#mav.ask

The difference in expectations is insane, and the worst part is that given all that, Percy was still way more successful in winning over Camp Jupiter (being made an outright co-leader) compared to Jason, who was just kind of... there?

Like damn, even Hera/Juno had more faith in Percy than in Jason.

wow this got. long. and i think there were multiple reasons for it, honestly, but this is a big one, yeah.

Jason Grace was given months to acclimate the greeks to the idea that the roman were real and they’d have to work together (and Leo was given months to build a really big dragon boat). but i also think that the romans are more notably politicians, while the greeks are primarily warriors. Jason had his work cut out for him teaching them the do’s and don’ts of showing up at new rome with a warship.

while, yes, Percy had more bias to overcome because the romans Hate Greeks—the second he showed up, Juno said, “hey guys this is Percy he’s so nice and we here on Olympus Love Him So Much :)” so they had to at least accept him, and hear him out. and then Mars shows up, after Percy’s led Frank and Hazel into a Three Man Victory in war games and a few things happen: first, Percy says, “hey, i’ve got beef with you, and i hate you, and i’ve definitely fought you,” and Mars agrees, which means that oh my gods Percy fought Mars and survived which means he’s a beast and Also oh my gods Percy fought Mars and Mars is still showing him Respect. the second thing is, Percy Jackson Disrespects One Of Rome’s Most Important Gods And Gets Away With It. that is a Big Deal and doesn’t go unnoticed. and then, thing three, after mutually agreeing that they’re kinda-enemies-ish, Mars gives Percy the honor of going on a quest, which hasn’t happened in new Rome in decades and also even then it wasn’t given by a god.

Percy shows up at New Rome heralded by the Olympians and they help him with that heavy-lifting Jason has to do on his own. they lend him credibility. so when he gets back from his quest, successful in his goal and getting them weapons they sorely needed, and then singlehandedly defeats a giant with his sword and a statue of a god, they trust him. they trust him enough to make him praetor. they put him in charge, which means they then have no choice but to listen to him when he says “let that friendly warship land it’s my friends :D” and more importantly, they trust him in this, too.

(also—let’s be real. he couldn’t have been awake for months because the second anyone pointed out to Percy that he had a New York Accent he would have been Gone and trekking across the country in a desperate, amnesia-fueled attempt to find someone who can tell him what the fuck is going on and who the fuck he is. Jason, on the other hand, is a good little soldier who will do as he’s told without complaint or obscenity-riddled tirades.)

so, yes—Percy got less time to accomplish the same thing. but he did get two gods and a quest designed to earn him the Legion’s trust. Jason didn’t get that help. he got a quest to free a goddess that has earned attitudes from “meh,” to “hey you should just leave her to Die For Real we Hate The Queen Of Olympus” around Camp, and of course the greek gods had been sequestered away in Olympus for a no-contact sticking-our-heads-in-the-sand if-we-can’t-see-it-it’s-not-happening slumber party.

oh, bestie, the best part is: i haven’t read the newer books. i stopped back when the characterizations were at least halfway accurate. i get to bitch and moan as someone who still remembers The Old Ways.

beautiful as poisonous flowers.

One touch and you're dead.

they are though—they’re venomous creatures, poisonous flowers, forces of nature. the world itself runs through their veins. gods treat them with caution; mere humans don’t stand a chance.

Percy is a riptide. he’s the calm of ocean, moments before its rage. he’s the sun on the beach, the warmth of the sand, the calming, constant crash of the waves. he’s the smell of the salt in the air and the cold of the water against your skin. you can swim, you think, you’ll be fine. he smiles and it’s more beautiful than a sunset over the shore. and then the pull starts. in seconds, you’re farther from shore than you’ve ever been before. trying to swim back tires you out and sees you no closer than before. in fact, now you’re even farther out. the water pulls you under, still as beautiful as it was from shore, and you can’t find your way back up.

Thalia is the eye of the hurricane. the deceitful calm at the end of the storm, luring you out from your shelter. there is nothing more peaceful, more still and tranquil. the sun peeks out from the clouds that surround you from all sides. the wind and rain have died. there’s a rainbow in the sky. the storm is over—except it isn’t. one moment is all it takes, and the hurricane is back with a vengeance. the wind tears at you, rain lashes at you, thunder shakes your bones in place. you walked too far from your shelter, and you might not be able to make your way back.

Jason is hail. the rain is beautiful. it’s a breathtaking storm: impressive thunder, streaking lightning, howling wind. the house shakes around you and the lights go out. the concussive sound of the rain on the roof is soothing, until it isn’t. until it isn’t rain, and the roof isn’t whole. now, the storm is invading your home. the hail is punching its way into everything it can reach. car alarms spring to life outside; those who were watching in awe are now fleeing in terror. it only takes one hit, after all—one lucky piece of hail—to end a life.

Nico is an earthquake. the planet is ancient; the ground was old before you were here and it will be old after you go. it’s sturdy, and supportive, provides life and food and shelter. long ago, when the ground danced, when it shook itself free and sent cities tumbling to the ground, they called it the gods’ wrath. now, it’s called plate tectonics. no matter what it is, no matter why it happens, it is lethal and dangerous and uncaring of those it affects. nowhere is safe when the world turns on you, and if it decides you and your shelter should fall, you will.

their skin turns pale and becomes covered with a thin layer of scales, they also experience symptoms such as increased appetite, emotional instability, bone aches, body pain, inability to move, apathy, irritability drowsiness and much more.

this condition usually lasts 4 days or a maximum of a week.

ok that's cool but it gives me a slightly different idea:

poseidon's children change with the tides.

a spring tide is called a King Tide. the waves spring forth, grow in power and size. high tides are larger, hit harder; low tides are smaller, more gentle. there is more variation between the highest highs and the lowest lows. the sun and moon work in tandem to push the sea.

during a spring tide, poseidon's children are louder, more boisterous, more confident. they are always natural leaders, but during spring tides, it's easy to imagine them born to lead, leaping from the womb to the battlefield in little less than a breath. they sleep deeper, more restfully, and their circadian rhythm syncs with the low tides. nothing can touch a child of poseidon during a spring tide. nothing can bring them down. they could be immortal, gods themselves, powerful and inspiring and strong.

a neap tide happens not long after. the sun and moon are at odds, pulling the waters in different directions. the highs and lows don't vary as much, stay closer to baseline. the ocean is more moderate in temperament.

neap tides result in the children of poseidon acting more docile. the oceans are calmer, and they reflect it. it's harder to rile them up, harder to upset them, harder to make them laugh uncontrollably. it's harder to see them as a leader, a general, rather than a cold, calculating strategist. could they really be both? they sleep differently, shorter amounts more often; train differently, more geared toward endurance than speed; plan differently, more reserved and reactive than offensive and explosive.

a tsunami sees poseidon's children at the height of their power. it's as if they've forgotten they were ever mortal. the ocean recedes, preparing to swell to colossal sizes, and poseidon's children grow quieter with it. anticipation buzzes in their veins, excitement keeps them unable to be still. the closer the tidal wave gets the more they seem to grow, their presence almost overwhelming, their laughter too much for their lungs, their words to loud for their mouths, their actions too sharp and jagged and powerful to be human. they look like gods; they look like monsters.

i've been looking through my history for a few days trying to find the good ones. hopefully you like these:

someone to watch me die by SaDnEsS123 | an inhuman Percy decides that the Titans are the better option. amazing imagery and interesting take on Percy's fatal flaw

the maskless series by blackjacktheboss (on tumblr with the same url, last i checked) | Percy and Annabeth, falling apart and then finding each other again. awesome angst sprinkled throughout. nice ideas about how percabeth grows up.

riptide also by blackjacktheboss (hadn't realized they were written by the same person lmao check their other stuff out too) | percy is a superhero au! very fun take on superhero powers.

walking backwards into my own myth by mrthology | amazing take on percy facing apotheosis as well as a groundhog day-type situation.

hold the hand of the god-child by iwillpassthis | dionysus meddles and accidentally almost becomes like a dad to that perry johnson kid.

monstrosity by arrow_the_archer | percy is poseidon's wrath. interesting concept.