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asmodeusstahl · 3 months

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So, I have a lot of problems with the latest (sixth) episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I’m just going to start from the beginning and work my way through the episode to the end.

Firstly, the episode title is “We Take A Zebra to Vegas.” Do we *see* a Zebra? For all of two seconds. That’s it. So much for a plot-relevant episode title. It’s a nitpick, sure, but if you’re going to make something an episode title, it should have SOME relevance to the plot. I understand that that’s the only chapter where we see the Lotus Casino, so it makes sense to use that chapter title as the episode title. But is it *really* that much more effort to add a scene featuring Percy and/or Grover chatting with the Zebra? There’s certainly run time and almost certainly budget for it.

Then we get to the casino itself and, as loathe as I am to admit it, the movie did it better without question. Even the smallest of details — like the look and vibe of the casino are done so much better in the movie. The casino is designed to trap children, so it’s filled with water parks, roller coasters, and all that makes a kid lose their mind. We see that in the movie. In the show, it’s just a regular old casino filled with a bunch of adults of all ages. There’s only like 2 or 3 shots where you really see groups of children. And that’s not even mentioning the exterior architecture of it. It’s a nitpick, but the show version doesn’t even look Greek-inspired. In the movie, it’s basically a knock-off Caesar’s Palace with Greek Columns and everything. It’s great. The giant Lotus Blossom with a roller coaster coming out of the side just… isn’t.

Much like with Medusa, all the suspense was just thrown out the window. Once they enter, Grover does the whole “wait, Percy, did your mom read you the Odyssey?” shtick and the trio figures out it’s the Lotus Eaters that Odysseus faced. Consequently, Percy and Annabeth do not lose themselves in the casino. They stay sane the whole bloody time. What annoys me even more about this is that Percy even says as they enter the casino “what if we just chilled here and played some games for a bit.” It got my hopes up that we’d actually see a competent drug trip scene — I was wrong. Annabeth immediately shuts him down and he’s like “yeah, no, I was joking.”

Anyway, they go to look for Hermes. I’m not sure why the fuck Hermes loves hanging out in this casino. The show’s explanation is that he just likes chilling there and nothing more is said on the matter. It feels weird to be that an Olympian would just be chilling in a casino run by monsters without a care in the world. Whatever.

Once they enter, Annabeth decides Grover should split off so they can cover more ground. Um, hello, if you’re trying to cover more ground why not have EVERYONE split off, not just Grover? So Grover goes off on his own, finds a Satyr that used to know his Uncle Ferdinand and starts talking to him about the Search for Pan. The Satyr is like “oh, yeah, Pan. I think I found him here. Come follow me.” Grover follows and eventually forgets who he is (and ends up playing VR). Sure, great, one of the trio lost it, but that doesn’t account for the other two and we really didn’t need to shoehorn more Pan stuff in just for the sake of getting Grover to split off from Percabeth.

Meanwhile, Percabeth have found Hermes and he takes them aside to chat after they mention they’re friends of Luke’s. There’s a few things here that annoy me. Firstly, Hermes lore dumps all of the trauma that is May Castellan — something which doesn’t appear until the 5th book. We could have — and should have, imo — gotten the backstory behind Luke’s failed quest to the Garden of the Hesperides to steal a Golden Apple. The quest he failed when Landon gave him the scar on his face. The quest *Hermes himself* assigned to him. There’s plenty of resentment for Hermes that comes for that — we didn’t need May Castellan. Not yet.

Turns out, Hermes is just stalling them because he doesn’t want to help. Fucking dick. So, Annabeth goes invisible and steals his car keys — which Hermes absolutely knew about. They rescue Grover after a brief spell of forgetfulness. Annabeth reasons that they didn’t lose it like Grover because they were together and it’s harder to forget when you’re with someone. Sure, great. How do you explain the DiAngelos? I highly doubt that Bianca would willingly let Nico wander off on his own. It just doesn’t make any sense to me.

I really hate that the movie casino somehow managed to include Disco Darrin — the kid from the 70s that triggers Percy realizing something is fucked up — and that the show doesn’t. Darrin really helps reinforce the idea that the casino is full of kids out of time, which helps set up the reveal that the DiAngelos were in the casino for 70ish years and didn’t age at all. I hate that the movie did something better, I really do. But it’s just unavoidable when comparing these two scenes.

The trio then “steal” Hermes’ cab, which just so happens to have a letter addressed to the trio that supposedly tells them a back way into the Underworld. We’ll see how that turns out next episode, but I will be UPSET if we don’t get DOA Recording Studious and all that jazz. As soon as Percy (shoddily) drives the trio out of the parking garage, Hermes’ travel magic transports them to the beach in Santa Monica. That’s the one redeeming thing about this episode for me. That’s actually a really cool application of Hermes’ powers as the God of Travelers.

What I do have a problem with, however, is Percy’s experience in the ocean. Instead of meeting Poseidon, as was promised to us, we meet the Nereid from St. Louis. She tells Percy that “surprise, the summer solstice already happened. Poseidon waited for you as long as you could, but now he has to go marshal his forces for war. Go home now, your quest is done.” Um, what? The summer solstice passing makes no sense to me as a creative decision. The solstice is the reason that all the gods were on Olympus when Percy returned the bolt. You can’t expect the gods to just be chilling on Olympus 24/7 especially when war is about to break out.

Plus, you cannot tell me that Zeus wouldn’t have immediately started fucking shit up. His symbol of power was stolen — allegedly — by Poseidon. He’d want that back ASAP. In the book, it’s stated in no uncertain terms that, if Percy+Co. failed, Zeus and Poseidon would be fucking up the weather. Massive storms and natural disasters everywhere. The sky and the sea would be at war with each other. It would be like Armageddon. There’s 0 sign of that. At all.

Then, before Percy leaves, the Nereid gives him *four* pearls. Not three. Four. This takes away Percy having to sacrifice Sally for the sake of the world (even if she comes back eventually). This change just doesn’t make any sense to me. The explanation in the show is that Poseidon cares about Sally. But that makes 0 sense because there’s been an overarching narrative that All Gods Are Bastards. Additionally, even in this episode, Hermes mentioned that it was Poseidon’s advice to stay away from the lives of demigods/their mortal parents. That it’s awful watching them struggle and feel powerless to stop it. Why does Poseidon suddenly have the power to help Sally now? It just… doesn’t make any sense to me.

Another issue I have with this is that if the Nereid is telling Percy to go back to camp, why is she giving him *four* pearls? Assuming a retcon that the pearls transport the user to CHB, there’s no need for four. If Percy is supposed to return to CHB immediately, he doesn’t go to the Underworld to rescue Sally and therefore does not need a fourth pearl. If that isn’t a plot hole, I don’t know what is.

The episode ends with Percy being like “no, I’m seeing this quest through to the end.” Which is great and all, but the teaser for next episode worries me with how much it includes. We’re going to see Crusty’s Water Bed Palace, the Underworld, AND the fight on the beach with Ares. I don’t know how they’re going to fit that all into like 35 minutes of show time (accounting for the “previously on” segment and credits taking up 5 minutes of the 40 minute runtime). Crusty was the obvious cut from this episode so that it doesn’t feel rushed, but it *wasn’t* cut and that worries me.

And, furthermore, I think Crusty is going to have to be heavily modified for the screen. I see no way Disney allows Percy to go full medieval torture and stretch Crusty to death. Which is disappointing, if I’m being honest. It’s really the first indication of how Percy acts when he’s snapped/in the zone. Stuff like summoning hurricanes while fighting or overwhelming the weather barrier at Camp also falls into this category. That’s a nitpick, sure, but whatever.

Look, I didn’t want to be a hater. And I still don’t. I would love to love this show, but the problem with it is the marketing and the writing. It was marketed by Rick and the critics as a “faithful adaptation.” This is not that. This is a rewrite of the book that’s honestly worse than some fanfics I’ve read. Which says a lot because the PJO fanfic community is not known for having well-written works.

And the trio themselves just aren’t clicking as their book counterparts for the most part. Percy, especially, just doesn’t act like Percy. We’re missing his sarcasm and biting humor. It’s not Walker’s fault — anyone who’s watched The Adam Project” knows he can pull it off. Annabeth has lost most of her character development and had that screen time given to Grover. I was alright with it last episode with Ares, but it just did not work with Augustus this episode. The trio just doesn’t feel like the trio and I don’t think it’s the actors’ faults.

Like I said earlier, Walker can absolutely pull off Persass. The script just isn’t letting him do that and that disappoints me. I watched Leah in Beast and absolutely could see the Annabeth in her, but all of her moments and character traits are either being given to Percy and Grover or cut entirely. Taking away our knowledge from the books, we know the least about Annabeth’s character out of the trio. The script just isn’t making her click in my mind as Annabeth like the script in Beast did. I can’t really say much about Aryan, since I haven’t seen him in other works, but I do like that he’s being elevated above comedic relief. So… that’s a good thing, I guess.

Overall, I have a lot of issues with the show. Especially with this episode. I also have a lot of fears with the direction this show is going for the final two episodes and I’m nervous to see where Rick and the writers take this. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

#percy jackon and the olympians #percy series #percy jackson #pjo tv show #pjo #critique #criticism #pjo critique #rant post #long rant #word vomit #i have lots of thoughts #plot holes #walker scobell #leah sava jeffries #aryan simhadri #i am very passionate about this #hear me out

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fearlessinger · 1 year

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How does Athena foil Apollo?

oh in so many ways… Love that you picked her. (Granted Athena herself, like all the gods who aren't Apollo, has had a relatively low amount of screentime in the rrverse so far, but I believe there's enough to paint a pretty complete picture if you read between the lines, and take into account what other characters - mainly Apollo and her children - say/imply of her. So.)

Athena is Zeus's favorite, I would argue even above Artemis, because she's the only one out of all the gods who never feels the need to resort to going behind his back in the course of the three pentalogies. She's the only member of the Olympian council that we know he actively seeks the advice of.

Apollo on the other hand, is possibly the least favored of Zeus' progeny in the present day. In Apollo’s own words, Zeus “hasn’t trusted [Apollo] for millennia”. By the time we meet him, Apollo has been left by his father barely any room to maneuver even within his own domains, as demonstrated by the fact that he can’t even independently choose to cede the reins of the sun chariot to anyone that Zeus might not approve of. He is the one Zeus immediately points to when he needs a scapegoat. He gets hit with a punishment so harsh it's quite literally a miracle he survived, to the point that we find ourselves wondering, in the end, if he was actually meant to.

But it wasn't always like this. Once upon a time Apollo too enjoyed Zeus' favor. He and Athena both used to be Zeus' main enforcers and right hand people. We still see evidence of this in the kind of relationship they seem to have.

Athena is the only one of Apollo’s family members whose counsel he explicitly wishes he could ask during his trials, as opposed to his wishing for material help from most of everybody else. She is the only one of the gods to openly speak against Apollo’s punishment, right in front of Zeus too. She words her disapproval carefully enough that she retains plausible deniability, but just barely. And she alone bets on Apollo’s survival in Hermes’ pool. In that last council scene, she and Apollo are able to silently communicate with just a glance. It’s clear that they share some deep camaraderie, an old well established ease with each other that the recent distance between them has not diminished.

We’re never given the full explanation, but it’s not hard to figure out how their paths must have diverged. It’s not even hard to figure out why. Apollo’s ruled by his heart, while Athena can’t fathom following anything but her brain. As Apollo started more and more chafing under their father's rules, more and more refusing compliance, Athena clearly made the opposite choice. Nowadays they play opposite roles: the beautiful fool and the dutiful lieutenant. Everything about the way Apollo chooses to present himself is a middle finger to his father, whereas Athena is the staunchest of Zeus loyalists.

And yet it looks like they still have a lot of respect for each other. Which isn’t surprising because they have some significant similarities despite their very different characters. Firstly: they share a similar sense of responsibility. It’s undeniable that Athena takes their job very seriously, and much as it may seem that Apollo has the opposite attitude on the surface, we know, having reached the end of TOA, that that was never the truth. Secondly, they are both extremely intelligent and acutely aware of it. They both expect to be the smartest person in the room at any given time. And they are right except of course for when they are wrong bc their intelligence most definitely does not prevent them from being also incredibly dumb. You may be wondering how can I so confidently make this latter assertion, since we never get a peek into Athena’s head, but I think Annabeth saying that the first lesson Athena’s kids must learn is that “mom is always right and don’t you ever dare suggest otherwise” backs me up here.

On this note, it’s interesting to observe that Athena’s children and Apollo’s children both display a strikingly unusual amount of faith/confidence in their divine parents, compared to… basically all the other demigods.

Annabeth won’t ever stop singing Athena’s praises/boasting about being her daughter, even as she makes comments like the one I cited above. And Will famously stood in front of the army that was about to raze CHB to the ground in Apollo’s name and called bullshit on the idea that his father would ever approve of such a thing with enough conviction that the matter was considered settled and nobody even for a second thought of doubting Apollo afterwards.

And yet “dad is always right” is very obviously not an idea that has ever entered the mind of any of Apollo’s children. They show absolutely no reverence, let alone fear, toward their father. Will doesn’t hesitate to legit SCOLD Apollo in front of the whole camp in THO. The loyalty that Apollo’s children have toward their father is nothing like that of the Athena kids toward their mother. In this too it seems like Athena has chosen to stick to the path traced by Zeus, while Apollo has rejected it.

But their divisions aren’t irreconcilable, and that little secret nod she gives Apollo at the end of TON proves it. Remember when I said Athena is the only one out of all the gods who never feels the need to resort to doing stuff behind Zeus’ back? That changes here. For the very first time, we see her take initiative without her father’s knowledge or consent.

#colorsunlikeanythingseen #rrverse #toa #toa meta #*cough* someone ask me about hermes next *cough*

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phykios · 3 years

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this one is dedicated to mi amor mari @perseannabeth, who is a beautiful bird and a wonderful friend and i am v v vvvvv grateful to have crossed the airwaves with her :”)

Today Was A Fairytale [read on ao3] T, modern royalty, fun at disneyland!

She stares at him.

He stares back. “What?”

“Really?”

“What?”

“You really think this is going to be enough?” Annabeth points at her head, the blue Yankees cap squishing her curls.

“Of course! It’s the Clark Kent effect.” As if to underline his point, Percy slips on his fake hipster glasses, except that stupid grin of his is too bright not to draw attention.

“That’s not a real thing.”

“Sure it is. Studies show that glasses are actually good enough to alter your appearance if someone doesn’t know you well.”

“Then why didn’t you bring a pair of glasses for me?”

“Because your hair is definitely the prettiest thing about you,” he says, automatically tugging an unruly curl which peeks out from under the brim, a gesture so practiced she almost doesn’t register it--until he blinks, dropping his hand, blushing lightly. “I mean--the most noticeable thing. You know. A hat should be fine.”

He looks away. Heat rises to her face, too. Because it’s so hot out, obviously.

“Anyway,” he mumbles, “um. No--no one’s going to give you a second look if your hair is hidden.”

Chewing her lip, Annabeth can’t help but worry. Percy’s face is extremely well-known, possibly more than hers, and they’ve both spent the better part of three weeks with their faces plastered all over the media on their diplomatic trip. This is probably a really, really bad idea. Then, a thought occurs to her. “How about,” she says, perking up, “you give me your glasses, and I’ll give you mine.” From her backpack, she fishes out a pair of sunglasses, big and nondescript. He’ll practically be wearing a superhero mask with these.

Percy smiles again, and Annabeth thinks she might fly. “Perfect.”

Which is how Her Royal Highness Anna Elisabeth Ingrid Irene of Sweden and His Serene Highness Perseus Alexandros Ioannis of Thera play hooky from their day of boring meetings, insufferable dignitaries, and stuffy security guards, to go see the eighth wonder of the world: Disneyland Resort in California.

And how Annabeth eats her words as they make it past the security gate unchecked. “Eh?” He beams, nudging her with his elbow. “Eh?”

Rolling her eyes, she shoves him back. “Shut up.”

***

[description: a tiktok video which depicts a line at Disneyland. the op, a black girl with braids, covers her mouth and looking into the camera, turning the camera to focus on the two people behind her. one is a tall boy with black hair and sunglasses, and the other is a blonde girl with a yankees hat and glasses. both are white. video text reads: “p sure the people behind me are prince percy and princess annabeth??? um?????”. background audio is a dubstep remix of the fight theme from undertale. end ID]

***

Maybe it’s a little weird, on account of her being actual royalty and all, but Annabeth has always been interested in princesses, both as a matter of historical record (history is awesome) and in the general sense. Like millions of other people, she, too, was raised on Disney movies and tales of princesses and true love, and she was just as captivated as the rest of them. She and Percy used to watch the Disney catalogue whenever their families held state visits for each other, staying up into the small hours of the morning, sharing some popcorn and singing along.

Luckily for Annabeth, her favorite princess is holding a meet and greet at the Royal Hall.

“Excuse me,” Percy says, approaching Princess Ariel. Well, her cast member, anyway. “Could I get a photo for my friend?”

“Of course!” she trills, her blue eyes sparkling. “It would be my pleasure.” Holding her hand out, perfectly poised and graceful in a way that would impress even Annabeth’s stodgy etiquette instructor, she smiles, warm and welcoming, pivoting to bring Annabeth in for one of those weird, semi-awkward half-hugs. “What’s your name?”

“Anna,” says Annabeth. Hey, it’s not untrue. She’s a little leery of using any of her names, but Anna is common enough. Annabeth? Not so much. Even with her glasses and hat disguise, a little paranoia is justified, she thinks.

“It’s so wonderful to meet you, Anna,” she says, cheerful, with all the grace and charm of someone who doesn’t spend hours saying the same thing over and over again to excitable, temperamental children. What a trooper, she thinks.

“Don’t you recognize a fellow princess when you see one, your highness?” Percy says, grinning that stupid, smarmy grin of his.

Annabeth glares. Oh, he thinks he’s so damn clever.

“Oh, of course,” says Ariel, smoothly. “How could I have thought otherwise? Your highness.” And she curtsies to Annabeth, a short dip, her hand placed delicately against her chest. “Perhaps I can introduce you to my friend Anna, princess of Arendelle?”

Still smirking, Percy takes some more pictures, trapping Annabeth into smiling for the camera. She can’t be glaring daggers in her pictures, nor can there be video evidence of her kicking him--no matter how much she wants to.

And she definitely doesn’t miss the way Ariel not-so-subtly checks Percy out, eyeing him up and down.

“You fucking asshole,” she hisses as they leave the photo area, swatting him lightly, and he giggles.

“Sorry, sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

“Ugh, I hate you so much.”

It’s hard to stay mad at him, though she definitely tries as they enter back out into the park proper, giving him just the barest hint of a cold shoulder.

“Aw, come on,” Percy says. “I was just teasing.”

“You shouldn’t go around tempting fate like that,” Annabeth says. “Do you want to cause another international incident?”

Percy winces, no doubt remembering the Gateway Arch incident of 2008.

“If someone recognizes us, we don’t have Zoe or any of her team to protect us,” Annabeth goes on. “Not that I think anyone here would try to hurt us, but…” But it’s a little nerve-wracking, being on her own like this. She hasn’t been alone like this for a really long time.

Wincing, Percy rubs the back of his head. “I guess I forgot you’re a little higher profile than me. Sorry.”

She doesn’t like to think about it, but it’s true. Percy, by his nature as the younger son of a largely defunct royal house, doesn’t have quite the same number of… issues… that someone like Annabeth might have.

Deflating, she uncrosses her arms. “It’s okay.”

“I should have asked you first.”

“It’s really okay,” she says. “No harm no foul.”

“Do you want to get out of here?” he asks, entirely serious. “I can call someone up.”

She knows just how long they’ve planned this, how many favors he’s called in and policies he’s sidestepped. Backing out now would just be a waste of a day. She shakes her head. “It’s fine,” she says. “I’m just… feeling a little exposed, I guess. But, I don’t want to ruin all our plans. Let’s keep going.” She grabs his hand, squeezing a little.

“...Okay,” Percy says. “But say the word, and we’ll call it a day. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good.” Like he doesn’t have any other expression today, he smiles at her again.

It hits her, suddenly. He’s so much taller than she remembers. Once upon a time she used to be taller than him; now, he’s basically a whole head above her.

It’s annoying. But also… not.

Spying something over her shoulder, his eyes light up, and he practically gasps. “Cinderella!” he points with his free hand, like a five-year old. “Come on!” And he takes off to one of the park corners, dragging Annabeth along with him.

He has to wait in line behind a pair of twin girls, six or seven years old by the looks of it, in identical Cinderella dresses for a photo, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, and when it’s finally his turn, he nearly trips over himself to go up and ask for a photo.

Cinderella agrees, and now Annabeth is relegated to the job of cameraperson. Percy slides in next to the princess, his hand on her waist, but, ever the respectful gentleman, loosely held, so the cast member can slide out of his grasp without any difficulty at all.

Taking a few shots, it does look kind of strange to have Cinderella’s beautiful, shining face, and Percy’s enormous sunglasses blocking his. “Take off your glasses?” she says, lowering her phone for a second.

Dutifully, Percy slips them off, smiling again for the camera.

Cinderella’s smile doesn’t falter, a credit to her professionalism, but Annabeth can see her eyes widen, just a touch.

Annabeth snaps off a few more photos, “Got ‘em!” and Percy once again gushes over the princess, thanking her for her time. Grabbing Annabeth’s hand again, he practically skips off, leading them in the direction of a nearby candy shop.

***

me: IM SHAKING GUESS WHO I JUST TOOK A PICTURE WITH????

sis: prince percy?

me: HOW TF DID YOU KNOW

sis: its on twitter already

***

They’re walking along, Annabeth slurping up a Dole whip, when she suddenly stops in her tracks, outside of one of the many, many gift shops. “Wait up a second.”

“Hm?” Percy says, around the giant lollipop in his mouth.

“I want to get some Mickey ears.”

Very quickly they get lost in the sea of Disney merchandise, walking the labyrinth of Star Wars and Marvel and Pixar goods. There’s a surprising amount of black for the so-called happiest place on Earth, but things do brighten up when Annabeth finally turns a corner and finds the enormous selection of Mickey ears. It’s a wash of sparkles, flowers, bows, and occasionally characters, for children and adults alike. Annabeth eyes a pair designed like Baby Yoda, eyes wide and ears adorably huge, before she fingers a pair of white Mickey ears that have a bridal veil attached to them, contemplating its counterpart, the black ears for the groom, each ear emblazoned with a sparkling silver “Happily Ever After.”

She looks around. Where did Percy wander off to, anyway?

Well, wherever he is, hopefully he hasn’t gotten mobbed by a horde of excitable fangirls. Given that she can’t hear any screaming--well, any unusual, non-Disneyland-relevant screaming--that’s probably a good sign.

Running her fingers over the ear selections, she finally picks out a pair of silver sequined earrings with a shiny gold bow, a tiny, rhinestone Cinderella’s castle placed delicately in the middle.

Yeah. This one.

Percy finds her as she is paying for her ears, a pair of his own already on his head, red balloons inside of plastic circles. The sunglasses, she notes with a tinge of nervousness, are tucked in his shirt, and not on his face, protecting his identity. “Oh, check mine out--they light up!” he says, giddy, pressing the button on the side, not that she can tell in the brightly lit shop.

“That’s not why I was looking.”

Walking out of the store, ears firmly in her possession, she looks around again. Percy’s face is out there for the world to see, and no one is giving them a hard time.

And her hat is really sweaty.

Ah, fuck it.

She removes the Yankees cap, shaking out her sweaty curls, sliding the ears on in its place.

And the glasses, for good measure.

“Cinderella?” Percy asks.

“I thought you’d approve.”

Outside the shop, next to a corn dog cart, Percy pulls her aside, out of the way of a whole classroom’s worth of children, holding up a plastic plag. “So, confession.”

“Percy…” He didn’t. “We said no gifts!” They had agreed to it that morning!

“Well, see,” he says, fumbling around in the bag, pulling out a black t-shirt. “I saw this, and I thought--I thought you might like it.”

He unfolds it, and Annabeth frowns at the shirt design.

It’s… a drawing of a man in a purple mask against a solid black background, glaring at the viewer. Circling him, in distressed, white-grey military font, are the words “BARON ZEMO,” and the logo for the show he must star in, Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. She doesn’t really watch superhero shows, though, and she’s pretty sure Percy doesn’t, either. Maybe he’s started this one and he really likes it? “Thanks,” she says, confusion coloring her voice despite her best efforts.

But he doesn’t look too disappointed. “I was looking through their pride merch, and they didn’t have any stuff with the ace flag, which totally sucks, but then I thought that maybe you might like something a little more subtle? So, yeah.” He shakes it. “Ace pride!”

Oh. Oh, this boy.

She remembers, so vividly, visiting his father’s summer home on Kalymnos, a few years ago, the summer she turned nineteen, waking up to a banging in the kitchen, noisy pots and pans making a real racket. Granted, it had been one in the afternoon, and Annabeth probably should have been awake sooner, but she had stumbled out of the guest room into the kitchen, rubbing sleep out of her eyes, to the sight of Percy wrestling with the standmixer, making bright, neon purple frosting. The night before, sometime around three or four AM, that weird, liminal hour where the shadow of night just starts to recede, the sky a sweet, soft, dusky blue, she had come out as demisexual to her best friend, saying the words aloud for the first time ever. Loopy from lack of sleep, the moment had passed without much fanfare.

But Percy, dark-circled and still yawning, had woken up early to make her a chocolate cake. By the time she had woken up, he had baked the cake, chilled it, and made two out of the three frosting colors, a beautiful, moist, dark chocolate cake which ended up being frosted with a marbled mix of purple, black, and white, all folding into each other into a kind of colorless, grey sugar.

Here, now, in Disneyland, she throws herself at him, wrapping his arms around his neck. His arms automatically come up to circle her, hugging her tight.

She had been worried it had been some kind of defense mechanism. A young girl with an alarmingly high profile, Annabeth had been the subject of intense scrutiny with regards to any romantic entanglements, with critics, tabloid reporters, and fans alike attempting to invent gossip-worthy relationships with every boy she ever talked to--most usually Percy. They did grow up in the public eye together, attending all kinds of events and functions together over the last fifteen or so years. And they did tweet at each other. Like, a lot. They even had their own portmanteau hashtag. But no relationship ever materialized.

She thought maybe she was just being stubborn, unwilling to play the media game. But it hadn’t been stubbornness. It wasn’t about shyness or inexperience. It was real, and it was her.

And Percy hadn’t even blinked.

“I love it,” she murmurs. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” he says, swaying her from side to side, just a little. “It was my pleasure.”

***

What’s happening: #percabeth (Entertainment • trending)

@kndrck__ STREAM CHROMATICA: um @TheraUS @SwedenRoyals i think i found your sick royals? #percabeth #disneyland

@wasabiviking: omg werent they supposed to be at some hospital opening today #percabeth

@ChampionSno brando he/him: LMAOOO NOT #PERCABETH PLAYING HOOKY LIKE IT’S ROMAN HOLIDAY

***

“Holy shit,” Percy moans, his mouth full of food. “Oh my God. Dear God in Heaven.”

Annabeth kicks his ankle under the table. “Don’t be rude.”

He swallows, eyes fluttering. “Oh my God, Annabeth. Holy shit. This is the best damn sandwich I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

“A monte cristo?”

“A deep-fried monte cristo! In sweet batter!” Taking another bite, he moans again, just this side of indecent. “Oh my God I love Americans. They are absolute culinary geniuses.”

“Better than Bistrot Chez Rémy?” They had both been to Disneyland Paris, separately, sadly, and Percy had recommended the restaurant to her with great enthusiasm for her upcoming trip. As usual, he was spot on with his food recs.

He nods, eyes closed in rapture. “By a mile.”

“You’ll have to learn to make your own when we get back home, then.”

He jolts, straightening up, cheeks full of food. Roughly, he swallows. “You’re right! I need to take notes.” And he takes out his phone, hurriedly typing down whatever scent and flavor notes he must be able to discern. “This is definitely challah…”

Plucking another piece of chicken with her fork out of her jambalaya, Annabeth lets her attention wander a little, content to watch the passengers on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride as they float on beside them, down in the artificially constructed bayou river.

Truth be told, she’s kind of tired. They’ve been walking around all day, and even with the brief reprieve of rides, her shoes really aren’t the kind that deal well with huge amounts of walking. She can already tell that she’s going to crash, and crash hard, whenever they get back to their hotel. You know, if their security detail doesn’t eviscerate them first.

When Percy had first presented his idea to her, she had agreed without hesitation. They had had a long, dense schedule of public appearances planned for their excursions to the states, and the days had begun to seriously wear them out. Together, they had worked out the kinks, coming up with contingencies, negotiating things to do, all over Discord so no one else would get wind of what they were doing. Prior to this trip, she hadn’t seen him in… probably almost a year. She knows his father had been keeping him close to home for whatever reason, and Annabeth had had a handful of official functions to deal with. Their paths just never managed to cross, up until now.

She hadn’t realized how much she had missed him.

It’s lonely, growing up in the public eye. It’s cliche, but it’s true. And while Annabeth is afforded a metric ton of various intersecting privileges, she thinks she’d probably give it up in a heartbeat. It kind of sucks being a living, breathing tourist attraction.

Growing up, she had her cousin Magnus, and a handful of other assorted children to play with, but she would never say that she had a best friend, or even a good friend, until she’d met Percy. Her mother and his father, famous for their mutual dislike, had put aside their differences to host some kind of charitable dinner for the disgustingly wealthy, and had trotted out their respective children in all their finery. Annabeth, being all of twelve years old, hadn’t really grasped the gravity of the event, and had gotten into an itty bitty little food fight with the then-unknown Prince Perseus, the result of an extramarital affair whom his father had so graciously decided to acknowledge and adopt.

After that night, they became fast friends, and she decided that, if she ever left the royal life, she’d make sure to take Percy with her. He’s one of the few things that makes her life bearable.

She thinks about it, sometimes. Renouncing her title. It wouldn’t exactly be hard. There was Magnus, just in line behind her. And it’s not like her family held any executive power anyway. They’re just fancy, historically interesting celebrities.

Would Percy give up his, she wonders?

“Hey.”

“Hm?”

He looks at her oddly over their dessert, two vanilla-bourbon creme brulees. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she says. “Just tired. Long day.”

“You want to call it a night?”

She frowns. “What’s left?”

“Well, we did Space Mountain, Rise of the Resistance, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, a few others,” he counts off his fingers, “saw the princesses, got Mickey ears, ate at Blue Bayou… I guess all that’s left is walking around the pier, if you want.”

“Sounds like you two had a full day.”

As one, they almost leap out of their seats, Annabeth choking on her spit. “Jesus, Zoe,” Percy pants, his hand over his chest. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Oh?” says Zoe Nightshade, the head of their security detail, who had just apparently materialized out of thin air. “Funny. I could say the same about you, sir.”

Coughing, Annabeth eventually manages to get her air back. “Hey, Zoe,” she wheezes. “How was your day?”

“Eventful. Let me tell you about it in the car.”

Annabeth glances at Percy, who’s looking a little bit like a deer in headlights. Honestly, she’s surprised they even made it this far without one of their own tracking them down. Still, it looks like their game is up.

...Or is it?

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a large tour group, approaching on the horizon.

“Sure,” Annabeth says, getting up. Luckily, they’ve already paid, so they can just head out; they don’t need to wait for another big group of people to cross their paths. “Will you let us go to the bathroom, first?”

Zoe squints. She’s always been able to see through Annabeth’s bullshit. But Annabeth has her best, Percy-patented baby seal eyes on, perfectly innocent. Surely, Zoe wouldn’t deny them a physical need such as relieving themselves?

After a moment, she nods. “Make it quick, if you please.”

“Of course,” Annabeth says, looking over at Percy, hoping he gets the message. He stands up, slow and stiff, eyes darting between the two of them. “We’ll be right back.”

They wander through tables and chairs towards the bathroom, her eyes always on the tour group as it just starts to pass by. Reaching out, Annabeth grabs Percy’s hand, and with a turn that would make her track coach proud, sprints out of the restaurant, using the throng of people as cover.

She thinks she hears Zoe yelling behind them, but maybe it’s just her own laughter. “Come on!” she shrieks, breathless, as Percy’s long legs keep pace with her. “To California Adventure!”

***

darthbingus said: the monarchy are fucking parasites but percabeth is pretty cute i guess :/

ladyofsandwiches reblogged and said: it’s obviously a publicity thing lmao, also prince Percy is gay???

eowynning reblogged and said: he’s dating rachel dare, right? he can’t be gay

ladyofsandwiches reblogged and said: That was a publicity thing too obvs, and Annabeth hasn’t ever been linked to a guy. The king of thera is hardline greek orthodox, there’s no way he’d let his son come out publicly. They’re both gay and pretending to date because homophobia

lardoftheprks reblogged and said: people can be bi and ace and pan and all sorts of things you know

batgirlcock reblogged and said: can you animals leave them alone fr

***

Zoe only spots them after the ferris wheel starts moving. Sprinting over to them, they’re still a full forty feet off the ground by the time she reaches the operator. “Sorry!” she yells down to her, hands cupping her mouth. “We’ll be down in ten minutes!”

“Ananbeth!” he chokes, giggles still escaping him.

“What?” she laughs.

“We’re in enough trouble as it is!”

“Exactly,” she says, settling back on the ride. “You’ll probably be grounded for life.”

“Me?” he squawks, playfully offended. “What about you?”

She scoffs. “Please. I’ll just pin it all on you.”

Leaning back, he pouts, arms crossed. “Wow. I plan this amazing day, violate a few embassorial rules, and probably put both of our countries on a massive red alert, and this is the thanks I get?”

“I helped plan it, too.” But he does have a point. “Thank you,” she says. “I had a lot of fun today.”

He turns his head to her, a grin stretching across his face. “Me too.”

His voice is so soft, so fond. They share a look, a moment, no words between them, only the silence of a true, deep companionship. They don’t need to say anything else, because they already know what the other would say.

As one, they break away, looking back out into the California evening.

They don’t talk much as the ferris wheel climbs higher and higher. Honestly, Annabeth is kind of impressed with how well he’s handling himself--she knows heights are a bit of a weakness of his. He grabs the edges of their gondola every once in a while as it drops a few feet, knuckles white and face a little green, but he manages to keep his dinner down, even as the ferris wheel grinds to a halt, Percy and Annabeth at the top of the world. The swing back and forth a little, hot faces against the cool evening breeze.

And they stay there.

And stay there.

And… stay there.

Annabeth checks her watch. How long have they been up here?

Percy taps his feet, a little too frantic just to be ADHD.

Finally, there’s a burst of noise from below them, garbled and static. “Uh, yes, excuse me--” the voice says, amplified through a megaphone. “Yeah, um, it appears we are having some… uh, technical difficulties with the Pixar Pal-A-Round. Please remain calm, as we have our best technicians on it, and we are working on evacuating the ride in a calm and efficient manner.” Then the voice cuts out.

Annabeth glances towards Percy. He has his hands in his lap, fists clenching and unclenching, over and over again. “Uh… you okay?”

“Hm? Oh, sure,” Percy says, “just fine. Peachy keen.” He squeezes his eyes shut, slowly blowing out his breath through his mouth.

“Hey.” She reaches over, and takes one of his hands in hers, lacing their fingers together. After a long day of holding hands, somehow it still manages to surprise her, how well they fit together, how her skin tingles as she rubs her thumb against his finger. “It’s gonna be fine. We’re gonna be just fine. They’re going to get us off this ride, and then we’ll fly home and be grounded for life.”

“I thought,” he wheezes, “you’d blame it all on me?”

“As if you could come up with a plan as genius as hiding from our guard in It's A Small World.”

He nods, shakily. “Right. All you. Definitely not my idea. Everyone knows I’d have looped back to Pirates of the Caribbean.”

“Definitely.” She squeezes his hand, scooting a little closer. “Just breathe with me a little, okay?”

They breathe together, slowly and evenly. At some point, Percy takes her hand in both of his, running his thumbs over her palm, tracing her lifelines like a map. His hands are big, and warm, and it seems to calm him down a little, so she doesn’t mind all that much.

Twilight darkens, stars twinkling against the grey, dusky sky, and still they are holding hands. Eventually, Percy relaxes, slumping against his seat.

“You good?”

He nods. He still doesn’t let go. “Yeah. Just…” he sighs, stretching his arms up, taking Annabeth’s hand with him. “Not super looking forward to the dressing down I’m going to get.”

She winces. Annabeth’s dad is a little more flexible than Percy’s when it comes to breaches of protocol. The king of Thera is somewhat famous for his paranoia. “I hope it was worth it.”

He whips his head to her, eyes wide. “Of course it was worth it!” he says, as though the opposite were even fathomable. “You kidding? This was the best day of my life.”

“Better than your sixteenth?” His father had officially acknowledged him that day. Annabeth had spotted him in a deserted hallway with his mother, the two of them fighting off a few happy tears. She knows just how special that day was for him.

“Not even close.” Squeezing her hand, he smiles again, that smile she knows almost better than her own by now. That smile she grew up with, a quiet oasis in a whirlwind of ancient tradition and modern media coverage. That smile is safety, familiarity. That smile was there to greet her when her mother chose to leave her family, when her uncle died without heirs, thrusting the position of heiress on her, whenever she had a rotten day or a bad grade or a lonely night, just on the other end of a phone, or down the hall, or in the kitchen.

Whatever happens, she knows, Percy will be her best friend. Her anchor.

Her…

She swallows. “Thank you,” she says again. “I needed this.” A day without an agenda. A day just for them.

His eyes are dark, and soft, like the water beneath them. One hundred and fifty feet in the air in a broken ferris wheel, there’s nowhere safer she can be. “Me too.”

So she’s not really surprised at herself when she says, “I’d really like to kiss you now.”

Eyes widening, just a hair, he opens his mouth, momentarily speechless. “You--are you sure?”

She nods, maybe a little too enthusiastically.

“Cool. Uh, me too.”

“Cool.”

Neither of them move.

“So, do--do you want to--”

Annabeth leans in, her other hand cupping his cheek, and kisses him.

His lips are soft. His mouth tastes like vanilla and bourbon. They are trapped in a metal box, one hundred and fifty feet off the ground, about to get the punishment of their lives when they get down, and it is absolutely, utterly perfect.

And when Annabeth pulls back, there are fireworks.

Quite literally.

Percy’s face glows with pink and green and purple, and a little fire in his eyes that’s all him. The pops of the fireworks, loud and brassy, and muted, completely overshadowed by the pounding of her heart in her chest.

They rest their heads against each other, breathing each other’s air, quiet and intimate, the calm before the storm that is surely coming. But that’s fine. Let it come, she thinks. She’ll be safe with Percy.

When the park technicians eventually get the ferris wheel moving again, Percy and Annabeth disembark from the gondola like nothing’s even gone wrong, waving to the crowd of people, fans, and reporters alike, who have swarmed the pier, phones and cameras held aloft in a constellation of light, before being quickly hurried away by Zoe and her crew, ushered to the end of the pier where Annabeth’s embassy’s car is waiting.

Percy doesn’t let go of her hand once.

***

KALYMNOS, GREECE--Prince Percy has arrived on the island for his family’s annual summer retreat, bringing his girlfriend, Princess Annabeth of Sweden, with him for the fifth year in a row, and the third as his official partner. Lifelong friends, the couple were most recently seen at Disneyland Tokyo, continuing something of a tradition for the two royals where they visit Disneyland parks across the globe. Our sources inside the castle are hinting that the family is planning something big this year. Could we see a proposal by the end of summer? Be sure to subscribe for more updates!

#pjo fic #percabeth #percabeth fic #my fic #au #perseannabeth #the rivalry ends here #will i ever stop writing modern royalty aus? no 💖#also look mari i even used a taylor swift song

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annabethy · 3 years

Text

under the mistletoe, watching the fire glow day 21: best friend’s sister

Character A poses as their best friend’s lover for a Christmas party. Character B is the best friend’s sister,, percabeth

Percy truly doesn’t understand how it’s come to this.

He likes to think that he has at least some form of dignity, but he is quickly proven wrong as he is shoved into a suit by someone that has the audacity to call herself his friend.

“Quit pouting,” Piper chastises, pulling on his tie just a bit too tightly. He chokes dramatically, glaring at her, but she just rolls her eyes. “You agreed to this.”

“I did not agree to this,” he says. “I was simply there when your mom told you to bring a ‘lover’ to the party, and you held me at gunpoint.”

“You love it,” she says, laughing. It’s the complete opposite of the truth because he actually hates this, but his windpipe is cut off so he’s incapable of actually pointing that out.

“There’s no way anyone’s going to fall for this.”

She laughs. “Everyone will fall for this, and that’s why it’s perfect. No one’s seen us in forever since we moved away for college. We can just frame it as two best friends falling in love.”

“Yeah, but… I don’t know if I can do that. I look at you and want to vomit.” Piper gasps in mock offense. “You never had feelings for me? Not even small ones?”

“I had feelings for a lot of people, but believe it or not, you were never one of them. Not then, not now, not ever.”

“You really just friend zoned your best friend,” Piper says.

“I’m in love with someone else,” he lies.

Piper snorts. “You’re in love with my sister.”

His smile falls. “I am not. You take that back.”

“Relax, Percy. I think it would be cute if you got with her. You could marry into the family!” She claps her hands before pausing. “We could just never talk about sex again. I don’t want to hear about how you blew my sister’s back out.”

Percy shrieks. “Piper!”

She just laughs, throwing the jacket of his suit in his face and motioning for him to follow him out the front door. He hurls insults at her as he settles into the driver’s seat – also against his will, by the way – but she just throws them right back at him.

The hour drive home is spent with them being about as stupid as possible. They scream along with the music blasting in the car until they’re both laughing so hard they can’t breathe. It helps ease his nerves because he knows who’s going to be at this Christmas party, no matter how hard he tries to deny it.

He can’t even say her name right now because if he does, he might crash just so he doesn’t have to face her. It’s almost as though Piper can sense his frustration because she turns the music even louder until the car is shaking with the bass and he can’t hear his own thoughts.

Percy never ceases to be amazed by the wealth of Piper’s family. The second he walks into the manor, he is overwhelmed by the silvers and golds lining every inch of the place. It’s funny because he grew up around them, but it was always a stark contrast to the way his own life was. He could live a million lifetimes and never get used to being around people with this amount of money.

“So you’re rich rich,” Percy teases, just as he always does when they come home for the holidays,

“I’m wealthy,” she corrects, leading him along the corridors to the center of the party.

“Old money or new?”

“The type that could have you killed with the snap of my fingers,” she answers.

“Oh, please do not have me killed, your highness.” He grins cheekily as they walk into the center of the event.

“I must admit I’m liking the title,” she says. She stops him just before they are close enough to be noticed by anyone else, turning serious, and Percy fails miserably to match her tone. “From here on out, you’re my boyfriend, okay?”

“Oh god, I just threw up in my mouth.”

“That means having to kiss me at least once,” Piper says. “On the lips.”

“Please don’t make me.”

“I will never hear the end of this is they find out we’re faking, so start acting like a good boyfriend.”

“Uh.”

“Kiss me.”

“No.”

“Percy.”

“I can’t do it.”

“You’re going to plant one on these lips, or I’m going to pick up one of the silver forks and stab you with it.” “Fuck you.”

“Yeah, well if you’d kiss me, we might be able to get there.”

And then: “This is getting painful to watch.”

Percy and Piper both jump at the extra voice present. He turns his head so fast he nearly gets whiplash, and of course it’s her.

“Annabeth, my love!” Piper greets, giving her a lazy side hug. “I was just trying to get my boyfriend to kiss me.”

“Hm. I didn’t know you two were dating,” she says, a pointed grin towards Percy.

“Christmas surprise,” Piper adds, addressing Percy. “Aren’t you going to say hello?”

“You act like Annabeth’s my distant aunt,” Percy says, but he wraps her in a sweet hug anyways. It makes his heart stutter just the tiniest bit, and he has to force himself under control.

It’s embarrassing that he’s this caught up on her. It makes him feel a little guilty too, because she’s practically still a baby. He remembers when she was in diapers, wandering around the house with a pacifier while him and Piper messed around with play dough. Still, she had grown up, and he had too, and he hadn’t accounted for how pretty she would grow to be.

Okay, so he’s not that much older than her. He’s twenty, and she’s eighteen, so he supposes it’s acceptable, but now he’s in college and she’s still in high school, so things have grown… weird? He just doesn’t see her as much as he used to, and something in her changed. When she was younger, she would cling to him, but recently, she just looked at him with something he couldn’t pinpoint.

It looks similar to the face she has on now, actually.

“So you two are a couple now?” Annabeth asks, but Percy doesn’t really hear her. He’s too distracted looking everywhere except her short black dress she has on, or the way her curls fall perfectly onto her chest, or the gloss of her lips.

Piper elbows him, and he clears his throat. “Yeah. The happiest. We’re so in love. I want Piper’s babies.”

“Hm. From what I’ve heard, I wouldn’t have thought that was very true,” Annabeth says, giving him a knowing look. It makes him wonder just what she’s heard. “Anyways, dinner’s about to start. Why don’t you go show everyone just how in love you are, oh-so-real couple?”

Piper laughs, but Percy glares at her. He’s given no choice but to follow Piper as she skips towards the dinner, and Annabeth follows at a distance, eyes analyzing them. Annabeth clearly hadn’t fallen for the disguise for even two seconds, so it has him worrying the rest of the night.

He is rightfully worried because the dinner does not go at all as expected. Annabeth is directly to his right, and Piper to his left, and they seem determined to kill him. Piper’s all lovey on the outside, which is not something he’s used to in the slightest, and it has the entire family’s attention on him. They coo over the new ‘couple,’ and Annabeth laughs into the hand covering her mouth.

Annabeth clearly enjoys the entertainment, and also relishes in embarrassing him even more because she’s started playing footsy under the table, running her heels up and down his ankle. He does his best to not make a face, but then her hand occasionally brushes against his wrist, and it has him wondering what it all means. Annabeth is much more handsy today than she’s been… ever, and he’s enjoying it more than he should with his fake girlfriend next to him, so the next opportunity he gets to leave, he takes full advantage.

He twists and turns through the halls, gets lost about five times before finding somewhere that looks remotely familiar, and then repeating the process. It’s a good few minutes before he finds an empty balcony and pushes open the doors to step outside.

It’s not to take a moment to breathe, really, because he’s fine. It’s just overwhelming, he supposes, sitting next to the girl he’s almost ninety percent sure he’s crushing on that he probably shouldn’t be, and his best friend who is apparently his girlfriend now.

“Hey, Piper’s boyfriend,” a voice calls. “You good?”

Percy rolls his eyes fondly, turning around. “Did you need something, Piper’s sister?”

She just shrugs and steps forward. “Just thought I’d come tease you a little bit.”

“Tease me?”

“A fake relationship? Really?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” he says. “You’re, like, twelve.”

“I’m eighteen, but nice try.”

“A baby,” he emphasizes, heart suddenly beginning to race as she drags her fingers up his chest, tugging lightly on the tie. “Do you need something or not?”

“I guess I just have a question,” she says, leaning against the rail now. “So. I’ve heard things. Suspected even longer because even if I’m two years younger, I’m about two years smarter.”

He laughs. “What do you want to know?”

“You liked me,” she says. “Back in high school, I think.”

It’s a blow to his lungs, and he can’t find the air to breathe. He knew she’d bring it up at some point, because even if they never acknowledged it, it’s been floating between them, unsaid. He never acted on it because she was practically his own little sister at some point, and she’s Piper’s sister, and it just felt wrong.

“I think so,” he answers. “I don’t know.”

“Explain?”

“You’re Piper’s sister,” he tries.

“I’m Piper’s sister. I’m also your friend.” Annabeth tilts her head, a slight smile pulling at her lips. “What’s the problem then?”

“I–” He blinks. “I don’t know. I guess there isn’t one, really. It just never turned to anything more before I graduated, and now I’m hours away.”

“That leads me to my next question.” She stands again to face him head on. “You’re in college now. I haven’t seen you more than five times since you graduated two years ago. Are those feelings still there?”

“I don’t recall you ever being so upfront,” he teases. He doesn’t need to take time and think about her question though. He already knows the answer. He knows it every single time Piper says her sister’s name, or one of Annabeth’s pictures pops up on his timeline. He likes his best friend’s sister.

It might be more than just a crush.

(Definitely more than a crush.)

“I love you, Annabeth,” he says, “but I don’t want to do anything that might make things different, you know? I grew up with you, and I grew up with Piper, and if something happens, Piper will take your side, and I’ll lose the two people I love most, and–”

“That’s not what I asked,” she says. “I asked if the feelings are still there.”

From the way she’s looking at him, he doesn’t need to answer. “Why are you asking if you already know the answer.”

“Because I want to know if it would still be a good time to kiss you, like I’ve wanted to do for the last two years.”

Percy chokes out a laugh. “Annabeth.”

“You love me, Percy. It’s obvious to see it’s as more than a friend, and it always has been.” She bites at her bottom lip. “Do you know how many people I’ve had tell me that you and I would work well together?”

“I’m assuming a lot.”

“Piper was the number one supporter, surprisingly enough,” she tells him. “And I know you’re on a date with my sister, but she practically shoved me out of the dining room chair to come follow you, so it’s safe to say she wants this too.”

“Piper has issues.”

“Yeah, but you love her, and you love me.” Percy’s fingers fidget, because even though all of this has been swimming around inside him for years, hearing it from her is something else entirely.

“It’s only weird if you let it be,” she says, and something breaks inside of him.

Annabeth’s his friend too, and she’s a part of his life.

He loves her, so he kisses her.

It feels an awful lot like coming home. Suddenly, nothing else matters except him and her. Annabeth is his best friend’s sister, but she’s also his best friend too, and the person he loves and always has.

He distantly realizes that it’s going to be difficult to explain to her family how he went from being Piper to Annabeth, but right now, he can’t bring himself to care. It’ll be a cute story to tell in the future if this ever turns to anything more. He really hopes it does.

Annabeth is his family, and his best friend, and she is the one he was meant to be with from the start.

#percy jackson #annabeth chase #percabeth #pjo #percy jackson and the olympians #my writing

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blackholesandlions · 4 years

Text

SPOILER WARNING

So I was reading ToN and I got to the part about not being able to destroy the fasces, and my mind started racing with ideas so I got down my idea of how the book would end before reading the rest of it, just to see how wrong I was. Anyway I ended up liking it a lot so here’s my alternate ending to the Tower of Nero

Warning this makes no sense if you’ve read any point in the book past where I stopped, so keep that in mind.

Nero’s words still rang in my mind. “You haven’t destroyed it yet, because you can’t. Even if you could, you’d release so much power it would burn you to cinders.” After he said that we ran, fast. He didn’t even bother calling the guards on us. He knew Python would get us first.

I was at the back of the group, because I was carrying the fasces, and it weighed me down. This thing had Nero’s soul in it, it was the only way to kill him, but breaking it would destroy everything around it. And even then, there was still no way to defeat Python. I’m not strong enough to take him out. If only there was some way to… oh. It’s so obvious, why didn’t I think of it earlier? Well, I don’t even want to think about it now, but it’s my only option that gets everyone out safely.

I stopped walking, and the rest of them turned to face me. Rachel asked, “Apollo, what are you doing? We need to keep moving.” I steeled my nerves. “I have a plan to take out Nero and Python in one move.”

“Great, let’s hear it,” Lu said. “No. No time. I need all of you to run, run as far as you can. I’m going to take them out, but you need to be out of the blast zone. Don’t come back for me.” I half wished somebody would protest, say no Apollo, we can’t let you sacrifice yourself, but they nodded, and ran.

Except Meg. Meg was holding back tears.

“Let me help, Lester. You can’t do it on your own.”

“I know.”

“Then how-”

“Destroying the fasces will incinerate anything around it. I’m not strong enough to break it, but he is.”

Meg wasn’t even holding the tears back at this point. She was crying. Over me. “Lester, you can’t,” she sobbed. “You’ll die!”

I pull her into a hug. “Hey, that’s the price of being human.”

“Now go.” She nodded, and gave me a weak smile before turning to run.

I rummaged through my bag, looking for anything to secure the heavy fasces. After a bit of searching I find what I’m looking for. Oh, thank the gods for Duct Tape, truly one of mankind’s greatest inventions. I strap the fasces to my back and shuffle onward towards my doom.

When I finally got there, my old enemy Python has wrapped his way around the entire chamber. His eyes are closed, so he doesn’t see me approaching, and for a second I have to admit, I’m tempted to just flee. Give up this lapse in judgement and live the rest of my mortal life hiding in shame.

But Jason didn’t think like that. Or maybe he did, I guess I have no real way of knowing. Maybe he was just as terrified as I am right now, hesitant to sign his own death warrant. But nevertheless, he jumped into the fray and sacrificed himself to save his friends. So had all the heroes I’ve met on my journey. They were so brave, much braver than I will ever be. But I owe this to them.

“Python!” I yelled into the echoey cavern. Names have power, especially for immortals. Calling the name of someone who wants to kill you is a death wish. But it sure got his attention.

The enormous serpent opened its eyes, the size of lakes, and stared right at me. “Little Lester,” he growled in that horrible voice. “You appear to be all by yourself, but that can’t be possible. I’m sure you have a whole cavalry hidden with some sort of magic. You might as well reveal yourselves, it won’t make a difference.”

I was frozen, shaking. I remember Python well, he terrified me back when I was a god, as a human teen his presence was simply too much. “No,” I squeaked out. I held on to any courage I had. “It’s just me.”

Python smiled, but tilted his head in confusion. “Then how on Earth do you intend to fight me?”

I dropped my bow and ukulele. “I’m not here to fight.”

Now he was incredulous, and angry as well. “I am going to consume you, your entire essence. You will be destroyed, and I will control this world’s future, and you mean to say you aren’t going to fight it?”

“I’m doing this so my friends can survive.”

Python reeled his head back. “Are you sure you’re Apollo?” He hissed. “No immortal in their right mind would be so cavalier with their existence.”

At that I had to laugh. “I don’t think I was ever in my right mind until I was cast down here. I was arrogant, selfish, and cruel. I cared only for myself. But worst of all, I treated mortals like they were expendable. Insignificant humans, good for a laugh, or a duet, or to fetch me something.

“But these people, they live lives that are so full of value and meaning. They form connections that I’ve never had, bonds stronger than anything you or I are capable of. And then… they end. And humans come to terms with it, they accept it. Their lives are so short, but more full than mine ever was. And if sacrificing my life means that they can live another day, then I am fully willing to do so.”

Python was quiet for a moment, looking almost contemplative. Then he curled his sharp teeth into a menacing grin. “Well, Apollo, one thing certainly hasn’t changed about you. You’re still a fool.”

He unhinged his terrifying jaws, and I dove in without hesitation. In the moment before we collided, I could see myself reflected in his eyes. My face was determined and resigned, but my eyes were the real. They were glowing bright orange, two burning orbs, bright and harsh like the unforgiving desert sun.

I could see Python, my oldest enemy, finally recognize me. His mouth didn’t move, but his expression morphed into one of pure terror.

And then he clamped his jaw down.

A fang came down right on top of me, the impact puncturing my body and shattering my spine. The pain was searing, I was probably a few seconds away from death, when I heard a hum from near me. My plan had been a success after all, the fasces was shattered as well, and was slowly getting brighter and brighter, and I could hear Python screaming out in pain. In a burst of light, we were both gone.

I don’t quite remember being dead. I didn’t have any thoughts, not even a haiku crossed my mind. The only reason I knew I was still there was the pain. It got duller and fuller over time, and I started to worry if that meant I was fading away, out of existence. But even then, that barely concerned me. I knew Python was gone, I had done my job. If I faded away now, it didn’t matter, my friends were alive and safe.

And then suddenly I was alive. The first thing I saw was my sister. She was sitting next to me, arm around my shoulder like she did when we were little. “I’m glad you’re here.” I had never heard those words from Artemis before. I started to tear up. “Zeus wants to see you.”

It took me a while to remember how, but I appeared in my father’s palace, right in front of him. I saw his glowering expression. Then I heard his stern, familiar tone. “You were not supposed to die. It took all I had to bring you back this much, but even now…

“You’re still a god, but not powerful like you used to be. You’re on the level of the most minor of deities, not an Olympian. I know this must be very upsetting to you.”

The strangest thing was, it wasn’t. I had lost my status, most of my power, I should be furious at how diminished I’ve become, but it didn’t bother me in the slightest. Alarming, to say the least.

For some reason, my mind kept drifting back to Camp-Half Blood. My children, all the others I had saved, and my brother, Dionysus, still stuck there. It was odd how happy he had been, just to have someone else to work with. I hadn’t seen him that excited since he was first sent to that camp. I had laughed at the time, but now I think his punishment was no better than mine.

Zeus cleared his throat. “Well, at least you’ve learned your lesson now.” I looked at my father, the man who had caused all of this in the first place. “I’ve learned many lessons, Father.”

“I’m glad you’ve learned how to respect me now, Apollo.” Suddenly I was overcome with anger. This… god consistently refused to take responsibility for his actions, and never took into account anyone’s feelings but his own. He was callous, and egotistical, and awful.

But, that’s just what I was like before my journey, wasn’t it? I was just as awful as he is. But I’m better than that now. I don’t have to go back to the way I was, I can make changes. We gods always said we were stuck as we were, that we needed mortals to change things, or we would keep repeating our history forever.

But the truth is, we could have changed at any time, we just refused to accept that we were the same as humans. We refused to accept that we could be wrong, in need of changes. We just continued pretending we were perfect, because we are cowards. I was a coward. But not anymore. And I am going to write my own prophecy, change my future.

“No, actually, I think that’s the one class I skipped.” He furrowed his brow. “What. Did. You. Say.”

“You need to release Dionysus from his post at Camp-Half Blood. Now.” Thunder roared throughout mount Olympus. “That insolent child hasn’t served his full punishment yet!”

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll be taking over his post effective immediately.”

When I appeared at Camp-Half Blood that day, I kept myself invisible at first. I wanted to see what was going on at camp before I made my presence known. The scenery was always beautiful, but now I looked at it with a sense of nostalgia. Not just as a place to pop in and show off to the young demigods. But as a home.

The first thing I spotted was, in fact, spotted. It was my brother, in his usual ugly leopard print shirt. The second thing I spotted was Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, at camp. I had last heard they were at Camp Jupiter, but they were here now.

Percy and Dionysus were arguing loudly with each other. I caught a snippet of it. “Look Mr. D, me and Annabeth were on the other side of the country, you can’t just teleport us here on a whim!” Dionysus sighed. “It’s not a whim, Peter Johnson, I brought you two here so you could hear my big announcement! Ah, speaking of!”

He amplified his voice, and began. “Attention campers! Please proceed to the courtyard immediately, I have a very important announcement to make!”

Head counselors shuffled kids out of their cabins until everyone was in the courtyard. I heard some kids muttering things like “ugh, this better not be another end of the world.”

Mr. D cleared his throat. “Now that I have your attention, see you losers!” There were cries of confusion from the crowd. “That’s right, Zeus has lifted my punishment early, which means I don’t have to take care of you brats anymore!” He looked almost giddy. He looked to where I was standing, invisible, because of course gods can see each other, and gave me a nod of gratitude, before disappearing in a flash, leaving behind a cluster of grapes. I had the feeling he wasn’t coming back.

The camp fully erupted into chaos, children freaking out left and right. Even the oldest around were confused, this was new territory even for them. A young child ended the chaos by crying out “who’s gonna be in charge of the camp?” The campers paused for a moment, before turning their heads to all look at Percy Jackson.

The poor boy looked almost ready to cry. He so desperately wanted to be done with everything, to have a normal life, go to college with his girlfriend. He didn’t want to spend his whole life at this camp. But he sighed, and said “if I have to step up, I will.”

In a flash of golden light, I made myself visible. “That’s very noble of you, Percy, but it won’t be necessary.” The whole crowd was stunned. I had to smile. Despite it all, I still loved a good dramatic entrance. I heard a familiar voice from the crowd say “Lester?”

I had never been so happy to see a little girl with a terrible pageboy haircut. I did a little wave and said “hi Meg,” weakly.

“I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?” She yelled across the courtyard, but I could see she was smiling.

It occurred to me that I still looked like Lester, and even more surprising, that I hadn’t cared to check. I used to spend hours a day agonizing over what form I took, but it hadn’t crossed my mind this whole time. Even stranger, I didn’t feel like changing to someone more handsome. This Lester form felt somehow fitting to me, like I wouldn’t want to change it at all.

“I kinda did die, but I’m back now, and immortal again. But I’m not Apollo. I’m not anywhere near as powerful as I used to be. I’m not even on the Olympian council anymore.”

“Wait, then there’s an empty spot?” Annabeth asked. “An unbalanced council isn’t good.” I nodded my head. “Yes, that’s why I yielded the post to Hestia. I figured she deserved a turn back in the spotlight.”

Percy grinned. “Wow, man, that’s a lot to give up.”

I sighed. “Yes, it is.” I turned back to Meg, tears welling in my eyes. “It’s good to see you again.” She wiped a tear away from her eye. “Well, are you gonna lead us or not?” I smiled. Never change, Meg, never change.

“Right. I’m running this camp now, and you will see some major changes.” The campers looked nervous, probably remembering Mr. D and all his ideas.

“For starters, I’m creating a parents day here at Camp-Half Blood, twice a summer. I understand that some of you don’t have great relationships with your parents, but there are many who do and wish to see them. For those campers, we will provide safe travel so your parents can be here to see you.”

Some kids looked very excited, especially younger ones who had just been pulled away from their parents. I looked up to the sky for this next point. “And also, attendance from godly parents is mandatory!” The sky rumbled with loud thunder. “Don’t try to fight me on this! You all have infinite time and can be in multiple places at once, there’s no reason you can’t be there for your children for a couple of hours!”

The younger campers definitely all looked ecstatic at that, the prospect of meeting their godly parents. The older campers, though more jaded, still smiled at the idea of their parents being there for them. The kids were all chattering excitedly amongst themselves, until one piped up. “What about quests?”

This was the question I’d been dreading, because I didn’t have a good answer for it. I paused. “Quests and prophecies are an unavoidable part of life as a young hero. However, I am aware of how dangerous and traumatizing they can be. So I am instating a policy. If you have gone on a quest, you do not ever have to go on another. You are allowed to opt out, and the gods have promised they will not hold it against you.”

A half-hearted clap of thunder pulsed through the camp. Percy and Annabeth gave me grateful looks.

“Any more questions?” I asked the camp. My son Will raised his hand. “Yeah, what do we call you? You’re not Apollo anymore, and I’m guessing Mr. A isn’t right either, so who are you exactly?”

That was tricky. I didn’t quite know yet. I was certainly still immortal, yet I felt human, so human. But I think I was starting to get the idea.

“I’m Lester. God of Camp-Half Blood.”

#toa #pjo #riordanverse #trials of apollo #tower of nero #ton #fic #toa spoilers #ton spoilers #pjo spoilers

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greatneedtotakeanap · 4 years

Text

i binge read

the finale, episode 15 - the tower of nero

!!!SPOILER ALERT FOR THE TOWER OF NERO!!! this post under the cut will be completely riddled with spoilers, as it is a personal account of my views on the book as a whole.

it will be spoiled!!

(obviously.)

I’m almost too heartsick to write this omg. It’s been such a long, heartwarming journey, and it came to such an electrifying ending.

I’m quite proud of Apollo. I knew I was going to be, but the way he realized it, the way he realized everything... how Nero’s abuse mirrored Zeus’ and affected him just the same, how much of an asshole he’d been because of it. He made the conscious choice to change, and he decided he could love. He was capable of true love, he was capable of moving forward and being better. And he was. I was just,,, I was so proud of him. Seeing him mature was a really eye-opening experience, especially in this book, when he talked so much about the small complexities of Nero’s abuse, how every move was calculated and how it affected Meg. We’d seen wisps of discussions of abuse before, mostly in the lightning thief (smelly gabe) but we’ve never before gone into the complexities of emotional abuse. The way it was described was fantastically clear, in a way that undoubtedly painted Nero as the true villain, but also gave us the chance to see him try and convince his children that he was good. Apollo breaking down his every move was good for the audience to distinguish the meaning behind his words. Fantastically portrayed. The way it helped him realize his own abuse, too, was good.

And Meg. My sweet darling Meg. What an absolute baddie, I swear. She made the same decision - she went back to Nero to fight him, to test her own strength and power of will. Her decision to drop her rings and refuse to dual wield anymore was strange to me at the very beginning, but I understood it later. It was her refusing to use the weapons he forced her to use, to even defend herself against him. It was her turning her back on the methods he’d armed her with and deciding to take her own path. “The Beast is dead” is the rawest f-ing line in this entire novel, the Beast representing Nero’s psychological abuse. “I killed him” - she liberated herself by believing she was better. I’m so insanely proud of that girl, too. She’s come a long way as well.

Okay. After that analysis, let me just say:

THE GAYS WON.

I spent this entire book terrified that Will Solace was doomed. There was a line in the prophecy about the terrible ending of ‘Apollo’s flesh and blood’, and I figured that meant his offspring - his son, rather than his human form. I kept muttering to myself ‘Will’s gonna die Will’s gonna die and it’s gonna BREAK Nico’. I was just so worried. I didn’t think anyone, even William Andrew Solace, could survive Rick Riordan’s patented Blond Boy Curse.

But he was fine in the end! As fine as you can be. Solangelo boyfriends lived to fight another day. And their development as a couple was also quite nice. I loved their dynamic. We only saw a little of it in the hidden oracle. Though it was great there too, we were able to go more in depth and explore how they truly function. Nico’s dry sense of humor combined with his whole lord-of-the-darkness aesthetic x Will’s genuine compassion and joking nature combined with his glow-in-the-dark-ness was fantastic to see.

Speaking of Solangelo - they not only got stronger as a couple, but as individual people as well. To be completely honest, we really haven’t seen much in the way of Will Solace. He healed, he was nice, yeah, sure, but what about him? What was his personality like outside from other people? In this book we find out. He’s kind, compassionate, easily flustered, overly protective. He craves parental approval, hence him repeatedly referring to Apollo as ‘dad’ and being so watchful over him. He gets embarrassed when asked to glow on command and upset when people mistake him for a lamp. He’s impulsive and a little hypocritical - he follows his instincts (being led off into the tunnels by a random voice) but gets very worried when Nico pulls the same thing. He’s a fantastic character, and his contrasts to Nico and the rest of the ton crew were great.

Nico - he seriously was the hero of this book. Or at least the secondary hero. He saved them all so many times over - he took everyone through shadow travel away from the bulls, he met the troglodytes, saw an opportunity, prepared an offering to said troglodytes because he saw an opportunity, became an underground ambassador, later saved Apollo’s life again by turning a germanus into a skeleton. He led this quest, and you can pry that from my cold dead hands. And that one paragraph about him enduring all this shit?? MASTERFUL. He’s had such a boatload of trauma and still he stands. One of my very favorite consistent Nico traits is this: no matter where he is or what he’s doing or how he feels, he ALWAYS takes the chance to talk with those who feel alone, because he knows what it’s like to be truly fighting one’s battles alone and he’d never wish that on anyone. It’s consistent, too: him being the only one to talk to Hestia at the hearth in Camp Half Blood, him talking to and befriending Bob the Titan, him talking to the troglodytes. And I have really gotten to see his progression firsthand, sped up - I read the Titan’s Curse in my binge read series maybe two weeks ago, back when he was this hyperactive ten-year-old with a Mythomagic obsession and now he’s this prince of darkness saving people with an adorable glowstick boyfriend and man. I love this kid. If he wasn’t my favorite character in this universe, he is now.

Also, even though with this book Rick has closed the gateway to this world (sad), the end alluded to a possible journey through Tartarus again to look for what’s been calling him, but this time he’ll have Will. Rachel Dare even whispered a prophecy at the end, probably pointing to it (but we’ll never know for sure). Will and Nico through the depths of Tartarus - now that’s a series I’d want to read for sure. It’s really too bad we’ll never get to see it in canon. Sigh.

SPEAKING OF CANON.

Another way the gays have won: Piper Mclean.

She has a canon girlfriend!! We really struck gold. I figured she was aro//ace when reading the Burning Maze - her whole monologue about being forced into love - but it turns out she’s just wlw!! I love this, I love this. We seriously won with this book.

Other noteworthy thoughts I had while reading below:

- The scene with Apollo defeating Python and hanging on the edge of Chaos was great. Especially when the goddess Styx came out. I was wondering how all of his broken oaths would serve him and come back to haunt him. It was quite well portrayed. A serious rip to the Arrow of Dodona though. I always loved it,,, a lot. It made me laugh and sometimes grind my teeth in frustration, but it was always a nice presence.

- Apollo’s return to Olympus was better than anything I ever could have hoped for. I was really hoping that returning would give him a new insight, not just of being mortal, but of Zeus as well. And it did. It did! I’ve said it before but I am quite proud of him. His new perspective on the Olympians was refreshing. You can really see the change in narrative if you go back to the Hidden Oracle.

- It is always always always nice to see Sally Jackson. Woman of many talents, including novel writing, blue chocolate chip cookies, and excellent seven-layer dip. She was my favorite character at the beginning of this binge-reading frenzy (as stated in the first post). Now she is still very up there. Definitely top 5.

- Why does Estelle have Percy’s green eyes?? I thought Percy had his father’s eyes????

- Grover knew about Jason dying. If Grover was on the cross-country field trip with Percy and Annabeth, and they didn’t realize Jason was dead until they got to New Rome, then was he just sitting on Jason’s death this whole time??? Rip to Grover, he must have been seriously traumatized for THAT to have happened.

- The last two chapters were basically just Apollo making his rounds and wrapping everything up, so Percabeth isn’t just in a perpetual cross-country ride and Piper doesn’t live out her life forever in a grief-stricken taxi. I’m glad those chapters were there, though. Nice to see everybody again in their element.

Okay but you don’t understand the fear in my heart. I seriously thought Will Solace was a goner. I cried out of relief because he DIDN’T die. It just makes me love the two of them all the more.

This post has been way too long already, but I gotta add an obligatory outro - I read these books once as a little kid, and the past two weeks has been amazing getting back into them. It’s been magical and wonderful, falling in love with these characters, and I’m so sad to leave it.

#tower of nero #the tower of nero #ton spoilers #toa spoilers #tower of nero spoilers #nap binge reads #(the final episode)#wow #what a ride the past two weeks have been

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sunnie-808 · 4 years

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apollo!!! for the breakdown (if you’re doing it)

Yea, I’m doing the breakdown!

So I’ve covered a little on Apollo for the character breakdown on @groaaaaan ‘s own lovely breakdown right here, but I’ll ‘briefly’ answer the ones that I did cover and finish the ones I didn’t :3

How I feel about this character;

I adore Apollo. I especially love that he’s so vastly different from our other protagonists in that he’s conceited, arrogant and has a over inflated sense of grandeur about him. He’s almost made to be disliked, but it makes me want to root for him all the more.

All the people I ship romantically with this character;

So, I’m not too crazy of the idea of mortal!Apollo getting with someone, like I said in a previous post; he has too much going on and too much at stake to even be thinking about such things, but the tragedy of Apollo and Hyacinthus is too good to pass. Also I just really like the idea that god!Apollo can’t choose a romantic partner because of all those lovely muses.

My non-romantic OTP for this character;

Yep. It’s still Meg 😂 They’re my favorite duo to have come out of the Riordanverse.

My unpopular opinion about this character;

So I’ve actually come up with a couple. One is that I really don’t want Apollo to stay mortal. If Apollo wants to change things with Olympus and the gods, he needs to be immortal to make sure that his requests are taken in to account and remain inforced by the Olympians. If he remains mortal, he’ll have to follow suit with the circle of life and eventually die. Now, the gods might keep the promise for about a century or so, but for how long after then?

Apollo made it clear that gods tend to forget such promises and end up falling back into their old ways. Artemis might be able to help keep it, but she’s down on Earth most of the time so it would become more difficult for her to maintain.

The second is that I don’t want Apollo to completely change his ways. Now, this isn’t to say that I want him to be conceited for the rest of time, but there can be a middle ground for how Apollo’s personal growth can transpire. Don’t make him to the point where he self doubts himself and is brought down to self deprecation, he can have humbling qualities without truly losing the real Apollo. He doesn’t need to become a new person, but rearrange and give himself a new outlook on how he views mortals, and more importantly, himself and he can become more balanced.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon;

So I’m going to take a different spin to this, instead of what I wish would happen, I’m going to say what I wish didn’t happen. This could probably be filed under unpopular opinions about him, but that was getting too long so I’m going to put it here.

I really haven’t liked how much Apollo has been abused in this series. I don’t mind for the sake of Apollo learning a lesson, but it’s gotten to the point where it’s just kicking a man when he’s down. Why must every person, god, or creature they come across hate Apollo? Even his sacred animals. It seems a bit much. Apollo has already learned some of the lessons that have come with his unfortunate trials, why keep adding on to them? Don’t get me wrong, I love me some hurt/comfort / angst, but it’s been a bit excessive lately.

My biggest hope is that it’ll maybe calm down in the next book and people will just understand the situation and not have any distaste for Apollo. Everyone we know has met and spent time with Apollo so far, sans Annabeth, so hopefully we won’t have to deal with it. And even with Annabeth I’m sure Percy, or someone else, can fill her in on the details and she’ll see logic and reason and we can skip the distrust.

I do have more on my hopes for Apollo on the other post so not to repeat myself too much I’ll leave them there 😅

#thank you so much for the ask!#eternal-state-of-voorpret #toa #apollo

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takaraphoenix · 5 years

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Is it me or are riordans books lsoong it’s charm? I mean I like the idea of different stories told by other prospective and other mythology but when is you keep making sequels and spin offs over and over and not just end it it loses its fun. Also didn’t rick kill of Jason?

I mean, you’re talking to the girl who abandoned the books after HoO due to a loss of quality and also… for the ridiculousness of cramming all the mythologies together.

I stand by the fact that TKC didn’t do as well as hoped and that’s the only reason he tied it to his big property. To make more money. There is literally no other reason than CHASE being highly recognizable among the PJO fandom, that’s the only reason Magnus was Annabeth’s cousin.

If he’d kept all of those vastly different series separate, that might be a different tune. But he knows Percy is his money-maker so he forces Percy into everything else to effectively make the PJO readers also read his other work.

That’s the reason why we’re on sequel number two for the PJO series and why TKC turned out to be in the same world and why Magnus had to be Annabeth’s cousin. Whatever he’s gonna do with the Celtic gods - and let’s be real that is 100% where he’s going to go next now that he went through the three biggest pantheons - Percy is definitely going to find his way into that too.

It’s just… frustrating because this greed just… made his world completely fall apart.

If all the gods operated on the same rules, I’d buy it all being one world, but how he mashed them together…?

But his “they moved on and changed into Roman” completely falls apart considering the ““Greek”“ gods we met in PJO, because by that logic, these were not the Greek gods, they were the American gods - Poseidon in a Hawaiian shirt, Zeus in a suit, Hades owning a record label. They moved on and adjusted according to the new worshippers. But somehow those American gods are treated like the Greek gods, while the Roman aspects are just 100% old-fashioned proper Roman.

No. No, either you say Greek and Romans both live in modern US and have them proper!Roman and then also proper!Greek, or you say they move on to a new place of worship and change accordingly… and thus remove the existence of “Roman” demigods in the US, because effectively there would be neither Greek nor Roman demigods there since the gods as a whole moved on and evolved into a new American aspect - which was what I had assumed happened prior to him retconning Romans in and making the whole thing make zero sense.

Not to mention, what? Will Magnus Chase then get a spin-off where he has to fight a civil war against the Germanic gods? Aka, the other aspect of the Norse gods? Wodan and Donar and company??

Also, you know, just how fucking forced it is to have the two Great Prophecies that have been laying around for millennia… just take place half a year apart. It’s bullshit. If he had tackled that second prophecy with a full new set of demigods in the future, yeah sure. But he had to make it about Percy too, because as mentioned above, Percy is what makes money.

Look, I’m not saying it couldn’t work to have all pantheons be real. But the way he does it is forced and not very thought through. So literally every single pantheon moved to the US, huh? What’s Europe, dirt under your fingernails? We are most definitely not doing shitty enough to be treated that way. Why would our gods move to the US? All of them? Why would the Egyptian gods be moving all the way up there? It’s… It’s started being really fucking offensive, to be quite frank.

The way he did it with the Greeks, with only one pantheon that also accordingly adjusted to being American, it was an interesting concept. It was also 2005.

In the past 15 years, the world’s view on the US has shifted drastically. They are most certainly not the center of the world or in any way or shape a symbol of progressiveness and the place where all the gods would move. It’s incredible narcissistic and it is also incredibly rude.

Because, at its base, what he’s doing is stealing from other cultures. Oh, sure, after the Egyptian gods he stopped taking gods from POC. But… uhm… I know this site doesn’t like to hear that but white people have culture too? Those ancient gods are part of a culture, whatever the fuck the primary skin-color of the people of that culture are. And to just rip those gods and myths out of that culture and forcing them into America, completely removing them from their actual cultural background, is in fact cringeworthy at this point.

If you take one, it’s still all fun and games somehow and hey it’s for the children and the theory of the gods moving on, it’s kind of intriguing.

But if you just keep stealing the gods from their country - and yes, considering he at this point goes out of his way to make it all take place in the US, that quite literally is stealing them out of their countries - then it’s really getting cringeworthy.

And yes, I know, overall this hellsite thinks white people don’t have culture and white people culture are American suburban soccer moms or whatever the fuck, but you gotta… you gotta look beyond America for a change. Every single country has its own, unique culture. Yes, even countries that are pre-dominantly white, even they have their own culture and history. And taking huge parts of any country’s cultural background, ripping it out and making it take place in your own backyard centric around your own people with absolute disregard of the country of origin, that’s… seriously, that is not really cool. Not even when you take it from white cultures.

If he’d at the very least would make an efford to make them take place in Europe too - I’m not even demanding each mythological series should take place in its country of origin (even though that, of course, would be ideal, seriously), he’s not even trying to bring Europe in on this.

When the Argo II went to Rome, there was nothing. Rome, literally the center where the Roman gods came from… but… no Roman camp. This would have been an ideal chance to show that his bullshit nonsense of ALL the gods can ONLY be met in the US and ALL demigods HAVE to move to the US is actually factually wrong. He could have introduced a Roman camp in Rome, have them get back-up from European demigods. That would have been his chance.

But no. Absolutely all of those gods completely moved to the US and left nothing behind in the countries that shaped them. Go to Rome. Walk through Rome. See all of the statues and fountains of the old gods, you can not tell me that if the Graeco-Roman gods were real, they would not also manifest there and they would not also have a camp there.

Especially considering Silena Beauregard was born in Paris, the gods very much go to Europe still apparently. But only to sire kids that their single parents then have to ship to the US because fuck Europe, am I right?

Look, I’m not saying he can’t work with the gods of other countries. I enjoy seeing interpretations of gods and I’m fully aware no one gives a rat’s ass who’s adapting mythologies from pre-dominantly white cultures, but I think that if you really do make a living only out of using other country’s mythologies, histories and their culture, then you sure as shit should also bring a basis level of respect toward that country, regardless of what country we are talking about.

He shows an extra amount of respect for other non-white cultures by not even touching them himself anymore and instead helping young authors from those countries show-case their own takes on a PJO-esque world - and that is absolutely amazing and really good him, honestly. Like, I genuinely think that’s a great thing to do from him and a good way for him to use both his fame as well as his white privileg, because let’s be real being a straight white man helps there a lot.

But the very least he could do about all those mythologies he keeps using would be to pay a baseline respect toward their cultures too and not forget that they too come from countries that he is not intimately familiar with, that they too are part of a culture and that he could, at the very fucking least, be respectful enough to them to not pretend that a Greek demigod born in fucking Greece would have to be shipped to New York because that’s where it’s at and where everything turned completely American centric. Like, that’s literally all I’m asking. Take into account that those gods came from somewhere and respect their origins and stop treating modern day Europe like it’s some garbage dump or something.

Well, that sure took a detour there. But then again, it really had to be said. Yes, a huge part of why this is losing it’s charm is because he keeps dragging new pantheons into this same world but under the same conditions of “America first, Europe, uh, never” and with every new mythology (and every time it moves closer toward the now), it becomes more and more cringeworthy and, for me as a European, also boring and unrealistic.

And yeah, he killed Jason. Because sure, we had the second Great Prophecy, what was supposed to be a huge-ass war but eh we’re fine with 9 demigods who should be 7 and literally no one of importance died in that world-changing war. But now in some supidass side-quest - yeah, I’m calling it as it is, Apollo getting deaged and them having shenannigans is in fact a side-quest because for fuck’s sake the two last series were each about a millennia old Great Prophecy and a giant (or titan, heh) war - the son of Zeus dies.

#Riordan Critial #like damn #I really did take a swing there #PJOverse #Anonymous

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alwayslukason · 5 years

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I'm the anon who asked for badass Luke Castellan. There's a serious lack of it in the fandom. I mean,the guy is a highly skilled swordsman,Kronos chose him as his lieutenant(and Luke managed to defeat him to control his own body). Besides,it's even implied/told that Luke's quite manipulative.

I’m not so sure what is this in regards to. If this is about the request, then I have to deeply apologize since I’m right smack in the exam period and I’m doing a lot of cramming because of bad decisions ^^” Plus, my memories of the first series of the book is murky at best so I’d have to go back and skim through the Kronos arc.

Still, I don’t doubt that he’s a badass. Imo, anyone who has the guts to go through at anything for their goals has a good volume of badassery there. And true, he’s also very manipulative, which is a shame that we didn’t get a POV of him in the books while he was working under Kronos.However, I’d still take his situation with Kronos with a grain of salt. It’s been said that Kronos have been breathing evil thoughts into heroes so I can wager that some of the extreme things he did might be Kronos’s ideas instead. Sure, I think Luke is accountable for what he did but it’s also bad to dismiss Kronos’s responsibility for the shitfest too. I think a good place to start is to try and separate who Luke really is from what Kronos moulded him into and from also what is seems to be for a mere sake of a driving force for the protagonist’s development through an emotionally intense storytelling setting.

Luke is manipulative. I don’t doubt that, which is why I place him under a water sign since people with those signs are mastery when it comes to emotions and are very perceptive. I only attribute these signs with fictional characters though, since irl people are much, much more complex. But yes, I think Luke is capable of very high degree of manipulation because of his ability to perceive and pinpoint where someone’s weaknesses lie. He also has 14 years of experience under his belt if you count him running away from the age of 9 to where he is now.

Although, I’ll point out that it might be better not to base Luke’s worth solely on Kronos’s choice. Luke is the optimal choice because of his strong negative emotions and what I suspect to be his tendency to not connect to the other campers very closely. He takes care of them but I doubt he’s the sort to let anyone in his deeper issues, not even Annabeth, and thus is very easy for Kronos to isolate and manipulate him. Bear in mind that Kronos still feels Luke’s body to be a downgrade compared to his own, has given Luke extra abilities and was intending to destroy it the minute he gets out there. However, if you trace back to his diary, Luke actually has a much sharper instinct and situational awareness than Thalia does. There is without a doubt that he already has great potential from there. He knows something is going to ham on them but he only followed Thalia because he’s really damn loyal. The next most impressive thing is ofc him breaking free of Kronos’s control and fighting against him. For what’s worth, for someone who is used to toughing it out on his own, Luke does gain his strength from himself in a way that his higher power is ultimately his own willpower. Skilled swordsmanship + Frigging titanium durability + sharp manipulation skills + sharp instincts + good situational awareness + resourcefulness. He could make a slamming great antagonist or anti hero if you can juggle with those skillsets. Maybe what I really want is for Luke to be a leader of a revolutionary group or something because that’s when you can fully play around with his skillset + his goals / personality / ambition / moral compass without Kronos’s whammy hands trying to play god with his head. :”^) With his ability to perceive someone’s emotions, ambitious mindset and plus his genuine care for the unclaimed demigods, I won’t doubt that he will have many loyal followers and that he could rally them when their spirits are down. Which also serves as a nice contrast to Jason, where CJ was ready to fire on his ass when Jason came back trying to diffuse the situation or when people didn’t trust Jason because he’s too ‘perfect’. I think it’s more or less that Jason doesn’t have a strong sense of self as much as Luke does. Jason’s rallying works more within his in-group (Piper and Leo), people who he knows and trusts better.

While I feel that Jason can touch people on a personal level, I think that Luke can touch people on a societal level.

#this shit ends up long again i'm sorry #but yes this is just taking an account if luke = scorpio #bc rick really doesn't give us much info on luke for me to dig #tb h i'm more well versed with jason's character than luke's #but i think there should be other luke analysts who are able to give a better insight? :"^)#luke castellan #Anonymous

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theonceoverthinker · 6 years

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OUAT 2X07 - Child of the Moon

...Do I seriously have nothing better to do than just sit around writing long ass reviews for a show that already ended?

...Well then, I suppose ANITA LIFE!

Shut up, you love them. Now go under the cut for some actually semi-intelligent thoughts!

Press Release

Ruby’s fear about turning into a wolf during the first curse-free Storybrooke full moon is confirmed when one of the town’s residents is viciously murdered, and Ruby is the prime suspect; Decker - aka King George - threatens to expose David as a shepherd, not a prince, and not fit to run the town as sheriff; and Leroy stumbles upon some treasure in the Storybrooke mine that could help bring Mary Margaret and Emma back into our world. Meanwhile, in the fairytale land that was, Red Riding Hood finds a kindred spirit in Anita (Annabeth Gish), a charismatic and mysterious leader of a pack of humans who, like Red, turn out to be wolves.

General Thoughts - Characters/Stories/Themes and Their Effectiveness

Past

Red’s journey in this episode is so well put together. The insecurities established in “Red-Handed” and then re-established here about her half-wolf identity acts as a great source of conflict. You can see how that sense of fear is decreased as Red spends more time with the wolfpack, and after establishing that bond, gets tested against an equally powerful bond with Snow. This is a great conflict because it’s entirely character based and expands on what we already know about Red.

Present

Not all segments need a message to work, but their needs to be some level of growth, and while it does happen to Ruby, it’s only through being given information and a pep talk that she’s able to reaffirm her control over her wolf form. While I genuinely liked this segment for it’s plot, characters, pacing, and the broader story, I feel like Ruby was somewhat sidelined in her own episode because what is reinforced is never gleamed through her own experiences or anything that she learns about herself. It’s David who investigates the mystery and he and Belle who never give up hope while Ruby largely defaults to regarding the situation as her fault until David gives her the evidence to contradict that. While I commend Ruby for being a realist and very mature about her situation, I wish that there had been a moment where she attempted for her own happiness (Think like a “Let It Go” moment) or if there was a moment that she noticed that called her murder into doubt.

Insights - Stream of Consciousness

-Those mine crystals look so bad! XD

-You better not be driving after drinking that beer, David! You’ve got a kid in the car!

-I’ll take those 38 lasagnas!

-Ruby is so amazingly mature. She understands her capabilities, but takes into account risks as to protect others.

-Snow is one hell of a fighter!

-Also, I can’t help but feel like that’s the first time Snow ever saw her wanted poster (This is before she met David). Look at that amazing frustration and sadness in her eyes as she’s seen how Regina has scarred her reputation. And that’s all before she and Red even converse about it moments later. Great acting, Ginny!

-I can’t get over how great Red’s costume is. It’s perfectly balanced between being something that gels with the classic fairytale while still looking like something a young adult would wear.

-Stranger stalking Red: You might want to get your eyes checked for jaundice! XD

-”Wh-wh-what are you doing here? Where’s David?” Damn, that hurt just watching it. I can’t even imagine how Regina must feel hearing Henry all but reject her comfort. :(

-”He got an emergency call this morning and asked me to look after you.” Good job, David! That was very good pushing aside your hatred of Regina for Henry’s sake!

-I just realized that Ruby is essentially Elsa in this episode! XD

-Ruby is fucking tough as nails! We’ve got to get her into a Street Fighter movie or something!

-I really want to know more about Quinn! The actor played him very well and he has this air to himself of both a vagabound and someone with something a bit deeper to him. Like, he’s an octave down from Killian on the drama-meter.

-”Is this some kind of trick?” Red, don’t follow the man into the scary basement until he answers that very important question! Didn’t Granny teach you stranger danger?!

-I want to live in an underground castle! Holy shit! I’d have all the space I want, stay cool, AND avoid other people! Hell to the fucking yeah!

-”I’m your mother.” My season 4 vibes and her later attitude are compelling me to say “I don’t care.”

-”It’s Billy’s truck.” “Who do you call to tow a tow truck.” It’s my personal headcanon that Billy’s truck is Mater from Cars. XD

-”I certainly never cared what would happen to them after they woke up...until now.” I love that look Henry gives Regina as she says this. It’s such a subtle Regal Believer moment.

-”Sometimes in sleep.” Why do I feel like that line was specifically put there for ass covering?

-”Once one controls something, one no longer need fear it.” Another instance of a villainous character (Though not in this episode!) giving the moral of the episode! That said, I wish it was said to Ruby herself, but I’m not peeved about that. Also, Rumple’s posture is incredibly comforting as he crouches to Henry’s level and gives him the necklace for free, giving some nice pre-confirmed Grandpa Gold feels.

-Charming! Good job calling out your cursed self for his shittiness!

-It may just be the result of my recent foray into the MCU, but I am getting some crazy Ego vibes odd of Anita.

-”That thing. That she-wolf.” George, you are the WORST.

-”Protecting your friend instead of everyone else.” He literally has her locked in a jail cell! It’s not like he’s forcing her to roam free!

-That was a great display of a Gopro camera on a wolf!

-I like how the montage was unclear about the exact amount of time it took between Red’s entrance into the castle and that latest transformation.

-George, you have the tiniest fucking group possible for this rebellion! How successful do you really think you’re going to be?

-I like the visual cue that the wolf gang sleeps like a pack.

-”Of course not.” I love how Snow clearly doesn’t believe that Red’s pack will hurt her, but still wants to be supportive of Red.

-”David see the good in you.” Ummm, what about you, Belle? Girl, you know I love you, but you already know all about Ruby’s goodness! She took you in!

-”I’m sort of an expert when it comes to rehabilitation.” Ummm, I’d say you’re getting there, but expert is a little too much.

-”I need to pay for all I’ve done.” Umm, Ruby. Your old village couldn’t kill you. What makes you this the D-List Storybrooke mob will do any better?

-I don’t know why, but I find it so funny that King George’s cursed name is “Spencer.” I think it just makes me think of iCarly.

-”May you always run free below the moon’s pale light.” This is a really well written line and I wish we could’ve heard it again outside of this episode.

-I like how in the D-List Storybrooke mob, only one person had the common sensibility to bring a fucking flashlight!

-Granny! You could’ve killed someone! That was a big Michael Bay-worthy explosion! I can only hope you sensed that that building was abandoned beforehand otherwise you’d have a body count!

-So someone in the D-List Storybrooke mob calls out “we’re not sheep,” and I’m just laughing because they followed George on a fucking dime!

-So I love how this is more or less David’s arc in “White Out” as well! XD

-George is so fucking confident about that hat, like there aren’t at least a couple of other magical items in this town! XD

-Also, how the hell did he get the hat?

-Red’s monologue in the final leg of the flashback has me thinking: What happened when Red and Granny reunited after the events of this flashback? There must’ve been some serious resentment on Red’s part and I wish we got to see how that resolved itself.

-Ruby, not that that run isn’t well earned, but you owe Belle on hell of an apology!

-Snow, your clothes are so clean right now! Did you find a laundromat in the Enchanted Forest?

Arcs - How are These Storylines Progressing?

Storybrooke getting Snow and Emma back - We gain one method of communicating with the EF and lose a way of getting there. I find that this arc is pretty good so far. The steps feel appropriately paced and I enjoy that the arc actually has a dead end. It makes for opportunities to use more characters (Ruby, King George, and Jefferson) and given them growth while allowing for the plot to feel more like a journey.

Rumple’s Redemption - I pointed this out in “Insights,” but Rumple’s more comforting attitude towards Henry, especially since neither knows they’re related yet, is a good follow-up step to the redemption that Rumple’s attempting for himself that was established in “Broken.”

Favorite Dynamic

Red and Snow - Red and Snow’s friendship has always been this nice delight, and in this episode, there’s a marvelous setup and payoff to it. Snow is beyond supportive to Red, understanding her and yet still fighting for a future where they can be happy and safe together. Like, she risks traveling by Regina’s bloodthirsty men for Red and is willing to give the wolfpack the benefit of the doubt for her! And even whe Red opts to stay with the wolfpack, Snow is nothing but understanding and gives a very in-character reason as to why! Honestly, I’m borderline shipping these two because they’re so good together!

Writer

Last season’s human home runs (Ian and Andrew) are at it again. The writing for this episode is largely great, using very rich dialogue and a good theme of taking control of your own life to deliver two well put together segments.

Rating

10/10. This is a legitimately great episode. It’s entertaining, and our mains are in fine form. The lore of the OUAT world is used well, as it contributes to the story in the past segment and not just the plot (An important distinction). While I take a small issue with a less impactful Ruby in the present, it simply doesn’t take away from the incredible storytelling that goes on elsewhere throughout both segments.

Flip My Ship - Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness”

Billy/Ruby - While I never thought much of them in “The Price of Gold,” their bit of flirting is absolutely heartwarming and Ruby’s grief following Billy’s death is so sad.

Red Beauty - These two! These fucking two! Belle and Ruby are just the two most supportive beans in the world! Also, “think of it as girl’s night.” Am I the only one thinking about how chains and whips can be quite exciting, especially when one’s hungry like the wolf?!

()()()()()()()()()

Sorry if this review was a little simplistic. Sometimes, there’s not a lot to say about an episode other than “this was good,” and I didn’t just want to say that a million times, but next time I’ll make like that episode’s title and see how “Into the Deep” I can go! For now, thank you for reading and to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales for putting this project together and giving my reviews a home on their page!

Season 2 Tally (67/220)

Writer Tally for Season 2:

Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis: (20/60)

Jane Espenson (17/50)

Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg (20/50)

David Goodman (10/30)

Robert Hull (10/30)

Christine Boylan (7/30)

Tags: ouat, once upon a time, watching fairytales, ouat episode code, ouat rewatch, jenna watches ouat, ships mentioned

Operation Rewatch Archives

#ouat #once upon a time #watching fairytales #ouat 2x07 #ouat rewatch #jenna watches ouat #basically every character in this episode is discussed #ships mentioned #red beauty #ruby/billy

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couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name · 7 years

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Jason He's made out to be the new, better Percy . He is also a massive Gary Stu in my opinion. Leo He's really rude to Frank. I know they got over it but still also he acted like it was all Percy's fault Calypso was on the island even though Percy tried to help. Piper She had so much potential but whenever anyone talks about her being Aphrodite's best daughter or whatever I'm like 'Do you remember SELINA??!!) also she has a huge I'm not like other Girls complex and is kinda obsessed with Jason.

We have REALLY different views on them so I’m gonna see how well I can articulate My Analysis Of My Children okay let’s go:

Jason…I think the point was that he’s perceived as a ‘Gary Stu’, ‘better Percy’ type guy when that’s actually not the reality of who he is? Like, his whole life everyone’s always been “Your father is the king of the gods! You should lead us!” and so he’s had to get used to this role, he’s had to create this character to make people feel like they’re in good hands…but he hates it. He hates being the leader and being in power, but up until the 7 meet up that’s the only thing he really knows. He never really had a chance to discover himself outside of this role shoved onto him. At first, he doesn’t really know who he is other than ‘Jupiter’s Son’.

He can’t help that everyone has high expectations for him, and he’s a people pleaser so he’s going to do his damndest to meet those expectations, but like? We saw how stressed out he was leading the quest in HoH. He was barely sleeping and practically pulling his hair out, pushing himself to fix everything and make sure everyone was okay while ignoring his own problems. That’s what Jason must’ve been like when he was leading the legion- everyone remembers him as a strong and regal leader, because that’s the expectation, that’s what they want him to be, and he came damn well put on a good performance when he needs to, but 24/7 while he’s living in closed quarters with people? Yeah, no. He wanted Percy and Annabeth back so he could stop having pretending he knew what he was doing (and because he was worried about them obviously).

The thing is, once you strip away “Son of Jupiter”…Jason doesn’t really meet any of the expectations placed on him. Over the course of the series he starts worrying about that less and less, he loosens up and actually starts to find out who he is other than what people want…He doesn’t match up to the image:

He’s not actually the strongest demigod out there- he’s a very well trained fighter, sure, but like…We’ve seen Thalia shoot out massive amounts of lightning like it’s no one’s business without breaking a sweat. Jason has to actually ask for a helpful bolt and the effort almost knocks him out. His talents lie with the winds, which…I don’t think ‘wind’ comes to anyone’s minds immediately when talking about Jupiter. And it’s also not a power that, at face value, seems super helpful. But Jason manages to cultivate it and makes it powerful enough to stall Gaea.

He’s not strong and regal, he’s excitable and dorky. He gets so sucked in to reading some book he found interesting that he walks into a tree. He bounces and hugs people when he gets happy. He can’t keep his glasses on straight and looses them on top of his head. He loves talking about history. He got so distracted by how pretty his girlfriend is that he forgot what he was talking about. He got shish kabob-ed and his immediate reaction was “I finally managed to stay conscious for an entire fight”. He was trying to talk a goddess out of killing his friend and the first thing to come to mind is “I’ll get Olympus to make an action figure of you!”. This kid is a LOSER.

He’s not a stoic ruler, he worries about every single person under his command. Individually. He doesn’t lead troops like, well, troops- he leads them like teammates. He’s greatly affected when the people working with him are upset, and he’s very perceptive about their feelings. His constantly checking in on Nico after the Cupid scene, his understanding of Piper’s issues in TLH, his belief in Frank, his worrying about Percy and Annabeth…this boy knew Leo was upset simply by looking at his DRINK ORDER, and then even though Leo offered up no real information, it took him like under five minutes of just observing him to know Leo was heartbroken.

There’s so many other points but like…Jason’s story was about a boy born with crazy expectations shedding those and growing into his own person while still maintaining the sense of duty he had to the people he cared about. He had an entire identity crisis for this very reason. Camp Jupiter was his home, but Camp Half Blood is where he found himself. He loved both places and by the end of the story he came out with a strong and comfortable sense of self. He came out of it with a new path and set of expectations that he decided for himself. He went through trials and dealt with his emotions and found peace with himself and his role in the world. I think it was a very compelling plotline and not ‘gary stu’ like at all.

Leo…We really have to take into account that Leo’s always assumed the role of ‘the jokester’. Despite the fact he’s a genius, Leo doesn’t actually see himself as talented and the environment he grew up in absolutely shapes that. He said himself in TLH- being the funny guy kept him safe most of the time. He didn’t feel he had much else to offer, and no one around him believed he did either, people only kept him around for jokes. I think what happened with Frank was like…his default setting. That sounds bad (and it is) but it really does need to be taken into consideration- we know Leo’s only been in, like, exclusively bad environments before the events of the series. Anyone who just kept him around for a laugh probably didn’t wanna hear knock knock jokes about engineers. His best bet for not getting in trouble or abandoned would be to rag on someone who was an easier target than him. Leo knows he can trust Jason and Piper, and he’s scared of Annabeth but is mostly sure she won’t kill him…but then he gets possessed and blows up half of New Rome. Everyone’s mad at him. Including the three new people he knows absolutely nothing about but all look like they could eat his tiny scrawny ass for a snack. I feel like it’s not a stretch to say he felt an old urge to protect himself kick in, to make sure he fits into this group because what the hell is he gonna do if he doesn’t? The fact that Frank was already annoyed with him for looking like Sammy didn’t exactly help their dynamic…Like, I’m just saying, I think he really stepped it up on the Frank jokes because of his ‘seventh wheel’ complex. He’s used to using comedy to make himself valuable to people. He knows he has to be on this quest no matter what, but that doesn’t mean people have to want him there, you know? He wants to be wanted. That’s Leo’s whole thing? He already built the entire boat but they’re mad at him for things out of his control. He feels like he’s gotta do something else to be relevant to the group so he just…slides into his old defense mechanism and as he’d be used to, it’s easiest to go for the easiest target. Who is Frank. And the whole weird Sammy and Hazel situation definitely exacerbated the whole thing. And it wasn’t fair to Frank, absolutely, which Leo himself eventually realizes and knocks it off. But I just think it’s not fair to say “Leo’s doing this because he’s a dick”. Like, people are often more complicated than that.

As for the Calypso situation…Listen, I think Percy feeling guilt for Calypso still being on her island made no sense and someone needs to assure him that that’s not his fault. However, Calypso didn’t know that. Calypso didn’t have all the facts. She had every right to be upset with Percy. It was going to be awkward with Leo and Percy anyway, because like, oh hey dude while you were in hell I made out with your ex and she loves me now. But like…I don’t think it was wrong for Leo to be upset on Calypso’s behalf? The girl he’s crazy about is trapped on an island because Jackson couldn’t be bothered to check on her! (Which is of course NOT THE CASE but that’s Calypso’s view on the matter, that’s what she told Leo). I’m just saying like, he’s relatively new to relationships and he heard a biased explanation of the situation…It makes sense that he’d side with her?

The thing we need to remember is…Leo and Calypso both have abandonment issues. And from Leo’s understanding, he’s sharing a boat with the guy that had Severely Hurt the girl he now loves. (And if she HADN’T been so hurt when they met, they might’ve had more time as a couple before he had to plunge back into the unknown) Looking at his actions and thoughts from an outside, biased viewpoint might make him look awful and crazy but…From his specific point of view, it makes sense. And Percy was able to see that, which is why they were able to talk it all out. I just think it’s a real shame that Leo Valdez is this complex, compelling character, but people only remember him for fighting with Frank and being crazy about Calypso. It’s reducing him. He had a lot more going on and was a very believable character with easily explainable traits and actions.

Piper…Was one of Aphrodite’s best children, though? She had the most powerful charmspeak in generations. Like, that’s canon. Silena was a great character and a great cabin head, but she had no powers and was a relatively weak fighter. I love her as much as the next, but that’s just canonical fact. Her strongest asset was her heart and loyalty, which were used against her, and she died trying to make things right. She wouldn’t have made it on the Prophecy of the Seven quest. She wouldn’t. But Piper was a powerful charmspeak, was immensely brave, and constantly worked at being a better fighter (which, again, in canon, the Aphrodite kids are not the best fighters). By the time the series ends she’s a wickedly skilled swordsmen, is the only one who can work the cornucopia because of her inner strength and giving nature, has a dagger that can see the future, always knows how people around her are feeling, completely dominated a literal temple of fear and terror, and was powerful enough to order the literal planet earth to sleep. Piper is strong and brave and she’s constantly working on bettering herself. She was able to not only see the other side of Aphrodite, but to fight for it to be what everyone sees. She changes people’s perception of the cabin and the goddess herself. She did have a ‘not-like-other-girls’ complex when we first met her, but she was a bullied kid who grew up around rich white teens in Hollywood. But it’s a complex she catches in herself and grows out of- she stops trying to be #edgy and lets herself be comfortable in her skin, grows her hair out and wears a little makeup and puts thought into her outfits- but she also stops judging other people. She learns to see the beauty in everyone she meets. She redefines her outlook. That’s admirable, in my opinion.

As for ‘obsessed with Jason’, I mean…it really just kinda reads, personally anyway, as “I’m A Teenage Girl And I Think My Significant Other Is Just The Coolest Thing Since Sliced Bread”…? Like? He’s her boyfriend, she’s fifteen. He’s cute and cool and a dork all at the same time. She goes from ‘mega crush heart eyes’ mode to actually falling in love with him, that’s not an obsession, that’s like…a natural progression of feelings. She’s always had her own storylines and she’s fully able to focus on things that aren’t Jason. But of course she thinks about him, he’s important to her? They’re a good match, they’re usually on similar wavelengths, and they work well together. She doesn’t think about him more than Annabeth and Percy think about each other. Piper shouldn’t be reduced to a fangirl just because she occasionally thinks to herself “Damn my boyfriend is hot”. She’s a very relatable and impressive character that deserves more than that.

I really hope this doesn’t end up being like, a ramble, and that I actually properly articulated how I see the characters, but like…yeah. I do love this trio.

#Jason grace #leo valdez #piper mclean #hoo #rick riordan #asks #molly mumbles

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gansey-jackson · 7 years

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Angel With A Shotgun -- Leo Valdez

This is my first attempt at a fic on this account. Hopefully y’all like it

Song: Angel With A Shotgun - The Cab

Warnings: slight language

Word Count: 8.5k

Read it on ao3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11797485

You always knew Leo would fight for you. That’s always the type of person he’s been. Leo Valdez: son of Hephaestus, evil genius, defender of those he cared for. The two of you had grown close since he’d arrived at Camp Half-Blood. You spent many sleepless nights with him while he constructed the Argo II. Your favorite memory was the two of you on the couch in Bunker 9, Leo’s head in your lap, snoring after you’d yelled at him for pulling a 56 hour bender.

You were always in awe of how much he loved building things. The light that appeared in his eyes when he talked about his latest invention, or when he explained the difference between a combination wrench and an adjustable wrench.

As a daughter of Apollo, you were more familiar with bows and arrows than tools. But Leo did his best giving instructions whenever you helped him on the ship. During those times you’d have talks about things neither of you would ever talk to anyone else about. Leo talked about his life after his mom died; how much guilt he’d felt, his life on the run, and the feelings of never belonging anywhere. And you’d told him about your life before Camp. How your mother was so heartbroken after Apollo left her with nothing but a screaming baby and a lousy goodbye in haiku form.

“I never had much of a family,” you said to him. The two of you had been—as always—in Bunker 9, Leo hunched over his work bench, you on a stool next to him handing him whatever he needed. “Mom never recovered after Apollo left. She always resented me for it, as if I could have done something to stop him from leaving. Because at three days old I could’ve said ‘Hey, Dad, don’t leave. Screw your duties on Mount Olympus, or all your other children. Stay here with me and Captain Crazy.’” You felt pinpricks of tears in the corners of your eyes. “When I was eight she went to work one day and never came home. I haven’t seen or heard from her since. All of my family thinks that she drove her car off a cliff with me in it. They don’t care that neither of our bodies were ever found.”

You hadn’t realized that Leo had stopped working, and his hand was in yours. He was listening intently to every word you said.

“We lived in Oklahoma. She left in July so I didn’t have to worry about getting myself to school. I slept in her bed every night hoping I’d wake up with her next to me. Four nights went by and nothing happened. Then I woke up one morning next to Thalia’s tree with a backpack of stuff and no idea where I was. Chiron found me and brought me inside the boundary line. I like to believe that Dad is the one who brought me here.” You looked down at the gold bracelet on your wrist. You’d had it for as long as you can remember. It was a gold chain with a sun in the center. Your mom used to tell you it was the only gift your dad would ever give you.

You took a shaky breath, about to admit something you’d never told anyone. “I still have dreams about her screaming at me. Telling me it’s all my fault. That she wishes I were never born. That all I am is a burden. Maybe she was right.”

“Hey,” Leo said. “Don’t you ever say that, (Y/N). You are not a burden on anyone. Not every mortal can handle the aftermath of having a demigod. Your mom doesn’t deserve a daughter as kind and caring as the one she got. And it’s her loss that she’s never going to see how amazing you became, or see you on your wedding day, or the beautiful kids you’re gonna have.”

He used his thumb to wipe away stray tears falling from your eyes.

Leo continued speaking. “If she hadn’t left you, you might have never made it to Camp Half-Blood, and I would’ve never met you. My life would’ve really sucked if that happened. You’re my best friend, a kick-ass fighter, and better at building the Argo II than anyone else. Don’t tell Percy that last part; he thinks he belongs in the Hephaestus cabin now.”

You giggled at that last part. How’d you gotten so lucky to have a friend like Leo, you’d never know. His hand was still in yours, his thumb rubbing over the skin of your hand. He used his free hand to push stray hair behind your ear. His skin was warm against yours, and you wished you could be holding his hand all the time.

Leo’s chocolate brown eyes fluttered between your (E/C) eyes, and your lips. You sat up a little straighter as he ever so slightly leaned in. When you were inches away, Leo whispered mi alma, his breath hot near your lips. The gap between you and him was about to close when someone pounded on the door to Bunker 9.

“Leo! (Y/N)!” Annabeth called. “Dinner started five minutes ago. You can work on the ship later.”

To your chagrin, you said, “We’d better get going.”

You wouldn’t learn what mi alma meant until much later.

At dinner you sat next to Will Solace. You lazily picked at your food; you spent most of the time thinking about what had just happened in Bunker 9.

“(Y/N),” Will said next to you.

“Sorry, what?”

“You okay? You haven’t really eaten, and your eyes are puffy. Are you sick? Do you want me to take you to the infirmary?”

“No, no. I’m okay. I’ve just been in the bunker all day. I’ll be fine.”

Will could sense that there was more to the story, but he didn’t push you to talk. That was something you loved about him. As a healer, he knew when things needed to be pushed, and when they didn’t.

After dinner was over, Leo waited outside the pavilion for you.

You asked, “Are you going back to the bunker?”

“The faster I get the Argo II done, the faster we can shut Gaea down.”

You nodded. “I guess I’ll see you—”

“Wait!” He said. “Will you come with me? It gets lonely there at night. Sometimes I have conversations with Festus to keep myself from falling asleep.”

“Sure.”

You were halfway to the bunker when Leo spoke up. “Can I tell you something?”

“Of course. You can always tell me anything.”

He took a deep breath and stopped walking. “I’m terrified about this war.”

You stopped next to him. “You’re not the only one. Gaea sends me dreams about it. About how everything we do will be hopeless in the end. How all my friends are going to die.”

He took your hand in his and squeezed it. “I’m not going anywhere, (Y/N). And I’m not letting you go anywhere either.”

“Leo, one of us isn’t making it out of this war alive.”

“Don’t say that. We’re all coming back alive. I’ll make sure of it.”

You decided not to say anything else. Leo continued to walk toward the bunker, still holding your hand. As you walked you thought about the odds of walking away with no casualties—they weren’t good. You’d been thinking about it a lot lately. Gaea had been coming into your dreams and telling how about how all your friends would die, and there was nothing you could do to save them.

You’d made a decision long ago: that if it came to it, you’d sacrifice yourself to save your friends.

To save Leo.

Leo, as usual, was hunched over his work bench, laser-focused on his work. You sat on the stool next to him, playing with a little cube he’d made you to help with your ADHD. Suddenly he stood, a wild grin plastered on his face. “It’s done!”

You stood up too. “Really?”

He nodded. “Everything. It’s perfect—it’s my masterpiece. We can leave tomorrow. I have to tell the others. I have to—”

“Leo, Leo, wait. What time is it?” You searched around the walls for a clock, but didn’t see one. Leo reached across his bench and pulled over a small analogue clock, the numbers 2:13 shone fluorescent green. “It’s after two in the morning. You can wait until breakfast to tell them.”

He finally slowed down and processed the information. “You’re right. It’s really that late?”

You nodded. “How long have you been awake?” He began counting on his fingers. He stopped at eight fingers and held them up. “Eight what? Eight days? Leo, you can’t—”

“No, eighty hours. I don’t have that many fingers.”

“You need to sleep. Eighty hours is,” you tried to do the math in your head, but math was never your strong suit.

“Over three days.”

“Yeah, you’re going to sleep. Come on.” You took his hand and dragged him over to the couch in the bunker. In the corner was a blanket that you’d brought the first time you spent the night in the bunker but never brought back to your cabin. You picked it up and brought it over to Leo. He took it from your hands and covered himself in the soft fabric.

“It smells like you,” he admitted.

“Is that good or bad?”

“Good. Very good. It smells like jasmine and honey.”

That made you smile. “Goodnight, Leo. I’ll see you in the morning.” You turned around and began to walk toward the door.

“(Y/N)!” Leo called behind you. You turned around to face him. He reminded you of a toddler, the way he was curled in your blanket, a toothy grin spread on his tan skin. “Will you stay with me? Please?”

Without hesitation—which surprised you—you responded, “Yes.” You went back to the couch, where Leo was holding up the blanket, making a spot for you. This was the first time the two of you had slept on the couch together. Usually when you both fell asleep in Bunker 9, you ended up on the couch and Leo slept over his work bench or on the floor. You always offered to let him take the couch, but he insisted you sleep there.

You climbed in next to Leo. He thought about how to comfortably position yourselves.

“Is it, um.” He stuttered nervously. “Would it be okay if I put my arm around you?”

You didn’t expect to blush, but once you felt it, you hoped Leo couldn’t see it in the dim light of Bunker 9. “Yeah, go ahead.”

He reached his arm around your shoulders and pulled you both so you’re laying down. He lay his head on your shoulder, and within minutes he was sound asleep. You ran your hand through his dark brown curls. Soon his snoring filled the room.

You knew he couldn’t hear you—Leo Valdez was the heaviest sleeper in the world. So you decided to use the one of the other gifts your father gave you: the power to make a shitty haiku come from nowhere.

“Sleep my sweet angel /

Who knows what morning will bring /

I’ll be there with you”

Soon the only sounds coming from Bunker 9 were the quiet humming of machines and Leo’s snoring, as you fell asleep.

Branches cracked under your boots. You held your bow in front of you, an arrow already notched, ready to fire.

“Silly little half-blood,” a voice called out. It didn’t feel close to you, but it was present, as if it was a narrator in a movie. “You think you can outsmart me? I know your plan.”

You had only heard this voice in your dreams. There was only one person it could belong to.

Gaea.

“How noble of you to think that by sacrificing yourself you can save that boyfriend of yours. You can’t save him, (Y/N). And do you think I’m going to let you die? You are such an important part of my plan.”

You looked up to see if there was any trace of Gaea—anything at all you could shoot. You looked ahead and suddenly something appeared. Not something. A person.

Leo.

You tried calling out to him, to tell him this was a trap and to hide, but nothing escaped your mouth. Something was creeping up behind him. You tried desperately to point, to make any sort of sound, but you were frozen. There was only one way this would end.

Leo was going to die.

And you couldn’t save him.

Someone was behind him now, a Celestial bronze sword in their hands. In one swift motion, the blade went through Leo’s chest. Leo crumpled to his knees, blood spilling from his wound. His assailant disappeared into thin air, but the voice returned.

Only it was coming from Leo’s mouth.

“How could you just stand there and let me die?”

You were still frozen, but not because of Gaea. Because this was your worst fear.

When Leo opened his mouth again, his voice was the one that came out.

Just a single word.

“Run.”

You woke up screaming. A pair of tan arms wrapped around your waist.

“Shh, shh, (Y/N). I’m right here. Everything is okay. I’m right here.”

Leo. He was okay.

You grabbed a handful of his shirt and clutched it for dear life, tears streaming down your face. One of Leo’s hands rubbed your back, the other was in your hair. “Tell me what happened. Was it your mom?”

You shook your head. Through shaky breaths you choked out, “It was Gaea. She sent me another dream. You were there and then you were gone—you were dead.”

“Shh, (Y/N), I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here. You’re safe with me. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you, or to anyone.”

“You can’t die on me,” you whispered to him.

“I promise you, I’m not going anywhere, mi alma.”

“Promise?”

“I swear on the River Styx. There’s still time before breakfast. Try to go back to sleep.”

You nodded and rested your head against Leo’s chest. It took longer than you wanted, but you were back asleep.

You woke up again, this time nightmare free. Leo’s arms were still wrapped around you, protective as armor. He smiled down at you, a smile filled with concern and care and something you’d never seen from him before.

Could it be. . .

Love?

“How’d you sleep?” He asked, clearly worried about you.

“Better.” Your throat was dry and your voice came out hoarse. “Thank you for staying.”

“I wouldn’t wanna be anywhere else.” He glanced at the clock on his work bench. “It’s time for breakfast. Then it’s time to see how well my masterpiece works.”

You didn’t want to get up. If your dream last night was any indication of how this war was going to be, you didn’t want Leo going anywhere near that ship.

Gaea knew your plan, and she knew how to use it against you. She was going to kill Leo to get to you.

Leo could sense the uneasiness in you. He pressed a featherlight kiss to your forehead. “I know you’re still shaken up, but you need to eat. You took care of me when I was building the Argo II, now it’s my turn to take care of you.”

You looked him in his deep brown eyes and nodded. Carefully, you stood up from the couch, fearing if you moved too fast you’d break down like a house of cards in the wind. Leo held his hand out to you. You laced your fingers with his, and he lead you out of Bunker 9 to the heart of Camp.

He stopped in front of Cabin 7. “How about you get washed up and change your clothes and I’ll meet you in the pavilion.”

You looked around you before nodding. Leo pulled you in for a hug. At only 5’3”, you were one of the only girls who was shorter than Leo. He rested his chin on the top of your head, and rubbed circles into your back. He smelled faintly of jasmine and honey—just like your blanket.

After he pulled away and noticed the worried look in your eyes, he said,

“I can wait here for you if you want?”

You shook your head. “No, no. Um, go tell the others that the ship is ready. I’ll meet you there.”

He looked unsure at first but eventually nodded. You watched as he scurried to the dining pavilion to inform the others of the status of Argo II. You walked through the doors of Cabin 7, maybe for the last time ever. You pulled a backpack out from under your bunk, and threw it on your bed. There were already some clean clothes in it. You added another shirt and another pair of pants to the pile, along with a water bottle full of nectar and a sandwich bag of ambrosia squares, courtesy of Will Solace. You also threw in the last of your mortal money, an enchanted quiver that always reloaded with arrows, and a stick of deodorant.

Once your bag was all packed, you headed over to the showers. A herd of Aphrodite girls were crowding the mirrors, holding tweezers up to each others faces. You found an uncrowded mirror in the corner of the bathroom. It was the first time in nearly three days you’d seen a reflection of yourself. Your hair was everywhere, the bags under your eyes had grown, and there were smears of dirt in some places—probably from Leo.

You washed up quickly, ignoring the looks from the Aphrodite girls. You slung your pack over your shoulder and trekked up to the dining pavilion to find Leo. He was sitting at the Hephaestus table, making large gestures with his hands, probably gushing to his siblings over Argo II. Without looking back, you walked straight over to the Hephaestus table and sat next to Leo. You ignored the stares from his cabin mates, and everyone else at camp. Sitting at another god’s table was a big no-no at Camp Half-Blood. But based on the look on your face and how defensive Leo got when you sat down, nobody said anything.

Leo leaned in close so only you could hear what he was saying. “Are you going to eat?” You shook your head. “(Y/N), you need to eat. Our quest starts today, you need your energy.”

Your eyes met his. There was a pleading look in his beautiful brown eyes

“Yeah, I guess I’ll go get something.”

“No, you stay here, and I’ll get you breakfast.” He lingered for a second, thinking about if he should kiss your forehead, but ultimately decided against it.

His siblings stared at you after he left. Finally Nyssa spoke up. “Are you nervous for the quest?”

You knew how nervous the whole camp was for the quest and everything that would follow. “Yeah, I am. But I’m confident that with Leo’s ship, we have a better chance of making it out alive.”

“What about my ship?” Leo asked from behind you, as if he hadn’t left. “Today’s date is an even number, which means you eat Cheerios and a red apple for breakfast.” He placed the bowl and fruit down in front of you.

“You know what I eat for breakfast?” You asked quizzically.

Leo grinned next to you, taking a bite out of an apple he’d gotten for himself. “On even-number days you have Cheerios and a red apple—even though green apples are totally the best. And on odd-numbered days you have waffles and an orange.” He looked so proud of himself. “Oh! On your birthday you have banana pancakes and bacon.”

You smiled at him. It made you happy that Leo paid that much attention to you.

“Do you need anything else?” He asked you. “If you need anything just tell me and I’ll get it.”

“Uh, no, thank you.”

Nyssa asked, “What’s gotten into you, Valdez? I’ve never seen you like this?”

“Well, (Y/N) took such good care of my while I built Argo II, and now that it’s done, it’s time I repay her.” He snaked an arm around your waist. You glanced at him out of the corner of your eye. The boy had that same goofy grin on his face that he has when he talks about mechanical stuff.

You ate your breakfast while Leo told more kids about how awesome Argo II is. You got through all your cereal and half your apple. You went to throw the other half away when Leo piped up, “Wait, I want it.”

Without a second thought, you tossed the half eaten apple to Leo. You half expected him to turn it into some gadget; you really didn’t expect him to take a bite from it and finish it.

“I’m gonna go find Annabeth and make sure everything is set for the quest.” You told him.

He gave you a little nod and watched as you went to find Annabeth.

You found her sitting outside Percy’s cabin, a small backpack at her feet.

“Percy!” She yelled. “You’ve packed for how many quests already? You don’t need to bring your pillow pet!”

“Hey, Annabeth, can we talk?”

She smiled up at you. “Of course. Percy, if I come back and that damn pillow pet is in your bag, I’m gonna rip it apart myself.” She turned back to you. “What’s up?”

“Can we talk somewhere more private?”

She nodded and followed you to the dock behind Percy’s cabin.

“Your mom is the goddess of battle strategy.” It wasn’t a question. It was you justifying what you were asking of her. “So that makes you a master strategist.”

“Yes,” she said, not sure where you were going with this.

You took a deep breath. “When the battle starts, I need you to keep Leo as far away from the fighting as possible.”

“(Y/N), I don’t know how realistic that is. When we get there, we’re more than likely going to need everyone to fight. Why do you want Leo away from the fight?”

You explained your dream to her. Gaea’s words, Leo dying.

“She’ll use him against me. She knows that he’s my weakness. If I can hide him from her, I can take her down. She said she didn’t want me dead. But she knows that the second something happens to Leo, I’m done. I need to eliminate one of the options.”

“What’ll happen if she does get to Leo? Do you have a plan?”

You sighed. “Yeah, I have a plan. An exchange.”

It took her a second, but Annabeth understood what you meant by exchange. “Your life for Leo’s. You’d trade your life to Gaea in order to save Leo. Why?”

“You know why. The same reason you would do it for Percy. Because I love him.”

She sighed and thought about the options. “I’ll see what I can do, but I’m not promising anything.”

You breathed a sigh of relief. “You can’t tell Leo about this talk.”

“I figured that.”

“And, Annabeth, I’ve known for a while that if it all came down to it, I’d sacrifice myself for the rest of you. Gaea already knows that, and you’re the only other person I’ve told. The less people that know, the better. If anything does happen to me, and I don’t make it back, promise me you’ll look after him.”

“(Y/N)—”

Through gritted teeth, you said, “Promise me, Annabeth.”

“I promise.”

You turned away and started walking back toward the heart of camp.

“(Y/N),” Annabeth called. You turned around. “Nothing is going to happen to you, either. I promise.”

“I really hope you’re right.”

The Argo II set sail after lunch. Leo wanted to give it a proper send off, breaking a champagne bottle on the bow and everything. Chiron vetoed that pretty quick, although Mr. D seemed to enjoy the suggestion. Everyone was amazed at how much work Leo had put into the ship. His siblings all patted him on the back for his impeccable work.

Everyone got their own cabin, which was nice. You loved your siblings and would do almost anything for them, but it was nice to have a room to yourself for once. The last time you had your own room was in Oklahoma. Even after the summer, you weren’t the only year-round Apollo camper.

You set your bow and quiver on hooks Leo had nailed in the wall. At Camp you didn’t have any keepsakes from home; no pictures, toys, or anything that tied you to your mom. All you had was the gold bracelet. Besides the hooks, the walls were bare. In the Apollo cabin, other kids had posters and pictures hanging. Memories of things that made them happy. Everything and everyone that made you happy was on the ship with you.

A small cube sat on the desk Leo installed. Each side had something to fidget with. It was the cube Leo had made you that you kept in Bunker 9. It was small and blue with your initials were carved in it (Leo insisted on doing that so nobody would steal it from you). You picked it up and slid it in your jacket pocket.

The Argo II was somewhere over the Atlantic when the dinner bell sounded. You made your way to the mess hall where Annabeth, Percy, and Jason were gathered. She caught you from the corner of her eye and smiled. She discretely shook her head and you understood what she meant: they weren’t talking about your plan for Gaea.

Everyone else trickled in and took a spot at the table. A plate of barbecue chicken and sweet potato appeared in front of you. It was the same type of magic that filled drink cups at Camp. The plate sensed what you wanted to eat, and presto there it is. Your heart sank a little; this was the first dinner you had at Camp Half-Blood when you were eight years old. Your mind wanted to start and end this journey in the same place. It was a cruel joke you were playing on yourself.

Leo started a small fire in the bronze brazier in the corner of the room. Everyone got up and scraped a portion of their food into the flames, bowing their heads and saying a prayer. You were the last to go. Half your chicken and some sweet potato flopped from the plate to the fire, sending the aroma to Mount Olympus. Your prayer took a little longer than the others.

Apollo, please accept this offering. I hope that I’ve been a good enough daughter and hero, and that if anything is to happen to me in this battle, you are proud of me. If I don’t make it out alive, maybe you could make me into a constellation.

Leo stood next to you, eyes closed, saying a prayer to his father. When he finished, he looked at you with that goofy smile you’d come to love. You tried your best to memorize all of his features, but after a second knew you would cry.

You smiled back at him. “Let’s eat.”

You couldn’t sleep. After last night you didn’t want to try. You left your cabin and roamed the deck. Your favorite curly haired mechanic was laying down in the center of the ship, staring up at the stars.

“What are you doing up?” You asked him.

He looked up at you, smiling. “I wanted to make sure the first night goes smoothly. Plus, the stars are really pretty.” He tapped the open space next to him, beckoning you to sit with him. You obliged, looking up at the stars.

You immediately recognized a constellation. You pointed up to show Leo. “My dad put that one in the sky.”

He scooted closer to you; your hands found each other. “Which one?”

“Lyra, the Harp.” You brought his attention to Vega, the brightest star in the sky, the tip of the constellation. “Do you know the story of Orpheus?”

“Isn’t he the dude that tried to bring his wife back from the Underworld? All he had to do was lead her out without looking at her, right?”

You nodded. “They were almost out, but he wanted to see her. He gazed upon her, and she got to say one final word before she vanished. His music was so sweet—sweeter than any other mortal could play. Almost as sweet as that of my father. After the Muses buried him, my father placed his harp in the sky as tribute.”

Leo turned his head to admire you. The way the moonlight caught your (E/C) eyes in just the right way; the way your lips turned up as you explained the story to him; the freckles that scattered your face, forming a constellation of their own.

“I love the stars,” you continued. “The stories behind them; the fact that no one will ever know how many there are exactly. I wish they were visible in the daytime.”

Leo fought the urge to say something corny like, but you’re brighter than any star. He wouldn’t be lying. He noticed your eyes trying to close, but you forced them to stay open. “Are you scared to fall asleep?”

You looked over at him. His curly hair was falling in his face.

“I can’t have a dream like that again. I always thought the dreams of my mom would be the worst I ever had, but I was wrong. Each dream she sends me takes part of me away. I’m scared I won’t be able to fight her.”

“You are one of the best fighters I have ever met. If I had to pick one person to go up against Gaea with, it’d be you.” He squeezed your hand. It was one of the gestures you loved from him. The warmth coming from his skin, the comfort in knowing he was real and he was there. He stood, pulling you with him. “Come on. If Coach Hedge catches us out here this late he’ll try to ground us.”

You’d follow him anywhere, but instinctively you asked, “Where are we going?”

His devilish grin returned to his face. “Just follow me.”

Knowing Leo, you could’ve ended up in Antarctica. You didn’t expect to end up in his cabin. Juxtaposed to Bunker 9, it was clean. He brought very little with him—his tool belt sat on a desk, schematics and diagrams scattered across the walls. “What are we doing here, Valdez.”

“When I was little and I had trouble sleeping, I would crawl into my mom’s bed. She would rub my back and whisper ‘it’ll be okay, mijo. It was just a bad dream, I promise it won’t come back.’ I always slept better when she told me that.”

You had always wondered what your childhood would have been like if you’d had a mom as nurturing as Sally Jackson or Esperanza Valdez. A mom that would wake up and make breakfast every morning, and was genuinely happy to see you. Instead, you’d been dealt the shitty hand.

“That still doesn’t answer what we’re doing in your cabin.”

“We’re gonna have a sleepover. It’ll be just like Bunker 9. You can sleep on my bed, and I’ll sleep on the floor.”

You tried to argue. “Leo—”

“No ‘buts’. You need your sleep, and I know that you’ll stay awake until you collapse. You and I are similar in that way.”

He shot you a pouty look—a look he knew you couldn’t say no to. “Fine, we’ll have a sleepover.”

His smile reached the heavens. This boy was going to be the death of you. Possibly in a literal way. He pulled you into his cabin, like a kid pulling their parents into a store they want to go in to. His bed was an island of blankets and pillows. Leo pulled one blanket and one pillow off his bed and set them on the floor.

“Is that my blanket?” You asked him.

A blush spread across his face. “Uh, yeah. I grabbed it before we left. I meant to give it to you. I must have forgotten about it.” He started to grab a different blanket off his bed, but you stopped him. You remembered how happy he was last night in Bunker 9, snuggled in your blanket.

“Use it. You have five million other blankets I can use.”

He looked up at you, a hopeful smiled tugged at his lips. “Really?”

“Yes, Leo.”

He pulled the blanket up to his chin, a smile still splayed on his beautiful face. You climbed into his bed, pulled two blankets over you, and lay your head on the mountain of pillows. Leo tapped the floor in a rhythmic pattern that you were ninety-nine percent positive was Morse code. It was something he did absentmindedly when he worked. You knew he picked it up from his mom—something special they shared. He tried to teach you once one night in Bunker 9, but your ADHD kept you distracted from counting the taps.

Either ten minutes or ten years went by of you staring at the wall. Leo had stopped tapping, but wasn’t snoring.

“Leo?” You whispered.

“Yeah.”

“Can you, um,” you felt awkward asking him this. “Can you come up here? At least until I fall asleep.”

His head popped up. “Of course.” He climbed in next to you, so you were between him and the wall. He put his arm around your shoulders, the same way he had last night. His chest became your pillow, warm and secure. Leo rubbed your back; small, soothing circles to help you fall asleep.

“Go to sleep, mi alma. Everything is alright. I promise a nightmare won’t come back.” He whispered to you.

You felt yourself growing sleepier. One question loomed in the back of your mind; a question you’d been wondering for a while.

“Are you ever going to tell me what mi alma means?”

He chuckled. ��Maybe someday.”

The Argo II landed late the next afternoon. Leo hid the ship in some hills. Who knows what it would look like through the Mist. Maybe mortals would see a really big pigeon just hanging out in some hills.

You wished you could have had time to admire Greece. The beautiful landscapes, the magnificent architecture, the rich history. Besides Camp Half-Blood, this was the only place you’d ever felt at home. Oklahoma was never home, it was only the place you were born; it was the farthest place you’d felt from home. Home doesn’t include crazy mothers that scream at you for your godly parent leaving. Home was where you were supposed to feel safe and warm and loved.

Under different circumstances, this would have been a perfect home. You allowed yourself to imagine starting a life here. A life without gods and monsters intervening in every situation you’re in. A life in five or ten years where your bouncing little toddlers waddled up to you, so excited about their latest finger painting. A life where you were happily married to a husband that kissed you every night when he came home. A life with Leo.

A life you’d never get to have.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Leo said, appearing next to you.

“Do you?”

A smiled pulled at the corners of his mouth. “You’re thinking about how unlucky you are that the gods chose you for this quest. About how nice it’d be to have a life here.”

“How’d you know?”

He looked at you. “Because I’ve been thinking the exact same thing since we landed here.”

“Percy and Annabeth are the ones that truly deserve it. Six years of nonstop fighting monsters and being pieces in the game of the gods. Don’t they deserve a break?”

His eyes made his smile turn from hopeful to hopeless. “Once Gaea is dead, we’ll all have a break. We’re all gonna get as close to a normal life as a demigod can have. We all deserve it.” He thought about something before speaking again. “You and I are gonna go back to Camp Half-Blood, and we’ll be done with quests. You’ll teach little campers archery and I’ll be holed up in Bunker 9, turning rocks into random gadgets, and teach arts and crafts. We’ll play pranks on Jason, and raise all sorts of hell for Mr. D. You and I will be happy.”

How long had he been thinking about this? All he wanted after this was to live a life at Camp with you. He wanted something that you knew was almost impossible. If this quest didn’t succeed, if Gaea won in the end. . . You knew better than to get your hopes up that high. But you couldn’t help but imagine how happy you and Leo could be after the war. Running around Camp together, training a new generation of warriors. Leo hunched over his work bench in the bunker, constantly turning out new inventions. Maybe in a few years you could move to New Rome, go to college, start a family.

How the hell were you supposed to say goodbye to him?

Tears pricked the corner of your eyes. You wanted all that, and you wanted all that with Leo. But if this battle went the way your dream alluded to, then all you had were days, maybe even hours with him. If you didn’t make it back to Camp, Annabeth better make sure he taught crafts to little campers. After that declaration, you had a feeling if something happened to you, he’d sit in Bunker 9 until he died. He explained to you what happened to his bisabuelo—great-grandfather—Sammy. After Hazel, the girl he loved, moved away and he believed her to be dead (which she was, for 70 years, anyway) he never forgave himself.

Leo would be the same way. If something were to happen to you, Leo would never forgive himself. He turned you toward him and used his thumbs to wipe the tears from your cheeks. He didn’t ask why you were crying; he comforted you and that’s all you could’ve asked for.

The battle started too soon after you touched down in Greece. Everyone was fighting—even Leo. You’ve seen him fight before, and he was a damn good fighter—but here he looked out of his element. Quickly, you notched an arrow and shot it at the giant cyclops in front of Leo, hitting it in the back of the knee. Leo looked around surprised, until yours eyes locked across the battlefield. You sent him a smirk, a silent you’re welcome.

He found another cyclops to try and destroy. You searched around the battlefield for Annabeth. She was sneaking up behind a giant cyclops that was lumbering over to Hazel. She stabbed it in the leg and stood over it as it turned to dust. When she looked up, her gray eyes met yours. She knew it was time. She glanced at Leo, chasing a cyclops with a Celestial bronze hammer, then back to you. She nodded at you, telling you she’d hold up her end of the deal. If you didn’t come back, she was going to look after Leo. You trusted her with the task. After all, she’d kept Percy alive all these years.

You did one more quick glance around the field. It may have been the last time you’d see your friends ever again. You tried to take in all of their features, but it was hard to do in eight seconds. Any longer and you’d start crying, not to mention that the longer you waited, the longer Gaea had to advance. You allowed yourself one last look at Leo, one last time. Despite your efforts, tears pricked the corners of your eyes. You whispered I love you, but you knew he’d never hear it.

You turned and slipped into the woods, not daring to look back.

About three miles away from the battlefield you came across a small pond. Looking into it, you imagined, is what Piper must have felt when she looked into Katoptris. You saw the reflection of a girl, looking terrified as all hell, probably about to do the stupidest thing she’d ever thought of. Who thinks they can fight off Gaea, the mother of titans and giants, and come out alive? Crazy people.

Crazy people and you.

A loud crunch sounded not too far away from your position. Something was coming toward you, and it was big. You looked down to see if there was a large rock or something you could throw at it. The only thing you could see was your gold bracelet. A plan formulated in your head. A completely idiotic plan, but a plan nonetheless.

You took off your gold bracelet for the first time in years, and dropped it to the ground. Hopefully Leo would find it and know you were near.

“Dad, I have never asked you for anything before. Not even when my mom went nuts. But I am asking you now, please, please protect him. I’m doing what I have to to save your world, so can you do everything in your power to save mine? I will rot away in the Fields of Punishment for all eternity if that’s what you want. Just, please, save Leo. If he finds this bracelet but it’s already too late for me, do whatever you can to make him turn back. And, Dad, just know that I don’t blame you for my mom. I don’t blame you for taking so long to claim me. But thank you for getting me to Camp.”

There was no immediate sign. No ray of sunlight bursting down, no lyre music, no shitty haiku coming from the trees. You just prayed even harder to your father. You even threw in a quick prayer to Hephaestus for good measure.

The forest was like a scene straight from your last dream. Branches snapped under your feet, your bow was at the ready. You spotted the source of the noise: a cyclops with his back turned to you, using a tree as a toothpick. You didn’t know what he was picking out of his teeth, you just hoped it wasn’t one of your friends.

You raised your bow, locking in on your target. An arrow sailed centimeters away from the cyclops’s eye and stuck itself in a tree. The ugly thing turned, searching for the source of the arrow.

“Hey, Ugly!” You screamed. “Down here. You’re working for Gaea, right? Well not for long, because I’m gonna kill her.”

The cyclops snarled at you and picked up another tree out of the ground, ready to use it like a baseball bat. You didn’t want to know what it felt like to be hit like a homerun. You turned and started sprinting, thankful that Chiron made campers run as part of their training.

You’d spent years running around Camp Half-Blood, running from the Stoll brothers, running from Aphrodite kids coming at you with mascara, running from Percy when he tried to throw you in the lake. Those were all for fun—just kids chasing each other around without consequences or repercussions to worry about. This, however, was nothing like you’d ever experienced. You’d never had to run for your life—one wrong turn, one minor trip, and a cyclops was going to squash you like a mosquito. One misstep and you’d be eradicated from existence.

Your lungs hadn’t even started burning when everything went black.

The other seven had defeated Gaea’s army. All that was left was Mother Monster herself. Leo looked around, trying to decide which direction to go. Then he noticed (Y/N) was missing.

“Where’s (Y/N)?” he asked.

Everyone else looked around, as if they were just noticing she was gone. Everyone but Annabeth.

She spoke up. “Leo, why don’t you go get the ship. We’ll track down Gaea, and we can leave the second she’s dead.”

“Annabeth,” he said, anger dripping with every word. She knew something, and she was hiding it. He could feel his knuckles getting hot—getting ready to spark. “Where. Is. She?”

“She made me promise to keep you off the front line. She didn’t want to risk Gaea getting to you.”

“Annabeth Chase, where is she?”

“She made a plan to sacrifice herself to save you—to save all of us. I promised her if anything happened to her I’d look after you.”

“I swore on the River Styx that she’d be okay. That we would both walk away from this alive. Promise or not, I won’t be able to live with myself if anything were to happen to her. I can’t believe she’s doing something this stupid.”

Leo started to walk off, wishing he had tracking abilities to find which direction you’d gone in.

“Where are you going?” Annabeth called behind him.

“To find her! You may be okay with letting her die, but I’m not. Go and find Gaea, but I’m not leaving unless she’s leaving with me.”

He continued on into the unfamiliar territory, hoping you’d hop down from a tree and everything would be okay. But Leo knew better. He knew that if you were keeping a decision as big as this from him, chances were that you were going to fight until your last breath.

Twigs crunched under his feet. Frank ran to catch up with him.

Leo looked straight ahead. “If you’re here to stop me, you can go back to everyone else. I’m gonna do whatever it takes to find her.”

“I’m not stopping you,” Frank said. “She’s my friend, too. I don’t want to leave without her. Plus, I can tell how important it is that you find her. And I hope that if the situation were reversed—if I was looking for Hazel—you’d be helping me.”

Leo looked at Frank. The comparison made him happy. “You know I would.”

Alright, Valdez, Leo thought to himself. When I find her, no more messing around. She’s the one. Make sure she knows that.

He and Frank continued on for what felt like hours, but in reality was only a few minutes. Something on the ground caught the sunlight and was shining in Leo’s eye. Oh, gods, he thought, don’t let that be what I think it is. He bent down and picked up the gold bracelet.

“What is that?” Frank asked.

“It’s (Y/N)’s. She’s never taken this off. She says it’s the only thing Apollo ever gave her.”

“Why would she leave it then?”

Leo thought. “She wouldn’t. Unless she left it for me to find.” He stood up and put the bracelet in his tool belt. “She’s alive, Frank. I know it.”

“I can morph into a bird and do an aerial search for her.”

“Can you?”

Frank nodded and Leo watched as his body turned into that of an eagle. He soared above the treetops, searching for any sign of you. Leo followed, keeping his eyes peeled for you. After a half-mile, Frank let out a loud caw. He circled in the air until he was sure Leo knew where to go. Leo ran as Frank flew to the ground.

Your bow and quiver lay ten feet away from your body. Leo raced to you.

“Leo, wait!” Frank yelled.

A cyclops made his way from behind the trees. Leo grabbed your bow and an arrow from the quiver. He produced a small flame in his hand and set the tip of the arrow on fire. He notched the bow, and took aim.

Apollo, he prayed. You know I suck with a bow, but please help me this one time. Help me save your daughter. And Artemis, I know I’m a guy, but can you do me a solid this one time?

He took a breath and let the arrow fly. It sailed in the air before impaling itself in the cyclops’s neck. The cyclops disintegrated into dust, returning to Tartarus where it belonged.

“Leo,” Frank called. “She’s awake.”

Leo ran to your side. Your (E/C) eyes stared up at him. Blood was spilling from your mouth.

“How’d you land that shot, Valdez?” You asked him. Leo had always sucked with a bow.

He smiled. “I prayed to your dad. I guess he was in the mood to listen today.”

“I prayed to him, too.” Your words slowed down, and your eyes began to flutter shut.

“No, no, no, do not die on me! I am not letting you die.” Leo looked up at Frank. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he didn’t care who saw. “Gaea has to be near. Find the others and let them know where the fight is.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“I have to try and save her.” Leo moved to pick you up, but you caught his wrist in your hand.

“I’m not moving. I can’t go down without a fight—I need to kill Gaea.” Your eyes became glassy, and your breaths were turning shallow. Against your will, your eyes began to close.

“No!” Leo screamed. “(Y/N), you are not dying on me. Mi alma means ‘my soul’. I can’t live if anything happens to you. You need to be okay. We had a plan. You and I are making it back to Camp. Remember, you’re going to teach archery, and I’ll teach crafts. We’re supposed to live through this, (Y/N). You’re going to live through this.” He choked out the next part. “I love you.”

You forced your eyes open. Leo was leaning over you, eyes full of worry, tears coming down in floods. Your hand felt around for his. When you found it, you squeezed it with all the strength you had left. “I love you, too, Leo Valdez.” Grass tickled your wrist where your bracelet usually was. “My bracelet.”

“I have it.”

“I-if I’m gonna die, I want to die with it.”

“You’re not dying.”

“Leo.” You gave him a pleading look. “Please.”

He searched around his tool belt until the gold chain appeared. He clasped it around your wrist, and watched as it began to glow. Your skin began to burn.

“What’s happening?” Leo asked. The cuts and scrapes on your body began to close. Blood stopped pouring from your mouth. Leo remembered where the bracelet came from. “The bracelet is healing you. I guess Apollo was in the mood to listen to us both.”

Suddenly it all stopped. The bracelet ceased to glow, and your skin no longer burned. You finally felt strong enough to move. Slowly, you sat up. Leo watched your every move, eyes wide. He cupped your face in his calloused hands and smiled frantically. Without a second thought he crushed his lips onto yours. He poured everything he had into the kiss: love and fear and angst and longing.

He was the first to pull away. Leaning his forehead against yours, he whispered, “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

#leo valdez #percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo #heroes of olympus #hoo #rick riordan #leo valdez imagine #leo valdez x reader #leo imagine #leo x reader #gansey-jackson

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bookworlders · 7 years

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OCS Chapter 35

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Of Corporate Scandals

Chapter 35. Hold Me Tighter

"Mr. Jackson?

Percy pressed the intercom button as he heard Mary-Sue's voice crackle over the speaker, "Yes?"

"Your four o'clock is ready."

"Thanks, would you just give me a minute."

"Of course, sir. Also, Mr. Jackson, your father called again."

"Alright, I'll take care of it. Thank you."

Percy sighed, running a hand down his face. That slow, pounding ache behind your eyes when you're exhausted had been plaguing him all day. His eyes still stung from their fight this morning.

She had fled the office this morning. Ran away from him and left him alone in the staircase. And she hadn't come back.

Percy decided to give her space. He didn't try to call her or text her. And all this space was killing him. He was a wreck leaving things the way they were. Sure, of course they fought, every couple did, but it was always about something stupid like who left the stove on and it would escalate to something massive. He would yell, she would yell louder, but they were always back to normal, laughing and making out again by the end of the night. They'd never fought and argued on this scale. And Annabeth had never left before. Percy felt like shit.

On top of that, his father kept calling, kept pestering about the new architecture department. It was kinda hard to give him an answer when he wasn't on speaking terms with the architect.

It was hard at first, Percy hadn't realized how much he leaned on Annabeth to get through the work day. It had been hard to get through the day without her period. Calypso seemed to sense he was struggling and offered to help him out. She was always around the office lately despite the fact that she was stationed at the uptown building.

Speaking of Calypso, Percy's four o'clock appointment was a video conference with her uncle. Percy tapped the intercom button, "Alright, I'm ready for Mr. Atlas. Patch him in."

"Um, sir, it's just a skype call. You just have to open up the window on your computer."

"Ah, right," Percy muttered sheepishly, logging onto skype. Soon, his laptop screen was full face, specifically, a face with an auburn beard and frown lines and a finger tapping the screen.

"Penelope, is this working. How do I get it to show him- Ah! Hello, Perseus."

"Mr. Atlas, good morning, great to see you." Percy could hear the fake dripping through the tiredness of his voice. If Annabeth was here, she would have pointed it out and made fun of him.

"You as well, son. As soon as this project came up, I asked your father for your contact information immediately.

Percy's brow furrowed. He wondered why Atlas would need his contact information from his father because he signed every email with his direct extension, and Percy had been emailing the CEO of Weight of the World for months now with updates about their current projects. Although they had never met in person or talked on the phone, the projects had been sailing smoothly with just email communication.

Atlas continued, "Yes, I've been most eager to do business with you personally. My department heads working with your company are most pleased with this business partnership. I've decided I want to head a project myself directly with you."

Percy gave an awkward chuckle. Oh, gods, this CEO probably had so many deals he didn't even remember Percy, "Oh, that sounds great, sir, but I think you forgot, we have been working together. For quite some time now. On the WaterWorld deal? I thought this meeting was to begin a brand new project in addition to our current ones."

Now Atlas frowned from the screen, "Pardon me?"

Percy opened up his email in a new tab, "Yes, right here, I had your niece email you for me about the new WaterWorld shipment just yesterday."

"My niece?"

"Yeah, we transferred Calypso to the uptown office, but she said she could still manage the Open Seas and Weight of the World accounts. So she's been the one forwarding my emails." After seeing the blank expression on Atlas's face, Percy continued, "Uh, yeah, Calypso said you'd prefer if she was really hands on with the partner projects."

Silence. "Sir?"

"Mr. Jackson, I'm not sure what's going on here. My niece Calypso lives on the coast of Greece, and she has been there for several years now."

Percy's stomach dropped, "That's impossible, sir, you sent her to work with us months ago?"

"Mr. Jackson, I'm sorry to say, but I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, but I never sent my niece Calypso to go work with you."

.~.~.~.

The skype call with Atlas had left Percy shaken up. A cold sweat had broken across his skin as soon as he had hung up after Atlas insisted they resume business after he resolved whatever "funny business" they had going on at Open Seas. Percy wished he knew how.

At that moment, his office door flew open, Calypso, or whoever she was, stood in the doorway balancing a tray of to-go cups. She leaned against the doorframe, smirking, eyes flashing and auburn eyes blazing, "Hello, Percy, I took the liberty of getting your afternoon pick me since I know Annabeth usually gets it for you, but, well, she's not here!" She strutted into the office, "Now, I know you want me back at the uptown building, but I thought since she's gone I could help you out in here, maybe deal with those nasty invoices-"

"Stop."

Calypso looked at Percy with those big green eyes, "What?"

Percy cleared his throat, looking at her. He had to play this cool, "Why don't you sit down?"

Calypso's grin widened, "Oh, anything for you." She settled in the leather armchair across his desk, making a big show of crossing her legs.

Percy circled around his desk so he was standing right in front of her.

"Ooh, I like where this is going. What do you need from me, Percy?"

"Who are even are you?"

.~.~.~.

So it turns out, posing as millionaire's niece to go work for a company as part of a huge revenge scheme against Percy Jackson was actually quite simple. Some fraudulent paperwork, fake email addresses, clever bribing to Weight of the World higher-ups, and an auburn wig was all Rachel Elizabeth Dare needed to become Calypso Atlas for months.

At least that was what she told the police as they dragged away in handcuffs from the twelfth floor for the second time. Identity theft and fraud could now be added to her criminal charges of sexual harassment in the workplace.

Who knew rejecting his former assistant's advances months ago would result in this. She was delusional. What an elaborate scheme to cause discourse and drama in his relationship, why not take down Open Seas with her. Percy could guess she had daddy-issues considering how her father was CEO of Dare Enterprises and one of their biggest competitors.

Percy sank even lower in his desk. Could this day get any worse? He felt terrible about this and all he wanted to do was go cuddle up with his girlfriend. But they were fighting, and it made Percy feel sick to his stomach all over again. He felt like he being hung upside down from the ceiling, his life was backwards and everything was wrong. That's what it was like without Annabeth. Wrong.

He was so damn stupid. How could he accuse her like that? Maybe she was right. Maybe he had been waiting for them to fail. Percy's life had never more perfect and happy the past few weeks, and maybe a small part of him thought it couldn't last.

No. Annabeth was happiness and he would not let himself lose her.

Percy stood up from his desk too quickly and knocked over his pencil holder. He cursed as he jammed the intercom button as he scrambled to jam all the pens back into the mug on his desk. "Mary-Sue, I'm leaving early today. Could you please call me a cab to my apartment?"

"Yes, of course. Is everything alright, hun?"

Percy grimaced, was his voice really as tensed as it seemed, "No, but everything will be soon." He released the call button and continued to gather his things. He swung his bag over his shoulder and grabbed his suit jacket that was thrown across his chair, and exited his office in a blur.

"Your cab is already outside," Mary-Sue said as he breezed by her desk.

.~.~.~.

Their apartment was empty. Well, empty of Annabeth. Percy sighed, trudging into their kitchen for a glass of water. As he leaned against the kitchen counter, he noticed how out of place Annabeth's red coffee maker looked with the sleek monochromatic appliances of the rest of the kitchen. He knew exactly where she was.

.~.~.~.

Percy ran up the steps of the walkup as a drizzle began to fall over New York City. He rang the buzzer, not bothering to even look at the apartment numbers, he remembered which one it was. He felt sudden déja vu as he stood at the door.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Percy." He held his breath as the buzzer crackled with silence for a moment. He heard mumbling and discussion in the background.

"I'm ringing you up."

Percy let out a sigh of relief as the door buzzed open and he ran into the building.

Luke was already standing in their doorway as Percy ran up the last flight of stairs to their floor (the elevator was still broken). "Hey, Percy."

"Luke," Percy said, breathing heavily from his trek up the stairs, "Is she-"

"Yes, she's here," Thalia appeared in the doorway next to Luke. She eyed him, coolly.

Luke glanced back into their apartment. Thalia was blocking Percy's view. He cleared his throat, "Me and Thals are gonna go get dinner and give you guys some space." He tugged on his fiancé's arm, pulling her out of the doorway.

As Thalia breezed past him, she poked her finger onto his chest, hard, "Fix it, Jackson." She took Luke's hand and they bounded down the stairs.

Percy stood in the doorway of Annabeth's old apartment and paused. How many times had he stood in this exact place to pick her up for dates. She would open the door with a grin and a kiss. Oh, he wished things could still be like that.

She was sitting curled up on her and Thalia's beat-up, red leather couch, nursing a cup of tea. He knew it was tea and not coffee because Annabeth liked to use shorter mugs when she drank tea. She was wearing a pair of Thalia's sweats and one of Luke's sweatshirts that hung low on her hips and slipped off her shoulders. Her hair was thrown up in a messy bun, her eyes were ringed with smeared mascara and tear stains streaked down her cheek. She looked beautiful.

Percy shut the door behind him, standing awkwardly before the living room. One of Luke's records played softly in the background, but the air was tense in the tiny apartment.

Annabeth spoke first, "How'd you know I was here?" Her voice croaked liked she'd been crying, which she had. She set down her mug on the coffee table.

Percy shrugged, "Because I know you." He suddenly felt too overdressed and awkward standing in Annabeth's old apartment dressed in his suit, surrounded by her old furniture and homey pictures of her, Thalia, and Luke covering every surface. He should be in jeans and flannel, talking to Thalia in the kitchen, watching the game with Luke, holed up with Annabeth in her old bedroom. Not standing by himself in a dumb suit not knowing whether he should go over to her.

Annabeth opened her mouth to speak, but she closed it again. She was crying again, silent tears welling over her puffy eyes and streaking down her face. Percy couldn't help himself any longer. He went to her.

Percy dropped to his knees in front of her. His hands immediately went to her waist, pulling her towards him, he needed to be near her, to be full of her. Annabeth's arms curled around his neck, dropping to floor next to him. She buried her face in neck, letting out another sob, her tears dampening his shirt. Percy held her close, murmuring quietly over and over again, "I'm so sorry, so sorry."

After a few moments, Annabeth's crying had quieted. Her hands rested on his chest, her head still nestled in the crook of his neck. "I hate fighting with you." Percy held her tighter, held her closer.

"I hate not talking to you," he replied, softly.

"I shouldn't have left this morning."

"I should've gone after you."

Annabeth found his hand and entwined it with her own. Percy kissed the top of her head, breathing in the lemon vanilla scent of her hair.

"It's just so hard sometimes," Annabeth spoke after a while. The afternoon sun shone through the windows, casting the apartment in a warm golden light. "So hard to handle. The paparazzi, our coworkers, Calypso, our parents. Our jobs. Everything is so high stakes all the time."

"We don't have to talk about the right now," Percy offered, wanting to just hold her for a little while longer.

"But we do, Percy, our problems won't go away. I-I," she faltered.

He looked down at her, "What?"

She glanced up at him, meeting his eyes through her eyelashes, "I saw the other architect applications in the bin. I saw them all thrown away."

Percy looked away, "My dad sent them over. I didn't even look at them."

"But I did. Percy," she exclaimed, sitting up and facing him. Percy's hands immediately reached out, wanting to press her to himself again, but she took his hands and held them in her own, "Those were the applications from professional, real, qualified architects with years of experience. I haven't even graduated."

"My dad put me in charge of this project, and I already had a perfectly good architect in mind. Annabeth, I trust you. I offered you that job because I believe in you, and I know that you'll be a great fit for that department. You're the most talented, visionary of an architect I've ever met."

Annabeth shook her head, looking away, "Other people won't see it that way."

"Annabeth, it shouldn't matter what people think!"

"But it does," She said, pressing her hand to his heart. She sighed, she sounded so sad, "Percy, you don't understand. I've given up so much, my school, my goals, my dream of having my own firm and before you say it- no, the Open Seas architecture department is not my own firm because I was just handed the job. No matter how much you believe in me or how much you know I can do, I didn't earn this job. Everyone will always see me as a parasite on you. People will always believe I only got the job because I'm your girlfriend."

There was quiet between them as the words sunk in. Annabeth's hand was warm in Percy's. Finally, he broke the quiet, "They won't be able to say that."

"What?"

"They won't be able to that you only got this job because you're my girlfriend. Not anymore."

"I'm not your girlfrie-Are you, are you breaking up with me?" Annabeth asked in complete confusion.

"No," Percy got up. Annabeth stared at him incredulously. "I'm proposing."

He got down on one knee in front of her.

"Will you marry me?"

A/N: Ahh, cliffhanger! I would like to apologize for making Rachel the villain. I had planted foreshadowing for that plot twist chapters and chapters ago (so basically years and years ago) to circle back to the first chapter, and I couldn't let it go to waste. Back in 2012 when I first wrote the outline and chapter one, I still hated Rachel because of Percabeth, but she's one of my favorite characters now, in 2017, so I'd just like to apologize for that. I have to continue with my 2012 characterization for the sake of continuity. Until next time!

#ocs #percabeth workplace au #mywriting #percabeth fic

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