#mav.pjo

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.

Hazel never died sinking that island, and is a fully realized semi-immortal witch with 90 years of magic under her belt prepared to finally take revenge on the goddess that got her mother killed. i imagine she’s around 105ish

Frank just got out of his second tour in the military after following his mother into combat. he’s just lost his grandmother and he survived more active combat than his mom did and he’s in mourning and angry about his losses when he discovers his family heritage and gift. he’s probably mid-fifties.

Leo runs a halfway house for kids coming from abusive foster homes or aging out of the system and if they need it he employs them in his machine shop and teaches them a trade to get them going in life. he’s been sickly his whole life and he’s still terrified of fire and in denial about his power. when he finally accepts it and uses it he gets healthier. probably similar age to Frank, around 50ish.

Piper finally realized her dad, though he loved her, would never put her before his job. she leaves and goes to live on her own back where grandpa tom lived—their tribe’s Cherokee reservation. i imagine she’d learn to wield her charmspeak wisely and become an activist. late thirties, maybe?

when his decade of service was up, Jason took leave and tracked down his mother. he discovered her drinking, her death, and that, after she gave him up, she had another kid. a daughter. he’d planned to go back to the Legion for a few more years, but upon learning this his life’s mission becomes tracking down Thalia Grace. late twenties, early thirties.

Percy and Annabeth remain the same, though maybe the giant war doesn’t start until after they graduate high school. freshly eighteen year old Annabeth has the rest of her life ahead of her, until she goes to pick Percy up for their college orientation, and he isn’t there. he isn’t anywhere.