#really?

Meanwhile, I am in the library with low shelf lighting and a starry night projector running, wearing noise-cancelling headphones and reading a book about rival wizards reluctantly falling in love with each other.

Heyyy guys here’s my 2 submissions to the @aceartcollab. That first outfit with the fedora has been on my mind since I first saw him I had to draw him, and when I saw the mystery adult man in a cloak I had to 🥺

I think everyone's powers in PJO (except Percy) were very underutilized. Like Hermes is a psychopomp, one of his kids should be seeing the dead and knowing death dates. Or Demeter, I think it would be really cool if, instead of plant powers, one of her kids had more winter powers. Or Aphrodite, some sort of emotion-tuning, see different kinds of love, ocean controlling, frenzy, mob powers. And don't get me started on Ares or Athena. This is going to be a rant, bear with me:

Okay, my headcannon for an Ares kid is that the longer a fight lasts, the stronger they get, and they can heal much faster in battle, so monsters need sneak attacks. They can also do killing intent like in Naruto and read people's intents, like if they're bloodthirsty or scared, or whatever. Their adrenaline is actually supernatural, like instant combat readiness, and fear of death doesn't paralyze them, it makes their ADHD go overtime. They are also the most ADHD kids in camp. They instinctively know if the fight will turn, and if a fight's happening, they can naturally intensify it around them to draw monsters closer. Anger boosts speed, strength, and reflexes, and once they decide to fight, taunts, fear tactics, and intimidation don’t work. Kinda like Reyna, they can give their allies resistance to fear and panic, and plans or tech, etc, degrade the longer you're in a fight with them. Basically, with children of Ares, ambushes are best because they have ALL the power once they start fighting back.

For Athena, there have been one or two kids with ocean-related powers, but most of their powers are more subtle. I headcannon them like Ares kids, they're immune to emotional manipulation and charms, think best under pressure, and when they're focused, they can literally just shut out distractions entirely. They're like the Batman of PJO. They always have backup plans, they sense danger before it appears, they notice what others miss, they're unbelievably patient and can find exactly what they need, or have Ladybug's lucky sight showing what they need. They remember everything, they have a mental library/occlumency like in Harry Potter. They can "read" old magic, symbols, and rituals instinctively, and once they gain an advantage, it WILL snowball. They always know where to stand, they have Athena's quick thought, where they can simulate outcomes seconds to hours ahead, they rapidly learn any craft or tool, and if they have proper supplies, they can fix almost anything with enough time. When they speak, people will listen even if they don't get why. One of Athena's things is justice, so maybe her kids can also sense lies/half-truths/self-deception, and see long-term consequences of actions. Anyway, I think a child of Athena will be the strongest before the fight starts. Maybe more flashy powers are that their attacks never miss the true target, or they can instantly adapt to enemy styles