#when luke asked annabeth if she loved him in tlo i thought he meant in like. a family sense

[trashno0dle]

luke going “she's my little sister” in reference to annabeth really hope they stick with that and they don't make it weird like in the books later on (the last olympian) let them stick with that family dynamic please i beg

[somewhereincairparavel]

Rick making Luke like Annabeth romantically by the end of TLO was probably the worst mistake ever tbh. I'm actually so salty abt this. Even after Luke asked her if she ever loved him, I never got the romantic implication? To me it seemed more like Luke was aware of Annabeth's crush on him, and wanted to clarify that he hadn't misread, since he was dying and wanted to make himself feel better that someone DID indeed love him, even after all that he did, not because HE loved her or something. But I realised that Rick WAS intending to make Luke romantically interested in Annabeth after I got the confirmation in MOA.

Because it made NO sense whatsoever. Like. At all. On the contrary, it was heavily hinted that Luke was crushing on Thalia, in the demigod diaries, where he couldn't refuse her ideas, and that looking into her eyes made him want to do anything she asked, when he said that her compliments made him feel warm and fuzzy inside, etc. if that isn't a romantic implication, then I don't know what is tbh, but it's just my opinion. Also, he was at the brink of insanity after Thalia died and turned into a tree, I feel like that's what drove him batshit against the gods . If anything, Luke loved Thalia, not annabeth. Atleast based on what was implied in The demigod diaries.

He showed no romantic interest in Annabeth in the books, and clearly only saw her as a sister. Adding that romantic bit was not only creepy as fuck, since Luke was in his mind 20's and Annabeth was still a child. But it also stripped off the found family significance that they had. I was actually marvelling at how great Luke/Annabeth's sibling dynamic was in the books up until TLO.

I always that Annabeth's crush on Luke was realistic bc it wasn't a crush, it was hero worship. She put Luke in a pedestal because he was her hero, a celebrity crush sort of thing. Very realistic writing, but Luke reciprocating? That ruined everything.

Luke genuinely regretting his actions because he failed his little sister, and Thalia, refusing to hurt both of them, the two people that meant the world to him, the two people he thought of when he was bathing in the river styx, is MUCH more meaningful and heartbreaking.

[peony-jackson]

Hot Take.

So not to defend Luke’s actions or anything, but I feel like we misunderstood what he meant when he asked Annabeth if she loved him. Now I am sort of a Luke apologist so do take what I say with a grain of salt and please do not be so harsh. Ok so when Luke asked Annabeth if she loved him (Which is the part that everyone brings up about this argument about Luke, and yes, I aged him down in my Au so he’s only around 18 in TLO but I’m doing it with cannon PJO, but Luke’s still an adult and Annabeth is still a minor) Now I belive when people make arguments about Luke being a p3do is kinda wild because when I reread the scene where Luke asked Annabeth if she loved him I thought what he meant by that is “Ok I’m on my death bed right now and the girl who has been my amazing little sister since she was seven is here and I still care about her so I’ll ask her if she cares and loves me since I showed her love and care when she back when I found her so I hope that the good of the past with show her that she doesn’t need to hate me so much so I’m sure she won’t take it the wrong way.”

[sapphicambitions]

what are your thoughts on luke asking annabeth if she loved him in TLO? many fans who dislike luke tend to use this example to portray him as manipulative (and slightly paedophilic given their age difference)

ah yes ive given this a lot of thought and honestly i have many thoughts head full. thesis: i dont think luke was asking in a romantic way. i think annabeth took it in a romantic way, and she was supposed to via the writing choices and what the narrative needed.

 I think when we look at choices authors made we have to examine WHY they made the choices. Not just as the character but as the author who is moving the story along (thank u to my play analysis professor for sponsoring this post). we don’t always have to agree with the choices the author made but like sometimes you gotta look critically at the work and analyze it if you want to understand why a choice was made. (also shoutout to my friend kara who keeps telling me that im getting a phd in analyzing ya lit with all my long pjo posts)

rick is a guy that’s HUGE on romance and pairing everyone off. the main reason annabeth is smitten with luke the whole series is to put tension on her and percy’s relationship and so they wouldn’t get together too soon. luke has to be older in order to be taken seriously as a villain. annabeth had to confirm in front of percy that she didn’t have feelings for luke so that percabeth’s relationship could move forward. Annabeth wasn’t just going to stand over luke’s dying body and be like “haha i don’t have feelings for you” unprompted after like a fucking battle, so dramaturgically luke had to ask her “did you love me” in order for her to shut it down so percy could see it. i don’t think it was the BEST writing choice because percy could have asked her about it later, but also, it’s the climax of the whole series. climaxes are supposed to answer questions. the question in that moment was “does annabeth have feelings for luke?” and the answer was no. i think also “did you love me?” was written purposefully in that way so that annabeth would take it to mean in a romantic sense so she would answer in a romantic sense so we could wrap up that plot point. 

but like lmao honestly i do not believe luke meant it romantically.  “did you love me?” can mean a lot of things. love doesn’t always have to be romantic. they knew each other for almost a decade. annabeth was basically the only family that luke had left. y’all think he didn’t love her? i think he loved her like a little sister ABSOLUTELY. because also he asked annabeth if she loved him, and he didn’t say “ive always been deeply in love with you” or anything confessing his own feelings, so miss me with that “he was trying to manipulate her” shit like HOW WHAT WOULD THAT ACCOMPLISH HE’S LITERALLY DYING.  luke did a lot of bad things. he made a lot of mistakes. a lot of really, terrible mistakes. i think at the end of his life, he was wondering if the one person in the world he actually cared about loved him. it even says when annabeth says “you were like a brother to me” he nods like he expected it because i think that’s the answer he was looking for all along.

also lmao anyone who knows me knows that i 100% believe luke was gay

but lmao actually i do think the phrasing of it is lowkey bad writing on ricks part and he could have phrased it in another way but even so looking at the choices he made leading up to that moment i think it was more about giving annabeth permission to move on from luke (because incase y’all forgot there was a LOT of tension between her and percy about her still excusing luke) so she could be with percy than anything else. No, I don’t think luke had a crush on annabeth. I think she was his family and i dont think he was trying to manipulate her. (like manipulate her to do WHAT i literally dont understand) i think rick needed to write a climax and that’s the choice he made to do it. 

[notesofarichlycolorednight]

Why does no one talk about how luke lost siblings pre war? Like like is what 14 when he comes to camp, hes 19 when percy does. Meaning, because he wasnt the cousler when he got to camp one or more of his soblings had to die in the five years he lived at camp. In the five years he lived at camp his brothers and sisters would go home and not come back? How many bodless shrouds did luke have burn???

oh i think

but on this blog, we stan luke castellan

i stanned luke before it was cool, before the word “stan” even existed

i was stanning luke the moment i finished tlt

but, uh, anyway,,,

in a more…coherent way, i think it’s bc a lot of ppl don’t like luke. like at all. and a lot of it stems from two things,,,

1: many ppl, i think, don’t separate kronos from luke and luke from kronos. OR, they don’t fully grasp just how manipulative kronos was, and how far someone can go when they are being manipulated. OR, they could not do both of those things and still hate luke, and that’s fine and fair. they’re entitled to their opinion

2: the whole “did you love me” scene, when luke was dying

and i know this isn’t what you’re asking for–in fact your question at the beginning of your ask is probably more rhetorical than anything–but like i said, i stan luke castellan, and i have a lot of feelings abt this topic. so i’m going to break down my points, and then talk abt his life at chb before percy showed up, regarding the deaths of his siblings

which is my usual at this point so, ya know,,,

what are you gonna do

as usual, hcs under the cut

one

1a: sometimes i get the feeling that some think luke and kronos were basically one in the same? and that luke is completely and wholly responsible for his actions throughout the series. which is wrong. he’s not, he was being severely manipulated by a titan; misled, misguided, and used. kronos was taking something that already existed in luke and twisting it to his own gains. additionally, after kronos possess him, he’s no longer in control of his actions. he’s trapped in his own body, while kronos pulls the strings, quite literally.

1b: i also get the feeling that sometimes ppl don’t quite understand how manipulation and gaslighting can effect your ability to think for yourself, to think clearly abt a lot of things at all. or, swinging in the other direction, perhaps think too much abt everything. for this post, it’s the former. manipulation is subtle and insidious, you start to do and say things you wouldn’t normally think you’d do or say for fear of punishment, whether it be physical, emotional, and/or psychological from the other. manipulation like that is abuse, and luke was being abused by kronos. so he is not completely and wholly responsible for his actions throughout the series

1c: finally, ppl may very well recognize these two things–that luke and kronos were two separate entities, and that manipulation can be a terribly powerful and destructive tool used against ppl–and still decide to hate him. and ya know, that’s fine. we’re all entitled to how we feel abt fictonal characters. at the end of the day, agree to disagree

two

a lot of ppl hate him also bc of the question he asked annabeth in tlo, a dying man’s inquiry

and a lot of ppl interpreted it as romantic. and therefore, rightfully so, saw that as disgusting, considering luke is considerably older (6 to 7 yrs, at least).

not only that, but luke oftentimes used annabeth’s crush on him against her (whether he knew annabeth’s love was romantic or familial at that time, who’s to say; i mean i say that he didn’t realize annabeth had a crush on him for a very long time, he probably mostly saw it as familial, bc he is considerably older)–i think the biggest example of that would be when he got annabeth to hold the sky for him bc he knew if she saw him in pain, she would help him, no question, bc she loved him. that i can’t really argue against. i will say he was still being deeply manipulated by kronos, but it’s still a p despicable thing to do just in general

the infamous question he asks annabeth, i see as way more complicated. i think since we’re in percy’s head, it’s meant to seem romantic, considering percy could tell immediately annabeth had a crush on luke at the beginning of tlt, and percy, himself, had completely fallen, head-over-heels in love with annabeth at that point in time.

i see the question as familial, as well as romantic love, but not in the way you think. i felt it was him almost checking to see the depth of annabeth’s romantic love she felt for him–was it just a crush, or has she deeply and truly fallen in love with me? i think he knew she’d fallen in love with percy (even if it took him a while to figure out she had a crush on him). his question was more a check, rather than a, “oh i’m going to ask this girl who is 7 yrs younger than me if she loves me romantically.” but also one of familial love. her answer is implied to be strictly romantic, but luke knows that annabeth’s always loved him, and he’s checking to see if not romantic, than still as family. i.e., “but, no, i didn’t love you in that way”

bonus! three

and look, before you get all indignant and ready to pull receipts, i’m not a luke apologist

i recognize that him being manipulated, and not fully in control of his actions, does not excuse the fact that he still committed them. i am fully aware that he was not a good person, and that he did terrible things

but i also recognize that for one, he wasn’t entirely in control or himself bc of the manipulating kronos was doing to him (which does count for something in the grand scheme of things, even if it does not excuse his actions), and two he had a point abt the gods. the gods are fucking awful. they ain’t shit, and they care little abt their own fucking children.

[aside] hey so cool concept: if you don’t want to put in the effort to do the bare minimum for you children…DON’T HAVE CHILDREN. wild i know. and for gods??? the bare minimum would be like claiming them, and making sure their cabins are the least bit comfortable to live in, which they could do, literally with a snap of their fingers, which would take less than a second. the bar is on the fucking ground. if you’re gonna try and give me the Ancient Laws shit, first of all it was clearly shown throughout the pjo and hoo series, the gods often help demigods, even if they aren’t “““““supposed to interfere””””” so that’s a weak argument. second of all, for bigger things, like getting them to camp or smth, well why not find adults who maybe can take care of them??? maybe it’s a bit idealist sure, but adults should fucking know better. not to mention, the fact that i wish older ppl would care and take care of younger ppl is me being ideal speaks for itself. i recognize not every single person can be the perfect parent, but we can sure as hell try to get close

luke did those things bc he thought he was helping demigods–he started doing it for them and it spun wildly out of control bc kronos is a titan, he’s ruthless, and wanted to kill the gods for his own gain. he didn’t care abt luke, but he’d gladly use luke to achieve his goal. by the time luke realized that, it was already too late. but anyway, /tangent

i can completely understand luke’s motivations, while also understanding that his methods were not the way to go abt change. and that’s another thing abt it, is that i feel like many in the fandom take a very black-and-white perspective on his character, when it’s much more complicated than that

there’s a post going around, talking abt how antagonists and villains should be relatable, bc it reminds us not to go there. and i think a lot of ppl should really take that to heart. i can like a character, but not the person. i don’t idealize luke is any sense of the word. i am aware of all his flaws.

now, first i would like to point out that the rules of becoming head counselor don’t have to involve death. i’m sure with demigods, they often do, but there are two other options: 1) two competing head counselors have a chat and agree on who should be head counselor or 2) they battle each other, and whoever is victorious becomes head counselor

it’s a safe bet that that probably happened quite a lot in the hermes cabin, considering how many demigods resided in there before the second titan war (tho i imagine chiron at least tried (???) to make sure legit only children of hermes become head counselors, bc it is...well...the hermes cabin).

but, as i said before, they are demigods, and so it’s another safe bet that their head counselors were often lost to death

it’s hard to say just how many of luke’s siblings were lost to death, but let’s look at the timeline here real quick. in tlt, luke says that he screwed everything up for everyone else, bc after his quest went so awry, chiron stopped letting kids out of camp to go on quests...which thinking abt it now, almost doesn’t make sense.

i mean, the fact that luke failed so miserably and came back horribly scarred was the catalyst the made chiron stop letting ppl out, but demigods literally dying on quests didn’t???? uuuuuummmmmm?????????

and we can extrapolate from the spoils in the attic of the big house that a lot of campers did die on their quests

i mean, maybe it was also bc chiron had a feeling the great prophecy was getting nearer and nearer to being fulfilled, and he decided after luke failed his quest--a close call like that--he didn’t want to risk any other demigods’ lives anymore until the prophecy began, bc war takes a lot of lives, but still, that’s p fucked up logic

/tangent

anyway, so i think luke was at camp for abt 3 yrs before he finally got a quest of his own. so luke had three yrs at camp to lose siblings to death.

i mean, going by how much luke fought to get his own quest, hermes’ children probably didn’t get a lot of issued quests (more evidence abt how others see hermes as a god, despite him still being a major god).

but, for argument’s sake, let’s say that before the great prophecy became too real for chiron to let out kids on other quests, abt 5-10 quests were issued for each full yr, depending on how long the quest itself would take (tho we’ve seen that a lot of things can be accomplished in v little time, so that’s why my estimation has a lot of variation)

[aside] these numbers are completely and utterly arbitrary, i’m totes making this up as i go

and for more argument’s sake, let’s say that the hermes cabin were issued at least half of those, since they have so many kids--maybe even some of the undertermined kids were issued a quest and as a reward would get to know who their godly parent is (wow, that’s just so shitty, where did my mind come up with that)

and i imagine, even tho they were undetermined, luke felt like they were siblings all the same bc everyone, even children of hermes, were miserable in that cabin. it was jam-packed, crammed, with no breathing space. and some of them in there had completely given up that they’d ever find out who their godly parent was bc their godly parent didn’t care abt them at all

luke hated seeing that. so when a quest was issued to anyone in his cabin, and they didn’t come back, that probably took a serious toll on his mental health. not to mention only did to feed his anger and hatred toward the gods. esp if he thought that the kid was only doing it to find out who their godly parent was

bc they get at least half of the quests during the yr, across 3 yrs, luke probably lost from 5-15 of his siblings, and those he considered siblings.

i have a hc that he cares quite a lot abt his half-siblings. for as much as he hates his father, his siblings didn’t do anything to be ignored like he is, and as luke grows older, he probably takes on kinda father-figure. like if hermes isn’t gonna step up, then luke will he just kinda went abt it the wrong way, with the whole kronos thing...

i imagine, also, that he sometimes lost his siblings when they would sneak out of camp. i mean, from what little glimpse into luke’s life we got before he started trying to take over the world, he made it sound like the hermes kids often snuck out of camp to get things from new york proper like junk food. and it’s more dangerous for them outside the borders, so it’s safe to say that if they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and met a monster they were unprepared to face, they most likely died.

that only increases the number of siblings he lost over those 5 yrs before precy got to camp.

i think tho, those that went on quests and died would have more impact, bc it’s obvious his siblings dying after sneaking out didn’t dissuade him from still sneaking out. but luke was probably more careful abt it

actually, jk, it probably affected him A Lot. and hc that that’s part of the reason he trained so hard with a sword--he probably told his siblings that he’d be the only one going out of camp for any bargaining chips, didn’t matter if he was directly involved or not. and bc he was so good with a sword, he’d be better equipped to handle tougher monsters.

with every lost sibling, i imagine luke throws himself into sword-fighting and masking his grief and pain with anger and hatred even more--it grows exponentially, and never hits a ceiling. he probably blames the gods to bury the fact that he actually blames himself. bc if he accepts that he blames himself that means he also wasn’t strong enough to protect his siblings

it’s easier to blame the gods and train so that maybe one day he’ll be strong enough to protect his siblings. that’s another motivation behind why he decides to join kronos and lead his army until kronos can reform/find a host. kronos promises to make him strong enough to protect not just his siblings, but all demigods who have been thrown to the wayside by the gods--no more useless quests that needlessly take their lives, just to get their godly parents to “““““approve””””” of them

i’m sure he gets tired of feeling powerless, and sometimes the grief is so overwhelming he hides in the forest and lets himself feel for once, but not willing to let anyone else see him break. then he somehow puts himself back together, more determined than ever to become powerful enough to make it stop. at the very least, make it stop happening so frequently.

hmmm, not sure if this is what you asked for, but this is where my brain went. not quite happy with it, i feel like i keep saying the same thing abt luke over and over again but in varying ways, but i did add some new hcs

if you wanna send in another ask with some of yours ideas, i think my brain would be able to use that as a springboard and come up with more specific hcs

as always, thanks for sending this in!!! i know i say this with every ask, but i really do enjoy thinking/discussing these things ^_^ it’s always fun to interact with the fandom for me

FEED ME SEYMOUR

[just-another-obsessed-fangirl]

Before the (Possible) End

Percabeth, AU - canon divergence (I guess???), set during TLO

Summary:  It's almost the day the Great Prophecy foretold, and Percy doesn't wanna waste any more chances.

(A/N: This is my first finished fic, woohoo! This is just a short one shot. I wanted to write a fic where Percy made the first move bc in the books, Annabeth is always making the first move and that didn’t seem fair. I’m posting this at 5 am bc I got too excited about finishing a fic so this is probably not my best but oh well)

AO3 Link

Annabeth found Percy in the hallway of one of the floors they occupied in the Plaza Hotel, staring at a clock mounted on the wall. She walked to his side, it was 11:56 am.

"You know, as fascinating as clocks are, I think sleep would be better for you," she said, hopefully lighthearted.

Percy smirked at her in reply, finally tearing his eyes away from the clock.

"Of course you'd find clocks interesting."

"Well, they really are," she countered, " but I still think sleep would be better for the both of us."

He sighed. "Because dreams are especially great for us, huh?" His light tone had turned more dark, almost cynical.

"Especially these days," he grumbled, turning his eyes back to the clock. "Look at the time."

Annabeth looked, "It's 11:56," she said, unsure of its significance, "So?" Percy looked almost dazed, delirious even. Probably a combination of the stress of the war and lack of sleep. Sleep had to be especially important to him, with the curse of Achilles and all.

"It's four minutes until August 18th." Annabeth looked down. Of course. Four minutes until the prophecy was going to be true. Olympus will either rise or fall, and it will be all down to Percy. Everything might be gone tomorrow, or maybe just Percy. But to Annabeth, they were almost the same thing.

She tried to go for light hearted again.

"Well someone's excited for their birthday," she said with a smile, but she couldn't even convince herself that it wasn't uneasy. But Percy at least looked genuinely grateful for her attempt at trying to keep things mellow, and not feel the actual reality that they might die at any moment. His eyes had become softer, but barely so. Now instead of just hardened, he also looked how tired he actually was.

"Yeah," he said, almost offhandedly. "Just counting down to when Olympus could possibly fall, and it'll all be on me."

Sarcasm again, but he didn't want to rub her the wrong way. But Annabeth was understanding.

She touched his shoulder, trying for reassurance.

"Hey, don't be like that. It could still stay standing, and I'd say we have at least a 50/50 chance of that happening."

She winced at what she had just said. Annabeth Chase always had a plan, always tried to be the best strategist, but right now, she thinks she'd be better off comforting him with a baseball bat to his gut. It's better than just stringing words she'd hoped would fit well together.

Percy turned fully towards her.

"Annabeth," he stopped himself, then proceeded to go forward with what he was going to say. "There's more than a 50/50 chance that I'll die tomorrow."

"No," Annabeth continued to deny, even though the prophecy seemed pretty clear, "no, Percy, don't say that."

He was starting to become frustrated.

"Annabeth, listen to the prophecy, 'The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap, A single choice shall end his days..." He trailed off, he didn't need to finish it.

She scoured for different reasons.

"Percy, we shouldn't interpret the prophecy before the events have already started. And you and I both know that it doesn't always happen the way we both think it would."

She thought about the prophecy the Oracle had given her last year before her quest into the labyrinth. 'To lose a love to worse than death.' If she had told anybody the last line before the quest, they would have automatically assumed it was Percy. Well, anybody except Percy. And Annabeth felt resigned to assume it too. She had already admitted her crush to herself, though she kind of hated herself for it. But love? Love is such a strong emotion. And she was so young. Even then, nothing good had happened with her and the people she loved. Her father had gone and had a family with a woman who was more than content with ignoring her. Thalia had died and turned into a tree. And Luke, well, she did lose him to a fate worse than death.

She didn't want to lose Percy. And if she admitted to herself that she loved him, she had the underlying, and probably irrational fear that she'd lose him too. And the Oracle then had only just proven that she's doomed to lose someone she loves, another one. And it would come true whether she admitted it or not. Mount Saint Helens happened. Nobody could survive a volcanic eruption. Percy said he had a plan, but she seriously doubted that. 'This is it' she thought then. 'I'm gonna lose you, too.' Dying in an explosion would be a horrible way to die. That was probably what the Oracle meant by "worse than death".

She brought her mind back to the present, which is the more probable time that she would actually lose him.

"Annabeth," he started again, but stopped as if to look for the right words.

"I know, but-" he stopped again. "The chance is way too likely."

Annabeth wasn't sure what to say. She couldn't find any words that could comfort him. But Percy stopped her.

"But I don't want to waste any more chances I have now."

He looked scared waiting for her reply, but Annabeth was still confused about what he was saying. Chances at what?

She was just about to ask him when he leaned his head forward and caught her lips with his.

Annabeth felt time slow down. There was no war, no fighting, no reason to worry. Just her and Percy and this moment of peace.

He finally stops the kiss after what felt like an eternity, but still felt all too short. Percy leans his forehead against hers and holds her chin, running his thumb over Annabeth’s cheek. Annabeth looks down at her own hands, softly gripping the hem of Percy’s shirt as she takes in slow steady breaths. She doesn’t know what to do next, but she is more than content to stay like this with him, holding each other and swaying to some unheard song. She tries to sneak a glance at Percy’s face. His eyes are still closed but he doesn’t hold anymore of the hardness or tiredness he had before.

Annabeth was thinking about how one of them would have to say something eventually when the a loud ring was heard. They turned their heads from each other to stare at the source of the sound. It was the clock. It had just struck 12 o'clock. Annabeth turned back to Percy and gave him a shrug.

“Happy birthday,” she offered half-heartedly.

Instead of another depressing or sarcastic comment, he replied with a small smile.

“Appreciate it.”

She let out a small laugh. It was nice, continuing to have moments during this war that were lighthearted.

“Annabeth,” Percy scratched at the back of his neck and kept his eyes down.

“You know I’m not that great with words, but-”, he kept gesturing with his hands, still unsure of what to say, but Annabeth knows Percy, knows him more than anyone else and apparently knows more about him than she thought she did.

“It’s all right”, Annabeth said. “I know and”, she swallowed, “the feeling is mutual.”

She imagines the expression on her face is much like the one Percy’s has now: the same look of relief with a similar shy grin.

“Well, at least that’s out of the way.”

Annabeth smirked. “Stay alive after tomorrow, and see where it goes from there.”

And with that, Annabeth turned around and walked towards the hotel room.

“Good night,” Percy called after her.

She turned back and took note of the adoring look in his eyes. An adoring look directed towards her, she mused.

“Good night.”