#demigod infighting

[my-pjo-stuff]

I think it's so weird when people say that Luke caused infighting within the demigods/CHB as a way to criticize him in the context of "I agree with his opinion, but he had the wrong way of doing it" Because this implies the chance of a united demigod front in the first place, which just doesn't exist! As bad as it may sound, there is no WAY that every demigod alive will ever agree to overthrow the gods! The demigods just aren't united- they never were to begin with! On no level were they EVER truly united. Even within Camp Halfblood or Camp Jupiter you still had some degree of infighting and they are supposed to represent a united group in the plot!

Percy (as of now) would never go against the gods in a full-out rebellion. Neither will Annabeth- not to mention all the younger demigods who have yet to see the truly horrid side of their gods. or any other MC for that matter! And even if Luke (somehow) got all of CHB on his side- there are still the Romans he'd have no chance of contacting. As hard as it may sound- Luke's only options were either splitting off with the TA and causing "infighting" or just never rebelling in the first place. Because a united demigod front where EVERYONE agrees to end the gods is just straight-up impossible.

Oh and since we are on the topic- the closest we EVER get in terms of a united front with no infighting IS INFACT THE TA.

[katyspersonal]

What is a piece of soulsborne lore that just utterly drives you mad?

Not going to lie, it is a hard question.. I just like or at least accept everything in these games? There ARE some "would have been more fun/deep/interesting" moments on my end, but canon decision is never BAD in my eyes! But my mind is legit blank in terms of "getting mad"! (Unless you meant mad as in, madness and not as in, anger?)

The closest to being angry I've gotten was the thing about Radahn as Miquella's consort! And, no, it is not about hassle of some Malenia-hating Redditors "getting validated 😥" or #shouldhavebeengodwyn thing! The story is NOT concerned by petty fandom infighting and its perception should not be dependent on it! And Godwyn was ALREADY in love with Fortissax! When he wasn't, he was getting so gay with his Knights that they straight up rebranded into Death Knights instead of complaining about something-something against the order! He was TAKEN!!! Cope and SEATH! xD /hs

It is... hard to explain, but it felt like a wasted concept! I realized that I'd prefer Miquella of all characters to not have a pair in canon. The God that wants to embrace everyone and love everyone should not pick a favourite. He is not ALLOWED to pick a favourite! Conceptually! It appears that Greater Will set up a standard for anyone who wants to shape the laws of nature to have a pair, right? Placidusax was a partner of previous Elden Ring's owner, Marika had two consorts and Two Fingers sent you to be the third... Looks like the rule is unbreakable, right? Except for one character...

Ranni was set on walking her "dark path" to Godhood alone, and we had to do a bit of insisting to join her! So, all in all, Miquella needed a consort because he wanted a consort! Divinity is scary, and it must be even scarier in solitude, so, I understand! Like, I sure can't even tell the guy to "grow up" for AT LEAST two reasons hfhfjdjg

But, I think he should have forsaken the biases. To love everyone or no one, to be omnipresent... Heck, keep the whole plot about a vow and clinging to Radahn, just with the plot twist of him getting "enlightnment" that he should not embrace one above everyone else! I know that he discarded his love, not his promise. Well? Discard it NOW, then? He should not at least because Radahn would be his weapon? But he wants a world WITHOUT war and battles! I don't know, I just feel a strange type of jealousy I can't explain well... Having a fav doesn't fit his concept of divinity for me. In fact, it strains the vibe of being "embraced" by him because there is always this Third Guy just standing there (menacingly). What, he will force everyone to not just be friends, but also polyamorous now? I mean he might as welllol hfhggvfj Argh. Him not being able to overcome some weakness, fear, clinginess and bias in spite of all is not a BAD story, but it could have been better? Yet I still wonder whether I am right or my preferred idea is a boring cliché and I misunderstood Miyazaki's genius of subverting it! Nor I know why what I am feeling is def a type of jealousy. Oh nooo, has he charmed ME? LITTLE PRICK!!!

Here are a few other things that I am not as happy with, but nothing critical:

Fanart sabotage: Like not making it clear enough that the guy from Scholar of the First Sin cover that holds the crown is Aldia, not Vendrick! He misses Vendrick's trademark braids (that were present even in his youth, mind you!) and has wizardy aesthetic instead of Vendrick's warrior one! Or making the idea of the statue behind Memory Altar in Bloodborne being Caryll easily skippable because this asset is also used literally everywhere in Chalice Dungeons! Or not placing Gold Pendant on the bearded guy's statue in Research Hall, so one has to admit Laurence had a beautiful beard gfhhfj Little things like this, that guaranteed absence of some cool fanart rooted in the source material! Not lore but Fromsoft's way to present things, but still!

Skipping what Demigods Vyke and Bernahl fought: I love, love, LOVE the way Miyazaki deliberately removes some pieces of the puzzle from the story that IS full in his head, to imitate his childhood experience of reading foreign books but not knowing many words! It is an interesting approach, allowing people to fill the gaps with their own imagination! But in THIS case particularly, I didn't like it. 🤔 This is a bit TOO important to miss out on. Like, bro... there were 4 deceased Shardbearers nothing and no one ever mentioned! The whole lore acts as if they never existed! They erased this part of lore so hard it ripped a HOLE in the page!

Creighton reappearing in DS3: I do not dislike what the writers ended up doing to him, but.. at the DS2 time, there was a room to speculate that Creighton was not the unhinged murderer he appeared as! But instead, a trope of a guy who just has negative charisma and SPEAKS like a serial killer! And that maybe Pate actually framed him or something like that! Creighton's lore was kind of vague in DS2! Creighton doesn't even have Mirrah accent, ffs! You know who does though? Pate! Buuuuuut, in DS3, they just straight up confirmed that yeah, he just likes killing. There is no mystery or complexity to him now, he is JUST like that. Sure, why not, but also why? ;-;

Gnarrl being patched out: Keeping the concept of Dragonic Sentinel to a unique character was a way cooler idea! Even if they just could not come up with a better boss to gatekeep Leyendell/Death, at least keep his name as someone who started the trend and others followed!

Put him back. NOW.

Characters disappearing: Again, not really a lore thing, but a presentation thing! But I am talking things like, missing out that the "female archer" in the woods in Dark Souls 1 IS Pharis herself, or that there is a stated female character Knight Amerix amongst the Forest covenant! Why people need to look through Japanese guide to know this info? Or missing the fact that Queen of Lothric is not Gwynevere? (Granted, this is a fault of English localization...) I'll dig out every single obscure gremlin from under the ground!!! Don't fuck with me!!!!!

Priscilla being discarded at birth: I can't criticize this idea at all, it works for the story and as a perfect reflection of how society of Light worked! But I can FEEL mad about it! Gwyn spared a baby dragon (Midir) on condition of having them be of help, Gwyndolin is here, Yorshka is here despite also being half-dragon and also having connection with Lifehunt ability, so tell me why-

Tell me why ONE baby of Seath just straight up got abandoned? Based on what feature others never got? This is needlessly cruel! Like, yes, it works for what it does, but I still will strangle all of the characters involved in this decision! Granted, I gave it a bandaid of saying Seath and Caitha had Yorshka after Gwyn's death now that they were left together in grief, but it doesn't exempt Seath from Priscilla being ditched! Shira I think is also his daughter ("daughter of the duke", also has white hair in concept art and Sam hair as Yorshka in game) but she is doing fine! So, he just dislikes children who remind him of his mortality? What about Yorshka, then? Is she here because she formed as a dragon "differently"? Full disrespect to this cringe looser 🤦‍♂️

Hilde being dead: They've ruined perfect Moonrithyll x Hilde yuri is what they did. Literally the only Fire Knight to be dead and it had to be her. Why could not we have just fought her as a unique mob? :pensive:

_______________

Okaaaay I think this should be it! If you wanted me to finally say something besides devout praise to Soulsborne, I hope that was enough? xD

[bricko-mcfisto]

So I wanna talk about Elden Ring, specifically about the final boss of its DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, specifically about some of the controversy and fandom infighting I've seen and some of my own thoughts about why they did what they did.

Obviously, spoilers beneath the cut.

So, instead of Godwyn we got Promised Consort Radahn and the reveal that Miquella had been thirsting for the Starscourge as his lord and consort since before he was even called the Starscourge, and some people are pretty disappointed about that, and honestly I am too, but...I want to take a stab at trying to explain why.

As youtubers like Zullie the Witch have started delving into Shadow of the Erdtree's lore and assets it's pretty obvious that indeed as has been said already, the content in SOTE was part of Georgie Martin's lore bible that he wrote for the game, and honestly I think this is the root reason for why it was Radahn at the end of the DLC and not Godwyn.

George RR Martin is a man kind of famous for his painstaking detail even where it's not always wanted, such as his notorious quote asking what Aragorn's tax policies were after Lord of the Rings, and Radahn's presence in the DLC answers a question that while maybe not important to most of us would have absolutely been something he'd have included in what he wrote for Fromsoft.

Why did Malenia and Radahn fight? It's a question we never get an answer to main game, I don't think we even get any real hints. Personally I didn't think it was that important, the entire point of the Shattering War was that it was bad and the demigods going mad with newfound strength so does it really matter what their specific supposed reasons were for annihilating the countryside?

However, George Martin absolutely would have included the details of why that war happened, what the goals were, the point of it even was, and thus...we see Radahn's place as final boss and Promised Consort.

Now do I know this for fact? Obviously not, I'm inferring based on my understanding of Martin's writing and the general level of historical detail in Elden Ring's base game and how neatly the rest of the DLC fits into the history and worldbuilding of the base game, and the fact that George kinda feels like the only explanation?

Promised Consort Radahn is kind of unprecedented in terms of Fromsoft's DLC boss fights. The closest we've ever come to something like this was in Dark Souls 2, with things like the Squallid Queen summoning Velstadt and the optional powered up, Cool Ranch flavored Smelter Demon, both of which don't even come close.

This would be like if the Artorias of the Abyss DLC in Dark Souls 1 had like the Four Kings again but more powerful and "in their prime" as the final boss instead of Manus. It would be like if the final boss of Dark Souls 3's last DLC was Lorian revealing that while he liked his brother he always thought Yhorm was super cool and wanted to marry him and you then fought them both together. Really the only reason I can think for why Fromsoft would do something this unusual for them is because it's what George wrote down when detailing the events of the Shattering War and why those battles happened.

[massiveladycat]

PART 4 OF ROGUE DEMIGOD EXPLANATION

LORE The rogue demigods of Manhattan consist of demigods who have been either banished from or otherwise separated from their respective camps, as well as those who never made it to a camp in the first place. They're a diverse bunch, with members coming from different backgrounds and cultures. Many of the rogues have struggled with homelessness and poverty, and hardly manage to survive in Manhattan. OLD OCS A rogue demigod named Orlando Palmer, the son of Hermes. Orlando used to be a member of Camp Half-Blood, but was kicked out for conspiring with the Titan Army. Many of the demigods who were also working with the titans had followed him, joining the Rogue Demigods. He became a Runner.

A rogue demigod named Amani, the daughter of Hecate. Amani was never claimed by her godly parent and spent most of her life on the streets before being discovered by the rogues. She is highly intelligent and skilled in magic, and has proven herself to be a valuable asset to the group; she was actually the leader of creating the barrier to protect the camp. She became a Diviner.

A rogue demigod named Kai Malvern, the son of Jupiter. Kai is a tall and imposing figure, with a powerful presence and a fierce determination. He was once a member of Camp Jupiter, but was exiled after a heated argument and brawl with a superior officer. He is now one of the Commanders of the rogue community in Manhattan, and is respected and feared by those who know him. He is a Commander, and was a Tunneler before he was chosen to become a Commander.

Ethan Newton is a 19-year-old rogue demigod with a calm and collected personality. His father was Poseidon, the Greek God of the Sea, and he has the power to control water and breathe underwater. He's highly respected among the other rogues for his strategic thinking and calm demeanor in battle, and also his stubborn loyalty. He is a Tactician.

Emma Fielding is a  21-year-old rogue demigod with a fierce and independent spirit. Her mother was Nemesis, the Greek Goddess of Revenge, and she has the ability to analyze and understand situations with great precision. She's often seen as a vital part of the camp's planning and strategy, and is highly respected for her ability to think quickly and rationally in high-stress situations. She is a Tactician.

Thomas is a 30-year-old rogue demigod with a gruff and practical personality. His father was Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, and he has the power to generate lightning and command storms. He's seen as a tough and battle-hardened warrior, and is often called upon to lead the other rogues into battle. He’s scarily ambitious. He’s a father of three, and a loving husband to his wife. He is a Strongarms, soon to be selected into a Commander.

Lora is a 17-year-old rogue demigod with a kind and gentle personality. Her father was Apollo, the Greek God of Music and Light, and she has the ability to heal and manipulate light. She's often seen as a valuable support for the other rogues, and is highly respected for her compassionate nature and her ability to bring joy and warmth to the camp in difficult times. She’s a nurturer. The civil war among the rogue demigods of Manhattan had been brewing for years. The initial group of demigods had managed to build a safe community for each other, but as their numbers grew, tensions began to rise. In the midst of the chaos, Amani stepped up and used her magical powers to create a powerful barrier around the camp, designed to keep out both mortal authorities and other demigods who may want to do them harm.

Despite the barrier, the rogue demigods were still beset by constant threats from both mortal authorities and other hostile demigods. The group grew increasingly paranoid and secretive, leading to mistrust and infighting between members. Some believed that the barrier was doing more harm than good, cut off from the world and vulnerable to attack from within. Many people didn’t want to get their skin seared so they could go in and out of the barrier as they pleased, because the practice was painful.

As the group continued to bicker and argue, the tension finally boiled over into a full-scale civil war. The group led by Orlando and Kai, found themselves in direct opposition to the younger members, led by Emma and Ethan. Both sides were armed and determined to defend their beliefs, and the fighting quickly turned brutal.

The war raged on for days, with casualties mounting on both sides. Ethan was killed protecting Lora and Amani, and Kai was severely injured in battle. Thomas’s son, Georgie, who’d been working to help the demigods fighting for the barrier, had been one of the casualties. As the dust settled, it became clear that the two factions were at an impasse. A temporary truce was called, but no one was sure how long it would last.

The civil war had left the rogue demigods wounded and divided. In the aftermath, the survivors must rebuild and try to figure out a way to move forward. The scars from the war run deep, and the tension between the factions remains high. Thomas was able to stop the civil war by talking to all the key players involved and getting them to a table for negotiations. He was able to convince them to put aside their differences and work together for the greater good of the camp.

During the negotiations, Thomas was able to get everyone to see that the fighting was doing more harm than good. In addition to negotiations, Thomas organized a series of meetings and discussions where everyone had the opportunity to air their grievances, express their concerns and work towards a better understanding of each other's perspectives. These meetings became a safe space where people could share their thoughts, feelings and opinions, and work towards a common goal.

Throughout the process, Thomas was able to use his leadership skills to keep everyone focused on the bigger picture, and to ensure the negotiations remained civil and respectful. With his help, the rogue demigods were able to reach a truce and stop the fighting.

From then on, Thomas made it his mission to ensure that the Gatherings were a permanent part of the camp agenda and that everyone felt heard and included. He became a leader who was respected not only for a calm, cool head in moments of crisis but also for his ability to bring people together and find common ground. ROGUE DEMIGOD GROUP GATHERINGS One of Thomas' most significant contributions to the camp was the creation of the Group Gatherings: periods of social interaction and training where everyone in the several camps would come together to discuss issues and build camaraderie. These Gatherings were often called after or before battles, but also occurred regularly as a way for the members of the camp to stay connected and build a sense of community. Thomas was instrumental in establishing these Gatherings as a regular part of camp life. The Gatherings were not only a place for the rogues to socialize and train together, but also a way for them to discuss important issues and make plans for the future. They were an essential part of the camp's development and success, and played a key role in fostering a community spirit and a sense of unity among the members of the camp. They helped with emergency drills, deciding how to teach youngsters, discussing a problem between factions, et cetera.

These gatherings happen six times a year; once in January, once in March, once in May, once in July, once in August, and once in October. There are other Gathering events, like emergency gatherings.

[golvio]

One of the less jokey reasons why I’d love to see a Cultist Simulator style game with Ganondorf is because I feel like a Ganondorf game would be the best opportunity to explore a side of Hyrule we’ve never seen before.

CultSim & Book of Hours were all about this secret side of the world devoted to magic, the eldritch and esoteric, and the forces trying to suppress it so individual quests for ascension don’t cause too much collateral damage (which then go too far, as police and bureaucracies often do). The game’s format itself was based around peeling back the layers of the mundane world to get at that secret world, and from there to go still deeper to discover the purpose of your game and possibly ascend to godhood/end the world/etc.

In Zelda, we get constant vague references to a secret occult world—a cult of dorks in black robes who live in the woods in AoC, a reference to an unnamed tribe of dark mages in FSA, mentions of “lost writings” or deteriorated scripts holding forbidden knowledge in TotK, etc. And there are countless witches here and there, from Maple to Twinrova, which suggests there might be at least a couple less formal covens kicking around, some transference of more secret magical knowledge between masters and apprentices throughout the ages.

So…who are these people learning this obscure and sometimes forbidden knowledge? What eldritch secrets are there to actually know, beyond the bright and fenced in path of what Princess Zelda is taught, diluted down to “what Link/the player needs to know in order to do their job?” Who keeps preserving the knowledge of Ganon’s existence? Who keeps trying to resurrect Ganon and why?

Not to mention who are these people, specifically? Cultist Simulator featured all sorts of factions that borrowed inspirations from everything between Mesopotamia to the lost ceremonies of the Mysteries of Ancient Greece to the Spiritualist and Occultist movements in the UK and US in the latter half of the 19th century. On one end, you had grand spiritual societies like the Ordo Limiae, which devoted itself to the study and navigation of boundaries between the occult aspects of magic, only to dissolve into countless schisms and petty infighting once the society’s heyday had passed. Then you had more recent up-and-comers like your own cult, with even more petty infighting and backstabbing between upstarts jockeying for ascension into the Mansus in the vein of Aleister Crowley’s rivalry with William Butler Yeats. Then there are the Libraries, which each devote themselves to the collection, preservation, and distribution of occult knowledge, as well as the containment and dispelling of cursed tomes that could be dangerous to the general populace. And then that’s not to mention what the Edge folks have going on, with the underworld organizations that traffic in tallied years of life, loosely organized bands of monster hunters, that one Edge/Heart cult that was “a society of physicians and duelists” obsessed with the saving and taking of life, and so on.

What kind of networks of occult knowledge would a hitherto squeaky-clean and spiritually orthodox universe like Hyrule have? What other gods are out there, once you stray from the kingdom-approved domains of the church of Hylia and vague myths of the Golden Goddesses before her, beyond even the more localized shintoist style cults in isolated villages worshipping local nature spirits and tutelary deities? What were the networks of people both Ganon and his mothers studied under, who made Twinrova who they were, and, in turn, made Ganon who he is?

Who is Ganon to these people? An aspirational figure? A god/demigod the mages just getting started down this path whisper prayers to? A fellow acolyte of forbidden knowledge they could learn from? A rival to backstab to guarantee their own ascension? A resource to exploit? More importantly, how does Ganon feel about all this? Does he ever communicate with any of these people, or does he fuck off to a tower somewhere until Link shows up and the cycle starts over?

I doubt anybody at Nintendo has ever thought about this as hard as I do, but overthinking is kind of my thing. Right now, I’m overthinking the question of “Where the hell do all these dark wizards keep coming from?”

[pain-is-too-tired]

HC that Chris Rodriguez fought his whole life just trying to be loved.

He grew up not knowing who his dad was.

And his mother hardly gave him the time of day either. Only ever seeing the unknown man that left her with a child.

Chris did everything to garner any sense of pride fron her. But he always saw her happier with the kids she drove around as a bus driver then himself. That despite being her flesh and blood, he was always her last favorite child.

Even when he started going to school, the route his mother drove wasn't thier own. He rode to school on another driver's bus.

His aunt was really the only one who made him feel like he was wanted by someone at the time, but her and his mom fought so much he hardly saw her.

He was attached by a monster at school who pulled him into the office posing as a vice principal, he just barely managed to be saved by a Satyr and soon taken to Camp Half-Blood. Immediately, he took to Luke who made him feel at home in the Hermes Cabin.

He never went back home. It took forever to be reported missing, but it didn't really matter to him.

He grew bitter over his father never claiming him, a feeling encouraged by Luke's talk of the gods. Finally know somewhat of his heritage made the years dealing with the bitterness his mother had feel even worse.

But at camp he felt that he at least found a home. That he was loved and seen as family. That he wasn't a least favorite anymore. He had family and friends.

But he never stopped being eager to please.

When Luke betrayed camp,he was filled with mixed emotions,but when Luke asked him to join he did so without hesitation.

He became his right hand,often handling the demigod side of things why Luke seemed busy dealing with the Titans and monsters.

Chris got Hermes more diplomatic side. He could keep tensions down and kept the demigod army from infighting. A skill Luke know he had from his interactions with Clarisse back at camp.

But Chris quickly became disillusioned with it as Luke drifted further from them. Chris felt like he was desperately struggling to keep his affection and attention, and when he got any interaction with him and ended in arguments over the treatment of the demigods in the army.

Chris took care of the younger demigods that monsters like Mr.Thorn dragged into the army. Training them and doing his best to keep them from being pulled into dangerous missions. Giving them the attention and love he hardly got.

So when a young demigod named Mary was tasked with going into the Labyrinth to find Aridane's string,Chris immediately volunteer to go with her. To not only protect her, but in hopes to get Luke being proud of him again.

Not too long into the Labyrinth they'd been captured by Antinous, forced to fight in his arena.

Mary ended up being killed, and Chris just barely managed to get out alive.

Even before Minos he had been spiraling. The sense of dread, failure and loneliness tearing him apart inside out.

When Minos cursed him, he was left a shell. Stumbling the Labyrinth's path alone.

Weather by some miracle, or some form of intervention, he stumbled out just near where Clarisse was. Somehow making his way out of the Labyrinth on his own in state of insanity.

Chris, who been use to being left and forgotten about his whole life, suddenly had someone fighting to keep him alive. Someone who wanted him there. Who devoted time and effort to be there for him.

His father, whether during or after, finally decides to claim him. But it all feels sour to Chris. And really, at this point, he given up trying to get his attention.

Once he's cured, he fights with his own guilt and sense of feeling like an outcast. But Clarisse, Silena and Charles support him. The Stolls are ecstatic that Chris is alive and with them again. He feels at home at camp. He feelings wanted.

He gives up trying to appease adults/ parents for an drop of recognition. It doesn't mean he's not bitter, seeing Hermes' obvious favoritetism towards Luke why those in his cabin fight for his attention leaves him frustrated. But instead of letting that anger build up, he gives his energy making up for his father's faults.

He makes the choice to be better then Hermes, or Luke. To not be consumed with himself or his anger.

A kid who grew up fighting to love and belonging makes it his duty to make sure others don't have to feel the way he'd felt.

He has friends. Family. Someone who loves him. He doesn't need much more then that. Not anymore.

[enkinaru]

VII - The Chariot

Namuraphar, a scion of Exerey and a demigod queen of the Copper Cities. For thousands of years, she keeps constantly infighting clans of the Cities under her control - obviously, mostly by force.

[look-mom-percys-on-the-tv]

so they changed Athena...

spoilers below for all the five books and for the new show!

In the books, Annabeth claims that Athena guided her to where she found Luke and Thalia.

Her own father couldn't look after her, but at least Athena did *something* (it also seems they're changing the baby luke/thalia dynamic... I'll make that post later....)

throughout the series, Athena ONE: helps Percy avoid capture so he could live long enough to save Annabeth from Atlas&co. in Titan's Curse. TWO: warns Percy that his friendship with Annabeth is dangerous FOR THEM not just the world, showing she cares, and kind of takes a "dumbass boy isn't good enough for her" additude and THREE: votes to kill PERCY because he was dangerous to the gods' existence (show viewers, dw, that will make sense in time!) which shows she is on the side of Olympus (relevant later)

In this show, however, she is shown as uncaring. both in her viewing demigod children as "gifts", as mementos of her godly grace, and in her severely punishing the slightest misstep, targeted specifically at the one person who worships her most, she objectifies her children. They are but reflections of herself, testimonies to her vanity.

When the og trio are in the humane zoo truck in book one, Annabeth and Percy theorize that Athena will take Zeus's side if Zeus fights Poseidon. However, if Percy could potentially prevent a war, what motivation would Athena have to stop his quest? If the war was truly over nothing and would further prevent the recovery of the real Lightning, what is such a war worth to the goddess of wisdom? Either Athena felt secure in her choice because she knew Annabeth would be isolated and believed Percy would succeed without her (slash didn't care?? somehow???), she somehow BELIEVED Zeus's accusation of Percy, despite that in the books it's hinted that most of the Olympians even think said accusation is fucking stupid, or she truly prioritized her wounded pride over a godly conflict, which would be a diversion from her book characterization (I told you it was relevant!) of being both cold+merciless AND levelheaded.

first off: shoutout yo everyone who's parents take things Personally with a Capital P.

secondly: I almost have a hard time believing these are the actions of the goddess of wisdom. What it DOES achieve in storytelling, however, is changing Annabeth's internal conflict from the books. Places her closer to the other campers, all struggling with whether [REDACTED] (<-the real lightning thief who's name some of y'all don't know yet) was right to cause the main conflict of the series, whether to join him.

but that gets me thinking... [REDACTED] and his patron achieve their goals through deception, manipulation. to build resentment and infighting inside the Olympian family between the gods and demigods alike. Twisting a god to their will to carry out their wicked tasks in book one.

And in the book, THEY were the ones who not only sent Medusa to Percy, but Echidna as well, straight from the patron's home in Tartaurus. In fact, [REDACTED], in a scene which was omitted from the show, summoned a monster inside a sacred ground which was meant to keep them out just like what happened at the Arch in the show!

just some food for thought :3

[palevulture]

the physical nonhuman community is genuinely in a bad state and i don't think it will ever be fixed until people learn to stop being losers over semantics and accept people as they come (provided they're not the uwu im an alpha werewolf demigod type we all despise) or until actual scientific research gets put into our existances... which will likely never happen. (hey remember how in 2012 there was supposed to be a big reveal of nonhumans to humans? what happened to that lol)

like. genetics only get us so far. they do not explain mythic shifters like mermaids, dragons, etc, or even prey shifters (how would prey shifter lines survive?)

but yet. nonhumans unexplained by genetics exist. you can jump thru as many hoops as possible - there is no genetic explanation for *some* nonhumans. or, you can go the worst route (shecuntmode) of "no shifters except wolves and some other predatory mammals exist" which is also fucking bullshit because if they don't exist.... why do they. why do they exist. no really, explain to me how nonhumans i can verify as real exist when they are supposed to not exist. u can't. congratz. you have seen the flaws in your argument.

genetic only explanations are palatable because it's what makes sense, yeah? it gives some credibility, yeah? but it is unsustainable and only causes infighting and genuinely harmful beliefs and cults to form.

yes. your "genetic only" belief is just as harmful and prone to cults as the "anything is possible" / "anyone can shift" belief is.

bad people exist and champion both sets of beliefs. one belief as for why or how we exist is not superior - i have met people on both sides who are nonhuman thru and thru. I've also met fakes and wannabes on both sides.

idk man. use like, basic understanding and deduction skills here. it's not that difficult to ensure that we both stop infighting over shit neither side can prove 100% that applies to all nonhumans, while also keeping people who are lying for that nonexistant shifter clout out of the community.

[wagahai-da]

it's really funny how so many biblical studies scholar want the hebrew bible to be like. texts of Resistance(tm) to empire and want so much for it to be all coded polemics against babylon and persia and the seleukids and rome

and it's like ok there ARE texts like that but they are BARELY encoded like if they're about that they'll be like "oh this giant beast with a big horn came from greece and demolished a bunch of other beasts in one fell swoop and the name of those beasts were persia-animal and and medes-animal and the beast conquered the whole earth but then the beast died and four little beasts rose from the corpse with their own little horn and started fighting each other and they were ptolebeast and seleukabeast and macedonibeast and lysimachbeast and the ancient one made them fight to the death. the angel told me this was about imperial wars in the far future (written in present day dialect)"

but then there'll be a text like "oh yeah the angels intermarried with human women and defiled themselves and became impure so they must be exiled from the sanctuary and their bastard children who keep eating everything and doing bloodshed must be eliminated because they're a defiling mixture of spirit and flesh oh also they taught people improper things and that's Bad Knowledge make sure to only listen to authorized knowledge" and people will be like ah yes this is about the hellenistic rulers and it's a polemic about the stories of heroes being demigods to make fun of those rulers and the bloodshed is wars and it's like. my friends this is clearly inward-directed polemic. this is judean infighting

[theamityelf]

Honestly, i'm OBSESSED with your Danganronpa x Percy Jackson AU and i wanted to know some stuff (you can make separated if you prefer !)

- What are the team in capture the flag ?

- Do you think Aoi and Kiyotaka say weird stuff about nature that freak out people ? (Ex : Kiyotaka : Yeah i can tell that one of those flowers is slightly hungry, let me get her some soil)

- Do the Greek and the Romans know about eachother ?

(Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoy it. 😁)

First of all, I like to imagine that Makoto's kind of treated as, for lack of a better word, a mascot to the campers; just this mortal guy who is cool and friends with everyone. Less off-putting than the Oracle. So maybe he gets to blow the conch shell before and after the game, just because they like involving him. For Capture the Flag, I'm going to say Apollo, Ares, and Aphrodite vs. Hermes, Athena, and everyone else. So, side 1: Sayaka, Leon, Mukuro, Junko, Hifumi, Toko, and Hiro. Side 2: Chihiro, Mondo, Taka, Celeste, Sakura, Aoi, Byakuya, Kyoko. (I think the initial status quo is that the V3 cast isn't in either camp.)

Absolutely. I think Taka would be more frequent and casual about it, like, talking about the "infighting" of plants and weeds vying for nutrients. He's just taking a walk and then he suddenly stops and says, "Uh-oh. They're fighting." And he crouches down and takes some time guiding plants' root systems so that they'll both survive. "There. You almost choked the life out of each other!" Whereas Aoi is usually pretty lowkey about her heightened awareness of the sea, unless something particularly excites her. She'll just be dancing in place with pent up energy, and if someone asks what she's so hyper about, she'll answer that there's a great riptide off the coast of Brazil right now and she really wishes she were swimming there. Other than that, she will hold full conversations with fish in front of people.

I'm going to say the camps do know about each other, but they try not to interact much. There are rules about staying separate except during sanctioned meetings, though some characters break those rules. (Hajime in particular probably can argue, and has argued, that he isn't a demigod and so the rule doesn't apply to him.) Maybe they have occasional camp vs. camp competitions, for the gods' entertainment or glory.

[cutesilyo]

your dearest kin, below the skin — a pjo fanfic

Somehow, while going through the set of books about his son's future exploits, Poseidon had gotten the idea that Percy would eventually shape up to become perfectly obedient, loyal, and respectful to the gods. So when a new arrival slammed the doors open and Annabeth Chase gasped in delight, all Poseidon could do was lean back in his seat with a wide grin on his face.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Percy said, obviously exhausted.

Poseidon felt a bit faint, and he vaguely recognized the demigods sharing popcorn at their feet.

TAGS: Humor, Family, Family Dynamics, Family Drama, Mild Swearing, Reading the Books, Without Them Actually Reading the Books, Percy Jackson is So Done, Good Parent Poseidon (Percy Jackson), Crack Treated Seriously

Also available on: AO3

—

It was a normal day in the throne room when Percy Jackson finally appeared.

Or, you know, as normal as it could be when demigods from the future arrived with a stack of books and orders from the Fates that they needed to “process its events” and “re-evaluate the relationships between the Olympians and their children”, whatever that meant. Hestia had noticeably perked up at that news, while Hera rolled her eyes so far back that Poseidon was surprised she hadn’t ended up permanently staring at the back of her skull. Poseidon himself didn’t really see how the books could help with the Fates’ goals, but he wasn’t about to argue. After Zeus was assured that he’d find whoever stole his stupid Master Bolt by going through the chapters and convinced that yes, Hades had to be summoned from the Underworld if they wanted to do things right, he had allowed them to begin the reading with a childish huff.

If the Fates wanted them to better their family relations, this was certainly an interesting way to go about it. As they read more chapters and more demigods joined in, it had become increasingly evident that things were going to get worse before they were going to get better. Poseidon grew apathetic to the new flavor of godly infighting the third time that Zeus blew up at something the book said, which — all things considered — happened a lot farther along the first chapter than he expected. He almost felt some sort of brotherly pride, had he not been completely overcome with grappling something else.

More than anything, Poseidon was restless to see his son. How had he grown? How was he faring? And, most importantly, how much did he identify with the demigods’ obvious resentment of the gods? He felt fairly confident that Percy was loyal to them, and Athena’s daughter had been making comments that alluded to a close father-son relationship in the few times she’d spoken. And even more damningly, if the withered tendrils tying him back to his old powers of prophecy were correct, all this together meant that Percy would become a great hero for Olympus.

So surely, this meant that his son was a shining beacon of light that exemplified how the demigods were at their best when they pledged their allegiance in service of the gods. Scratch that, his son was definitely being built up to be the hero of the looming Great Prophecy — he simply had to be on their side.

As they kept reading about Percy's exploits and how much he had suffered during his quests, Poseidon only felt more and more secure in his belief that Percy Jackson had the forgiveness of a saint. He had certainly inherited his mother’s goodness and tenacity, and it was clear that his drive to continue serving the gods despite everything had obviously inspired the rest of the demigods to do the same. Honestly, Poseidon didn’t even know how Percy could handle everything that he’s been through; if he was in his position, he probably would have defected just like Hermes’ boy did. But that only made Poseidon all the more proud. Whenever Percy arrived, he would definitely put all the other demigods in line and remind them of how gratifying it was to fight for the Olympians.

So when the doors slammed open and Annabeth Chase gasped in delight, all Poseidon could do was lean back in his seat with a wide grin on his face.

Percy Jackson took one look at the throne room, stared straight into Zeus’ eyes, and let out a huge groan.

Poseidon’s grin slipped.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Percy said, obviously exhausted. “I told you I was off-limits for the rest of the month, and I meant it! All I asked for was no quests, no impromptu visits, no sudden teleportations into my apartment, no bothering me when I’m doing camp duties, and certainly no summons to Olympus! Are you seriously that desperate that you’re willing to hold my friends hostage just for me to do your bidding?”

The throne room was in stunned silence. Zeus overcame his flustered state first, a thunderstorm brewing in the room. “Boy, how dare you speak to me like that—”

But Percy talked over the King of the Gods like it was nothing. “Zeus, please, we’ve been over this,” he said exasperatedly, holding his palm up like he was talking to a toddler. ”You have to respect my boundaries when I set them. Otherwise, we just can’t have a good working relationship, and where would that leave you?”

Zeus was so dumbfounded the storm disappeared. Aphrodite dropped her compact mirror. Hermes actually looked up from his phone. Apollo was in so much shock that his light dimmed. For the first time in recorded history, Athena’s jaw was on the floor. Poseidon felt a bit faint, and he vaguely recognized the demigods sharing popcorn at their feet.

Through a particularly large mouthful, the elf-like Son of Hephaestus said, “That’s the good stuff right there.” The demigods around him nodded sagely in agreement.

This must be a trick, Poseidon thought helplessly. Someone must have used magic to impersonate his son. Perhaps an eidolon possession. Impressively powerful charmspeak. Maybe he’ll wake up and this will all have been a prank by Morpheus or something. There is no way that the future hero of the Great Prophecy was someone so . . . inflammatory! That his son, that Sally Jackson’s son, was someone stupid and impulsive enough to so nonchalantly talk back to the King of the Gods in his own throne room in the full presence of all of the elder gods and Olympians—

Ichor drained from his face as he recalled all that they had read of Percy from the books so far. Poseidon cursed internally as every single time he talked back to one of his fellow immortals and every single time Sally talked back to him flashed in his mind. He had been so caught up in the joy of learning about his only demigod son that he forgot about the sea’s unruly nature.

Suddenly feeling drained, Poseidon sighed. “Perseus, if you could please refrain from getting yourself blasted . . .”

Percy turned to face him, his eyes swirling with a ferocity so reminiscent of Kymopoleia’s storms that Poseidon could feel himself immediately developing a migraine out of habit. “Dad, don’t tell me you’re in on this,” he said, betrayed. “I don’t know what else you want from me. You already keep me so busy helping out with Atlantis, and you promised you’d help me keep them off my back.”

Hades raised an eyebrow. Dionysus mumbled something about pitying my future self, oh my and surely father will let me get drunk at least once.

“I did?” Poseidon said.

“You did!” Percy whined, practically pouting. “You even said you’d let me annoy Triton my entire stay next time I visited!”

Poseidon melted a bit. Even in his older state, his son was so adorable — and a lot less cold to him than the other demigods were to their own respective parents. He even all but said that he was regularly visiting his kingdom. He could see why his future self allowed his impertinence, even if it said impertinence was to extreme degrees.

Whoa, hold your horses, Poseidon thought. This is the child of the prophecy. The Great Prophecy itself. A bit of snarkiness is cute from a demigod, but this is the hero that holds the fate of Olympus in his hands. Shouldn’t you be a bit concerned?

Then he took a moment to look at his son’s puffed-up cheeks and promptly struggled to think clearly about the situation at all.

Percy, who was not privy to his father’s internal crisis, crossed his arms and continued. “And now I find all my friends sitting down at your feet? I really expected better from you, Dad. Though I guess it wouldn’t be the first time a god forgot about their promises . . .”

Poseidon winced. But before he could clarify that he was not the Poseidon of Percy’s present, a loud scoff echoed in the room.

“You forget your place, demigod,” Hera sneered. “We are gods. We are not beholden to you.”

Percy narrowed his eyes at her. “Oh, please. You say that like you didn’t come crawling to my feet for the last Great Prophecy, my lady,” he said, mockingly, seemingly oblivious to how most of the gods were now glowering at him. Artemis had split her arrow in two. Percy barreled on. “Anyway, I’m not listening to the words of some cow dung goddess. Let’s just get things over with so you can send me and my friends back home.”

Ares banged his spear on the floor. He roared, “Why, I ought to send you to Tartarus, punk!”

“I’ve already been to Tartarus, dipshit. Try again,” Percy deadpanned, like it was as simple as walking through the park. The temperature in the throne room plummeted, and the gods stared at him, unsure what to make of this information. Apollo, apparently sensing the truth in his words, sent Poseidon a pitying look — which just made him feel worse, really. This boy was going to age him centuries prematurely and he hadn’t even done much more than open his mouth.

In the oppressive silence, Percy simply rolled his eyes. “Come on. You know this. I know you know this. Or is it so ridiculously beneath the Olympians to make note of any mortal affairs that you’ve already forgotten?”

The gods collectively bristled while the demigods collectively frowned, with Aphrodite’s girl grasping Annabeth Chase’s hand in a gesture of comfort. Either that or she holding her back from starting a knife fight, who could really tell?

Finally, Jason Grace stood. “Percy,” he said hesitantly. “These aren’t the gods we know.”

“This apathetic self-centeredness feels plenty familiar to me,” Percy said. Nico di Angelo audibly face-palmed, while Thalia Grace snorted in laughter. Poseidon let in a sharp inhale, which Percy must have taken as an insult rather than the worry that it was, as his son aimed a small, crooked smile at him. “Sorry, dad. You know it’s true.”

“What your friend means, Perseus, is that we are from a different time than you,” Hestia explained kindly. The fire she was tending to was colored yellow in delight, obviously amused and pleased at Percy’s presence. She gestured toward the set of books next to her. “All of you demigods are from further down the timeline. We are in the Olympus of your past: spending our time learning about your life, and in turn, learning about the coming war.”

“And, uh, just for clarity’s sake, we didn’t kidnap your friends, alright? Blame the Fates,” Hermes added hastily, making a vain attempt to cover all of their bases. “So don’t get mad at us for something we didn’t do.”

Poseidon could practically hear Percy’s snarky comeback already, and signaled the boy to keep quiet. All for naught, apparently, because one raised eyebrow was enough to get the message across. Even Hephaestus was starting to glare at Percy distastefully, having paused from his incessant tinkering, which really showed how much he had gotten on everybody’s nerves. Poseidon was torn between being proud at how effortlessly he had rankled the council or being desperate to make Percy shut up by any means necessary.

From the nervous way that Hazel Levesque was eyeing the room, it looked like someone else understood his torturous plight.

“That explains why Olympus looks so different,” Percy said instead, his voice light. “Un-razed.”

The gods shuddered. “Don’t even joke about that, young man,” Demeter warned.

“Let me blast him, just a little,” Zeus muttered.

“No blasting,” Poseidon said sharply.

“A tiny taste of incineration won’t hurt,” Hades suggested.

“No incinerating either,” Poseidon bit out, his grip on his trident tight. He whirled around to stare at Percy, who was looking far too comfortable at the prospect of certain death by means of divine retribution. “No saying anything worth getting incinerated over.”

Percy shrugged, which — strictly speaking — wasn’t a yes. Poseidon made eye contact with Annabeth Chase, as he had been making a habit of during the reading, and she shook her head as if to say that picking a fight with Percy over this was a futile waste of his time.

He tried thinking of this positively. He tried, he really did.

“At least give my friends some chairs,” Percy said loudly, to which Poseidon started massaging his temples. At the appearance of a set of plastic chairs, his son even had the gall to wrinkle his nose. “What are we, some randos coming over for a Sunday barbecue on the front lawn? We’re on Olympus. Apollo literally has a bean bag collection at his palace.”

Apollo brightened. “You mean I finally get around to it in the future?”

Athena pursed her lips. “You seem quite familiar with the gods, Percy Jackson.”

“Too familiar,” Dionysus muttered.

“How familiar, I wonder,” Aphrodite purred.

Artemis shot the love goddess a look of disgust.

“Please just give my friends good chairs,” Percy said, blearily. “If we’re really going through the drama of reliving our traumatic experiences with literal war just for the Fates’ amusement, you could at least give your children a seat. I don’t think you guys realize how much backpain saving the world gives you.”

Zeus slammed his fists on the throne, crackling with static electricity. “So Olympus is saved in your future. The gods prevail. A fact that your friends did not deign to mention.”

Annabeth Chase immediately stood. “The Fates were clear about needing to learn about the war through the experience of a demigod. Knowing that we win isn’t relevant to that.” Her eyes twitched for a moment before adding, “If you allowed us to speak more, we could have explained that to you, my lord.”

Athena butted in before Zeus could call either lightning or monsters to kill her daughter. “The phrasing is impertinent, but she is correct, Father. If we are fated to preserve anyway, then the Fates would have no reason for intervention. There must be other factors at play that they wish for us to examine; it seems the goal is to better the outcome, not necessarily to reverse it fully.”

Disgruntled but apparently mollified, Zeus leaned back in his seat. “Fine. However, I still do not see the benefits of this exercise. We have not even properly dived into the war yet, only seen its harbinger! Barely any deaths! What we have learned will hardly be of use in battle.”

Some of the demigods seemed stricken. Nico di Angelo was openly glaring at the king.

Percy cleared his throat. “So, let me get this straight. The Fates bring together the Olympians — from the Winter Solstice after Zeus gets his bolt stolen, I assume, since he isn’t holding it right now — and the relevant demigods during the wars, where we’re all supposed to read about my experience as a demigod? Which just so happens to also include the wars?”

Hera scowled. “Has that not been obvious?”

“The boy arrived five minutes ago,” Poseidon argued.

“And right now, you’ve already reached the quest I went on to save Annabeth,” Percy stated. “The one during the Winter Solstice, when we met the Hunters and found Bessie.”

“The one where I was finally introduced!” Apollo grinned. “I’ve personally been sensing that a major development in the Great Prophecy will be coming in this book. I am so excited to go through the last few chapters.”

“Which means that at this point, you’ve read about Ares being influenced by Kronos, Luke defecting, the army of demigods and monsters on the Andromeda, Kronos reforming, Thalia reviving, Annabeth holding up the sky, Atlas on the move, and Bianca dying.” Percy turned to look at his friends. “Have I missed anything?”

“Zoe died a few chapters ago,” Thalia added.

“The minor gods have started defecting as well, I believe,” supplied Reyna.

“Oh, also the misery of having to live feeling abandoned by your parents and having to face death every day you spend alive?” Frank suggested. “It’s a general theme we keep circling back to.”

“Yes, yes, and I’m sure it was a very harrowing series of events for all of you involved,” Zeus dismissed, conveniently ignoring the way that both Hermes and Hades were glowering at him from their thrones. “Let us be done with this quickly.”

Percy tilted his head. “You mean you somehow got through all that and you still don’t get it?”

“We would appreciate it if you would get to the point, boy,” Dionysus drawled. The other gods nodded in agreement.

There was a brief moment, Poseidon observed, where Percy looked to Annabeth Chase before he responded. It was a short moment, the slightest passage of time, where it seemed like an entire conversation had taken place between the two young lovers. By the barest furrow of his brow, Percy was asking Annabeth for her approval before launching into action. And Annabeth responded, with the quaintest quiver of a smile, giving her blessing.

Poseidon probably should have known what was coming, given what he had known of Annabeth from the books and from reading the books with her, but he let himself be lulled into a false sense of security anyway. Surely, Poseidon thought, this Athena spawn isn’t going to let my child do something stupid.

Percy took a deep breath.

“You’re all so stupid,” he said.

Poseidon let out a long, weary exhale. He took a brief moment to accept that the goody-two-shoes son that he envisioned in his head was nothing more than a crazy delusion. And with a wave of his hand, he formed a water shield around Percy just in time to protect him from Zeus’ inevitable lightning strike.

The blast echoed throughout the room, partnered with the demigods’ cries of alarm. To his credit, the way that Percy raised his arms showed the foresight to brace himself, but Poseidon knew — from the way that the air around Zeus was vibrating with ozone and electricity — that his brother had been pushed too far.

In his peripheral vision, he spotted the other demigods rushing to crowd around his son in their concern. Percy waved them off with a smile, but the way he was leaning on Annabeth suggested that even he was shaken by the turn of events.

“Poseidon,” boomed Hera, in place of a king too furious to speak, “This bastard son of yours has offered us nothing but disrespect and disdain ever since he had stepped foot on Olympus. We cannot accept such treason, especially not from the prophecy child. Be wise and let him be punished at once.”

For a brief moment, father and son locked eyes. There was gratefulness in Percy’s expression, yes, but he also looked confused. Like he didn’t understand why his own father would try to prevent him from being harmed.

The water called back to him, swirling around him in a vicious hurricane. He stood, and his trident flew to his hand. Vaguely aware that he couldn’t release too much of his power unless he wanted the demigods to vaporize in front of him, Poseidon turned his back towards the council.

He walked towards his son. The demigods, rather than dispersing, only stood closer by Percy.

Poseidon reached out, and Percy — in a move so subtle it would have been unnoticeable for anyone but a god — flinched back.

And inside Poseidon, something shifted.

“Poseidon,” Hera repeated.

“At ease, sister,” Poseidon said. The hurricane faded away. Slowly, he faced the gods. “Lest you forget that this bastard son of mine is the child of the prophecy and he obviously chose to keep Olympus standing. Despite how he may seem, I believe he has our best interests at heart. Even though we have given him every reason to instead be led astray.”

“Dad?” Percy asked.

Poseidon looked at him, and he saw Percy at twelve, thirteen, fourteen — a little mourning boy aching and breaking for someone to give him a home. The way that his friends crowded around him showed that he found one, eventually, but the god doubted that any of the pantheon had been of any help for that. “You don’t trust us that much, do you?”

Percy gave him a look. “I literally just got blasted.”

He only shook his head. Poseidon met eyes with the rest of the demigods, who stared back with determination, grit, and thinly-veiled suspicion. War heroes, all of them, but to him they only looked so small. “I speak of all the children in this room. You may acknowledge us as your parents, fight for us in familial loyalty, and even be willing to risk your short lives for our cause. But you do so with a conflicted heart. And that is a reflection of our failure.”

The demigods’ silence was enough answer as any. Zeus’ voice was, uncharacteristically, muted and grave. “Brother, we had agreed long ago to cease discussion on this. We had agreed there was no point.”

“And what had that gotten us?” Poseidon argued. “Greek civilization as we know it is dead. All we have left is our children. You cannot tell me that this does not move you.”

“Be that as it may, you cannot tell me that we can change,” Zeus said. “The very nature of immortality is to resist it. I do not care if the old Greeks are dead. We move with the heart of the West, and we have done very well since then without shifting too much of our ways.”

“Then you are blind,” exploded Poseidon. “Not only in this. You are as blind to your duties to your family as our father was to his. And I, for one, refuse to be as misled as you both are.”

Hades scoffed. “Please, you only want to save face because your son is here.”

“And were it your son in his stead, you would do the same!” Poseidon breathed out a heavy sigh, massaging his temples in a vain attempt to assuage his frustration. “Of course I would speak out because Percy is here. We know that he will become the hero of the Great Prophecy and we know that he will save Olympus. I thought that meant he was unfailingly loyal to us and that any disrespect shown by the demigods here was the result of his absence. I was wrong.”

Hera raised an eyebrow. “You’re calling him treasonous after all?”

“No,” Poseidon smiled. He gestured Percy to come forward. With another nod from Annabeth spurring him on, Percy stood beside him — a bit of his wariness fading away as he looked at him with pride. And that, more than anything, told Poseidon he was on the right track. “I’m calling him right. We are stupid. We’ve let tradition needlessly hold us back from showing our kids we care, and we are being shown that continuing it will lead to our near-destruction.”

“And before anyone says that near-destruction doesn’t sound too bad,” Percy butted in, because of course he did, “I think my life is a pretty good argument against that.”

Zeus leaned back on his throne, disgruntled but otherwise unwilling to further escalate into a fight. “We’ll see about that, Perseus.”

“I’m sorry, didn’t you just read about me and Annabeth holding up the sky?” Percy demanded.

Poseidon cleared his throat. “What I mean to say is that treating the demigods’ wariness around us is a problem to solve, not a threat to vanquish. It is becoming clear that examining this, rather than waiting for the book to tell us of future battle strategy, is the key to a decisive win in war.”

Then he glared across the room, making sure every god that met his eyes knew that he was committed to this — to his son, at least, if to nobody else. “And if by any reason one of you would resort to harming a child of Olympus when their presence here is Fates-mandated to bring us a better outcome in the wake of the Great Prophecy, wouldn’t the rest stand and realize that would be the most treasonous thing of all?” He challenged.

Everyone broke out into shushed whispers at that: the demigods in muted astonishment, the gods in grumbling agreement. Beside him, Percy muttered, “That was sick.” Poseidon didn’t know what to make of that. Was that a compliment, in the mortal world? He hoped it was. But it sounded so bad. Oh Fates, he really needed to connect more with his son.

Finally, one of Hestia’s flames flared out loudly and brightly, no doubt one of the rare times his sister found it prudent to gather the whole throne room’s attention.

She clapped her hands, a small smile gracing her face. “My family, I cannot express how glad I am at this turn of events. It would be good if we kept this discussion in mind as we move forward with the rest of the books. Might I suggest a brief recess before we finish this quest’s final chapter?”

Nobody argued with that. Poseidon breathed a sigh of relief.

Percy perked up. “And how about the—”

“Yes, yes,” Zeus grumbled. “We will arrange proper seating arrangements from now on.”

It was a start.

—

Night drew the day’s reading to a close. The gods had a hard look in their eyes, and Apollo patted him on the back before disappearing to his chambers. Poseidon chose to linger, feeling heavy, watching the demigods give Percy the enthusiastic welcome they weren’t given a chance to do in the terse tension of the throne room.

I choose the prophecy, his far too young son had said. Poseidon had known this, of course he had, but it still felt like a wave crashing into him. It made sense why the Fates brought him in now. It was when the prophecy would finally take shape, and everything was meticulously poised for Percy to grasp it with his own hands. He would claim victory with a bloody, bloody price. Poseidon ached just thinking about it.

In the midst of the celebration, he met eyes with Annabeth Chase. And with a soft grace that he would forever be thankful for, she quickly led the rest of the demigods to take their leave.

Poseidon and Percy were left alone.

He took a harrowing breath. “My son—”

“Thanks for sticking up for me,” Percy blurted out. “I just wanted to put that out there first.”

“You’re welcome, but I was never going to let Zeus take you from me.” Poseidon sighed. “I thought it was difficult enough just reading through your ordeals. Now I have to make sure you get out alive from here as well. You’re making my years wear down on me, child.”

Percy raised an eyebrow. “Finally feeling your age?”

“Ha,” Poseidon deadpanned. He laid a hand on Percy’s shoulder. “I’m serious. You’re a lot more trouble than you might think.”

Percy shrugged his hand off. “Probably would’ve been better off with a more obedient kid, yeah?”

“No. I never — no,” Poseidon said, caught off-guard and upset. Percy only stared at him, face blank and inscrutable, and that only made his pain feel all the more raw. “I’m sorry. What I mean is that a hero’s fate is rarely happy. I hate knowing that this is true for you, and for it to be at the extent that the Fates are stepping in . . . Percy, I’m afraid for you.”

Oddly, Percy’s mouth twitched up at that. “I’m right here.”

“I’m afraid things will get worse,” Poseidon confessed. “I care for you too much to lose you.”

Then Percy moved closer, arms wide, and Poseidon wondered if he did anything wrong again this time, until he realized — oh, his son was pulling him into a hug. Tentatively, he returned it, careful not to grip too hard. Percy was here, and he was warm, and alive. In this moment nothing else mattered but that. If any of his fellow gods loved their children as fiercely as Poseidon loved Percy now, he couldn’t fathom any of them thinking that the Ancient Laws still had any merit. Not when what little they’ve read so far already showed how much the demigods suffered before the war even started, and certainly not after everything they would know once the reading was over.

“See? Zeus was wrong,” Percy said, his voice a bit muffled from where Poseidon was holding him dear and close to his heart. “You can change.”

Poseidon smiled. “Only because you believe we can, my son.”

—

At the next day’s reading, Poseidon ignored his throne to sit beside the children.

“Brother,” Zeus warned.

“What?” Poseidon said innocently, eyes twinkling. “These bean bags are much more comfortable.”

Beside him, Percy laughed, and that was all the reward in the world.

[gutsybitsies]

okay uncomfortable PJO topic but what Chiron said about the world of myths influencing the world of mortals means that

what happens between demigods INFLUENCE world affairs but DOESN'T DIRECTLY ALIGN with world affairs.

so even though hades' children are always on the losing side, i'm like 100% sure it wasn't an "hades kids were axis powers and poseidon zeus kids were allies" during world war 2. more like the children back then had their own fights and groups and infighting and that tension bled into world events.

sometimes i see it mentioned in fic in a sad "all hades children were on the losing side" and im like noooooo fanon!nico if your siblings actually were on the axis powers or fought for the confederacy they deserve to lose okay? ok bb

[death-rebirth-senshi]

I mean I do think part of the reason I feel this way about Marika is like...it comes off the heels of Bloodborne and we have Queen Yharnam who is like. A Queen, yes, but also clearly a sacrifice, her role is to be a bride (whom is shackled! Most likely "voluntarily", symbolically, given that she can break them in her boss fight) and bear children for the great ones.

But also like. There's a lot of mystery surrounding Marika and everyone's like "oh yeah Marika fucked everyone over for the lols" with so much certainty and it's like. Such a lazy surface level reading of what happens! To me. Like I mean that aspect is clearly there, Marika shattering the Elden Ring was presumably bad for the Lands Between (I GUESS??? Name 3 things that were a consequence of Marika shattering the Elden Ring lol name 3 things the Elden Ring even fucking did you goddamn idiot clowns, most things in The Lands Between seem to be a result of the demigods' infighting). Marika is definitely meant to be a god in a Great and Terrible kind of way, she lays down curses on people, all love her in despair etc. etc. her religion was spread through armies and force. She's definitely complicated.

I guess I partly feels this way also coming from dark souls where it's like. Well actually I think that's more morally complex too but thematically the game leans towards "repeatedly linking the first flame is bad, actually, and living under the rule of the gods is bad" so I kind of lean towards. The Elden Ring and the Erdtree is probably bad actually, or there's something wrong with it, it's faded and dying and a new age cannot begin because the old refuses to die and make way. Typical soulsborne stuff.

And here we have Marika, who wants to die. LIKE.

[kingofdinosaurs]

also this is completely unrelated but having actually given more thought to hornsent the npc I'm like. a lot more fond of him as a character now. i still think it's a little rich of him to act like the player character (tarnished who walked outside into limgrave and immediately stumbled into a world where two separate demigods are explicitly hunting their kind IN THIS SPECIFIC AREA ESPECIALLY) is like a fine and dandy beloved cog in the golden order's machine but also like how would he know all this infighting shit, he has no reason to. i am still leery about the caterpillar mask choice as well because it is definitely a specific choice of headwear where there are multiple pieces of hornsent associated gear that could fit AND he has his own unique gear in every other slot, but like i could see it as an extension of that "keeping focus on the task at hand" aspect of it mentioned in the description, with relation to his goal of vengeance (although the fact he's using one at all does imply a level of complicity and reverence for the ideals of the potentates at least in that respect). whatever. who cares. some of you genuinely need help because how the fuck are you coming onto a website full of gofundmes to help palestinians escape an actual ongoing genocide and going "oh well the hornsent deserved what they got!!" you don't have any sensitivity at all. maybe we don't ever argue that genocide is justified? especially in this particular awful time we're living in, where genocide IS currently being justified with the excuse that the people carrying it out were also victims of one? this is something of a digression but i genuinely cannot understand how it's so hard to think before you speak

[cashmere-caveman]

every single failed (ant)arctic explorers biography reads like sir james john was born the seventeenth of 24 children to an english bourgeois family of chronic overachievers.

in his search to find a niche in which to prove himself he stumbled upon the written account of sir douglas alexander (6 knighthood titles) where he describes his failed attempt to chart the canadian coastline that resulted in the death of more than half his party members and several hushed up incidences of murder cannibalism and attempted insubordination. alexanders heroic report of failing to listen to indigenous advice and attempting to manhaul (provisions included 17kg tea per man as necessary ration) across the stupidest possible route against all better judgement inspired the then 13 year old john to sign up to join the navy.

after a steep career during the napoleonic wars mostly thanks to incompetence of his superiors and recognition of his perfect english background he achieved lasting fame for leading the doomed 1853 expedition mostly known for its catastrophic failure. employing methods we now know to be ineffective to the point of actively advancing the starvation of his men and their mental and physical deterioration, he was regarded at the time as a hero of the likes of homeric demigods.

this was further cemented by the racist disbelief of indigenous reports regarding the fate of his crew (eyewitness testimony suggests they were half crazed and engaging in cannibalism, refusing native food even when freely offered to instead maul their comrades) which prompted a reactionary collective apotheosis of his person by the british public.

five years after the last life sign two corpses believed to be him and his personal valet were found clutching letters praising the british empire and expressing their joy to die in the pursuit of total world domination through explorative conquest. modern calculations show that had he used dogsleds (which he decried as unmanly) he would have made his sucessful return back to the anchored ship in under three weeks with enough provisions left for his home journey to excuse a detour to malaysia.

described by contemporary critics as a stubborn, authoritative man with no physical stamina who would collapse unless he got three square meals a day, his status as an icon of the declining british empire manifested in the posthumous erection of no less than 68 statues and monuments to his name. 23 polar landmarks are named after him until this day.

in his personal life he hated the irish, and notably once "adopted" an indigenous girl during his stint as governor of british overseas territories. the girls family was alive the whole time and despite her already having a western name due to colonial influences he renamed her [racist made up name to sound more exotic] when he took her into his household at six months old after stealing her from her parents. once he was recalled to england due to politival infighting wrt management of the territory he left the 13 year old girl behind without a second thought. she would die several years later at age 17 from suicide. after his death his widow comissioned six operas in his memory.