#it’s percy in those same circumstances

[robertsbarbie]

You being a Luke fan makes so much sense for you but I would like go know the extend of fanhood. What are your thoughts on him?

short answer: luke has never done anything ever in his entire life

long answer: my perspective is a lot wider now than when i initially read the books, i think i held a similar mentality, but i also was 12 years old and in love with him so that is biased. but i find his character fascinating, i think the fact he is 19 in the first book is fascinating (my entire life i thought he was maybe two years older than the others until i re read), i think the way his character’s story was written and how he was interlaced with the other characters could not and will never be better. that being said i do think he did a lot of things that were wrong (homeboy did commit mass murder, and like he is AN antagonist of the series), but i will never think he’s a bad guy.

i think luke being 19 and the way his story was written ALL of it makes sense, there’s true no malicious intent and that’s seen time and time again where he pauses almost (even as he’s being controlled by kronos) and is like “… but my friends” which like is just another thing that ties his similarities to percy as if they’re two paths. but back to him being 19 and mad at his dad 19 is when you age out of a lot of stuff, it’s a weird transitional period and he had to do it alone after feeling abandoned by his father (the titan headquarters being where luke got his scar and started his villain origin story>>>>> cinematic) in a place where he watched people constantly die, where his best friend died, where he was constantly in danger like that’s a lot! no wonder resentment grew! and it’s like at the end of the day like just wanted to be safe with his friends and feel seen. which i think is the main point of the first series you see it with the minor gods, you see it in the camp games (silena my absolute beloved trying to get people to take aphrodite kids seriously), you see it with the “Big Three”, you see it with rachel elizabeth dare, calypso, you see it even at percy’s first school like it’s everywhere!this concept of being seen and not just cast aside when convenient and i think luke was used as the archetypal symbol for that. and like it finally clicks for percy in the last book and he sees the point of it all and like it drove me insane while rereading but while percy gets bitter about luke and hates him and can’t stand that annabeth still feels for him i truly believe he never loses his compassion for luke and the life luke could’ve had if not for the life he did

and idk i just love him so much not for the terrible things he did but because he was literally just a kid who was fucked over by the system

[demigodpolls]

calling all PJO fanfic readers!

In the interest of acknowledging great works by fandom writers, DemigodPolls is going to share a big year-end collection of 2024 Percy Jackson fanfic recommendations! In the comment section below or on this AO3 post, leave recommendations for the best PJO fanfics you've read - but there is one major rule: they MUST have been published or last updated in 2024! No exceptions! Reblogs are turned on, but please do NOT leave your recommendations in the reblogs/tags! They will not be considered! Before commenting, make sure that you read the additional specifications below the cut first. If you have nothing to recommend, please do reblog to help support fandom writers and spread the word! Thank you!!!

What we want:

strong grammar

strong writing skills

accurate/interesting depictions of PJO characters

angst/romance/drama/adventure/friendship/character studies/etc

accurately tagged stories (i.e. stories that don't surprise you with untagged triggering content)

stories written with love for the percy jackson universe and its characters

What we DON'T want:

stories that were published/last updated before 2024

stories about ships that would be age-inappropriate in canon, unless the characters are CLEARLY aged up in the story (e.g. no olympians x teenage characters, unless the younger character is explicitly an ADULT when they first meet in the fanfic)

stories that contain non-c*n, inc*st, p*dophilia

stories under 1000 words

stories that fall under "character x everyone"

stories about original characters (stories that contain some OCs in non-protagonist roles are fine, character x reader/self-inserts are fine)

stories that bash other ships/characters (i.e., don't recommend percabeth fics that bash rachel/perachel)

stories that contain non-PJO crossovers (except for RRverse crossovers, i.e. pjo + tkc is fine, toa alone is fine, tkc alone is not, pjo + harry potter is not)

stories that contain gore/extreme violence/extreme bodily harm

stories that contain cheating/infidelity (I just don't want to read those, sorry)

dialogue-only fanfics/texting-only fanfics

stories that contain W*TTG sp0ilers

can I recommend multiple things?

yes! just make sure to categorize them correctly under the relevant prompts.

can I recommend my own story?

yes, but you are highly, highly encouraged to simultaneously recommend at least one other fanfic that you yourself did not write - let's spread the love! (not required)

is smut okay?

yes! but you must specify clearly that the story contains smut in your comment, and please don't use explicit/overly sexual language in your recommendation. I also reserve the right to refuse to consider stories that contain k*nks I don't want to engage with. (ab0, hardcore bd$m, parental name k*nk to name a few)

are non-english fanfics okay?

you are absolutely welcome to recommend non-english fanfics to others in the comments! but I will not be able to put them on the final recommendation list, because I only speak english and I cannot personally vet their contents, cannot observe their grammar, and could be terribly misled by a translator. I'm very sorry! however, if you would like to put together a similar recommendation collection of non-english stories, I'd be happy to promote it on this blog.

is percico okay?

someone asked about this specifically, so here's my stance: percico is a controversial pairing due to the debated inappropriateness of the canon age gap (approx. 3 years). I personally consider 3 years between minors to be juuust beyond my comfort zone (2 years), so please respect my decision to abide by my own comfortability and refuse to consider stories that feature age gaps of this size or larger involving minors. however, you can recommend percico fics where the age gap is explicitly made smaller, or fics where nico and percy are both explicitly adults! this same rule applies to any other ship in a similar circumstance - check the wiki for canon ages if you're unsure! (and to be clear, this is solely about ages, not about the individual merit of the pairing itself. respectfully - this is me drawing a boundary about what I am comfortable with, so do not argue with me on this topic).

is caleo okay?

this pair is even more controversial nowadays, so here's my stance when it comes to weird magical circumstances: within the logic of the pjo universe, some things that seem strange from a mortal perspective are standard within the books. i.e., it's not weird to date fellow demigods, even if the person you're dating is technically your aunt/uncle/cousin/etc. likewise, it's not "weird" for a teenager to date an immortalized or de-immortalized teenager, because... I genuinely don't know, that's just how the book logic works. for that reason, caleo works are accepted. we're going to apply this same logic to pairs like theyna, which could also potentially have murky circumstances (although I do consider thaluke to be especially iffy, because it heavily depends on the situation that people write them in - so if you're unsure, go ahead and submit it, and I'll use my best judgement from there). however, I cannot begin to express my extreme disinterest in discourse about immortal dating ethics - like, I would rather do anything else. not trying to be sassy here, but I'm going to ask you guys to not pick a fight about these topics, for the simple reason that I have zero interest in debating over situations that could never occur in real-life.

are incomplete/discontinued stories okay?

yes! I'd prefer stories that have at least three chapters, but this is not required. completed one-shots are also fine!

If someone already recommended a story that I like, should I vouch for it?

if you would like to, then absolutely!! you can respond to the appropriate prompt from this account in the comments, or you can reply to the person making the recommendation. just make sure to explicitly state which story you're advocating for.

Comments that do not follow these guidelines may be deleted!

How to make recommendations:

There are two places in which you can make your recs! You can click here to leave them on an AO3 mirror of this post, or do so in the comment section below. If the latter, continue reading. Please leave the story name, author username, story rating, main ship, and main characters in your comments - and if you'd like, definitely add some words about why you like it! AO3 direct links are not necessary, but super appreciated. But if it's not on AO3, please ensure that you make clear where exactly I can locate the story. In the comments below, you'll see comments that you can reply to, sorted by ships/lack thereof. Please sort your recommendations by replying to them accordingly (i.e. if you want to recommend 2 solangelo fics and 1 valgrace fic, leave the 2 solangelo recs under the solangelo prompt, then do the same in the valgrace prompt). You MUST explicitly state somewhere if the fanfic contains smut. If you're not sure where to put your recommendations, make your best guess - but absolutely do NOT intentionally mis-categorize your recommendations (i.e, if the pair is not canon, do not put it in the canon pairing section. Seriously. This makes things much more difficult for me while organizing fics, and I'll probably delete your comment anyway.) Lastly, please be mature about shipping. Nothing irritates me more than fighting about percy jackson ships in 2024. If you see fanfics recommended about pairings (or characters!) that you hate, do the mature thing and just scroll past it/do not engage. Character hate and ship hate is not tolerated on this blog. I am very serious about this - if you are starting a fuss about ships/characters, your comments will be deleted and your account will be permanently blocked. Respect your fellow fandom-mates! I will do my best to moderate this comment section, but before looking through them, please understand that I am not responsible for your individual well-being, and there may be fanfic recommendations that are not appropriate for minors/might contain triggering content/etc.

Here's a little form for those of you who find this easier to use, but you don't have to use it!! However, PLEASE do include the following information in your comment regardless:

story name: author: rating: ship: main characters: additional comments (what's it about? why do you like it? etc):

Don't forget, fanfics published/last updated in 2024 only!

Thank you so, so much for participating! The collection won't be published on this blog until late December, so until then, take your time, check those bookmarks, and read new PJO fanfics! Much love to all of you ♡

- demigodpolls

(art by @viria)

(dividers by @cafekitsune)

[waltzingwithyourenemyattheball]

PICK A CARD: HOW WILL YOU MEET YOUR FUTURE SPOUSE?

Top Left: 111 ; Top Right: 222; Bottom: 333

Disclaimer:

Take what resonates and leave the rest.

The disclaimer in pinned post applies here too.

No one is allowed to copy my work under any circumstances.

DM for personal readings.

🥀111🥀

You could meet your partner through a woman, (be it a mother, friend) an expressive and creative woman. She could be a  neighbour, married women or someone who has light within them and the ability to spread light, a woman in love with life, could paint or do arts and crafts, could like sewing too. You guys could meet in some class/workshop you both are taking. One of you may not want to be here. You could meet at an art exhibition, museums, while shopping etc. Another possible location is at the park, where you run or jog. Either or both of you are into fitness, if not you will be at the time you meet them and will be taking care of yourself. Definitely at a public place, could be party where they are your friend’s friends, there is dancing, food and things fun, people will be taking among themselves. Happy positive energy, one of you likes to talk. Yes, I am seeing you’ll meet them when you are satisfied and fulfilled with how your life is going, could be 9 months from now. You could also meet them in march or May next year. You are confident, vibing, and they will show up suddenly when you least expect it. First meeting, they’ll notice you for a while before approaching you, they come across flirty, graceful, and put their best foot forward. Definitely a pleasant meeting. The meeting could end up being open-ended, like you may not have set a time to meet again, no one’s asked anyone out on a date, simply exchanged numbers/social media’s. You two might also end up going at the same bakery and meet again. They do have an offer for you but it will take some time before things become official. Don’t be disheartened, this is your future spouse so you guys definitely do end up together. 

Comment ‘111’ to claim.

🌸222🌸

In class, a learning institution, could have meet in school, colleges, coaching centres, any hobby classes you take etc, but you are definitely here to learn and practice. These could be online workshops/certificate classes as well. It took you blood sweat and tears to pay for this course, it is something you have wanted to do for a long time, you know you are good, naturally talented. I am getting Annabeth from Percy Jackson, those vibes. You could meet at a martial arts academy, or even the gym. He is the new guy. Again, someone struggled to get where they are today(at the point you meet them). I am getting the same messages again, learning centre, through teachers too. You might be in the same group/team for projects, paired up together every time. You both will learn together, grow together. You will learn giving people benefit of the doubt, and becoming soft, not always having your guard up. You will be passionate about what you are doing, love is not even on your mind and you’d rather just focus on something else but it will creep up on you slowly, like the sea touches the shore take a step back before merging again, during the course of time the lines will get blurry, from I had dinner with them because practice ran late to ‘Hey, you want to get dinner together?’ With no compulsion of any situation. Slowly you will reach out to them, it will morph into a friendship with a small crush to your partner for life, it’s a slow burn but it’s worth it. 

Comment ‘222’ to claim.

🌻333🌻

It will take a way for your union. Right now you need to develop into your authentic self, become more of yourself and express that. You feel unfulfilled and incomplete, you think finding a partner will solve all things, some of you are up and down the curve, on one day you literally can’t live without your soulmate and are dying for them to magically appear in your life to who cares? I just want to focus on me, my career, and money. There is  loneliness in your heart. I hear that your future spouse is not currently decided which is a good thing, the more you evolve, the more evolved person you will attract as your future spouse. You could meet them during grocery shopping, buy plants, getting your salary, when you are living the life you want to life like in an apartment with many plants, some art, mainly white with pops of color all around. I am seeing Europe for some of you. You could meet them after a life changing decision you took, it could be pack up your bags and move across the world. You will not be staying where you are right now that’s for sure. You are taking a chance on life and loving it. After this everything will start to get better, feel better. You are buying flowers for no reason and getting your chai/coffee, dressing up everyday. Everything is so colourful suddenly, that’s when you meet them. This is a new person, no toxic exes here. You literally are living your best life, laughing, hanging out with friends, genuine happiness, good bed time, someone who can’t wait to wake up to their new life, that is when you’ll know your future spouse is ready to come into your life and they ARE MATCHING YOUR ENERGY.  

Comment ‘333’ to claim.

-

EL TAROT

[connabeth]

rick really woke up and said "what if i give the people what they want for once" and gave us grumpy black cat introvert percy and sunshine golden retriever extrovert annabeth we never knew we needed

also no one's talking about how percy made friends with annabeth's college's security guard (Florence or smthn?) so he's the only one allowed to walk in her campus anytime?

also I found a typo in the third chapter where dave was accidentally called paul which I found really funny

1) i’m glad this series is doing justice to annabeth’s personality because she spent so much of pjo & hoo caught in an inner turmoil of hurt and uncertainty and self-loathing and insecurity and fear given the circumstances of luke’s betrayal and percy’s imminent death. in spite of it all, she was still a bastion of hope and light throughout those books, but she deserves to be silly and unburdened by the weight of the world now that she has percy back and there’s no big prophecy (unresolved trauma aside). i think, in her mind, even though new, crazy things keep being thrown at them and she most certainly deals with a latent fear of losing percy at any moment, she’s resolute and confident that they can overcome anything that gets in their way of their dream of going to college and finding peace together because she feels that invigorated and wants it that bad. even if greco-egyptian gods or a triple goddess or a mortal apollo pop up throughout their senior year. i feel like she’s giving herself the freedom to just let go, breathe, be sure everything will be okay in the end, and just be excited about things without drowning in worry for once, which i love. she deserves to feel that childlike enthusiasm she was deprived of for so long. her confidence that they’ll be okay extends to percy being able to complete all his classwork and applications, which in turn reinforces his determination.

2) as for percy, he’s definitely the more outwardly insecure out of the two, mainly because of how his academic prowess pales in comparison to hers and the fact that he feels he doesn’t deserve her and she’s way better than him. percy thinking her SODNYC friends perceive him in the same critical light obviously isn’t helping. it’s evident in the way he’s amazed when he looks at her, disbelieving for a second that she’s his girlfriend, and how he observes her interaction with others more similar to her, feeling like an outsider who can’t understand that part of her brain the way her friends can. it’s even more abundantly clear when he believes “She would always succeed whether I was around or not,” which in theory is a sweet sentiment to have about your very capable girlfriend, but academic and social success aside, she needs him as much as he needs her and she’d see no point in being in california without him. but his insecurities and easy jealousy prevent him from fully understanding this even if he innately knows it’s a universal truth that they’re meant to be together. however, all this being said, percy’s characterization in wottg so far is a little…weird. in order for you to literally pee your pants, something must scare you or catch you off guard really, really bad. so while it makes sense for him to fear a powerful goddess, wetting his boxers seems like an extreme reaction. i know rick was probably just trying to insert immature humor, but the implications are not what he was going for considering this is the boy who didn’t have that reaction staring down titans and giants and nyx and tartarus himself. so forgive me if i think it’s a little insane that percy having such a visceral reaction to a goddess 13 year old hazel fared well against is out of character, even after taking into consideration his fear of not receiving and completing the remaining quests on time. it makes sense for him to be nervous and on edge, given the quiet of the past month, but that amount of fear towards a deity who’s not the most scary thing he’s faced down is an interesting choice since rick isn’t known for realistic depictions of PTSD and that likely isn’t the intention here. it’s also curious how it’s implied even a goddess as primordial as aphrodite caves in to hecate…

3) florence is the goat and i love percy making random friends to help his cause. he doesn’t go out of his way to befriend others in the mortal world unless they approach him first or there’s an opportunity there. and the fact that annabeth can a casually ask her friend to cover for her being gone from her dorm for several days makes me think this is far from the first time she’s snuck out for prolonged periods of time👀

4) this is an INSANE typo to have in a book because clearly not a single person proofread it and it doesn’t surprise me that it got past rick, but becky and several rounds of editors and everyone else in his circle who’s read the book not picking up on it prior to publication is wild. rick is too eager to have his self-insert be everywhere and it shows💀

[rosesradio]

Annabeth had been the baby and favorite of camp half blood once...and that somewhat still remained true for the older campers this dynamic steeps in the titan army. Luke, Alabaster and even Ethan who hated her as much as he wanted to be her . The tension on the battlefield could not be understated Percy hated every moment of it. So did Thalia. But what could Annabeth do about it ? This was all the resuslt of a time of her life where both of them weren't around.

ugh, the dynamics here are /so/ compelling.

because you’re right, ethan hated how much attention annabeth got when he wasn’t that much older than her. he would train arguably harder, longer, and more dangerous than her, and still he wouldn’t get even a fraction of the attention she did. most of all, he was jealous of how luke gave her attention, how she clung to his arm like Velcro, especially in their younger years. ethan would have definitely clocked annabeth’s crush, wether luke did or not, and luke’s feelings for her (platonic & familial or not so platonic & familial, whichever way you slice it), make ethan spiral more than anything. he wonders if luke gave him attention, if others would soon follow. he wonders if luke would be enough, all he really wanted.

ethan views annabeth as spoiled, but she’s really anything but. she doesn’t have any real friends, only older campers who feel pressured to take care of her. she doesn’t even have thalia, one of the few people she actually wants to be there for her. she is viewed as the baby & the favorite, & is therefore put in a box she can’t get out of. she’s not taken as seriously for years, even when she excels at the war games. she isn’t allowed to go on a quest or even leave to explore the mortal world outside of field trips or (gods forbid) trips to see her father. she doesn’t /want/ to be the coddled favorite, she wants to be on the same level as the older campers, as the heroes she looks up to…even if those feelings of wanting to take care of annabeth are what wakes luke up and saves the war.

and then there’s thalia, who wakes up in the middle of everything. she’s pretty perceptive (her cynicism helps more or less in that), and probably was able to clock certain things as making sense despite the horrible events (example: her understanding luke’s bitterness towards the gods lead him astray). even so, she doesn’t think it’s fair. it’s not fair that the remaining TA members have a soft spot for annabeth, who thalia intended to die protecting, when they continue to fight against her & every other demigod who used to be their friends. it wasn’t fair that they had come to love annabeth, but held none of the same hesitancy for the tree that had protected them for years. underneath her hardened layers is a sensitivity like a bruise. just because she launched luke off the cliff doesn’t mean part of her didn’t want to fall right down with him.

and then there’s percy, an underdog who does eventually make friends (arguably easier than annabeth, imo annabeth’s specific flavor of neurodivergence makes it harder for her to make friends because i enjoy projecting 👍). the thing is though, the TA never cared for him. there are moments like in tbotl in which luke asks for annabeth to be spared in order to talk to her about joining the TA. i have to wonder if percy ever felt bitter about this. he was in a really vulnerable spot when he first got to camp, and luke was there only to pull the rug out from under him. i wonder if there’s a small part of percy that feels jealous of annabeth in the same way ethan does, thinking that if the circumstances were different, maybe luke and the others would be his friend. and it’s a sick thing, why would he want to be friends with demigods who have tried to kill him? but all at once percy can’t help but feel that way, seeking out validation and envious of annabeth, because she wants to throw away something that by birth he was never going to receive.

[haleingstorm]

Alright I've talked about Piper and Leo so now it's Jason's time. I saved him for last because he still doesn't have his memories which means we still as readers shouldn't know that much about him. And honestly as of right now canon does a pretty good job with him. I actually have very few complaints about TLH Jason. Besides the romantic plot(again what the hell Rick? Just no, bad. awful. never should have happened)

Anyway things go mostly the same, creepy feeling of wrongness, that he doesn't belong. Coin flipping sword or spear. Ability to fly. Also side note, Jason can not take fall damage. ever seen feather falling in Minecraft? if you haven't look it up. That's what he looks like when he 'falls' anywhere. And he always lands on his feet somehow. A little creepy, a little unnerving. A reminder just how powerful the children of the king of the gods are. (who will not under any circumstances be nerfted to make Percy look good. Again what the hell Rick).

One thing I am changing though is this. Jason doesn't realize Thalia is his sister. Hera forgot to transfer those memories(which is really want I am assuming happened in Canon for my own sanity). He sees the picture, thinks Thalia looks familiar and amuses it's because their dad is Zeus. This will have no complications later. Nope not a single one!

Jason of course gets his prophecy and chose Leo and Piper to join him on the quest. There's tension between all of them of course. because Leo + Piper keep thinking he 's going to act like he did in the memories and Jason doesn't. And Jason really doesn't know who these people are and is freaking out. However it is not the first time that three strangers have been thrust together on a journey to save the world!

[dreanner95]

SPOILERS FOR TLOVM 7-9 AND ALL OF CAMPAIGN 1

I have already seen a few people dislike the way the new three episodes went. From bemoaning that Percy isn't part of the final assult, cheesy moments to little moments not being exactly what they were in the stream. I personally am a little confused because all those changes and moments are completly in line with what TLoVM showed itself to be. It being cheesy? Scanlan sang a whole love song in Season 2 to placate a Sphinx. All the changes, regardless of a different tone to an iconic line, characters dying that lived in the stream and reshuffleing things so characters who were present during big moments are now not there? That is literally what the show did since Season 1. The cast was always very clear that those kind of changes were possible. I admire them to stick to the shows canon they created instead of shoehorning in iconic moments just for the sake of it.

The big example is Glintshore. I always knew that the exact circumstances of the stream would not happen on the show. I also suspected that the resurrection ritual would not happen this week (and probably not this Season). Death is much more meaningfull and impactfull in the show. Having Vex be resurrected immediatly means that they won't do that a second time. They will probably have VM save Percy from Orthax before he comes back. And I personally love that Percy wasn't part of the final assult. You can feel his loss because of that. A big drawn out resurrection ritual won't have the same impact in the show as it has on an Actual Play stream. So finding other ways to display those emotions is genius.

I totally get being disappointed. But in the end the show is its own thing. Always comparing little moments to their equivalent in the stream while ignoring the context of the rest of the show is unfair imo. And even bemoaning cheesy moments (like the song playing when VM found Percy) when the show always was cheesy. In the end the stream doesn't go anywhere.

[kateeorg]

Critical Role- Gods and Parents Parallels

One thing that pops up again and again in the Ruby Vanguard and Ludinus discourse about the gods is that the gods are angry because their children surpassed them. That the child must always surpass the parent, and that the gods not allowing that makes them unfair, against the natural order of things.

I see three issues with this, and they are all a little at odds with each other, so not sure which if any make the most sense.

The first is that the gods have already significantly stepped back from influencing Exandria, as a good parent should. In fact, much of the Ruby Vanguard, like Bor'dor and Lilliana, were radicalized because they felt abandoned, not because they felt the gods have overstepped. Same with a lot of Bells Hells - they have such vague feelings of the gods mostly because they have only felt them vaguely. The few times they've witnessed real overstep were when Ludinus forced their hand - the Dawnfather temple, what happened with Opal.

But most of the time, they don't usually force their will, don't demand obedience from those who choose not the believe, give vague hints. So in trying to give their children more free will, which those like Ludinus should see as a good thing, they come across as absent (a similar problem to the gods in the Percy Jackson series, where the parent issues are much more direct.) You're damned if you do, damned if you don't.

The second is that the rule that the child must "surpass" the parent only really works in a world where parents eventually age and die. But the gods... don't. And can't. Not naturally. Which is I suppose why Ludinus is so deadset on killing them.

But on top of that, even if one killed the gods and became top of the food chain, mortals still can't comprehend the infinite the way gods can. So in reality it's sort of impossible for mortals to surpass the gods except by becoming one, a process that we know is difficult and has a variety of complications. And even then, you don't actually surpass the gods - you just become one of them. You become what you despised, thinking you could do a better job, until you realize all the demands that position and responsibility brings. You could maybe do a better job, but in the process realize why it was so hard for your parents in the first place. Look at the Raven Queen. So either way, Ludinus's dream of mortals surpassing gods doesn't work.

Which leads to my third issue: Surpassing is not the point.

If we're really going to run with the parent-child parallels, the true sign of a child maturing is not them surpassing the parent - it's understanding them. It's seeing their flaws and forgiving them for it. To see them not as saviors or tyrants, but in their entirety as beings trying to do their best in imperfect circumstances. Doesn't mean you need to maintain a relationship with them as an adult if they really hurt you and continue to hurt you, but it allows you to better understand the past and forge a better future.

Now, the gods don't seem to think mortals CAN understand, and I think that is a flaw on their part. Mortals may not be able to understand the infinite, what it means to be responsible for and take care of entire domains of existence, to be so bound to your own rules you cannot break them. But mortals can, some more than others, understand trauma and family obligations and impossible choices. The Society of Primes may not have come about if the Primes made it more apparent what the Betrayers really are to them.

And this is where I hope Bells Hells can step in. Because they are among a select few living souls who have seen what happened in Aeor from the Primes' perspective. (4-Sided Dive mentions they did not witness what happened in Tengar and the epilogue, but everything else). And this group more than many can understand impossible choices and choosing one another, even when it could potentially hurt others.

If Bells Hells can prove to the gods that mortals are capable of appreciating them as flawed and respecting them anyway, that seeing their flaws even makes them love them more... perhaps that could lead to a healthier relationship between mortals and gods for all of Exandria. Not of tyrants nor of absence, but a happier medium.

EDIT: We in fact see this in Campaign 1, where Vax and Vex see the human faces of the Raven Queen and the Dawnfather - in the instances the gods have trusted mortals enough to show their human side, they have become more likable. But considering Aeor, it's easy to see why they don't trust easily.

(Of course this could go the totally opposite way and I could eat my words, but that's just where my head is at after Downfall. Imogen and Laudna in particular I think may become more fearful seeing what the gods do to threats to themselves and their domain. But we'll see).

[berrybore]

I feel like people who think Percy should have done more to convince Nico to stay in the the 4th book, don't fully realise that Camp isn't a safe place for those who aren't accepted. Not only had Percy been initially shunned by his fellow campers when his parentage had been revealed, being at camp had put him under the radar of the gods, and in close quarters with one god. Percy hadn't had a choice when it came to his first Quest, he either had to leave Camp or get turned into a dolphin. It was lucky that he chose to go on the Quest, because nobody, except maybe Grover, would have helped him if he'd been forced to flee. Not only would Nico have had to deal with the campers' fear, he would have been a sitting duck for the gods, either to use or destroy. That's why, when Percy got the chance in The Last Olympian, he advocated for him, and got him a place in Camp, so nobody could doubt that he belonged there, or was worthy of respect.

Exactly. Percy had a pretty bad experience at camp for the first three summers he was there for three different reasons (being claimed that first summer that set him apart from the crowd, getting bullied in the second summer for having a cyclops for a brother, and Thalia coming back made people completely ignore him in favor of the daughter of Zeus, the new shiny prophecy kid). He knows what it’s like to be an outlawed demigod and he wouldn’t force anyone else to live the same circumstances he did. Especially since Hades already doesn’t have a good standing with the gods or their children. Notice how he was immediately blamed for the theft of the master bolt. And of course he would have had to stay there full time since he doesn’t have a mortal address so like you said he’d be under the gods’ thumbs 24/7 and made to prove his loyalty to Olympus by going on stupid quests, if not outright killed. In ttc, the Olympians almost had Percy executed just for existing, the only reason they didn’t is because Poseidon threw his weight behind him. Somehow I don’t think they hold Hades in such high regard and even if they did, Hades himself didn’t hold Nico in high regard until much much later so yea he’d be dead one way or the other.

But yea no dumping on Percy for knowing all of this is and recognizing it as a sad reality because it was his sad reality as well is not the hot take that some people think it is.

[ordon-pumpkin]

Percy Jackson spoilers and criticism below.

I see people complain about how the show just has the characters figuring out things way too quickly (I completely agree with this.) Then I see people complaining about that criticism saying things like “Oh it makes sense! They would know that because Annabeth’s been at camp, Grover is a satyr, and Percy’s mom taught him about the myths!” However, there is a difference between them knowing about the stories and them IMMEDIATELY figuring each potential trap/situation out and zapping the energy from the scenes.

These same instances in the book usually involve a feeling of unease, something feels off, things seem kind of familiar, and it slowly dawns on them what they are dealing with OR they are escaping one situation to be thrust into another and don’t have time to think about it at all. There’s tension, there’s drama. I’m here for it. The show on the other hand? Oof.

Also the circumstances in which they encounter these situations in the book greatly influence how things go. They are human(ish) after all and them getting into these messes makes them easier to connect to as characters. Let’s break it down a little more there.

- With Medusa they were lost in the woods and hungry. The smell of food lured them in. They were hungry children dang it! From the circus lol (Honestly, this instance didn’t bother me too much in the show when I first watched it because it was early on before the knowing things too soon became an ongoing theme.)

- With the Lotus Hotel and Casino they were tired and feeling grimy, having just traveled in the back of a truck with a bunch of animals in horrible conditions. It was scorching hot outside. They were absolutely exhausted and wound up there where a doorman invited them in and it was a relief to have somewhere to take a break, recoup and figure out their next move. Once inside they had access to a shower! There were snacks. Plus the place was incredible. It also showed their interests with Annabeth being drawn in to trivia and city building games, Percy liked the bungee jumping! Grover played a reverse hunting game! Percy figured out the trap by asking a guy using 70s slang and dressed to match, what year it was. He kept asking and getting different answers. Then he was able to snap Annabeth out of it by describing spiders, which he knew she had a fear of from the Tunnel of Love ride. (This whole scene in the show was such a let down, so was the Tunnel of Love scene but I’ll leave that alone for now.)

- With Crusty they were on the run and dashed into the store. This encounter is one of my favorite moments of Percy’s quick thinking in the books btw. Also his absolute lack of hesitation to slice someone’s head if they mess with his friends. Percy is smart. He’s very street smart actually. In the book this scene shows that really well. (The way I paused the show in frustration and almost turned it off when the episode started already at Crusty’s with the line “I know who you are.” Like of course. That’s just how we’re telling this story now. Check. They met Crusty. And he doesn’t feel like a threat at all. But they met him I guess.)

The exhaustion and the circumstances in these instances in the book and getting into these traps aren’t the trio being “stupid.” They were moments that set up the situation to feel more relatable, alive, tense, and interesting. The show’s changes have taken away most of the tension from these scenes. Them knowing and catching on to things so quickly is lazy and it is incredibly boring. It just feels like they are checking off a list of places from the books they wanted in the show, while losing the entire energy and impact of those locations and scenes.

To me everything in this show feels like it’s at 20%. The humor, the stakes, the tension, the personality, the freaking lighting (why is so much of this show so hard to even see?), the whimsy, the magic, the charm. It’s all so dialed back and watered down. The book is a roller coaster of making you laugh and putting you on the edge of your seat with the tension and situations these kids get into. It’s campy, it’s intense, it’s crazy, and so energetic. The show feels bland in comparison. Idk how you manage to make Percy Jackson feel boring but they did it.

I’m not asking for it to be an exact copy of the book. I’m just disappointed with how dull it is. When it’s boring and it’s a scene that was the furthest thing from that in the original version then YES I’m going to compare it and wonder why there were changes to make it less interesting. In fact, my favorite scene in the show so far is actually the taxi in the parking garage scene. It captured the energy and vibe of Percy Jackson really well and it’s a scene not in the books at all. The energy is important and this show is lacking severely most of the time. It has some really good moments (back to that 20% thing) but overall it’s such a let down.

We have one episode left of the season and I don’t exactly have high hopes of it making things better. It just makes me sad because I wanted to love this series. The incredibly talented cast, a major studio behind it, passionate people being involved including the author, amazing source material… I look at all of the ingredients and it should be amazing. But I’m pretty disappointed right now.

[littlestarbeam]

I cant stop thinking about the fact that Juno just might have truly loved Jason. That she thought she was so merciful for letting him live. That she loved him as though he was her own. That Jason was her son, her boy no matter the circumstances. That Jason not understanding what a mother's love was also believed the same. That when he saw Sally look at Percy with a look of adoration it reminded him of Juno who would give him those looks after he finished a quest. But the difference was while Sally's love for Percy was unconditional, Juno's was. That as a goddess, mortals and demigods need to be deserving of love in her eyes. But in her heart she truly did love Jason so when he came back resenting her for taking his memories she was confused. Because in her eyes love was conditional

[buoyantsaturn]

C.J. buoyantsaturn's 2024 fic year in review

JANUARY

whoopsie daisy! [T, 3,203]

Will almost missed the way Tartarus had dulled his senses, distracting him from his own pain and preventing him from knowing the full extent of Nico’s. 

FEBRUARY

hoping that this feeling stays [G, 2,002]

“Killer Quest,” Nico answered, something lighting up behind his eyes that Will wanted to see more of. “It’s a rock band.” 

MARCH

you're on my mind [G, 2,004]

As it was, Will had been gone for no more than forty-eight hours, and Nico was already back to spending eighteen hours a day on the studio floor.

APRIL

I called all night on a payphone (remember those, from another life?) [G, 4,121]

(a sequel to Remember nights we spent on hard wood floors) "Being here today, this place has had the same energy as the shows we used to play at the Big House when we were first getting started.” 

MAY

cough drops [T, 7,434; jasico/valgrace/solangelo]

“You should think about getting a boyfriend,” Leo said one day while he was taking up residence on Nico’s couch, Jason out of town for the weekend at an away-game. Nico shot him a glare. “Maybe you should get your own boyfriend.” 

JUNE

i buried myself alive on the inside cowritten with @ethannku [T, 9,201]

Why did hearing a pretty voice coming out of an even prettier man have to turn Will’s brain completely to mush?

JULY

she smiles through her teeth so crookedly, so perfectly (it's like she went to school to do this shit commercially) [G, 1,070]

(from the no love au series) "I think I saw Will Solace talking to that guy beforehand, and then…it's like he was just gone. That's not nothing, right?”

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER

I would honestly love you now (but I would lovingly let you down) [T, 43,630, 11/11]

This legally binding document states that Party A, Nico di Angelo, and Party B, Will Solace, agree to be lawfully married under the following circumstances: Both parties find themselves unmarried by the time they have both reached the age of twenty-five.

OCTOBER

plant check [G, 4,739]

“I would kind of like to know how long you’ve been staring me down, if only so I can be sure I haven’t been ignoring my favorite patient for, like, an hour.” “Not an hour,” Nico told him, though his mind was suddenly circling around favorite patient.

NOVEMBER

Well-trained eyes find that things are not alright [T, 2,686]

(from the no love au series) “This is a whole new side for you, Neeks,” Percy said, smiling brightly in Nico’s direction. “I mean, not only are you talking to another person at a party, but flirting with your boyfriend where people can hear you? I don’t believe it.” 

DECEMBER

you say a lot of things when you get too drunk that you never really mean (can you please shut up?) [G, 2,993]

(from the no love au series) “I’m sorry your brother’s such a piece of shit,” Lou told her, then tugged Kayla into the elevator before the doors could close on them. 

[deliciousweet]

𓈒ིུ𖤛 early sunsets over monroeville

wc: 782 (6 min read)

a/n: first post woop ! im holding this piece very near n dear to my heart right now so handle it with care please 💭

The world's prey has developed an incredible arsenal of adaptations— both defensive and offensive, clever and formidable— that ensure their survival against nature’s least forgiving predators.

Butterflies have eye spots, skunks spray, and opossums play dead.

Humans, however, have not been lucky enough to evolve such ingenious survival mechanisms.

You suppose if the nascency of zombies had been organic, the situation would be different. But, alas, all you have are your muscles and weapons. You adorn yourself in all sorts of protection— a barbed baseball bat, pocket knives, guns (that you’re too afraid to use).. everything you could carry with you.

You’ve been teaching yourself how to survive since the first mention of real life zombies but nothing could prepare you for the pure desperation to keep living and fear you would feel when having to put all those skills to good use.

You met him, Percy, as he introduced himself to you, the same day you killed your first zombie— or rather, your first zombies. In any other case you would have deemed yourself supremely idiotic to place your trust in anyone after the first 2 minutes of knowing— seeing, really— them but the circumstances were complicated.

Firstly, it was a miracle you hadn’t frozen up in fear and let the zombies have you, and secondly, he seemed soo.. distinctly human in a way you hadn’t seen since before the apocalypse started.

He watched you scream as you swung your bat around, eyes closed, bludgeoning anything unlucky enough to be in your path.

‘Anything’ just so happened to be 3 zombies.

You were running off of pure adrenaline, hands shaking and no way to tell if you were doing any real damage. You couldn’t open your eyes. If you did, you’d be reminded that this was real. You are beating up real zombies and if you don’t win, you’ll die.

Zombies weren’t as durable as they might seem. A lot of them took themselves out on account of their own (inculpable) recklessness. There were a few built more sturdy than others, but luckily, these were your standard brainless, sluggish, and frail zombies.

You’d think he would have approached with more caution considering you had just fought for your life and were still holding a wired bat in your hands as you question if it makes you a murder to kill the undead. But no, he put his hand on your shoulder gently and immediately regretted it.

You gasped, quickly spinning around to make him the next victim of your rampage. Thankfully, he ducked with wide eyes, missing your blow by a hair and by then you’d realized he was not a zombie.

He looked at you in shock rather than fear. Faces void of the chronic anxiety that came with living in the current world were rare— but not extinct, you now realized.

You have now been traveling with him for 3 months, and are content to be sitting on the ledge of an abandoned gas station while Percy looks for gas. Your life has improved a lot since you met him. You feel less like you’re waiting for your imminent death and more like you’re living now.

“They say we’re made of stardust.” You comment, as he drives down the desolate road.

He gives you a quick glance before looking back at the road, though you think it’d be hard to crash in these conditions. “Yea? What do you think?”

You shrug, looking at your hands, examining the palm, almost waiting to see if it’ll glimmer like the night sky does. “I think that’d be cool.” You believe it more when you look at him though. He’s beautiful enough to be related to the stars. Bright enough too.

“What about you, do you believe it?” You ask.

He hums thoughtfully, tapping his finger on the steering wheel a couple times before looking at you with a smile so unguarded and warm it makes you a bit squirmish. You’re thankful when he sets his sights back on the road ahead of him.

“I believe it, but I don’t think whoever said that was speaking scientifically. Sometimes you meet people who feel like they belong up there.” He gives you a quick glance. “Like they were never meant to be down here with the rest of us, You know?”

You admire him as he speaks. Watching the way his smile lines show when he talks, how his eyes shine so stunningly in the moonlight.. You think about how he seems to light up any room he stands in, how he knows just how to keep things light so effortlessly, and it’s all for you.

You nod because yea, you do know.

[ye-olde-sodor]

DC Au Thomas!

Thomas is an LB&SCR E2 Class locomotive, more specifically a Second Series E2 with the extended side tanks.

He was built in June of 1915, making him one of the oldest engines on Sodor! Contrary to popular belief, however, Thomas was not the first engine on Sodor. Instead, he only inherited the number after the first No 1 disappeared.

Thomas had a rough time growing up. He was taught by his older brothers not to trust the larger engines. Due to this, a younger Thomas was quite aggressive towards a younger Edward and a few other larger engines. While he grew out of this "emo phase", he still took many of his brothers lessons to heart.

Current day Thomas is a happy-go-lucky and sometimes hot headed engine, but he always means well….usually. He's cheerful, but he’s also the strong assertive type, and isn't afraid to speak up against mean engines. He can be quite cheeky too, but with his old age, he doesn't show it as much as he used to.

He loves a good challenge, but due to how bold and he can be, he's quite reckless. He also has a hard time admitting he made a mistake or did something wrong whenever one of his plans goes awry.

Thomas isn’t very good at listening to people. Especially to those in charge. The only people he does listen to is the Hatt family…but he doesn’t always listen to Sir Topham Hatt.

Like with many engines on Sodor, he despises the idea of a hierarchy. He believes that it paves the way for larger engines to order around smaller engines and put them in harms way. Even though he's a Preserved engine, he'd be more then happy to get rid of his "privilege" if it means keeping whatever steam engines remain across the world safe.

Thomas would kill to have a dock or harbor near his branch line. He loves the sea breeze and the sounds or the waves crashing up against the land. It reminds him of the Docks of Brighton Railway.

Thomas is one of the few engines who doesn’t mind eating thanks to his driver. His favorites are beef jerky and salt (yes he eats salt, don’t judge him) Just don’t tell any of the other engines that he likes to eat things…

Thomas was surprised when Stepney turned out to be one of his cousins. While the two aren't particularly close, both take pride in being relatives, and have even gained a peace of mind knowing that not all of their relatives were scrapped.

Thomas can be quite flirt when he wants to be, although no one but a few engines would know about it.

He can get super jealous whenever a new engine rolls in. This is partially due to how his brother raised him but also partially because he’s afraid of being replaced despite being the islands mascot…but then again, humans love replacing things they claim to adore so how can he be so sure he's safe from scrap?

He has some very mixed feelings towards Ryan. First and foremost he’s angry that he has to listen to him. He's jealous because Ryan has had the high life since he was built. He also finds Ryan attractive but would never, under any circumstances, admit he's in love like a normal engine.

He has a nasty habit of getting sick if he's swapped to a coal he isn't used to burning. There've been many attempts to switch the engines of Sodor to a better coal, but poor Thomas just wasn't compatible with any of them! Mallard will learn this the hard way soon enough...

Ultimately can be described with one word. Feral.

Quotes:

Thomas: *screaming*

Ryan: *screams louder*

Scott: "Shouldn't we interveine?"

Gordon: "No no, I want to see who wins."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Percy: "Why on earth would you want to use the jet engine again?!"

Thomas: "Because you can't make the same mistake twice! I heard those scientists finally nailed the tech down, so now I can-"

Percy: "Completely ignore them and carry on with your life?!"

Thomas: 'You're no fun :("

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Percy: "Oh blimey you look awful! Moreso than usual!"

Thomas, who's taken on bad coal: "Gee, thanks."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Thomas: "I'm half tempted to make a break for Sodor...maybe I'll get lucky!"

Driver: "Or maybe you'll get us all killed!"

Thomas: "Death is better than "Campfire Night", Keith. If I hear one more song about the wonders of British colonialism and living by the social norm, I just might keel over."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Thomas: "James, I know you're scared, but you have to trust me."

James: "You're already asking too much out of me, but go on."

Thomas: "I need you to bail Edward out of Darlington."

James: "WHAT-"

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryan: "Now why can't you be this sweet all the time?"

Thomas: "If I was, I wouldn't be half as interesting!”

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Henry: "If you rush across the viaduct, it'll collapse, and you won't have any passengers or train! What would you do then?!"

Thomas: "Run my train on time."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward: "Oh, that bloody Spamcan is here!"

Gordon: "Quick Thomas, do the thing!"

Thomas: "I don't think growling at him is going to send him away...But I'd be damned if I didn't try it!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Diesel: "We need a distraction."

Thomas: "Great idea! Diesel, you roll out and show 'em your ugly mug while I go grab Percy!"

[austin-friars]

so many conflicting opinions on what makes you a lover of literature or not. and i do get that a huge part of this is coming from those weird booktok users who literally just cosplay literature lovers for fun and then shit on classics, while reading stuff like percy jackson or harry potter, and calling themself literary geniuies. like yes, those weird mindsets should be scrutnized.

but i also think that coming from a community that has a historically low reading/writing level, and having close connections with other communities and groups that are the same, learn to be kinder to people - yes even adults, even people in their 40s who read low level books. learn to be kinder to older adults who are from underprivileged communities and spaces who love literature, but due to circumstances can only read a specific reading level.

i hate that booktok users are not very smart, and i mean that in the kindest way possible.

but i hope that when we have wider conversations about literacy and reading, we can separate the idiots from booktok and well, other people who really do enjoy literature that is below their reading level, because they have no choice.

[spro-o]

okay, so,,, i got back to reading 4kota, and i have so many thoughts of literally every nature

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR 4KOTA, NATURALLY!

okay so, allow me to rant a lil

bro why the actual fuck is Arthur just magical hitler now?? 😭 like hello???? it genuinely makes me really sad because he was such a sweet and likable character for most of 7ds and now he wants to create an ethnostate for humans only???? it just breaks my heart, man

SAME WITH JERICHO LIKE HELLO? QUEEN, YOURE BETTER THAN THIS. genuinely tho- nakaba try not to make all your characters pedos challenge (impossible). there are literally so many other ways in which Jericho could have ended up in a similar situation, but nakaba really just chose pedophilia? it couldve been something along the same lines just without the romantic attraction!! a family bond can be just as strong- and it couldve been something like her losing Lancelot or in some other way letting him down, and then thinking that he despises her and holds onto that grudge (which, judging his character it wouldve probably been a small spat that he got over) - but maybe Jericho didnt understand that, or wasnt ready to face him, expecting him to be livid - so she asked for an alternative reality where that didnt happen and they got along great as sister/brother or master/trainee. i wouldnt put Jericho past being so stubborn that she wouldnt believe when Lance would say that he forgave her, and then boom!! same set-up, just without the nasty pedophilia!!

ON THE NOTE OF WHICH- (theres so much of that garbage in nakaba's writing, fucks sake) - i genuinely hate the whole thing happening with Guinevere. the whole non-consensual kiss from a 12 year old to a 16 year old (ewwwww) is one thing, but then when Lance is reflecting on that interaction and he SMILES????

you have no idea how much this panel killed me to see. Lancelot youre better than this,,,, 4 years is not a big age difference when youre in your 30's, but when youre 16???? please,,,, cmon now,,,

speaking of whommmmm~~ ,,, I ADORE LANCELOT!! SO MUCH!! this is to be expected considering i love Ban, bUT- hes genuinely just such a cool and wonderful character that has some sense in him. i especially loved those panels where he was like jumping around to get himself hyped up cuz like!! Ban does that!!!! i love,,,,

elizabeth (looking gorge btw, i love that for her) is unfortunately reduced to an object of fondling yet again 😔 literally like the second panel that shes in and shes getting grabbed and groped by Meliodas?? it just feels mad disrespectful to her really deep character that she has such a minor role when you ignore her being sexualised by Mel (in reality nakaba, but i digest)

i love that panel where Anne tells Isolde about what chastity actually is hbghjnhbjh

I FEEL SO BAD FOR NASIENS WHEN PERCY IS ALL UP IN ANNES BOOBS. genuinely- the dropped bag, and all of he blushing that happened before it during their interactions,,,, that shit broke my heart, man

nakaba try not to draw teenagers naked challenge (impossible) (chapter 86 cover)

this is literally like the cutest fucking thing ever????? i want more calm, slice of life stuff for our skrunglies. they deserve a break

someone, please, stop all this shit going on with Guinevere (writing this while reading chp 87) – I really despise the fact that nakaba has to make like literally all of the relationships either look like they have a massive age gap (Ban and Elaine), or actually have a fucking criminal age gap (Mel and Ellie). it really is not that difficult to just write a relationship where there is a <2 year age gap, did you know that, nakaba?? crazy, I know (deadass, while I don’t ship them, it would at least be bearable if she was also like 15-16, just not 12 TT)

chion is such a fucking pain in the ass oh mah gahhhhhh

I love Gawain’s lesbian antics <3

At this point, though I love seeing the characters interact in more casua circumstances, id rather have more fight scenes than god awful, shoe-horned romances between any two characters of the opposite gender (exceptions being Nasiens and Gawain, my sillies <3)

okay,,, thats it for now, but do expect more at some point or another huiyuvghbijhb