#because now she has *no idea* what else about Percy she doesn't know! because if Percy didnt mention this huge foundational thing about him

[aroaceleovaldez]

i am once again thinking about Percy and Annabeth and their respective relationships with their step-parents, particularly how the other views the other's dynamic with their step-parents.

Because there's a really interesting subtle thing that we see which is when Annabeth talks about her step-mom to Percy, Percy's assumption is that Annabeth's step-mom is like Gabe. He just presumes that because that's what's familiar with him and based on his own experiences he assumes their situations are similar.

But then when Percy actually meets Annabeth's step-mom (and her dad) he realizes their situations aren't at all the same. He was expecting another Gabe, but instead he just found a genuinely caring family that was just struggling to find their footing with one another.

The interesting thing is that this implies an inverse - especially with what we know about how Percy and Annabeth describe their experiences. Percy doesn't really talk about Gabe ever. To anyone. Grover knows the whole picture there but he's basically the only one of Percy's friends who does. As far as we know, unless Grover told her at some point, Annabeth doesn't know about Gabe. She knows he was a jerk, but Percy out loud doesn't ever really get into details about it. She knows they didn't get along and eventually Gabe disappeared and Percy basically never spoke of it again. Presumably, Annabeth thinks Percy's dynamic with Gabe was like her dynamic with her step-mom, like how Percy had thought their situations were the same. Especially given we know Percy assumed their situations were the same and likely spoke about it as such if it ever came up.

Like. That's such an interesting tiny aspect of their dynamic that never gets touched upon. Annabeth likely doesn't know about this very core traumatic experience Percy endured before they met because she's operating under the assumption that their family just was a little rocky like hers was.

[catofadifferentcolor]

Terrible Fic Idea #92: Percy/Apollo, but make it The Trojan War

Into every fandom, a time travel fic must fall - or in this case a second one, because I somehow got to thinking about the delightful PJO trope of Percy being thrown back in time to The Trojan War and realized that doing so misses out on a fantastic opportunity.

Or: What if post-TOA Percy Jackson and Apollo time travel to shortly before The Trojan War?

Just imagine it:

Everything follows canon through TOA, with one exception: rather than struggle to catch up in the mortal world following the Second Gigantomachy, Percy elects to stay at Camp Half-Blood. There he can homeschool at his own place with programs tailored towards ADHD children and still visit his family on the weekends - and not get into any more ridiculous situations in the mortal world when one of the gods kidnaps him or sends him on a quest to find their sneakers.

This, naturally, stresses his relationship with Annabeth - who, now that she's no longer living at camp full time, calls it the easy way out. But Percy is tired and struggling in mortal high school where everyone thinks he's a delinquent idiot when another option exists seems foolish. Percy and Annabeth break up and drift apart.

Enter Apollo, fresh from his latest stint as a mortal. He's trying to do his best by his children, which includes popping by camp as often as he can get away with - which in turn means spending a lot of time with Percy, who at this point is unofficially running CHB because it's not like Dionysus or even Chiron have done a brilliant job of it in recent times.

(First aid, strategy, and mythology classes are made mandatory. Percy personally ensures every demigod knows enough about self-defense to be able to survive long enough to run away or for help to arrive. Bullying is cracked down on so hard that it's this, not Percy's generally parental nature, that has people calling him Camp Mom.)

Percy and Apollo become friendly. Enough so that some of Apollo's kids assume they're dating and keeping it on the down-low so as not to draw Zeus' ire. Or Poseidon's. Or anyone else's. It's on one of their not-dates that they're yeeted into the past, without warning or explanation.

And so 19-year-old Percy Jackson and post-TOA Apollo find themselves in Ancient Greece c. 1220 BCE, roughly thirty-five years before the destruction of Troy.

The time travel is immediately obvious, as Apollo becomes the closest thing a god might experience to being high the moment they land in the past - being a powerful god in modern times is nothing like being a powerful god at the height of his power in ancient times. It's overwhelming (and somewhat alarming from Percy's POV, but kind of funny in retrospect.)

The specific date is harder to determine, but made clear when Hermes shows up and starts going on about you'll never believe what father's done now: he seduced the Spartan queen as a swan and she's laid an egg. Hera is furious - especially as they're saying the girl that hatched from it is the most beautiful in the world, even though she's only a few days old. It's nuts. By the way, where have you been? You missed the last two council meetings. Do you want Dad to punish you?

Apollo at this stage is very high. He's also been USTing over Percy for quite some time and is worried what the gods of this era might do to Percy without divine protection (smiting or seduction, it's all on the table). But mostly he's very high, and so to keep Percy close and safe he declares he's been off having the dirtiest of dirty weekends with his latest lover and that Hermes' presence is ruining the mood. So if he would kindly leave, please and thank you, he'd really rather get back to it without an audience.

This, naturally, is a surprise to Percy, but he rolls with it because 1) he doesn't have any better ideas on how to get rid of Ancient Greek Hermes so they can figure out what the hades is going on and 2) he's been USTing over Apollo ever since he recovered enough from Tartarus to start feeling attraction again.

Fueled by mutual UST, they put together a cover story that should hold the next time a god with too much prurient interest shows: Percy is now Prince Persē of Gadir - a Phoenician colony that will grow into the future Cadiz - well past the edge of the Greek world at this stage but not beyond belief for Poseidon to have visited, as it's obvious who his father is. They claim his mother is the King of Gadir's youngest sister and as such Persē had a royal upbringing, but was far enough down the line of succession that he was free to chose to sail east and explore his father's homeland. Apollo caught sight of him on his journey, one thing led to another, and here they are.

(Are there easier, more sensible cover stories? Possibly. But the UST refuses to let them consider any of them now that a fake relationship is on the table.)

Deciding what to do about The Trojan War is much harder. On the one hand, it's a lot of senseless death and destruction. On the other, without it we don't get The Iliad and The Odyssey - two of the most influential works of literature in western civilization - and Aeneas doesn't go off to Italy (leading to the founding of Rome, which would change the history of western civilization a lot). In the end, they decide to let the war happen but do their best to mitigate the worst parts of it.

And so Percy goes off and becomes a hero of Ancient Greece while pretending to be in a relationship with Apollo.

This stage of things is filed with angst from both parties, as both Percy and Apollo want a real relationship with each other but think they're abusing the other's trust by eagerly faking their relationship. There's a lot of PDA, a lot of feelings, and limited communication. It goes on for quite a while and would probably exasperate quite a few people if everyone in the know didn't think they were already in a relationship.

It's also filled with modern day Percy being confronted by realties of life in Ancient Greece. It's not just mortals knowing about - and interacting with - the gods: it's everything. It's food and clothes and language and culture and housing and travel. He can play a lot off it as being a traveler from the edge of the known world, but some of it has him asking Apollo if he's being rick rolled.

Apollo, meanwhile, is having troubles of his own. He is not the god he used to be and it's hard pretending otherwise. He tries to walk the line of doing enough to be believable and holding back enough not to despise himself, but it's a fine line, he fails often, and he spends a not insignificant amount of time worried he's backsliding.

And so it goes until 7-year-old Helen of Troy is kidnapped by Theseus to be his wife.

This, naturally, does not fly with Percy, who by this time has built up something of a reputation as a hero. He teams up with the Dioscuri to rescue Helen.

One would think this would earn him Zeus' favor. It doesn't. Instead, Zeus sends monsters to harry him for refusing to let Castor and Pollux take Helen's captors' loved ones captive and raze Aphidna for Theseus' crime. Percy manages to hold his own for quite a while but eventually, exhausted from the near-constant fighting, is gored and left for dead by the reformed Minotaur.

...and when Apollo arrives, frantic, to heal him, Percy ascends instead, becoming the greek version of Saint Sebastian - a minor god of heroes, strength in the face of adversity, and athleticism; sort of halfway between Hercules and Chiron.

Then and only then do Percy and Apollo finally get their act together, confessing to each other how much they care for the other and how much they don't want this to be fake any longer.

History proceeds apace - albeit with Persē being a second immortal trainer of heroes.

24 years after their arrival in the past, 16 years after Percy's ascension, The Trojan War begins. Despite their best efforts, there's only so much they can do - war is war and gods are gods. They are able to stop some of the worst excesses on both sides, but in the end Apollo still sends the plague that causes Agamemnon to take Briseis for his own, which caused Achilles' departure from the field, Patroclus' death, &c - not because Apollo was trying to maintain the timeline, but because in the instant he sent it he was angry and reverted to his old ways.

Troy falls...

...but when Zeus tries to use this as an excuse to ban gods from interacting with their demigod children, Apollo is able to say that's a bit extreme isn't it? with enough backing from the rest of the council that Zeus is forced to amend his ruling so that the gods are only allowed to freely visit their children on the "cross quarter days" that fall between each solstice and equinox (1 February, 1 May, 1 August, and 1 November).

This changes everything and nothing.

Time continues its inevitable march. Greece has its golden age before being conquered by Rome, which splits apart under its own weight and forms several smaller countries, which eventually spread their cultures around the world...

Apollo and Percy are there for it all. Persē is a minor figure in mythology, but never forgotten. He is ever-present in Apollo's temples - though the Church will later try to rewrite their myth so that they were merely sworn fighting partners, rather than lovers who eventually had a quite lovely wedding on Olympus (and then, at Poseidon's insistence, an even bigger ceremony on Atlantis). Percy takes over day-to-day operations of CHB from practically the moment the Trojan War ends.

...and so Persē is there the day Sally Jackson tries to get her son to camp, and is able to intervene when the Minotaur attacks on their border. He's able to meet her and her young son, Perseus ("Mom named me after you and the guy that killed Medusa since you're the only two heroes to have happy endings!"), and guide him through the trials that come with being a child of prophecy.

One day that Percy will hand Luke - who was never happy with the limited attention the gods were allowed to give their children - a cursed dagger so that Kronos can be defeated. That child will be offered godhood, turn it down, and go on to have a happy life with his eventual wife, Annabeth. He will never have his memories erased and be sent to Camp Jupiter. Gaia will not rise until long after that Percy's grandchildren are dead, and Zeus will not be quite so bullheaded when the proof of it is brought before him. That Second Gigantomachy is swift, well-coordinated, and fought without another Greek/Roman war brewing in the background.

And when they finally arrive at the day Apollo and Percy were originally sent back in time, Percy admits that while he is happy some version of him was better prepared for the war he was asked to fight in and allowed his peace afterward, he would change nothing about his own life, for it brought him to Apollo. The sunrise the next morning - on the first morning of the rest of their lives - is particularly spectacular.

Bonuses include:

Gaslighting Poseidon into believing that he's met Percy before the first time they're introduced. ("What do you mean you don't remember me, Father? You were present when I came of age! You gifted me this trident! Have I displeased you in some way?") It's an absolute masterclass that eventually manages to convince Poseidon that, yes, of course he knows Percy - and, maybe, he should check in on all his other demigod children to make sure he's not missed someone. (Two. He lost track of two of the others. Maybe he should be more careful about siring children in the future.) Apollo practically has to stuff his fist in his mouth to keep from laughing.

As much historical accuracy as can be crammed into the Percy trying to make sense of Ancient Greece chapters as possible. Think Of a Linear Circle - Part III by flamethrower levels of historical research. As much as can be shoehorned in without bogging down the plot.

Percy and Dionysus bonding over their mutual dislike of Theseus, though Percy generally gets along with his other half-siblings, especially the ones who come to camp young enough to keep from getting big heads over being the children of Poseidon.

Though Percy adores all the children in Cabin 7 (most of whom are born via blessing this time around), he and Apollo have at least one child of their own - maybe a demigod born before Percy's ascension to sell their fake relationship? Maybe a minor god who's later attributed a different parentage by mortals? Dealer's choice on details.

It never being made clear who, or what, or how, Percy and Apollo were sent into the past. All of Percy's oddities are attributed to him being foreign or formerly mortal, all of Apollo's to the fact that he's in love with someone who didn't die before their first anniversary, and no one ever guesses time travel is responsible for their eccentricities. Or that time travel was ever an option.

And that's all I have. As always, feel free to adopt, just link back if you ever decide to do anything with it.

More PJO Ideas | More Terrible Fic Ideas

[thesummerstorms]

I actually really like the idea in the Annabeth Wayne verse of Annabeth's perception of love being kind of... Messed up.

Like I don't know that Bruce was ever the kind of father to casually say "I love you". He has problems with emotions. I think Dick and maybe Jason definitely told Annabeth that Bruce loved her, and pointed out specific actions that proved as much.

But in the end, Bruce didn't try (from her then seven year old perspective) to understand her or protect her from the monsters. I generally right now headcanon that shortly before she ran, he implied that Jason's death was her fault because she knew Jason was sneaking out to find his mom.

And he was horrified with himself by that interaction. Combined with his escalating violence/inability to deal with his grief, he deliberately put a lot of distance between himself and Anna(beth) with the intent of actually protecting her from himself. He may or may not have considered leaving her with his cousin, Magnus's mother, for a while.

That ultimately did the opposite of what he intended because she felt rejected/neglected, so when the next monster attack happened and Bruce was still avoiding her and Dick didn't seem to be coming home, she decided to run. Bruce didn't get a chance to talk through what happened, and she spent years wondering whether he loved or wanted her or not.

Jason loved her, but he was dead. Dick loved her, but not enough to stick around with Bruce. And she didn't know that he was off world with the Titans when Jason died or that Bruce didn't tell him about the funeral, so also, it appeared, he didn't love her enough to come back for her.

Thalia loved her, for however short a time. Thalia died like Jason.

Chiron was at least fond of her, and she wondered for years if he could love her in a parental fashion or if that was asking too much from someone who has raised and buried thousands of years worth of children. She never really was clear on the answer.

And Athena... Athena might love her. A mother is supposed to love their children, so she told herself Athena might. Athena lead her out of Gotham, and she was definitely one of Athena's favorites. But in the few conversations they actually had, Athena spent a lot of time trying to get Annabeth's friends killed, judging her choices, or sending her on a suicide mission insane due to the Greek/Roman schism. Athena loves her, but a Goddess's love isn't gentle.

Luke loved her. For years, he was the only one she was sure of. And to the end, he did love her. It was why he died and why the world was saved. He loved her and he also abandoned her and he also hurt her worse than anyone else possibly could have.

Thalia came back. Thalia still loves her, but Thalia couldn't stay. Thalia left her for the Hunters.

If Jason or Dick say they love her now... What does that even mean? Will they hesitate to leave her? Or use her? To hurt her or sell her out if their cause is important enough? She loves them and knows, to an extent, she is loved in return. But that doesn't mean anything about trusting them.

Percy is the only real exception. The only one whose intent is perfectly clear. He loves her and she knows exactly what he wants from her and what he would do for her rather than to her. It took years, but she no longer is afraid of what choice he will make in the end.

She will look at her brothers and more or less tell them, "I know that you love me, but I have no idea what that means to you."

But looking at Percy, he's the only one for whom love also equates to total trust.

[dollarstoreartsupplies]

OKAY here is the completely nonserious percy jackson npmd au thats been taking up space in my brain for weeks now because it simply needs somewhere to go:

New campers-

Stephanie Lauter:

I'm not overcomplicating this one: Steph is a daughter of Aphrodite

Solomon Lauter saw the hottest woman at some party where he was campaigning, and he’s is nothing if not ‘passionate’ and successful (by design) so it worked out

As far as Steph knows until her teens her mom ran off on her dad when she was a baby, and that’s fine, she doesn't give a shit, she’s never looked into it

Until, when she’s sixteen (because somehow she’s made it this long) Grace Chasity starts a rumor, her dad sends her to Abstinence Camp and the monster in the woods chases her right into camp halfblood

She gets claimed pretty promptly and Is Not A Fan

She’s thinks it’s pretty sexist and conceited and stupid and problematic for a whileeeee and refuses to look into it any more than ‘pink and pretty and misogynistic’ which like, doesn’t go well for her but she’s nothing if not stubborn

She’s fluent in French because of her mom but she doesn’t know that until she gets to camp and is genuinely so pissed off that the one school subject she thought she was good at isn’t even on her own merit

She’s got some vague appearance manipulation stuff, and once she realizes she does she exclusively uses it to change her hair color and make her eyeliner look good

She’s probably like camp way more if she knew about it earlier but the combo of her had having kept it from her and who her mom is and all the stupid games/worship expectations piss her off and she bails on most of the events/training/campfires out of spite

She definitely uses some close up weapon like a dagger or short sword

Grace Chastity:

Grace is a daughter of Ares 

(Her finding this out goes very poorly)

Im ngl i feel like somehow Ares ended up with Mark Chastity, I refuse to examine this thought but i think Mark Chastity had his first gay experience and woke up the next morning with a baby there somehow because Ares thought it would be hilarious and wanted to see what would happen

She gets chased to camp with Steph from Abstinence Camp and is fucking livid, the whole thing is insanely scareligious and ridiculous and everyone there is going to hell and she is so heated that Ares, once again thinking it’s really funny and slightly proud, claims her on the spot

Grace Chastity is out here with her sacreligious two gay dads

She really resents specifically who her dad is because in her head she is made for peace and love and spreading the word of god, she hates the idea of war or violence on principal, so she spends a lot of time at the strawberry fields or Pegusus stables because she does really like the flying horses :)

She refuses to take place in any camp activities or training and all her siblings hate her

At a certain point she’s able to harness a level of odikinesis (enhancing feelings of hatred and war) and it doesn’t go well

Chiron honestly is forcing her to stick around because he’s REALLY so very nervous about how the fuck it would go to have Grace loose on the mortal world right after she finds everything else

Her weapon is an axe

Obviously

AND THEN we’ve got the established campers-

Peter Spankoffski:

Okay so forgive me for my special little blorbo-fication of my guy but:

Pete’s a son of Nyx

He super fucking shouldn’t be, there aren’t demi-god children of Nyx, just monsters and minor gods, but him and Ted were kind of just… thought experiments? Like she was bored and very curious so she took a really shitty human and had a child with him (Ted) and then, in what Nyx’s head was barely any time at all but in human years was straight up 18 years, has another one (Pete)

Ted raises Pete for a couple years, but children of Nyx in general are just bad omens, and human children of Nyx who probably shouldn’t exist are no exception, so they get hunted down by monsters hard

Ted dies or disappears by the time Pete’s ten or eleven and he ends up at a camp

He’s a year round camper and lives in the hermes cabin because obviously Nyx doesn’t have a cabin (look okay i know that percy fixed that, but that bit of lore where any unclaimed or minor god children live at the hermes cabin is so fucked up and rife with angst and hurt/comfort potential is too much for me to resist so this is a universe where percy jackson does not exist)

His luck is horrible, like it’s a magical demigod ability how horrible his luck is and he’s well on his way to systematically having broken every single one of his bones one by one, they know him so well in the apollo cabin

NO ONE (and I mean NO ONE) likes him and he’s considered a camp wide jinx so he takes one for the team and personally exempts himself from any team events like capture the flag because no one is willing to have him on their side

A lot of newer campers generally assume he’s an Athena kid because he really enjoys learning/strategy/by-the-book stuff because it’s a lot easier than trying to get involved with the more dangerous athletic shit 

Because his mom is the goddess of night he’s very into outer space

His weapon is a bow and arrow, but he’s pretty good with most range weapons/anything that he can calculate aim for 

Ruth Fleming:

Ruth is a daughter of Demeter and she’s pissed about it

Her dad told her about being a demigod a couple years before she went to camp but he didn’t know who her mom was so she got very very into greek mythos and shit and was convinced she was a daughter of Athena or Aphrodite or someone else nine-year-old-girl-cool and was fucking devestated when it was the goddess of farming

Like, she’ll do all the things she’s expected to (helping in the strawberry fields, weeding, etc..) but she’s going to complain about it

She doesn’t even have any cool powers to go with it!!! it’s so unfair >:( 

She’s also involved with the camp’s theater department and is convinced it’s rigged against her because of who her mom is in favor of Apollo and Dionysus kids (in fairness…. it probably is) which is why she’s always stuck on tech 

She’s definitely got a crush of Richie’s dad

She’s a summer only camper for sure, monsters don’t hunt her down for any reason in particular or en mass so she can get away with it and fight off the ones that do, but she does kind of take offense to the fact that even monsters don't want her (even if they’d just kill her) 

Her childhood greek mythology obsession carries over so she knows every dumb little detail about every myth and will bring it up unprompted

Her main weapon is just a celestial bronze sword but i feel like when she first got to camp at 12 she bribed a child of Iris to change the color of it so it looks like… rose gold lmao

Richie Lipschitz:

Richie is a son of Dionysus

And sure, okay, I know what you're thinking: that doesn’t really fit…?

But to that I say oh boy it does, just not for Richie

For his twin brother Trevor however– 

Richie is kind of like the black sheep of his cabin, not that there is many of them, because his brother is perfectly cookie cutter what a Dionysis kid should be (he’s a theater kid, he throws good parties, he’s generally popular) and Richie is not

They both started camp at probably 10-ish, a little earlier than traditional because there were two of them which drew more monsters

His eyes are violet though which he thinks is very cool so he dyes his hair purple to match them

He sorta-kinda has chlorokinesis, specifically for grape and strawberry vines, which a. he also thinks is very cool, and b. he uses as an excuse to get out of training so he can hang out with Ruth

He's also really good at swimming and trying to work up the courage to ask his dad if he'd possibly be able to grant him the ability to turn into a dolphin but just like... only when he wanted tot and he could turn back

He really wishes his was an Apollo kid (though, obviously he’d never say that out loud) because of the artistic stuff, so he sort of just tries to gaslight everyone that because his dad is the god of the Arts that includes physical art like drawing so obviously that’s why he’s good at it

He’s a summer-only camper too but for the dumbest reason; their parents gave the twins a choice, but Trevor wanted to be able to go back to school to do school plays and Richie can’t watch anime at camp so they chose summer only

His weapon is just a normal sword but he’s campaigning to get a child of Hephaestus to make him a Katana

(They’re all three kind of outcasts in terms of their own godly parents, because Ruth and Richie don’t really fit the mold of ‘normal child of [blank]’ and Pete’s kind of just generally disliked because of his parentage, so they all sort of came together as friends out of necessity but now they’re just actually buddies and they hang out)

anyway who knows if ill do anything with this but its FUN and id love to talk about it forever they're just little demigod losers I love them

[ladyblueberrymuffin]

I don't like how little faith Percy has in Nico.

Like, when Nico helps him get the curse of Achilles, Percy has no problem instantly believing he betrayed him, when this is clearly not what Nico wanted, and then Percy threatens this twelve year old with a sword.

Then when he gets his memories back, he is completely fine with his closest friends and allies making up all these scenarios about how Nico might be their enemy, like completely proving Nico's point that demigods are prejudiced against children of Hades. Even when Percy kinda defends Nico, it's more like "Hazel vouches for him". Percy, this kid saved your life, without him you'd be dead ten times over, you should be vouching for him.

Nico has proven himself time and time again as Percy's friend, but Percy refuses to call him that. In his narration, his most inner thoughts in HoO, Nico is always referred as "that guy" or "the guy", and "Percy had no idea what to think of that guy".

And on paper, this is an amazing set up. Percy putting up this wall between him and Nico, because he's afraid of letting him close. Like he never got over that initial resentment, or he's afraid that Nico will get too attached to him. You could tell an amazing story with that. You have a character flaw for Percy to overcome.

But... we don't get that. We don't get anything like that. Percy keeps drifting away from Nico's life further and further.

The confession scene is so frustrating, because I didn't want it to be a joke, I wanted Percy to finally open up to Nico. I wanted him to have a heart to heart, finally acknowledge that he does care about Nico, because he should care about Nico.

To me Percy's treatment of Rachel and Nico feels less like he's oblivious of their feelings, but rather he's in denial of their feelings. Like, of course he wouldn't know Nico was gay, but the kid so clearly looks up to him, and wants his approval, and Percy is still like "Nope, not acknowledging that".

On another note, the way Percy kinda just lets Nico walk away after the confession is a consistent problem with how Percy is written, he neglects his friends a lot. He doesn't really spend time with Rachel after she becomes an Oracle, he doesn't really talk to or think about Grover in HoO, he lets Nico just walk away. It's like now that he has a girlfriend he doesn't care about anyone else, and that kinda feels out of character? Or maybe I just want this character to be better, and this is totally consistent with what Percy always was since PJO. I dunno. But it at least feels antithetic to what the core of this character is supposed to be. If he's loyal to a fault, shouldn't he care about his friends more?

It's the one thing that I know the TV show will get better, because already a lot more focus is placed on how much he cares about people around him.

[aficionadoenthusiast]

(kind of a continuation of this post but this is the most notes one of my pjo posts has gotten without garnering some kind of discourse and i dont really wanna touch it but i need to say this)

thinking about annabeth, the toddler daughter of a phd student whose dad already barely has time for her to the point that she is pretty much responsible for herself

annabeth, five years old, watching from the sidelines as her dad married someone she sees as a monster, moving onto things bigger and better than her, replacing her with people and kids who get more attention from him individually than she ever got in their five years alone

annabeth, seven, deciding it's time for her to move on because she's not getting any more love out of that relationship than she's already squeezed out

annabeth sometime around here learning that it's not that her mother doesn't care about her, she just has more important things to do

annabeth, barely any older, contending with thalia's death, a girl who was both a friend and a caretaker for a brief but incredibly formative time

annabeth, again, barely older, watching luke get a quest and leave her behind, hoping and praying he makes it back home to her, and then when he does, realizing he didn't come back quite right and that now even he's moving on from her, once again leaving her for bigger and better things that he keeps saying she's too young to undestand

annabeth, ten, learning about the prophecy and being told she's gonna be a part of it and starting to form an idea of how one day she's gonna find her More Important Thing if she just works hard enough, because isn't that what happens to everyone?

annabeth, 12, meeting percy and actually demanding to be a part of his quest because even though he'll probably be dead by 16, she'll be damned if she lets her chance at the More Important Thing slip away and be left behind again, so she fights like hell for her dreams and her place in the world

12, and knowing she wasn't enough to keep luke from leaving

annabeth, 13, and having to rescue grover from his More Important Thing and then watching him continue on his More Important Thing

13 still and being tempted by the hunters because if it hasn't happened, maybe the mortal world won't give her her More Important Thing

(then getting kidnapped and forced to hold the sky, no idea if anyone is coming for her, scared that everyone is too busy with their More Important Things, and finding out percy never once thought of not going after her, and beginning to realize he doesn't have his More Important Thing yet either)

14, still raw from thalia joining the hunters, and watching percy with rachel, seeing him blast himself to ogygia, and being terrified he's going to realize his More Important Thing is another girl or saving the world or something equally as more important than annabeth

15, and still scared, except now his birthday is coming up, and he might just die before she can ever get her feelings out, and then why bother?

16 and watching him reject immortality for her to help the demigods, and knowing deep in her bones that there is no More Important Thing because that's just not who he is

16, and knowing for the first time in her life that she can trust another person with her heart

16, and being somebody else's More Important Thing, and maybe letting percy be hers too

that is all

[happyk44]

Percy: I don't get it - why would your siblings even want to "manage" us?

Nico: It's not that we ever wanted to deal with you like a person trying to domesticate a bunch of feral dogs. It's more like we had to do it because no one else was capable. Kind of like how my dad doesn't want to have to go Olympus to be mediator whenever your dads start fistfighting each other, but he does it anyway because Hestia is begging and if he doesn't, the world will probably explode and then the Underworld is going to be way busier than it already is and he's already got so much on his plate, he doesn't need more.

Thalia: I think you're exaggerating here, Nico. I can't imagine our siblings have always been at each other's throats to the point we need one of you to step in all the time. I mean, Percy and I worked together just fine during the last Titan war!

Nico: Okay, well, first of all, people who can work together can still want to kill each other. They aren't mutually exclusive. Case in point: both your dads whenever they think my dad is wrong or get mad about the same dumb thing. Also all siblings everywhere in the world. I would know - yesterday I helped Hazel decorate her room at Dad's house, and wanted to strangle her with the string lights because she was making fun of my room because I was making fun of her room.

Nico: Secondly, camp now has a giant crater that definitely wasn't there before, and I had to be called to shadowtravel from California because no one else could get through the storms you made or make either of you listen.

Nico: Also I can and have talked to a lot of our mortal siblings who frequently warned me about this exact scenario and were extremely relieved that neither of you would be living at camp together long-term, so your thoughts and opinions mean nothing to me right now.

Thalia:

Thalia: Fuck off.

Percy: I just want to say that I believe you, and I would never dismiss you or curse you out like she did just now. I think that was very rude of her, and she should be the one who stays tied up, while I am let go.

Nico: I know the fight was your fault, Percy.

Percy: What! I have no idea what you're talking about. I was just being my usual kind, polite self and she blew on me for no reason.

Nico: I can see your soul, Percy, I know you're lying.

Thalia: Ha! Idiot.

Percy: Shut up.

Nico: I need you both to stop talking to each other for the next ten days.

[taesnix]

hear me out: Connor and Mitchell but have their first proper interaction be going on a quest (3rd quester is Lou Ellen because I need more Lou Ellen + Hermes kids shenanigans content) to retrieve a special conch shell that requires the cunning and craftiness of a Hermes and Hecate kid and a connection to the sea that only an Aphrodite kid has. Percy offers them a few pointers on sailing but after that, they're on their own.

not sure what exactly the quest would entail but at one point they stop by a port town and Connor steals a bunch of pearls from an extractor. Mitchell reasonably panics a bit when he finds out because oh gods barely a day in and he already has to charmspeak someone into forgiving and forgetting them but Lou Ellen discovers that the extractor was doing detrimental damage to the sea life, so not being able to profit off of the pearls and harming the business is actually perfectly alright in her books.

Connor: perfectly alright, you say?

Lou Ellen: yeah, why allow some assholes to make money off of animal abuse?

Mitchell, seeing the glint in both of their eyes get brighter: ... sigh. Fine, I guess we can fit ruining their operation in today's itinerary.

They go haywire. Lou Ellen works the mist to give them more cover than usual, allowing Connor to have his fun completely messing with the extractors by setting up (relatively) harmless traps and stealing a little more with each passing second, while Mitchell distracts and deflects any concerns the extractors have

One of the extractors: oh, uh, yes! I can definitely show you where we keep the metal pliers, it's somewhere in the back. Let me just—wait, where the hell are my keys?

Mitchell, leaning in heavy with charmspeak: I think you left them near the back door, right? We can just go there now.

Exactor guy: ... yeah, of course. I always do that, easy access you know? Follow me.

And when they reach the door, Lou Ellen knocks him out and Connor unlocks it, a silver set of keys appearing in his hand seemingly out of nowhere. He winks when he catches Mitchell staring.

The rest of the quest follows pretty much the same: with one of them getting sidetracked and the others jumping in to "have a little fun", as Connor likes to put it. They eventually find the conch shell and return to camp, a little wounded but a whole lot closer.

As soon as Connor is let out of the infirmary, he dashes to the Hephaestas cabin. Mitchell is curious, but no one seems to know anything. Lou Ellen just cackles like a madman when she hears. "Ha, he was so antsy for most of the quest. Glad he's able to do something about it now."

Mitchell has no idea what on earth she's talking about, which takes him more off guard than he'd ever thought it would. Because he really believed that him and Connor had become close friends after everything they'd gone through. And surely, he would’ve known if Connor had something else going on. But apparently not. And Lou Ellen did.

And so what if it makes something burn in his chest? To know that Connor is keeping something from him when he thought they'd passed that hurdle long ago. To have that one conversation under the stars, afloat at sea, just drifting calmly and releasing their worries to the wind, that meant so much to him, not hold that same weight?

So what if he had feelings for Connor?

Mitchell doesn't sulk, because an Aphrodite kid will always retain most of their pride in the face of rejection, dammit. Connor seems to be—not avoiding him, but a little distant than he'd grown familiar with, and it hurts a bit. He can admit that.

It isn't until a few days later that there's a tentative tap on his shoulder after lunch and Mitchell turns around to see none other than Connor Stoll with a face so red, Mitchell is genuinely concerned he's going to pass out.

Mitchell: Connor? Are you okay? You look like you're going to explode or something.

Connor, fiddling with something in his pocket: ah ha ha, um, well. I have—something. For you.

Mitchell, completely taken aback: what? For me?

Connor: yeah, I— uh, I had to ask Nyssa for some help and then I had to go steal—I mean, borrow another one of yours because I wasn't sure how many to use and Nyssa wouldn't stop teasing me even though it had to fit perfectly—but t-the point is! This is for you.

And carefully, he pulls his hand out from his pocket and opens it. Laying gently in the center of his palm is a pearl bracelet. It's beautiful.

Mitchell: wait, are those...?

Connor, fingers tapping restlessly and somehow blushing harder than before: the pearls I stole on the first day? Yeah. I saw them on that boat when we were pulling up to the harbour and I just—

He pauses to let out a low, quiet breath, as though steeling himself.

Connor: I noticed your weren't wearing your favourite bracelet when we left for the quest and Lou Ellen told me that it took some damage from the lava wall the other day and you were heartbroken about it— so, I figured... well, you deserve something as beautiful as you.

And Mitchell is just speechless. His heart is pounding so loud and he melts on the spot because it's the sweetest thing he's ever heard and Connor is the sweetest person ever and gods, it was all for him?

Both of their hands are shaking as Connor helps Mitchell with the bracelet's clasp. And of course, it fits perfectly. Snug but not tight, a comfortable weight like it had been there all along.

Connor begins to pull away but Mitchell grabs his hand properly before he can. With hesitant maneuvering, Mitchell interlocks their fingers. The pearl bracelet subtlety reflects the light from the sun, making it look like it's glowing between them. Mitchell softly gazes at Connor, who tentatively matches his smile.

Mitchell: I love it, I really do. Thank you so much, Connor.

Connor: I'm, I'm really glad you do.

Mitchell: I want to take you somewhere. Follow me?

Connor: of course, anywhere.

So Mitchell leads Connor to his favourite spot near the strawberry fields, where there's enough shade under the sturdy tree but still bright and alive with the sun. Somewhere where they can once more lie down and hear the distant waves, free to drift off calmly and release their feelings and dreams, not just worries, to the winds, side by side.

They run into Lou Ellen on their way there. She takes one look at their intertwined hands, the new bracelet around Mitchell's wrist, and she lets out a triumphant whoop!

Lou Ellen: oh let's GO!!! Connor Stoll, bless your little heart, Cecil owes me 10 drachmas now!

Mitchell: huh, so I'm guessing you knew about this?

Lou Ellen: Mitchell, sweetheart. Every time you looked away, he had the worst case of lovesick puppy eyes I've ever seen. I thought it was bad at camp but this guy was clearly holding back. And I had to put up with Solangelo getting their shit together first-hand.

Connor: wh— I— wait. Did Cecil bet against me? Also...Solangelo?

Lou Ellen: Will and Nico, their last names. And Cecil didn't think you'd ever get the guts to properly talk to Mitchell after the quest, never mind enough to give him the bracelet. I, on the other hand, am familiar with what the sheer powers of long time pining can do. Also, having to stare into each other's eyes for like, 5 minutes while holding the conch shell pretty much sealed the deal.

Connor and Mitchell, now BOTH bright red:

Lou Ellen, snapping her fingers with a wild grin: hang on! Connor, Mitchell, conch shell... holy shit maybe this was fate.

And that, folks, is how Conchell came to be.

[kidspawn]

And Now, A Comprehensive Essay I Never Thought I'd Write:

I've seen people upset with Gabe's character in the show thus far. Saying he's too toned down, too "pathetic white trash" as opposed to abusive jerkass. I do understand why people are mad, but a few words in defense of this portrayal - and why it still works.

One: "He's too nice/soft/passive"

Um... absolutely not? This dude had me cringing and tensing up as soon as we meet him. Percy tenses and goes on the defensive, starts shooting comebacks. Gabe, seeing a tense and emotionally drained child, immediately comes at him, berating him for misbehaving.

He snaps at Sally, basically loses his shit at the idea of her leaving the apartment. She has to negotiate with him to leave her own apartment? To use the car? I don't care if she's "standing her ground" more. (Which, she isn't, but that's a whole other topic.) He's still being a douche.

There are aspects of Gabe's book characterization that are lost in media translation. For instance, Percy giving him money. "Whenever I was home, he expected me to provide his gambling funds. He called that our 'guy secret.' Meaning, if I told my mom, he would punch my lights out" (The Lightning Thief, pg. 31) This is Percy's internal monologue. When Percy enters their apartment in the book, Gabe is just a dick. Yes, he's not pestering Percy for money but he's doing everything else. I wouldn't be surprised if this information about Gabe comes to light the further into the story we go. Rick Riordan isn't trying to erase the abuse, but drawing attention to the intricacies and subtleties of abuse.

Two: "Sally is too assertive/fights back/etc"

Please, kindly, screw off with that "perfect victim" line of thinking. Just because Percy and Sally aren't crying, sobbing, etc, doesn't mean they're not being abused? First of all, that would be out of character. No doubt about that.

The only thing different between the scene in the book versus the show is how Sally manipulates/negotiates with Gabe. She has a different tone here, sure, but let's face it - Sally doesn't particularly like Gabe. He is a means to an end. She doesn't care too much about hurting his feelings here. She's placating. She's leveraging what little she has to get something from him. In the books, it was bean dip. In the show, its sandwiches and watching a game together. Sally doesn't care for Gabe, but Gabe obviously has interest in Sally, or spending time with her. She's leveraging her time and her resources to get her kid to Camp Half-Blood. She knows what's going to work because she's been dealing with this for so long.

And don't pretend like Gabe using the word "please" is changing the horrid tone he uses with Sally. Neither Percy or Sally flinch when he yells. This isn't a rare occurrence. Gabe probably yells all the time. But it's been happening long enough they're both desensitized to it.

These aspects aren't that different from the book.

Yes, the abuse is subtle, a few tweaks to appease an admittedly young target audience. But it is there. It's solely disappointing to me that subtext has seemingly been lost.

Three: "He's just average white trash."

Is that not... the point? He's... just a basic mortal? He's so abysmally human, so utterly mundane that he masks Percy's smell. He's crummy, and slimy, and awful. He doesn't strive for more, he doesn't aspire for more. He's a bully. He's awful to Percy, he yells at Sally. The only thing different about him in the show so far is he hasn't hit Sally yet.

(Yet. By the way. There's only two episodes out. We find out he's hitting Sally at the end of the source material. He never hits Percy onscreen, it's stated in internal monologue.)

Details will be lost in translation, of course, but please I cannot stress enough how little of the show we've seen. We don't know how they're going to explore Percy's characterization and reaction to abuse. There will be flashbacks, opportunities to flesh out the relationships and characters. Just because Rick changed aspects to keep people from being triggered doesn't mean he's going to let audiences go on believing this kind of behavior is ok. (At least, I hope he doesn't.)

Gabe Ugliano is still a piece of garbage. He is a horrendous human being. It's baffling to me that no one's believing that based on what we've seen of him. Not once did I think he was "toned down." I had a hard time rewatching that scene. The verbal belittlement, the subtle manipulation and control he's asserting into their lives. He's awful to Percy, he's awful to Sally.

Also, I reiterate: there are only two episodes out. Give the story time to breathe. Give the team time to deal with this storyline and flesh out this aspect of Sally and Percy's relationship.

[your-turn-to-role]

so, was rewatching s1 of lovm, got to episode three again. and i'm thinking about percy's backstory. and also because of sylas briarwood, thinking about dalen's closet

and percy's got a real interesting relationship with the concept of drowning, huh

i mean first of all he's almost drowned (or actually drowned) three major times in the story. and all of those had similar themes, though different outcomes

so to explain what i mean, let's look at these in chronological order

1) the river. one of the worst days of his life, if not the actual worst. watching your entire family murdered, being locked up and tortured, your siblings bodies dumped in the cells next to you, just to rub it in. after weeks of this, you learn your youngest sister is alive, and she helps you escape, it's the first tiny bit of hope you've had. and then they kill her. you realise you're on your own all over again. you're hurt and you're lost and you don't know what to do, you run because you can't do anything else. and then you trip and before you know it you're in water and it's freezing and you can't breathe or move and you're so scared and so tired- and you don't remember much after that

when that fishing boat finds percy, he's basically in a fugue state, he has no idea what's going on and is barely responding to anything, his mind just couldn't take it anymore and left. and it doesn't get any better when he comes back to himself, because he survived, but for what. they're all gone. he couldn't do anything about it. he couldn't even save his sister like she saved him

and yes, they eventually save whitestone, and get cass back, but that experience stays with him

because then we get 2) duskmeadow.

percy's just learned that ripley bought up near industrial amounts of gunpowder, and he's terrified. he doesn't know what she's planning, but he knows what she will do with his weapons will change the world for the worse. it'll get countless people killed. and he made the decision to let her go, because at the time his personal revenge mattered more to him. he's feeling that "i survived for what" more than ever, because now not only did he survive when his family didn't, he didn't deserve to be the one that survived. none of the others would have caused destruction on this scale. he's not just alive for no reason, him being alive made things worse. (this is kinda explicitly his most suicidal point in the campaign, to the point of he literally wrote a goodbye letter that evening, and then just kept it on his person knowing vox machina would find it when his mistakes inevitably got him killed)

and so he goes to ask the raven queen for help. he's not yet reached the point where he's stopped trusting in gods (this meeting is about to be what sparks that), and he knows she's helped vax, so maybe she can help him, tell him how to fix this, he'll do anything

but there's only one way to talk to the raven queen. and that's to willingly let yourself drown in the communion pool.

and he tries, he tries so hard. he's putting every bit of trust he has in the raven queen right now, that this will be okay. but it's freezing and he can't breathe and he's so scared and so tired and all he can think about is how he survived and he shouldn't have, and then he has a panic attack. the only reason it eventually works is because he hits his head on the stone of the pool and then he's too confused and hurt to fight it

and when he finally talks to her, she tells him he can't fix it. that he was a broken person right from the start.

so far his two experiences with drowning have not only caused him lasting trauma around the whole experience, but continually affirmed that he's not only incapable of saving anyone he cares about, he actually makes the situation worse just by getting involved. and drowning honestly in itself makes a pretty good metaphor for how overwhelming and out of his control all of this is

but 3) dalen's closet. god, this was so good for percy and vex in so many ways, you can keep meta-ing about this episode for years. and in this case, sylas' attempt to murder vex and percy? chain them up and drop them from a cliff into the ocean

they're both drowning. there's no easy way out, and no one around who could rescue them

their attempts to free themselves, while clever, don't work

vex loses consciousness

it's just percy, alone, about to lose the person he loves most in the world, again. to a man who only knew vex even existed because percy got her involved

and percy doesn't panic

by all rights he should have, he's certainly got more than enough reason to. but he manages to stay calm enough to figure out a way to get his head above water, and to yell for help, because his fault or no he is not losing anyone else

and because of that, their friends can find them in time. he didn't get vex killed, he saved her

he's not helpless underwater anymore. and he's certainly not broken beyond repair. and it's only now that he's come far enough to realise that

[utilitycaster]

VERY glad that Evontra’vir said “the titans are dead” because like there are currently living beings that will suffer if Ludinus’s plan succeeds and they just don’t seem to matter compared to titans that died a millennia ago??? (After trying to wipe out mortals themselves)

Hey anon,

Agreed. The thing about the titans coming up is that it does, actually, make a lot of sense for the two characters who have been most vocal about it - Ashton and Laudna - to feel this way! But it doesn't come from a rational place; it comes from profound trauma and loss about which they can't be objective.

Taliesin talked about this on 4-Sided Dive: Ashton is grabbing on desperately to the one piece of information they know now about their missing childhood and is "leaning into it...probably before he should." We know this about them; Ashton's been emblazoning themself with the Hishari and Dunamancy symbols without having a single clue what they were. The titans are part of that. Did you notice how he keeps saying "things are changing" and didn't actually like...provide any meaningful information? Again to quote 4SD: "...there's not a lot of judgment happening about whether or not that's a good thing or not, and what it actually means." Like, I think that, based on Ashton's past position of "don't kill everyone for your goals, that is shitty" if they did stop, and process, and set aside that strong emotional factor that's in play (which is not something I'd expect them to be able to do easily!) They'd realize that the titans returning, were that possible, would be cataclysmic. But that's not what they're thinking about right now. I think Evontra'vir bluntly stating that the titans are dead was a needed splash of cold water on that line of thinking.

My thought re: Laudna is that it's slightly more metaphorical. Consider her backstory: a conquering force swept in and destroyed most of what had been there before. She is a relic both of that earlier time and of that conquering force, and the subjugation she experienced never truly stopped, even though Whitestone has moved on. Of course she'd see herself in the titans in the telling of stories about the titans! People like Percy get to return and revitalize and build a new family and grow old and happy and die, despite their trauma, and she's caught between life and death forever. Of course she'd relate to some half-buried thing that people call monstrous and ancient and displaced! But that doesn't actually help her do anything about her situation and it's not a philosophy that really is useful in understanding the larger geopolitical (and, frankly, cosmic) reality happening right now, because, yeah, if you let the titans back, people will die.

For both these characters - who have spoken to each other about being physically altered and left for dead, alone, in ways no one else can quite understand, I think there's something immensely seductive about the idea of something older than the gods, something defeated but could rise again, which both is relatable to their own situations and comes neatly packaged with a reason why it didn't save you when you called out. But it's still a fantasy. It's not real, it's not going to happen, and so it's important that Evontra'vir, who as Jirana said, does not mince words, called it out for what it is. The titans are dead. Something of their essences does remain for you to use to make a choice. You are going to have to do this using your own judgment; you are doing the saving; stop worrying about the dead and start thinking about what you will do to serve the living.

I think an emerging theme of this campaign - and arguably a secondary theme of the past campaigns, and really, the theme of D&D if you think about it, is that the person you developed into because of your trauma, and the coping mechanisms and behaviors and presentation you developed as a result may eventually cease to serve you once you find a support network and begin to be given more and more agency within the world; and indeed, if you cling to these things they will begin to hurt those around you, and eventually you as well. I think "The Titans are dead" is one way to very, very bluntly and effectively communicate that.

[just-an-enby-lemon]

As a PJO kid, I rarely post about it even less rewrites cause I love it but also is more a 13yo me thing. I like reading the new books but part of it is the feeling of going back for the actual good memories of being 11 to 13 and pretending I was Percy.

But I just keep thinking that one big change I would do is in how Athena has kids. I just never really liked Rick's way because I felt it is so vague, such a weird way to make Athena vaguely interested in man and tbh ppl romantically. So here is my idea:

Athena doesn't have kids, she has champions. Just like in the mythos with Perseus and Odysseus and in the Riordanverse itself with Icarus and Deadalus.

She chooses kids with potencial and changes them so they became hers. Annabeth is impressive because Athena normally does it to 11/12yo but she choose Anabeth at 4 and that's why Anne wants to prove herself so much, because Athena's kids are still thrown in this world against their will but they are nitpicked, they are thrown with a vague notion of being special. And Anne was picked at four. She is the biggest promisse and still no mission til 12.

It would also change her relation with her parents. Not much with his dad, except instead of a crush for her sort of lover, Athena considered picking him and he had visions of her and admires her but not his daugther. But instead of the classical jealous evil step-mom Anne changed when picked and her bio mom knows that someone else is Annabeth's mother now but while some mothers would see the "as well" or understand that this is still Anne for her biomom the kid is some sort of changeling, a monster that took her babygirl and that she will not let hurt her other kids. So extra Chase trauma.

Also it could get a very interesting turn by Magnus Chase. As PJO question the gods and by HOO Rick is letting everyone understand that he loves Metamorphoses (tho I have my doubts if Ovid would enjoy PJO), we see Athena as maybe the cruelest of all, because she chooses her champions, she plays with humans as her action figures, she throws kid soldiees in this wolrd because ahe thinks the world needs it but does it really? Except in Magnus Chase (and maybe also early in Mark of Athena) when discussing the Chase propension to attract gods there's a vague implication that with or without Athena Annabeth would be a hero and that maybe what Athena is doing with her kids is taking childrem whose Fate appear dangerous, heroic and important and giving them an extra divine boost by turming them into half-bloods. That could even be fully confirmed in TOA.

Anyway just a silly idea because I love how Athena is so often the patron of heros, helping them along the way. Hell she even helps Theseus.

[lonelywolfinthemiddleofnowhere]

Reading TLH again #4 - the tragedy of Jason/Piper

So we shall begin Piper McLean's character arc!

We had 2 chapters of Jason and in the third, Piper takes the reels of the narrative and we get to know her more inwardly.

I would like to begin this meta stating how Piper, from the three new demigods, are the most calm one.

While Jason is sort of used to this magical world, he feels confused and, because he is a logical person, feels the need to question everything, even if, deeply inside, he already knows the answers to his questions.

Leo is, apparently, excited by the new world he got into. He is curious and not afraid of new things, so he seems happy and satisfied in securing a place for himself in that strange magical camp.

So: Jason is still confused (this phrase is getting repetitive, but this is basically Jason's mental state through the whole book), Leo is excited and Piper is...feeling dreadful, but weirdly accepting.

It made me remember how Piper is actually a really cool-headed character. She doesn't freak out much. From what I remember, she usually keeps her worries and fears for herself, which makes a lot of room for misunderstandings and omission (one of the things that annoyed me about her in my first read).

Interesting observation #1: Piper is in love with Jason

She seems to be deeply in love with him, which is really sad since we already know he was an illusion. Their relationship starts pretty badly because of these manufactured feelings she has for an idea of him.

She is disturbed by the fact that he acts like he doesn't know her. It is, in her view, the most worrying thing that happened in the day.

This is sick u guys, I feel bad for them.

Another thing that made me think about their situation: Piper was the one actively seeking Jason's attention before they met.

Even in her fantasy, she is the one doing the groundwork. It makes Jason appear as a dense boy lol (spoiler: he kinda of is).

And then she tells us that their "relationship" is new. She spent a whole semester working on it before they got together. For her, they were best friends before being lovers. She has been hallucinating with Jason for at least 6 months now.

She can already feel Jason slipping through her fingers like sand. He is escaping her, going far away, somewhere she can't follow. Except she never really had him. He was never hers for her to lose, so what, exactly, is she losing then? Or rather, who?

Their beginning is a tragedy (and so is their ending), but is so much more sad reading their circumstance through Piper's emotional point of view. She feels like she owns him something, and that he owns her something in return. They were supposed to be a pair.

Another thing I would like to comment: Jason has a powerful aura, but if you look closer, he also gives sad vibes. He is a sad character. If Percy is anger, Jason is sadness. (I will make a post especially analyzing the seven's dynamics later)

Interesting observation #2: Annabeth's suspicious already

Annabeth's first feeling towards Jason is ressentiment, like we saw previously.

Here, her ressentiment turns into outright distrust. She is suspicious of him and his entire demeanor is not helping. Annabeth is smart, she is the kind of character that usually doesn't have difficult into look past beyond the Gods schemes.

She knows, she feels, that Jason has something to do with Percy disappearing. The fact he screams NOT GREEK is not helping too.

Jason always has answers he is not aware and Annabeth sees he has history.

Their dynamic is super cool in MoA, seeing them in the beginning is very amusing. They are similar in a lot of things, both are great leaders for the rest of the crew in the Argo II, but here they are getting under each other's skin. Annabeth because of distrust and Jason because of wariness.

Interesting observation #3: The late claim of Leo and Piper

Does anyone else thinks about this weird timing surrounding Leo and Piper's claim?

We know Leo has history with Hera. She has been in his life since he was a kid, so I kind of buy the idea of her shielding his existence until the right time for her plan.

But Piper? From what I remember, the gods didn't meddle with her life until now, in the Wilderness School. I don't understand why Aphrodite took so long to claim her. After the war, every kid should have been brought to camp at 13, and those older should have been there already.

They both don't describe weird encounters with random monster like Percy do in TLT too, so I assume nothing out of ordinary happened in their life up till now (except the whole Leo fiasco, but that wasn't a monster, so I'm not counting).

Coach also says that they are powerful, and their scents are quite strong (not big three strong, but still), so why this timing is so off?

Anyway, I don't have an absolute answer to this, but is something that makes me wonder about things, so I brought it here. Any theories?

Interesting observation #4: Percy's disappearance being a huge thing

The entire camp feels his absence. Percy had rough years at camp, and fought a war to protect it. Everyone there recognizes him as a leader and look up to him for guidance and inspiration (like they did with Luke). This is so satisfying to see, how loved he is!

Percy is not in the book physically, but he is still everywhere. Literally haunts the narrative, I love it (i miss him)!

Interesting observation #5: Piper is fast to judge

From the very first time she lays her eyes upon Drew, she knows they aren't going to be buddies.

Drew also traces fast judgment towards Piper, so maybe is an Aphrodite kid thing, analyzing and defining people in seconds.

Right after we have a lil leader!Jason moment, where he starts asking the important questions for the three of them:

And Piper starting her betrayal arc being sketchy:

Interesting observation #5: Piper can be violent

We had already seen her ready to knock storm spirits without prompt, and now we have her ready to smack Drew's face because she said Piper's hair looked like a dead badger (this is such an Aphrodite kid thing lol)

Bonus points for Piper's quick people judgment (also a very Aphrodite kid thing to me), cause she knows right away to not mess with Annabeth:

Interesting observation #6: Leo is the first being claimed

Jason doesn't count to me cause he already is claimed, he just doesn't remember (and Zeus doesn't acknowledge him). I assume Piper is claimed later because Aphrodite loves to put up a show.

But Hephaestus is pretty efficient in claiming Leo right away. He is a very straightforward god after all, so it makes sense.

Interesting observation #7: Will is Leo's assorted tour guide, and possibly his first Camp Friend

Their interaction is so small and in the beginning of the first book of a series of 5 books that we tend to forget that, before his brothers and sister, Leo's first camp friend/acquaintance was Will Solace. Odd friendship, I know, but it was there for a chapter at least.

Interesting observation #8: Piper is still thinking of Jason as her boyfriend

Piper is getting a whiplash next chapter when Annabeth explains what is happening with Jason to her, because right now, in her head, she still has a boyfriend. A boyfriend who is acting very weirdly, but still her boyfriend.

In the next hours, she is losing him for real. Poor Piper.

And Annabeth is still finding Jason's existence unnerving. His mere presence is rising lots of questions in her head. I love how Annabeth is zero chill, the girl is always plotting or trying to dissected the plot.

Interesting observation #9: Jason has 12 years of military service. He is 15.

Man, Camp Jupiter go all out on the claiming of their kids uh? They literally burn the tattoo on your skin, marking you one of their own.

Jason has been in the legion for twelve years. At this point in the timeline he is 15 y.o. Make the calc guys, this boy has been in active duty since he was THREE YEARS OLD. Unbelievable.

No wonder why Jason has almost none rebel cells in his body. They indoctrinated him with military mentality since, like, forever. All he has always known was duty and honor. Never questioning, always serving. That is part of the reason why he is The Order and Percy is The Chaos. They are foils.

Here we have a lil moment of Jason being tired of people asking questions he doesn't know the answer to. Let ma boy rest, he is amnesic:

Kudos to Annabeth being the unquestionable Camp Leader, ultimately respected by her peers:

With this, I rest my case. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

If you like my insights follow for more!

Jason I

Jason II - Part 1

Jason II - Part 2

[queenpinesofdomino]

You know why the conversation between Sally and Poseidon is so good and has us losing our shit?

Because of ✨context✨.

I feel like these days the majority of the scenarios don't show you the way the character feel but just the way that they act. Which sometimes those two things are different. Do you know where was the last time that a show showed us well written context behind actions and words? In that kiss scene in Good Omens.

The conversation between Sally and Poseidon is so amazing because it appears that it's just two parents talking about the future of their child, which it is, but it also turns into a conversation between a couple who still loves one another but for reasons can't be together.

Let me show you how I analysed this moment.

So here Poseidon is stating a fact. That Sally doesn't want to sent Percy away and she's responding truthfully that she doesn't. The context behind her multiple no's is :

No Im not ready to separate from him yet

No I don't like the idea of him being away from me

No I can't lose him yet because i feel it'll be like losing you again.

And now you'll say "where do you get the last one from pines?

From here.

"Tell me why" I believe has a double meaning as a sentence.

1 tell me why you can't lose him yet and get it out of your system

and

2 tell me you still love me and miss me

The way he said it with much longing and so strained, in my opinion, that I feel the context behind it is:

"Tell me why you can't lose him. Tell me that you see me in our son. Tell me you miss me because I can't tell you how I feel."

Thats why Sally says "you don't wanna hear why" and if you watch carefully youll see them chuckling a little.

She says "you don't wanna here because if I tell you we both know you'll drop everything and come to me and that can't happen."

I don't have the full subtitle here but Poseidon says

"but you have no one to say it to, and maybe that's the most unfair part of it"

Meaning you don't have any one else who understands what's like to raise a demigod and also you don't have any one else to lean on, to listen and comfort you when things get rough. And that's unfair because I want to be here for you.

And then he says the line that's literally my new roman empire

"YOU SAY IT AND I WILL LISTEN"

(screaming in a pillow)

Context "I will drop everything and come to you if you tell me to. You call me and I'll be here in seconds just like I did now"

I can't this is killing me..

Then we have Sally turning the subject again on Percy with the "I want him to know who he is, before your family tells him who they want him to be" only to counter it with

"he is better than that" and context wise I'm sure she says "you are also better than that. Than them."

I think that, because the camera points at Poseidon at than moment and the when Sally says " he has better things in him than that" she takes a little credit for her contribution into who Percy is, which honestly fuck yeah girly you deserve all the credit, and that's when the camera points at her.

Then Poseidon starts explaining her how the situation is going to be and how it'll be for both her and Percy and he finishes with this

Which also has me screaming and crying on the floor because so far is the closed he's got to look at her. So far he looks down or up front.

And he's so poud of her and I'm... I can't.... He loves her so much......

And because it's obviously a very sensitive sudject emotionally for Sally who's trying to move on or to focus on her child she changes the subject (kinda) again by asking Poseidon

And here we start seeing context purely for Poseidon

I can't post more pictures, but he turns and side looks at Percy and you can seeee that he's considering it very much. He almost says yes. It's so tempting and devastating for him. Only for Zeus to throw that thunder. At first i thought it was Poseidons thunder (as stormbringer) to represent his inner conflict but while I was waiting for it to be heard I noticed that it took to long and that his face didnt show resignation until after it struck. So I strongly believe that, that was Zeus warning him about interving.

And thus we reach the ending monologue where Poseidon states that when Percy is ready, as his mother sees fit he will be at his sons side supporting him as he very much wants.

I swear the context here is so good I'm gonna be thinking about it for days.

Now I'm gonna cry watching Sally/Poseidon edits on the clock up because I physically can't :')

[traintrainingmontage]

Assorted Character Headcanons: 8-11

Duck:

Duck may have given up his dreams of going out to sea, but he really enjoys the salty spray and sea breeze. Several lines along the GWR went along the coast, and it makes him nostalgic. Arlesburgh is one of his favorite places to be because of it; he finds the hustle and bustle of the harbor to be delightful. When he just wants a moment to think, he'll find a good spot to park himself overlooking the water.

Donald:

Donald is blessed with the ability to both hum and hold a tune. He can be heard singing up and down the line in his distinctive Scottish accent, and everyone who hears him can't help but smile. He knows several Scottish songs (and he has his favorites) but seems to have also picked up some Irish songs, notably of the sea shanty and drinking song variety, likely from visitors who take the local boat service from Kirk Ronan to Dublin and vice versa.

Douglas:

Douglas has always been a rather superstitious sort. He's long believed that it wasn't just luck that allowed him to escape with his brother to Sodor, and given Scotland's own array of tales about ghosts, spirits, and fey, he's rather careful when it comes to showing proper respect. Maybe that's why his safety record is significantly better than anyone else's on the Little Western.

Oliver:

Once Oliver settled into his work on the Arlesburgh branch (and after his mishaps), he found that he wasn't really sure what to do with himself. His reality for the past several weeks had been endless fear and worry as he tried to escape and scavenge what he could, followed by several more weeks of trying to fit in and prove himself and the consequences thereof. Now that things have settled, though, he feels somewhat lost, like he's not sure what to do or feel, and he still has nightmares from his experiences. Duck, Donald, and Douglas all help him out during this time, but it's actually Donald who gives him the idea that works: get to know people. Talk to them. Become friends with people on the island; it's the best thing they can recommend for making a new place become home. So Oliver does, and he really starts bonding with the island's residents. Making new acquaintences helps, but he still doesn't feel all together yet.

One day, in the late 1970s, he meets a young psychologist named Christine. She's visiting from London, and had taken a great interest in sapient engines. After learning the gist of his story, she asks if she could speak to him at length once the workday is over, and Oliver agrees and receives permission to do so. After the interview, she reveals that she's currently studying cognitive behavioral therapy. She explains what that is, how it might help Oliver, and that she would love to see if the same principles could be applied to the mental health of engines. Naturally, Oliver and his crew are wary of anything "mental health" related, but once Christine phrases it as mental exercises to try and help Oliver have a better quality of life and ease his nightmares, they're more receptive. Once again with Sir Topham Hatt's permission, Christine goes on leave from her work in London to stay long-term on Sodor. Her work with Oliver would prove instrumental in advancing mental health on the island, for both engines and humans, and Oliver himself would become a mental health advocate among the engines of the NWR.

(Headcanons for Thomas, Edward, Henry, and Gordon are here!)

(Headcanons for James, Percy, Toby, and Emily are here!)

[galaxyostars]

The de Rolo kids are public schooled.

Preface

So I've been thinking. I don't believe Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo the Third would (at least immediately) allow someone other than him, Vex, and perhaps the rest of Vox Machina, to privately tutor his kids. I'm using a combination of CR and TLOVM here, as the main campaign playthrough doesn't really linger much on Percy's relationship with Anders as the animation does, but the overall gist is that Anders betrayed the de Rolo family in favour of working for the Briarwoods (and in CR's case, Vecna).

You're the face I saw when murder entered my heart.

^ Percy, to his teacher, Professor Anders.

Home-tutoring

Is it impossible for Percy and Vex to teach their kids? Absolutely not. Is it impossible for them to teach their five kids, whilst also maintaining their own hobbies (and lives)? Eh... it's doable, but doing a Master's degree in Education myself, I cannot imagine the level of Percy's intended teaching and their kids' learning after Gwendolyn was born being left to just Percy and Vex as being remotely comfortable for them.

But then you have to consider what type of learning these kids are maintaining. I think Percy was initially within a factory model of education (based on what we saw in TLOVM) but broke out of it when he was on his own and started tinkering. I'm not well-versed with Vex's formal education -- I imagine she has one outside of her learned practical skills given she was in Syngorn for an amount of time with Syldor, but I imagine her idea of education is probably a little more "free" than Percy's. I like to think they had a conversation about what their kids' education would look like. Vex is not like Caleb and Beau in the Mighty Nein who constantly go to the library for additional information about anything and everything they don't know, but is instead already knowledgable, can deduce using logical reasoning, or goes and asks someone else (not to say Caleb and Beau can't do this either, but regardless). I think that indicates she's probably a little more world-wise than she is interested in classroom etiquette.

(Note: Taliesen Jaffe has joked that Percy probably took hits of pot now and then, delivered by Keyleth/Vax!Crow, to get through the day with his children around ("Do you see how many kids that is? Oh my god."))

I should also point out the interaction with Gwendolyn indicates she's at least accustomed to Percy's office/library where there are rules in place and it sounds like he might've said "Leave the book" because his kids have been taking them and not putting them back (which probably mortified him upon first incident).

Public Education

There is, however, an alternative I do like very much: this generation of de Rolo kids may actually be "public-schooled" (or at least, the Whitestone version of that).

Again, speaking as an Aussie pre-service teacher, it's a lot harder to be a good teacher while also planning to overthrow your government/be a cult leader at the same time when you've got a class of 20+ kids to look after and educate. Doable, but rather unlikely. Vex might've actually thought it safer and more to Percy's liking to put their kids' education into the system they have a direct gubernatorial say over, rather than allowing an educator direct access to his home, his family.

This would not only benefit the de Rolos, but also other lower/middle-class families in Whitestone, as there's no doubt they'd pump that education system with as much coin as would benefit their kids' learning.

Additionally, mentioning the pot joke again, it gets said five kids out of the home giving these parents some peace and quiet.

Obviously there'd be nobility etiquette teaching they'd have to undergo, but it's probably much, much easier to do that in-house than it is the entirety of their education.

I put it to you, fellow Critters: At what point, if any, would Percy relinquish the education of his kids to someone outside of Vox Machina? And, would that be in a regular school classroom with other kids?