrong. she's just sitting with her mom in the park and watching the sun come up.

[iwannascreameurekaa]

"I know none of this will matter in the long run"

but it's about Leo building a whole boat in months just for it to explode right in front of his eyes

but it's about Leo dying and making this elaborate plan to live again so that he fulfills the prophecy but can also be happy with his friends only for the fates to pull a 180 and kill Jason

but it's about Hazel sacrificing herself, her life, her mother only for gaea to still be awaking when Hazel comes back

but it's Percy, Annabeth, Grover and every other demigod that fought in the first war when another starts

but it's Thalia after losing yet another loved one

but it's Sally because she knows that Percy isn't going to have a long and happy life because most demigods especially those of the big three aren't allowed to have those

but it's Jason after doing everything he can to make everyone happy and try and find a purpose even after Hera took his with his memories and he still ended up dying

[athena-xiii]

Current Agatha All Along Theories based on the events of episodes 1-5, my sparse comic knowledge, funko pop leaks, and my wack ass speculations.

So first I wanna get my theories about Teen out of the way. Obviously that boy is Wiccan, but despite the mention of Mephisto, I think that they’re straying from the comics here. So based on the “near death in Westview” headline behind Joe Locke’s credit, the confirmed casting of Rebecca and Jeff Kaplan, and Agnes’ mention of seeing a car crash in the first episode; I believe that in the same day that Wanda released the Hex, there was a car accident in Westview that resulted in the death of 13-year-old Billy Kaplan. Billy Maximoff’s soul latched onto this now vacant body before Death had a chance to do her thing.

Now, speaking of Death with a capital D, let’s talk about Rio. It’s no secret that Rio is very likely Lady Death, but I’d like to propose the idea that she is also the marvel character gaea. Gaea is derived from the Greek goddess Gaia (aka Mother Earth) and is attributed as a sort of goddess of life. First of all, Rio has said herself that she is “The Green Witch” and fully healed the cut on Agatha’s hand by licking it? But most interestingly is the name Rio Vidal. Rio and Vidal mean river and life/vitality respectively in Spanish— which Rio speaks often. I think that Rio will be named as Lady death but her domain will extend to the whole cycle. A body decomposes and becomes one with the earth, thus giving life to the plants.

Anyways back to Teen. That’s right, I’ve got more. This time let’s talk about the sigil. So the fact that the sigil is described as clumsy, Agatha stating that the sigil works on the caster, and Teen’s sharp behaviour changes both before breaking Agatha out of the Hex and in episode 5 lead me to believe that Teen placed the sigil on himself. I think that Billy, knowing he needed Agatha’s help to open the witches’ road, broke Agatha free of her spell. After all, it’s like Wanda said, “If I need you, I’ll know where to find you.”

He then placed a sigil on himself to hide his true identity of Billy Maximoff from even himself. Billy chats happily about his life in eastview and about his parents throughout the show, and I believe that these are the memories of Billy Kaplan. Billy mentions going to a concert with his mom in episode 2, but is unsurprised by the comment “you’re so much like your mother” in episode 5. I believe this is because there are 2 mothers: Rebecca and Wanda. His sigil is broken sometime in episode 5 which causes Agatha to realize who he is and for him to have the powers he claimed that he wanted to gain on the road.

Because Billy isn’t looking for power on the road. I think he’s trying to get his brother back. Tommy Maximoff didn’t have a convenient body to hop into. His twin, the person who his mom told him would always be there, has been separated from him and he— like his mother was— is missing his other half.

Anyway, that’s all I got for now. I have no clue what’s goin on with Lilia and her premonitions

[ricep0pp]

already having to relive the Octavian/Luke comparisons and i think i may in fact spontaneously combust.

the blatant misremembering of Octavians character simply because readers just went along with whatever the main cast thought is honestly a little bit infuriating. he's the most spectrum coded character in HoO and most of his actions up until he is literally *brainwashed by Gaea* are justifiable.

"b-but he destroyed Percy's pillow pet comfort item!!" okay, maybe think about how he has to do this with his own comfort items every day? it's literally his job and it's very likely that nobody has ever gotten upset with him over it before. and *Reyna told him to do this* so why are we mad at octavian if it was an order from the praetor to do an augur thing and the easiest way to do that was with an item that had a connection to Percy?

i will also never get over the banquet scene at the beginning of MoA. Octavian literally does nothing wrong here but the characters decide that they just really want to make him the butt of every joke simply because they find him 'annoying'.

after Reyna does the toast and Jason is recounting their rescue of Hera/Juno, Octavian interrupts him in an exclamation of disbelief that they hadn't noticed that the queen of the gods had been imprisoned in a location that was very important to the romans. is interrupting rude? yes, but he obviously seems distraught over the fact that Juno was unknowingly imprisoned. instead of politely explaining the full extent of the situation, what does Piper do? immediately use charmspeak on him.

next, when Percy praises Jason's skills ("No wonder they made you praetor."), Octavian immediately brings up the fact that they have three praetors now that Jason has returned. this is really important, especially from his perspective since he's such a stickler for rules and regulations. Percy decides to immediately abtagonize him, and then completely dismiss his frustration over Percy choosing to step aside for Jason. Octavian has every right to be offended over this, even if it's not necessarily the most correct time to bring it up. Percy antagonizes him, and then basically blatantly insults him by treating the position he's worked his entire life for as if it's nothing important.

after that, Reyna has Octavian recite the great prophecy, ignoring his hesitancy (that is entirely warranted considering greece and rome have been at war for literal millenia). when Annabeth recites the last two lines of the prophecy and Frank brings up her parentage, Octavian has a right to be skeptical. in rome, Minerva isnt even a war goddess, and doesn't have children. without understanding how the gods operate in their seperate forms, it's reasonable, considering they arrived in a war ship, are being lead by a child of a war goddess that they are wholly unfamilliar with in more ways than most of the other major gods, and are, in fact, greek, to be suspicious of the groups intentions.

when Annabeth and Percy list the seven demigods they believe should go on the quest, Octavian is again rightfully upset. There are rules and procedures that are being completely ignored, and by visitors that are already suspicious to him and have made it very clear that they do not care about his opinion, even though he's on the senate and *the fucking augur.* he is once again interrupted, but this time by the book itself as Tyson shows up.

Ella then recites the 'mark of Athena' prophecy, which Octavian *once again* has every right to know about. prophecies are his job, and his entire *personality* as far as camp jupiter is concerned. i understand that it basically says 'Annabeth will destroy rome' but her secrecy in regards to the quest her mother gave her has never once made sense and is not justified in any way. instead of even saying something simple along the lines of 'Athena made me swear to secrecy', Percy for some reason is made to be the character that needs rescuing (in a situation that has nothing to do with him) and Annabeth takes the opportunity to make Octavian into the fool in front of all of his peers. it feels even worse later on when Annabeth and Reyna discuss the prophecy but only to agree that it even *is* one, and for no purpose beyond that for several paragraphs.

THEN when Leo offers a tour of the Argo II to Octavian and Reyna *once again* dismisses his suspicions, she winds up partly to blame for the resulting attack, as well as Leo for never telling anyone about gaea, and Annabeth for not saying anything when she noticed Leo was acting off. when Gaea attacks CJ and Octavian relays to Annabeth that he saw Leo open fire on the city, she assumes he's pulling some trick to get them to fight each other. she had known him for all of maybe a few hours and for some reason, watching her friends and boyfriend openly bully him has convinced her that he could be evil?

mind you, all of the above events happened over the course of *two* chapters, both of which are from the perspective of Annabeth who had only just met Octavian.

he only really began doing things you could consider 'evil' once gaea had fullt brainwashed him and driven him mad. and even then, he gets a fucking joke death?? as the only character up to this point that i was ever able to identify with on an ASD level, that feels really shitty! and the fact that the fandom just jumped on the Octavian hate train really drives home how people cannot handle spectrum coding/writing/*people* unless its presented in a cutesie helpless way.

but back to the original point of Octavian being compared to Luke; Luke was scheming the *entire* time we knew him. He did not want to protect his home, he did not have any real morals or self imposed rules. all he cared about was getting back at Hermes for not showing he cared about him (which is kind of bs considering Hermes is one of the busiest gods in the pantheon but as a fellow neglected kid i get it.) Luke was willing to do this in any way, even if it meant literally destroying the world. Octavian was just trying to keep his home safe in the way that any historical roman would have.

You also kind of have to consider his background. he was left at camp as an unwanted baby. we dont even know if his parents named him or if the camp did. his only identity is that he's a legacy of Apollo with a gift that is incredibly useful to CJ. this, along with his very clear coding (whether intentional on Rick's part or not), only shows me a character that was always unwanted and outcasted from the only place he even could call home. he doesnt want to be praetor for power, he wants to be praetor to prove to everyone (and himself) that he's worthy of being one of them. if he wanted power for the sake of power he could easily use his augur position to manipulate his way up, but never once do we see him attempt this. it doesn't help that he's named after THE Gaius Julius Ceasar Augustus, the man that founded the fucking roman empire in the first place. imagine how that must feel? to have your identity tied to such massive, larger than life people? imagine feeling like you have to live up to that in a place that seemingly fucking hates you for existing and only keeps you around because youre useful??

i really wish people would stop blatantly villainizing Octavian, dudes literally just an 18 year old autistic kid that was victimized by Gaea. give him a break, please.

[tinkerbellsgf]

Nadia Greene

Daughter of Gaea

Her name means hope and her last name is kinda just a pun because she's a daughter of Gaea

Her father, Sebastian Greene can actually see through the mist and when he met Gaea he saw her genuine form and was still lowkey into it

She was raised by her father and they weren't really the richest people in the world so he had to work a lot leading to Nadia often feeling neglected by her father

And this causes her to run away at the age of seven after he lost his cool and yelled at her, calling her a nuisance

For a while after she ran away she just legit lived in a tree

Monsters didn't attack her often a they new who her mother was, only very very stupid monsters would attack her

But then when she was eight years old she met an eight year old Annabeth, and fourteen year old Luke and Thalia

A few days after she met them Zeus decided to try and kill her before she could reach her full power as the daughter of a primordial goddess

And struck her with lightning

But her mother wouldn't let her die

So now she just has lightning scars going across her body

Starting at her shoulder and ending at her mid-thigh

They all ended up going to camp together but y'know, the whole tree thing happens

She was in the Hermes cabin for most of her life at camp, her mother not claiming her until The Hero's of Olympus series

She has a sword called δράκος άρωμα aka Dragon Arum which is a kind of plant

She went on the lightning thief quest

And most quests after that (she almost threw all her guts up and cried multiple times during the sea of monsters for obvious reasons)

Most of the time at camp you'll see her sitting on the docks and chatting with the Nereids

They talk often because they actually saved her life

When she was about nine some Ares camper threw her in the lake, she can't swim and terrified of water

So the Nereids saved her

Now she's actually pretty close with them

She's also often with Percy and Annabeth, two of her closest friends

Her dream is to eventually become either a social worker or a botanist

She's a very nice girl but does have a reputation around camp for being temperamental

Her hobbies include tending to the little garden she has, training and listening to Annabeth ramble about architecture while she plays with her hair

Her style is lots of grandpa sweaters, comfy jeans and the same pair of dark green converse she's had for years

And for training she wears a regular camp half-blood t-shirt and leggings

There's lots more to know about Nadia so I hope you read and enjoy the series I'll be writing about her soon :))

[tagthescullion]

I'm imagining an AU where Nico brought Hazel back from the dead but didn't know about Camp Jupiter, maybe leaving the Underworld with her before Hades told him (the timeline as to when exactly he found out about CJ and how this fits into when he brought Hazel is iffy anyway; we don't actually know which one happened first); maybe he didn't even realize she was Roman.

So instead, he brings her to Camp Half-Blood.

Their cover story is that Hazel is from the Lotus Hotel. Nico went back there hoping to find out more about his family, since he doesn't remember anything about his past and hoped he and Bianca had left papers or photographs or something there, found Hazel there instead, and brought her out. This explains Hazel being from the 1940s and also explains Hades not breaking the oath, since I don't think he'd stand for his honor being questioned if the Greeks thought he'd broken the oath with Hazel's mother.

So Nico and Hazel show up at camp, and he brings her to Chiron. Chiron, who can recognize a Roman on sight, just like he did with Jason.

And Chiron takes one look at Hazel and, just like he did with Jason, says, "You should be dead."

To which Hazel and Nico respond, shocked that they've been found out so soon, "How did you know?!"

anon you inspired me, and I am most grateful, I was having a 20s crisis.

Rating: G+ (a bit of swearing)

Words: 2258

AO3 link

Inconvenient Revelations

“We’re almost there,” Nico said between breaths. 

Hazel couldn’t judge him. They’d been trekking for ages, her legs were going by themselves by this point, she’d lost the feeling in them at least ten miles ago.

“Why couldn’t we take a bus?” She asked. 

Nico didn’t stop, but he slowed his pace so he’d be side-by-side with her. “Hazel, I’ve told you, it’s dangerous. I am like a magnet to monsters. I’ve heard stories of monsters in buses, trains, even planes!”

That was all tragic and all, but for starters, Hazel knew Nico would rather swim across the Atlantic and half-way across the Mediterranean to his native Italy rather than so much as sit on a plane; and secondly, she’d seen the boy deal with four different monsters on the way and the chances of a lone, hungry monster managing to murder them on a bus was almost zero.

She gave him a funny look.

“All right,” he said, raising his hands in an appeasing manner. “I thought we’d get to know each other better if we traveled by foot. Central Park isn’t too far from Camp if you go in a vehicle.”

“And, pray tell,” she said. “What have you learned about me in four and a half days of walking?”

Nico shrugged. “You hate pickles, you never learned how to ride a bike, thinking about the past makes you go on a trance, you lived in Alaska but won’t tell me why, you—” He leaned on a tree and held a hand to his side. “I am so not made for exercising.” He said indignantly. “At any rate, I know a million details and nothing substantial.”

She turned so he wouldn’t see her face. She’d avoided talking about stuff she cared too much about, or was embarrassed about, too. She hadn’t mentioned Sammy, or their father’s visit. She avoided speaking of her mother. She had never told him how she had died, nor how she had almost allowed Gaea to rise to power again. 

“I don’t like sharing either,” he assured her. “That’s okay.”

That was also true. She knew very little of her new brother. He liked soccer, he hated mozzarella. He had another sister who died, he was Venetian —and no, that wasn’t the same as ‘Italian’—. He was also born before the War, and had remained in a timeless trance in a place called the Lotus Hotel —which he had only confessed, she supposed, because it was to be her cover once they arrived at Camp Half-Blood—.

Yet Hazel was sure that they had, for better or for worse, found out substantial information out of each other by accident. 

She knew she’d been rescued from the Underworld by accident because he’d called her Bianca too many times to hide the pain he felt from not being able to have his real sister back. While he now was comfortable sleeping in rough places and out in nature, he had clearly had a rather privileged upbringing  —who  the hell asked for silverware to eat tacos?—. He respected, and probably even loved, their father and yet he resented the god, too. 

“What do you really know about me?” She asked. 

He raised an eyebrow. 

“Don’t play a fool,” she insisted. “I know you know more than that.”

Nico studied her with his soft-brown eyes. His eyes, Hazel thought, didn’t fit his face well. They were too kind, even when he hardened his expression to a cold, unfeeling façade.

“You regret something,” he said. “Probably something about how or why you died.”

She tilted her head. 

“In Asphodel, most spirits forget themselves.” He explained, starting to walk again. “Unless they hold dear memories they stick to,” he continued, “or unless they can’t let go of regrets and guilt.”

“What makes you think I don’t remember good memories?” She wondered.

He scoffed. “No offence, Hazel, but you’re miserable.”

She frowned. “How kind. Spoken like the true ray of sunshine you are.”

He huffed a laugh. “You’re not wrong. I have accepted that I'm not happy. But you have another chance at life. Cheer up, Hazel!”

She didn’t cheer up. 

They walked in silence for a few more miles. Gods, she was ready to drop and sleep for two weeks.

“Over there!” Nico stopped suddenly. He pointed towards the North-East.

Hazel barely avoided colliding with him. She followed her brother’s arm to a hill. There was a lone pine-tree standing on top, with something curled underneath it —too far for her eyes to see properly—.

“That’s the place?” She asked. “Do we have to climb more?”

Nico nodded somberly. “I forgot New York had hills.”

She had wondered, on more than one occasion, how her brother could forget places he had supposedly visited a lot. He had painted this Camp Half-Blood as a haven for demigods in danger, and yet he didn’t seem to know jackshit about it.

“Clearly, you walk here often,” she said.

“I shadow-travel,” he told her. “Much faster, but rather tiring. Especially for long distances. Besides, my aim isn’t great.”

She did recall asking how far he’d ever been from his home, and him replying ‘China!’. It probably had to do with the whole being eaten by shadows thing.

When he’d explained to her what shadow-traveling consisted of, he'd also mentioned it was unwise to use that method not knowing if the shadows would claim her again. Needless to say, she’d been uncompelled to try.

Eventually, treading over their tired feet, they managed to get to the hill. Halfway through the climb —not too steep a slope, thank the gods—, Hazel recognized the thing under the tree.

It was a dragon.

“It’s okay,” Nico said, catching her face. “He’s a good dragon, he guards Thalia’s tree.”

Why did the tree have a name, Hazel didn’t know. Why did they have a guardian dragon…? Well, it must have had to do with the shiny pelt on one of the lower branches.

“Why do you have a carpet on the tree?” She asked. 

Nico looked bemused. “Huh? Oh… the Golden Fleece? It’s a long story, I’ll tell you later.”

The dragon raised his head as they got closer.

“Hello, Peleus.” Nico grinned at the beast. “How are we doing today? Still warm for September, isn’t it?”

The dragon let Nico pet him for a bit, and then he saw Hazel.

Immediately, its demeanor changed. It went still, watching her every move with dark eyes.

“What’s wrong with you, ragazzo?” Nico demanded. “She’s one of us, this is Hazel, my sister!”

Peleus didn’t seem to care much for Nico’s opinion. He followed her with his eyes as she walked past him.

Crossing an invisible wall that appeared to be aligned with the tree, Hazel felt a shiver down her spine.

Turn away. 

Her hands felt sweaty all of a sudden.

Get out.

Nico saw her discomfort and gave up trying to convince the dragon of Hazel’s innocence.

Could this place know what Hazel had done? Nico had called it Thalia’s tree. Was Thalia some sort of protector spirit that kept traitors away?

She crossed her arms around her torso, feeling cold.

“Is everything all right?” He asked. “The barrier may know you’re…”

For a fraction of a second, Hazel froze, scared that Nico had somehow figured out her hand in Gaea’s attempted return. Then she calmed herself, he only meant she had been dead.

“Must be.” She tried to sound certain, but Nico’s face let her know she’d failed spectacularly.

“Come on, then,” he said, offering her a hand. “That over there’s the Big House, we’ll get you acquainted with the activities director and with the camp’s director, too —if he’s here, that is—.”

Hazel got a good look of Camp Half-Blood as they went down the hill towards the house. There were bizarre-looking cabins arranged in a horse-shoe shape, some only half-constructed. A sprinkle of Greek-style buildings dotted the valley between the hills, and a big forest went off towards the East. She could glimpse the ocean in the distance, and a lake not too far from it.

It was idyllic, and yet every step further into the place made Hazel feel more and more uneasy.

“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” she warned her brother on the porch steps —the blue house looming over them—.

Nico’s face had closed off, making Hazel sure he knew something was off. Regardless, he tried for a smile and said, “Nonsense, everybody’s welcome at Camp.”

Out the door came out a tall, blonde girl, almost running into them.

“Oh, Nico, hi!” She said. She turned to Hazel with a small smile. “You must be new.”

“Hazel,” Nico gestured at her. “This is Annabeth Chase, our leader.”

The girl rolled her eyes. “Percy’s the leader, not me.”

Nico shrugged. “Is Chiron here?”

Annabeth nodded. “Mr D isn't, though, called to Olympus for who knows what.” Turning to Hazel, she added, “It’s better that he’s not here, actually.”

“He’s not that bad,” Nico argued. “He’s an acquired taste.”

“I’ve been here for eons and I haven’t acquired shit,” Annabeth stated. Realizing she sounded scornful, she said in a softer tone. “But then again, perhaps we’re just incompatible people.”

Hazel had absolutely no clue who they were speaking about. Somebody important enough to be called to Olympus so not someone she’d speak of so lightly as Annabeth had. Of course, she was evidently a seasoned veteran of demigodness, and Hazel’s only life achievement had been to almost destroy the world. Different standards, she supposed.

“I’ve promised Clarisse I’d spar with her.” Annabeth interrupted Hazel’s thoughts. “But welcome to Camp, Hazel! Don’t let Nico show you that crappy orientation video.”

She ran off just as Nico retorted a whiny, “Oh, come on! It’s brilliant. It’s fucking ridiculous.”

Nico opened the Big House’s door and waited for Hazel to go in.

The place was quiet, old-fashioned, and had walls that needed repainting.

Nico led her to a room in the back of the place, it had big windows facing the valley.

There was a man sitting in a wheelchair —presumably Chiron—, reading a blueprint that showed what appeared to be a temple. 

He looked up as Hazel and her brother went into the room.

“Nico, an unexpected surprise!” Chiron said. 

His eyes focused on Hazel. His friendliness vanished in an instant. His small but amicable smile turned into a hard frown, and he gripped the table in front of him tight enough for his knuckles to turn white.

“You should be dead.”

Hazel felt faint, she was vaguely aware of Nico taking a step back, putting himself between Chiron and Hazel.

She swallowed. “How— How do you—?”

But before Hazel could finish talking, Nico said sharply, “What do you mean?”

Chiron pushed the wheelchair away from the table and stood.

No, he didn’t stand up. Hazel —amidst her discomfort and fear— stared bemused as the chair rolled back as a horse materialized from Chiron’s waist down.

He was a centaur! 

Ignoring Nico’s question, Chiron faced Hazel. “You know what I mean, do you not?”

She caught a difference in his voice but didn’t have time to consider it as she debated whether to lie or to tell the truth. There seemed to be little point in dishonesty, the centaur had caught on to their charade inconveniently fast. Could he read minds, Hazel wondered? 

She nodded slowly.

“Wait,” Nico held up his hands. “Are you speaking Latin? What are you, a Catholic priest?”

Chiron looked back at her brother. “Where did you two meet?”

“The Lotus Hotel,” Nico said quickly. “I was searching for clues about my family and I ran into her.”

“Are you sure about that?” The centaur insisted.

Nico huffed. “I know you don’t trust me much, but I—”

“It’s okay, Nico,” Hazel stopped him. “He knows.”

Her brother looked between her and Chiron. Realizing, perhaps, that their game was lost, he sighed.

“I can explain,” he said.

“I sure hope so,” Chiron told him, and Hazel didn’t think the chastising undertone was all that necessary. “There’s a reason why Greeks and Romans have been kept separated for centuries. I should like to know what gave you the impression that it was a good idea to bring one of them here.”

That disoriented Hazel. By her brother’s expression, he wasn’t following the conversation either, but she could also see a gleam of relief in his eyes.

“Roman?” Nico inquired. “Like, an Ancient Roman demigod?”

“I’m not from Ancient Rome,” Hazel argued. “I died in 1942!”

Nico shook his head as a warning, but the damage had been done.

“Died!” Chiron cried. 

He glared at Nico, who in exchange took a step closer to him, and put up what Hazel had baptized ‘the diplomat smile’. Fake as plastic, and not yet convincing in the face of a 12-year-old.

“What have you done?” Chiron demanded. “And don’t lie to me, son of Hades.”

“How about,” Nico offered in an almost-calm voice. “We sit down, you tell us what you mean about Hazel being Roman, and then we share the whole story of how we met?”

Chiron looked exasperated. 

“Gods above!” He muttered.

“Actually,” Nico rebutted. “It’s the gods below we should be blaming for this whole thing.”

“I imagine your father has no idea of your… rescue operation.” Chiron speculated.

“I’d be terribly grateful if you didn’t enlighten him,” Nico said. 

Chiron let out a long, exhausted breath.

“Let’s sit down,” he agreed. “We’ll talk. Then we’ll decide what we do from here.”

[witchhazelevesque]

There's something about the change and progression from Leo's hesitancy to rescue Nico because it would definitely be a trap to his willingness to go back for Calypso and all the ways his death is involved in that journey.

And I don't even mean progression as in Leo's stance on Nico influenced his decision about Calypso- though that could have been a really satisfying way to take that. But they are at the core the same situation: a rescue mission, with vastly different circumstances.

(I don't like romantic ca/eo, but them as friends? Sign me up. That's the only way I can imagine them, and what I mean when I talk about them here.)

The situation sometimes gets boiled down to 'Leo and Jason wanted to leave Nico in the jar', but there's more to it . For one thing, Leo wasn't even able to voice all his thoughts on the matter, because he was interrupted by Hazel, Frank and Jason. That doesn't negate the overall suspicion/wariness Leo has; he brings up two major points: that the giants are using Nico to bait a trap for the rest of them and that Nico hid the camps from one another. But Leo was surprised by Frank and Hazel’s reaction and question about whether Leo meant they should leave Nico. So, it seems in part 'can we trust him?', but also in part something like, 'this is a trap, we should be aware of that and be on the defensive when doing it'.

Leo's actions later also factor into this, though they were mainly for Hazel's benefit. He wanted to use Nemesis's deal to save Nico. And in a way, this decision is more reckless and dangerous than any ways death was involved in going back for Calypso. And in a way, more romantic, which is kind of funny because it could be interpreted for either Hazel or Nico. That aside, this offer was voluntary and unconnected to Leo’s other duties.

But his decision to die was connected to those duties. It wasn’t dependent on Calypso. He didn’t do it for her. Yes, he does think about how he feels his place is with her and not the rest of the seven, but that’s not the only reason. Even without her in the picture, he was going to sacrifice himself. He died because the Fates put a choice in front of him. He died to defeat Gaea, to spare Jason, to save all his friends and the world.

And to avenge his mother.

Yes, his decision to go back to Ogygia without first letting his friends know he’d be okay is not fair to them, but RR was always gonna make it happen this way, which I'll get into in a second. But working with what is here, I do understand Leo's decision. Leo explains this best when he says, "Calypso is a priority”. It’s plausible that they'd want the other to be a little selfish about them / want to be a little selfish about each other. To prioritize them. This could have been something they connected over, and it would have been cathartic for this to have played a larger role. To choose one another.

And maybe that makes more sense if you look at it in a vacuum, without the context of how their interactions were executed and just the overall shape of their intended dynamic in the story: both isolated and alone, brought together by someone else's design, connecting regardless. Someone who never felt chosen wanting to make sure someone he cared for does feel chosen after waiting so long both to be the first choice and to have her freedom.

And that might not be compelling to everyone, but it is small in comparison to the actual major reason I understand Leo’s decision to prioritize Calypso: because it’s about fulfilling the plot, not about characterization.

Which may seem obvious because these books are about fast paced plot, but it matters so much here. I would say RR wrote himself into a corner, but I don't think he actually minded being there.

But it was still a corner.

It parallels Zeus saying that Hera bringing the seven together wove fate in a way that only left so many avenues open.

It was pretty clear by the end that RR did not care about the quality of finishing the quest, since another line of the prophecy, ‘the world must fall’ was built up so much and then the final battle between ‘fire’ and ‘the world’ took six pages.

Six pages.

RR just got it done. 

The choice to have Leo's trip back to Ogygia happen at this moment ultimately is about tying up loose ends of the prophecy. Prophecy has always been made clear by the end of each book in this verse, iirc. Leo's characterization basically turned into just him thinking about Calypso, which is disappointing. But it feels, at least to me, that Leo only left before talking to his friends because it was a lynchpin for those plot requirements of the prophecy, and because RR wanted the situation the other characters ended the series in to be ✨dramatic and mysterious✨

Sort of a benefit, we at least get to see Hazel and Frank deliver the news (one of the few things they got to do in BoO).

It's also strange that Leo set the timer for 24 hours the night before the battle, maybe it was because he couldn't have anticipated Zeus sending them back to New York so fast, maybe he thought the battle with Gaea might last longer. But it was set to resurrect him long after he died and Festus flew him from camp. Leo heard Asclepius say to administer the cure as soon after death as possible. Maybe Leo didn’t know what would happen, but RR did and he set it up this way. If this time detail had stayed the same but Leo didn’t leave for Ogygia right then, I wonder how that would play out. If he hadn't gone, would the others have taken his body off Festus? Would they have been able to find where he’d put the cure? (That’s a bit of a tangent though.)

The details of how it actually worked are never addressed to maintain the ✨mystique✨ around what Leo’s plan actually was. BUT it could have made a big difference in the reception of the end of the novel if something had been explicitly set up earlier, and that’s if Leo would have needed a massive power source to 'break out of reality' so to speak, to kick start his return to Ogygia, since it doesn't exist in the real world. When Percy ended up there, it was during Mt St Helens' erupting and Hera guided his way. Leo's first trip was powered by another goddess.

And what a convenient power source he had in himself, his body turning molten, releasing everything inside himself, this literal gift and burden from the god of fire, in a genuinely once in a lifetime event- because it was so powerful it literally killed him, created an explosion strong enough to vaporize a primordial deity. It would have been a now or never situation, when else was he going to have the power of a force of nature except the one he has inside of himself?

It's one possibility that wasn’t taken.

Maybe if this had been the case and had been explained beforehand, this plot point would have been more palatable.

But then it also could have supported the idea that Leo did die for Calypso. But it didn’t actually happen this way.

However, a driving force that is known for sure is the oath with a final breath line that RR needed to get done.

Having Leo fulfill the oath with his final breath, when he died, was necessary to deliver on everything the story had been promising. It checked off the last item in the central prophecy of the series. Prophecies have been a focal point of each book in all the PJOverse and having the meaning unfold and come to fruition plays a major role, think Rachel literally crash landing into the Battle of Manhattan to tell Percy he wasn’t the hero in the prophecy.

So, with the way HoO and BoO are written, the only piece of the prophecy missing after Leo defeats Gaea is the ‘oath to keep with a final breath’. It didn’t matter if it made sense or not, if it was a good idea or not, if it was in character or not, the oath being kept had to happen in this moment. Leo had to go back for Calypso right then. It was the plot bending the character, not the character driving the plot, which, I mean, isn't too surprising, these books aren't really deep dives into the characters.

Back to the original topic though, Leo was in very different head spaces with different circumstances in these two rescue missions. He had to take into account the safety of the entire crew and the quest when considering Nico, and when he did decide to take a risk, it was one that would only put himself on the line. With Calypso, he knew he was going to die one way or another, that in doing so he would complete the quest, and that he had to keep his oath 'with a final breath', which, again, is a narrative point that needed to be checked off. There were already multiple plot lines that didn't pay off (Frank bringing his family full circle happened off screen within six pages a g a i n Hazel's curse being washed away wasn’t explained satisfactorily, etc.) but this one had top billing, RR couldn't get away with not delivering.

Again, a plot choice, not a characterization one. RR had to write it that way because of the choices he'd already made.

This got very far away from my original thought of valdangelo pining with Nico cycling through some of these thoughts while waiting for Leo to get back to camp. Him thinking "you wouldn't do it for me, but you would for her.”

And if that was the case, then Leo dying- which would have been an extreme version of one of his worries about rescuing Nico- would make more sense as a point of contention between Nico and Leo in ToA. Maybe Nico would logically recognize all the reasons aside from Calypso that Leo sacrificed himself, but he couldn't get his feelings to understand the difference.

[sxber-r]

Aaahhh!! It’s been so long since I’ve updated, I’m sorry! (I don’t know who I’m apologizing to) But I finished SoN a while ago but haven’t made anything, so here it is! If you haven’t read SoN, this is a warning!

SoN made me think. Seeing Percy so confused about who he was constantly had me on edge, especially because the reader (if having read the previous books) knew what he had gone through. I was just waiting to see his reaction when he finally got it back, and it was worth it. When he first turned down praetorship because he was loyal to Annabeth I was giggling and kicking my feet. The entire time, he just wanted to see his girlfriend again. When that one Amazonian warrior (I forgot her name, it was Kaylie or Kaize or something) asked him out and said he’d look good in an orange jumpsuit and a COLLAR I had to put the book down. Like, girl. WHAT? I was appalled, to say the least. Seeing Tyson and Mrs. O’Leary made me smile, I missed those big guys. The dream scene with Grover made me sad :( Percy thought he was a faun asking for change. 

Percy wasn’t the only character that had me on the edge of my seat. Frank was such an interesting character to read. He was a shy, big guy who was ridiculed for being a probatio. His reaction to Percy calling the cannibals Canadians made me giggle. Frank had struggled to accept being a son of Mars, which was hard for someone who thought it was horrible, especially because of his mom’s death. The scene with his grandmother in the house? SOBBING. When he gave Hazel the stick I was screaming. In all, his character development wasn’t rushed and it was gradual, creating an interesting character to read. He and Hazel’s relationship felt slightly rushed, but I think it’s just because I was so accustomed to the five-book slow burn that was Percabeth. The age gap did make me question it, but I wasn’t too weirded out. 13 and 16 aren’t too bad in my opinion, especially because She was dead for a few decades and they kinda match maturity levels(?). That is probably a risky opinion so please educate me if I sound like a creepy person.

Hazel was also a very well-written character. Learning about how she had come back from the dead was very interesting as well. I had already know, due to spoilers, but it was interesting to hear the full story on her death. It was heartbreaking to hear about her mother, and Gaea, and just everything that happened in Alaska. Her powers are interesting as well, and I like how the powers a demigod gets depends on if they were roman or Greek. How Nico can summond skeletons because Hades is the god of the Underworld, but Hazel has earth and jewel powers, contributing to the wealth side of Pluto. It reminds me of how poetic the planet Pluto is. Pluto, the god, wasn't considered an Olympian despite being one of the big three, just like how Pluto wasn't considered a planet. Overall, I love Hazel. Her character is amazing, and I love that Nico got a sister back, especially with the scene on the roof where he accidentally calls her Bianca.

Beautiful book, amazing writing, 10/10. I need to start reading Mark of Athena, which I do have, but i need to do it quick because the book was due the Sixth! Since school has started up I have to do thirty minutes of reading per night and would love to update you guys every time about the chapters. Love you guys, have a good night!

[umbran6]

A Different Champion

Ok, hear me out on this - Leo should've been the champion of Hera rather than Jason. At the very least, they should've had a relatively more positive relationship in comparison to the one time they interacted in The Lost Hero.

For those who've seen my prior posts, you know I've analyzed Leo's importance in the plot. I would also further cement this in that Leo has more importance to Hera than Jason. Even from an initial viewpoint, Hera would have more motivation to help Leo considering his background. Esperanza Valdez was willing to raise her son and still love him despite her family blacklisting her for having a child as a single mother and willing to work 9-5 just so they could live. Jason was the second child of Jupiter and Beryl Grace, who this time was fully aware of her lover's divine nature, willingly having a child despite the fact that not only did it defile Hera's marriage, but it was the second child that was testament to Zeus' disregard for his Pact made among his brothers. Overall, Hera seems more likely to sympathize with Leo and Esperanza.

This sympathy and favor is visible when you examine how Hera interacts with them, even when they were young. I always found it pretty hard to believe that Hera would pressure Beryl Grace to sacrifice Jason to sate her wrath, because Jason and Thalia were already destined for persecution - Zeus had broken the Pact of the Big Three twice. Thalia was never specifically targeted by Hera ( and the statue incident is... questionable, considering Olympus was freaking collapsing and Hera was also busy fighting Typhon), and as far as we're informed by Riordan, Hera was never particularly active in Jason's life while he was in the 5th cohort of the legion.

On a side note, Beryl Grace was an utter idiot for naming her son after the OG Jason. The OG Jason may have initially been favored by Hera for being one of the few mortal heroes without any divine parentage. However, he also severely screwed the pooch because he willingly broke his wedding vows towards Medea by attempting to marry Glauce despite all that Medea did and risked for him, to the point that its noted in most analyses of Euripides' Medea that the titular protagonist got approval from the gods for all of her actions. So yeah, Beryl painted a very big target on her son with that name. And the less said about Thalia's name, the better.

Hera spends nearly most of Leo's youth acting as his nanny while Esperanza Valdez works in the warehouse so they can stay afloat. Though most of the time Leo discussed this in the Lost Hero, he focused on the bizarre and unusual — having him use knives to cut jalapeños, prodding him to poke a snake, the whole 'burning your fingerprints into the park bench' incident, there is more to it than that. Hera doesn't just encourage the traits of a stereotypical hero, but also Leo's creativity such as him drawing the Argo II in crayons and though he wasn't aware of it, gives Leo hints as to how his future may look like. We also kind of forget that Hera still willingly helped raise Leo for Esperanza, which must've been an immense boon because she was a single mother.

Hera even performs what is quite likely the same ritual Demeter applied to Demophon so long ago — roasting him in a fireplace so Hera can burn away his mortality. Of course, it could be argued that she was doing this to strengthen Leo so she could have a stronger demigod to fight against Gaea, but either way such a possibility would benefit him more than it would for Hera. Needless to say, she must've favored Leo to the extreme if she was willing to make him, a demigod son of Hephaestus, immortal.

Furthermore - and please hear me out - let's expand on this connection. Esperanza seemed to be aware of Hephaestus's true nature as an Olympian because she knew that Leo's powers came from him, so it wouldn't be too far to say she was aware of Hera's true nature. She didn't know, however, that Hera was planning to train Leo to become a being that would defeat Gaea when she rose. She made the Queen of the Gods to promise not to intervene in their lives until Leo became aware of his true nature when Esperanza saw the fireplace scene, because Leo noted that ever that day, Tia Callida never showed up in Leo's life afterwards. So when Leo knows he is a demigod, all bets are off and Hera can finally start playing a more active role in his life.

So, now hopefully I've established that Leo should've been Hera's champion considering how she seems a lot more sympathetic to Leo. Now let's imagine how this plays out in the story. For now I'm going to specifically focus on the Lost Hero, because that's the series Hera is more prominent. Jason's memories are still wiped, Piper still thinks Jason is her boyfriend, but Leo is remarkably spared from the memory-warping effect of the Mist and is aware that Jason just straight up appeared out of nowhere.

Leo doesn't have that same edge of trust towards Jason, but that gives him a better perspective on what exactly Jason was sent out for. So he notices that Jason has a coin engraved with Latin, he uses latin terminology to describe the monsters that hunted Leo since he was young, and sees that Jason has combat skills far more advanced than an amnesiac should really have, he starts putting the pieces a lot earlier than we expect and when he is introduced to Camp Half-Blood, Leo cooks up the theory that Jason may have come from a Roman camp, and reasonably cooks up the corresponding idea that Percy is now in said Roman Camp.

When Leo figures out Jason's true origins, two things happen: he immediately tells it to Annabeth (he's not that much of a dick to hide what actually happened to her bf), and Hera conjures a specter to confirm this theory and explain why she's doing what she's doing. The whole scheme against the Earth Witch that killed Leo's mom, and that oh yeah, there's a wrench in the scheme. This concentrated method turns the gist of the quest from how the original Lost Hero presented it:

'Oh, this nebulous evil villain is going to use me as a freaking battery for her son/dragon and that sucks, so you must rescue me.' Oh yeah, and Percy is gone too, and we don't know where the freaking Tartarus he is, so there's that.

To this:

The Witch that was involved in your mother's death has captured me so that she can use me to fuel the resurrection of her strongest fighter. So if you want to get some sweet, sweet revenge/atonement for your mom's death you have to rescue me. Also, I'm holding your friend's memories with me so if you want to help him recover who he his he will also want to join. Percy Jackson? The guy who's gone missing? I have him with me as well, so Annabeth Chase better actually help out, or he's going to die too. You're in? Okay, here's how to do it, and you better get your butt here before the Winter Solstice because that is the day the absorption process is going to finish and things will really go to hell in a hand basket.

With that single message, we actually have people that aren't just following a prophecy. Annabeth joins the party because, oh yeah, now she finally knows where her boyfriend is and is willing to stomach saving the goddess she hates the most in order to help him. Jason's in it because Hera wants his memories and wants to know why she got him involved in her gambit in the first place. Leo? We have the direct motive of him wanting to atone for his mother's death while also getting revenge against the other party that was also involved. Piper's the unexpected fourth party member/possible traitor because her dad's still being held hostage.

Now, I'm not going to delve into the full plot detail changes, but a good chunk of it remains the same with some other changes. Annabeth gets a stronger friendship with Leo on an intellectual level, because you know, the guy was able to offer her a bit of hope in finding her boyfriend. He's more cautious of Jason, but also more genuinely comforting. And finally... he's suspicious as heck of Piper, because he can feel there's something more behind her joining the quest.

But I want to focus on this scene: when Leo gets claimed by Hera as her champion. I, preferably, would imagine it takes place after she is rescued from becoming a power source for Porphyrion. Mainly because then she would have enough power to do a proper claiming and thus she can be as extra with it as possible.

I mean, imagine it. Everyone's gotten back from rescuing Hera, they're all patting themselves on the back and everyone's praising Jason, Piper, and Annabeth unwittingly ignoring Leo. Everyone's hearing about Jason fighting Porphyrion, Piper getting to free her dad from Enceladus, the surprise reveal of the search for Percy, when...

A light starts to glow above Leo's head. It's faint at first, but then it grows more vibrant and swells to cover the entire dining pavilion, swallowing him whole. Then it fades away to reveal Hera, putting a crown of laurel leaves on Leo's head, his clothing replaced with a chiton that was dyed ruby red that glimmered against the firelight from the braziers. A peacock is glowing above his head, the hundreds of eyes shining like the aurora of the north.

Leo's stunned as his mind does his best to process his new reality. Hera gives him a single, warm smile, and everyone else is staring in shock as she announces his status as her champion and gives him her divine blessing. Camp Half-Blood practically erupts in shock because this is the first time the camp has witnessed a male demigod being claimed as Hera's champion with the last guy being... the OG Jason.

I mean, the look of horror in Annabeth's eyes as she realizes one of her friends is now the champion of the goddess that she hates with a burning passion. Jason suddenly realizing that Leo was a lot more in the know of Hera's whole plot than he suspected, because why otherwise would Hera make him her champion? The members of Cabin Nine, suddenly looking at Leo with a sense of betrayal because yeah, Hera's the goddess that threw their dad off of Olympus. Leo isn't really sympathetic with them, Hephaestus had practically abandoned him for sixteen years of his life and forsaken him for eight. Piper can't exactly see him in the same light - how could she, when suddenly her friend had changed so suddenly?

All of this happens as Chiron steps forward, bowing in front of Leo and his patron before uttering these words: "Hera. Goddess of the Heavens, Protector of Men, Patron of Rulers. Hail, Leo Valdez, Champion of the Queen of Olympus."

[katerinaaqu]

Katya hi :D

Please tell us about whatever the shit that goes on between Hephaestus and Athena

Oh Hephaestus and Athena huh? That is an interesting couple of gods we do not see so much these days and yet they were really co-worshipped in antiquity! Let's buckle up then!

For starters they are half-siblings that much many people know. There are different myths about Hephaestus. Apollodorous and Cicero have him as the legitimate son of Zeus and Hera while other writers such as Hesiod, Hyginus, Pausanias and the Homeric Hymns mostly want him to be a son of Hera that has no father and basically was born out of a virgin birth process. Ironically with this train of thought he has no biological father while Athena has no longer her biological mother given her birth. Also both gods being born out of both the members of the couple and the parallel is interesting.

Hephestus and Athena are also sharing the attribute of the protectors of the craftsmen. Hephaestus is generally seen as the protector of metalwork and Athena of other crafts but the two overlap a lot. In fact many temples have them co-worshipped with it. Another common thing they have is their elleged mighty strength. Despite the fact that he is limping, Hephestus is mighty in strength and Athena easily overpowered Ares in Homer to say a few.

Now as we know Hephaestus is a god that was either born crippled as we have from Homer or crippled by the fall he had from Olympus (either because of Hera or because of Zeus depending on the myth) while Athena is a goddess dressed in armor and choosing to remain a virgin and unmarried. Both cases seem to be "contrasting" some of the ideals of antiquity (the ideal of beauty and the ideal of women marrying and not fighting) and both are respected for their contributions which is interesting. Hephaestus being unattractive surely didn't stop him having his own affairs and according to some myths he was given Aphrodite, the most beautiful goddess, as a wife as a compensation (of course we know that this didn't really work out given that by most accounts following the myth Aphrodite was never faithful to this union either and she had a number of lovers with one of the most known being Ares)

In one of the myths Hephaestus tries to bed Athena and violate her. The reasons behind it vary according to writers. Pseudo-Apollodorous says that Hephestus was just abandoned by Aphrodite and so being angry and sad. Athena arrives to his warehouse to get some weapons made, where she gets attacked by him (in fact Apollodorous says that he had to chase her before finally catching up with her. The description is rather graphic and detailed to say the very least). Pseudo-Hyginus also mentions a similar story although that states that after Dionysus made Hephaestus drunk to coerse him release his mother Hera from the chair he had trapped her, Poseidon took advantage of the situation to get revenge on Athena so he urges Hephaestus when he would have one wish granted to ask Athena to marry him. He does and she defends herself and they struggle a bit (ερις eris= fight/strife) . In another work of his the same writer states that Hephaestus was just enflamed with passion for Athena and begged her to marry him but of course she refused and Hephaestus chases her. She hides herself to a sanctuary (believed her co-worshipping center with Hephaestus in Athens) and there Hephaestus follows her and tries to embrace her.

Either way Athena repells him and gathers his seed that has fallen onto her sandal in the process with a piece of wool (ἔριον) [or shakes her foot on the dirt to get it clean] and she throws it away. The piece of cotton proceeds to to fertilize Gaia (earth, χθών) who later gives birth to the mythical king Erichthonius (ἔριον+χθών - wool+earth/ground) who becomes the legendary first king of Athens. The infant is being depicted on various attic vases, with Gaea basically giving baby Erichthonius to the arms of Athena. The myth was basically to signify not only the protection of Athena against the city or the connection of the city with arts and agriculture but also signify the legend Atheneans believed into, that their nation was native indigenous of Attica as opposing to other greek tribes like Dorieans who came from the north (or Hyperborean lands). Since Erichthonius came directly from earth beginning the line of the Atheneans.

I hope this helps!

[wanderingmind867]

Each of the twelve original Titans and who they fought for during the Second Titan War:

Let's start with the obvious ones:

Kronos: Naturally leading his side of the war. I hate Kronos, but this one is obvious.

Hyperion: Serving as a Commander in his brother Kronos's army. We see him during the Battle of Olympus, so this one is pretty obvious.

Iapetus: Fought for Kronos, only to lose his memory and become Bob. I really doubt you can kill a Titan (you can't kill Kronos, at least), so I imagine Iapetus/Bob is still out there after the Heroes of Olympus series. Maybe he's finally regained his memories (I can't remember if he already did that). He deserves that much, at least.

Crius: I believe the Lost Hero says that Crius fought the Roman demigods while Hyperion got to fight the Greek demigods. So Crius almost definitely fought on his brother Kronos's side.

Coeus: According to the Percy Jackson wiki, Coeus fought with Kronos. I don't think we ever saw him in the books though. I guess Coeus is the forgotten Titan, despite being the maternal grandfather of Hecate, Apollo and Artemis through his two daughters, Leto and Asteria.

Oceanus: I believe Oceanus fights on his brother Kronos's side in the Pjo series. I don't know why he's fighting on Kronos's side, seeing as he didn't help Kronos castrate Ouranos like the rest of his brothers did. But maybe it's just because of family loyalty, or something. Idk.

Now let's take some educated guesses on the female Titans. We know all six male first generation titans fought for Kronos, but what about the women of the family?:

Rhea: Seeing as Rhea is the mother of the gods, it makes sense for her to support her kids in this conflict. Besides, would Rhea really supoort Kronos? He was an awful husband, probably an awful brother and definitely an awful parent. So Rhea was probably on the side of her kids.

Theia: Well, Rhea and Theia. Guess Gaea and Ouranos weren't feeling unique when it came to those two, him? But anyway, I think Theia would be fighting with Kronos. Largely because her husband and brother is Hyperion, one of the leading commanders of the Titan army. Also, Theia and Hyperion had three kids: Helios, Selene and Eos. We know Helios and Selene were abandoned and their roles given to Artemis and Apollo. Not sure about Eos, though. But anyways, I think that Helios and Selene's treatment would help make Theia bitter towards her other relatives. She's probably fighting with Kronos to support her husband and get revenge for her kids.

Themis: Being the Titaness of Justice, I don't think it'd be right for Themis to pick a side. Justice is impartial, and all that. So I imagine she was completely neutral. Kind of like the Fates, probably. She just acted as a neutral observer.

Mnemosyne: I'm not really sure about Mnemosyne. She did have children with Zeus in the nine muses. And she doesn't seem to have much to gain from supporting Kronos. So I don't know. My best guess is: she either stayed completely neutral or she sided with Olympic. You can choose which you think is more likely. Personally, I'm leaning towards her being neutral.

Phoebe: I feel like Phoebe is stuck between a rock and hard spot. Her husband Coeus is fighting for Kronos, as is her grandchild Hecate. Yet her other two grandchildren, Apollo and Artemis, are fighting for Olympus. I feel like Phoebe is going to stay neutral, for fear of a tearing a rift within her family.

Tethys: Being that Tethys is married to Oceanus, she probably took a similar stance to his. So she probably fought for Kronos alongside her husband, but I don't really think she did it because she had any deep devotion to Kronos. I think she probably just did it because she wanted to be with her husband. Maybe also because she nursed Helios and Selene when they were young (at least according to wikipedia). So maybe she also wanted revenge for them?

So to recap:

On Kronos's Side: Kronos, Hyperion, Crius, Coeus, Oceanus, Iapetus, Tethys and Theia.

On the side of Olympus: Rhea and maybe Mnemosyne.

On no side: Themis, Phoebe, and maybe Mnemosyne.

[poppitron360]

Okay so @green-tea217 requested that I share this fanfic based on this post that I made.

I never usually post my fanfics, but I’m feeling brave. This one isn’t finished, but I’ll post the first chapter ‘cause I’m really proud of it. I’m working on the other fanfics that were requested, but I’m posting this one first because I’ve worked rlly had on it.

Summary: Kind of an OC/FanChild fic about my hcs for Percabeth’s kids. VERY Leo/Nico heavy bc they’re my two favourite characters, particularly Leo.

TWs: Swearing, lack of smut (she is a teenager)

Disclaimers: I was still reading SoN when I wrote this chapter, and I am currently on HoH, so if I’ve missed anything that gets revealed later, that’s why. Also I listened to the audiobooks, so if I spell a name wrong, that’s also why, either that or I’ve spelt something the British way.

Chapter 1:

Olympia hated stories.

She hated telling them. She hated hearing them. She hated the way they were often twisted and bent to contain some kind of message. She hated the theatrics of sharing them around the fire, the hushed voices and dramatic tone. And she hated how every story she heard was almost always about her dad.

Olympia Grace Jackson-Chase.

Of course.

For as long as she can remember, people had told her stories about her parents. About her and her birth. How she had been born on Olympus. How Apollo himself had delivered her, and named her “Olympia Grace” so that it would rhyme with her last name. That wasn’t entirely true. “Grace” was the last name of her Auntie Thalia and Uncle Jason. She hated the stories about them too- about all her parents’ friends. They were myths and legends in the eyes of the other campers, to her they were just people who babysat her sometimes. The Cabin 9’ers had been shocked when she’d told them that the heroic son of Hephaestus who had saved the world from Gaea and her evil forces was actually just Little Uncle Leo, and the first Fire User in three and a half centuries isn’t very mythical and legendary when he’s running in from the kitchen, waving a tea-towel at the fire alarm and yelling “Oh shit, the guacamole’s on fire. I set the guacamole on fire. Don’t tell your mom.”

People never wanted to hear those stories. Only the exiting and dangerous ones.

“Percy Jackson fought the Minotaur when he was only ten years old!!!”

“Percy Jackson keeps insisting I tidy my room.”

Suffice it to say, she was sick of it.

“Dad,” she asked, approaching the kitchen table.

Perseus Jackson, the man, the myth, the legend himself, looked up from his comic book and ginned at her.

“What is it, dolphin?”

“Can you… like… not send me to camp this year?”

Her dad frowned, put The Amazing Spider-Man down on the table and leaned back in his chair.

“Why? What’s up? Are the other campers not nice to you there?”

“It’s not that… in fact, it’s the opposite. The attention is getting too much. I wanna learn to fight, but… I’d rather you just teach me yourself. You can show me how to use my water powers.”

“Oly, I know it’s hard, especially as you’re one of the first Legacies at Camp Half-Blood. I can absolutely arrange for you to not go anymore if you don’t want to… but there’s only so much I can teach you on my own, particularly with your mother’s workload. I want to make sure you’d be protected. Could you maybe give it a try, please?”

Olympia was pretty sure she’d been “giving it a try” for the last 14 summers, but she didn’t want to argue with her dad.

“Fine,” she said.

“That’s my girl,” he beamed, “Now, remember to pack your armour for Capture the Flag, I don’t want to have to drive out there and back just ‘cause you forgot it again.”

She sighed and left the room.

She just wished that he had stayed in the car when he’d dropped her off, but no. He insisted on walking with her to the Big House, saying hello to Chiron and generally being a huge embarrassment. It didn’t take long for the crowds of campers to form around them, whispering behind their hands. She hugged her dad, and said goodbye to him as quickly as she could.

She dumped her things in the Poseidon Cabin. She was allowed in both her mom and her dad’s old cabins, but she preferred to be alone to sleep. She did her activities with the Athena kids though, she didn’t want to stand out any more than she already did.

Olympia sat alone, perched on the edge of the Athena table, when suddenly a kid shuffled up next to her. She looked about twelve, with the same grey eyes of her mother.

“What’s your name?” The girl asked.

“Olympia Jackson-Chase,” Olympia sighed.

“I’ve noticed you doing cabin activities with us, but you don’t sleep with the other Athenians? What’s up with that?”

Olympia took a deep breath, and began to explain, “I’m a-“

“Wait. Jackson-Chase?” The kid gasped.

Oh, here we go, Olympia thought, preparing for the usual swooning and/or geeking out.

“Your mother was Annabeth Chase?”

Olympia was slightly taken aback, “Usually, people talk mostly about my father. I’m always “The daughter of Percy Jackson,” never “the daughter of Annabeth Chase.””

“Oh but she’s a legend! She re-designed Olympus! She led our cabin in battle against the Titans! She even held up the sky! I mean, I know your dad did that too, but-“

“She did it for longer. She was under that thing for over a day, he only held it for at most 20 minutes.”

The girl laughed.

“And, if you ask me, she was the one who did all the work when it came to defeating Kronos. Dad did jack shit, just handed a knife to a guy.”

“Exactly! Just because he was in the Prophecy-“

“Nah, it’s a lot simpler than that,” Olympia said, “It’s because he’s a man.”

They sat in silence for a bit.

She never blamed her dad for overshadowing her mom. He didn’t mean to. In fact, he openly hated the stories that didn’t recognise her for all she did. They were so in love, it was sickening.

“I can’t believe she’s, like, my sister.”

The girl gasped, and grabbed Olympia’s arm, “Wait, does that make me your aunt?”

Olympia shook her head, “Don’t bother with family trees, man, otherwise you get into the whole “my dad’s dad is my mom’s mom’s uncle, which makes me kinda my mom’s second cousin, and my dad her cousin-once-removed”- it’s just too much to get your head around.”

She looked directly into the girl’s grey eyes, “My advice, kid, believe whatever bullshit they tell you about the Gods not having DNA, and just try not to think about it.”

The girl’s face fell. “Oh.”

Then she looked exited again, “Did you come out of her tummy or her head like I did with my mom?”

And there we go, Olympia thought. Geez, they didn’t hesitate to ask the really invasive questions, did they?

She took her three-pronged fork out of her pocket, and fidgeted with it, twirling it in her fingers. Instantly, she realised her mistake.

“Why do you carry a fork around and never eat with it?” The girl asked. More questions.

Might at well get it over with, she thought.

“Gift from Grandpa,” she replied.

“A gift from Poseidon? What does it do?”

She sighed again, and dangled the fork over the girl’s glass of orange juice, and let go. It dropped into the glass with a satisfying plop, and then rose to the surface. No, it wasn’t rising. It was growing. It’s shaft elongated, and the prongs stretched to become longer and way more deadly. Intricate designs started carving itself into the metal. Olympia stood up, and grabbed the shaft of the fork just as it finished growing. A three-pronged death skewer of pure celestial bronze. A Trident.

The surrounding campers gaped at her, open-mouthed.

“Woah,” said one of the Hephaestus campers, clearly someone who hadn’t seen the spectacle before.

“OLYMPIA JACKSON-CHASE! NO WEAPONS AT THE DINNER TABLE! CAMP RULES! YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT!!”

“Sorry Chiron,” Olympia called. She twisted a little ring of metal around the shaft of the trident, and it shrank back into a fork. She sat back down.

“It responds to water,” she explained, “get it wet, and boom, Trident.”

She had named it Blue. It was her first word, after all. Or at least, that was the story. Poseidon had given it to her on her second birthday, and she had just looked at it, holding it in her tiny fist, and cried “bloooo!” It was probably just baby babbling, but Dad said it counted.

“So what’s Poseidon like? Do you have water powers too? Can you get me your mom’s autograph? Is your dad really 7ft tall?”

She ate the rest of her lunch in silence, only answering the onslaught of questions from the young camper when she had to.

Cabin 3 offered a pleasant respite from the crowds and the people. She dropped her armour and weapons from the day’s activites by the door and kicked off her shoes.

She looked at herself in the mirror.

(Drawing of Olympia: Art by me)

Her curly black hair, which she’d dyed the tips of blonde, was pulled back into a messy ponytail. Around her neck hung a necklace of leather chord, fourteen different coloured beads threaded onto them, each painted with a different design. Her broad shoulders and thick muscles bulged through her plain navy-blue tank top. Her skin was tanned from spending long hours training in the sun. She had a battle-hardened look to her that meant people often mistook her for a daughter of Ares. But her eyes was what made her stand out most- one grey, like her mother, one green, like her father. Her parents had told her how her birth had ended the centuries-long feud between Poseidon and Athena for good, and she had been given those eyes as a way of symbolising that. Another story. It felt like every part of her body had been attached to a story about something her parents had done. Why couldn’t she just be herself? She had spent 16 years living under the shadow of her parents, she was homeschooled from an early age, and had been going to camp since before she could even hold a sword- the demigod life was all she’d ever known. Someday, she’d get away from it all. She’d sink to the bottom of the Mariana Trench and just study the fish, and she wouldn’t have to worry about people or monsters

Suddenly, she felt something tap her on her shoulder. Quick as lightning, she grabbed Blue and spun around. Blue, still in fork form, was about a centimetre away from the neck of her intruder, who held up his hands in surrender.

“Whoah there!” He said.

When she saw who it was, she lowered the weapon and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Leo!” She cried.

“Hey, how’s my favourite cousin? Or… whatever.”

She looked at him and smiled. Despite him being old enough to be her dad, he was about half her size. With a thin, wiry frame and very little meat on his bones. His wild, curly brown hair framed his pointed face and elfish features. His dark skin was covered in a thin layer of motor oil and grime of unknown origin. He tapped her cheek affectionately, leaving a grubby handprint on her face. He walked over to her bed and leaped onto the top bunk, his legs dangling off the ladder.

“You need to stop growing,” he instructed, “You are getting too big, it’s not fair.”

“You need to stop being so short,” Olympia retorted, then her face broke into a huge smile, “I feel like I never see you anymore!”

“I know, you’re too old for me to babysit now, kiddo,” He complained.

“Well that always ended in disaster anyway. There’s still burn marks on that wall.”

“Did your mom find out?” He asked.

“Nope. Dad told her he just wanted to hang more pictures up. And then he went on a long speech about how nice she looked in that wedding photo, and then took her out for ice cream. I think she bought it.”

“Good.”

They stayed in comfortable silence for a few seconds, and then she asked, “So… it’s great that you’re here and all, but… why are you here?”

“What, I can’t come and visit my favourite partner in crime every now and then?”

“Leo…” Her tone was firm.

Leo’s face was suddenly dark and serious, he paused before speaking, but said, “I think I have news about your brother.”

That was Chapter 1- if this post gets… let’s say… 30 notes, I’ll post Chapter 2.

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

Sup any angsty Apollo hc you have? I’m hungry and desperate for yummy angst to gobble up and cry myself to sleep :]

Okay, this took a little while because life, college, and July fourth happened lmao

So. I like to think about just when the purposeful emotional/psychological abuse started and when the physical abuse started between Zeus and Apollo so...TW for abuse talk.

Because, well, when Apollo was young there isn't really a need for Zeus to crack open the bolt - however, we also know from canon that Apollo was subjected to the bolt in his younger years.

Now. To the headcanons!!!!!

During the first thousand or so years of Apollo's life, Zeus was an actual good dad to him (especially compared to Ares). He spoiled both twins excessively because sweet! A couple of kids who aren't failures! Look at them!!! They're already so good with a bow!!! They're so talented!!!

In the Discord, it was mentioned that in Ancient Greece fathers usually took charge of their sons while the mother taught the daughters, so if we apply that to Apollo's life, I think we can assume that maybe, perhaps, there was some psychological abuse going on, but nothing hardcore - probably along the lines of "make me proud or earn my eternal disappointment" *points at Ares*.

The first time Zeus has to actively punish Apollo was because Gaea ordered it - Apollo killed her son Python, and Zeus (being the guy he is) would cave to her wishes. I actually have a fic in store for this convo so here's what I'm thinking:

Zeus would, of course, instantly point the blame at Gaea and deny he had any choice in the matter (even though he has gone against her wishes before...eyes the Titans in Tartarus).

Apollo, who's only paternal figure so far in his life is Zeus, wouldn't question this and only think about how unfair Gaea is (and to be fair, Python had it coming...).

When Apollo returns and he and Artemis are goofing off on Delos, the events of And By The Sun's Light happens and this, I believe, is when it starts slowly trickling into physical abuse zone.

Think about it. You are Zeus, powerful king of the gods, a new, proud father to a couple of twins that you already favor so highly.

Then one day, they both - by happenstance - gain a new domain at the same time.

Oh shit. You think. That's strange. But you shrug and hand them off to Helios and Selene, two of the most powerful Titans on Olympus.

Of course, you still keep an eye on them. You're not stupid, and get biweekly reports from their mentors on their progress - and the unease starts to trickle in.

It increases, in particular, when Apollo starts to amass other domains alongside his music, poetry, prophecy, healing, youth and light.

Truth, knowledge, harmony, ect. are all absorbed into his power arsenal and you, the king of the gods, are now sweating.

This was not suppose to happen, so now, I believe, is when Zeus started to use the "light" zaps (as stated in-series) from his bolt to keep Apollo in line. He doesn't want him to get any ideas after all.

Unfortunately for Zeus, that isn't enough to deter Apollo.

(Sidenote: I also think Zeus didn't want Helios to take "his" place - after all, abusers don't want a positive version of themselves in their victim's lives)

Enter stage left: The Olympian Rebellion.

Ohohoh...

"shit I need to ramp it up" thinks Zeus as he stares at the faces of his wife, brother, and his favorite children.

And ramp it up he does. Of course, Apollo's first stint as a mortal happens here, and man. is it bad. Troy's king is the perfect tool and metaphor for Zeus's own rule to give Apollo (and Poseidon) a taste of what else may happen if he (they) continued to defy him.

It sucks, of course. Apollo's very adamant about it not being a picnic. And for a while, after it's all over, it seems like all's well.

Of course, Zeus doesn't lay off the zaps every now and then, but it's nothing compared to later in Apollo's life.

He even considers Apollo's request to free Prometheus and grants it, because isn't he just such a considerate father?

Really, the first time he had to go gunho on Apollo with the bolt was when he and Heracles got into a fistfight - but really, what kind of king would he be if he hadn't prevented Apollo his sons from tearing Heracles each other apart?

After all, he can't show favoritism now can he?

*insert huge THIS IS SARCASM sign here*

But then...Asclepius happens. This upstart thinks he can meddle with what belongs to the gods? Well, Zeus will teach him a lesson on death - and how permanent it can be!

...he didn't take into account how Apollo would react to his son's death.

Nor the rebelliousness of the action itself.

*Alder rubs her hands together*

alrightly gang. THIS. This is it.

Apollo is turned mortal for a second time, but to Zeus's displeasure, it's actually a pretty good time for him. Admetus is friendly, and the two hit it off rather well - too well, if Apollo's very blatant, embarrassing affection is anything to go by.

Well. This just won't do!

Hmm...Thinks Zeus. What's another punishment that will let the lesson sink in?

He looks down into the Underworld.

Perfect.

So Apollo becomes a god again. He's still pretty sad, but he's feeling better - even moreso when Zeus says he's decided to make Asclepius immortal! He'll be the god of doctors!

Ecstatic, Apollo immediately agrees...and then is forced to watch as Asclepius is locked up and he's forbidden from seeing him.

Not only that, but now...Zeus brings out the eagle eye and the big guns. He alternates between nitpicking Apollo, and praising him.

And he also cranks up the voltage on the bolt, so the lesson lingers.

The Trojan War happens. Zeus simultaneously indulges and denies Apollo's wishes.

And then. *Alder gleefully rubs hands* AND THEN.

ROME HAPPENS.

BUCKLE UP THIS IS WHEN IT GOES DOWN.

Helios fades, and Apollo inherits his power. Think about that. Apollo, an already powerful god inherits the power of a Titan. And not just any Titan, but Helios.

That's a hella lotta power.

...and that's a hella lotta threat in Zeu-oops, sorry, Jupiter's eyes.

(Now Jupiter I think has differences from Zeus, but I haven't really devoted any time to drawing that line between them so stuff may change here. However, Jupiter/Jove had a emphasis on family, so my little spin on that...is right here >:))

Jupiter, like Juno, has the domain of family in Rome. He's seen as the Ultimate Dad TM. And you bet he uses that to manipulate the hell out of Apollo.

"A good son wouldn't do [insert perceived slight here]"

"What kind of example are you setting for your brothers?"

And most of all...

"What would your mother think of your attitude?"

Ow. Talk about a punch to the gut.

So yeah. Rome is when things got BAD. The bolts became a lot more constant. The emotional/psychological abuse was unbearable.

Apollo barely had anybody to go to. His options were limited.

...but the one place he did feel comfortable in was with Commodus.

(hahah, yes, I managed to reel Copollo into this too lmao)

In a classic Apollo move, our favorite god goes from one toxic influence (his father) to another (his boyfriend), really showing how ingrained the normalization of abuse/toxicity in Apollo's life is.

He has no red flag sight. He has no alarm bells.

He could walk right into a situation where the word "abuse" is labeled in CAPS and Red and he'd just go "oh shit, what did I do now?"

And his father is all to happy to "let him know" what he did "wrong".

Thanks for coming to my TEDtalk hoped this was a good ride! :D

[anotheroceanid]

I know is just has two chapters and a one-shot but I'm already in love with this fic, and after reading the thread with 'if Percy had a cryptic pregnancy' or even having just a normal pregnancy and not getting kidnapped, kinda makes me wonder how would the triplets act with Apollo if he was there raising them? 🤔 and how would the Cabin 7 and all of camp be with 3 new babies, I mean, I don't think many get the chance to interact with infants, so I got curious

One AU sometimes I think about, would be a world in which the prophecy either doesn’t exist OR only shows up when the boys are much older and Zeus sends Apollo to raise his kids… as Lester.

Now, this thought aside, I think that it would be kind of a scandal when it became public. Like, the war is still very recent AND Percy was knows for having a short patience when it came to gods. So you can imagine the polemic.

However, Apollo and her were, before Gaea showing up and messing with Percy’s head, not only very much in love, but also in a very peaceful moment in their relationship. So he’d be sooo happy, and he’d most definetly would find a way to raise their kids. Even if he had to personally kidnap (I think in this case, she’d agree with it) to Delos so they could have peace.

I think the reactions would be mixed, among gods and among demigods. Especially among those who supported Kronos and now are seeing the Hero of Olympus becoming another Baby Mama of Olympus. Not that Apollo or his kids would personally care, I think they’d be delighted to know that Percy will technically become their mother. Once the “omg, my dad is doing Percy Jackson” shock passed.

At the point Percy leaves camp, they’re full of toddlers. However, such young babies… well, this something the campers are just learning to deal with 🤭

If Apollo were raising them, though I’d stick with their personalities, I can totally see them being absolutely obsessed with their dad almost as much as they are with their mom. Also, they’d have more people to interact in general, so this necessity the three of them have of getting attention from Percy wouldn’t be so prominent, because their world wouldn’t be all about her and vice versa.

I think that even Percy would manage to be a better mom in a world like this.

[nicoathogwarts]

Been thinking more about the roman nico au I came up with awhile back. Specifically about Hazel and her role in everything.

I think Hazel and Nico would switch places just a bit. Instead of Nico getting captured in the jar it’d be Hazel. Kept alive by Gaea for strategic purposes to be used later either to lure the demigods into a trap or maybe as a weapon. Either way Hazel’s just barely alive in that jar. And Nico can’t stop dreaming about her so obviously, there needs to be a rescue mission.

Nico’s also one of the seven in this, mostly by accident. The fight between the greeks and romans breaks out in New Rome and Nico tries to flee, he ends up shadow traveling onto the Argo II and by the time he emerges to see where he ended up, they're in the sky and everyone realizes that he's the seventh demigod.

Thing are tense on the Argo II. Nico refuses to talk to either Annabeth or Percy, every time the approach him he finds some way to get away from the two of them. Mostly by hiding away in his room and/or spending time with Frank, who shoos the two of them away.

He talks to Leo and Piper, but any attempts to learn more about him are immediately shut down. Talking to Jason is odd, because it's not Jason. It's not his friend who saved him from the titans and took him under his wing. Jason is worse then a stranger but they find some common ground on Jason wanting to know what he was like before. Nico tells Jason what he was like before, and in return Jason never asks Nico about his own past.

Back to Hazel. The seven rescue her, though it takes a little convincing on Nico's part.

But she gets rescued, and she tells everyone she doesn't remember her past. But she's seems to avoid Leo, when confronted she chalks it up to de ja vu and the questions stop for awhile.

Until we get to the cupid fight. But instead of Cupid, Janus (god of beginnings and ends) is the one that Nico and Hazel have to fight.

And instead of Nico admitting to being gay, both of them have to tell the other what they've done. Nico has to tell Hazel that he'd joined Luke before being found by the Romans. Hazel knows the basics of who Luke is because someone (probably Annabeth) told her about the Titan war and who Luke was.

And Hazel has to tell Nico that she's the reason that Gaea's waking. She died trying to prevent it, killing her mother in the process.

They come back with the scepter (or whatever cupid was guarding, I don't remember) and are a lot closer then before.

Eventually, their secrets will come out and the others will find out what happened. But for now, their secrets are safe with each other.

[cardboardboxy]

Octavian is badly written compared Luke

Here's why :)

For Luke, we understand why and how he is lead to betraying the camp. He grows up with a severely mentally ill (and abusive) mother who ended up like that because of the gods (I'm not certain as to whether or not luke knows the whole truth about this) he was neglected by his father and forced to become homeless

While homeless he had to fight for his and his friends lives daily against monsters, as well as the typical aspects of homelessness such as dehydration, starvation, hypothermia, illness etc. Then one of those friends dies and with the help of her father, who is also neglectful, becomes a tree, rather then him helping sooner and saving her life (yes thalia does come back but he doesn't know that at this point). All under the age of 16

Then he has to watch as more and more children pile up in the hermes cabin due to their neglectful parents, and when he becomes the head of the cabin he has to help and guide those children, essentially taking on a parental role

After a few years of that/during that (its not specified i dont think) he starts getting groomed by an essentially all powerful being to rebel against the neglectful parents and is promised a better future

Despite all the reasons he has to believe kronos and be behind his cause, luke still starts questioning and fighting against kronos to delay him as much as possible, and eventually overcomes kronos, manages to fully stop his plans and he gets the neglected parents to stop being as neglectful (because the gods wouldn't've made the promise if it werent for luke)

Octavian is just potentially manipulated by gaea/truimvirate, which don't get me wrong is still bad but we dont get any insight as to how this happened or whether or not its actually true

Both luke and octavian did bad things, this is absolutely not up for debate and not defendable, but the way they went about those bad things is very different

Luke killed as a means to an end, if anyone got in his way he'd cut them down both literally and metaphorically. He'd openly ridicule the people who worked for him and he manipulated people to turn against their friends and join his cause

Octavian was planning on slaughtering an entire camp of children and giving them no chance to surrender. He employed the help of people he knew were morally corrupt to both assist in the murder of said children and to capture (and kill) his former colleagues who were also children. He tried to actively prevent world saving actions because it went against a law that was put in place for the individuals safety, not for moral reasons. Plus the only reason he was even able to do all of that was because he bribed and manipulated his way into a position of power

Just to be clear, octavian is badly written compared to luke if we're to believe octavian isn't a completely bad person. I have nothing against antagonists that are just bad people but octavian isn't held that way by the fandom

This concludes my yap session👍