#chiron isn't a good teacher

[princessofghosts-posts]

If you scrolled enough on this page you know that no character is safe from me when it cames to Nico's mistreatment. Not even Chiron.

I have a very grey opinion of him,I don't hate him but I also don't like him. He is in the middle of tolerance for me,because let's be honest,the guy made some questionable decisions during PJO for being the millennial teacher of legendary heroes and head of the only demigods's greek camp for years.

I see a lot of criticism about the "No one told Nico that his sister died,they were waiting for me to do so." scene,which is a good thing because it's fucked up. Chiron is the adult here,but he didn't do shit and waited for an already stressed and guilty Percy to tell the news. And while I love Nico with all of my heart and understand that he was extremely hurt by Bianca's death,telling Percy that he should have be him to die is just adding to his trauma. The poor boy is barely 14,saw 2 people he went on a quest with die (and he already bleamed himself for their death,even tho it's not his fault,before this) and had a whole rollercoaster for his mission to save Annabeth,while dealing with camp being shit to him because Thalia was back. And what does Chiron do? Instead of helping him,he give him another emotional draining moment with a 10 years old that had to process his older sister died and now he's alone,without a family. Great job Chiron,couldn't do it better.

And when Nico run away? Percy and Annabeth were the only one searching for him at the start,but when they went to Chiron and explained the situation (without telling about his parentage),he just went on with a "Oh poor soul,hoping that he will be eaten by the monster instead of joining Luke's side." Like,what the fuck? Who the fuck say that about a 10 years old to an another child,that even tried to get him back multiple times while the adult didn't do shit? Chiron,you good here? Because I'm pretty sure that this isn't the way you need to behave with children: who cares if they are demigods,heroes,war veterans or whatever else,they are all children. It's already rare to live past 16,18 if you get lucky,don't treat them like shit.

Nico was alone in a place he didn't know,and we all know the forest isn't a safe place even if it's inside camp (look what happened during Percy's first year there-). Instead of trying to do something he just goes on with his no sense. He didn't even try to do something about it. Percy and Annabeth did. Chiron need to thanks Nico's golden heart, otherwise it wasn't going to end nicely. And beside,I'm pretty sure that being eaten alive by a monster is worst than working with other demigods for a Titan that isn't even back yet. Chiron you need to check your priorities here. Also the irony that Nico wasn't eaten or joined Kronos,and just did his own things alone in THE Labyrinth,one of the most dangerous place for demigods,will always be funny to me.

But really,where is his teacher's wisdom at? Chiron trained so many heroes for all of his life,and now that it cames to modern children,or pre-teens,he don't know what to do or how to act? This is insane even for their standard.

And even tho he is the "legal guardian" of the camp,he still doesn't do much for Camp Half-Blood. Talking with the people that suspect something? Ok. Pretending to be someone's guardian to avoid them trouble? Fine. Help maintain camp's coverage as a strawberry field? Sure. Calling for reinforcements during a war? Thanks. Making the demigods respect camp's rules? Alright. Teaching some classes there and here? Good.

But these are simple things and quite frankly the bare minimum he should do. The demigods are all abandoned to themselves,by both their parents and even by the one that should help them. He isn't the worst,but he also isn't the best.

When Thalia come back,he favored her to Percy in any way possible,and the whole "She might be the child of the profecy since she is going to turn 16 in a bit." excuse is bullshit. Luke was not even half done with his planning during TTC,the real game started at the half of BotL,so it was impossible for him to be already ready for the final battle. They all knew that,Thalia too. But no,Chiron decided to focus more on her and ignore Percy,when he could have teached both of them. Again,thanks Chiron,such a good teacher you are.

There are moments where he comes in clutch: during SoM he is the one that save them from Luke's ship,and in TLO he calls for reinforcement during the battle against Kronos,and he is kinda there if some demigod wants to talk to him. But again,most of those things are bare minimum.

I don't hate him,but I just don't understand why he is so well liked when all of the time he just does....nothing? And give Percy more stress and problems (And basically hoped that Nico would be eaten-).

[fishnapple]

Healing yourself & Helping others

We often talked about the wounds of Chiron in Natal chart, the pains associated with Chiron placements, but I think exactly because of those wounds that the native can obtain a deep understanding of the matters related to those wounds, and can sympathise with other people who experience the same kind of pain, understanding creates kindness.

Where Chiron is in your chart will always be a sensitive spot. Exactly because it's such a sensitive spot that we pour so much effort into it, always be mindful of it, we might excel at it, become a master, but might never feel good enough.

Through healing the other person, we, in turn, would also be healed, it's a kind of projection. There's often an element of unfulfilled dreams, dreams were thwarted or the feeling that the reward isn't worth the effort. In extreme case, this can manifest as projecting our failed wishes and dreams on other people and burdening them with the responsibility to make them come true. On a lighter note, we would want to see the other person success in our stead, to see that someone finally made it. And here is where our Chiron can actually help people, making us a great counsellor, a teacher or a cheer leader in that matter. We help people in the matters related to the sign/the house Chiron is in, the aspects Chiron makes to other planets. In turn, we are known to people by our Chiron. Yes, Chiron can be a fame indicator, not by shining on its own, but by helping others shine.

What about ourselves? will we forever have to endure that pain of Chiron? We might actually find peace and healing through the positive manifestation of the sign/the house opposite of Chiron. The two opposite ends of an axis always provide answer to each other.

So don't associate Chiron with just wound and pain, associate it with the gift you can give to the world and in turn, the reward you can receive through the act of giving.

The way Chiron in each sign/ house and aspect finds healing and helping others:

Chiron in Aries/ in 1st house/ aspecting Mars

The wound: being judged as too direct and aggressive, having trouble in asserting yourself and putting yourself first, wound about your appearance & sexuality, self-confidence issue, fear of accidents, physical pain

How you heal yourself: be considerate of others when asserting yourself, be direct in a tactful way, be in the company of people that allows you to be yourself without judgement, find an aesthetic that matches you and makes you comfortable, allow yourself to explore your sexuality and desires without judgement, practice prudence

How you help others: help others stand up for themselves, give people courage to take the initiative, boost people's confidence, make others feel protected, be a role model, spread body positivity, normalise "defects" in appearance, stand against bullies

Chiron in Taurus/ in 2nd house/ aspecting Venus

The wound: finding security and stability, being objectified, feeling lack, self-loathing, placing values on external validation, finding independence, over indulgence

How you heal yourself: focus on your inner life to find true stability within, financial independence, let go of unhealthy attachments, listen to gut feeling and body's response to everything, take good care of your body and health

How you help others: generous with your resources, understand the pain of "lack", fundraiser, be the rock for other people, have a stabilising effect on people, help people beautifying themselves, , promote mindfulness in spending and healthy consumption

Chiron in Gemini/ in 3rd house/ aspecting Mercury

The wound: voicing your thoughts, being unheard, not feeling intelligent enough, being too talkative or too quiet, mental/ physical restriction, being neglected, favouritism, being misunderstood

How you heal yourself: be honest & objective, explore diverse subjects, learn constantly, share your knowledge with others, travel frequently, widen your perspective, see life in good humour

How you help others: help people find their voice, spread awareness about mental illness, create a safe space for others to express their ideas, understand different viewpoints in a conversation, be the voice of people, soothing voice, humour, a good listener and a story teller

Chiron in Cancer/ in 4th house/ aspecting Moon

The wound: birth trauma, abandonment, being neglected, lacking care and nurture, feeling unsafe in your own home, unstable family environment, repression, being ridiculed for your emotions, mother wound & complicated relationship with motherhood

How you heal yourself: build your own family, emotional stoicism, assume responsibility for your own emotional and physical well-being, give yourself the utmost respect, find peace and safety in structure & order, let the desire to have children come naturally along with your maturity, look for stability and resilience in a life partner

How you help others: provide shelter and protection, create/support programs for children, donate to causes, charity, raise awareness about vulnerabilities, make others feel safe to express their emotions, "sensitivity is not a weakness", be present for other people

Chiron in Leo/ in 5th house/ aspecting Sun

The wound: struggle with feeling creative enough, discouragement of expressing individuality, being yourself is painful, self- confidence issue, feeling not appreciated (especially in childhood), invisibility, having trouble acting carefree and playful, father wound & complicated relationship with fatherhood, feeling unlucky in love, physical pain

How you heal yourself: find your own community that will welcome you, surround yourself with children, being unapologetic in expressing yourself, revel in weirdness & uniqueness, being your own audience and your own judge, detach yourself from your own creations

How you help others: promote creative activities in everyday life, nurture other people's creativity, give space to people to express themselves without shame or guilt, acceptance of other people's individuality, humble, caretaker

Chiron in Virgo/ in 6th house/ aspecting Mercury

The wound: not feeling good enough, feeling like you have to constantly perform well, perfectionism, being nitpicked, judgmental, being denied consistency and stable routine, exploitation, mental & physical health issue, overworked, feeling hard to relax

How you heal yourself: take good care of your emotional and spiritual health, good sleep, incorporate quiet moments into your routine, be kind to yourself and tolerate your mistakes, treat yourself with compassion like how you treat a vulnerable person, have patience

How you help others: tolerance towards mistakes, encourage people to notice small beauty in life, good at giving detailed and practical advice, help others build a more efficient routine and work process, excellent organiser, spread awareness about the struggle of illnesses, advocate for green and healthy lifestyle

Chiron in Libra/ in 7th house/ aspecting Venus

The wound: being indecisive, having to choose between asserting yourself vs keeping the peace, feeling unlucky in love and partnership, being betrayed, witnessing bad examples of partnership, being judged as superficial, not feeling beautiful and lovable enough

How you heal yourself: be direct and honest with your desires, practice interdependence in relationships, take good care of yourself first before attempting to take care of others, be bold in your style, setting boundaries

How you help others: be a mediator, independent, fair to people, polite, know when to compromise, try to make people comfortable, change beauty standards, relationship counsellor, make a team work, help people work together, take commitment seriously, fight for equality

Chiron in Scorpio/ in 8th house/ aspecting Pluto

The wound: witnessing deaths early on, fear of mortality, boundaries violation, experiencing paranormal activities that left scars and fears on your psyche, having the wrong kind of people attracted to you, sexuality exploration is considered taboo and restricted, having things taken away from you, having your secrets exposed, lack of privacy, trust issue

How you heal yourself: setting boundaries, emotional stoicism, surround yourself with stable and orderly environment/ people, minimalism, ground yourself/ connect with nature, practise your own brand of spirituality, listen to your body's response , explore your sexuality in your own safe place and by your own pace

How you help others: fierce protector, keep people's secrets, counsellor, fight against and spread awareness about abuse, allow space for others to explore their own psyche and sexuality

Chiron in Sagittarius/ in 9th house/ aspecting Jupiter

The wound: having your freedom restricted, further education is denied, feeling like a stranger in your own family, being chastised for being too honest/ too blunt, constant moving, being taught distorted views about the world, having problems with spirituality and religions, having your faith challenged, constantly being shot down, lacking boundaries and guidance

How you heal yourself: listen to different viewpoints, strive for diversity in your pursuit of knowledge, know when to get up and get out of situations, question various schools of thought before committing to one, take a light-hearted approach in communication

How you help others: setting an example for being truthful, support and advocate for the right to education, hype people up, make people have faith again, humour, stay open-minded and help people see a different perspective, make people feel accepted, guiding and teaching

Chiron in Capricorn/ in 10th house/ aspecting Saturn

The wound: being demanded perfection constantly, having to perform, stifle yourself to keep an 'image', being attacked/ criticised/ scruntinised openly, feeling that you have to do more than others to be recognised, having your goals and plans thwarted, being restricted in any form, father wound, trouble with authority

How you heal yourself: allow yourself to express vulnerability and emotions in front of others, keep your goals and ambitions close to your heart/ avoid discussing them too openly, act quietly, be kind to yourself when you're disappointed, allow yourself alone time/ away from public's eyes, place importance on emotional fulfillment when considering a life partner

How you help others: a pillar of strength that people can lean on, be exemplary, help others find authority in themselves, support and help others achieving success, build people up, give structure, show the importance of mastery

Chiron in Aquarius/ in 11th house/ aspecting Uranus

The wound: being considered weird/different, struggle with a sense of belonging, loneliness, being misunderstood, feeling excluded, bully, trouble building a long lasting friendship, sudden upheavals, feeling like you never get what you wish for, feeling like you are living a wayward life

How you heal yourself: have fun with yourself, find your own niche and focus on it, spend time for hobbies, express your individuality more but in a warm and nonserious manner, bond with people who have the same interests and hobbies, play with children

How you help others: make others feel welcomed in a group, bring excitement, acceptance of people's many quirks and unique self, fight against bully, encourage others to follow their dreams, strive to do good, support humanitarian causes

Chiron in Pisces/ in 12th house/ aspecting Neptune

The wound: experiencing losses early in life, being lost, lacking boundaries, boundaries violation, nightmares, solitude, struggle in feeling real, addictions, disillusionment, being betrayed and back stabbed, lacking a firm structure and guidance

How you heal yourself: practise meditation daily, setting up routines to follow (especially sleep routine), consider swimming, take good care of your physical health, muse about small beauties in everyday life, practise discrimination when you're asked for help or to do something, avoid sharing about yourself too much

How you help others: counsellor, provide understanding ears, charity, support humanitarian causes, help people find peace, soothing, empathise with people's suffering, provide spiritual guidance, create art that can speak directly to people's souls

About me | Masterpost

[daydreamcloudshiding]

#6 Astrology Observations

People with 2nd house stellium are generous but also protective with their resources. Like the more you show them that you want/need their help, the more they will withhold it from you

People with prominent Leo placements in natal chart have such sensitive ego, like the moment you make them feel like they are less important, they will remember that sh*t forever

Although, ironically, Leo placements are really good in boosting someone else's ego as well

Aquarius people are the funniest people I've ever met. They can be so loving and caring but in a light-hearted way

Prominent Saturn placement in composite chart have feel like one of you will be looked up to, almost like a parent or teacher. This also works in synastry chart

In my experience, Virgos always have that selfish streak about them. Makes me want to kind of gatekeep certain things from them lol

In my life, a lot of Sagittarius women fell for Cancer men so much??? It's weird though, because I always perceive Sagittarius women as this ambitious, freedom-seeking, and sometimes even reckless in their emotional expression. But they ended up baby-ing these Cancer men

North node conjunct Chiron in composite chart is very karmic and hurtful, at least that's my experience. It's like the universe will forced the both of you to grow and change, face your deepest fears and even the worst version of yourselves.

Mars in 8th house composite: The Jealous Couple. The moment some b*tch tried to touch / talk to their significant other inappropriately, all hell breaks loose. Just don't. Even the most chill couple I know just won't sit quietly, they will fight with you. And don't get me wrong, this isn't about one person gets jealous of the other. It's both. Both of them have this attitude towards the relationship

Lilith in 1st house composite, both become each other's sexiest and darkest fantasies

I feel like a lot of people are obsessed with 8th house synastry. People actually imagined it to be this hades/persephone type sh*t where one person is obsessed with the other -reminds me of those creepy booktok girls who fantasize about getting kidnapped by handsome dude. While in real life, 8th house synastry can be so emotionally abusive and the worst part is, not one person in this person meant any harm or even have the obsessive qualities before this relationship. Which is why some people talk about this placement as if the people in it is "losing themselves", because they do might be changed, but not always for the better. Or at least, these people will be the worst version of themselves before they get better. In real life, if you have s*icidal tendencies or depression, this type of relationship can trigger you so much. Oftentimes, this person that you have 8th house synastry with represents both your insecurities and desire

There's something about Pisceans that somehow seems like "the perfect victim" with how passive and innocent they are, only later people discover how they hate feeling trapped or abused in anyway. The moment they feel slighted, they will remember it forever however due to their somewhat light-hearted and dreamy nature, they seems to forget about it so easily but they aren't. It's only a matter of time before they leave. Somehow, some way, with their passivity, it seems to others that they will just "accept" whatever treatment from others, but then you notice with time, they will be withdrawn and avoid you little by little. Piscesan reminds me sooooo much of Sagittarius (and yes both are ruled by Jupiter, which represents expansion) so the idea that they're this harmless, passive, innocent little baby who will stay there no matter what is so not true. They will avoid confrontation and will not argue with you about how wrong you treated them, but they will find an escape route

Sagittarius women really out there being the baddies and somehow fall for questionable men 😃

Venus in 7th house in the Solar Return Chart does not always means that you will find love that year. It could also means that justice will be in your favor

Those people with placements that aligns with your mercury sign can help balance your mental health

I'm not even sure if I've written this before, but all water signs are equally vindictive. They don't ever forget sh*t you did to them, especially the girls

Scorpios, especially the males, are attracted to dark, dangerous personalities, probably because in some sense they recognized that characteristics within themselves. However, once they become the said victims of those dark personalities, they will become too spiritual/religious, or further affected their narrow-mindedness (if they are already narrow-minded) and those who aren't narrow-minded initially, they will start to become one. They can even turn hateful. This is because in my opinion, like most water signs, they are can be prone to naivety. They genuinely thought that these dark personalities will do harm to others, but somehow not to them because they too recognized these characteristics in them. But these dark personalities, or just messed up people are not picky about their victims, they just victimize anyone in their way. This can create power struggles in the relationship or make the relationship too transactional because Scorpios will want to overpower the other, and would rather stay in this relationship (until they win the war, or get even, revengeful, etc) than to just stay the f away from these toxic relationships. This can create harmful patterns in their behavior where future relationships with others/new lovers will be filled with manipulations and "tactics" rather than sincerity

[5starwitch]

Astrology Observations

Jupiter in the 5th house have an easy time dating and usually have plenty of people that want them. This placement can indicate someone who parties too much. These people might end up having a lot of kids.

Chiron in the 10th house people may come off like they need to be saved or protected, even if this isn't the case.

Moon in pisces or the 12th house individuals need a lot of alone time. When they are in a really emotional state they tend to go to sleep to avoid dealing with their intense emotions.

Venus in the 7th house people find good manners and politeness attractive in others.

Saturn in the 6th house people love to have a daily routine they can stick to. These people tend to not like change. They feel their best when they have to-do lists and are able to check everything off it.

Mercury in capricorn people love in-depth research. They are not content with surface-level information.

Sun in the 3rd house people are really intelligent and make good teachers. They have the ability to teach themselves a lot of things.

Mars in the 4th house individuals may have had tumultuous childhoods and there may have been a lot of chaos or fighting while growing up.

Moon in the 9th house have a deep love for learning. They will be a student for life because gaining knowledge is an emotional need for them.

Jupiter in the 10th house may easily get promotions or find it easy to impress their bosses. They might also have a lot of luck when dealing with authority figures, such as charming a cop so they don't get a ticket.

[geostelar5]

So Punk!Percy is cool has a decent aesthetic and all but the problem I have is that Percy genuinely isn't a rebel and is mostly a straight laced guy who has a look and a few hobbies that make him LOOK like a rebel like Skating and Alt Rock.

He also is thought of as Lazy and Unmotivated, a rebel because of people judging his ADHD and Dyslexia symptoms without actually acknowledging that he has them and helping him adjust.

Like as soon as he has a teacher that actually likes him and tries to show interest Percy is desperate to be a good student and live up to those expectations. Both Chiron and Paul show that off.

Percy isn't a rebel or social outcast, he's just a straightforward guy who doesn't take shit from assholes. It's just most teachers judge him before ever actually knowing who he is.

No hate on the trope I've read posts where it's done VERY well I just find it funny that Percy is always the Punk in PunkXPrep Percabeth stories when Annabeth is the one who ran away at 7, who freely steals from mortals whenever it's actually needed and who is fully ready to shank a bitch no hesitation when needed.

Also Annabeth is the one who was partially raised by and looks up to Mrs.Spiked Braclets-Black-Leather-Green-Day Fan Thalia Grace. She has way more punk vibes than Percy.

[johaerys-writes]

Chapter 3: El Diablo En El Ojo

Read on AO3 | Read from the beginning

The western wind is hot and humid as it sweeps over the valley, drifting in through the half open windows. It brings with it the the smell of warm, freshly tilled soil, of hay and manure, the lowing of the cattle and the clop of hooves from the round corral where the horses train. Achilles heaves a great sigh, letting his gaze stretch far across the yellow-blue afternoon sky. 

“Abscesses, as our trusty compendium puts it, are a collection of pus or purulent matter among the tissues of the body, and are a result of acute inflammation; occurring in a weak or scrofulous person, they may last indefinitely, in which case… Achilles, are you listening to me?” 

Achilles reluctantly tears his eyes from the window to look at his tutor. Chiron is frowning at him over the rim of his round reading glasses, Dr. Hippocrates' thick Compendium of Maladies and Formulae open on the table before him. Achilles straightens in his chair, trying to look invested, and doubting very much that he’s doing a good job at it. 

“Of course,” he says. “I’m all ears.” 

“Oh yes, and they’re everywhere but here.” Chiron, of course, doesn’t look convinced. “Will you indulge me, then, by reminding me how to treat an acute abscess, in advance of a doctor?” 

Achilles takes a breath, trying to jog his memory. “When it forms near the surface, a poultice with flaxseed meal or bread and milk is preferred. Open and drain the abscess as soon as pus has formed, and keep clean with castille soap and water.” 

“Correct. And what if there are indications that the abscess is not near the surface? If it’s in, let’s say, the brain?” 

“Why, then, I think our fellow’s a goner, Chiron,” Achilles quips with a grin.

Chiron doesn’t seem to share his amusement in the slightest; he shakes his head and lets out a long-suffering sigh as he takes off his glasses. 

“I wish you would take your instruction seriously every once in a while, Achilles,” he tells him, setting down his now folded glasses on the lace tablecloth, and closing the big tome. “We’ve been here for the better part of the afternoon, and I doubt that even a third of that information has made it into that brain of yours.” 

Achilles stretches his arms over his head with a groan and arches his aching back. Though the chairs in his father’s old study are quite comfortable, it still doesn’t make it any more enjoyable to spend most of his day cooped up in the stuffy room, when he could be outside, working or training or riding until both his own and Xanthus’ skin are damp with sweat and glistening. The large clock on the far wall idly ticks away the time, an insistent reminder of how slowly it passes when he’s studying, and how fast it flows when he’s anywhere but here.

It's not that he doesn’t enjoy his lessons with Chiron. He does, a great deal. Chiron is a renowned teacher, with vast knowledge on pretty much every subject imaginable. There is nothing under the sun, Achilles thinks, that Chiron isn't at least a little familiar with. Every day, Chiron teaches him maths and language and science and philosophy, but his teachings don't stop there: his tutor often takes him to the stables, the pens and the fields to show him how to harvest plants, how to treat wounded and sick animals, how to read the signs in the sky, the clouds, the birds, the stars. 

There is no other tutor that could teach as much, and so effectively. Achilles is well aware of how lucky he is. But today, with the merry sounds of the ranch coming through the window taunting him, he simply can't sit still. His mind is elsewhere, miles away—or perhaps just a quick hop and skip away, where the stables are, where Patroclus is.

The mere thought of the boy makes Achilles all giddy and flushed. He's probably hard at work just now, tending to the horses or cleaning the stalls, his shirt sleeves bunched up to his elbows and the sheen of sweat on the back of his neck. There is nothing Achilles craves more after a long day of studying or working than spending the rest of it with him, and he knows Patroclus feels the same. The bright smiles he gives him whenever he sees him are evidence enough, and although Achilles gets to see them everyday now, they still feel like a rare gift. It hasn't been too long since Patroclus regarded him with wariness after all, but over the course of the summer, something has changed. Achilles feels changed just by being around him.

Achilles' heart skips and thumps in his chest. It’s been happening more often of late that simply thinking of Patroclus makes something warm and fuzzy blossom in his chest. It’s thrilling, but it’s also scary in its potency. As much as he likes spending time with his other friends, never before has he felt such a visceral need for someone else’s company. 

His father’s words, however, are never far from his mind. 

In the Great War, after men got their first kill… this is what their eyes looked like.

Perhaps it is Patroclus himself that scares him, sometimes.

“Chiron,” Achilles says after a while. “Can I ask you something?” 

Chiron, who was flipping through the pages of the medical compendium again and muttering under his breath about poultices and grain-pills of Hepor Sulphur to help hasten suppuration, blinks up at him. “Yes, of course.” 

Achilles licks his lips, swallowing hard. He doesn’t know how to ask the question without sounding odd, so he just goes for it. “If someone kills another person… does that mean they’re a bad person?”

Read the rest on AO3!

[my-pjo-stuff]

Chiron is neither a good father figure nor teacher. Alone the fact that something like the TA or Luke happened PROVES his incompetence. How do you not notice on of your campers being contacted by LITTERAL KRONOS!?!?!? It was canonically said that Luke was noticeably different after that quest. How come that it was bad enough for him to ban quests entirely BUT NOT ENOUGH TO GET THE KID SOME THERAPHY LIKE?????

And this isn't even mentioning how he's just straight-up playing favorites with the campers. I mean homeboy just straight up abandoned camp for a year JUST FOR PERCY! He also has a nasty habit of- for some reason- with holding important skills from campers for no reason at all???? Friendly reminder that Chiron had no reason to ONLY teach Thalia mist manipulation but no one else. The levels of asleep-at-the-wheel Chiron has at times are honestly impressive.

[nevraeldarya]

which PJO gods do the brothers hate most and the reason why? top 5

i wanna hear the brothers roast tf out of the gods 😎

Poseidonas :

1- Poseidon :

Do I even have to explain this one ?

Poseidonas like Zeus is also the King of the Gods in his own right, so seeing his counterpart being an irresponsible idiot who goes whoring around instead of doing his duty as the God of the Sea and seeing him listening to Zeus rules as if he isn't a king himself makes him want to kill Poseidon.

Also the fact that he didn't take responsibility of Rhea disgusts him. (He will never admit it out loud)

2- Zeus :

Poseidonas doesn't mind ROR Zeus because at least despite his stupid tendency he does his job.

This Zeus on the other hand is a spoiled toddler who doesn't even know how to run a kingdom or care for his people, on top of that he throws his responsibility on demigods and call it a day, prefers to blame other instead of himself when its HIS FAULT.

3- Athena :

Her existence for 1, the fact that his counterpart didn't take care of her for 2, and her way of talking is irritating for 3, he wants her to disappear.

4- Dionysus :

You call THAT a god ?

5- Hades :

This Hades existence is an insult to his brother.

Aidoneus :

1- Bianca : (despite not being a god)

Aidoneus cares a lot about his family he can't imagine himself abandoning them to get away from responsibility, Bianca wanted out and he hated her ever sense, it is also one of the reasons why he wants to keep Nico.

2- Zeus :

Why are you king when you don't know how to rule and make logical laws ?? An insult to any king on the throne honestly.

3- Hades :

He only noticed Nico when the boy did something impressive, in Aidoneus opinion that is NOT how a parent-child relationship should be and he won't let it happen once he gets a physical form, reason N°2 why he will take Nico.

4- Hera :

What the fuck is wrong with that woman ? He is baffled because he is used to his sister (ROR Hera) loving children no matter their origin, sure ROR Zeus doesn't cheat and the lot of kids they have all came from ROR Hera, but still had ROR Zeus cheated on her ROR Hera would have cut his dick off make a smoothie out of it and made her husband drink it as a punishment.

Hence why he is surprised that is one is : 1- weak to make a stand for herself, 2- blame the kids and the mistresses (90% of them didn't even want anything to do with Zeus)

Also she isn't a good queen or a mother. Last he checked ROR Hera didn't throw Hephaestus on purpose from Olympus.

5- Chiron : (despite not being a god)

Surprisingly this one is just a grudge because when Thalia got resurrect/came back Chiron attention shifted to Thalia (He didn't teacher her to manipulate the mist but taught Thalia), Rhea didn't notice much cause she doesn't care.

Also in Aidoneus opinion Chiron isn't that good of a teacher, he keeps information for the stupid kind of reasons.

Aidoneus whole beef with Chiron mostly started when Thalia came back, it was clear to him that he kind of wanted for Thalia to be the child of the prophecy, maybe because children of Zeus always won and did great things.

[skyes-sunset]

Percy Jackson Review/My Thoughts

SPOILERS FOR THE PERCY JACKSON SHOW AND BOOK SERIES!!!!! READ WITH YOUR OWN CAUTION!!!

I Accidentally Vaporized My Pre-Algebra Teacher

The opening scene is absolutely perfect. 10/10 Uncle Rick.

Please, please, please, pleeaaassseee tell me the Pegasus on the rooftop was Blackjack. I am begging.

Sally told Percy, "Not everyone who looks like a hero is a hero. And not everyone who looks like a monster is a monster," foreshadowing to Medusa.

Gabe is more of comic relief and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Sally Jackson listening to Logical by Olivia Rodrigo is the best because 1. I love that song and 2. she's listening to it in the rain.

d'Angelos sandwich shoppe?? Like Nico di Angelo? Please, please, please, please, please.

"You fell in love with God? Like Jesus??!" crying laughing. "A God..." followed by Sally sloppily trying to tell Percy he's a half-blood

No, mom, I'm not a God's kid there's something wrong with my brain. OMG I didn't know whether to laugh or cry in this scene.

"Grover, why is there half a goat in your PANTS?!?!" "So the important thing is not to panic."

"Is that the (voice crack) Minotaur??" Oh my, Walker you are perfect.

"I'm actually 24.." This had me rooollling.

Sally is already badass and I can't wait for The Last Olympian when Mama Jackson is shooting monsters with a GUN.

Grover swearing to Sally that Percy would be safe made me sad but it would have been 100000x worse if he swore on Styx.

"You are not broken, you are a miracle, and you are my son. Hold fast Percy."

Sally evaporating into dust hurt watching a lot more than reading, and

OMG OMG OMG baby Percy holding riptide and it glowing and my heart is crying I can't tell if it's tears of pain of joy but my heart and my eyes are crying.

"He's the one." "Hush, Annabeth." I was hoping to see her but we don't see her yet lmao

The end credits scene looks a lot like the same illustration for the covers of the paperback books.

When I saw this ep was only a half hour I was genuinely disappointed.

Dior's acting in this and her emotion when Clarisse's spear broke is perfection.

Never picked up on Annabeth calling Percy Sunshine

2. I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom

My first thought: scary lightning and delirious Percy.

My second thought: "You drool in your sleep," Annabeth said, arms crossed and glaring at Percy while Percy is confused.

My third thought: this is the scene in the books where Percy notices Annabeth looks like an actual Princess lmao.

Camp Half-Blood t-shirt!!! I want one and it looks soooo cooollll

PETER JOHNSON !!!

Dionysus and Percy already getting into it lmao

Dionysus is funny.

"Actually, I think I can, son." "Dad?!?!"

Chiron is sooo tall I never realized how tall a centaur is.

Chiron telling Percy he isn't his son is the funniest thing.

But imagine Mr. D doing that to all the kids lmfao

I love the waterfall that is shown

I want to see the strawberry fields...

Never surrender riptide, Percy. Never

12 cabins for 12 Olympians (for now; the Gods banished Zues and he doesn't have a cabin which is completely unfair. And only a few would be occupied. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, and Artemis are empty).

OMG Luke I hate that you're going to betray Percy like thatttt

Who tf is the wood nymph Grover talks to? And will she be the one to introduce us to Juniper?

Introduced to the Cloven Council early and we find out about Sally Jackson really early.

"I don't want to lie to him anymore," and we love you for it Grover. You are a schmol bean too pure for this world.

Luke comforting Percy

Percy already wanting to Gods to pay their child support is the best thing in the world.

Clarisse is so pretty and I love her.

Percy not being able to be good at archery is a great detail from the books.

I can't tell if I'm more in love with Luke, with his morally greyb self, or Chris Rordiguez because Damn he's fine.

Percy praying to his mom :'(

"He can ignore me but he doesn't get to ignore you."

The Ares kids are so mean and then they got their butts kicked by Karma lol

Clarisse def knew that he was a Poseidon kid or that she was gonna kill him.

I love Annabeth and how Luke is always on her side.

The Yankees cap !!!!

Literal war between red and blue lmao

Luke saying "When it's time, he's gonna be ready. I know it," immediately followed by Percy flossing, peeing, petting a lizard, and laying doing nothing is the absolute best.

Percy being naturally good at sword-fighting is the best.

Dior's acting when Percy breaks Clarisse's spear is great and Walker said in an interview that when the camera pans back to him he was actually scared.

Annabeth: Offers Percy her hand. "Listen, Percy... I'm sorry." And then him immediately being claimed

This is a change from the books because she didn't know who his father was and wanted him to be a Zeus kids.

Everyone else: OMG you're Poseidon's kids.

Percy: I'm Sally Jackson's kid, actually mf

"I am Sally Jackson's son!"

Percy immediately going from "good luck finding three idiots to complete this quest" to "When do we leave."

3. We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium

Walker's voice cracks are so adorable.

Am I the only one who was confused when Gabe showed up as the Oracle???

I love that Percy immediately chose Annabeth bcuz "I don't see us ever being friends"

Grover talking to a Pegasus is the best thing ever.

Why does Poseidon's cabin have a pool in the middle of the floor? Seems like a hazard in the middle of the night.

Yayy, Golden Drachmas.

And the shoes, curse those converses.

We actually get to see Luke's scar in this ep and i feel like in the books it seems a lot more... seen rather than just a thin line.

Thalia's treee

I hate that Grover often talks about himself in third person when he's not proud of something.

"Does she think she's in charge?" "Who else would be in charge?" Smart answer, Grover. Smart answer.

And we all already hate zeus

CONSENSUS SONG!!!!!!

"I really hate to be the tie breaker" lmao

Annabeth getting all the snacks.

And then immediately noticing a fury is how we all knew she was Athena's kid before we were even told.

Yayy, Alecto is back. And she went after Annabeth? Not Annabeth, Luke, and Thalia?

Annabeth's knife hits another Fury in the chest and dies.

I love Jessica Parker Kennedy's Medusa. she's both flawed and the victim and I couldn't decide whether to hate her or root for her. Like I love her outfit.

I would eat the hell out of the cupcakes lmao.

"Do you think it's safe to eat?" "Percy, I'm not gonna lie to you I'm really hungry and I'm willing to take that chance." Grover, I stan you.

I absolutely worship Medusa's story. It's so sad. And while she is telling the story, if you focus on her hair, you can see the snakes moving on her head.

Oh, Percy, my sweet, sweet boy. Of course you would help. Future wifie is like "Uhm, no. We need to leave."

I love the color of Medusa's eyes

Ohhh, these pre-pubescent kids fighting and making up is adorable <3

"They will see this as impertinent." "I am impertinent," another quote from the book.

Percy singing consensus is everything.

Min Manuel-Miranda is Hermes!!!! I love that man. "You guys are not gonna believe this."

4. I Plunge to My Death

This episode caused the most of my tears

Baby Percy is sooo cute I swear he is my life. I love the flashbacks. Except when they turn bad like this

Annabeth's story is identical to the books from what I remember

We find out Grover's interest in Pan a lot earlier than in the books. We don't see that until at least book 3.

We get to see the echidna. I really wanted it to be the Chimera to look like a poodle.

I hate Athena because she sent the echinda into her temple because annabeth "embarassed" her. Like really? Worst mother of the year.

Percy looking deathly ill breaks my heart.

Grover is literally me when I don't get enough sleep LMAO

The start of Percabeth's bickering and joking!!!

"It's like you need me to make fun of you."

The Policeman looks familiar.

Annabeth looking legit offended when she was called a little girl

The male police officer is played by Alessandro Juliani who plays Sinclair in the 100 on the Cw, another great show 9/10, highly reccommend

Percy and Annabeth bonding over Grover and their parents is adorable.

"careful I think you were about to call me a friend." more bickering and joking

Percy pulling a reverse uno card lmao

The fight with the chimera was terrifying but so worth it. Also why do you out my bby boi through this torture Uncle Rick???

Also the naiad?? what was with that? Why can't Posei-don't-wanna-pay-my-child-support just face Percy himself. That's gonna be a fucking emotional scene.

5. A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers

Percy climbed over the rail and was like : Hi :D

Thought Annabeth was gonna punch him not hug him but my percabeth heart was a puddle of fluff.

OOH. What's in Santa Monica?

Our baby is a fugitive.

Our three babies hiding behind the cement block from Ares: No we're good, thanks :D

Percy freaking out bc he thought Annabeth was freaking out she hugged him.

In the books Grover was always on Percy's side, but I love seeing him not choosing.

Ares is not as terrifying as I thought he was in the books lmao

"That's my cousin?" Percy said it with such disgust in his voice lmao.

Ares and his Twitter fights lol

Annabeth is fearless. I love it

Ares and Percy immediately having beef is the funniest thing because (in bellatrix voice) I KNOW WHATS GONNA HAPPEN! I KNOW WHATS GONNA HAPPEN! I KNO-

First use of Celestial Bronze!!

Annie geeking out over the mechanisms after trying to make a joke lol

WHAT IS LOVE? BABY DON'T HURT ME, DON'T HURT ME. nO MORE!!

Hephaestus was not at all ugly like Rick made him in the books. Or like Greek mythology made him.

The whole Tunnel scene was beautiful and sad and I love it

Grover and his psychological gaslighting is my world

"Percy stand up, I mean it!" and then him repeatedly saying he was ok broke my fragile heart.

Annabeth "I'm not leaving for my friend" is my favorite Annabeth.

Annabeth just likes to tell off Gods. Go off Queen!!

Percy likes to fight Gods lmao

"So thank you for the emotional abuse and the cheeseburgers."

6. We Take a Zebra to Vegas

Have seen TikToks where Nico and Bianca's names are called out and I will keep an eye and an ear out for it.

Why did they have to make Hermes an obstacle? He wasn't at the Lotus in the books!

Kronos is kinda creepy ngl

Iris message to Luke! In Chiron's office??

"Toss it, Seaweed Brain!" EEEKK

"How do you know" Luke had a Panic attack.

"When did you turn into an old married couple?"' Luke is the best and the worst.

Grover is the empathetic one, poor animals.

I wish we got the scene where Percy talked to the Zebra like in the book.

WISE GIRL !!!!!!!!

The satyr Agustus was not in the books. I actually think he was in the Cloven of Elders in the 4th book.

12:37 we hear Nico calling Bianca's name, faintly in the background so the tv has to be on full or almost full blast.

Lotus nectar in the air??

Hermes playing Blackjack?

"Hey, demigods! Welcome!"

Hermes eyebrows arch makes Lin Manuel look so evil.

"We're friends of Luke's!" and it looked like Hermes was gonna help but nooooooo!

Percy is so proud of his wifey for pick-pocketing Hermes

"Man, Grover got really old. How long have we been here?" hahahaha

"To the Dumb Kids" Damn, Hermes that hurts.

I love that since Grover is 24 they think he's qualified to dribve.

Percy driving is the best thing. I don't know anything about driving or New York or driving in New York but I do know about road rage and Percy hitting the horn after almost getting t-boned.

Percy finding out that they were actually late for the summer solstice was sad. Like he was freaking out.

"save the world. And then save your mother."

7. We Find Out the Truth, Sort of.

Underworld time!!!

Okay, but what the hell happened between the ending of the last ep and the beginning of this one??

Crusty is dead.

"You've got dad's eyes," reminds me of "You look exactly like James. Except your eyes. You've got your mother's eyes."

"It's either the realm of the dead or someone left a carton of milk in there in the 1990s.' LMAO

I wish the demigods' ADHD and dyslexia was more openly discussed.

I love Cerberus

Poor Grover. Loosing his pearl

I want to see Annabeth flashbacks

Seeing the flashbacks are so, so sad.

I will forever be in awe of Hades's Palace.

What were the regrets that Annabeth had to get her bound to Asphodel? I think it has something to do with her dad and step mom. Or Thalia.

"I trust your dad" says a lot coming from Annabeth because in the books, she hated Poseidon at first.

Why is there sand by Tartarus?

(Sarcastic gasp) Percy had the bolt? No way.

"Is this--?" "NO!" "This looks" "It absolutely is NoT!!" Grover my precious angel.

Another flashback. Poor Percy doesn't understand the situation and poor Sally can't tell him.

I love Hades. He's perfect and fruity and I can't wait to see him interact with Nico.

Poor Hades just wants his helm!

And Percy had decided to think without the wifey and decided to get Hades helm after figuring out Kronos was behind everything. And Grover is so insulted at being called a goat lmao

POSEIDON!!!

I want to know the science/mythology behind how Sally conjured Poseidon and why she put a match in an empty milkshake to do it.

We actually see how much Poseidon loved and cared about Sally.

What happened between when he was 7/8 to 12 that made Sally not want to drop him off at camp like she had discussed with Poseidon?? She wanted to, to keep him safe but then it seems like Poseidon talked her out of it?

Sally believes in Percy so much even from such a young age.

Ares with the sword and the final scene.

8. The Prophecy Comes True.

Dramatic instrumental music and Luke talking in the intro?? Yes pleaSe!

And then flashback to Luke training Percy.

Ares laughing at Percy when he offers to spar with him is the funniest thing because he's about to get his ass kicked!!

Did Ares work with Kronos in the book? I can't remember.

"when you die, say goodbye to your mommy for me" Low blow Ares!!!

Go Percy!! Fight with water! And Ares is pissed. Even more!

Riptide and Percy in one corner, Ares and another celestial bronze sword in another. And Percy wins!! By a mudslide! LMAO

I thought Alecto died? When she was turned to stone??

Alecto saying "Good luck on Olympus," is scary. Like hella scary.

Percy calling Zeus a monster is so, so, so fucking fitting like I swear.

We get to see Annabeth's dad's college ring!!! On her camp necklace! That she gave to Percy.

"I'm here to see Zeus. I don't have an appointment."

My roommate is watching this ep with me and when Luke said "You don't want to be small and scary" she said "like spiders! :D" he said "cus things that are small and scary get squished" we both laughed out loud.

RIP Lance Reddick but Zeus is an absolute DICK

and scary (said in meek voice)

Poseidon fighting Zeus is amazing!!!!!

Zeus: "He's a forbidden child"

Poseidon: "So was Thalia"

Me: "What about your Roman form Jupiter with JASON GRACE!!!!"

I squealed and clapped my hands

I wanted to see who they cast as Athena

Like will she be white or black?

Percy and daddy bonding over Sally has my hearts in pieces.

"Do you ever dream about mom?"

Percy run away from Luke! He will hurt you!

Why is Luke crying???

We get to see Backbiter!!!!

ANNABETH WAS THERE?????!!!!

"I heard everything!"

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

Percy got his first bead!!!

The third seaweed brain!

Percy calling Kronos grandpa is freaky

And Sally saying no absolutely fucking not

And Sally seeing right through Percy's bullshit lies

Sally is divorcing Gabe!! He is turned to stone LMAO

How long until season 2????

[wanderingmind867]

Ranking the Twelve Olympians (plus Hades and Hestia):

Ones I like:

Hermes: Hermes is a good guy. God of travellers and merchants and stuff. I kind of feel bad for him. The other gods have him run ragged. But he's a nice guy. I think it says something the Hermes cabin accepted all the unclaimed kids. Hermes was always there for those with nobody else to turn to. And if that isn't kindness and generosity personified, I don't know what is.

Apollo: From what I've read in the Titan's Curse, Apollo is one of the nicer gods. He's pretty kind to everyone, his poetry is bad but sincere (in fact, I didn't hate his poetry at all), Apollo is great. Better than his sister by a mile.

Dionysus: I'm not a drinker (I can't stand alcohol) but Dionysus isn't a bad guy. He's apathetic at Camp Half-blood, sure. But I'd be apathetic too if I had to spend 100 years around a bunch of immature brats. Kids can be awful, man. If I were at Camp, I'd be friends with Dionysus and Chiron. They're like teachers. And as I've always known: I tend to get along better with teachers than with other students.

Hephaestus: I'm not someone who likes to do work with my hands (I think even trying to work in a forge would go disastrously for me). But I like Hephaestus. He seems like a pretty good guy.

Hestia: The neglected Oldest child of Kronos and Rhea. Hestia is sweet, because she's content with her lot in life. She's just fine being ignored. Having a bunch of siblings more famous than you can sometimes make you bitter and jealous, but not Hestia. Hestia is just happy for them. And just happy to be included whenever she is included, I assume. The goddess of family and home and hearth, Hestia is truly worthy of praise.

Demeter: Goddess of Agriculture and food and stuff. I'm not a farmer or anything, but I can admire a lady who provides us with things like bread and grain.

Poseidon: Being that I have family from Newfoundland (even though I've never been), plus the fact that I love water and baths and stuff, one might argue I'm biased towards Poseidon. And maybe to some degree I am. I've never been on a boat and I don't like the beach. But I love baths and seafood and stuff. So I have nothing against Poseidon. He doesn't seem like that bad of a guy.

Ones I have complicated feelings on:

Zeus: Zeus is the king of Olympus. He's the greatest of all the gods, and it's to him we owe the heavens above. That being said, he does have a reputation for being temperamental (I believe) and for being a philanderer. So Zeus might not be the best god, but I think he's still worthy of our respect.

Aphrodite: I know Aphrodite can be vengeful and vindictive sometimes, but she can also represent one of the emotions we all feel. Love. Whether it be platonic, romantic or whatever, love is beautiful. So I can't hate Aphrodite completely. Besides, she's the oldest olympian. That's pretty cool.

Hades: Only reason Hades is here is because of the afterlife. I'm glad there is one, I just hate Asphodel and the Fields of Torment.

Athena: I like Athena because she's the goddess of wisdom and knowledge, and because her symbols are great (I love owls and olives). But she's also a goddess of war, and I hate war. War is never acceptable. Still, Athena isn't as bad as, say, Ares when it comes to warfare. At least she's got some other stuff going for her.

Ones I dislike:

Hera: Hera has an important role (I will acknowledge that), but she's still not very nice. Of the six kids Kronos and Rhea had, Hera is the worst. She's judgy to the point of excessive cruelty. She pushed Hephaestus off Olympus because he's ugly. And sure, she hates her husband because he cheats. But has anyone ever wondered why Zeus cheats? Because he's a philanderer, yes. But probably also because Hera is an awful wife. She's probably judging him constantly.

Artemis: Artemis is kind of misandrist. She hates anyone that isn't female, she loves turning people into animals, she sucks.

Ares: Ares may not be the worst god/titan/etc, but he represents a concept that I think we all hate. No war is good and just, war is always hell. Hard to respect the God of War when you hate war. Especially with how Rick Riordan writes him.

[vivitalks]

like a burst of technicolor in a world of black and white

for the prompt "painting nails" on my @jasico-challenges bingo card. guys i am really having fun with this bingo thing have yall heard about this. this shit rules anyway imagine an AU where trials of apollo is a collective hallucination we all experienced and then decided never to speak of again. and instead jason stayed at CHB after the showdown w gaea. okay you are now prepared for the events of this fic xoxo

title from extraordinary magic by ben rector :) read here on ao3

“How come you didn't go to school?”

Fair question, but pretty random.

They're spread out on the floor of Cabin One. When Nico marched in armed with a bottle of nail polish the color of a cloudless sky and insisted on painting Jason's nails, Jason tossed his sketchbook aside. Any activity with Nico is better than drawing shrines alone. 

Nico got to work and they descended into easy silence. Jason figured that was for Nico's focus, so he didn't break it, just allowed his mind to wander aimlessly.

When he tunes back in at Nico's inquiry, he sees two nails painted — left index and middle, coated in light blue. Jason has never had his nails painted. He doesn't know if it's always this soothing, but if it is, he can understand why so many people do it.

“You mean instead of staying at camp year-round?”

Nico nods and takes the brush to Jason's next finger. His face of concentration is extremely cute: narrowed eyes, teeth digging into his lower lip, one rebellious strand of dark hair he keeps blowing out of his face only for it to fall right back in his eyes.

“You could have,” he says. “You’d only have two years before graduation. Could get a diploma.”

Jason shrugs. “Yeah, but why would I? It’s not like I was getting a formal education before. Praetor was a year-round job.”

Nico hums. He's really very good at this. If the demigod thing doesn't pan out, he has a future as a manicurist.

“Plus,” Jason adds gamely, “I don't exactly have a parent or guardian to enroll me anywhere.”

“I'm sure Chiron would be more than happy to falsify some legal documents.”

Jason chuckles. “You think so?”

“Are you kidding?” Nico snorts. “Percy told me Chiron posed as his Latin teacher for a full year when he was younger. He would love to invent a transcript for you.”

Jason gives this a dismissive laugh so they can put the topic to rest. He thought about trying to go to school, for sure. He spent about six minutes seriously considering it. I could have some normalcy, he'd mused. Be a high school kid. Sure, I don't have any surviving mortal parents, or anywhere to live during the school year, or any money, or any previous course credits, or any documents to prove I'm a real person, but. Those are solvable problems.

Then he’d thought, Or I could stay at camp, and the decision made itself.

Maybe it's bleak to say, but there's nothing for him out there. In the real world. He has no memory of being a baby living with Thalia and his mother, and after that, his whole life was the legion. Training with Lupa was the closest thing Jason had to elementary school. Everything that matters to him — his friends, his family, his sworn duty to the minor gods — starts and ends in camp. His youth is tattooed with the brand of Camp Jupiter. His freedom is a leather necklace tied by Camp Half-Blood.

Why leave?

“I'm good here,” is all he says.

Nico isn't ready to drop it. “But then why stay here? You didn't want to go back to Camp Jupiter?”

Jason raises both eyebrows. “Did you want me to?”

“No!” Nico scowls. “I'm just curious.”

Methodical brush strokes turn Jason's fourth fingernail blue. It's a pretty color; Jason wonders what inspired Nico to choose it. It's probably not Nico's first time painting someone's nails, because he's very skillfully managing not to get any polish on Jason's skin. He has good hands for the job — thin and precise. Careful. Deliberate.

“The plan was really to split my time,” Jason says, just as careful, just as deliberate. “I was already at Camp Half-Blood, so I figured I'd spend a little while here, then a while at Camp Jupiter, and, you know, so on.”

“But…it's been two months,” Nico says.

The unspoken question: why haven't you gone back yet?

“Well, yeah,” Jason says. His own stillness is becoming uncomfortable. If he moves, he risks ruining Nico's artwork, but sitting this stationary isn't in his nature. Like most demigods, he has a compulsion to fidget. It's less noticeable in him — less than, say, Leo — but in moments of extreme stagnancy, it doubles down.

“Are you planning to go back at all?”

It's not an interrogation. At least, Jason doesn't think so. It's not small talk, either. Nico is his friend. This is a friendly conversation. There are no wrong answers here.

“Eventually,” Jason says. “To visit. But…to stay?” He shakes his head. “I don't think so.”

“All your friends are there,” Nico says, and he's still looking down, focused on his task, like this statement is a reflex, requiring no thought.

“Not all,” Jason says, watching him. “You're here.”

That gets Nico’s attention. He looks up. “Me?”

“You're my friend,” Jason says.

“Don't tell me you stayed here just for me.” It comes out like a bad joke. Like it couldn't possibly be true.

“Well…” Jason pauses. “I don't know if that's the only reason, but it definitely helped.”

“What? Are you joking?”

“Why would I be joking?”

“Because that's—” Nico stops halfway through painting Jason’s little finger. He gestures like words aren't enough. “That's crazy!”

“You just said I should go to Camp Jupiter because my friends are there,” Jason says, puzzled. “Why is it crazy to stay at Camp Half-Blood for the same reason?”

“I’m one person. Friend, singular. Meanwhile your entire cohort of friends is over in California.”

“Yeah, but…” Jason gnaws his cheek. He has this suspicion Nico won't like any of his answers, then decides he doesn't care. “They don't need me over there. I gave my praetorship to Frank, so I'm officially released from leadership duty, and I don't regret it for a second. It makes no difference to the legion if I'm there or not, except as this— I don't know, symbol of greatness that I…really am not.” He grimaces, examining his semi-painted pinky nail, this half-finished, imperfect thing. “Here, I feel like…maybe it matters if I'm here or not. And not because of who my dad is or my rank or anything, just because…well, we're friends.”

Nico stares. Then he lifts Jason's hand and starts painting again, picking up where he left off. With his gaze trained downward, away from Jason's, he says, “It does matter. To me.”

Jason smiles. He gets the same feeling as stepping outside in the morning into perfect weather — pleasantly, comfortably surprised.

“There you go, then,” he says. “I mean, if you want me to leave—”

“No,” Nico says quickly, then glares as if he's mad about being tricked into admitting he wants Jason to stay. Recovering, he snarks, “If you leave, I won’t have anyone to subject to my nail-polish schemes.”

“I bet Will would let you paint his nails.”

“Will wouldn't let me anywhere near him with any kind of artistic implement, as well he shouldn’t. I would absolutely deface him.”

“Honored that you've elected not to deface me.”

Nico turns a rosy shade of pink. “This time.”

This is that other kind of Nico threat, the kind reserved for friends. For Jason. The kind that, underneath, isn't a threat at all, but a promise.

This time means there will be a next time. That's Jason's favorite kind of threat.

“You're weirdly good at this,” Jason says. Nico has finished his left hand by now and moved on to the right. “Since when is this in your skill set?”

“Bianca,” Nico says. Matter-of-fact, without room to grieve. “A couple nights when we were in the Lotus Hotel, she asked me to paint hers. First time I tried, it was such a mess. She did mine to show me how, so I could learn.”

Jason catches his breath. “Clearly it paid off, ‘cause you're killing it.”

This was something Nico did with Bianca. And now he's sharing it with Jason. That gives Jason a feeling in his gut that's both warm and heavy, like a big dog is curled up in there, taking a sunbeam nap.

“You'll have to do mine after,” Nico says, still no-nonsense. “Black, obviously.”

“I don't have any nail polish.”

“I brought some. Lacy gave it to me. From Cabin Ten. Magical, so it doesn't smudge or chip.”

“I didn't even realize nail polish did that.”

“You have a lot to learn.” Nico nods sagely. “That's okay. Everyone starts somewhere.”

“It is very relaxing. I can see the appeal,” Jason admits. He wiggles the fingers of his finished hand, admiring them. “How’d you land on this color, though? Or was it just a random pick?”

 Nico looks strangely at Jason. Some of that blush from earlier returns. “You're…the son of the sky god.”

Jason studies the color. It's not quite sky blue, but close enough. “Huh,” he says, feeling silly for not having made the connection. “I suppose that makes sense.”

“Besides,” Nico says, a little quieter like it's not exactly for Jason to hear, but not not for him to hear, either, “it's the color of your eyes.”

That sleeping dog behind Jason's navel starts thumping its tail.

“Oh,” Jason says. He's not sure he could confirm that, but Nico sounds utterly certain. The fact that Nico has spent enough time looking at Jason's eyes that he can pinpoint their exact shade is its own can of worms. For future opening. At a later date. “Well, I like it. It's pretty.”

“Yeah,” Nico says, and his fingers press gently into Jason's palm as he continues to paint. “It is.”

[princessofghosts-posts]

Another Underworld sibling angst post because they are my favorites 🥺

We all know what happened to Bianca during TTC,when Zoë decided to pick her for the quest,Percy "promise" to Nico,and then what happened next. That's one of the most plot point talked about to this day. But the similarities that it has with Hazel going on her quest?

Nico lost his biological sister during a quest that was going to free Artemis (and Annabeth),a goodess that was trapped down by the weight of the sky by a titan. And Percy was part of that quest. Sure,he wasn't in the original set up,but he went with them anyway because he wanted to free Annabeth. Bianca died. And when Percy told him what happened (Chiron where was your "responsible teacher who has taught thousands of heroes and who has seen these heroes fall in battle" person at??) Nico flipped over. Then we got the big reveal of his heritage and he disappeared until the next book,when we see him being manipulated by Minos.

In SoN,Mars write down a Prophecy for Frank,and he has to pick up which people he want to go with. Since Percy was already on board because Mars said so,Frank chose Hazel as his third companion. Their mission? Freeing Thanatos,that was chained down by a giant. By doing so Hazel didn't know if she was going back in the Underworld,since Thanatos's job is to retrieve souls. Half of the time she didn't even know if she was going to survive this once they freed the god. Also,Nico decided to jump,disappearing for a while and we don't see him untill the next book,where he is trapped by the gaints.

See the similarities?

Nico watched Bianca being picked up by Zoë to go on a quest,trying to free Artemis and dying,feeling her dead,and having Percy telling him what happened.

Nico had to watch Hazel being picked up by Frank,going on a quest with Percy,trying to free Thanatos and being unsure if she was going to live after it.

The worst thing? He got to know that Bianca was dead,while he didn't know if Hazel could make it because he was in Tartarus. Until he saw her again,at the end of MoA,Nico didn't know if he still had a sister at all. And both of the time,it was Percy they went on a quest with.

And the best part? In SoN,when Hazel and Nico were talking about him,Nico told her that Percy was dangerous for his enemies,but if you are one of his allies? You don't need to worry about that,because he will stand by you. Nico trusted Percy with Hazel the same way he did with Bianca. He trusted Percy to keep Hazel safe,even with that happened with his other sister,and the danger of death coming.

This scene always made me realize how their love-hate relationship is done perfectly.

There are moments where they will try to strangle each other for things that are out of their control and not their faults (Bianca's death was her own choice,and Percy couldn't really promise Nico what he asked for; Nico "betraying" Percy wasn't his fault but Hades's,and he couldn't tell Percy the truth because of the stakes in HoO),and others where they will trust their own life,and the people they care for,in the other without a second question asked (Nico with Bianca and Hazel,Percy with the rest of the Seven and their mission).

They don't have the best "brotherly relationship" because of what happened between them,and some times they are bitter with each other because of it,but at the end of the day they are there when the other needs them most.

Nico also know that when it cames to friends and family,Percy isn't one to mess with. He didn't remembered him at the moment,but he was Hazel's friend. And we all know that Percy is fiercely protective of his friends. Nico know that she was in good hands,and this time he didn't need a promise for that.

And the relief he probably felt when he saw his sister again,finally knowing that she was alive,Thanatos didn't took her away from him,and she was there for him. And Hazel,that for at least half a book had to hear gods and monsters either telling her that her brother was going to die,or that he was getting weaker and they needed to be hurry up otherwise he was gone,finally seeing Nico again. She also didn't know if by the end of MoA she still would have a brother or not. Both of them were clueless of each other survival and took the gamble. And in the end they both survived.

Well know what happened next with the rest of the books. During HoH those two were so close,and it really put emphasis on their sibling bond. They just found out they were both alive and didn't lost the other,while trying to do some crazy shit that put them in danger,so they spent a lot of time together to make sure they were there. No one was going to take them away anymore. They were together in this.

All those posts about: "Nico watching Hazel going on a quest with Percy after what happened to Bianca",and how he must have hated Percy for it,make no sense because Nico didn't hate Percy the second time around,he trusted him; and during the first time he was also dealing with his feelings (pretty sure he didn't realized yet his love for him,but the religious trauma was there all the time),and the fact that the "hero" he envisioned couldn't save his sister. He didn't like the situation,because it was happening twice and in the same way.

Also,headcanon that Hazel doesn't know what happened during his trip with the statue,so she will forever be clueless about the fact that she was going to lose her brother again,this time almost permanently. Nico never told her because he didn't want her to know the full risk he was taking and how close to death he came.

This is probably canon or close enough since those teenagers won't speak about their trauma,and apparently Dionysus is the only therapist they have. And he probably have his hands full with just Nico,because that boy is straight up trauma glued together with some feelings.

[uyuforu]

hi uyu! i wanted to ask if there's any indicators on pursuing higher education on a course that we want? specifically in solar/lunar returns. in my understanding I think Jupiter in 9th house would be a good indicator, but I'd also like to explore other options. i appreciate the time taken to answer this if you ever decide to <3

mmh Jupiter in the 9H indeed is a good indicators, I have noticed that Sun too, or a stellium. Other indicators I have noticed related to my SRC:

I have looked at my SRC during my high school and College years, and I had Sun conjunct Venus the year I started loving to study. I was studying all the time because I really loved what I was doing.

My 9H was in Cancer and the Ruler (Moon) was in my 10H, which I had a stellium in. I was a very good student with good grades and I was extremely active when it came to my education. I started being called a "good student" by my teacher and classmates, as I was pretty lazy before.

The last year of high school, I had nothing in my 9H, yet my 9H was in Scorpio, and the ruler (Pluto) was in my 12H. I was feeling exhausted with me studying all the time and very stressed out, because I was so obsessed with the idea of succeeding. It was the finals and choice to go to college, so I was obsessed with studying.

The year I have started to realize I didn't like studying anymore and I didn't like college, I had Uranus 9H, my view on studies changed, and I overworked myself so hard in high school I just got a burn out and didn't like studying anymore. And my Ruler was in 12H again! Still a lot of stress!

My last year of college, I had Sun and Mercury in 9H, I was studying still. Funny thing is that my last year was during COVID time and I was at home. My ruler of the 9H was Moon in 4H LOL. I was studying at home. I was still studying a lot despite I didn't like anymore what I was doing.

Yet! 9H isn't only about studying! It's also about traveling:

The year I went to live in South Korea I had Pluto 9H. It was a true new start for me, and I was indeed changing life there.

The year I traveled in a very spontaneous way I had Jupiter 7H conjunct Moon and North Node. Yet my ruler was in the 2H, I did spent a lot of money on that lol (NYC so expensive). Chiron was there, I traveled to see someone who didn't come ;-; I mean my 5H ruler was in my 9H lol!

Anyway, hope it helped ^^

- uyu

[pjo-apollo-ships-tournament]

Apollo/Oscar Wilde VS Apollo/Sally Jackson/Paul Blofis VS Apollo/Eclipse!Orion

Okay, before I put the propaganda for the ships, a shoutout to the person who wrote the fanfic Eclipse, where one of the ships are from

@tsarinatorment wrote it and a link to the fic is here

back to our regulary schedualed program

Propaganda

Apollo/Oscar Wilde - Very dramatic

Apollo/Eclipse!Orion - He's Apollo's fated nemesis. His literal equal and opposite. Apollo cant stop thinking abt how hot he is even as he tries to gouge his eyes out. It's simply THE peak hateship

Apollo/Sally Jackson/Paul Blofis (Also long so it's under a cut)

- Poseidon said Sally is queen among mortals and she is the reason why he broke his promise to never have demigod kids. Do you think Apollo can resist that? He don't have high standarts when it comes to partners. They only must be hot.

Sally is writing a book. Yeah literature isn't really Apollo's domains (or it is idk he has shit ton of domains) and thatmeans they can bond over cammon interest.

Sally's love language is doing something for their loved ones, Paul prefers words and Apollo is perfectly inbetween as much as ancient laws allows him.

It's a really personal headcannon but i'm sure Apollo would get along well with Estelle. He might even take care of her if no one is available. 

Also Apollo is a doctor and we all know how expemsive USA healthcare is. Having a doctor nearby (not just any doctor too, he is a god) is pretty good especially when your son is well known demigod and there is a baby in the house. 

A little bit of joke side, can you imagine how pissed of (or supportive) Percy would be if he realises Apollo not only conquered his mom, he also got his stepdad and i think if anyone else learns about Poseidon's baby mommy and her husband dating Poseidon's niece there no shitting down the gossip hell.

Apollo thinks Sally positivly. She is kind, gentle, motherly and very very attractive. Again, even god of the seas couldn't resist her, what makes you think Apollo will be spared? He never forgets about good deeds done to him and i think he might have come to visit her once he is a god again. Their relationship might start to grow.. more intense.

Paul is teacher and Apollo loves teaching (Chiron). Since Paul is teaching problematic kids like Percy, Apollo might ask for some tips. He seems like a really cool guy too. We know he is hot and he never shunned Percy for his connection to gods. There is a chance he will be even more interested about that world and look, there is a really really hot god inside...

[starstwinkleplanetsshine]

Daughter of the Sea

Chapter Twelve: We (Try to) Capture a Flag (Read on Ao3 here)

The rest of the summer passed more normally, which felt strange after the battle. There were fireworks on the Fourth of July, and they were unlike anything I had ever seen. The sky was filled with moving pictures in every color imaginable, with the whole camp sitting on the beach watching in awe. It was the first time I felt any sense of joy creep back into the campers, and it was nice to hear people laugh and sing again. There were still too-noticeable empty places on picnic blankets, and sometimes you couldn't avoid bringing up a story about someone who wasn't there anymore, but for the most part, it was a beautiful time. I sat with Cadence and Will, as well as some of their friends, including a daughter of Aphrodite named Rosaline who I had heard a lot about but never met. 

The rest of the days were filled with training, classes, and lots of swimming with Percy. He was able to begin to teach me how to use and control my abilities, and I began to progress a lot faster with him than I had with Chiron. Percy also helped me with my fighting skills, since everyone said he was the best swordsman at Camp. 

And they weren't kidding. 

But even if I was getting soaked by my own tidal waves, or being slammed to the ground again and again, training with Percy was my favorite part of any day. He could always make me laugh and turn around any bad mood I was in. I felt like I had known him all my life—like even though we just met, our souls had been connected much longer. 

We were practically inseparable for the rest of the summer. 

The only downside to that meant I didn’t get to know Annabeth very well, since she and Percy seemed to avoid each other after their quest. I never asked him about it, and he never brought it up. It's the one topic I was too scared to breech. 

I finally got to talk to her during our last capture the flag game. Percy and I were on the same team as the Athena cabin, of course, and Percy was off trying to find the other team’s flag. For once Annabeth had decided to guard the flag, and she assigned me as her partner. We stood in silence for a while, both of us on high alert. I didn't know if she wanted me to talk, or if we should be silent so as to not give away our position. About fifteen minutes into the game, she finally spoke. 

“You’ve got pretty good skills for someone who just showed up here.” I looked at her confused, not sure if that was a compliment or a dig. 

“Umm, thanks. Percy’s been doing a good job teaching me.” 

Annabeth winced slightly at Percy’s name, and continued scanning the trees. “He’s a good teacher.” We were quiet for a while before she spoke again. 

“Lisen, I wanted to talk about Percy, actually.” I looked over to the blonde girl, and she continued. “You haven't known him for very long, but I need to warn you: he's the most loyal person you’ll ever meet.” 

I thought I had misheard her at first. “Why do you have to warn me about that?” 

Her eyes darkened. “Loyalty can be a dangerous thing, Angie. It can be good, of course, but if you put that loyalty above anything else…that's a liability.” 

I thought about that, and could see what she meant. I wondered if I had that same tendency. 

“Thanks for the warning.” I tried to make my voice as genuine as possible. I was about to ask about how they had met, and all the adventures they had, when two shapes came crashing through the thicket of bushes Annabeth had hidden the blue flag around. 

“Well well well,” Connor Stoll said as he grinned, 

“If it isn't the Pride of Athena herself.” Travis Stoll finished. 

“Too scared to take the flag on your own, boys?” Annabeth taunted back. 

Connor laughed as he gripped his sword, trying to figure out when to strike. “We work better as a pair.” Travis was inching his way around the thicket, trying to go for the flank. I kept my eye on him as Annabeth talked to Connor. I had trained with the brothers when Quintus disappeared and I knew their style—but that meant they knew mine, too. But I had been working with Percy for the past few weeks, and his style was completely different. I was ready to use that against them. 

“Impressed you found our spot.” I said to Travis. He stopped moving and looked at me. 

“Don’t be so surprised. Children of Hermes are very good at finding things that are hidden.” 

“Let's see if being the son of the god of thieves can help you take it, then.” 

Travis grinned wickedly, and a second later, Connor ran forward and engaged with Annabeth. At the same time, Travis broke left and tried to swipe the flag, but I was too quick. I swiped with my sword and he pulled back just in time to avoid losing his hand. 

“Nice work, Jackson! You’ve gotten quicker.” He pulled out his sword and we began fighting, him trying to back me up towards the flag and me trying to push him away. We both gained and lost ground, and I was wondering how Annabeth was doing but I didn't dare to look over. Travis was getting closer to the flag, and I had gotten my fair share of scrapes, when I heard Annabeth curse in Greek. 

“No! Angie, get him!” Travis saw it moments before I did, and he took off after his brother. I sprinted after them, trying to swipe at their ankles but my sword didn’t have the reach. They were getting closer to the boundary, and I was running as hard as I could but it wasn't enough. Annabeth was next to me, barely at my heels, when I heard something whiz through the air. 

I watched as Travis hit the ground, the flag falling with him. Connor kept running for a few seconds before realizing his brother wasn’t behind him, but by the time he had doubled back I already had the flag in my hand, and Annabeth was in front of me. I looked to where the arrow had come from to see Cady and Will, and a couple of their siblings, crouching in the bushes, smiling. Travis was beginning to get up, but was clearly dazed from the soft arrow that had hit his helmet. Now that the brothers knew there were archers nearby, they were more cautious, but not deterred. Connor spun his sword, trying to figure out how to attack Annabeth and get the flag from me, my weapon still drawn. 

I could see him working out a plan when someone ran across the creek, which was the boundary line, pursued by a group of about fifteen campers, all yelling and jeering at him. 

It didn't matter though, and a smile filled my face as I watched Percy cross the water, the red flag in his hands. 

He didn’t stop running until he was next to Annabeth and I. 

“Looks like I have to do everything around here.” He was grinning, and even Annabeth couldn't stop her smile. 

“Nice work, Seaweed Brain. But it would've been for nothing if Angie and I hadn't stopped the Twins.” 

I laughed—we all knew they weren’t actually twins, but we called them that, anyways. 

Percy shrugged. “Teamwork, right?” 

The rest of our team were surrounding us now, cheering and smiling and lifting the three of us on their shoulders. I was surprised to be included, and thought that just Percy would get the accolades. But it seemed that more people than I thought had seen Annabeth and I chase the Stoll brothers and get back the flag, and it felt surreal to be praised so much. 

The first time the whole camp had acknowledged me they had stared in silence, clearly not happy I was there. Now, they were cheering. They carried us to the clearing out of the woods, where Chiron awarded us with laurel wreaths and no cleaning duties for the next week. Even the campers from the other team congratulated us, except for the Ares kids, who looked like they wanted to have a rematch right then and there. I took that as a compliment. 

That night at dinner, Percy and I swapped stories about our time in the game, and he was impressed I could hold my own against the Stoll brothers. 

“They’re really good with swords, it took me until the end of my second summer to beat one of them.” 

I smiled at him, “I had a good teacher.” 

That night at the campfire I sat next to Annabeth, who seemed to be starting to warm up to me after our game of capture the flag. We laughed and danced like idiots and sang too loud, and it was like seeing a whole different side of her. I was used to the intense, calculating, and stoic girl who had everything under control, so it was nice to see her cut loose. As I watched her do the motions to a version of the hokey-pokey using Greek weapons, I got the feeling that we could be really good friends. 

I just hoped my brother wouldn't mess it up for me.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Daughter of Olympus (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: It's family time! -Danny Words: 2,295 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter / Next Chapter Listen to: 'Matilda' -by Harry Styles

XXIX: Not the Reunion You Wanted but the Reunion I Needed

Ara's surprised to see her two parents pick her up from camp. The first thing they do is hug her so tightly that she feels like they're about to break her in half. 

"Guys—the windpipes!" She chokes out.

Sally's crying, and Ara doesn't know what to say to make it better. She wishes she could ease the woman's mind, but lately, words of wisdom aren't coming to her in handfuls.

"S'alright," she mumbles, gently rubbing her mother's back.

"Hi, sweetheart," Paul pinches her cheek lightly. "Ready to go home?"

The trip back is quiet. Usually, Percy and her talk, and their parents listen. Today, all she does is stare out the window while her dad tells her about the school she'll attend next year.

It's hard to come to terms with how weary she is. Life is not simple and she's barely halfway through ninth grade. Things change, you fall for people when you least expect it, and then you build an entire life around... What? The idea that nothing will vary but it won't feel the same way twice?

Sally goes directly to their apartment to tidy up the kids' room before Ara gets there, and Paul asks if Ara can check the car before going up. She feels there's more to this than just a regular check-up, but she stays either way.

The girl opens the trunk and takes a look. "What's wrong with it?"

"The breaks are stiff. No cushion."

Ara stares blankly at her dad. "Cushion?"

"When the car stops it screeches," he rephrases.

"Which side?" Paul points to the left. Ara glances at the tire, then shrugs. "Could be the brake pads or the cylinder thingy."

"You can fix it?"

"'Course I can. I'll take a better look tomorrow," she gives him a brief smile. "Is that it?"

Paul steps forward and places a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I know you like helping, but here you are our daughter and nothing else. Understand?" Ara nods. "Good. How've you been?"

"Well... I guess I could be better." 

Ara tries to be strong, but she cries as soon as she locks eyes with her father. Paul is the only person she feels is safe to cry to. Sally needs her to be calm, the camp needs her to be brave. But Paul? He just wants her to be his daughter.

They grew fond of each other fast, Chiron always felt more like a teacher and didn't fulfill the requirements to be a father figure. Ara used to think that she would never know what having a dad felt like, but when Paul entered the picture, everything changed.

They had been a beautiful family for a year and a half, and she'd loved every second. Now that Hera has stolen an important piece of them, Ara is angry and frustrated, and the worst part is that she doesn't feel allowed to be, part of her thinks it's her fault.

"We'll find him," Paul rubs her back. "It's only a matter of time, and time moves fast when you keep yourself busy."

Ara hiccups. "I-I don't want my mom to see me like this..."

"I think she needs to see you like this," he retorts. "She thinks you're bottling up your emotions."

"I just don't want her to think... that I'm not strong," the girl sobs.

"You're fourteen, Ara, you don't have to be strong all the time," he guides her into the building. "Let us worry for you."

Tomorrow will be my fourteenth birthday, and today is the first time I'll be a real player in Capture the Flag. Rest assured that I'm planning to win. There's a problem, though, Percy and all of my friends from the Hephaestus cabin are playing against me.

"Hey, Connor," I approach trying to look tough. "Hope your loyalty isn't compromised..."

"What do you mean, Jackson?"

"Lily plays opposite tonight," I raise my eyebrows.

He looks a little worried, maybe he thinks I'm charmspeaking him. I wouldn't do that, but I do think it's fun that he thinks that. "Don't know what you're talking about."

Travis walks past us. "She's talking about your fat crush on Saggio..." 

Connor laughs nervously, his skin glows silver. "That's crazy!"

"Listen, we all know it. Except for Lily. Maybe."

"Don't worry, Birdy," Travis walks past us again. "I'll keep an eye on him. And you."

I snort. "Good luck."

After dinner, Sally enters Ara's bedroom and sits on her bed. "Would you like a bedtime story?"

Ara fidgets with her blanket. "Do I really have to go back to school?"

The woman sighs and rubs Ara's leg over the blanket. "We should be together."

"What if that puts you in danger?"

"Ara, I love you as much as I love Percy, and as your mother, I want you around no matter what."

"But the camp—"

"You can go on the weekends. But you need to attend school, and you need your parents. Chiron agreed."

"Chiron wants me out of camp because of the stupid prophecy," the girl blushes at her own outburst. "Sorry."

Sally continues in a calm manner. "Well, that's all the more reason. I want to spend as much time with my daughter before her untimely demise."

"That's not funny, Mom," Ara makes a face.

"You know what's funny," the woman gives her a playful look. "I don't think I ever heard you ramble about a boy like you did tonight."

Ara groans, falling back on her pillow. "Mooom..." 

"It was like the time you found that bronze dragon, and all you wanted was to—"

"He's called Festus now," Ara informs her. "It means Happy. Leo named him—he also named my lion Pollo. Leo thinks it's funny. He's weird..."

"You like that he's weird?" Sally smiles knowingly.

"A little," Ara blushes. "Don't tell dad."

"He's just sorry that you're no longer a little girl..."

"Well, if it makes him feel better, I decided not to pursue Leo," she replies.

Sally frowns. "Why?"

"Mom, it would be so much work. I don't have time to—"

"Are you marrying him?" Sally raises a brow.

"What? No, of course not!" Ara exclaims.

The woman chuckles. "Dating is not rocket science, Ara. You should try to have fun with it."

Ara stares at her mother. "Like it's a themed park?"

Sally eyes her with worry. "How long has it been since you did normal teenage things?"

The girl shrugs. "I went to the mall a few days ago..."

"The one where you found the lion?" Her mother asks pointedly.

"Okay, fine. I've never had a 'normal teenage experience'. Bit impossible to achieve being who I am."

"Promise me you'll find ways to have a good time, at least," Sally puts a strand of hair behind Ara's ear. "Don't feel pressure to do anything, all I'm saying is, you're safe in the mortal world. Try to enjoy it."

To be honest, Ara's not sure she remembers how to enjoy life.

She believes she's safe here, though. Even now that things got hard, her parents don't blame her for what's happening. She loves them and she wants to be a good daughter, so she's willing to let go of most of her guilt and try to be happy for them.

Yet... she can't stop feeling uneasy. Nothing has felt right ever since she turned fourteen.

Beckendorf made a special armor for his group that works like a chameleon's skin. Silena and Annabeth asked me and Lily to find them.

"Here!" My friend seizes me by the back of my armor, almost choking me. We're a good team, Lily and I.

Luckily for us, the boys didn't hear me dying, they were too focused on the dangers ahead. 

"Myrmekes," Percy mutters.

"Holy Hephaestus!" I stand up from behind the bushes. 

Both boys jump in alarm, Percy knows right away what I'm thinking. "Don't get any closer!" He and Lily say at the same time, both scowling.

"Look at it!" I exclaim in disbelief.

The thing is the size of a refrigerator, all gold with strange ridges on the sides and a bunch of wires sticking out at the bottom. The ants turn it over: It's an automaton's head. I gasp and try to walk towards it, but Percy pulls me back. 

"Easy, Dr. Frankenstein!"

"A head..." I say in awe. "A dragon's head!"

"It's a sign from Hephaestus," Beckendorf agrees in astonishment. "We have to stop them."

"What? Why?"

Before we can do anything, Silena and Annabeth stop us. Beckendorf sneaks away when they get distracted, and the Myrmekes get him. See, if I had gone after the head, this wouldn't have happened, but no one listens to the little girl.

To save our friend, I pull out the metal detector I built a summer ago (Percy and Lily look at me as if I'd planned this from the start) and turn it on. The thing goes crazy right away, there's a huge trail of mud on the side of the hill, so it's easy. We find the rest of the body in less than ten minutes. 

My friends help me get the dragon's head down, and Annabeth says she's not ready to try this out, so Percy replies something pretty cheesy.

"Get out of the way!" I scoff, squeezing between them. Gods! Falling in love distracts people from what's important. 

Annabeth asks Silena for her dagger and opens the dragon's panel on the back of its head. 

"Well, those who don't know anything about machines, step aside," I kneel next to the automaton's neck, eager to put it together. "Hello, baby! Are you ready to come back to life?"

"Ara..." Lily crouches beside me. "Keep in mind that this thing's unstable, okay?"

"It's a machine," I roll my eyes. "Just needs an adjustment and it'll be good as new..."

"There's only enough time to activate it," Percy reminds me.

"Okay, well, you guys are being super helpful," I reply sarcastically. "Hephaestus wanted Beck to find this. We're safe."

I take off my helmet and study the loose wires. Annabeth leans down next to me and helps me where she can. We work together to reattach the head, and our hands end up greasy and bruised.

"It's done?" Lily asks.

I share a look with Annabeth and nod. "Think so."

Percy asks how to turn it on and Annabeth and I point at the two large rubies. Its eyes have to be turned clockwise. My brother makes a couple of sarcastic comments that I prefer to ignore.

"Everyone take cover," without further ado, I turn its eyes.

I watch as the machine comes back to life. The best thing ever created in camp is in front of me, and I finally understand what Hephaestus means when he says that it's possible to build perfect things.

The earth shakes as the dragon gets up, bathing us in the dirt. As a way of celebration, it shoots a column of flames straight into the sky. "Fire!" I exclaim delightedly.

"Well," Percy stammers. "It worked."

The dragon looks at him and comes to sniff us. I'm beyond happy, but my brother looks terrified. I see him grab his sword and I spring into action. "Hello! Hey, cutie!" The creature watches me closely. "Listen, there's a son of Hephaestus in trouble!" The dragon tenses and waits for instructions. I look at the others smiling. "See? He'll help."

"How do you know that?" Silena asks unconvinced.

"I don't!"

"Perfect," Lily groans. "We're letting the crazy one lead the mission. Beckendorf is so lucky..."

We guide the dragon to the ant nest, but I refuse to leave it alone. 

"Ara, stop being so frustrating!" Percy snaps at me.

"I don't want it to get damaged!" I complain.

"I'll stay with her!" Lily offers. "If things get hard I'll drag her ass away from the forest—Go!"

Maybe it's because she's Annabeth's sister, but Percy feels comfortable leaving me in Lily's care, except maybe when it comes to training. Though he can't deny that all the muscle and height I've gained it's thanks to her and Michael.

"Our parents will kill me if you die, so don't!" Percy warns me. 

"Mike's going to kill us..." Lily says grumpily.

We spend the next twenty minutes decapitating Myrmekes (my sword is really good at it) and helping the dragon up the hill. It's a miracle we don't get splashed with their acid.

"You had to obsess over the wild dragon!" My friend yells from behind me. "I'll need a nap after this..."

"You can sleep during my birthday if you like!" If we survive.

After the dragon tears down the roof of the nest and drags our friends out, what I was fearing starts to happen: the dragon melts with the acid the creatures are throwing at it. 

Beckendorf yells at us to get away from it, I do it only because I trust he'll save it. When we're out of reach, he yells a command and lightning shoots out of the automaton, electrocuting the ants around it.

Beckendorf tells me it was a bad idea to activate it and insists that it's too unstable. I'm forced to accept that maybe he's right once the dragon charges at us. I follow Beckendorf to the top of a small cliff and watch the automaton, its behavior feels strange. 

What if it's following us because he's waiting for instruction? Suddenly, to me it looks like a puppy following its owner, excited to play. "Beck..." I start, but he doesn't want to listen.

"Now!" Exclaims my friend, and he pushes me so we land together on the dragon's back.

"Wait!" I urge him. "It doesn't want to hurt us!"

"He tried to toast your brother's face!"

"He's energetic!" I insist. "Can't you feel it?"

Beckendorf seems to understand what I'm talking about, but he still rejects my idea. "It's too unstable, Ara."

"But—"

"We'll come back for him," he promises. "For now, it's better to deactivate it."

I really don't want to, but I trust Beckendorf, he would never lie to me, so I give in. "Ugh!" I yank open the panel. "You do it!"

Beckendorf rips out the cables from inside the dragon's head and I try not to feel guilty as the dragon's eyes turn off and it freezes up in place.

I tell myself it'll be okay. Beck promised we'll come back soon.

Next Chapter ->

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