the first seaweed brain [s01e05] // the first wise girl [s01e06]

Percy age 17:

She recognized the way that the gods abuse each other and their children, and she recognized the way that she had been copying that, by treating people around her like means to an end instead of people. Which wasn't right, but it wasn't her fault, she's 12 and that's the only example of power she's ever been exposed to.

Percy comes into play and she realizes that there are things more powerful than the gods, and ways to reach your goals without viewing people as chess pieces.

Percy resents his mom a little for raising him away from the gods the way she did, but Annabeth sees it as the blessing it is because HE showed her there was another way. She has never had the option to choose someone she loves over the gods will, or to choose anything over the gods' will. But Percy changes that for her. She realizes the option was always there and she never knew.

The VERY FIRST THING she does once the realization kicks in is take advantage of that knowledge and take a stand against a god. Not only that, she shakes off years of only doing things for Athena's approval. She refuses to leave without Percy, even with a god telling her to go, and the knowledge that if she leaves with the shield, she'll be redeemed in her mother's eyes.

She sacrifices all that for Percy because "HE ISN'T THAT WAY."

percy : i vote for a democracy