#other characters grow up with him and have development - like clarisse

[optimisticllamathing]

on one hand, Nico using his powers once or twice and then passing out in his boyfriends arms is super funny. On the other, it’s annoying that he was made way less powerful after the first series and it happens to enough characters in heroes of olympus to be super noticeable. Percy losing the curse of Achilles, Jason being a big three kid and ex praetor who is said to have fought a Titan with his bare hands and just getting brain damage in a new way every time he’s in the same place as something plot relevant. A case could be made for Piper not learning how to fight with a sword in the months between her quest and heading over to camp jupiter, but in like the later half of the series.

in the Percy Jackson series, Nico has a couple instances of manipulating earth/precious metals. In heroes of Olympus, to make Hazel seem more powerful he acts like her sending a thing of gold back into the ground is way beyond his abilities. Like he routinely brings the dead back to life but she took down Gaea by herself in her first life so it was really not necessary for Nico to be less powerful.

it’d make more sense for him to be MORE powerful than in pjo because he’s older! And he’s older than Hazel!!

after Tartarus and dragging a forty foot statue across the world, yeah, that makes sense as a reason for him to be less powerful/exhausted. But despite him being a big three kid he never gets treated as consistently powerful after that and it’s infuriating.

i missed the established canon of him and the other big three kids being a huge deal and there’s so much that could’ve been done with him staying at camp and being able to do scary things consistently. he murders Bryce and all but I doubt anyone at camp knows it and he almost turned himself into a ghost doing it so it’s not like the reader ever gets the impression it’s something he realistically could add to his arsenal, even ignoring the moral qualms. so much is made about him being creepy and unsettling and he says multiple times that he has been isolated from other demigods due to being the son of hades! and yet he rolls up to camp and he never demonstrates why he has potential to be very very dangerous due to his powers. I think it would’ve been really cool to see people have to actually get to know him to see he’s not that different from them, in SPITE of a difference in ability and the disturbing nature of his powers

the most disturbing thing he does at camp in blood of olympus is nothing! he stops will from trying to save octavian. that’s got nothing to do with his powers.

#of course this all stems from the other major problems of the second series #like he forgets that Nico was only twelve in the last Olympian and ages him two years between the series #and the power scaling problems #but also #like with camp #there’s just too much going on in heroes of Olympus and not enough time #pjo took place over four years and there was one prophecy per summer plus that one winter in at the turning point of the series #the hoo books take place in less than a year #and it’s a lot of mini quests inside of side quests to progress the plot forward to even getting to the end of the series #juggling so many POVs and developing so many new main characters was done well #but it didn’t lend itself to also covering the conflict between the camps #in pjo the camp changes as Percy grows up #other characters grow up with him and have development - like clarisse #the brief glimpses of the camps that we get don’t really provide that #in addition Octavian doesn’t get as much development as Luke did and is a much flatter character #inferences can be made about him and fans can come up with plenty of headcanons and reasons he didn’t deserve his horrific death and #the main characters calling him evil constantly #but in plain canon he’s just got nothing on luke castellan #obviously I mean that in the writing way I don’t like luke #He’s a very effective villain though and a very human feeling character #as the human villain luke did so well and octavian you feel nothing for bc we don’t see annabeth caring about him or meet his mother #this is a Nico post that has gotten away from me in my ramblings #excuse me I just have a lot of thoughts on this series

[once-upon-an-animation]

So over the past few weeks, I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a retelling of the OG series from Annabeth’s perspective.

I’m interested in doing this because though I loved the PJO when I was a child, as I grow older, I find myself craving more nuance from the stories and the characters than what’s already there on the page. I thought hopefully the show would fulfill me, but uhh….amazing character depth is not one of the things I’d call the show’s biggest strong suits, at least not for Annabeth.

Now, I’m aware of the “Daughter of Wisdom” series on AO3, a fanfic series that does the exact same thing. I read that fic years ago and enjoyed it; I thought at the time that the fic was well done. However, I have a lot of ideas for scenes and details that I don’t think really showed up in that fic series, and so I find myself craving to create the POV for Annabeth and certain aspects of CHB that I’ve always wanted to see. I also wanted to spend more time emphasizing emotions and growth for Annabeth in a fic like this, and actually have her challenge and address her pride, sort of like a “I’m overcoming my biggest flaw” journey. I want to write this series from a sympathetic yet honest perspective about Annabeth’s life and her traits…including the traits that are not so pretty.

And so I want input from y’all on what you think would be worth including in a fic like this, and if there’s anything from the OG books that I should change, twist, replace, remove, deepen, or add something new. Here’s a list I already have going:

- emphasis on Annabeth’s relationship with Chiron and how it develops

- more emphasis on Annabeth’s relationship with Grover and how they get along when Percy isn’t there. Do they talk about Percy? And what do they think of each other? Does Grover feel intimidated by Annabeth, or feel like maybe she’s not proud of him because he let her down with the Cyclops incident and Thalia getting killed? Maybe at the end of the quest in TLT, before Percy gets back from Olympus, Annabeth reassures Grover that he’s a great protector and that she doesn’t resent him at all.

- Annabeth’s view of Luke and how/why it becomes complicated; how Annabeth reconciles the objectively bad things Luke has done with her desire for his redemption

- an emphasis on Annabeth and Thalia’s relationship after Thalia returns. How has it changed, Thalia remarking on Annabeth’s growth and teasing her about her crush on Percy, Annabeth helping Thalia cope with the loss of Luke to the “dark side” and also helping Thalia cope with how much the world has changed in 5 years and how Thalia now feels so out of place, Thalia helping Annabeth cope with continuous family struggles

- an emphasis on Annabeth’s relationship with other Athena children. Do they like each other? Hate each other? Are they competitive, all vying for their mom’s attention? Do they share some of Annabeth’s struggles; were their mortal parents also unimpressed about receiving a child they didn’t plan for?

- Annabeth’s relationship with other kids at camp: namely Clarisse, Silena, Beckendorf, and the Stoll Brothers (no, I don’t ship Connabeth, btw). But I also want to flesh out Katie Gardner and Pollux/Castor too.

- a proper resolution to Annabeth’s family drama that yes, recognizes how Frederick had a baby sprung on him that he didnt consent to, and how Mrs. Chase had no idea how to take care of a kid with special needs, but a resolution that also validates Annabeth’s feelings and highlights the ways in which Mr. and Mrs. Chase messed up and failed her with their poor choices.

- a new interpretation of Luke’s “did you love me”question

- An on-page apology from Annabeth to Rachel

- Annabeth’s relationship with her little brothers and how they might still try to love each other in context of their family drama, and not repeat the sins of their parents (breaking generational curses!)

- more emphasis on Annabeth and Athena’s relationship, and how Annabeth evolves from thinking her mother is this image of perfection, to realizing that Athena is just as faulty as the other gods and goddesses, and that Annabeth has a strength over Athena in that Annabeth has a bigger sense of humanity, and can change and adapt when she’s not doing something well. Annabeth can evolve in ways Athena cannot.

Anything else?

#rick riordan #annabeth chase #percy jackson #pjo #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo hoo toa #heroes of olympus #percabeth #thalia grace #luke castellan #grover underwood #the lightning thief #anti annabeth chase #anti percabeth

[seattlesea]

✨My (maybe) Unpopular Heroes of Olympus Opinions✨

(maybe part one??? idk)

-I don’t really ship any of the main canon ships in HoO. None of them had any chemistry and most of them are either pedophilic, forced and rushed, or toxic in some way

-Most of the characters that were shoved into relationships (Leo, Nico, and Hazel especially) really did not need a love interest to complete their character arcs and their relationships ended up boring and flat cause Riordan just wanted everyone to have a love interest and it never went deeper than the skin

-Piper took advantage over Jason’s amnesiac state and manipulated him. She really went ‘But what if he has a girlfriend he can’t remember 👉👈 it would be wrong to start a relationship with him while he still has amnesia 👉👈 and cause it was based off lies and fake memories 👉👈 lmao imma just jump all over him and make him fall for me while he’s still amnesiac 🤪’ as if that’s not taking advantage over someone’s mental state

-And then she blamed her relationship being forced on Aphrodite and Hera saying they ‘forced her into a relationship’ and ‘arranged their relationship’ even though Aphrodite never said anything about or did anything to them and Hera gave Piper fake memories of them being a couple but it was Piper’s conscious choice to act out on those memories she knew were fake and her relationship was in no way influenced by anyone (especially Hera and Aphrodite) other than herself

-Shelper and Solangelo were way too rushed and forced (inside and outside of the books) and were only added for publicity, plus it seems like most of the fandom only like them cause they’re LGBTQ+ ships

-I hate Pipeyna and Pipabeth. My girls (especially Reyna) deserve better than some manipulative little girl who went ‘we were friends? no weren’t ❤️’

-The fandom portrays the characters really inaccurately (tweaking them a bit for humor is fine, but changing their entire personality is a different thing)

-The movies actually aren’t that bad when not compared to the books (I mean, you gotta admit- it’s pretty good effects for 2010)

-And speaking of the movies, they did a better job at portraying Thalia and Annabeth’s relationship in one movie than Riordan did in 5+ books

-Speaking of which, Riordan wrote pretty much every platonic friendship that weren’t Thalia/Nico and Reyna horribly and most of them shouldn’t have been friends and wasted all the potential for the good friendships

-Calypso should’ve joined the Hunters, not Reyna

-Annabeth and Piper are horrible friends lmao (separately and together)

-Silena is a hero and deserves redemption, but Luke doesn’t despite most of the fandom agreeing he does (he was a pedophile y’all)

-The fandom over-exaggerated the Tartarus fall, it wasn’t really that bad tbh

-Reyna is stronger and a better leader than Annabeth

-Annabeth’s intelligence is more tell than show (and quite a few characters including Leo, Reyna, and Octavian have shown more intelligence than her)

-Riordan over-glorifies and overpowers Percy way too much. Just cause he’s the main character doesn’t mean he has to be the best of the best after barely 8 months of training (four years at CHB only in the summers is 8 months total)

-Speaking of which, Jason can beat Percy (8 months versus Jason’s twelve years) and so can Annabeth, Reyna, Thalia, Hylla, Luke, Hazel and maybe Frank and Nico. Percy’s skill is overrated and unrealistic

-And I feel like most of the fandom knows that Jason can beat Percy but just doesn’t want to admit it cause they like Percy more

-Same thing with the Greeks and Romans- the majority know the Romans are stronger and can easily beat the Greeks but they don’t want to believe it cause they favor the Greeks more

-Percy and Annabeth shouldn’t have been part of the Seven, they already had their chance to shine. Riordan should’ve brought minor characters into light instead

-And Piper shouldn’t have been part of the Seven either. Riordan really expects me to believe that she’s stronger, more powerful, and a greater/better hero and deserved to be part of the Seven more than Reyna, Nico, Clarisse, Thalia, etc.?

-Riordan’s women line-up of Reyna, Annabeth, Hazel, and Piper was really cheap and boring (Avengers: Endgame women line-up who?)

-Percy (in HoO) and Piper are easily some of the worst, most underdeveloped characters Riordan has ever written

-Annabeth got really bland and weak in HoO and couldn’t do shit for herself without others (especially newbies) having to help and/or save her. She pretty much became exclusively Percy fangirl

-As much as I like them, Frank and Hazel don’t have what it takes to be Praetors and Reyna and Jason should’ve stayed as them

-Jason’s whole ‘am I more Greek or Roman’ arc was dumb af

-Riordan’s bias towards the Romans is also dumb af (the Romans could beat the Greeks in an instant)

-Jeyna is and always will be 1000x better than Jiper

-Hazel is the most powerful demigod (way more than Percy and even Jason)

-My hot take on who should’ve been the Seven: Reyna, Nico, Thalia, Frank, Hazel, Leo, and Clovis (son of the god of sleep puts Gaea back to sleep who?)

-Riordan confirming Piper bi was a cheap move to make her more likable. It didn’t even make any sense. A character is confirmed LGBT only after they become a minor character despite being a main character before and kisses some random unnamed girl only three months after her ex-boyfriend whom she still loved dies??? girl what??? Kinda obvious it was just for publicity. Like- Riordan, honey, the LGBTQ+ community is not a circus you can plop your characters into to make them more entertaining❤️

-The PJ series as a whole isn’t that creative. It’s legit just a copy of exactly what past mythological figures have already done and a bunch of character tropes and clichés shoved into one book

-And in general it’s not even that well-written (like HP, it’s over-exaggerated a lot)

-All of the romantic relationships and platonic friendships are extremely unrealistic. Like they never argue/fight, disagree, etc. (then grow stronger from those fights) at all??? Even if they’re complete opposites???

-Reyna is the best-written character in the whole series and a queen she deserved better and y’all sit on her too much

-Theyna is ✨amazing✨ their dynamic and chemistry was just *mwah Pansexual Muslim blessings to you* and people are allowed to ship them even though they’re Hunters and swore off love

-Rachel doesn’t deserve all the hate she gets. Y’all hate on her cause she crushed on Percy when half of you are doing the same thing and then y’all go and ship Percy with Nico, Jason, Artemis, Athena, etc. 

-If y’all want to hate on Jason for ‘not having a personality’ you’d also have to hate on most of the main HoO characters except Reyna, Nico, and Leo (and maybe Hazel) for the same reason cause they have the exact same problem tbh

-Zoë and Bianca’s deaths weren’t actually that sad. We didn’t get to see them enough nor did they have enough development for their deaths to have a real impact. The only sad thing about them was Zoë’s last words and Nico’s reaction

-Thalia needed more time in the books

-Reyna was the only main female character in HoO that wasn’t a boring, bland Mary Sue that all the other characters automatically loved. She was the only one with real flaws and distinct personality traits she’s my queen

-Piper, Annabeth, and Calypso did have flaws but the fact that they weren’t called out by other characters or even noticed are what makes them Mary Sues. It doesn’t matter how many flaws a character has, if they’re not called out by other characters (more specifically, other protagonists who actually like them) they don’t count as real character flaws

-Riordan can’t write female characters for shit

-Clarisse, Drew, and Octavian deserved better than being completely antagonized for no explained reason other than to make the protagonists seem better and to make the readers root for them. Those three had more potential than most of the Seven combined

-The whole ‘Aphrodite kids don’t train’ thing is bs. It’s specifically stated that all the demigods follow a strict schedule and have to follow it or they’ll be on stable duty or smth and the Aphrodite kids shouldn’t (and can’t) be excused from that

-Therefore, Drew should be way more powerful and skilled than Piper, at least enough to not back down automatically from a duel by a newbie who hasn’t even learned how to fight (Drew can control an entire cabin of people at once and Piper can barely control one person at a time, who’s more powerful again??)

-Also I have no idea why Riordan portrays all the Aphrodite kids as weak and girly in the first place. ‘Femininity’ and ‘weakness’ are not synonymous and ‘love’ and ‘beauty’ don’t equal ‘feminine’

-Speaking of which, love is actually really powerful but Piper doesn’t stand for love or ‘inner beauty’ and all her ‘thoughtful/insightful’ quotes in ToA/TBM about love were complete bs

-Riordan using the LGBTQ+ community for the sole purpose of making Piper seem more likable and ‘special’ was disgusting and proves he thinks that straight is the default- “...Or Hera’s ideas of what a perfect couple looked like. Piper finding her own way, not the one people expected of her” my ass. In other words, he’s saying ‘The expectations for love and the idea of a perfect couple are a heterosexual relationship, and anyone who 'finds their own way instead of the ones people expect’ are different’. ‘Different’ and ‘default’ are antonyms, so if you think LGBT people are different, then you think that straight is the default. Aphrodite is the goddess of love not heteronormative bullshit. Like Riordan, honey, you’re the one who thinks that the expectations for love and the idea of a perfect couple are heterosexual couples, not fictional gods from a fictional mythology. Remember kiddos- an author writes their own beliefs

If you don’t agree with some of these that’s fine sis it doesn’t matter if you have different opinions than me❤️

#heroes of olympus #opinion #unpopular opinions #percy jackson #annabeth chase #jason grace #frank zhang #hazel levesque #leo valdez #reyna ramirez arellano #reyna avila ramirez arellano #thalia grace #nico di angelo #zoe nightshade #bianca di angelo #will solace #clarisse la rue #octavian #ships

[the-ghost-king]

:0 can i get details about your beauty and the beast au that sounds so cool

So it's originally based off of this ask by @thebigqueer and you may notice I added some tags referencing Nico as the beast and it being a story about overcoming mental health but I've since changed the plan

The new plan is Plague!Will accidentally kills everyone as a child and grows up in the shadow of the accident without anyone knowing, he's a mixture of the beast and like an Elsa type character. The plague!was a result of a curse placed on him by a rather unexpected source ;) and he was originally someone with healing powers

Nico is Belle basically, he's curious and inventive and very beautiful but rather odd.. I'm not going to lie I do have to develop how Nico is going to play a Belle like character somewhat still since they're very very oppositional people in some very defining ways and Belle's story is about breaking free from misogyny, so I need a new social conflict for Nico to be free of.. As I said, Will is more Elsa-ish than beastly, so Nico might end up less like Belle and a bit more like a Joan of Arc type character but the concept will hopefully still work

I made Octavian to be Gaston but I can't decide if I want it to be a romantic interest in Nico (like a really twisted messed up twilight/50 shades type romance) or if I want him just to want Nico dead, or maybe like a solid mixture of the two?

Nico gets locked up in the castle for trespassing by Clarisse but Kayla or Austin makes her let him go and he's instead put on house arrest since they don't know how much he's seen in the palace and they worry about Nico talking about Will and ruining their safety, hence he can't leave..

It's going to follow the plot of the live action version slightly more than the animated version, just because the personalities of the characters and the plot was changed a little in the live action and it fits the characters in working with a little bit better.

I've kept the central plot of the storyline and I've just turned every other aspect of it completely on it's head, so I think this is going to be a lot of fun!

I do still have some more brainstorming to do, like I haven't decided what curse to place on Clarisse and the other palace staff yet, and I want to work Minos into Nico's childhood a bit but I can't decide how dark I want that situation to be, I also have a slight plot holes to clean up with Hades... But overall I think it's starting out really nice and I'm excited to see where it goes!

Also I promise the story will be a lot better than my response to this ask I wrote as fast as possible 😂

#asks #anon #il bello e la bestia

[phantaloon-books]

you have no idea of how much I love reading Percy’s subtle moments of his fatal flaw aka personal loyalty

the amazing thing is that there are a lot 

and the thing is, it’s much more than personal loyalty and not knowing when to cut his losses, it’s about feeling like he has to make sure everyone is okay, and he has to be the one to fight what can hurt his friends (he says so himself several times during HoO)

the most common example I can think of is the uncountable moments when he has the chance to solve things more easily and quicker but he has to leave his friends to fend for themselves (we’ve seen others do that, like Clarisse in SoM), but he choses to stay, make the quest a little harder, but help his friends

some moments that come to my mind are in TTC, when they’re cornered by Dr. Thorn and Percy has the chance to leave with Bessie and save the day, but he would leave Zoe, Thalia and Grover to fight him and his guards or whatever; when in BoL, they go the way Nico might be because even if it’s dangerous, he needs to help his friend in need; leaving Ogygia, even if he wanted to stay in paradise with calypso; hell, even waiting an entire year to take on the Curse of Achilles.

it’s not entirely good though, because while others have the ability to do what needs to be done even if others end up hurt, he just can’t (except for in TLO when he let Beckendorf sacrifice himself when they blew up the Princess Andromeda, and in TTC when he held the sky to let Artemis fight)

he’s so selfless, he’s willing to die time and time again just to make sure his friends, demigods, whether good or bad, survive. 

there’s too many moments to say, but fighting Luke in SoM, assuring the spartoi didn’t follow Zoe (resulting in them following him instead), all the shit with Geryon, confronting the telekhines, fighting Anteous himself, fighting his way through the Princess Andromeda to assure Beckendorf sets the explosives, taking on the Curse of Achilles, the entirety of TLO really, the fight in Alaska, (do I even need to talk about Tartarus, he literally took on who knows how many curses to make sure Annabeth was alright), and so on

not to talk about all the times it was like Athena said, that he didn’t know when to cut his losses, like battling Ares, escaping CHB in SoM and TTC to save his friends (let’s face it, he couldn’t care less about Artemis), trying to face Luke/Kronos without the curse of Achilles, falling to Tartarus with Annabeth despite being needed in the Argo II to finish the quest, attempting to fight Polybotes with Kym, and feeling like he should have been the one who defeated Gaea

really, his fatal flaw is amazing to read grow, and it’s even more interesting in TOA, when he no longer shows that “devotion” to the gods, and he’s loyal to the demigods, but he couldn’t care less about the gods themselves (maybe except Poseidon and Hestia), and I know he’s not supposed to appear in more books TOA (do we really believe that though), and he’s not listed as a character in The Tower of Nero, but I really hope there’s something that tells us how he felt about Jason dying, and not only that, but Jason dying at sea, because the Percy Jackson he’s become would be devastated and angry about everything

I just really enjoy the development he’s had in regards to his fatal flaw, his loyalty, his selflessness, his need to protect his loved ones, as he slowly becomes more and more resentful of the gods

#percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #annabeth chase #heroes of olympus #trials of apollo #jason grace #the lightning thief #sea of monsters #the titans curse #the battle of the labyrinth #the last olympian #son of neptune #mark of athena #house of hades #blood of olympus #the hidden oracle #the burning maze #the tower of nero

[sapphicambitions]

I started writing a post that said “The reason the Percy Jackson and the Olympians is better than Heroes of Olympus is because it understood simplicity and character development” and then accidentally wrote like 10 paragraphs. 

The reason the Percy Jackson and the Olympians is better than Heroes of Olympus is because it understood simplicity and character development.

The PJO series was so effective was because of the simplicity of it. It was a well written and interwoven story that took place over the course of many years, but it was never too complicated. Each book was a quest and each quest had a prophecy and each book built up to the final battle in the Last Olympian. You never felt lost, you were completely engaged. Plot points and characters were set up a book and a half in advance. It was an incredibly well developed world and I will never get over how excellent the payoff was in The Last Olympian. The Annabeth & Luke stuff is to this day one of the best payoffs I’ve ever witnessed in a series. The way everyone came together in the final battle, everyone that we’d met over the course of four books? Impeccable. The Hestia plot line was set up from Percy’s first moment at Camp Half-Blood.The character arcs were stunning and realistic and truly a coming of age story. 

The way the series itself developed from the happy go lucky cross country road trip in the Lightning Thief to the first death of the war with Bianca we witnessed in the Titan’s Curse to the serious tone and action picking up in the Battle of the Labyrinth to the fact that 75% of the Last Olympian was just the Battle of Manhattan and it worked. It payed off. Ten years after the final book was released and to this day I say it is one of the best written series ever and I will love it for the rest of my life.

And Heroes of Olympus kind of... fell flat. For me it was just too complicated. It had so many characters and plot lines that it was hard for me to keep track of it all. Specifically House of Hades and Blood of Olympus, every time we switched to a new perspective, I struggled to remember what had happened when last we left off. Things were kind of  set up a couple books in advance but there was so much going on that they’d mention a character or an object and I’d be like “Wait, what’s that again?” ESPECIALLY with all the giants and their names that I couldn’t remember. Blood of Olympus had no payoff for me. Like, where was Percy’s sacrifice that was so heavily hyped up? How did the characters grow and develop? Rick was trying to do a lot over the course of the series with all the different perspectives and introducing new characters and I kind of think he lost sight of what made the original series good. Yeah there was a big plot and war or whatever but the original series was about the characters. 

PJO was getting to watch Percy go from an idiot twelve year old to leading an army to save his home. Seeing Annabeth go from a stubborn little kid trying to prove herself to the Architect of Olympus. Grover went from a total dorky mess to the Lord of the Wild. Clarisse went from a bully to a drakon slaying hero. We got to see Luke’s whole journey in all of it’s ups and downs and understand his character better. PJO was always about the characters, no matter how cool the plot and action was. It was always about getting to grow up alongside them. Now one could make the argument that Heroes of Olympus wasn’t trying to be a coming of age story, it was trying to be a cool action adventure series, which is fair. But I think the characters suffered because of it.

Percy and Annabeth didn’t really change over the course of five books, they just got more trauma. Hazel and Piper got like, good at fighting and using their powers, which was kind of badass. Jason figured out his career, I guess. I refuse to acknowledge Leo’s arc because it’s dumb that it was tied to a girl and falling for her and not realizing how loved and valued by his friends. Frank got promoted and like, I don’t know, found his courage, which was nice. I really liked Reyna but we never properly got to know her. I know absolutely nothing about Octavian. The only character who got an ACTUAL arc and is, to be honest, the MAIN reason I’m glad this series was written at all was Nico. Nico got an ARC. Nico’s story of feeling like a hated outcast to a welcomed member of the family with a home and people who love and accept him is the BEST damn thing about Heroes of Olympus and you can quote me on that. 

I really enjoyed Mark of Athena (because it plays directly into my found family lives together in a personalized home doing adventures and eating meals together niche interest thank u 2012) and there were good parts sprinkled throughout the series and I do like the new characters. I did! I thought they were neat. I just felt like they weren’t given proper justice. We didn’t see anyone long enough to actually get to know them. I missed the side characters of the original series. Like, where was Grover the whole fucking time? Clarisse? Rachel? The Stoll Brothers? Why didn’t we get to see more of Thalia? Honestly I didn’t really care about the Romans as much, where were the characters I grew up with? 

I’m also not going to get into the whole “so many things that happened in the original series were swept aside for the sake of interesting plot development like the minor gods being important or whatever” because like we know and I don’t have the energy to be upset about that right now lmao.

Further, Percy Jackson and the Olympians was all building up to one moment specifically: Percy giving Pandora’s Jar to Hestia and the line “Hope survives best at the hearth.” It is the thesis of the series. I’ve posted about it at length before because it is what ties all the books together. The idea that we should place our hope in our loved ones, our friends and our family, and if we do that, we won’t be tempted to give up hope again. I’m crying just thinking about it! Literally! That one simple line is what made the series so powerful and it truly felt like every single line, every single moment was just building up to that specific moment and I will literally never get over it. I am not joking when I say I want that line tattooed on me. It’s iconic and i think about it daily.

Heroes of Olympus had uhhhhhhhh..... It had..... ummmm........

I shit you not, I finished reading the book for the second time less than 24 hours ago and I couldn’t tell you. What was that series about? What was the thesis? Did it have any iconic lines?What was it all building up to? A battle? Like, cool I guess? But how did the characters grow and develop? You know what even if they did, I’m not sure I kept up with it because there was so much going on all the time! and I got lost in it! I read the series when it first came out and then completely forgot everything that happened in it! It was too much!

The spirit of the original books was never in the action and the monsters and the gods. It was in the characters, and how they grew up. How they changed and developed and became better people. How they all loved each other. It was about the promise of family and of hope. And that’s why the original series will always be exponentially better and hold a special place in my heart.

#lesbianlaynie #participating in pjo discourse at 23 #pjo #percy jackson #heroes of olympus #percy jackson and the olympians #laynies pjo essays

[demigodsanswer]

Do you have any headcanons about Chris to go along with those last ones of Clarisse? How did he recover after TLO?

In the three weeks that Clarisse is not at camp following the war, rumors and conspiracy theories about his knowledge and involvement with Silena begin to circulate. 

People hypothesized that he was also a spy, and that they were working together. That Clarisse knew the whole time, and was either also on their side, or chose not to sell them out. Or that she was being manipulated by both of them in order for them to stay on camp’s good side. That Clarisse had left camp after the war either to escape retribution for war crime or to escape humiliation at being played. 

None of these were true, and Chris had told camp everything he knew about Luke’s army. 

Recovering from TLO was actually, in many ways, easier than recovering from TBotL, even though he hadn’t fought in the battle of the Labyrinth. He was healed soon after the battle ended, only to learn that Clarisse had spent a year trying to heal him out of sheer kindness, and two of his best friends had been killed as a direct result of a successful iteration of the mission he had been sent on. 

He blames himself much more for Castor and Lee’s deaths. While losing Beckendorf and Silena was not easy for him, he did not hold himself culpable in their deaths, really, in the same way that Clarisse blamed herself for Silena’s death and Silena had blamed herself for Beck’s death. 

He does grapple with these questions of heroism that Clarisse deals with, but, for him (as he was never someone who really desired traditional hero things anyway), a lot of that grappling is more centered on how to move on past these events (not so much how do I reform my identity after all of this, which is much more what the question is for Clarisse.) 

Ultimately, the three of them (him, Clarisse, and Pollux) realize that all they can do is step away from that life as much as they can. They can’t move on from these traumas and still try and achieve heroism. Clarisse tried pretty much constantly between the Sea of Monsters and the Battle of Manhattan, and it only got her more and more hurt. Their only choices were to keep fighting until they achieved some kind of glory in death (not what they want) or to separate themselves from that life as much as they can, resulting in a change from wanting their life to be full of glory to wanting their life to be long. 

As someone who had never really cared for glory and had never been a particularly strong demigod, it’s not hard for Chris to make this change in himself, but it is very hard for him to see Clarisse go through it. At first he thinks it just empathy - his partner is struggling emotionally, and he doesn’t know how to help - but he soon realizes that it seems to be deeper than that. 

It isn’t until years later when he sees The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi that he actually understands why that was hard. 

Chris pretty much created an instant attachment to Finn as a character - he was a character who was fighting for a side that didn’t care much for the humanity of their soldiers or the people who they fought. Finn rejects that dehumanizing and proves to be instantly affected by his friend dying in front of him (separate headcanon, but Chris does end up getting the storm trooper helmet with the bloody hand print tattooed on his shoulder). Even though he leaves the First Order, though, he does not have any initial interest in joining the Resistance. 

The Titan Army and their recruitment of demigods certainly had a little more complexity behind it than the Star Wars n*zi allegory, but the Titan army did prove not to care about the demigods they killed on either side. The fact that they left Chris to die in the labyrinth without care is proof of that. The fact that they actively killed demigods on the god’s side was proof of that. Still, the gods didn’t care for them much either. When Chris was healed, he still had a pretty ambivalent stance towards the war as a whole. 

I’ve written this before, but essentially, he told Clarisse that he isn’t fighting for the Titans or the Gods, but he’s fighting for her. 

Over the year before the war, though, that starts to change. Her passion, care, and bravery really begin to inspire loyalty in him. Not to the gods, but to the other demigods. He starts to lose that sense of selfishness, and instead develops (or redevelops) an intense empathy and love for camp and the demigods (on both sides). 

This is why he spends so much time trying to talk her out of her choice to not join the war. Because it was her in the first place who had dragged his selfish ass kicking and screaming out of faux-neutrality and into actually caring about other demigods. 

She had even called him on this a few months before the war: “You can’t really be neutral in this, you know. you said you left the Titan army because you didn’t think they actually cared about the demigods they recruited, they just capitalized on their sadness. But there are demigods in that army still and in this one who are going to be killed soon. Are you really going to pretend like you defected out of a sense of obligation to all of them, but then turn around it not care about any demigods except the one who saved your ass?” 

Clarisse was the one who inspired disloyalty in the Titans, but also loyalty to, if not the gods, then at least to camp. (”That’s how we’re going to win. Not by killing what we hate, but saving what we love” /// “There is some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.) 

So seeing her switch from that to someone burnt out and tired of it all was really hard. So much of what he had loved about her was her passion and bravery, and the ways in which those qualities had changed him. Seeing her lose those qualities (that coupled with him no longer being at camp) did put stress on their relationship. 

Although he’d always say that the half-year where they were broken up was one of the worst times of his life, he does, in hindsight, think it was a good thing. In those months without he, he was able to work on himself and grow as an individual, and realize that he had been imagining her as more than a person. She wasn’t Clarisse, my girlfriend, a person with these good and bad traits. She had become a symbol for something so much bigger than herself that she could never maintain. 

If they had tried to stay together when there was even more distance between them, their relationship likely would have exploded and never recovered. Instead, though, they are able to grow apart for a while, and come back together much stronger. 

(all that being said, though, his favorite Star Wars characters are still Finn and Rose [and Poe], and, gun to his head, he will tell you his favorite movie is The Force Awakens. But do not ask him about his thoughts on The Rise of Skywalker or the trilogy as a whole unless you are prepared for a very long, very nerdy conversation.) 

#chris rodriguez #clarisse la rue #chrisse #pollux #Anonymous

[casuallyimagining]

Percy Jackson has been proven to be VERY problematic and you shouldn’t write for it or condone the authors actions

Hey anon. Rick Riordan has fucked up a lot. I’m not going to deny that. And I’m not going to defend him. Piper wearing feathers in her hair is really wrong. Only describing Hazel using food analogies contributes to the fetishization of Black women. It’s wrong and it’s gross and I would love for Rick to recognize how hurtful and gross and completely against what he claims to be a champion for are.

But. I also can’t get over the fact that when I was reading these books as a child, it was representation I’ve never seen before. It was empowering for me, as a child who felt like she didn’t belong because I didn’t learn like the other kids did. It was empowering for me as a young teen reading Nico struggling with his sexuality and coming to terms with who he is. It was empowering for me as a young woman to have characters like Annabeth and Clarisse and Reyna and Hazel and Piper to look up to because they’re strong and smart and capable in their own unique ways and that none of them are heralded as being fundamentally better than the others.

I recognize that there are a lot of problematic things about this series. But I’m not 100% ready to give up on a story that contributed so much to my development. Whether it’s correct or not, our culture allows for the separation of Harry Potter from Jo Rowling, the music from Michael Jackson, the general grossness from Benedict Cumberbatch.

So I’m sorry if you don’t agree with it, I’m sorry if you think the series is irredeemable. But I just... I can’t. 

And if you’d like to come off anon and private message me, I’d love to have a deeper and more nuanced conversation about this. I’d love to learn more about the issues surrounding Rick Riordan and the series. My opinions can always change--I’m human. I’m learning and growing, and I’m doing my best. But I also don’t think this is a great way to have this kind of conversation.

To clarify: I think people can have very complex opinions and feelings about this sort of thing. I think we can recognize that it’s at the very least terrible and at the very most quite problematic representation for a lot of minorities and marginalized groups. But I also think that, as fans--and especially, especially for fans that are minorities and of marginalized groups--it is possible to sort of “reclaim” a work, especially if you feel strongly enough about it.

Representation for POC, particularly WOC, in books written by white authors has pretty much always been trash. Representation for LGBTQIA+ folks in books by straight authors has also been trash. I wish it weren’t that way. I wish we could have a series (dare I say I wish this for many works--even all of them?) that has perfect representation on all fronts--WOC, LGBT+, religion, etc. 

I want Rick Riordan to do better. Do I think he will? I don’t know. I don’t have a lot of hope. 

I don’t know how to end this. My dms are open if people want to chat about this at some point. I don’t think an anon askbox message is a great place to have a nuanced discussion.

[cxnsigliere]

King’s Backstory.

Warnings; mentions of:

teenage pregnancy / teenage birth

large age-gap relationships

physical abuse / physically abusive relationships

sexual abuse / sexual manipulation / sexually abusive relationships

prostitution / underage prostitution

pedophilia

rape

suicide threats / suicide

strangulation / death by strangulation

Note: Please keep in mind that I am in no way glorifying the messed up things that take place in this backstory at all! King has done things or has had things happen to him that I would NEVER approve of and that I DON’T condone in any way, shape, or form. These are simply things that... just happened to him, shaping him into the character he is now. Please don’t think I’m fetishizing or romanticizing anything here or something like that. SO, now that that’s out of the way, I present you... King’s full backstory!

     Hildred--now known as “King”--was born on October 7, to Garrett and Clarisse Brasher, who were both only seventeen years old--seniors in high school--when they had the baby. Garrett would eventually become a respected capo of the Giraldi Mafia family when he was around 23, though surprisingly enough, he had been a very emotional and sensitive man, perhaps unfitting for his line of work. Clarisse had gone to law school when she was 19, then becoming an attorney when she was 26--she was a very rude woman through and through, even to her husband and especially to her child.

     Because they had Hildred at such a young age, their respective parents had pressured the young couple into getting married as soon as they could, thus tying the knot the minute they graduated high school, 18 years old. However, it had been clear to just about anyone who knew either of them that their relationship wasn’t healthy in the slightest. They argued constantly. Garrett loved his wife more than anything in the world, and did everything he could in order to provide for her and their son, giving them more than enough money than the family probably needed. Clarisse, on the other hand, never showed any appreciation for her husband, and in fact came to resent both him and their baby--she had dreams of becoming a world-famous jazz singer, which Garrett had promised he could make happen for her when they had first gotten together in the first place, but because of their hassle with the young pregnancy and to get married so quickly, it never happened for her. So Clarisse blamed the both of them for that. While Garrett was not home, she would very frequently physically and verbally abuse Hildred. She and Garrett later had two other children, Zariah and Connor, years later.

     It wasn’t long until Garrett’s way of life was, of course, the Mafia. Though he was a good man, his morality was astray--he thought that money was what made people happy, and so he worked hard in any way he could to make that money for his family--even if that involved committing crime, such as loansharking, gambling, extortion, political corruption, and even murder. These were all things that Garrett viewed as bad, but had good outcomes in the long-run. If he killed somebody, yes, it was sad and he would regret it, but in the end, the money he gets from that would make his wife and children happy--and wasn’t that what really mattered?

     So, with that mentality in mind, Garrett had wanted that same fortune for his son as he got older. He raised Hildred to someday become a made man in the Mafia himself, to know exactly what his job was like--unlike most Mafioso parents, who would typically keep their line of work a complete and utter secret from their family. Garrett taught Hildred how to shoot a gun. He taught Hildred how to intimidate people if anyone ever gave him trouble. He taught Hildred to always throw the first punch in a fight. He taught Hildred to never tell anyone, even close friends, what Garrett did for a living. And Hildred was a quick learner--he did exactly as his father told him to.

     But instead of growing up bold and noble like Garrett had planned him to, Hildred grew up to be quite a bully as a child, violent and arrogant, and had anger issues like you could never believe, even given his young age. He had absolutely no friends growing up. He got into fights constantly with his fellow students at school, cussed out teachers, made poor grades, all very much to the dismay of his father, who could only gently tell Hildred that this behavior was going to get him nowhere in life, but it only did so much. The child’s terrible attitude and mentality carried with him throughout most of his life, up to the age of 16 or so, if not older.

     When Hildred was 13 years old, he had managed to court a girl, an 18-year-old cheerleader in his school, named Lainey Chung. Many of their peers were surprised by the fact that Lainey, one of the most popular girls in school, would date this overweight bastard delinquent with no friends, but in truth, the only reason Lainey went out with Hildred was for the sex--which he had assumed was perfectly normal, given it was his first relationship. Hildred lost his virginity to Lainey within the first two days of dating each other--and their relationship came to an abrupt end when he had found out that she was cheating on him with a senior football player, Trystan Carballal, after only one week of dating.

     Ironically enough, despite his temper, Hildred did not fight Trystan over this. Admittedly, he hadn’t really grown that attached to Lainey--they didn’t last very long, after all. Actually, Trystan and Lainey didn’t last long, either. They broke up after a few months for the exact same reason Hildred had broken up with Lainey for--she cheated on him. Though unlike Hildred, Trystan was genuinely hurt by this, and came to Hildred after they had broken up, because he knew that they were in the same boat now.

     Trystan was then Hildred’s first real friend, though it was a little awkward between them at first. It wasn’t long until Trystan told to Hildred in confidence that he was bisexual, but was terrified of the truth coming out to the rest of the school. Of course Hildred didn’t care what Trystan’s sexuality was, and thought nothing of it at first--until it made Hildred begin to realize that he was developing the same feelings for Trystan that he had developed for Lainey, realizing that he may be bisexual as well. Or gay. Maybe straight. He was never quite sure. One thing he knew, though, was that he liked Trystan--that much he could be sure of.

     Eventually there came a time that Hildred would tell his feelings to Trystan. He was delighted when the feelings were requited, and the two formed a relationship--although it remained a secret from everyone, since they both were in the closet.

     However, he came to realize that Trystan was not too far off from Lainey. He never cheated on him, but used the younger boy for sex constantly. Again, Hildred just guessed that this was normal for every relationship, and could never bring himself to say no whenever Trystan would make any advances on him, just wanting to make him happy--and afraid of the consequences if he said no. There came a point where Hildred just became blindly obedient to the senior football player, answering to his every request like a puppy wagging its tail when its owner calls.

     One day Trystan told his boyfriend, “there’s a car park down in Manhattan where you can make extra money by having sex with older men,” inviting Hildred to do this with him, “for support,” as Trystan referred to it. At first Hildred was obviously very hesitant about this, but because he didn’t want to disappoint him, he agreed to it, and began going down to that car park after school with Trystan, where he would perform sexual favors for these older men, mostly middle-aged, nearly every day. At the time, he honestly thought nothing of it, or didn’t fully realize the affect this would seriously have on him both mentally and physically until it was far too late.

     This went on for about two years. On one particular night, while waiting for the subway to go back home, coming back from this car park, the 14-year-old Hildred hadn’t even noticed a man stalking him. Judging from this man’s appearance alone, he must have been in his mid-thirties to early forties. Hildred was all alone, this being a rather secluded area unbeknownst to hardly anyone. So, with no witnesses around, the man grabbed Hildred from behind, dragging him into a nearby alleyway. The attacker knocked the boy down, then smashed his face onto the ground with one hand and ripped his pants off with the other. He does not remember anything after that, other than waking up in the hospital with his father, his 7-year-old sister and 3-year-old brother by the side of the bed, sobbing as they worried about Hildred’s well being. This was how his parents finally found out about what Hildred had been doing every day after school, which of course Hildred had never dared to tell them before. This put a bit of a rift between him and his parents--his mother especially. His father did not blame him for what happened to him, but only wished that he wouldn’t have kept all of this a secret for so long. After Garrett had found out what those men had done to Hildred, he gathered people from Giraldi--the Mafia family he worked for--to raid the car park, killing every pervert there and shutting the entire place down. Trystan was obviously upset about this, knowing it had been his boyfriend’s father to have done this, and so he broke up with Hildred, leaving the younger boy in shambles.

     After he healed and returned to school, Hildred was obviously deeply hurt by everything that had happened, and by the breakup with Trystan. He couldn’t even tell anyone that he had just gotten molested. Only his parents knew--and that hadn’t even been his own choice. He had, however, reached out to a rape crisis helpline one time in secret, but was told very matter-of-factly by the woman operator on the other end, “This number is only for girls and women--men are the abusers. Women are the victims,” and she hung up to, “terminate the call so that they can help real victims.” Given this was in the early 2000s, male rape was not really considered real by many people at the time--especially not a male of his bulk. Though he was young, he was already nearing six feet tall and was vastly overweight. So, aside from the support only from his father, Hildred was completely and utterly alone on this, forced to keep silent.

     The only other person that Hildred went out of his way to seek help from was his mother, Clarisse--which turned out to be a mistake. When Hildred had anxiously asked if he could perhaps see a professional about this, a therapist, she only got angry and shouted at him. “It’s your own fucking fault that you’re a goddamn mess, ain’t it? Grow up! You went to that car park in your own free will! You’re just a whore--I’ve got a slut for a son. How do you think that makes me feel, huh?”

��    And then Hildred began to cry.

     This angered Clarisse even more. Since Garrett wasn’t home at the time, Clarisse saw no problem in grabbing the boy and forcibly drugging him in order to shut him up and keep quiet--but that’s not all it was for, either. She had then took his clothes off, tied him to the kitchen table, where she then performed a botched enema on him. He hadn’t even completely passed out, lying awake while this all happened, but because of his dazed state, he couldn’t even do anything to stop it.

     Afterwards, being without the help that he clearly needed, Hildred still had a bad tendency to sleep around with older men he would meet up with, and the other students in school--most of them boys, several girls. At this point, the fights he frequently got into, just his over all anger issues, were still very much prevalent, but now he just desperately wanted to fill the void where Lainey and Trystan (particularly the latter) had been--and at this point, he firmly believed that the only thing he was ever any good for was sex, figuring that was the key to making people like him. His perception of healthy relationships was completely warped now, and he was willing to accept just about anybody that came into his life.

     Rumors did spread throughout the school of Hildred’s past in the car park, though no one knew for certain if it was true. One of his teachers, Mr. Chance Ortiz, had heard about this, and instead of talking to Hildred about it, the man simply came to resent the student for it, though he never said why. In the beginning, this wasn’t so bad--he would simply do things like “lose” Hildred’s schoolwork, deliberately giving him poor grades, the like. Hildred, being the delinquent he was, didn’t take kindly to this treatment, and began to act out towards this particular teacher than he ever had with anyone else before. He started playing pranks on the teacher weekly--super-gluing his desk-drawer from opening, putting an apple in the tailpipe of his car, throwing water balloons out of the second story window right onto the teacher down below, even putting laxatives in his coffee. This “war”, as the other students called it, went on for about two years, up until Hildred was 16 years old.

     Finally there came a time that Hildred inevitably got detention for this. He was now 16, sitting inside Mr. Ortiz’s classroom after school all by himself, accompanied only by Ortiz himself. Hildred attempted to strike up conversation with the man--nothing too bad. Simply things like, “hey, when am I getting out of here again?” and, “you know, I don’t really think I did anything wrong.” This went on for a while before Ortiz snapped at the student, saying, “My God! Is everyone in your family this infuriating?!”

     It was common knowledge that Hildred’s parents both had attended this same school when they were younger. In Garrett’s youth, he had been a troublemaker as well--perhaps not quite as much as Hildred, though. Ortiz had taught Garrett and Clarisse years ago, so he knew full well how much of a handful Hildred’s parents were--particularly his father.

     This comment made Hildred pause, and he asked him, “how is my family infuriating, exactly?”

     “I knew your father when he was a teenager,” Ortiz said, as if Hildred didn’t already know the obvious. “He was just like you are now. Rebellious, obnoxious, annoying, loud. A whore, he slept around--though I would imagine he must be no different nowadays. He had you, after all.” Then he went on to say something that he clearly did not mean to say aloud, but slipped: “Dumb father, even dumber son.”

     This set the student completely over the edge as he got up from his seat, throwing his desk behind him and charging his way towards the teacher. Ortiz then realized he made a mistake--this boy was obviously not above hitting a teacher. He tried to run, but Hildred had caught him by the throat before he could make his escape. Hildred then proceeded to ram the older man’s face against the wall over and over until his face was completely unrecognizable. Ortiz was lucky to survive. He was sent to the hospital for a month, and resigned from his job shortly after that incident.

     After this, Hildred was permanently expelled from the school, and was forced to transfer. His father, greatly disappointed that his son could have done this, had insisted he go to a Catholic school. Hildred transferred to Lakeside Catholic School, an all-boys school.

     It was in Lakeside that Hildred met a boy named Luca Masini, a short, quiet bookworm, the son of a preacher who worked as an altar boy after school. Hildred found him cute, so he striked up a conversation with him. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for them to bond--Luca seemingly had no other friends, and neither did Hildred. So, they definitely found solace in that.

     Lakeside Catholic School would often have dances so that the boys may interact with the all-girls school once in a while--particularly around the holidays. In this instance, it was around Christmas. It being Hildred’s first few months there, he was honestly somewhat excited to go--but he didn’t want to go alone. Seeing as Luca was the only friend he had, Hildred had practically begged him to go with him, but Luca was never one for much social interaction with large groups of people, so at first he refused. But Hildred never gave up, and eventually convinced the other boy to go.

     However, Hildred and Luca did not spend much time together as they had planned when the dance finally came around. Luca was admittedly cast aside a bit when Hildred had met three girls--a group of friends--named Amber Kennedy, Veronica Delgado, and Kiera Pickett. Amber was a short, bubbly girl who had been set on flirting with Hildred the minute she’d walked into the room. Veronica was just awkward, but sweet nonetheless, though Amber loved to insult and berate her for everything. And Kiera was quiet, often moody and was the only one of the three who pretty much refused to talk to Hildred, immediately deciding she hated him--perhaps she’d heard the rumors about him, though Hildred couldn’t be sure.

     He hit it off with Amber nearly right away. They sneaked out of the dance and into the school bathrooms, where they did it then and there, leaving Luca, Veronica and Kiera to their own devices as they cast them aside. And once they were finished up with that, Amber had given the boy her phone number, telling him, “Call me as soon as you can, okay? We should sooo do this again sometime! Outside of school and whatnot. I’d love to get to know you better!”

     And sure enough, during the following days, Hildred and Amber began to date.

     It quickly turned out that Amber was no better than Lainey or Trystan, and thus Hildred once again fell into the vicious cycle of letting himself be used for sex in this relationship. Amber was a sex addict through and through, as if it was all she ever thought about, despite being only 16--for what reason, Hildred could never be sure as he never tried to pry into her personal life, but he was sure she must have been through something awful in her life. But regardless, the rare moments when he would tell her that he didn’t want to have sex, she’d often get violent--of course not being able to do too much damage seeing as she was much smaller and weaker than him, but she’d often throw things across the room like plates and such, landing him with quite a few cuts here and there. She’d also threaten to harm or even kill herself if he ever refused to do it with her, and as such he could never really say no to her.

     An entire year into this toxic relationship, it had been Luca who had caught Amber cheating on Hildred--he’d been staying after school to talk to one of his teachers, Mr. Huber, where he then saw the 62-year-old man with Amber, who must have visited all the way from the all-girls’ school to meet up with him. Luca immediately ran, the teacher literally chased him, yelling at the boy that he’d kill him. The altar boy eventually found a hiding place at the side of the school building, where he then called Hildred and asked him to pick him up as fast as he could, that he was in trouble and that he had something to tell him. Hildred did exactly as he was told, picking Luca up and driving off to his house, where Luca told him everything that he’d just seen. Mr. Huber was soon fired from his job and, of course, arrested.

     After hearing of this, Hildred finally broke up with Amber, which surprisingly to him, left her in tears. He felt bad--when he thought of taking her back shortly after, Luca had to tell him, “Don’t you dare! She's downright awful, Hildred! You deserve so much better than that...” And so... he didn’t! He completely cut Amber out of his life for quite some time, and rightfully so.

     Then Amber visited him at his house after several months of not talking, much to Hildred’s surprise. It had been late at night while both of his parents and siblings were asleep, and he was the only one up. And it was there, right outside of the house, right at the doorstep, that Amber cried and sobbed and begged Hildred to take her back and that she could get better. He tried to refuse at first, but inevitably came the moment she told him through pouring tears, “Please--please, Hildred! I- I’ll... I’ll kill myself! I- I’ll shoot myself in the fucking head, or I’ll slit my wrists, s- so please! Please take me back!”

     This completely set Hildred over the edge. He wanted so desperately to say ‘don’t do it, I’ll stay with you,’ feeling obligated to say yes to her every command--as he had always felt for every single person who’d taken advantage of him. But he had to remember what Luca had told him. She was downright awful. He deserved so much better. He deserved so much better.

     But what he couldn’t keep under control was the voice in his head repeating over and over to him, a voice that sounded oddly like his father for some strange reason:

‘Kill her.  Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her.’

     And so, without even thinking, Hildred had grabbed his ex-girlfriend by the throat, pulling the girl into the house, and strangled her to death. Fine--if she wanted to kill herself so badly, he’d just do it for her. She, of course, died, and Hildred couldn’t tell if what he felt afterwards was relief or regret. Perhaps... both? Regardless... he had never killed anyone before. When he finally came back to his senses, he panicked, screaming as he ran upstairs to his parents. When he woke them up, they came downstairs only to find a dead girl in their living room. Clarisse screamed and hid in her room, and Garrett simply responded with, “Oh... Oh, jeez...”

     Hildred tried to explain, sobbing hysterically. “I- I don’t know what came over me, I- I don’t--I- I- I jus’--!! Sh- She said she’d kill herself if I didn’t... i- if I didn’t take her back, I- I couldn’t control it, I- I couldn’t--!”

     Surprisingly, Garrett was not all that mad. He was shocked, for sure, but not mad. “Hildred, it’s... it’s okay! It’s okay. I’ll take care of this, okay? You’ll be alright. I promise.”

     Then Clarisse’s voice sounded from up the stairs, though she still refused to look at the body. “You can’t get rid of the body! Somebody might’ve seen her come here. If she gets reported missing, that’s going to seem suspicious...”

     “It’s gonna be suspicious if she’s found dead in our home, Clarisse!” Garrett said.

     "Yep, it sure will be. But, I... I’m an attorney--I can get him through this, I think.”

     Hildred sniffled. “Y- You mean... you’ll lie for me?”

     “Sure.”

     And so the wisest thing Clarisse said to do was immediately call the police--which Garrett did, albeit reluctantly. He explained to the police that the girl had come to the house with the intent to kill Hildred and tried to attack him, and he acted out of self-defense by hitting her in the head with a pan. Afterwards, Garrett had put on gloves to take a frying pan from the kitchen, bashed it over the dead Amber’s head to get it and her head nice and bloody.

     The police easily fell for all the lies that the family told them. Months later Clarisse begrudgingly lied to the court as her son’s attorney, and at first they bought everything she told them, up until the rival attorney cross examined Hildred, practically asking him question after question until he broke down and confessed.

     “Why was Amber Kennedy at your house, Hildred?” the other attorney--the Kennedy family’s attorney--asked him.

     “She... She wanted t’ get back with me after I broke up with her.”

     “Really? So, where were your parents in this ordeal? Where were they when you in... self-defense?”

     “Th- They were asleep...”

     “They didn’t hear the screams from the both of you when you fought?”

     “I- I guess not, ahah...”

     “You’d think something like that would be quite loud, wouldn’t it? Don’t you have little siblings, Hildred?”

     “...Y- Yeah, I do...”

     “Now, if your parents didn’t wake up, sure--but children have a very keen hearing sense, don’t they? Why didn’t they wake up?”

     “I- I don’t know... I- I don’t know, okay?!”

     “Would they not wake up and tell the parents if they heard or saw their brother fighting to the death with anyone?”

     “I- I don’t know!”

     “Or could it be that there were no screams at all, then? Was it a quiet death? Did you, perhaps, not hit her with a pan at all? Did you do something else? Like choke her?”

     Clarisse stood up from her stand then, defensive. “I- I object--!”

     But Hildred had bursted into tears right then and there, before exclaiming, “Y- Yes! I killed her, okay?! I- I choked her, I choked her! Sh- She said she’d kill herself if I didn’t take her back, a- and I got angry--I don’t know what came over me, I- I’m sorry, I’m sorry...!!”

     The rival attorney smirked, then said, “The defense rests, your honor,” before going back to his seat.

     And with that new confession to Amber’s death, Hildred was put into jail, and Clarisse had been fired from her job once it was found out she was lying for her son. Hildred was originally going to get seven years for committing murder, but thanks to the help of the boss of Giraldi--Malcolm Willis--paying people off, Hildred was able to get out in just two years, when he was 20 years old.

     While in jail, however, somebody had come to visit him quite frequently. Veronica Delgado, who was already a good friend of Hildred at that point. Surprisingly to him, Veronica completely understood why Hildred did what he did, and didn’t blame him at all. They eventually started dating, even despite Hildred being imprisoned.

     After getting out, Hildred and Veronica were able to be happy for a long while. Luckily Veronica was nothing like any of his exes were. She never abused him, never used him for sex, never got violent, none of that. She was genuinely sweet and understood him--a feeling which he’d never got to experience in a relationship before.

     But, on the other hand, Hildred had grown so attached to Veronica because of the fact that this was his first healthy relationship, that he was often overly clingy to the point it became a bit mentally abusive towards Veronica. Hildred, much like with what Amber had done before she was killed, would often threaten to harm or kill himself if Veronica tried to leave him, or he would threaten to kill anyone that she talked to that he became jealous of. He was possessive. Very, very possessive.

     And eventually, after Hildred had suggested to Veronica that they “get married someday,” Veronica just couldn’t handle his behavior anymore, and Hildred discovered her body hanging by rope in their room the next day. She had hung herself, all because Hildred had scared her too much from trying to break up with him someday, and terrified that she’d have to marry him.

     After Veronica’s death, a few days later, Hildred--who was now an utter wreck--had been sitting in a bar, drinking away his sorrows, when a familiar girl had approached him. Not to flirt, but rather, to call him out. It was Kiera Pickett, who had been a good friend of Amber and Veronica--particularly the latter. Kiera had attempted to kill Hildred, plunging a pocket knife through his left eye, blinding him in the eye. Luckily, Kiera was held back by security before she could do anything more, and she was carried away by police as she screamed, “You ruined my life, y- you killed them, you kill both of them, fuck you, fuck you, y- you goddamn WHORE--!!” And Hildred never saw Kiera again after that encounter, although he’d heard that she was put into a psychiatric hospital. Hildred himself was hospitalized for the injured eye and was released a week later, though he was now permanently half blind.

     Of course, this put him further into his depressive state as yet another relationship failed for him. At the very least Luca was still there to comfort him. He was the one who suggested to Hildred that he ought to get therapy now, see a professional about his clearly declining mental health--and he did for a very short while, but it didn’t last for long as he simply stopped going after a few weeks or so. Luca did, however, eventually confess feelings for Hildred in this span of time, which were very much reciprocated. So he and Luca began dating, and this time Hildred tried his best to keep his possessiveness and his temper under control, even if it was hard at times. He wasn’t going to lose Luca like he’d lost Veronica this time. They got married that year.

     One particular day, Hildred and Luca had both been on their way to Hildred’s father’s house for a nice visit, passing by a small pond which wasn’t far off from the house. However, at the pond Luca stopped in his tracks, grabbing his husband by the arm and pointed towards what he saw. It was Garrett’s body, floating face down in the water with blood everywhere. He’d been murdered.

     Out of sheer panic, Hildred had attempted to go into the murky water to drag his father’s body out, hoping that perhaps he may still be alive--though it was obvious that he wasn’t--but unfortunately for him he’d never even learned to swim, so this was a clear mistake as he nearly drowned. It’d been Luca who had to pull Hildred back, asking him, “What were you trying to achieve?!” but Hildred could only respond with sobs and screams. Garrett had just died. He was dead. His dad was dead. He could never get him back.

     Detectives never figured out who it was that killed Garrett--or whoever it was, they must have paid them off to keep it covered. Regardless, Hildred never found out. And now, it was during this time that Malcolm Willis, the boss of Giraldi, personally came to Hildred to give his condolences, and to ask him to work for him in his late consigliere’s place. That same week Malcolm’s consigliere, or basically his right-hand man, had died of natural causes, and Malcolm had personally chosen Hildred to be his new consigliere, especially seeing as he knew Garrett probably would have wanted it. Despite being an absolute wreck now, Hildred had assumed it would be what his father wanted, so he agreed to it, becoming the consigliere to the boss.

     As Hildred quickly came to learn, Giraldi’s hideout was in a large restaurant by the name of Cavallero, which was owned by Malcolm himself as a cover-up for the crimes Giraldi would commit. Everybody from Giraldi was nearly always found here, including Hildred now, who of course always brought Luca with him.

     One particular day, however, while Hildred and Luca were now 24 years old, they both hadn’t noticed a car following theirs as they made their way to Cavallero. Not too long after Hildred and Luca had walked into the restaurant, the people from the car which had been following them came in as well with guns, shooting the entire place up and killing most of the people inside. One of the many who died, much to the dismay of Hildred, was Luca, who fell dead to the ground beside him.

     Hildred hid until it was all over and the attackers were finally sent packing. There were a few survivors, such as Malcolm. However, Hildred was not found in the restaurant after that. He just... went missing. Several people got out of the building as it caught on fire, and it then exploded, killing anybody who hadn’t gotten out yet. Hildred was pronounced dead, and the Cavallero building has long since been rebuilt, now even better than it’d been before.

#Shut up Erica;; [Ooc] #Got New York City heart;; [Trivia] #SAVE #HOLY SHIT YALL #I FUCKING DID IT #AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA #can you tell i started rushing at the end bc i STOPPED CARING I JUST WANTED TO FINISH THIS SHIT #BUT I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE ME #YALL BETTER FUCKIN READ THIS SHIT I WORKED TOO DAMN HARD ON IT #IM GONNA GO FUCKIN MONKY #also if theres any triggers i missed on the warnings pls feel free to tell me!!!!

[notesofarichlycolorednight]

I have the headcanon that Luke is a Venus Legacy. She's very important in the Roman mythology. And there's more: he has the power to redirect Aphrodite/Venus magic,like firebenders can redirect lightning (very risky and a bit difficult, though). Okay, I'm so obsessed with those headcanons that I can't believe May to be totally mortal. On the top of that,Luke seems to be way above his siblings in power and skill,and we all know that mortals aren't much in Percy Jackson,with the exception of...

Continued. With the exception of Sally,Rachel, perhaps Frederick and Paul(that doesn’t bother me, though. I have (little more than) a bit of bias against the badass normal trope,in most cases. They want to pass them as everymen with cleverness,but I can’t buy someone like Ty Lee as an everywoman. Sokka is great, though). Frank is way more powerful than even Clarisse, despite his lack of experience. Is May that much of an snowflake to have a powerful demigod from an ordinary god?

Continued. Or is she a legacy? Okay,Luke is probably a perfectionist workaholic,so he gets the credit. But being strong enough to get to host Kronos’ essence? Sorry about the length and the anti badass normal rant.

BTW,I love your prankster/mischievous Luke Castellan. I usually am not fond of that kind of headcanon for him,since fandom usually makes him too much like Travis and Connor,and Luke is very different from his brothers (Percy himself even lampshades it). Besides,the whole “silent mischief” fits his personality better,IMO. Luke didn’t come across as a loud guy to me,and he seems to act responsible most of time(for good and for bad, though). 💗💓💝💓💓💓💓

hi there! thanks for being patient with me on this. been busy ;_;

under cut bc it got longer than i was expecting

i really like this idea that May is a legacy. it’s interesting you pick Venus, but given how good-looking Luke was described as and how charming (tho, that could reasonably come from Hermes bc con-ppl are often charming) it makes sense

not to mention, as you say Luke did seem more powerful than most other demigods, being able to take on the curse of Achilles, hosting Kronos, not to mention holding up the sky for however long he did. i think it was Chiron who mentioned that only the greatest heroes are able to hold up the sky, but Luke was so clearly on the wrong side, and Percy even notices that in the books, but it’s like…never explained???

so for him to have more than just half godly blood in his system would make a lot more sense than the “it’s complicated” explanation we’re given in canon

i really like that hc that he can redirect Venus magic (my mind first went to charmspeak) but that it’s difficult and dangerous. like it’s such a cool concept, tho i’m not sure how much it applies to Luke? like maybe that’s a skill that any child or legacy of Aphrodite/Venus would have, but Luke was unable to unlock that power, or at least the full potential

bc it’s just that, and i think it’s mentioned by Annabeth in moa, but a big reason that Luke fell into Kronos’ trap was because Kronos fed Luke a lot of what he wanted to hear, manipulated his thoughts and it’s implied by Annabeth that Kelli also had a lot to do with manipulating him by using charmspeak

like i guess if it’s difficult and dangerous, it would make sense that he was unable to redirect her charmspeak, esp with Kronos also manipulating his thoughts and emotions, but it doesn’t quite fit…tho i think that has a lot of potential to be a story arc regarding the development of Luke’s character, kind of like how it was for Zuko and lightning

but that would also imply, following Zuko’s story arc, that Luke eventually realized the error of his ways and joined the gods’ side

altho, it would be more interesting, playing off him being able to hold up the sky, despite not being the “hero,” if he learned how to redirect charmspeak but remained “loyal” to Kronos

anyway /tangent

i can see where you’re coming from regarding the normal badass trope. i’m not sure how well Rick executed it (if he even did) bc in my opinion, it’s not necessarily that Sally, Rachel, Paul, and Fredrick are what i would term as a badass. Sally can see thru the mist and Poseidon loved her so much he offered immortality. that speaks to her character, but isn’t exactly badass. Rachel is the oracle, but doesn’t have any combat skills to speak of. in en extenuating circumstance, Paul used his sword-fighting skills to help protect Sally and others, but i doubt he’d have much else use for swordsmanship except if he were to take up acting. like Paul, under extenuating circumstances, Fredrick piloted a plane and shot at monsters with Celestial bronze bullets he’d made himself, tho i imagine that’s as much action that plane is going to see for the rest of Fredrick’s life

the acts themselves are certainly badass, but it doesn’t necessarily speak to their character as being a badass.

now, of course, being a badass doesn’t constitute being able to beat someone up. Rachel throwing her hairbrush at the lord of titans is p badass. and sally charming one of the Big Three gods so much he offered her immortality, not to mention killing Gabe and his buddies indirectly, is v badass. so being a badass can take many forms, i’m not denying that

but it doesn’t quite fit what i see the trope being, as defined by society, whereby to be a badass, you have to have some combat and strategic planning skills or smth. i hope that makes sense

i guess this is all just more complicated than i was originally thinking, bc if badass can be defined in so many ways, so can normal?

you mention Ty Lee, right? now i haven’t watched a:tla in forever, but from what i remember of her character, i never actually saw her as some everywoman. she was friends with a sociopathic princess whose father colonized the rest of the world. that’s not exactly normal. i mean even taking away the sociopathic and her father part, she’s friends with a princess! that’s not exactly what i’d constitute as normal you know?

but it’s hard to say what’s normal in that universe, right? bc nonbenders, like sokka, are considered “normal” and average bc they can’t bend, when a majority can. and sokka is often talked abt like he’s “normal” but his tribe taught him how to be a warrior from a young age. his father went off to war, and his mother was killed by a firebender when Ozai began colonizing the other tribes. that’s not normal. even in that universe, bc the avatar is supposed to keep peace b/t the different benders

so it comes back to how society defines the trope, where normal is your average person (no special powers, no secret talents, just goes abt their mundane day at a nine-to-five and binges TV shows on Netflix when they get home) and badass is having that hidden talent (that they most likely don’t even know abt) or learning to be a badass as their character arc and as the story progresses

gosh, hope that all made sense. long story long, i agree with you that it’s a tired trope (in that we’re introduced to someone we consider and are supposed to think is average but, surprise! they actually have a hidden talent that turns them into a badass), but i think if done right, it can be really cathartic and exciting

/tangent 2

yes, i think being legacies definitely affords demigods more power, bc they have more godly blood. and you make a good point: why was Luke so powerful and special? esp as a son of Hermes. i think a reasonable explanation would be that he’s a legacy

by definition, tho, him being a legacy means that May is also a legacy, bc Hermes can’t have other godly blood from other gods with him being a god himself already (disregarding the fact that gods don’t even have DNA)

no worries! as you can see, i kind of went into some rants too!

oh thank you!! i’m glad you liked those hcs. yeah, i like to think that Luke definitely pulls pranks and enjoys it too! but the way he’s portrayed in the books, he’s much more serious than Travis and Conner, probably bc of the house he had to grow up in, being on the run at a young age, and then going thru so much heart-break and trauma before he even turned Travis and Conner’s ages. that ought to subdue you a little

so i wanted to make sure i expressed that in my hcs, long story long lol. i like to think of Luke, before Kronos and all that shit, as a fun and easy-going guy but in a quieter and more subtle way than Travis and Conner specifically

thanks again for sending these!! i love, love, love talking abt to ppl abt stuff. my inbox is always open!

FEED ME SEYMOUR

#oh god for shame! i do not even know your name #notesofananonymousnight #asked and answered #luke castellan #pjo hcs #pjo meta

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #185 - The Princess Diaries

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: I think so.

Do I remember it: I remember that it exists and that I saw it.

Did I see it in theaters: No

Format: Blu-ray

This film was nominated by @princessofsunnydale for my first Epic Movie (Re)Watch poll, so it only feels right that I should dedicate it to her.

1) I have not watched this film in AT LEAST 10 years. It’s probably closer to 12 or 13 (although I do remember the soundtrack well because I own it). So in a lot of ways this like a first viewing.

2) There’s a nice sense of place which is immediately established around Mia’s home. It helps establish the character of both her and her mother with their eccentricities and charm.

3) Wait? This was produced by Whitney Houston? Huh.

4) Sandra Oh is in this?

Wow, the things you don’t notice as a child.

5) This is very telling of Mia’s experience at high school.

Mia: “Someone sat on me again.”

6) Anne Hathaway as Mia.

Immediately Hathaway is able to show off and incredible honesty when portraying Mia. You see her shyness and clumsiness wonderfully. But she’s not JUST the stereotypical of an awkward teenage girl. You see where Mia is comfortable, where she’s not, and that’s nice. Hathaway plays all facets of Mia’s personality wonderfully well, bringing a wonderful inquisitiveness and hart to what is the strong base of the film.

7) Ugh, this crap.

Queen Clarisse [upon seeing Mia for the first time]: “You look so [pause as she tries to find a compliment for her appearance] young.”

The trope of, “girl who is not traditionally beautiful absolutely NEEDS a makeover so her outer beauty matches her inner beauty,” can die a horrible and painful death. What the heck is wrong with Mia? She wars glasses, she has big hair, and eyebrows which are compared to Brooke Burke’s. What the heck is wrong with Brooke Burke? I’m tired of films making it seem like this isn’t attractive. I think Mia is GORGEOUS even before her transformation.

8) If this line isn’t iconic for my generation I don’t know what is.

(GIFs originally posted by @animations-daily​)

9) I like that Mia loses her shit instead of being like, “Oh, I’m a princess! My life is a fairytale!” She realizes the real world implications of this and the pressure it puts on her.

Mia: “Just in case I’m not enough of a freak already, let’s add a tiara!”

10) According to IMDb:

Mia's cat, Fat Louie, was Anne Hathaway's pet in real-life. Four different cats played the role. One who allowed people to carry it, one who could sit still, another who would jump, and the last one, who sits on the envelope at the end of the movie.

11) Julie Andrews as Queen Clarisse.

Julie Andrews is a legend of cinema and brings the same kind of focus to her role as Queen Clarisse as she would to Mary Poppins. Clarisse is good at being a formal stuck in the mud while also being warm and sympathetic. You can see her heart, the empathy she has, and it is not that much of a stretch for her relationship with Mia to grow into another strong fundamental of this movie. It’s a stand out performance in the film and a nice addition to the veteran actresses’ resumé.

12) Um…what!?

Queen Clarisse: “You have a cousin who’s a Contessa. Formerly known as Bartholomew. Actually we call him Pookie.”

I had to google this to make sure a Contessa is always a woman and they are. And this might not be a big deal NOW but I am pleasantly surprised to see that they referenced the fact Mia has a transgender cousin in a 2001 Disney film (even if there was a pronoun slip).

13) Hector Elizondo as Joe.

Elizondo is director Garry Marshall’s lucky charm and features in nearly all of the director’s films. He’s pretty amazing in this, able to play Joe as someone who is intimidating and professional but WILDLY sympathetic to Mia. You can tell he cares for her and Queen Clarisse deeply even if he’s not showing it in the most massive of ways. It’s quiet but deep and at times very moving. Also he’s a badass.

Lily: “You know you look like Shaft?”

Joe: “Yes.”

14) This is an interesting visual I wish had been explored a bit more. Why is this guy so obsessed with M&M’s?

15) If I haven’t said it before, Mia is pretty cool. She knows cars, art, has a wonderful sense of humor, is a rock climber, and just a wonderfully well rounded/full breathing character.

16) One of the most underrated small characters in this film is Mia’s gym teacher.

Mia [playing soccer]: “I can’t do this, I’m a girl.”

Gym Teacher Harbula: “What am I, a duck!?”

17) I have a fundamental philosophical issue with putting such emphasis on being “proper” and all that crap. Who determines what is “proper” and why is looking a certain way, standing a certain way, and sitting a certain way so much more important than treating people well? I hate that.

18) The relationship Joe has with Clarisse is VERY nice, but according to IMDb:

The on-screen relationship between Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews) and Joseph (Hector Elizondo) was not scripted. The dance scene, and the underlying affection was added by the two. According to Hector Elizondo, "We felt that a romance after fifty was important to tell, and it can be sensual and sexy while keeping your clothes on."

19) Larry Miller as Paolo.

Miller is another frequent collaborator with director Garry Marshall and an incredible character actor, stealing the entire film with his scene as Paolo. Committed absolutely to his character, Miller has a lot of fun in an absolutely hysterical role. I don’t remember most of the fine details of this film but I remember Paolo.

20) The makeover scene - while key and possibly iconic to a lot of people - ties into what I talked about in note #7.

Paolo: “You will be beautiful!”

She already IS beautiful you jerk! Why are glasses ugly? Why is her bushy hair ugly? And of course, this crap!

Queen Clarisse [after Mia’s makeover]: “Better, much better.”

NO! NOT BETTER! DIFFERENT! NOT WORSE, BUT WHY IS THIS BETTER!? IT’S JUST DIFFERENT!

21) Similarly, Lily giving Mia crap for her new look is really crummy behavior from a best friend.

Lily: “Oi. Who destroyed you.”

Lily is a fundamentally bad friend in these moments. She shouldn’t judge Mia for her makeover anymore than Queen Clarisse should judge Mia for her pre-makeover look. Basically: don’t judge people for their appearance, whether they meet traditional standards of beauty or not. Let them look however the heck they want to look.

(GIF originally posted by @marshmallow-the-vampire-slayer)

22) I love this line.

23) One thing I love in films is when they embrace the visual medium. We see Mia talking to Lily, we don’t hear what she says, but we KNOW. We don’t need to hear. The message is: Lily knows everything the audience does now and she’s excited!

24) I kinda get high school bullies, but also not really. Is your self esteem so low that you really need to consistently make other people miserable/get them in trouble to feel better about yourself? For example: why does Mandy Moore so passionately call Mia out for wearing a hat JUST to get her in trouble. Mia is not hurting anyone and if the teacher cared enough he’d have already asked her not to wear it. It’s just stupid.

25) The biggest problem with this film I would say is the pacing. There are a number of scenes - specifically, princess lesson scenes - which are fun but don’t add to any of the characters or plot. They’re a little self indulgent. HOWEVER, they are also the most memorable scenes in the movie so cutting them would be a mistake. So I’m not sure what to say, actually. I’m just going to move on.

26) Wow. These films are so gay (not in a derogatory sense but in an actual homosexual sense).

Paolo [after the press learns Mia is a princess]: “I outed you! So to speak. I don’t mean to imply -”

FYI: I’d be so okay if Mia were gay or bi or anything. I need more representation in my life.

27) Things you don’t pick up on as a child.

Teacher Over PA: “Will the feng shui club please stop rearranging the tables on the front lawn?”

28) This was NOT scripted but instead a mistake made by Anne Hathaway that she rolled with.

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

29) Man, Joe just has a ton of great advice.

Joe [after Mia asks if she should quite being a princess]: “No one can really quite being who they are.”

30) According to IMDb:

When Mia accidentally sets the man's arm on fire, the flames were supposed to go out when he puts his arm in the ice bucket, but they didn't. Anne Hathaway panicked and threw the glass of water on it, which was not scripted.

31) Okay, throughout this film and its sequel I find that I am constantly impressed with how supportive the Prime Minister of Genovia is of Mia.

Prime Minister’s Wife [after Mia eats too much of the frozen cream]: “She didn’t realize it was frozen!”

Prime Minister: “Well what should we do?”

Prime Minister’s Wife: “We should do the same!”

[The eat as much frozen cream as Mia and begin to imitate her.]

32) The day out Mia and Clarisse have together is loads of fun. It really shows the development of their relationship and just how deep a connection they have. How Clarisse is able to forget being proper now and then because Mia comes first as her granddaughter. It’s a truly wonderful sequence.

33) Also, major props to the amount of BS-ing Clarisse pulled to get Mia out of trouble with the police. SHE MAKES UP A KNIGHTHOOD ON THE SPOT AND THEY’RE SO FLATTERED THEY LET MIA BE!!! I love that.

34) Oh Mia…

Josh: “I hate phony publicity seekers.”

Don’t fall for that Mia! The guy didn’t even pay attention to Mia before she was a princess and now he’s all over her. Mia’s mom even observes that he was never nice to her! And I know this is a film and this creates conflict, but ugh it just hurts.

35) I DO remember the foot pop! It’s like the thing I remember the most!

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

36) Okay, let’s recap. Mia goes to the beach with a guy who she thinks likes her. Mia is used by the guy to get famous. Mia is harassed and stalked by paparazzi. Mia tries to take shelter in a changing booth. Mandy Moore exposes Mia’s naked body to the paparazzi who again further harass her. AND MIA IS THE ONE IN TROUBLE!?!??!?!?!?!?!

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

The only thing she did wrong was not tell Lily she wouldn’t be on the show. She even told Lily’s brother to make sure she didn’t just ditch him! But no, it’s, “I’m giving up the crown because I messed up.” Forget that!

37) God bless Joe.

Clarisse [about Mia’s being manipulated]: “Why didn’t she have enough common sense to deal with this?”

Joe: “She’s only fifteen.”

38) I just realized how I have yet to talk about how awesome Heather Matarazzo is in this film.

She plays Mia’s best friend Lily with wonderful enthusiasm, stealing a number of great scenes from the film. She’s funny, able to show her vulnerability, makes her honest, and has a wonderful chemistry/relationship with Hathaway/Mia. It’s just another part of what makes the film fun.

39) I really appreciate that Michael is not Nice Guy™. He doesn’t whine about “the friend zone” and he doesn’t go out of his way to make Mia feel guilty for not liking him back. He’s a bit of a tool when she asks him out but he’s hurt in that moment and doesn’t necessarily want to open himself back up. He could go on and on about how he’s always been there for her and Mia’s given him nothing or some bullshit like that. I like it.

40) Get wrecked, Mandy Moore’s character (I don’t remember her name)!

(GIF originally posted by @stydixa)

41) It took me until almost the end to finally put to words that this film isn’t about Mia being pretty or even about her being a princess. It’s about her gaining some agency in her life, a little confidence, and actually taking control of things. That’s WAY more interesting than, “Oh, you were born a princess. Let’s do only princessy things from now on!”

42) Wow, I did not expect something this deep in The Princess Diaries.

Mia’s Father [via letter]: “Courage is not the absence of fear but the judgment that something is more important than fear.”

43) Mia showing up as she does to the ball removes the support of “proper” appearance. She is a mess right now, all she has is her words and her decision to convince these people she should be queen. And she rocks it.

44) Honestly I’m more invested in Joe & Clarisse’s relationship than Mia & Michael’s, but at least she got her foot pop.

The Princess Diaries held up much better than I was expecting. Hathaway is pretty freaking great, as is Julie Andrews, and the film just has this incredible beating heart and message of confidence to it. Sure, it falls victim to some tropes of the genre (the makeover stuff will forever bother me in all movies), but it transcends others (Mia’s boyfriend at the end is not a Nice Guy™). If you don’t have a taste for film’s which wear their hearts on their sleeves, then maybe you should avoid this. But the rest of you? You may find that you like it more than you first expected to.

#The Princess Diaries #Anne Hathaway #Julie Andrews #Heather Matarazzo #Garry Marshall #Epic Movie (Re)Watch #Sandra Oh #Larry Miller #Hector Elizondo #Mandy Moore #Here Endeth The Lesson #Jaw Drop

[precaffeinatedsalomon]

Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 tells the redemptive story of Guy Montag, a fireman in a Dystopian future where instead of saving people from fires, he creates them. Firefighters, like our protagonist in the story, burn books as means to protect individuals from the corruption, inequality, and snobbery of ‘intellectuals’ brought on by reading books (Brandbury 55).  Montag starts the novel doing his job with pleasure, without any questions as to why it was necessary to do even do such a job. That is until he is affected when in a job an older woman chooses to burn herself alive instead of letting go of her books. Doubts start to seep in him and he decides to steal a book from one of the piles he has to burn. One night while in his neighbourhood, Montag meets Clarisse, a teenager who is considered weird and a threat to the status quo. She prompts Montag to question his life, principles, and the consequences of his job. She rouses him from a state of being simultaneously dead and alive. From that moment on, Montag’s life changes irrevocably.

My main contribution to our project is to set up the story of how the book came to be, how the book explores the issue of totalitarianism, and how it might foreshadow our current relationship to social media. Additionally,  I added a scholarly interpretation of  Fahrenheit 451’s message.

To establish the ‘genesis’ of Fahrenheit 451 I use an interview with Ray Bradbury where he explains his inspiration for writing the novel. In the interview, Bradbury explains how he was first inspired to write the novel “The Pedestrian,” after an incident where the police antagonize him and question him while walking in the streets at night with a friend. He claims, he imagined his   “Pedestrian” character meeting Clarisse and her claims of knowing he is a fireman. Bradbury continues on describing, how he worked on the story of nine days in the basement of UCLA’s library. His inspiration for the novel he claims is, first, an ancestral Great Grandmother who was nearly burnt at the stake as a witch. Then, he explains he felt tortured by the burnings of libraries and books such as that of the Library of Alexandria or those done by Hitler, among others. These influences are seen throughout the novel as metaphors against totalitarianism, censorship, and ignorance.

I additionally contributed to defining and looking at examples of totalitarianism throughout the novel. I use the Encyclopedia Britannica definition which states its: “Form of government that theoretically permits no individual freedom and that seeks to subordinate all aspects of individual life to the authority of the state...Totalitarianism is often distinguished from dictatorship, despotism, or tyranny by its supplanting of all political institutions with new ones and its sweeping away of all legal, social, and political traditions” (Britannica)

Just as defined above, Fahrenheit 451’s society is ruled under a totalitarian regime. One evidenced by the tight control they have on their people and what the punishments they receive for not following the rules. Exampled by the book burnings and the mechanical hounds which chase criminals. This is a government that has the people’s acceptance. Montag’s own wife, Mildred turns against him when he breaks the rules of the State. Montag’s journey leads him to become a member of the rebellion against this totalitarian regime.

One of the academic journals examined, claims Montag to be a modern Prometheus. Just like Prometheus Montag brings fire and knowledge to the people.Fernanda Luísa Feneja argues, “Montag’s development is a path of self-knowledge, of discovery and of growing awareness...Thus, like Prometheus Bound, he was punished for disobedience in favour of humankind, in particular, for having given men the gift of knowledge and wisdom; and, like the Modern Prometheus, his rebellion is against human tyranny”(Feneja). In other words, Montag’s journey allows the reader the realize the power in knowledge and self-sacrifice to achieve a greater goal.

After reading Bradbury’s novel, it is notable how most of the novels read throughout this course have predicted human’s demise to be caused by strikingly similar reasons. In Well’s The  Time Machine, in Boulle’s Planet of the Apes, and Fahrenheit 451 men’s demise comes from lack of interest in their surroundings. Laziness, lack of connection to one another, and an overall lack empathy. The laziness is not necessarily only physical, but also mental. Perhaps when Sci-Fi novels speculate on the destruction of humankind as caused by technology it is not the machines themselves that have to be feared, but humans hedonism.

Works Cited

Bradbury, Ray, et al. Fahrenheit 451. Gallimard, 2018.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Totalitarianism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 25 Oct. 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/totalitarianism.

Feneja, Fernanda. “PROMETHEAN REBELLION IN RAY BRADBURY'S FAHRENHEIT451: THE PROTAGONIST'S QUEST.”

Amaltea. Revista De Mitocrítica, vol. 4, 2012, pp. 1–20.

“How Fahrenheit 451 Predicted Fake News – How Did We Get Here?.” Youtube, uploaded

by WiseCrack, Jul. 17, 2018,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=Wp7f2ftkybI

[elites-hq]

accepted ➻ kurt hummel.

Welcome to Manhattan, Ferris! We are so excited to see what Kurt Hummel has in store for us. Please complete the checklist and send your account in within 24 hours.

out of character

name/alias: ferris

age: 21

timezone: est

in-character

name: kurt hummel

sexuality: gay as the day is long

expanded bio: 

Burt and Kate Hummel were a love story for the ages. They met in New York City, 1992. Burt had just left his small Ohio hometown to take on the big city with a group of friends, and Katherine finishing her second year at Columbia. The two fell in love and got married a mere six months of dating. On their wedding night, Kate spilled the beans. She was actually Katherine Grimaldi, daughter of the famous French socialite Clarisse Grimaldi, and she was the heiress to a large fortune.

Clarisse was furious at the match. Burt Hummel’s salt-of-the-earth nature clashed with every aspect of Katherine’s family life. Clarisse spent years trying to convince Katherine to dump Burt, but it was to no avail. At the announcement of Katherine’s pregnancy, Clarisse decided to take a new route. If she couldn’t break them up, she could certainly mold Burt into a somewhat suitable match.

So, with plenty of pressure and funds from the Grimaldi family, Burt became a polished politician. His PR team used his small-town roots and “I could have a beer with this guy” attitude to win him a seat as a Republican state representative for a miniscule New York district. His leadership lead to multiple re-elections until he eventually won a seat in the House of Representatives that he has held since 2007.

Utilizing her business degree from Columbia and the Grimaldi fortune, Katherine launched a fashion line under her maiden name. With Clarisse’s connections and Katherine’s passion, it became an overnight success, and rumors spread of the Grimaldi Company becoming the next big fashion dynasty.

It was under this household, of a civil servant and an artsy socialite, that Kurt Hummel was raised. Born and bred in Manhattan, Kurt grew up with a love of fashion and impeccable taste. He and his mother were extremely close, especially given how much time Burt was spending in D.C. This closeness made the tragic news the family would soon receive even more heartbreaking.

They say illness doesn’t discriminate, and nothing was more true for Katherine Hummel. Her breast cancer diagnosis came as a surprise to the entire family, and her death hit them even harder. She had just enough time to pass the line onto Judy Fabray, with the promise that Kurt would eventually take over.

Growing up gay isn’t easy, even for someone born into privilege like Kurt Hummel. The loss of his mother drifted Kurt and Burt even further apart. Kurt had nothing in common with his father, and grew up clinging to his mother’s hip. He also wasn’t exactly the best at pretending to be straight, and his father’s position in the Republican party lead Kurt to believe he wouldn’t be very accepting of a gay son.

Kurt’s first few years of middle school were hell. The other guys at St. Jude’s knew the exact methods of getting under his skin, and they made him miserable every day. It took Kurt a long time to develop the kind of thick skin that didn’t wrinkle at insults, and an even longer time to develop the wit it took to maintain his dignity in the face of merciless schoolyard bullies. This learned-harshness isolated him from the rest of the guys at St. Jude’s, but it made him the perfect candidate for Quinn Fabray’s inner circle.

Kurt soon realized that if the boys at St. Jude’s weren’t going to make room for his reign, he’d need to move on to weaker pastures. Luckily, the girls at Constance were just waiting for his royal highness to join their royal family. Kurt, Rachel and Quinn became fast friends, with Quinn as the Queen Bee and Rachel and Kurt flanking her every move.

Around this time, Kurt’s father met Carole Hudson. The two made it a quick affair, and soon merged their families to become the Hummel-Hudsons until death they do part. Kurt’s embarassing middle-school crush on Finn aside, even he couldn’t deny the match. With Finn now holding the position of step-brother (and best friend’s boyfriend), Kurt’s friend group grew from Rachel and his handmaidens to include Finn, Sebastian, and the occasional appearance from Noah Puckerman. This shift altered Kurt’s social calendar from slumber parties to lost weekends, and he soon gained a reputation as somewhat of a party prince.

When Quinn disappeared without a trace, everything changed. There was a slot open for queen, and Kurt and Rachel spent the better part of sophomore year in a cold war for the crown. After months of sabotage and scheming, Kurt arose victorious, and got the coveted seat at the top of the steps.

The line of succession wasn’t the only thing Quinn’s disappearance spurred. The event also struck Kurt. Despite all of the cattiness between them, Quinn was still his closest friend. And with Rachel spending the majority of her time with Finn, Kurt found himself growing more isolated than ever. They say it’s lonely at the top, and Kurt knows that better than anyone.

When word got around of Quinn’s return, Kurt was more enraged than excited. A year of radio silence, and now Quinn expects to go back to the status quo? Well, he’s not giving up the crown without a fight.

#accepted #kurt hummel

[infinitehouseofbooks]

BLOG TOUR - Phoenix

Phoenix

The Peradon Fantasy Series

Book One

Daccari Buchelli

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publisher: Buchelli Books

Date of Publication: 30th April 2017

ISBN: 9780995768307 print

ISBN: 9780995768314 eBook

ASIN: B06XSL13FD

Number of pages: 396

Word Count: 100,980

Cover Artist: T.L. Mason

Tagline: ‘You’re only a prisoner if you believe you are.’

Book Description:

‘You’re only a prisoner if you believe you are.’

Magic. Sheltered from the cruelties of the world, Princess Violetta came to adore it. When a terrible tragedy befalls her realm, she vows to shun her royal duties, setting off a chain of events that will see her true power come to light.

Prince Ryore spent his life at the mercy of his father and was deemed the weak link in the chain of command. His new found status as Emperor sees the entire Frost realm bow to him. Little does he know that enemies lurk within his walls, determined to end his reign before it begins.

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/Gh3dyddZCDw

Amazon     Amazon UK    Smashwords

Interview with the Author:

What initially got you interested in writing?

As soon as I learned to read, I couldn’t stop my imagination from wandering and creating its own stories. At aged eight, I began to write them down, sticking to Fantasy as I preferred to give life to the worlds and characters that my mind created. I never stopped loving books or the Fantasy genre. How did you decide to make the move into being a published author?

I knew that I wanted to take this passion I had for writing and turn it into something that I could share with others. I had a concept for a book that I believed was exciting and so I did my research and began crafting my novel, while learning about the publishing industry. What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?

I would love it if my work could inspire someone to make a positive change in their life, no matter how great or small. If readers are able to identify with the problems of the main characters, even if indirectly, then perhaps they can find solutions through the way the characters resolve their own conflicts. What do you find most rewarding about writing?

I think the moment that someone connects with you and tells you how much they enjoyed your work is the most rewarding experience because if not for readers, then books wouldn’t serve their primary function. It is readers that enable books to become a success and so each is like a precious jewel. I appreciate every reader that I will ever have because they will be with me on this life long journey. What do you find most challenging about writing?

Being on the Autistic Spectrum, I personally find the social aspects of writing most difficult. Over the years, I have become accustomed to shadowing people, watching their reactions to the smallest of things, subconsciously listening to the way they speak, in order to improve my understanding of this area. What advice would you give to people who want to enter the field?

1) Never give up. If you have a passion for something, whether it’s a passion for knitting costumes for dogs, a passion for baking or sports, keep trying until you succeed. If something makes you happy, then it is always worth fighting for.

2) Research is your friend, no matter how hard you sometimes fight. Get to know others in the publishing industry, whether they are writers, editors, or readers. Get to know what they enjoy and compare answers, learn from one-another. Ask if there are groups you can join to give and receive support from those like yourself.

3) Create a blog and post your thoughts in a regular stream of online content. Posting regularly will help people to find your site and to learn more about you as an individual. What ways can readers connect with you?

I welcome contact via social media and have included a range of links below:

  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15093628.Daccari_Buchelli

Twitter:http://mobile.twitter.com/DaccariBuchelli

Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01L5IH3QY

  Facebook: https://facebook.com/DaccariBuchelliBooks/

  Instagram: @daccari.buchelli.author

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/DaccariBuchelli/

  Author website: buchellibooks.com

Blog: https://buchellibooksblog.blogspot.co.uk/

  Email: [email protected]

Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daccari-buchelli-58a608a0/

Google Plus https://plus.google.com/+DaccariBuchelli

Excerpt:

‘Darius, can you feel that?’

A tingling sensation seeped into her bones. It pulsed through her, prickling the hairs on the back of her neck.

‘Darius, something feels wrong.’

Violetta turned and was surprised to find Darius facing away. His tall frame appeared to have frozen beside her much loved tree, his face turned up toward the sky.

‘Brother? What’s wrong? Tell me.’

Violetta followed her brother’s gaze.

Darkness stole over her. Violetta could see the storm a mile off and it showed no signs of letting up. She flinched as she felt something hit her face. Water? Darius began to stir, but Violetta’s eyes remained fixed on the sky. She had heard of rain. It was said that the Air Realm was frequently visited by such cool showers, but never had she heard of a storm in the Flame Realm. At least, not since the Almighty Storm of the Ancients.

Violetta felt her courage flee her. She let out a high-pitched squeal; a reaction to the hands that had forced themselves around her arms.

‘Shh, it’s just me.’ Darius stroked the golden waves of her hair. ‘We must get inside. Understand?’

Violetta gazed into her brother’s dark eyes. She nodded.

‘Yes.’

‘Good, we haven’t got long before the storm hits.’

Violetta dove toward Jork’s ball. She trapped it between her wrinkled skirts, gathering it up in her slender arms. The rain gathered speed.

‘Darius, I’ve got it!’ she squealed. Silence greeted her. ‘Darius? Where are you?’

Violetta could hear raised voices in the distance. They were muffled, likely from inside the secret passage they had used to get down here.

‘Darius?’ She spotted a limp shape stretched across the lap of her tree. ‘DARIUS!’

Something struck Violetta hard in the shoulder, lifting her clean off the ground. Her mouth formed a silent scream as she flew through the air, clinging tight to Jork’s ball. To Violetta’s surprise, she landed on her feet.

Violetta’s vision swam, her shoulder screaming in agony at a chunk of ice that had pierced the flesh. She glanced about, searching for Darius when something else zipped past her ear. Violetta tried to put thoughts of the pain aside. She gazed above her, where the sky had become a blinding white.

Violetta’s fingernails dug into her ball and the agony she felt appeared to diminish. Her eyes snapped down to her shoulder, which only moments ago had been spiking with pain.

‘That’s not possible,’ she gasped.

Violetta’s skin was pale and smooth, not a cut or scratch anywhere in sight. Her eyes wandered down to Jork’s ball, before flocking back to the pale skies above. This had to be a dream. The sky here wasn’t white. It was a bright and beauteous blue, always.

Remembering how Darius had been struck, Violetta returned her gaze to her tree.

‘Darius?’

Her legs carried her over to him, aching with the sudden chill. Violetta was unsure of what she was going to find. She drew close and saw the tree’s tangled roots embracing Darius. His mop of dark hair was slick with the rain, his eyes only just glazing over.

‘No.’

Violetta knelt down and gasped at the sight of her brother’s chest. A large needle of ice had speared his flesh, spilling ruby liquid around its edges. A banshee’s wail exploded from her.

All sound escaped Violetta’s world. The edges of her vision darkened, leaving her only with eyes for her brother.

‘Good Lord, Prince Darius!’

Clarisse’s harsh voice cut through the silence. The elderly nursemaid sprinted past, her cold stare fixed on the limp form of their Realm’s heir. She bent down to examine the prince’s wounds, shooting an angry scowl Violetta’s way.

‘Just what did you think you were doing?’ she snarled.

 The veins in her forehead began to rise, as though attempting to escape from their fleshy prison.

Violetta’s face was devoid of emotion. She could do little more than stare when a startled scream sounded nearby.

‘My boy!’

‘Mother?’ Violetta got back to her feet. ‘Mother, ice is coming down from the sky. We must go. Darius said-‘

Violetta locked eyes with her parent. Tears ran afresh down Queen Isobel’s face as she raced through the rain to reach her child. Her golden curls, which were usually pinned atop her head, now hung loose and trailed limply down her back.

No-one noticed the shards of ice soaring past. Violetta wanted to run. She wanted to warn her mother before it was too late, but her body felt like it had frozen in place. She strained against her fear with all her might.

‘Mother, we must go! Now!’

The queen darted across to the great oak tree. She scooped up the body of her only son, wailing against his dark mop of hair.

‘Darius!’

The despair in her voice matched the feelings that stirred within Violetta.

  Queen Isobel refused to part from her son. He lay there, still as stone, his flesh growing colder by the moment. Violetta would remember this day for the rest of her life. She clung tight to Jork’s gift and prepared to race, to grasp hold of her mother, when another shard shot out of the darkness. A struggling scream filled the air. It was a scream that would haunt her forever.

  About the Author:

Born in 1993, British writer Daccari Buchelli spends his time focusing on his favourite genre, Fantasy. Having developed an early love of literature, he became determined to create his own magical wonderlands for fellow readers to explore. He spent his teenage years working on several Fantasy novellas, which he has yet to release to the general public.

He has since released the first book in a new Fantasy series, which revolves around young royals and the elemental magic that they possess.

As an active member of the LGBT+ community, Mr Buchelli hopes to help reduce intolerance and bullying by promoting acceptance and understanding of those different to ourselves.

www.buchellibooks.com

https://buchellibooksblog.blogspot.co.uk/

http://mobile.twitter.com/DaccariBuchelli

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15093628.Daccari_Buchelli

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01L5IH3QY

https://facebook.com/DaccariBuchelliBooks/

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BLOG TOUR – Phoenix was originally published on the Wordpress version of SHANNON MUIR'S INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS.

#infinite house of books #shannon muir