Yess, The Fandom Really Needs To Speak On This. Annabeth Chase Is Definitely Not The Smartest Cause Percy

Post-tartarus Percy and Annabeth and even post tartarus Nico weren't written well at all. Tartarus makes them manic, always on edge, jumpy. This is PTSD and it doesn't just go away. Not to mention, they lost Bob and Damasen.

Yes, sure, one could argue there weren't many opportunities for Rick to explore how Tartarus changed Percy in Heroes of Olympus series. There still should have been mentions.

Rick focused on Bob and Damasen part for a bit and then never again. It's like after Tartarus arc, Percy and Annabeth were back to being themselves, which is such a character assassination. Here are a few ways in which I think Tartarus changed Percy:

PART 1-PERCY

Percy becomes hypervigilant at all times.

He can barely sleep, and whenever he does, he is always affected by terrible nightmares.

He feels extremely guilty about not being able to save Bob and Damasen and hence is now extremely protective of his other friends and family.

He no longer feels at all safe in his cabin or at camp and avoids it since Hera abducting him from there led to the whole thing.

He spends large amounts of time away from the camp and avoids other demigods because he is constantly afraid he is going to hurt someone.

Percy only ever feels truly safe by the sea .

Percy knows how delicate Sally and Paul act around him, and he hates it and hates himself for it. They don't say a word even when his screams wake them up. In fact, they just sit beside him, holding his hand and letting him cry or scream. Mostly, he just finds himself shutting down.

Poseidon also makes his own protective tendencies known, and when Percy gets too manic to stay anywhere, he whisks him away to Atlantis to calm him and give him comfort.

Every night, Percy finds a place to look at the stars and repeat the same message : Bob says hello.

He becomes an entirely different person when attacked when fighting monsters. A killing machine. It scares most people especially Annabeth.

Percy becomes a lot more aloof and likes being by himself (so he doesn't have to bear the responsibility for protecting someone other than him for a while)

He becomes a bit more pensive and talks less than usual.

He hates his own power but doesn't shy away from using it in dangerous situations. But this leaves him with a long internal struggle.

He begins to think of himself as monstrous.

He can't feel at ease without feeling Riptide in his grasp.

Somedays the nightmares, the memories get so worse that he has to make himself bleed to take the worst of it away.

He becomes skeptical of most things: people, and food and objects.

Everyone makes sure not to bring Calypso in the same room as him lest he kill her then and there. It takes him a long time to forgive her.

Percy is now so good at sensing monsters that he is always ten steps ahead of everyone.

The worst of it is Percy's constant need to fight something. He spars with multiple strong opponents to at least make it a bit challenging for him. It makes him feel like Ares, and he hates it.

Percy's first true genuine smile is when he finds out he is going to have a baby sister.

Will cover Annabeth's and then Nico's in the next parts. This is enough ptsd for all of us for one day.

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.)

hey, there's a story called "FAIRPLAY" in this one-part book of klayley stories. the ending of this story was a disappointment for me. i wanted klaus to regret what he did over time, to miss hayley and fight to win her back. can you please read this story and write a sequel in a different way? https://www.wattpad.com/619262551-klayley-one-shots-short-stories-fairplay

Klaus

She was gone. All traces of Hayley Marshall, his little wolf, were wiped out from New Orleans. He shook his head at the thought. She was no longer his anymore, then why did her absence gnaw at him, a strange emptiness nothing could fill. It was as if she was never there except for the scathing looks the wolves directed at him behind his back which he knew were well deserved on his part, the endless bickerings of his siblings which have worsened over time with none to mediate in between and a dull everpresent ache in his chest further served as a constant reminder which only intensified the more he though of her. You would think with her gone there wouldn’t be much to think about, but bloody hell, every little thing promoted him to think of her. She was nowhere and she was everywhere , it was maddening. Even his room smelt of her. No matter how much perfume of her own Camilie tried to smear against the sheets or fill up the room with her things. The room still smelt of his little wolf so much he could barely breathe. Not just his room but the whole damned compound. It's as if the mansion itself was also holding onto Hayley with everything. He wouldn’t be surprised. Initially, Hayley had hated the Abattior, but over time, it grew on her so much so that she , Rebekah and Kol had gone on a renovation spree with Elijah contributing useful inputs. He? He had merely watched in absolute enjoyment as Hayley conquered the Abattior for her own, interfering only when it was asked of him.

"Klaus?" The soft timbre of Camilie's voice dragged him back to the present; one of their usual dinners Camille arranged at her house to talk about things that bothered him. He understood Camilie's efforts to fill the void Hayley had left behind but that was an impossible task. "Just marveling at human stupidity. " He remarked in regard to a client she was telling him about which for the life of him he couldn’t focus on. Maybe he didn't like such talks after all. You listened to Hayley talk of her day. You even talked about your own with her. His traitorous mind reminded him but that was a different matter. It was nigh impossible not to listen to the Hayley's regal, firm and commanding voice that had a certain lilt to it that allured all who heard it. That and their conversations were so spontaneous from Faction politics to wolf stuff to his own adventures to vampire history, the way he had eliminated his enemies in the past and how he would eliminate them currently, an outing in which she happily tagged along.

Even their dinners were either private or spent with the whole family, mostly the latter given how much Hayley and he himself enjoyed it. He had tried that with Camilie, but the Mikaelsons had always been a tightly knit family, and Hayley was adored by all without exception. So his family was neither subtle nor gentle in their hostility against Camilie. Even Marcel seemed unwilling to have her presence at the family dinner. Rebekah never the one to be fond of sweet Cami as she put it had nearly killed Camillie on learning what had transpired had he not intervened. Even he was feeling the unwelcome looks of his own family, and dining in his room was out of question. He hated food crumbs littering his space. The only exception was Hayley whenever she felt like stuffing her face with ice cream late at night. He had tried to get her to stop but she had given him a look that said either we both stay or I go and she never let ice cream fall and even if it did he could just lick it off her skin. Yes, he was going mad with missing her. His family had given him enough shit as is for it as if he didn't know how badly he had botched things. He remembered how it had started when he was on one of his trips to the Bayou and had overheard a Pack elder talking to Hayley, "You need a true wolf with you, not one who never shifts and would never give you heirs. For the prosperity of the pack, the Labonair line must be continued, so I suggest you find another to mate with just for the sake of heir."

He had waited, and nothing came. Not the vehement denial he was expecting to hear from her, not a single word. Like she was considering that abhorrent prospect. He had left so quickly, and the coming days had worsened his paranoia given her time at the Bayou increased day by day. He had become so miserable that Camilie had said it was etched on his face, so he had taken the blond bartender therapist on her offer to talk. He had drank so much that night till he was absolutely hammered. And he couldn’t quite remember what happened after or how he could have done it, but he slept with Camilie. He was so disgusted that he kept his distance from her but only humored her talks because he knew he needed the therapy sessions lest he somehow took it out on Hayley, and that was unacceptable. He had also kept it a secret for once it was out, his family would murder Camilie, or perhaps Hayley would do it herself. He still hadn't found the wolf acquaintance of hers, but he would soon. He was going to come clean at the end of the ball, but it all boiled over by then, and she chose to oust him and Camilie by funking that bastard Sergio. He had never seen so much red marring his vision. The fucker was a dead man for all his lifetimes had Hayley not gone as far as to kill Camilie to protect him and then she had left, without a word. Fled, away from him. His raw instinct exhorted him to chase her to ends of earth and darg her back but his family had vehemently opposed him and Elijah had talked him down emphasising on Hayley needing time and some space. His second instinct was to hunt down the bastard Sergio, chop him into pieces, and display his head as a decoration on the mantle piece, the only thing stopping him was that he didn't wish to hurt Hayley anymore than he already had though the fact that she felt something for that fucker or any other made him want to burn down the world. But if Hayley needed time, he would give it to her, for they both had eternity at their disposal. And he could always kill the bastards who had dared to look her way later. And anyways his vampires were tailing Hayley every now and then to ensure her safety. Whatever the current state between them, he would never leave his little wolf at the mercy of his enemies. While she was far from defenseless, he needed this peace of mind.

And his sources informed him she would be returning to New Orleans soon and Klaus had never heard sweeter words than these before. Now he would reclaim his little wolf, his Queen even if he had to grovel for all eternity.

What had confused Klaus, however, was the fact that Hayley only slept with the bastard Sergio to get back at him and Camilie. However, what the hell happened to the proposal of the pack elder? After Hayley left, he had barged into the Bayou and coerced her beta Zelina into answering. He had nearly killed the woman for assuming the role of alpha as anyone other than his little wolf as the alpha was a preposterous thought. Since Hayley herself had appointed the woman in her absence, he would let it slide this once. With further coercion she divulged the fact that Hayley had not said anything to the elder at the moment because most of the pack was present to hear his proposal however later on she had almost slaughtered the elder in person for even insinuating such a suggestion. She had spent days after trying to make more developments in the pack system and had written countless rules the next alpha should follow. She had even ensured necessary facilities and amenities that would help the back prosper even in her absence so she wouldn't have to give Klaus up. It had taken every single shred of control to not go looking for Hayley for all this time, but now that she was finally returning, he couldn’t bloody wait.

Camillie

Camilie had noticed how distracted he was and tried to glue his attention to her but Klaus ended the dinner quickly and left. She had slipped in a potion she had received as a favor from the witches to get Klaus to sleep with her but no matter what she did , he always looked set on Hayley alone. She knew she would have to atone for what she did to her friends for the rest of her life and she would.She wanted someone like Klaus for herself but it would never be and she had made peace with that.

Klaus

He couldn’t stand the room in Abattior given how much it suffocated him and with his wayward thoughts sleep seemed unlikely so he settled for staring at the countless paintings of his little wolf filling his art studio for it was the only way he could placate the need to not go find her.

Hayley

The air of New Orleans made her too nostalgic. She wasn’t sure how she managed to stay away for so long. She knew Klaus's vampires were tailing her, and while she loathed it initially, she couldn’t help but like the gesture of him watching over her. After her anger had calmed down the violent need to go see, Klaus overtook her. She missed him so much. Were she not busy with observing and visiting other wolf packs and exterminating any threats to the Crescents, she would have gone mad. Bekah had called her to tell her Nik messed up once cause he was too drunk and that the bitch Cami must have slipped him something and she should return, Hayley had told her that even before that Klaus had become retracted, closed off. He stopped his surprise visits to Bayou or stopped being home altogether. Their spontaneous conversations became few and far in between in the days that followed, and she loathed it so much. The fact that he slept with Cami was the last nail in the coffin. Sergio, being the loyal friend that he is, had stuck with her all this time. It was after all his idea to take a trip back cause he couldn’t bear to see her unravel like that. "You need closure,Hayley. " And here she was. "Don’t zone out now. There's a procession here to welcome you," whispered Sergio from behind her. She snapped her attention back to present, and indeed, most of her pack and the entirety of the Mikaelson family save for Klaus were here to greet her. The first family she ever truly had. Tears welled up, but she stifled them like she stifled the pang of pain at Klaus's absence. She vamped to them and hugged Bekah first, who almost crushed her into a hug, not intent on letting go. Di(Davina), Freya, and Keelin joined in immediately after. Separating from the ladies she offered Elijah, Kol , Marcel, and Vincent a huge grin, they all reciprocated before greeting Zelina and the rest of the pack. "You have to come to the Abattior, Hayley, no questions asked. We will kick Nik out for a few days if need be." She laughed at the suggestion. She chanced a glance at Sergio, who was obviously staying pit far enough to not interfere but near enough to hear everything. "Hotel," He mouthed. Hayley nodded, partly sorry that she was making Sergio stay in a hotel alone but it would be far more unfair to make him stay with her and God knows what Klaus would do to him this time if he even shows up , Cami's probably keeping him busy. She shook that thought away. She wouldn't let it dampen her mood. What Klaus had done was on his head alone. The rest of the Mikaelsons are still her family. She was sure they saw Sergio and especially pleased to see no hostility towards him. With a final glance at Sergio, she left with the Mikaelsons.

Gods she had missed the Abattior, it had been her home for so long. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Klaus standing at the gate. "Welcome back, Hayley. There's much to talk about but a family dinner first? I will excuse myself." Hayley was stunned beyond words. Did Klaus just agree to leave the compound just so she could spend time with people who were his family first? Before she could speak, he vamped out. "Niklaus doesn't stay here much. He misses you far too much to be able to live here without you." Elijah offered. She wasn't sure what to say. "Cami's then?" "Of course not. The mansion just outside city bounds. Nik doesn't sleep with her, I told you it was a one-time thing, but she is still his therapist. I told you she slipped him something. " "Bekah, let's just eat." The spread was definitely Mikaelson style. There was everything in abundance, but she was sure she spotted all her favorites. "Nik directed the menu." This astonished her far more. The evening was perfect. She enjoyed it to her heart's content, and yet she missed Klaus madly. Damn it. Bekah had told her there was a surprise for her in her room. She was both anxious and excited, but she had not expected that. The few legal complications she had while expanding the Bayou had stopped her from implementing a few of her ideas. It was the paperwork for that all done, settled, and funded. Attached to it was a letter and an elegant platinum chain with the pendant of Mikaelson seal and an M embossed on it. Apprehensive, she opened the letter,

"Dear Hayley,

Wherever you go whatever you choose, I want you to know that you will always and forever have a family and a home here. Whether or not I am included matters little, if you wish to live here little wolf, you only need to say the word and I will make myself scarce. This was your home, Hayley, and you were happy here. I will never forgive myself for what led you to lose it, but I made you a promise, little wolf. If I need to kneel and beg and grovel for it, I will, but please give me a chance. A single chance. I once came to this city to conquer it, to make it my Empire, but it's far too empty without my Queen. Even if you choose to not give me a chance, know you will be just in your actions but I still beg you, stay here, with a family that loves you and the one that you love, with a pack that needs you. Of course, your companion Sergio is also welcome to stay if you desire, no harm will befall his life, you have my word. You told me you didn't wish to see me ever again and I am sorry to have shown you my face little wolf but I simply couldn't leave without having a glimpse of you. I love you, Hayley, I always have, my Queen and my little wolf.

Yours and yours alone , always and forever,

Klaus ."

Her legs failed her as she dropped to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably." Klaus " was the only thing she could manage to say. So she sobbed his name because it's the only person she wants, needs, and loves so much.

"I made a grave mistake, little wolf, one that you can hold me accountable for all eternity. But it took me a thousand years to find you, so even if it takes me another thousand to earn your forgiveness, I will do whatever it takes." Her head snapped up at that gentle voice. "Klaus..." He was kneeling beside her in a flash. "Tears don't become you, little wolf. I am sorry for causing you such pain." "No Klaus, please don't go... We will find a way, and we will make it work." He kissed her forehead softly with such love, Hayley couldn't breathe. "Thank you, little wolf." "Zelina told me what happened Klaus, it's not going to be easy to move past this stuff, but I love you, Klaus, and we have an eternity together. "My thoughts exactly, little wolf."

It took a while, a lot less groveling and far more honest effort at openness and communication. But it worked, they were happy, just a little bit if Fairplay and yet it could have cost them all their happiness but fairness to each other brought them back. For two people who saved each other from their darkest times, there would be no such thing as an end. Together and in love, Always and Forever.

Please let me know if you like it. I myself didn't like that ending at so thanks for giving me a chance to rewrite it.

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.

Do you know something that I find really curious?

Is that in Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology, and Hellenic Polytheism, even tho we don't actually have the idea of "sin" there are a few things they and therefore, hellenic polytheistics shouldn't do, but interestingly enough the only thing that is likely, highly not encouraged to do, and mostly unforgiving in Hellenism, is Húbris.

I find it really interesting and curious, because I bet Rick knew about it when he wrote PJO and still decided to give Annabeth, one of his main characters, a fatal flaw that was the closest thing of what could be considered a "sin" in Ancient Greece (the society he was basing his story on).

I'm not saying "whoa, he wanted to make something." My personal opinion is that he just doesn't care, just like he doesn't care to make a better adaptation of the Gods, but I still find it interesting enough to rant about it.

+ it is really concerning see people treating her fatal flaw as something positive and to be cheered on, even in the literal book narrative, when in fact, It is not.

Excessive pride can be a sign of a narcissist behavior, what can lead to dangerous situations or to toxic relationships. And I see Rick playing too much with this edge in Perccabeth dynamics.

(I'm not saying she is narcissist, tho. I believe I have to make this as clear as possible here. There is a difference of having a trace of narcissism, and be diagnosticaded with it.)

Just to finish my thoughts, when I realized Perccabeth lost all the sparkle for me was when I've read one meta about someone who didn't like Annabeth's behavior towards Percy a long time ago. At that time I was an avid Perccabeth shipper, but I basically sat and tought about it, and made a mental exercise: If Percy was a woman, and Annabeth was a man, would their interactions still be considered cute and perfect in a relationship?

That was when I realized, no, it wouldn't be. And that was it for me.

No, I completely get it. I myself was a Percabeth shipper, I think everyone was at one point as most of us read these books at a young age. I am glad that all of us are seeing massive problems with the many canon relationships and other aspects of Riordan's terrible writing.

You give Rick Riordan too much credit. If you have checked out any recent pjo books, you can see how terrible the continuity is and how one dimensional the characters are becoming. So he certainly did not take into account the gravity of Annabeth's fatal flaw, it's repercussions or even it’s connotations in Greek myths.

Annabeth is, as I have said before, a character that always devolves through the lack of change in her attitude and the behavioral inconsistencies. She admits to her fatal flaw and how it endangers her in some instances but then never brings it up again. Doesn't do anything to actively improve on it either.

Her overall attitude remains condescending, judgemental, and heavily hypocritical. And that is putting it mildly.

The fact that she made Percy apologize for getting kidnapped against his will and then having his memory wiped out.

She repeatedly made negative or demeaning comments on his intelligence.

This should be enough of a giveaway in the first place.

Not to mention her horrifying treatment of Rachel and lack of remorse for it. Not a single apology made for it either. Or to Percy for acting as if she owned him.

Furthermore, her consistently violent actions. Now, even if they don't hurt Percy, it's still an extremely unhealthy manner of expressing her emotions.

Her repeated defense of Luke despite him putting Percy in mortal danger and attempting to kill Percy each time. Before anyone quotes they had a bond, they were family, I know, I do but by that time she had seen him do so multiple times and Thalia was family too, she understood right away that Luke was too far gone.

I also dislike the tendency of Rick and, therefore, the fandom to put Annabeth on a pedestal of she can do wrong. I have made multiple posts highlighting how Percy is canonically a better strategist than Annabeth and how Annabeth is certainly not the smartest demigod. Most knowledgeable, perhaps, but not the smartest.

To all the shippers, everyone agrees that the closest we get to absolutely perfect characterization of Percy is in Son of Neptune and Son of Sobek and the short story The Stolen Chariot. And the most obvious common thing between all these is the lack of Annabeth.

I am not saying Annabeth would ruin the book, but she does ruin Percy's character. Rick is so busy hyping her up for no absolute reason that it ends up demeaning Percy irrationally and illogically. And it happens every time.

Even if you blame later book characterizations of Annabeth on Rick Riordan's terrible writing, her early characterization had the same flaws. They are just now overtly apparent in the most recent books.

If the genders were reversed, this would be the paragon of a toxic relationship. I understand that there are excruciatingly few balanced heterosexual relationships that actually do it right and that the extreme nostalgia makes it hard for us to acknowledge any flaws on it but that's no reason to falsely advertise it as the perfect relationship. Not even close.

Not just due to these reasons but also because they have nothing in common nor do their goals align, and it's also a bit of a case of trauma bonding. Again, I have made individual posts on almost all these points

I don't think there's anything more that needs to be said on this matter, really, but feel free to ask.

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.

Abuse Apologism

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.

Vampire diaries is Stefan's story, so it is only fitting that he should have lived to tell it and to make many more stories hence forth.

Everyone can agree that a human Damon is a hit and a complete miss. They did not even reprise his or Elena's characters in Legacies, and overall, the whole arc contributed to Damon's own self-serving needs and no one else's, not even Elena's.

Stefan's death was stupid. It should've been Damon.

I have strong feelings about Season 8 of "The Vampire Diaries," and my biggest issue is with the ending. Stefan sacrificing himself so that Damon could live simply wasn't the best conclusion. It failed to do justice to either character, undermining both of their arcs in significant ways.

Over the course of the series, we've repeatedly witnessed Stefan sacrificing for Damon. By Season 7, Stefan had grown weary of this cycle and began to prioritize his own freedom and happiness. However, his efforts were thwarted when Damon became entangled in the siren storyline, which I believe was an unnecessary and ridiculous plot arc—but that’s a discussion for another day.

Even in Season 8, Stefan’s frustration with constantly sacrificing for Damon was evident. Although Damon did exhibit some selflessness, these acts were minor in comparison to what was needed to truly redeem his character. Damon deserved a moment in the spotlight—a significant, transformative act of sacrifice that would highlight his growth.

Instead, the series ended on a repetitive note: Stefan, the perennial good brother, sacrificed himself for Damon, the ostensibly evil brother. This conclusion felt like a disservice to both characters. Damon, who had undergone substantial character development throughout the series, deserved the opportunity to make the ultimate sacrifice. This act would not only redeem him but also demonstrate to Stefan that his brother was capable of true selflessness.

Stefan deserved to witness Damon’s redemption firsthand, to see that his brother could put someone else’s happiness above his own. For Damon, dying in the end would have brought his character arc full circle, providing a poignant and meaningful conclusion to his story. It would have transformed Season 8 from a lackluster finale into a powerful and fitting end for the series.

In my opinion, if Damon had been the one to make the ultimate sacrifice, it would have added depth and significance to the final season, honoring the character development that both brothers underwent throughout the series.

And seriously, a human Damon? Nah. Damon Salvatore is a vampire, and he'll forever be the big bad vampire to me.

omg pls elaborate, why don’t u like post pjo nico? I’m curious, I don’t really know how I feel abt him either tbh (u don’t have to respond tho!!! I hope u have a wonderful day!!)

nico is just a different character in pjo than he is in hoo.

i love pjo!nico. the struggle of fantasy (mythomagic, nico's view of the demigod world) vs reality ('mythology,' the reality of being a demigod), the themes of death and coming to terms with death while having a certain amount of power over death. in a world where demigods are the people who don't belong, nico being a kid that doesn't belong even more (hades not having a cabin, the other campers' avoidance or fear of him). grief, forgiveness, friendship. nico pushing people away, especially percy, nico changing from hero worship to understand that even demigods are just human and mortal, and nico accepting other people (accepting percy's friendship) and being accepted himself...

in hoo and beyond i think his story just gets lost, like a lot of other characters do. hoo in general doesn't have the same strength that pjo does - not that every story has to have 'deep' or particularly 'meaningful' themes per se, but pjo grapples with power, mortality. the flaws of gods, humanity. and a lot more. i know we're going really broad, but hoo doesn't deal with any of that. as a consequence nico's character just falls flat for me, because i don't feel that hoo deals with him with the same complexity and interest pjo does.

also, nico being gay. hmm. i have a lot of thoughts about rick and representation (and a good few of them are not great, even if a lot of younger fans sing his praises), and solangelo. now i think nico being gay overall is fine. i think it could add another layer to him when examined through the lens of pjo, and there were plenty of people who thought that way in fandom. but what it felt like to me when written in canon was rick making the decision, and making pjo support the idea retroactively. of course, that is speculation bc i can't 100% confidently say that's true. i don't mean to say that nico shouldn't be gay, but i don't think it was written well.

solangelo also felt like a shoe-in. rick has this thing about pairing characters up for their happy endings. solangelo is a hot mess, it's not compelling, and if we do accept nico's feelings about percy it gets reduced to a joke. nico's character swings from repression and struggling with himself to skipping off with will. i make it no secret i don't like canon solangelo, and the relationship being lgbt doesn't mean it's good. it's flat and boring. also the resolution to nico's 'arc' in hoo doesn't have to be that he ends up in a relationship.

take what i said about the above with a little grain of salt. every person’s opinion is different, some people really love solangelo and that arc of nico’s. i don’t think it’s wrong to like it or that you shouldn’t. but i didn’t, myself. it could have been written a lot better lol

hoo also contradicts like... all of nico's character growth from pjo, and repeats conflicts that were previously resolved instead of expanding or continuing them in interesting ways, or creating new ones that actually make sense.

one of nico's conflicts in hoo was not being accepted and feeling like he doesn't belong anywhere. particularly because of the exclusion of children of pluto by camp jupiter and their fear of him. like i mentioned earlier this was already addressed in the original series. in botl, nico tells percy that he doesn't belong at camp, that people are afraid of him, and ultimately chooses to leave to find his own path. at the end of tlo, nico is welcomed by the other campers. he proves percy's point to the gods, and percy pushes for nico and hades to be accepted by the other gods and demigods.

“It hasn’t been easy, you know. Having only the dead for company. Knowing that I’ll never be accepted by the living. Only the dead respect me, and they only do that out of fear.” “You could be accepted,” I said. “You could have friends at camp.” He stared at me. “Do you really believe that, Percy?”

Nico and Percy, Battle of the Labyrinth, pg. 192

“This camp isn’t for me. There’s a reason they didn’t put a cabin to Hades here, Percy. He’s not welcome, anymore than he is on Olympus. I don’t belong. I have to go.”

Battle of the Labyrinth, pg. 223

"And Hades—" ... "...your children should not be left out. They should have a cabin at camp. Nico has proven that..."

The Last Olympian, pg. 353

Nico sat at the main table with Chiron and Mr. D, and nobody seemed to think this was out of place. Everybody was patting Nico on the back, complimenting him on his fighting. Even the Ares kids seemed to think he was pretty cool.

The Last Olympian, pg. 371

all of that aside, here is a core issue: nico, the doors of death, and his choices. when you really look at it, what happens in hoo is a "fuck you" to nico's character in pjo.

let's recap:

in son of neptune, it's revealed that hazel was brought back by nico. not just that, though... nico was searching for bianca, who he hoped he could bring back. the reason he didn't was because he couldn't - she chose to be reborn to avoid just that.

but nico wouldn't have done that. nico attempting to, and arguably nico bringing back hazel, goes against all of his growth and character in botl.

this isn't the first time nico tried bringing back bianca. his main goal in battle of the labyrinth was to find daedalus to trade his soul for bianca's.

“I was hoping you would give up.” “Give up?” [Nico] sounded heartbroken. “How can you say that? I’m trying to save you!” “You can’t, Nico. Don’t do this. Percy is right.” “No! He let you die! He’s not your friend.”

Nico and Bianca, Battle of the Labyrinth pg. 108

in the labyrinth, percy confronts nico and reveals nico is looking for daedalus to trade his soul for bianca's. but when they find daedalus, when daedalus accepts his own death... nico chooses not to.

“I will take what comes,” he said. “And trust in the justice of the Underworld, such as it is. That is all we can do, isn’t it?” He looked straight at Nico, and Nico’s face darkened. “Yes,” he said. “Will you take my soul for ransom, then?” Daedalus asked. “You could use it to reclaim your sister.” “No,” Nico said. “I will help you release your spirit. But Bianca has passed. She must stay where she is.”

Nico and Daedalus, Battle of the Labyrinth pg. 217

The shimmering form of Bianca di Angelo stood in the clearing, smiling at her brother. She said something to him and touched his face—or tried to. Then her image faded. Nico turned and saw me, but he didn’t look mad. “Saying good-bye,” he said hoarsely.

Nico and Percy, Battle of the Labyrinth pg. 223

also i think it just becomes super clear when you read. i've gone back semi-recently to reread pjo. for this ask i pulled up botl. reading botl... reading pjo... i feel like the difference in quality is so clear when you read about nico.

Annabeth stans and Percabeth shippers are talking about how ooc Annabeth is in WOTTG with her thinking Percy is stupid as if she hasn't constantly made fun of Percy's intelligence since the very beginning. As if she doesn't do it in every book, multiple times. Rick's characterization of Annabeth isn't changing, people are finally just growing up and realizing their fave ship when they were 12 isn't healthy. But instead of actually acknowledging that it's a bad ship they just blame the author.

Warnings: This is going to be a rant; bear with me. People from the "take everything as a personal offense" group stop reading. Will give us both the luxury of a peaceful mind.

It's easier to blame Rick, I think, given his series of shit decisions. The Wrath of a Triple Goddess is a complete abomination, and so is Chalice of the Gods in many ways. But at least it has helped readers understand the glaring flaws of Percabeth as a ship. How Percy's character is butchered to hype up Annabeth.

And I am completely exhausted of trying to get any of them to think rationally and in an unbiased manner. I can't make a willfully blind individual see sense after all.

But yeah, Annabeth has many, and I mean many character flaws throughout the series. The number of times I have made a post on Annabeth's flaws or even why Percabeth is incompatible.... At this point, I believe open-minded and careful readers are going to see and make their own conclusions, and the blind shippers will keep doing their own thing. This , I think, was my most recent post and will probably be one of my last ones on a similar topic. Unless I get newer asks that have some different viewpoints that I can actually explore cause, all has been said so far, I think.

I had a feeling that things would get better as they got older, more mature, you know, an Annabeth character arc of some sort. Maybe exploring the positive and negative nuances of Percabeth or even Percy's suicidal thoughts, non existent self esteem and how Annabeth has been unknowingly feeding into those.

She is one of the more iconic characters to people even outside the fandom. One from a very, very , and exclusive pool of actually strong female characters and the way her character is devolving isn't helping anything.

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All of Riordan's characters have such high potential, and the amount of plots he could explore is staggering, and yet he still dishes out the same generic plot again and again. He is in it for the money now, has been for a while, and so there's no hope there.

This might be a very hot take, but I think romance ruined the series. Rick kept slapping romantic relationships on every character as if that would suddenly make things better. Give them a relationship rather than explore their trauma. I guess it's the easier of the two.

But seriously, Caleo? Jiper? Solangelo ? (I can see the hate comments already). Whatever he was doing with Reyna, but at least she wasn't completely butchered.

Rick's problem is that he keeps giving more importance to romantic relationships and makes that the entire personality of a character.

He butchered Percy, even Jason at times, Leo bloody Valdez and Nico more prominently.

The way Percy and Nico's very deep and volatile bond and heavily dynamic relationship was butchered and distorted to feed into Solangelo and Percabeth, and I can't possibly understate how highly that's been going on.

Then Luke and Thalia's relationship was completely butchered for no absolute reason. I have no idea why. They were in love or at least had romantic feelings for each other, and Thalia just woke up and wanted to kill him? He literally gave all the angst to Annabeth even though Thalia had known him longer, and they had a more nuanced bond.

Jason's relationship with Camp Jupiter individuals was completely scrapped, his and Reyna's dynamic completely watered down, or even his and Leo's great friendship discarded all for Jiper or whatever else was shoved at him.

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As opposed to this whole shit show, I loved the relationships in the Magnus Chase series and Kane Chronicles. That was good stuff. Both character relationships and romantic ones even though I am pretty sure he got a lot of diverse representation wrong or so I have read recently.

Then there's the stupid, blind, bigot part of the fandom that just can't help themselves. I mean dumb Percy takes, Annabeth stans ruining Percy's character arcs and overinflating Annabeth's character, which in turn made Rick do the same.Then the boring Jason thing? What the hell was that? It's like everyone missed the point of why Jason is the way he is. I am going to make a post on that soon, but seriously, the shit that's been going on.

Then the shippers. Solangelo stans and Percabeth stans. They have single handedly ruined the ships for me with their distorted ideas of character dynamics. And their blatant and brutal hate against other Percy or Nico ships is just ridiculous and heavily toxic.

It's a fandom, not a monopoly. Everyone can have their own little thing as long as you don't meddle in someone else's own thing. Let everyone enjoy their own thing.

And for all our sakes, at this point, just pick your own version of canon. Choose which books to stop at. Trust me, it's less frustrating that way.