Hell yes. I have so many thoughts on this.
I have always headcanoned that Percy is super close with Aphrodite cabin cause you know they share certain interests. Aphrodite is of the ocean, and her children are also by extension of the ocean. Percy himself is a child of the Sea. Percy has much in common with children of Aphrodite as his connection with naiads and pegasi is something he shares with them. Therefore, all of the Aphrodite cabin is besties with Percy; every single one of them, because not only does he respect them and doesn't underestimate them, but he also shares their interests.
Exhibit A:
This might be speculation, but it fits, and I like it, so we are going with it. Percy is especially close with Drew. It used to be both Silena and Drew before the war. Drew totally completely looked up to Silena, and they shared a close sibling bond. Drew has not been the same after the loss of Silena, and neither has Percy or Clarisse.
Now,surprisingly or not, I have always liked Drew. I know Rick wrote her off as the stereotypical mean girl, but I think I always found her to be more authentic. I remember her cameo in Kane Chronicles. I was excited, assuming that she would have a bigger role there, maybe but no such luck. As for what Annabeth and Piper think of her? Well, they have a skewed perspective of many things, and it's a character flaw Rick hasn't really worked on at all in the case of Annabeth but at least a little in Piper’s case. [Tell me honestly if Piper and Annabeth don't have the vibes of the sort of girls who look down on other girls because they use makeup. And that conversation they had where Piper agreed that Annabeth should leash Percy and it was necessary? Come on, people, some things speak for themself]
Either way, Drew and Percy totally gossip about campers. It's not even the usual sort of gossip but the kind that involves intel on the campers. Percy is and has shown to be very good at manipulation/charming, and despite how he may seem, he has an innate need to know people's secrets. He doesn't have to always, but he would rather like knowing. It's one of his self-preservation mechanisms. He can make people talk as if he is their long-lost relative or close friend. He has done it at some point to everyone(only because nobody keeps him in the loop properly, so he has to resort to his own ways). I have always thought that trick was a bit like charmspeak. So it's understandable that he and Drew get along very well. They recognize that in each other. They are always underestimated at first glance, but nobody's pulling strings like those two. I have a post that explores this habit of Percy, HERE.
Drew's cold and a bit scathing attitude is her defense mechanism. Children of Aphrodite are considered overly emotional or sensitive, and it's her way of subverting that assumption. She's very good at it too, and Percy is one of the very few who sees and understands what it is at first glance. After all, he himself prefers to do things on his own rather than rely on others.
I have absolutely no basis for this, but remember when Percy was ostracized after his claiming and continued to be so up until after Titan's Curse? I think the Stoll brothers, Malcolm, Silena, or Drew, some campers from Demeter and Apollo Cabin(Yew and Gardner maybe) were the only people who talked to him normally during that period.
Another thing to remember is that when Piper met Drew, she was still recovering from the loss of Silena. And Piper, the new girl, who didn't even seem to respect Aphrodite cabin and their acceptance and love for femininity and the strength in feminine characteristics and emotions and various facets of beauty suddenly gets made Head Counselor out of nowhere just because she did one quest and is involved in the Great Prophecy. Mind you, it was a position that belonged to Silena before and to Drew after as Silena's succesor. It meant a lot to her, so obviously, Drew hates Piper. Everyone in the Aphrodite cabin hates her guts. They represent something that Piper doesn't understand and she is in a position that was just handed to her like a freebie out of nowhere, a position that belonged to someone very dear to all of the Aphrodite cabin whose loss was still very fresh in their mind and Piper had the audacity to insult them in their own home?
Also, note that Percy was missing by then, and [CHB] were all frantically searching for him. Before his disappearance, I headcanon(I canonize) that Drew and Clarisse used to sit together and talk fondly about their memories of Silena or just sit in silence. Because none of them would ever recover from this. Now, with Percy gone, Drew didn't have anyone else to rely on just as much. So yes, she was in a super rough patch, and she had every right to hate Piper. Hell, I am sure the reason Percy dislikes Piper stems from this as well. The Aphrodite Cabin told him of her behavior, and it didn't sit right with Percy. He wouldn't say it to Piper’s face quite so soon but he will give her a gentle reminder once things have settled down because he is the calmest, most tolerant person on the planet until you mess with someone he loves or cares for and then you are done for.
Drew and Percy are a very odd duo and a very frightening one. To others that is. They are actually very wholesome together.
Drew Tanaka gives Percy the safe space he needs to be a complete and utter bitch without remorse and thats why I believe with all my heart that they’re really close friends. No, I do not take constructive criticism.
What do you mean he kept roaming around??? MONSTERS WERE CHASING HIM ALL THE WAY FROM THE FOREST TO CAMP JUPITER. UNLIKE JASON WHO HAD OTHER PEOPLE WITH HIM AND WAS DROPPED IN A RELATIVELY SAFER AREA, PERCY WOKE UP WITH NO MEMORY IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE WITH GORGONS ON HIS TRAIL. GORGONS, WHICH DID NOT REMAIN DEAD. OF COURSE HE HAD TO MOVE CONSTANLY; PERCY KNOWS EXACTLY HOW TO STAY ALIVE AND WAS OBVIOUSLY SMART ENOUGH TO ALWAYS KEEP THEM GUESSING.
But obviously, some readers are too ignorant or too willfully blind to understand that.
Even after he came to camp Jupiter, he had to immediately fight for his place. His only two friends so far were in a tough situation. Frank was being sent on a quest. Percy, being the loyal, selfless guy that he is, obviously went with him and Hazel to protect them and also find answers to his amnesia.
WHILE ANNABETH WAS BUSY LOOKING FOR PERCY, HE WAS BUSY SURVIVING, SAVING HIS FRIENDS, SAVING THE WORLD AND SAVING CAMP JUPITER. BUT OF COURSE HE IS AN IDIOT FOR NOT STAYING IN ONE PLACE WHEN THE HIS HELP WAS REQUIRED AND NECESSARY ELSEWHERE TO YOU KNOW HELP HIS FRIENDS AND SAVE CAMP JUPITER???
How braindead and delusional can Annabeth stans be? Sorry to burst your bubble, but Percy has other things to do than deal with Annabeth's whims and demands and he has other people who mean just as much to him as Annabeth, who he would do anything for.
And you should be thankful. Annabeth would be dead without Percy. If he hadn't jumped to join Annabeth in Tartarus, that is. You can love Annabeth, you should, she has certain good contributions but stop putting her on a non-existent pedestal especially to demean Percy, not when she has so many flaws and obvious controlling and toxic behavior towards Percy. There's no take you could have that would make anyone hate Percy and like Annabeth, whereas the reverse already exists. So stop fueling the already growing hatred against Annabeth by making such idiotic hate comments and consistent abuse apologism on Annabeth's behalf.
IF YOU'RE A PERC@BETH STAN KEEP SCROLLING. THIS IS NOT FOR YOU.
The abuse apologism is among these fans is sickening.
Do you see this?
Annabeth has to hurt Percy to let him know she's about to kiss him?
What the actual fuck. She could just. Ask. for. consent. "hey Percy can I kiss you?" It's not that fucking hard. If she doesn't understand what consent is then she has no right kissing anyone until she learns. I don't care how old she is. She's not a baby. This is a romantic kiss. Get fucking permission without hurting him. Use your fucking words.
Also no, this is not a discussion post. Don't come here defending this comment, I will not respond and will block you.
*looks away for only a single moment before looking back with starry curious eyes* I am not doing anything else until I get my hands on this suprise. Watch me.
*in a really secretive voice* Are you the suprise? Are you visiting?
[Of course we are all in. Had all the gods of death and afterlifes sign on our contract. No one's getting you out of this, dear.]
Happy Valentine's!!! ❤️❤️❤️
💐 🌹 🌸 🏵 🌼
Damn. I don't think I have ever been wished that before. Thank you so much!!!
[I would use emojis, but I dislike them, I hope the exclamations are evidence enough of how happy I am]
*whispers discreetly* Are we still getting together for literary inspiration and tax benefits? Never made it official enough.
Happy Valentines Day to you too, dear @forgechildofheph !!!
(I used my feelings quota of the day all up processing this. You better pay me back tomorrow.)
Poseidon didn't assault Medusa she was born a gorgon.
Poseidon didn't assault Medusa she was born a gorgon.
Poseidon didn't assault Medusa she was born a gorgon.
Poseidon didn't assault Medusa she was born a gorgon.
Read the Hymns. Read the texts. Read the epics. But PLEASE do not believe the continued spread of misinformation from tiktok and people who only get their information from other people.
A friend of mine pointed out that people tend to date those with similarities to their parents.
When I started poking around the PJO franchise, my brain screamed that when I looked at Annabeth and then Gabe. And now I'm thinking about how Rachel may have similarities to Sally.
Please share Perachel thoughts.
This is so GOOD. I am only mad I didn't make the connection first. Percy is a mama's boy, so it's obvious his first girlfriend is a reflection of Sally. Bear with me, this is going to be LONG.
I am going to gloss over the bit about Annabeth and Gabe because it's not as much of a comparison as it is an analogy.
[Before anybody gets mad at anon, he wasn't saying Annabeth is like Gabe, he is paralleling them because Annabeth's form of mistreatment against Percy is so subtle but so deeply unsettling that he hasn't noticed it himself and if he has been feeling suffocated he hasn't yet connected the feeling to Annabeth.]
I feel compelled to clarify a few things in Gabe Annabeth comparison and why it's unfair.
Gabe was in no way, shape, or form Percy's parent.
Percy despises anything remotely related to Gabe like alcohol or poker, so Percy would never be with someone who, even for a second, reminds Percy of Gabe.
Gabe was exploitative of Sally, heavily so with no love or affection attached to it.
Annabeth, on the other hand, does love Percy. She, however, does not love him the way he deserves to be loved because her fatal flaw and a few toxic traits get in her way. For example, Annabeth has a habit of taking Percy for granted and is not appreciative of his efforts. She shows toxic possessiveness over him and almost always gets physical with Percy due to her lack of control over her emotions and not knowing how to express them well enough. She has consistently shown a poor understanding of Percy's motivations and his choices and has a habit of putting blame on Percy in several unnecessary situations. Character development would have served us all well but it doesn't seem very likely because Rick is Rick and Annabeth's fatal flaw is hubris, which means she is unlikely to acknowledge her toxic traits.
Now, back to our main point. Let's look at some direct or indirect parallels between Sally and Rachel and some things that deviate from the mold of Sally's experiences.
Rachel, I think, has always paralleled Sally. She is a mortal born with the sight, something that Sally herself has gone through. Rachel is Sally's past, and Sally is Rachel's future in a way, at least when it comes to their sight. Yet their final choices contrast each other, which is very fascinating.
Sally is a writer, and Rachel is an artist. They both have creative interests and aspirations. They are both naturally compassionate and kind but also very strong-willed.
What Poseidon was to Sally, Percy is to Rachel, and I think I really like that parallel. Maybe in another life, Sally would have said yes to Poseidon's offer, and in another life, Rachel would have turned down the Spirit of Delphi and pursued Percy, and Percy would have pursued her.
(They represent the pathway to an entirely new world to both Sally and Rachel, and its a feeling you cherish forever.)
Remember how being in the rain or near the sea makes Sally look younger and healthier, I think Rachel has a similar connection to the things Percy is connected with. After meeting him, she does seem to like beaches more. Considering her vacation spot was a beach and she also went on a beach date with Percy.
(You might think Percy chose that date spot, but it was obviously Rachel cause Percy is a gentleman who would definitely let his partner choose the date spots and then prepare the date for them as they like)
Her visions begin revolving around Percy, and Percy himself begins dreaming often of her. Not just visions but in general. It is stated in Botl that he dreamed of running into her again and not being able to answer her questions.
Another thing is that Sally parallels Rachel in case of emotional nuances between her and Poseidon and Rachel and Percy. Even after all these years, Sally trusts that Poseidon will not abandon Percy and will protect him when it comes to it, even after her death; especially after her death. The same way Rachel is comfortable in calling Percy whenever she is in trouble or when the visions are bothering her [I think we get a mention of how Percy has met with Rachel's father in The Last Olympian and how Rachel's father TRUSTS Percy's word about keeping Rachel SAFE.] And for the shippers, he has already met the parents and they approve lol.
The trust goes both ways, too. Cause we know Percy is an extremely private person and doesn't like to share anything about himself unless he is obligated too and even then sparingly. Even after being friends with him for so many years, Annabeth and Grover are in dark about a lot of things about him but Rache who has canonically had visions about Percy and his experiences, who has the power to tap into Percy's past and Percy is just so chill with that. Like he knows Rachel knows cause he has had several visions of his own about her, but he just lets it go.
Percy Jackson of all people TRUSTS Rachel enough to let her peek into his past experiences, hell it's because of her that he uncovered the true meaning of the prophecy and then TRUSTED HER WORDS ENOUGH TO STAKE THE FATE OF THE WORLD ON IT. We all know he hates Luke like no one else has hated Luke ever and yet GIVES Luke the knife, not cause of Annabeth's or Hermes's trust in him [they have both been wrong before] but because RACHEL SAID SO.
Another thing that's reminiscent of Sally's relationship with Poseidon is the fact that Sally was in no delusion of who she was with. No delusion of Poseidon being anything other than what he was, a force of nature and a god. He was kind and soft with her, but she was not disillusioned to his other natures. The same goes for Rachel.
Rachel doesn't expect Percy to be some tamed down version of himself or for him to suppress his impulses or nature. He is soft and nice to her. She appreciates it, but she doesn't expect nor want him to be anything other than what he is. As evidenced by the lovely painting she gives him of Percy looking fearsome against his battle with Antaeus. It was such a sight that Percy himself was jarred, but Rachel said he looked good. She was totally fine with his darkside, accepted it, and understood it.
Rachel also has a very positive relationship with things Percy is passionate about. She has a keen sense for environmental conservation as we see her participating in a charity work (actual volunteering) in BoTL and we know how sensitive Percy is on rivers or oceans being unclean.
She also seems to have a great bond with Percy's companions. Like you are telling me Blackjack, who has trauma of his time with being captive on Princess Andromeda under Luke, and who is fiercely loyal to Percy, let Rachel just order him into going to CHB like that. Obviously, Blackjack likes her enough to let her take him without Percy's explicit permission and without informing Percy because he knows his boss cares about her. I don't know how we, as a fandom, moved on from that scene. It's so beautiful that Rachel is able to connect to Blackjack so seamlessly. And how one of Percy's first thoughts is worrying about Rachel's well-being as soon as he finds out.
Don't even get me started on how him, including Nico and Hades in his wish and demanding justice and respect for children of Hades, is what broke the curse on the Oracle. I think Percy knew what Rachel was going to do or what her role was due to him seeing the visions of May Castellan, and don't tell me he didn't include Nico in his wish for that reason as well. And he was still so panicked when Rachel swore the oath to Apollo, despite the curse already being broken.
There's also a point of how they are both very integral part of Olympus and quite above the others in terms of hierarchy. Percy is the twice savior of Olympus. Several gods owe him a favor, and he is the prince of Atlantis. Rachel is the vessel of Spirit of Delphi, a force that has existed before even the gods. The Olympians need her, the demigods need her, and she is under the protection of Zeus himself. The two most important people in the world exempting gods and other immortals are literally them.
This is why it bothers me when people say Perachel is a big what if. Perachel isn't a what-if. It already happened. It simply didn't last. Not because they didn't want to but because the choice was taken from them. But both Percy and Rachel chose to save the world and chose to do the duty expected of them over dooming the world and being in a relationship. Destiny is inherently unjust as it were. The only what if's are what if they chose to defy expectations and rules and got back together anyway.
The Savior of Olympus and the Oracle of Delphi are a perfect match, but fate would not let it be. Perhaps in another world, they would have cared less about the fate of the world or less about defying Olympus. Maybe when Percy becomes immortal, he will finally get a chance to be with Rachel. In my headcanons, that is how it goes. I admit I like the dynamic of the strongest demigod ever and the Oracle herself teaming up. It's not like anyone can top that duo. The power couple that they would have been, the fandom is not ready for it.
Question. do you think Percy should have stayed Single? Or ended up with somebody other than Annabeth? I Really think he should have stayed Single. Because I personally don't Like Percabeth, I don't Ship Percabeth and I don't Like Annabeth at all because of the way the Shippers act, or The way the characters themselves in Canon Act, like how Percy just does whatever Annabeth says, or how Percy is scared of Annabeth, Or how fans make it seem like Percy would become an Emo Edge Lord if something happened to Annabeth, Or How much she Belittles and Degrades him (I hate the nickname Seaweed brain), Especially since she acts like Percy cant do anything without her That moment when She and Reyna were talking about how ("Percy Couldn't find his way out of a Paper Bag without you")Made me SO mad it made me Dislike Annabeth even more and Dislike the Percabeth Ship as a Whole, I even hated when she Pretty much Restricted percy of using his powers You Know? "The sea doesn't like to be Restrained" well here it is.. being restrained...Exactly what it hates, and I hate how the Fandom makes Percabeth a Godly Ship saying they are the "It Couple" which they aren't and how They treat anyone who doesn't like Percabeth or Ships Percy with someone else other then Annabeth, but the one thing I HATE the most is how they make EVERYTHING percy Does Romantic for Annabeth like she's the only person who matters to him (Percy Only Remembering Annabeth (a Girl he's Known for only a couple years) Instead of The woman Who RAISED him by a goddess who isn't even the goddess of Love Made me SO MAD and Even when Annabeth made Percy remember when he was in the River Styx when it should have been his Mom made me mad) which is why I mostly believe that Percy Should have just stayed Single (I'm all for an Aromantic Percy) or At least Give him a Love interest who he can be Comfortable around and doesn't have to Constantly walk on Eggshells around her (I wished he Dated Rachel) or Hell Even make him Gay i've saw characters who have Better chemistry with Percy then Annabeth IMO but this all just my opinion.
You honestly don't know how long I could rant on this exact subject.
It's partly Annabeth's fault, and it's partly Rick's fault.
Anyone and everyone who has read the Pjo and HoO series should have noticed how illogical Percy's personality change was.
Percy Jackson, the hero of Olympus and the strongest demigod to ever live, sassy as can be, laid back but scary beyond measure if you cross him and an absolute menace to his enemies and loyal to death.
That's who he is, and Rick remembered that initially, and even till Son of Neptune then he just forgot how Percy someone he himself wrote to be this way is.
It's like Percy has no identity of his own, and he is only significant if he is with Annabeth. Like hello, he's the main character people, is the Fandom seriously going to degrade the main character, especially when the said mc is Percy Jackson???
Percy, despite his own issues, is and will always be foremost in helping people. He would be the first person to help keep the seven together. He would be the first to try and make a bond. He wouldn't have some stupid and illogical and totally ooc beef with Jason. Instead, he would help Jason be more sure of himself to stand up to Jupiter and for himself.
He would help Leo personally to bring back Calypso and they would both shit talk Olympians and how fickle their oaths are.
He would literally do anything to save Nico. Like hello, are you telling me that the boy who at 14 took it upon himself to bear the Great Prophecy, which he thought who end up killing him just to save Nico from that fate????? He would go absolutely madly feral to save Nico from the Giants.
If Piper and Reyna had their screws all properly fit they would see that Annabeth and literally everyone else would be all left to die if it wasn't for Percy. Percy gets himself out of everything by his own efforts and his own strategies. (Annabeth's rarely work). It's time the Fandom acknowledges that the best strategist in the verse is Percy, no questions asked and finally give him due credit for all HIS efforts.
Percy would never ever leave Sally unless it was for a quest, especially not when she was pregnant and absolutely not to go to college, something he hates especially when it concerns New Rome.
Here's a thing about Percabeth shippers they care about Annabeth's plans and her dreams, not Percy's. It is literally so out of character for Percy to want to live in New Rome a place that invests in a child army, a place that despises his father and wouldn't even build him a decent temple, a place so extremely cut off from the sea.
If Percy wanted to live in peace and grow old, he would do it in a place of his choosing close to his mother, Paul and Estelle, and close to the sea. But here's the thing about Percy.
I don't think people get this, but Percy can't just up and leave, nor would he want to. His damned fatal flaw is LOYALTY. He would never ever leave demigods or anyone helpless by leaving Camp Half Blood. Sure he would take less quests on but he would ALWAYS stick around and Rick did him so dirty by making all his thoughts revolve around Annabeth and insinuating he would let others suffer just fine to be with Annabeth.
Percy gave up immortality because he took Sally's teaching to heart as she did so too when she denied Poseidon's offer. He did it for himself for demigods it didn't have shit to do with Annabeth, but of course, he would look at her because she represents his life as a demigod.
Rick making Percy see Annabeth near the Styx and making him remember Annabeth instead of Sally is just him bullshitting. We all know Percy is a mama's boy, and he would do right by Sally always, so him giving a girl who he has known for barely long enough has no basis to it.
And Percabeth stans literally can't take a mention of a single alternate Percy pairing that alone is the biggest red flag. Because they know their ship is toxic and that Annabeth is the root of it.
For the PEOPLE IN THE BACK aka toxic stans:
Annabeth's fatal flaw is HUBRIS, and she is by nature controlling and condescending, and her character had the chance to GROW and CHANGE, and it would have been the most epic character growth sequel but she did not and she is CONTROLLING, DISMISSIVE , DEMEANING.
The newest Read Riordan entry literally has Annabeth saying that she needs to catch up to Percy cause he scores a better grade than her in school (even there Percy is smarter folks there you have it) and she literally says if she doesn't catch up Percy might start calling her SEAWEED BRAIN. So it is a demeaning nickname she gives Percy and continues calling him that even after knowing how Gabe similarly verbally abused Percy.
This is the fandom's IT couple? Wow. Percy literally is going against his own nature of being free and unrestrained like the sea because of Annabeth's controlling nature.
The worst of her behavior is when she blames Percy for his disappearance when she dismissed him when he was talking about his trauma induced by Gabe, her beyond toxic treatment of Rachel, especially when she unreasonably asked Percy to supress the use of the very power that got them out alive (she is scared naturally but she cannot force her own fear on Percy when he did nothing wrong).
So yeah, Percy Jackson with anyone but Annabeth. I am all for aromantic Percy, but personally, I find Perachel to be more appealing.
Trust me, I could rant about this for hours, especially how Rick butchered Percy's personality and made it full of Annabeth, especially how he threw Percy's insecurities and trauma and PTSD out of the gutter post tartarus.
Did we all just collectively forget that Percy sat on his father’s throne?
Percy: “Ladies and gentlemen” is unnecessarily gendered, overly formal, lengthy, and honestly, I’m falling asleep already. “Cowards” on the other hand, is inclusive to all genders, to the point, and dramatic.
Poseidon: Percy. My dearest and favourite child. You cannot address the council of the gods as cowards.
Percy: But-
Poseidon: Even if they are cowards. Yes, I know. We should've done better in the last two wars. You still cannot do it, because then Zeus will try to smite you. I will stop him. We will fight and likely start world war 3. You might get caught in the crossfire and end up dead.
Percy: But-
Poseidon: Tyson, Sally, Paul and Estelle will all likely get caught in the crossfire.
Percy:
Percy: Fine. I'll use a different introduction.
I completely agree with you, and you are absolutely correct when saying that Odysseus is not the only one Athena favors. She obviously favors a lot of heroes given that she is the goddess that guides most heroes. Terribly sorry if I implied she favors Odysseus only. There's Diomedes, Achilles, Perseus, and then some.
My favorite Athena moment aside from all this is when she helps Diomedes who I honestly believe aside from Odysseus is the only hero she favors quite so highly given that she blessed him with such power; he literally managed to wound Aphrodite all on his own with just Athena's blessing so it obviously shows her favor. I just meant that she favors Odysseus the most out of any and all heroes for all the aforementioned reasons.
I am so glad to see someone with knowledge of actual Odyssey and Iliad agree with some of the points I have made. (I myself want to read those but am swamped with study)
I am obsessed with Epic, the musical as all people are and should be.
One of my absolute favorite parts (I love everything about it, the lyrical genius, the phenomenal melodies, the best cast) about the Saga itself is Athena and Odysseus's relation.
There are lots of opinions on how Athena doesn't treat Odysseus as a person but as a property, which I think is slightly misinterpreted. Odysseus is the only one in the whole Greek mythology to be so favored by Athena. She sees her very self reflected in him and hence sees him as an extension of herself given that she takes time and effort to teach Odysseus everything she can.
Yes, Odysseus gets ahead of himself and gets sentimental of sorts, but in the end, the mistake that causes his initial falling out with her is also something that mirrors Athena. Hubris is Athena's fatal flaw, and it's the same for Odysseus.
Athena's greatest ability is critical thinking in the heat of the moment, something Odysseus himself lives by and represents.
Gods are not flawless. No, they are every bit flawed, and deep deep down, they know it.
To Athena Odysseus giving into his flaws is a slap to the face because despite knowing her own and knowing how Odysseus reflects hers, she fails to make him overcome it.
He is also perhaps the only person to have insulted Athena to her face and lived to tell the tale without any repercussions because she knows he tells the truth but most of all because she accepts that if anyone has the right to reprimand her its Odysseus someone who has lived by her principles.
Even after their falling out, Athena defends him against the Olympians, and despite everything, Odysseus does his best to stick to Athena's teachings and doesn't hate her.
Athena does her best to advice Telemacus and even calls him her friend.
Throughout the Greeks myths, it is cemented that Athena and Odysseus had a strong relationship and were equals more so than a hero and his patron
The most ironically beautiful thing was that I was rereading Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus books to find Odysseus references through Mark of Athena and the part where Annabeth finds Athena at the subway, lost and frazzled,turned into Minerva due to the Roman and Greek demigods being together.
Minerva is nothing like Athena, she is Athena who is bitter and enraged and consumed with vengeance against the Romans who attacked her city and turned her into a just a Goddess of Wisdom and Crafts taking from her the domain of war and strategy. And in this emotionally heightened, unstable state that goes against her very nature, Annabeth hears her mumbling, "If Odysseus were here, he would know the way, he would know how best to help.."
And that to me is so raw and beautiful that in this terrible state that's basically a mental breakdown, The Goddes of Wisdom and Strategy thinks that Odysseus would be able to help. A mortal, yes, a great hero but still a mortal, and help in what? In guiding Athena herself as she tries to find her way back to her place of power, in guiding the lost goddess of wisdom.
Through the whole Percy Jackson series, it is repeatedly iterated how Odysseus is Athena's most and all-time favorite.
I also like how those books portray Odysseus as he was, a great hero and the most loyal husband.
I just had to rant on this. It's kept me awake for so long.
JAY WHEN I CATCH YOU JAY!!
I know, I know, I am so late to the ever-growing brainrot due to Epic now with the Underworld Saga out but I honestly needed to just sit with that thing for a while.
Polites was obviously expected, but the open arms reprise still hurt, especially with Ody deciding to abandon Polites's ideals, which are something he has considered to be a crucial part of him for a long time.
What made this more tragic is the fact that we as an audience know for a fact that the monster ideology is what will get Odysseus back home and would have also not gotten Polites killed and yet it's so much better that he doesn't have to witness his best friend become that sort of monster and he could instead die with some semblance of peace knowing for all the pain it got him Odysseus still believed in his ideals till his dying breath and only in death has Odysseus made peace with the monster he has to become and that he will never have to see it or know it happen especially because he was one of the catalysts that incited it. (It would destroy Polites to know that, but he doesn't. Therefore, he died in peace with his ideals held intact, and so did his best friend because Odysseus is no longer himself when he gets back!!!!!!)
Don't even get me started on Anticlea. Tell me it doesn't haunt Odysseus for the rest of his days. The hollow voice waiting and waiting unwavering in love as it fades for something that will never be a reality, not for Anticlea, not in her lifetime and him forever unable to soothe her even after he brings his mother's once futile hopes to fruition. And the tragedy that no matter how enduring a will and unwavering her beliefs, she is and has always been betting against Gods and for all their supposed benevolence they will not grant her only wish; that she dies with no semblance of an idea of what happened to her beloved son.
And Odysseus is the most tragic of them all for he knows all of this and more, has to feel and survive past it and watch his own descent into monstrosity as he falters at last in the face of a wretched Prophecy that seeks to upend all hopes of the haven he thought he would be returning to from the hell he has sailed through.
God the songs are so good and so just and so repulsively heartwrenching when you think on it for even a little while, I swear Jay and the whole Epic cast has written arguably the greatest masterpiece of a musical!
I have a Question.
I'm just know finding out about percy jackson and was wondering...
Is this book series worth reading?
Even though it's almost like 10 years old?
I'm really late finding out about it
And what things should I look out for in the Fandom and the books?
Oh my, am I really going to be the one to introduce you to Percy Jackson Series? What an honor! 100%, yes, you should absolutely read it. The main series, at least for sure.
There's some serious drama going on in the fandom right now over certain sequels but the orignal series is perfection.
If you are looking for a fast-paced, action-adventure sort of thing but with tons of humor, then that's the series for you. There's a romantic sub-plot as well if you are interested in that. Percy is one of the sassiest main characters ever and one of the best main characters of all time to date, period.
All the characters are great and nuanced (stick to the main series for this), and it's an awesome mix of fun , trauma, and battles. And no one, no one in the entirety of fandom will ever say they regretted reading the series. The only reason everyone is so furious at the later sequels is because we absolutely adored the main series and want a fitting continuation. Now, this main series I keep talking about refers to Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which is the first set. Five books in this order:
The Lightning thief
Sea of Monsters
The Titan's Curse
Battle of the Labyrinth
The Last Olympian
Now my advice is that you read certain short stories like The Stolen Chariot, The Bronze Dragon, and the Sword of Hades before The Last Olympian. Personally, I think you can skip the Bronze Dragon, but the other two, especially the Sword of Hades, are a must-read.
There are post main series short stories too, but I won't overwhelm you with them right now.
After this, when (not if) you fall absolutely in love with the series, you can read Heroes of Olympus series [also 5 books], which is the second set. It's a direct continuation of the first series. There's some whacky stuff here and there, which means there are a few problems with certain characterizations, but ultimately, it's worth it. You would have to be a super serious fan to be bothered by it, so don't worry about it. It's all great. Heroes of Olympus gets really, really good in the middle, and personally, you should absolutely read it cause you would be missing out on a whole lot of greatness if you don't.
There are other book series taking place in the same universe and lots of fun cross-overs, if you like that sort of thing.
The fandom is a great place if you want for super cool headcanons or great character analysis or great au fanfics, and so on. A few characters have toxic stans, I won't mention which characters cause you might be put off by that during reading; these stans are mainly involved in the ships' monopoly. There are many ships and you can ship whoever you want really but some of the blind fandom is a bit touchy feely regarding their pairings so yeah try not to get involved in those if you want a fun time and a peace of mind( mainly cause you won't have to deal with toxic stans) ; unless you want to cause chaos instead (join the party), which is where the real fun is.
You are going to completely and absolutely love this series, I guarantee you. Take my word on it. Have fun, and if you have a blog here, would love to know your personal reviews after reading each book.
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