the dynamic of demigods thinking which other demigod is the most powerful is always amusing to me because. like, we know the big 3 kids are all the most powerful. That's just a fact of their universe. And then we know nearly every character views Percy as the strongest demigod, and most people are very rightfully intimidated by him.
and you look at the powers of the Big 3 kids and there's Percy, but then you realize Nico is just kind of objectively more powerful than him but simply chooses to hang out in Percy's shadow like he's Percy's scary dog privileges. Like, the two of them are pretty equally capable of causing multiple different apocalypses. Nico just also has like four different instakill powers and it's not like he doesn't use them. He very much uses them! Not infrequently, even! And they don't seem to take a significant amount of energy from him! And other demigods are pretty intimidated by both of them! But Nico makes a conscious point to keep his cards close to his chest and not let on exactly how dangerous and scary he can be if he wants to. People are already scared enough of him without knowing anything about him and he doesn't like that. Percy doesn't think about that nearly as much, and so usually just goes in guns blazing and that's part of why he's considered a wildcard. And then Nico himself puts Percy on a pedestal, so those who do know more about Nico's abilities then presume Nico knows something they don't about Percy that implies Percy is even stronger than him.
And even on a meta level Nico's narrative role requires him to be functionally more powerful than Percy, because he very often serves the purpose of getting Percy out of situations he can't handle on his own. That's just part of his function as a character! But also narratively he can't overshadow Percy so he just takes a backseat of his own accord and that's very amusing to me.
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"Sunscreen time! Everybody go to me or Kim for sunscreen."
Younglings run to either teacher, all except for their newest Fore, a Fyreian youngling.
"...sun scream? What is sun scream?"
"Sun-screen, its a cream we put on to protect us from the sun." explained Max.
"But teacher, cream can't protect us from the sun! We'll still burn if we touch it."
"It's for the sunlight. To let us, especially the ones with more sensitive skin, stay outside longer."
"Oh, I don't need it then. Fryeian's don't burn from sunlight."
"Yes but the sun also puts out harmful stuff, at least this one does, and that can hurt your skin after a long time."
"...are you tricking me? So that I'll put on the cream?" the youngling asked, arms crossed, ears flickering in annoyance.
"No, see?" the human points to his fellow teacher who's putting sunscreen on other children and younglings.
"Kim is putting sunscreen on Malaika, who doesn't get sunburned like the other human kids. Her skin is hard to burn, like you." he points to Malaika, who's giggling as Kim puts sunscreen on her cheeks and neck. "But she still wears it because she and her parents know that the sun can still hurt her."
"...Does Kim put on sunscreen too?"
"...yes. In fact, thank you for reminding me to remind her. She forgets after having to apply it to all the others," Max grins before turning to Kim. "Kim, don't forget yourself!"
"What! ...put sunscreen on me?! ...but I don't-!"
"You don't have enough sunscreen?! Okay I'll give you some of mine!!" he shouts before sprinting over to Kim.
"Wait, I don't need it! I don't sunburn, my skin is-MAX WAIT!" she was restrained before she could run.
"WHO WANTS TO PUT SUNSCREEN ON THE TEACHERS?!"
A chorus of screaming 'yeses' fill the park, dozens of tiny hands, claws, paws, and pincers, reach out to the two with sunscreeny hands.
"MAX! WHY!!" Kim screams before they descend on her.
"TO KEEP THE BALANCE!!" he screams closing his eyes and mentally preparing himself for what is about to happen.
*5 minutes later*
"See Fore? Even teacher Kim wears sunscreen." smiles a very shiny and white Max.
"...yeah, and if I have to wear sunscreen so do you." frowns a very shiny and 2 shades lighter Kim.
"...Okay!" smiles a happy Fore.
"...I hate you...I have sunscreen in my ears..." grumbles Kim
"For the balance...also I've been telling you for years to wear sunscreen so you don't get skin cancer." Max whispers, now happy that now his friend must finally wear proper sun protection.
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