#calliope my Roman Empire

[eloise175]

The way Callisto has always looked at Penelope is truly fascinating, and even more so in recent chapters.

He looks at her is if gravity isn’t enough to keep him grounded anymore; like she’s the only thing that matters to him; like sailors turn to the stars for guidance; like a man who’s irrefutably lost due to all the love he feels for her because it’s too much to withstand, all consuming.

The love and admiration in his eyes whenever he looks at her is enough to convey just how deeply Callisto has fallen for Penelope.

My Roman Empire, you shall forever be loved and cherished dearly by me <3

[inastarlesssky]

I'm going to be completely honest here but my roman empire is the exchange between Dream and Calliope in 1x11.

Dream: The last time I saw you, you said you would never speak to me again. Calliope: I'm sorry, I did not know where else to turn. Dream: You misunderstand me. [steps ever so slightly closer to her] When I heard you call to me, even after all this time...let me help you. Please.

I swear. I could probably write something about this, just saying. It just strikes me that when he said that, it wasn't in any way what Calliope had mistakenly thought it was.

Calliope takes it as his quiet reminder to her that she's refused to have contact with him ever again and she might have understood it as him pushing her away, distancing them. You can see she's closing off a little bit, maybe regretting ever asking him, but admits that she had no where else to go.(Which makes me wonder...didn't she tell the Fates that her ex-husband would never come to help her, that she wouldn't accept his help even if he did?)

But I also wonder, why exactly did Dream say that. Is he trying to understand, for himself, why she's reached out to him, precisely after the fact that she'd said those words to him? Like he's somewhat surprised and makes that statement because he can't quite fathom that she's decided break that vow made in anger so long ago? Regardless, it just completely gutted me when he corrects her.

He closes the distance between them and says 'You misunderstand me'. In other words, "That's not what I meant.' 'When I heard you call to me, even after all this time...' he leaves that sentence unfinished. I'm dying to know what he would have said about that.

How did you feel, Dream, when you heard the woman who had once been your wife, your queen, calling to you when she'd sworn to never speak to you again.

Because however that fight happened, I think that most certainly would have landed a blow on him.

In my mind, that last thing he says...he's expressing that it shook him...it might've turned his world on its head when he heard her and realized that she needs him. He came in the end, didn't he?

Also, it says something to how much he loves her. I don't know, comparatively, how much time has passed since their marriage ended (compared to when the thing with Nada happened)...I don't know how many years Dream and Calliope have been apart. But it's obvious, to me, that he's loved her still.

It's very curious to me and I'm asking myself if it's very different from the Nada situation. Because Dream said that he did still love Nada, but he didn't forgive her.

It's apparent to me that he also still loves Calliope, and when she asks him if he hates her, he quickly refutes it. Does he see the matter as she's done something to him that he can't forgive and consequently, like Nada, still loves her but hasn't forgiven her....or does he see himself at fault in a way (because the fault partly is his) and loves Calliope as much as he did in the beginning?

Remember, he does quietly say later, "I owe you that much." He's aware of that. Anyway, my Dreamuse heart and its stupid thoughts.

[tillytherandomfanficwriter]

AHAHAHAHAHAHA I GOT FOUR BINGOS NOW ON @feedthefandomfest's OG BINGO CARD it only took yeeting myself into the GoW fandom fully and also for Arcane season 2 to come out. I AM DETEREMIND TO FINISH THIS DAMN CARD BY THE END OF THE YEAR THO yes I only have a month SHUT UP I CAN DO THIS Arcane season 2 powers me

Rec list time below the cut! Also including one of the fics from the first bingo I got cause I remembered it, lol. (Also, if you haven't watched Act 1 of Arcane, season 2, some of the fics included here will hold spoilers for Act 1! So be wary!)

"Of Atreus and Calliope" by ArlenianChronicles Slams fist, swiftly followed by my head, on table. Inhales sharply, lifts head- THIS. FIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCCCCC- Have you ever wanted to read a fic starring protective big bro Atreus with little sis Calliope going on a cross country/... continental road trip with a healthy dose of family drama, angst, fluff and sibling bonding, followed by a slice-of-life style with the first three seasonings mentioned above coming in spades? Maybe some Sindri grappling with his feelings and trauma as a side dish? And some Atreboda for the sauce? THEN BOY OH BOY DO I HAVE THE FIC FOR YOU! Essentially, it's exactly what I just described. Atreus more or less accidentally kidnaps Calliope from Elsyium which brings her back to life (Kratos' kin are just built different, ig) and the two end up going on a cross country AND continental journey through Greece and the Roman Empire as they try to get back to Midgard, making friends and enemies along the way. Once they do, Calliope learns how to adjust to life in Jotunheim, gets to create a Calliope Found Family Collection, meets a still very angry Sindri and Atreus... Atreus gets to try and figure out how to tell his dad "hey, your daughter's back!" without sending his old man to the grave for the... what, 10th time? I'm really oversimplifying it, but this is already long enough, lol.

Keep in mind, this was written before Valhalla came out, so that's why some things might seem a little off. Also, it's set in the God of War universe. There's a decent amount of canon typical violence in it (also, istg everyone in the cast needs therapy, lmao). It's so good, guys, it's so. GOOD. URGH

"don't do anything you'll regret" by Perfectharmonyloveschaos Have you ever wondered how you make the saddest and most horrifying part of a thing, whether it be a video game, movie, TV show, book, comic or whatever else, EVEN MORE horrifying and sad than it already is? No? Well, too bad, I'm introducing a fic to you that managed to do that anyways. I was left SPEECHLESS when I finished reading it, all I knew was that felt the jumble of emotions I did when Brok died but WORSE. And honestly, that's a pretty damn impressive feat.

Uh, in regards to TWs... Well, how many of you know the myth where Loki gets his mouth sewn shut? Cause, uh... Odin does that to Atreus. And it's violent. Also Brok still dies, so.

"Nightmares Everlasting" by tinycrown So good so good so good so SO good, holy shit- (this can be applied to ALL of their GoW fics, lol) Basic plot, Atreus has a vision of the prophecy where his dad dies at Thor's hand, and DOES NOT LIKE IT. Featuring good dad Kratos caring for his son during the aftermath of the vision. My GODS the way this person writes Atreus scratches an itch in my brain SO WELL

"Burnt Primrose" by fayeerie A very good fic following Freyr and his experiences with fire. He doesn't like it very much. Featuring a little study on his relationship with Freya pre marriage to Odin.

Freyr gets set on fire here, and while it's not terribly graphic, it could still be quite uncomfy for some, so tread carefully!

"serendipity" by quoichiant A Yone/Aphelios slowburn AU, with extremely overworked and stressed out college student Aphelios, and a honestly done with life producer!Yone. So, funny story. I remembered I commented on this one for the rarepair spot not long after I uploaded my first bingo, lol. Then I wondered if they actually count as a rarepair, so I decided to check. The League of Legends fandom on AO3 has 19,515 works (at the time of checking). Of those works, the Yone/Aphelios pairing has 56. Yeah, I think they count, at least for me and my tastes, XD

"Got Your Heart In A Headlock" by GerardRay_15 A CaitVi fic. A very good, very tender, very loving CaitVi fic. I sorely needed this, lmao.

It's implied that Vi has a past of sexual abuse in this one, so tread carefully!

"If you want me to, I'll share my heart" by N3VERAGOD Just a sweet, fluffy CaitVi fic that I DESPERATELY needed after the gut punch known as episode 3 of season 2 (iykyk)

It's implied these two fucked the night before the fic takes place, and they're both naked, although nothing is ever explicitly stated (minus some kiss attacks)

"Of the Northmost Winds and Skies" by xxiyu I feel like this is one of the more famous HiJack fics out there, lol. And for good reason! SUCH a good fic, always happy to come back to it if I need a pick me up. Another 'Jack gets yeeted back to the past' fic, but this time with Jaime and Baby Tooth along for the ride! And not only do they meet the Berkians, but they also meet an enemy I think Jack would've liked to have never met for the rest of his life, lol. Also, if you like slowburn, HERE YOU GO! YOU GET... good, lord, I think like, 19-ish chapters of pining?? I think halfway through it I started yelling out loud, "oh, would you just kiss already, you dumb gay fucks(affectionate)??", if that gives you any idea how well it was written, lol.

Aaaand, that's it for this round! With Arcane season 2 here, I'll probably be satiating myself between Acts with fics, so hopefully I'll be able to finish the last four spots in quick succession! Still super happy I decided to do this challenge - my confidence needed it, and I think it's even been helping a little with my social anxiety?? Who knows, lol

Anyways, bye!

[arleniansdoodles]

How would Sindri react to the fact that the Grecian God of War tricked Kratos into killing Calliope and her mother?

Will the Roman Empire decide to invade Midgard? If so, will the Roman Gods be the driving force behind it to reclaim Calliope?

No and no.

How would Atreus and Calliope respond to this when they reuinite for that long awaited private explanation? Kratos: *Inhales deeply with a guilt-ridden expression* I can't forgive myself for all the horrible things I've done to Greece and especially to you and your mother. And I never expect you to forgive me. I tore the world and your life apart, left you when you needed me the most, I failed you as a parent and destroyed our good name when I sold my soul to Ares and robbed you of a well deserved chance to live your life to the fullest without pain and fear. But in an eternity of regret, you and your brother are the very things I will never regret having. I love you and your brother, Calliope. I am proud of you for never giving up hope despite being surrounded by so much darkness.

As much as I appreciate your interest in my post-Ragnarok AU, I do not have the energy to answer these types of questions; it feels like I'm to write other people's fanfics for them. I'm already struggling as it is to continue writing my GoW fic; nor do I want to spoil what's left of my backlog chapters. Thus, I would appreciate it if you could take a break from asking me these situational questions. Thank you 🙏

[writing-for-life]

Grrrr, too long for a comment (brevity is *not* my forte).

What an interesting head-canon!

I still think Desire was just flippant with the killing remark, but it’s certainly one to ponder. The plane with the twinkly lights could of course simply refer to both Killalla or Alianora (we never fully learn what she really is apart from a “creature of light”), but what did he put them through? Killalla just ran off with Sto-Oa, and the outro doesn’t suggest Dream put her through anything (it could even be implied she died happy). The breakup with Alianora was arguably more unsettling for her than him, so if anything, I’m more inclined to believe the one from the twinkly plane was her (especially since Desire harps on about it a bit as well in Overture). It’s really hard to tell, could really be any of them.

But the idea he could’ve been in love with the first vortex (and had to kill her) is certainly interesting, especially since Neil said Dream’s greatest love might have been someone we don’t even know of. It’s of course also not unlike him to fall head over heels for someone he barely knows, and he might glorify her retrospectively as his greatest love for exactly that reason (especially if he feels guilty). So I’m sort of on board with that one—it’s a really good head-canon.

Whether I believe she was Jessamy though—that one is trickier for me, because I feel the timeline is off. Dream only ever had one raven at a time from what we know, and there were at least Lucien/ne and Aristeas before her (how many of the 11.5 ravens Delirium remembers came before Jessamy in the comics—who knows, but those two definitely did). Lucien/ne was the first, but we don’t really know exactly when. Aristeas was probably more roundabout Calliope’s time/Ancient Greece/Roman Empire. We don’t know exactly when the first vortex happened, but considering it’s mentioned several times how young and inexperienced Dream was, I would argue that was well before Aristeas in any case.

Jessamy was his raven during/straight after the French Revolution, that’s what we can say for definite. We can’t precisely say how many other ravens came before her, or for how long she’d already been his raven, other than not before Aristeas.

The only possible way to make her work as the first vortex was if that being, after her death, had existed in the Dreaming as something else for a potentially very long time before she was turned into Jessamy. And while that’s not impossible, I find it a bit more implausible.

So I like the idea of the first vortex potentially having meant more to him than we are explicitly told. Whether I like the idea of her being Jessamy? I prefer head-canoning Jessamy as a really close friend, much like Matthew.

Plus, I somehow can’t see Dream turning someone he loved romantically into a raven, but I can’t put my finger on why. I just think he would have offered her to be his consort in the Dreaming somehow (much like he did with Nada), so a lot of questions remain.

Brain worms 🙂

Could Jessamy be the first Vortex?

Several times I saw the idea floating on Twitter and Tumblr that Jessamy was a former lover of Morpheus that we'd never hear of, because of the way Dream reacted when she died. I don't have any strong opinion on the question except that it irks me a bit that whenever a man is devastated by the death of someone close to him, people automatically assume that he was in love with this someone, or used to be. I for one think that Jessamy could have mattered deeply to Dream while having a platonic friendship with him, even when she was alive.

That said, if Jessamy used to be Dream' lover, AND was also the first Vortex, it could tie in with something that Desire says in Season of Mists, in a very devastating way...

Desire teases him by asking him if he killed any girlfriend "recently", which heavily implies that Dream had at least one girlfriend killed in the past. Naturally many readers think they refer to an actual murder that Dream would have committed, but since there's no story telling of such a crime, I personally tend to think Desire rather referred to an accidental death, but one for which Dream blames himself. @writing-for-life I think it's a topic we discussed recently?

Desire also refers to a girl who lived on a pretty plane with twinkly lights, and says that what he put her through was "not pretty at all". I'm not sure about the twinkling lights here, but one thing's certain: when he not only had her killed but also the entirety of her civilization, what she went through because of Dream's reluctance to kill only her fits Desire's description.

Granted, there's no real reason to think that Dream was in love with the girl who was the first Vortex, as he's adamant that he was reluctant to kill her because he didn't want to kill an innocent. He says he spent time with her and thought she was a good person, generous and kind, he clearly was fond of her but again, a man can like a girl very much without being in love with her.

So it's all speculation/headcanon, but it has the merit of giving a canon explanation to Desire's claim that Dream "killed a girlfriend". Now, imagine that Jessamy used to be the first Vortex, who was invited to spend her after life in the Dreaming. Imagine that she became Dream's raven and his closest confident and friend. Imagine that when he saw her die while attempting to rescue him, it was the second time he indirectly caused her death, since if she hadn't tried to break the fishbowl she would still be alive...

Don't tell me I ruined your day, I already know.

You're welcome!

[haec-est-fides]

Filodox’s Trials of Apollo Reactions [Part I]

Welcome to part one of a reflective journey through Trials of Apollo ft. my original ebook annotations! I’ll be your host, 2020!filodox.

For this first episode, we’ll be going back to May 2016, the beginning of it all: The Hidden Oracle.

Annotations for this round are brought to you by 2016!filodox.

Is there anything we should know before we begin, 2016!me?

2016!filodox: I swore on the Styx never to read another Riordan book after he killed Octavian. And yet here we are.

... Alright then! Let’s get started.

But first, a more detailed overview on how this series will work: I will excerpt bits and pieces of the books based on what I highlighted / annotated on my first read. Beneath each quote, I will share what I wrote in the annotation. Below that, I will (occasionally) laugh at my past self, clarify the note, or say how my view has changed.

I encourage questions, comments, and concerns (of which there may be many), so go ahead and use that replies feature if you feel so inclined! However, these are just my opinions and (occasionally) emotional reactions, so no hate pls. <3 (Or, if you do send hate, pls make it funny.)

Now, diving right in with Riordan’s dedication!

To The Muse Calliope. This is long overdue. Please don’t hurt me.

2016!filodox: Hurt him. He didn’t even name the chapters.

As you can see, I had yet to experience Lester’s haiku and was already mad based on the table of contents alone. I went into this series very salty...

I inflicted a plague on the Greeks who besieged Troy.

2016!filodox: At least he did something right. Once.

I was just,,,extremely ready to die on Octavian’s hill. (Though I was a huge Troy / Aeneas stan before all this, just to be clear.)

Is anything sadder than the sound of a god hitting a pile of garbage bags?

2016!filodox: I actually find this particular god crashing into a dumpster quite amusing.

I also blamed Apollo for what happened to Octavian. I think that had a lot to do with how Apollo acted on Delos in Heroes of Olympus, basically disowning Octavian and whining about how some “creature” scammed him? That was bullshit. Apollo needed to own the fact that he blessed Octavian, but he just abandoned him and denied all the blame. TL;DR I had a grudge, okay?

My mind stewed in confusion, but one memory floated to the surface -- the voice of my father, Zeus: YOUR FAULT. YOUR PUNISHMENT.

2016!filodox: Wait, is this bc everyone blames Octavian and therefore Apollo? Bc lol but also no?

*cough* Octavian did nothing wrong 2k16 *cough*

Zeus will reconsider, I told myself. He’s just trying to scare me. Any moment, he will yank me back to Olympus and let me off with a warning.

“Yes...” My voice sounded hollow and desperate. “Yes, that’s it.”

2016!filodox: Apollo is a self centered frat boy, I forgot...but it is slightly...endearing? *narrows eyes*

Ah, how close I was to stanning Lester in the first chapter, when he was at his most “goddy”. You know, I actually made a rule for myself when I started reading Trials of Apollo that I would not under any circumstances stan Apollo. That was a naive goal, because it was never really a danger.

Regardless, Zeus had held me responsible for Octavian’s delusions of grandeur. Zeus seemed to consider egotism a trait the boy had inherited from me. Which is ridiculous. I am much too self-aware to be egotistical.

2016!filodox: I am going to Murder him.

*chef kiss* the hypocrisy ! the lack of self-awareness !

“I just...I assumed -- I hoped this would be taken care of by now.”

“You mean by demigods,” Percy said, “going on a big quest to reclaim the Oracle of Delphi?”

2016!filodox: That sounds like a decent quest, or you know, QUESTING FOR THE SIBYLLINE BOOKS

I’ve always said I can see the future but an inch to the left. Also, I don’t like Ella.

It warmed my heart that my children had the right priorities: their skills, their images, their views on YouTube. Say what you will about gods being absentee parents; our children inherit many of our finest personality traits.

2016!filodox: AND HE’S MAD ABOUT OCTAVIAN?!

I mean ?

Apollo, when Austin and Kayla show ambition: THEY GOT THAT FROM ME <3

Apollo, when Octavian (or Nero, or Caligula) shows ambition: srry i don’t know him ??

He had a weak jawline, an overlarge nose, and a beard that wrapped around his double chin like a helmet strap. His hair was curly and dark like mine, except not as fashionably tousled or luxuriant. His lips curled as if he smelled something unpleasant. Perhaps it was the burning seats of the bus.

2016!filodox: Nero ???

Not quite sure how to feel looking back at this moment. Call out post @ myself for instantly recognizing Nero, when afaik this scene was before we had any hints that Roman emperors were even a plot point? But here’s the thing: I don’t remember why I could recognize him so easily. I don’t remember where 2016!me obtained this ancient Rome knowledge. A mystery.

On another note entirely, did Nero really like,,,astral project into Apollo’s fever dream to address him directly? Because Rhea does. And sometimes Python does. But Nero? Can he do that?

The man laughed as flames licked at his purple sleeves. “You’re not sorry yet, but you will be. Find me the gates. Lead me to the Oracle. I’ll enjoy burning it down!”

2016!filodox: I too enjoy burning things down. # Nero confirmed

My only comment here is “oh you sweet summer child,,,”

Oh. Perhaps some of you are wondering how I felt seeing [Will] with a boyfriend rather than a girlfriend.

2016!filodox: No, actually. I wasn’t wondering. I was plotting how to kill you, them, and quite a few other people. Do you think I could trade you for Octavian?

Oh man, back at it again with the salt. XD

I could only remember my conversations with Octavian, the way he’d turned my head with his flattery and promises. That stupid boy...it was his fault I was here.

A voice whispered in the back of my mind. This time I thought it might be my conscience: Who was the stupid boy? It wasn’t Octavian.

2016!filodox: I can’t really...explain my emotions upon reading this. I’m still not quite okay, but this...it’s bittersweet in a way. I don’t know if this is a poor attempt at a proper closure, the author’s way of beating a dead horse, or just a way to make Apollo seem pitiable. Whatever it is... Octavian was important enough to remain in Apollo’s mortal memory. He somehow made promises to a god and had Apollo wrapped around his finger. And despite being so much like Apollo, the god blames him. Like everyone blames him. But Apollo also realizes, accepts on an infinitesimal scale, that “it wasn’t Octavian”. He wasn’t perfect, but neither is Apollo. Apollo is (at least) subconsciously admitting his own guilt in the whole affair.

...yeah. I will note that this bit isn’t meant to develop Octavian, but rather uses Octavian as a prop to support Apollo’s development? Which is why it still stings. Like thanks, I guess.

“Your judgement in the past has been...questionable. I wonder if you have chosen the right tools for this job. Have you learned from your past mistakes?”

2016!filodox: Nero has made plenty of mistakes to learn from

Love how I just assumed it was Nero back in chapter 10 and went with it, zero hesitation. Also love how I heard Python say Nero has made mistakes and went “oh absolutely”. In fact, here’s something funny in retrospect that will become more and more apparent: I did not like Nero in 2016. Or, at least, I thought I didn’t. There’s something really odd going on here that baffles me, looking back...

“A triumvirate is a ruling council of three,” I said. “At least, that’s what it meant in ancient Rome.”

“Which is interesting,” Rachel said, “because of this next shot.” She tapped her screen. The new photo zoomed in on the building’s penthouse terrace, where three shadowy figures stood talking together....

2016!filodox: Is it bad that I’m smirking? Because it’s getting interesting ~ *clear malicious intent*

Wow, edgy. Triumvirates are just a neat, Roman thing and I stanned.

“The last triumvirate I dealt with included Lepidus, Marc Antony, and my son, the original Octavian. A triumvirate is a very Roman concept...like patriotism, skullduggery, and assassination.”

2016!filodox: THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL EVERYONE. MODERN OCTAVIAN IS A VERY GOOD ANCIENT ROMAN. POLITICS, ESPECIALLY SHADY AF POLITICS AND POWERPLAYS, ARE QUINTESSENTIALLY ROMAN. Also, I’d like to note that it’s confirmed, in this universe’s canon, that Augustus was a son of Apollo.

Ohhhh, wait. I think I’d watched the HBO series Rome by 2016, which would at least partially explain my ancient Rome knowledge. (Amazing tv show btw!)

“He heard them talking in Latin.”

“Latin? Were they campers?”

Pete spread his hands. “I--I don’t think so. Paulie described them like they were adults. He said one of them was the leader. The other two addressed him as imperator.”

2016!filodox: !!!! (obligatory 💕)

I was such a simp for Latin in high school. And the Roman Empire. Still am, but hey.

“The Beast is planning some kind of attack on your camp. I don’t know what it is, but it’s going to be big.”

2016!filodox: Runs in the family I guess

The Octavian / Triumvirate parallels are everywhere... 👀

“The emperors made themselves gods. They had their own temples and altars. They encouraged the people to worship them.”

2016!filodox: # deify me

*smacking my past self with a stick* You stop that! Edgy child!

Anyway, a much better point here is like,,,the Imperial cult was huge in the ancient Roman world. Looking at Apollo’s explanation here, why did only the “worst” three emperors get to be immortal? Did famously “good” emperors like Augustus and Marcus Aurelius have the option of becoming minor gods, but they chose Elysium or something? Are there slightly less infamous emperors just hanging around anywhere as minor gods? A lot of Roman emperors live on in human memory is all I’m saying.

“Wait!” Will said as I reached the door. “Who is the Beast? Which emperor are we dealing with?”

“The worst of my descendants.” My fingers dug into the doorframe. “The Christians called him the Beast because he burned them alive. Our enemy is Emperor Nero.”

2016!filodox: I honestly can’t believe it took this long to reveal this? Was anyone surprised?

Nero’s reveal is rather late in the book compared to Commodus, Caligula, and even Tarquin iirc? But it makes sense, being the first book of the series. Also love how 16-year-old me was like “this reveal is silly because everyone, like me, recognizes Nero on sight” and didn’t question that assumption at all.

“Germani.” Instinctively, I moved in front of Meg. The elite imperial bodyguards had been cold-blooded death reapers in ancient Rome. I doubted they’d gotten any sweeter over the centuries.

2016!filodox: BITCH. See? This is why I love Rome. They knew what they were doing.

Ngl, as someone of Germanic heritage, I felt really represented by the Germani, which is hilarious on so many levels.

He tried to compensate for his ugliness with an expensive Italian suit of purple wool, his gray shirt open to display gold chains. His shoes were hand-tooled leather, not the sort of thing to wear while stomping around in an ant pile. Then again, Nero had always had expensive, impractical tastes.

2016!filodox: I don’t exactly like Nero, and actually think he was quite the shitty emperor, but I guess I mildly respect and “like” him on principle (in this book at least).

OH YOU SWEET SUMMER CHILD. I was so convinced that I didn’t actually like Nero, despite all of the lowkey evidence to the contrary? Who hurt you, past me? (Lmao, it was Tacitus, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio.) My working theory is that I was too much of an Emperor Augustus stan at the time to admit liking Nero. It’s hysterical. Look at me equivocating like a champ.

I’d been so proud of my son, the original Octavian, later Caesar Augustus. After his death, his descendants became increasingly arrogant and unstable (which I blamed on their mortal DNA; they certainly didn’t get those qualities from me).

2016!filodox: I’m glad Apollo and I can agree on something. Augustus was amazing and those who came after him...significantly less so.

See! The propaganda really got to me, what can I say?

Nero clasped his hands as if in prayer. “Oh, my. It seems we’ve had a slight miscommunication. You see, Apollo, Meg brought you here, just as I asked her to. Well done, my sweet.”

2016!filodox: This was obvious but I still find it...gods, the only word I can think of is “delicious”

. . .

“The Beast killed my father. This is Nero. He’s -- he’s my stepfather.”

I could not fully grasp this before Nero spread his arms.

“That’s right, my darling,” he said. “And you’ve done a wonderful job. Come to Papa.”

2016!filodox: Okay, but we should have known this since it became apparent her weapons were Roman. Also, oof. Also also, WHY did Riordan feel the need to add that last line? Why?

ASDFGHJKL: I CAN’T

“After the fire, we’ll rebuild,” he said. “It will be glorious!”

2016!filodox: The amount of times I have used this very logic is worrying.

For (some) context, Firelord Ozai is my favorite character from AtLA. <3

The scene might have been funny except that the Germani were now back on their feet, five demigods and a geyser spirit were still tied to highly flammable posts, and Nero still had a box of matches.

2016!filodox: Oh, I find this plenty amusing!

The emperor stared at his empty hand. “Meg...?” His voice was as cold as an icicle.

2016!filodox: The various ways his tone / voice have been described throughout this conversation are just 💕

*looks at camera like I’m on The Office*

Seriously, though. Nero’s voice is like the central descriptive element of his character because he’s so manipulative. It’s really cool and a great use of detail.

[Meg] turned to Nero. “You told me never to lower myself to my enemies’ level.”

“No, indeed.” Nero’s tone had frayed like a weathered rope. “We are better. We are stronger. We will build a glorious new world. But these nonsense-spewing trees stand in our way, Meg. Like any invasive weeds, they must be burned. And the only way to do that is with a true conflagration -- flames stoked by blood.”

2016!filodox: Real 👏🏻 Gods 👏🏻 Require 👏🏻 Blood👏🏻

I was way too enthusiastic about this whole situation, wasn’t I?

Nero grinned. “Good-bye, Apollo. Only eleven more Olympians to go.”

2016!filodox: Wait, shit, WHAT

Having read Tower of Nero, this probably had something to do with Python interfering with the Fates, huh? But does that mean it’s more Python’s plan or Nero’s? If this was Nero’s plan (with his 12 kids literally replacing the Olympians) that’s,,,really fucking bold.

Then I heard the screaming from Camp Half-Blood.

2016!filodox: Music to my ears ~

I’m presenting every edgy detail of my annotations so I have a proper case file when I inevitably have to face the question “On a scale of one to ten, how relatable is Emperor Nero and why should you have realized it’s a ten sooner?”

In a flash of silver light, the camp’s magical barriers collapsed. The Colossus lurched forward and brought his foot down on the dining pavilion, smashing it to rubble like so many children’s blocks.

2016!filodox: Payback! Dear gods, I can’t stop smiling! I’m just like “YES!” I know this will all probably get fixed or whatever but I’M HAVING A MOMENT.

I’ve learned to appreciate the small wins. <3

Percy grabbed one of the crown’s sunray spikes. He sliced it off at the base, then jabbed it into the Colossus’ forehead.

2016!filodox: As much as Nero is FAR from my favorite, I really don’t like defacing ancient (or replicas of ancient) statues and art...

This is where I just start laughing at myself tbh. I was so insistent on not liking Nero. Like, I sound like I’m in denial. Peak equivocation. What happened to that heart emoji a few chapters back? Why did I suddenly make it about *checks notes* ancient art? Updated translation: nooo don’t ruin the Colossus Neronis it’s so sexy aha

Just as the [arrow] reached its apex and was about to fall back to earth, a gust of wind caught it...perhaps Zephyros looking kindly on my pitiful attempt. The arrow sailed into the Colossus’ ear canal and rattled in his head with a clink, clink, clink like a pachinko machine.

2016!filodox: HOW MANY EX MACHINAS IS THIS ?! The dryads, the arrow, Percy, the enchantment, and THIS ?

One of my criticisms of Trials of Apollo in general is just that the stakes are so much higher and Riordan usually solves that problem by having his heroes win on long odds. The chances of them succeeding at like,,,anything they attempt are astronomical, but of course they manage. It’s not surprising but it does get a little tiring.

“Yo, Nico,” Leo called, “please tell me that’s it for the physical abuse.”

“For now.” Nico smiled. “We’re still trying to get in touch with the West Coast. You’ll have a few dozen people out there who will definitely want to hit you.”

2016!filodox: Oh I’d love to hit him. With the flaming, Imperial gold payload of an onager. Preferably WITHOUT the Pontifex Maximus attached to it -- unless of course you mean the false pontifex, Jason Grace.

Leo was the salt in the wound for this one, ngl. He rekindled my undying ire over Octavian’s death. As I said at the beginning of this, I was extremely ready to die on Octavian’s hill after Heroes of Olympus. That sentiment sticks around for a while...

And we can call that a wrap!

Though it may seem like it, my annotations are not, in fact, a compilation of Nero’s greatest hits. There are a lot of scenes of his that I love (naturally) but I didn’t have anything to say about them when I first read the series. Maybe I’ll share those another time.

In any case, I hope you got something out of this ridiculously long post! Until next time! <3

[arleniansdoodles]

What kind of magic can calliope’s flute do? Is it healing magic?

Does calliope tell sindri about her family and the fact she’s once dead over hundreds of years ago? How does Atreus find calliope and sindri again?

Was there ever a Roman god who got cocky enough to believe they can kidnap calliope from under kratos’ nose?

Does kratos ever wonder if calliope’s better off with sindri, especially since kratos killed and traumatized calliope and sindri’s found it in himself to open his heart again?

I haven't really come up with rules for Calliope's magic; it's more of a "make it up as I go," but my vague idea is that her songs are basically like Atreus' spells. She just needs to play them on the flute in order to "activate" them, so to speak!

So a healing song would perform healing magic, or if she wanted to find Atreus, she could play a song that is solely about him, with the intent to seek him out -- and following the music might even help him find her. Hopefully that makes sense loll Writing hard magic isn’t exactly my strong suit ^^;;

I think Calliope would tell Sindri about what happened to her once she’s grown to trust him enough for it. However, if she felt that it would only make him angrier at Kratos and Atreus, she might not tell him at all.

There might be a Roman god down the line who'd try pulling that stunt, for the time being, I would doubt it ^^;; One, there are likely other gods who are familiar with the legend of the Ghost of Sparta, and who would warn off the cocky Roman god; and two, Calliope would be in a whole other realm (and even if she was in Midgard, it’s far out of the Roman Empire’s territory, so the Roman god would likely be less powerful away from their homeland, y’know?)

I don’t really have an answer to your last question, sorry ^^;; If you have any thoughts about it, feel free to share them! :DDD