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fourcornersofcreation · 2 months ago

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Why did Staff of Hermes convince me Percabeth is going to break up in the future?

The nail in the coffin for me when I was rereading the series in terms of me foreseeing that Percabeth will not make it as a couple in the future was this short story. The Staff of Hermes. Not the Judo Flip in MOA mind you which is pretty controversial or even the ending for The Bronze Dragon which is rage-inducing when I reflect upon it, but this short story.

It spoke to me how distant Percabeth were with each other and in terms of their rushed dynamic, how they are doomed as a couple.

Percy has never really been fully comfortable around Annabeth. Even their most romantic moments in BOTL for instance are tinged with anticipation for violence.

Like the volcano kiss

and Percy crashing his funeral

And of course, this comes up briefly in Staff of Hermes as well

The moments are presented as sweet, but the very fact that Percy anticipates being punched or slapped by Annabeth is revealing. It proves that the judo flip is in character for Annabeth but in many ways, Annabeth got worse as she got older. Given she actually flips Percy over and kicks his leg when he talking to Jason in MOA.

That's not even delving into Percy's major emotional insecurities when he is in a relationship with Annabeth, and how in MOA, he is constantly scared to open up to her about the future and uses the analogy of a "glass sculpture" to describe how fragile it feels to him to accidentally break it. Or even how it feels more apparent that Annabeth uses knowledge as a weapon of power to make Percy feel stupid in the relationship to feel superior.

That doesn't come across as someone who is eager to share information because they want to out of genuine passion, that's someone who uses it as a means of power and control.

The sad thing is for Annabeth's character, it makes way too much sense. MOA is a revealing glimpse into her personality but there was already hints of it in her interview in the Bronze Dragon. She does seem to like Percy, but any compliment she might have for him is backhanded at best and insulting at worst.

With that, Annabeth comes across as genuinely believing Percy is annoying her deliberately.

It reminded me of a TikTok I saw just recently where a woman was chatting with her husband about seeing Thunderbolts but he shut her down as it being just a movie. When she got upset, he said to her in order to try and ease the situation was "I love when you get excited it's just annoying sometimes." It was gutting to hear not to mention she was visibly upset and she excused her own husband's faults as a part of his healing journey. You can imagine the comment section in that video btw.

It reminded me of another scene, in fact just before the Judo Flip where Annabeth was blaming Percy for "leaving". She thought this.

Excruciating...

Not to gonna lie. That floored me when I reread that scene. I genuinely couldn't believe anyone would even think that about someone they loved. It's a bit like a man saying how much he hates his wife. Conflict does arise in relationships, but this seems like Annabeth is torn between loving and hating Percy and it's not the healthy sort either.

Not to mention she also said this later in the same book.

I know the flip was bad, but this was another layer where it feels like Annabeth genuinely dislikes Percy and oscillates between hate and love for him. Later on she also develops a fear of Percy after Tartarus, which begs the question why they are even together at this point. Annabeth also admitted she hated Percy does fit with her behaviour as she genuinely seems annoyed with Percy in the books but it becomes really questionable as she gets older and even how she acts towards him.

At one point, can we excuse Annabeth actions as a quirk of "trauma" as she is too young to know differently and using that as shield to excuse shitty behaviour as someone who is meant to be a role model.

Riordan doesn't understand the implications that is here. How it's not a healthy dynamic with Percy, who is also an abuse survivor with a fatal flaw of loyalty. His story means a lot to people and to not look into any of his relationships and how that impacted him would be doing that a disservice with the focus that was presented onto it.

Personal loyalty to stick with people no matter how they might treat you, good or bad. It provides a tragic lens onto Percy who might have Gabe as a reference but Gabe's abuse was more direct; he insulted Percy's intelligence with "brain boy", threatened to punch Percy lights out (and probably did that on occasion) and also financially took advantage of him. Annabeth's is a little different. I don't think Annabeth herself is aware of it completely, but it still doesn't erase the emotional belittling and pressure she puts on Percy throughout the series.

It doesn't change the fact that Percy asked her to stop with the nickname in the Bronze Dragon (and probably before as hinted in TTC) refusing to respect that boundary of Percy, who is never really fully at ease around Annabeth and has major emotional insecurities that have emerged so much more poignantly as a result of the relationship.

So why is the Staff of Hermes so special when this is littered throughout their dynamic across the books? Why was this the nail in the coffin for me?

Well, it's rather simple, actually. It's control.

The pair of them are on a date. Percy had clearly arranged matters. The Great Lawn is a lovely place in Central Park and the internary shows Percy took considerable care into the thought process behind it. We know from the first book Percy in not that fussed on olives and he had chocolates and lemondades with them.

Percy is not made of money, we know this firsthand from the first books but even the fact he able to do something like this for date is quite sweet and thoughtful.

Like that is the Great Lawn for reference. Not a bad place for a first date. On a lovely sunny day at that is.

Now it's infered from Frederick's background even before we further learn in Magnus Chase they come from generational wealth in Boston (and Annabeth technically inheriting the Mansion in the end) he is on the richer end. No one can afford housing in San Francisco that easily or be able to work on Sopwith Camels in TTC without a bit of money. That or Annabeth's stepmother is an underrated breadwinner.

Why is this relevant?

It's essentially Annabeth's expectations of what the date is meant to be in her mind versus what Percy could actually do.

Annabeth's character is one of privilege in the books (she is explicitly white coded not only from her appearance, along with her siblings, but also wealth), both from her home life and Camp by Chiron. Chiron informs Annabeth on nearly everything and presumably allowed her to be a Camp Counsellor at a young age. Despite not ready for some of those responsibilities as we see in her introduction, she is very rude to Percy who she should be able to empathise with his situation of losing a loved one (missed chance there to connect them by Rick), acts out against him and is deeply impatient in answering basic questions about Camp, which is her job. This is part of their poorly constructed Meet-Ugly in the books, and by the time Piper arrives, Annabeth is much better at her introductions but it doesn't change the fact that she wasn't fit for the task initially and presumably treated other Campers like that in search of the One. (I doubt she made many friends because of that)

We learn in The Lost Hero, Chiron rarely kept anything from Annabeth (with the exception of the initial theft of the Bolt and the Romans), and from what we see in the series, this is fairly true. Chiron allows her to know about the Great Prophecy from ten, but she also has information about the Labyrinth in BOTL, despite that being a secret. TLO also explores this, and one of the reasons she has the infamous "You're a coward" Percy scene is because Chiron informed her about where Percy was, and crucially neither of them informed Percy of the wartime developments like with Typhon.

I was never fussed on the You're A Coward scene and especially the dissipated resolution in it meant that the tension between the pair was never truly resolved. It never struck me as particularly romantic so to learn that was some people's favourite scene in TLO had me confused because of how frustrating it is. Especially since Percy was asking for confirmation about Rachel's vision and the possible direction. But because it's Rachel, Annabeth refuses to even entertain the possibility, despite the fact SHE said it.

Annabeth has never really liked Rachel but a part of that, I think comes down to mortality itself. Annabeth constantly dismisses Rachel is because she is "just a mortal." But even the way Annabeth talks about mortality is squint-worthy, given that she is meant to be his mortal tie through the Curse of Achilles.

Like the hidden meaning behind these scenes is Rachel and Annabeth are fighting over Percy but honestly, I think that is poorly done given how spiteful it comes across and how Annabeth says mortal like a slur. It's not even the first time we see her dismissive towards mortals either, she doesn't have a high opinion on her stepfamily in the first books and authorities like cops (which honestly fair) but it does spell a different layer to Annabeth's dislike of Rachel is connected with that dislike of mortals.

It's understandable that another reason why Annabeth might act the way she does is linked to her family and also her inherent pride in being a demigod, a divine child of Athena (Athena is the best after all), and a gift onto her father. Either way, it makes her a poor fit as a mortal tie for the Curse of Achilles.

I do think Riordan was using the Curse of Achilles as a crutch to pair Percy and Annabeth together and to rush the romance between them, given that is the primary reason they got together. But it still doesn't change the fact narratively as a mortal tie, Rachel or even Sally would've made more sense.

I don't even ship the pair but throughout TLO Percy and Rachel have a crucial impact on each other and the choices they make. As we see to Percy, Rachel is a reminder that there is something there for him in the mortal world and, you can see Rachel seeing Percy as an escape from her own life, given how she joined him on the Labyrinth quest on the spot. Rachel is present in reminding Percy he is not the Hero of the prophecy and was there when Percy gave the pithos to Hestia. Later on Percy does the same for her when her moment came with the Oracle.

This is the precursor to Percy turning down immortality and Rachel plays a critical component in that, but is ultimately the reminder for Percy of the broader picture, much like Annabeth is when Percy looks back and thinks of Camp and all those who died when he declines immortality. the only time I believe Percy's mortal tie to Annabeth made sense beyond a romantic level.

Percy is clearly more comfortable around Rachel.

And Percy made to feel guilty for his interactions around Rachel throughout TLO and much later with Annabeth, this is revealed she does this deliberately to Percy even after they have gotten together in order to assert control.

So at this point, it goes beyond Annabeth's jealousy and possessiveness and into control. Annabeth is a complicated character, but it still doesn't change how one can read into her actions and that in the text and present for all to see. Back to the Coward scene in TLO.

Annabeth is emotional and she does have decent reasons to be. She is scared for Percy. We see this when Percy reacts to the prophecy.

More than anything Annabeth is projecting her own emotional insecurity onto Percy in this scene. About his oncoming death and also his feelings towards her.

She is annoyed with Percy presumably not confessing to her when she clearly has emotions for him and for him spending time with Rachel instead. But she presents it as Percy being the coward and for running away, scared. Rather than actually confess her feelings herself. It should be Percy to be the one to do so. Percy is clearly not a coward running from his death and even in terms of their "romantic relationship" at this point, apart from a kiss which came out of nowhere there is not really a lot of reasons for them to be together (yet) Percy reads between those lines over why she is really annoyed.

This, among many scenes, continues a tension between Percy and Annabeth which is never truly resolved and its' not helped with Annabeth and Rachel making up off-screen, which doesn't make sense given how Annabeth seemed to have genuine emity towards Rachel's perceived crush on Percy.

This connects with who is well established as Annabeth as a prideful character but as controlling as well. Annabeth's pride possibly can't accept what she deems as a mediocre dinner for their first month anniversary.

It is genuinely gutting to see Percy, who was doing something nice and presumably this IS the special dinner Annabeth was thinking Percy "promised" her and what she expected him to do instead.

I presume this was the dinner Percy had in mind if he did promise, but for Annabeth she wanted something grander and more important; this wasn't it.

Annabeth wanted to pressure Percy despite him doing something nice; she wanted to keep Percy on his toes, as it were. That's not healthy.

Percy gives a lot in this relationship. He feels obligated to and as we see her, Annabeth expects a lot out of this relationship. A month anniversary is materialistic as hell. Annabeth is also not expected to do anything similar. I would understand Percy's anxiety even further if Annabeth had done something similarly nice, but that isn't the case here.

More often than not, Percy is expected to GIVE and Annabeth often TAKES in the relationship.

As someone who works on celebrating special occasions, this feels petty and ridiculous to expect from a partner. But it's also telling how the picnic dinner was not enough for Annabeth as well since Percy did still do something on their anniversary, even if unintentionally on the anniversary itself. It might not ever be enough for something so "simple".

We know from the series a lot of Percabeth moments are focused on grand and impressive feats. They had their first kiss in a volcano. Annabeth is his mortal tie. They both turned down immortality for each other(they hadn't) and they fell through in Tartarus and walked out together. Etc, Etc.

In many ways they have done a lot together, but it doesn't have the emotional weight it deserves. Percy and Annabeth frankly don't have the chemistry or a real emotional connection as people. Part of that, I think, is due to Riordan clearly trying to push them as a couple before them being friends, and Annabeth's character in particular suffered from this. Stranged from the Red String as it were.

This is meant to be a sweet and domestic moment, and it isn't even a bad idea for a date but it isn't enough. Annabeth had widely different expectations, which can also be a microcosm of how they have completely different views for the future and ideas on how that will turn out. Percy didn't believe a month anniversary was really that important or significant and honestly. He's right. It's not. But Annabeth is not satisfied with a mere picnic for a special dinner and talks about it being more like the year anniversary than a single month.

This is arguably one of their better stories together, too where we see good teamwork and some nice moments between them compared to others. One day I will get into the Bronze Dragon. But for me the focus on the dinner overshadows everything and that is a frequent problem with Percabeth, where there are so much negativity in the relationship I feel gobsmacked whenever I'm expected to clap like a seal whenever they do something positive.

It speaks to me how Percabeth don't really have a lot in common apart from being with each other, fighting threats, or just knowing each other for years.

Percy doesn't appear all that interested in architecture, and Annabeth isn't much into sea life or skateboarding. While Percy had few common threads with Rachel in BOTL which he acknowledged, they both have mutual interests in the environment and peace with each other, which we don't really get with Percabeth. Percabeth feels so performative and stale in comparison that I still struggle to even read them as friends, let alone lovers. Particularly as Annabeth doesn't really respect Percy all that much.

Percabeth desperately needed more time to develop, getting together on the same time a lot of their peers died and the pressure from Camp I don't believe helped later down the line.

Like this comes across as sweet and it is, after all, it's them getting together and then getting chucked in the water. It's a great and grand way to get together for the Finale, YAY!!!!. But it has way too many unresolved issues that we only see blossom even further in HOO with how rushed it was. I find it esoteric. The Curse and by extension, Percy's choice to turn down immortality, feeding into it. Grand reasons to get together but fragile on examination as you wonder what really connects them together and I refuse to see them as this cute and perfect couple, which is the gold standard when they are ironically quite basic.

It makes sense why Percy compares their relationship to a "glass sculpture" and how he really doesn't know Annabeth nor does she in return about Percy. A glass sculpture is something that is so fragile and can break with a good push. It is destined to crash and break. In contrast to Annabeth's grand ideas of making something that will last for thousands of years. (Annabeth also has a connection to glass in her architecture, which I will not get into today but trust me it is there and it is haunting me)

Percy has so much love for Annabeth and treats her with utmost respect in his narration, but that is not really shared to the same degree. It feels so jarring reading their perspectives and how idealised Percy pictures Annabeth in his head, like him remembering her in SON, versus how she acts towards him in MOA

Percabeth is built on grand and lofty moments from the first book which is highlighted with the forced one-sided rivalry all the way to the present to justify them being together. Rather than having something more genuine and real connecting them together.

Annabeth's expecting something more from Percy for their month anniversary is, I feel, emblematic of everything I despise about it.

The fact that Annabeth forgot proves it wasn't about the dinner but control. It was making Percy uncomfortable over "forgetting" despite him doing something nice for her anyway, and that was presumably what he originally had planned for her anyway. It was keeping him on his toes. It's small but very present.

The only reason she isn't mad is that she did get the dinner in the end, and presumably Annabeth knew full well Percy "forgot" but she kept pressuring him anyway. But the fact that she tells Percy to start planning for their second month anniversary...

I don't find that sweet, funny or the one bit pleasant. It feels so materialistic and inconsiderate to Percy, who had a lovely date planned for her with some of her favourite treats and foods. And it didn't look like she cared for that one bit.

That more than anything kills me. The lack of appreciation. And that killed any hopes of their relationship going forward for me.

In fact, she urges Percy to do more. Annabeth doesn't say she will try anything special herself for Percy. No, it's on Percy to pick up the bill here. As I said, Percy is the giver, and Annabeth is the taker in this relationship and that fact is constant.

This story made me read the series completely differently and this is more than a dinner. All Percy can think about is "surviving" a month as Annabeth's boyfriend and hopefully her seeing a future with him, which is quite bleak.

More than anything to me, it just feels tragic reading Percy's attempts to do something nice for his girlfriend being brushed off or discarded like this. Annabeth has a commanding personality, and she promised she would never make things easy for Percy. In that she's right.

This story proves to me, Annabeth will never be satisfied with Percy's attempts and Percy will never feel good enough in this relationship to feel content and genuinely happy in a way that doesn't feel like he's forcing himself to be.

But it did open my eyes and made me consider so much more about why Rick might write a certain way, what he might have been considering when writing Percabeth himself and the likely future they will have in a peacetime without the same worries of a war on the horizon. Cause I can't see it work.

#annabeth chase character study #Annabeth chase character analysis #annabeth chase critical #anti annabeth chase #anti percabeth #percabeth critical #percy and annabeth #percy jackson #annabeth chase #the mark of athena #pjo hoo #Louder for the people covering their ears

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fourcornersofcreation · 2 months ago

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I'd also like to add that people often say that Sally could've just accepted Poseidon's offer but there's two main issues I see with this solution.

1: As Cynthia stated, Poseidon couldn't offer Percy (and Sally) much protection in fear that it would draw unwanted attention.

2: Sally's been entirely independent for virtually her whole life. Is the fact she chose not to rely on an ancient deity (a deity with a reputation of being temperamental might I add) that she'd just met really that surprising? Or that much of a stretch? Like If I were in Sally's shoes I wouldn't wanna rely on Poseidon either.

For the first two decades of her life the only path Sally's ever walked is a lonely one, and then suddenly she was pregnant, a whole ass baby was growing inside her, a child who would need to rely on her for what very well could be the rest of her life. A child, her child, that was a demigod of all things.

Of course Sally chose to deal with it alone, it's the only way she knew how.

The hot take of the pjo fandom that has been stated so often it's no longer a hot take. I have been avoiding making a post on this for a while, but now that it's been popping up in asks more, I needed to get my thoughts on it out. I know I have drawn it out long enough. Buckle up.

"Sally Jackson was a selfish mother." True. She is definitely a selfish mother. But I like the nuances that lead up to her behavior far more. And the way it shapes Percy, the subtle often overlooked cycle of abuse in the Jackson household that was present even without Gabe's influence. So, let's dive into that.

To begin at the beginning, Sally Jackson was an orphan with nothing but a small seaside cabin to her name at Montauk Beach when she met Poseidon. Imagine living like that for so many years with the gift of sight and no one to understand you. It's surprising she did not go at least a little crazy.

Her parents died when she was young, and she was taken in by her uncle Rich and "raised" by him. I say that in the loosest terms because she had to mostly do everything on her own and when Rich was diagnosed with cancer, Sally was the one who needed to drop everything and get out of high school to take care of Rich; not to mention the fact that she had to take up a job to pay for Rich's medical bills. Now if that sounds vaguely familiar, Percy used to take up jobs in his summertime to pay for Gabe's gambling addictions so that Gabe wouldn't beat him or Sally; to keep his mom safe. This was Sally's first failure. The fact that she could not protect her son from that same hardship despite having some power over the situation.

There's another facet to this that is whether Sally knew of this. Imagine Sally Jackson, doing everything she could to make ends meet, paying for Percy's schooling along with doing everything she could to not get on Gabe's bad side and keeping him happy, so he wouldn't turn his attention to Percy. Was her unawareness of the truth, her fault, or was Percy just that good at hiding it? Or should he have still known Gabe's true nature and looked out even more for Percy? Depends. But to Sally up until then, Percy had never lied to her; she is the only person Percy always tells the truth to from her pov. Sally could never fathom Percy keeping such a huge thing from her and not confiding in her. This is still tipping the scales against Sally because, in the end, it was HER responsibility.

Why no to Camp Half blood? This is the pivotal point. If you remember, Percy is unlike any other demigod. He is at that point, the only child of the elder gods to Sally's or even Poseidon's knowledge and, therefore, definitively the child of the prophecy. The way it was interpreted by Poseidon and then relayed to Sally, Percy had only 16 years of life set for him and no more. He was quite literally borne to die. Which meant Sally had a ticking clock hanging over her head in her time with Percy. To a mother nothing could have been more horrifying. So she defied Poseidon, defied the norm and kept Percy with her until she no longer could. Yes it was selfish, and even a touch idiotic but what mother wouldn't do it.

See this from Sally's lens. She had heard the Camp is a place for demigods. There's a chance she might not get to see Percy again when they find out about his parentage and not let him out of Camp. A chance, however, miniscule of them keeping Percy from her. At least the way she sees it, the Camp is full of virtual strangers with children of other gods who may or may not have it out for Percy. Even Poseidon had admitted he couldn't offer Percy too much protection lest he draw attention to Percy. Of course Sally who has had an awful life whose only highlight is her son, Percy, the only thing that motivates her to live and there's a death prophecy on his head, and no one not even a God can stop it . Why then would Sally leave her son in the hands of virtual strangers who she would never trust with her son's life especially when the alternative of keeping him close and watching over him herself is an option for her. After all, who could love Percy more than she loves him. Not even Poseidon, just Sally. To take all and every stolen moments she can, especially when fate is to leave her bereft of her greatest joy in mere 16 years? And the fact that she was so close. 12 years she made do. So close and yet nowhere near.

Who wouldn't make the choice she did? What mother wouldn't? But then again we will never know because no one else has gone through what Sally Jackson has gone through. Best we can do is speculate. I can only imagine how impossible the choice must have seemed. How inevitable it must have been in the end.

The crux of all this is not that Sally was right or that she wasn't selfish but the cost she paid for her selfishness.

Over 6 years of abuse, physical and mental humiliation under Gabe, all because she wanted to keep Percy with her. Keep in mind that Sally did everything she could to separate Percy and Gabe. Cue boarding schools. Sally suffered and chafed under Gabe's abuse alone, all for the sake of few stolen moments with Percy. To love something so much despite the alternative of dismissing the child considering Percy's fate was to die.

The uniqueness of the dynamics start when Percy, who despite his loathing for Gabe and the things he puts them through, despite the abuse he would face, resents Sally for sending him away to boarding school. The way he wants to stay with her, even with Gabe's presence as a caveat, because he loves Sally so much and doesn't want her to suffer and the dichotomy of Sally putting herself through most of the suffering so she could keep Percy by her side even if she had to keep him at arms length from home most of time so he wouldn't suffer is absolutely gut wrenching. No other way to put it.

The way she immediately makes sure to send him to Camp Half blood when things start getting absurd and dangerous for him; even taking the risk of driving him herself. Desperate to hold on to whatever last moments she might get with her only child that she loves so much, who she has no choice but to let go and then dying without hesitation for Percy's sake and with no regrets. Sally's love is selfish, but it is not conditional. Her love is selfish but so profound that she would put herself through any and all manner of miseries first to keep her son by her side. Nothing she would not do to keep him safe even if it costs her own life; anything but giving him up. Because she had nothing and no one to love her and then Percy came along and it was the greatest gift she had ever received and no pain on Earth would make Sally Jackson give up her son, ever.

The thing no one talks about is that even if Sally had made peace with sending Percy to Camp Half blood earlier, would Percy even go? Would he? Leaving his beloved mother with a monster like Gabe all alone? Percy Jackson's fatal flaw is loyalty and for all of Poseidon's infamous love for his own, Percy gets his fatal flaw from Sally Jackson; loyal to a fault, loyalty to the point of self destruction. To the end, always to the end.

Percy who would rather put himself through the cruelty of Gabe's abuse just to stay with Sally. Sally who would defy every norm and put herself through all manner of pain and suffering to keep her son by her side, to love him unconditionally even though he was borne to die. Sally dying for Percy without hesitation, Percy going to the Underworld to bring back his mother come what may without hesitation; Percy wanting to kill Gabe to keep Sally safe, Sally killing Gabe to secure her son's future. Something about the cycle of abuse in the Jackson household being an ouroborous, a snake eating its own tail. Mother and son sacrificing parts of themselves to keep each other safe, to stay by each other's side. The cycle of it being a conscious choice by both of them at least once. Not inherited, but accepted for what they ultimately desire. That's what gets me. Always.

Much has been said about Sally Jackson. Good bad, worse. But the idea that out of so many Big Three children, between Greeks and Romans and even the other pantheons. She is the only one who succeeded at keeping her child safe for so long and to be a good enough tether of warmth of family in his life despite all the hardships. Sally Jackson who loved her son enough to name him Perseus, to hope for a better ending for both of them despite the odds and the fates and even the gods all stacked against her and doing whatever she could to get there. In the end it does not matter, Percy is alive and that alone is proof that Sally Jackson has won against all odds. Everything else is a moot point.

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fourcornersofcreation · 2 months ago

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fourcornersofcreation · 2 months ago

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Do you think Jason and Percy's "friendship", which everyone portrays in the fandom, is overrated? Frank seems TO BE LITERALLY PRESENT HERE! And, I admit, is Jason not exactly the character that hooked me? That is, from the "lost" trio (Piper, Leo and Jason) No one got me hooked. I didn't give a damn about them, and now I don't care about them. But Frank and Percy's friendship is in the book son of Neptune.🛐 . I would like to ask you about this

I will be the first one to admit that out of all the glaring problems of HoO, the most overlooked one is that there's no proper exploration of interpersonal relationships between all the characters especially when it comes to Percy. But I swear, soN relationships were done so well. The trio of Hazel, Frank, and Percy is absolutely phenomenal. (Hot take: I like this trio more than I like Percy, Grover, and Annabeth's og trio. Go figure). Anyways, let's do this one by one. [This is going to be long cause let's admit it the entirety of SoN is just Percy, Frank and Hazel bonding and it's the best thing Rick has ever written]

Only Frank and Hazel are ever stated to be his best/good friends, and they openly interact that way throughout the books. It's the only consistent thing in all or HoO. The fact that Percy and Frank's Riordan wiki has them both in each other's family sections and labeled brotherly is one of only redeeming things about the wiki.

Up until House of Hades, Percy's interactions with Leo are practically nil, nor does he have many opinions on Leo other than the fact that he makes good inventions. Then post HoH, there's this ridiculous conflict shoved between them over Calypso that is so absurd I won't waste my breath talking about it. Leo didn't much appeal to me either because of some of his obnoxious behavior and the way he treated Frank just pissed me off. And then him blaming Percy for the Calypso thing was just the final straw. The only thing I like about Leo is his genius and loge for inventions.

The same goes for Percy and Piper. Percy practically has no opinion on her aside from the fact that she is an ally of his. Piper, on the contrary, has MANY opinions on Percy, most of them wrong. Especially the part where she says Percy needs to be leashed and Annabeth's the one to do it and Annabeth just fucking agrees? But never mind, let's move on. My thoughts on Piper are complicated and she is one of the characters I can say I actively disliked. But that could be a whole separate post.

Then there's Percy and Jason. They are paralleled a lot, but their differences are quite prominent as well. There's a two-way insecurity/envy there, and it is never properly resolved. Percy has decent information about Jason's past. Jason has little to no information on Percy's past, just like everyone else. Aside from that moment underwater in BoO there's little positive interaction between Jason and Percy; their one or two prior conversations are either neutral or combative due to them being pit against each other either by the narrative or their own conflicting opinions. But their relationship has the most potential; Jason I do like a lot and the things he could have been. He and Percy could have been very good friends if they had shown any such inclinations but the way Jason was left un-nuanced in terms of his buildup and depth at times and their relationship being left underdeveloped and raw really got in the way of any developments. But the fandom's reason for hyping them likely has to do with the unexplored depths of their paralles and their contrast in choices, motivations and end results of their struggle. That and they are a recently popular ship so their's your answer for the hype.

So, to sum it up, Percy considers the lost trio to be allies/friends at best or, at worst, he has no much opinion of them. But there's more of a link between Percy and Jason than there's between Percy and the other two members of the Lost Trio. Which is that Jason is Thalia's brother. Thalia is one of Percy's close friends and his cousin and Jason is HER younger brother which makes Percy slightly more inclined to think of Jason as a closer friend than the other two, not necessarily because of his own relationship with Jason but because of who he means to Thalia. Percy "fatal flaw loyalty" Jackson taking it up on himself to keep Thalia's brother safe is something extremely plausible and very in character for him despite barely knowing Jason.

Now to the main point: I love love Percy and Frank's relationship. Like they are so fucking iconic as best friends and no one even talks about it. And I have been wanting to make a post on this for ages. Thanks for giving me the extra push for it, Anon.

The way Frank and Percy meet and just immediately have each other's back; chefs kiss. To me Frank and Hazel are the two people who immediately return Percy's loyalty while Percy's first meeting with anyone else is always about them being suspicious of Percy. Percy saves both Frank and Hazel from the monsters soon after their introduction. Frank is absolutely in awe of Percy and grateful to him for saving his life. For the first time ever, Percy's good act is instantly rewarded when Frank offers to vouch for Percy in Camp Jupiter before Reyna cuts him down. Percy, despite learning of Frank's low rank and not so good reputation, is completely unbothered and fully supportive of Frank.

1]Now, if you remember, Frank takes the vials of gorgon's blood that technically are Percy's by right because Frank thinks one of them might help with his curse. He is so guilty about it from the start. He doesn't think Percy noticed that he took them, but obviously Percy did, and he later brings it up with Frank not to criticize him but to ask him to keep it safe for him. Frank is so completely moved. Because he believes no Roman given the chance to have these vials for themselves would give it up and especially with Percy's mind and memories being in the state that they are, he definitely needs them more and yet he willingly gives those up.

I just love that interaction. Cause for once, someone doesn't think the worst of Frank or look down on him, despite how powerful Percy is. In fact, Percy even actively believes Frank did it to protect Percy, showing Frank that he thinks the best of him. Frank is so extremely guilty, and he immediately makes sure that he won't use the vials for himself or for anything else until he has Percy's say-so.

2]Just before that interaction is the one where Frank confides in Percy about his mother. His first instinct is to lie, but then he looks at Percy and is unable to [its practically canon that people just divulge their secrets and innermost insecurities when Percy is looking at them and it's the absolute funniest thing everytime.] He tells Percy the truth of what happened to his mother Emily and how she died in the war. And is immediately relieved cause Percy doesn't offer any platitudes or words of consolation. He just listens and nods, and knowing Frank doesn't want to linger on the subject, he immediately changes it.

3]Frank is the one to base their whole plan on Percy. When even Percy, because of his memory loss, isn't sure he could control the cannon, Frank believes in him, and Percy immediately backs up Frank. And when Percy does succeed in exploding the cannons and Frank looks at him to lead, Percy immediately tells Frank that it was his plan and that he should be leading the attack and gives Frank all the credit. The trust these two have in each other is insane. To have a friendship like these two.

4]Later on, when Mars arrives, everyone but Percy kneels and only and only when Frank asks him to kneel does Percy kneel. The whole segment of Mars talking and Percy being snippy and Frank's entire inner monologue about not wanting Mars to kill Percy and being so fucking worried about Percy and confused as to why Mars isn't immediately furious was just so hilarious.

And the way Frank just asks Percy if Riptide can do a grenade form after he sees Mars turn his grenade into a ball point pen and Percy is just so fucking offended and asks Frank to shut up has to be one of the funniest interactions in the book. Like look at this; Frank is so hopeful and Percy is so insulted that he would have anything in common with Mars. I don't know why but I absolutely love this interaction.

5]Percy doesn't want to go on the quest, but he doesn't want to leave Frank and Hazel alone, so he tags along immediately. Not because Mars asked but for Frank. Despite receiving the message in his dreams about Annabeth asking him to stay put, he immediately prioritizes his their safety over his own reunion and memory recollection and if that isn't Percy being Percy then I don't know what is.

The way all three of the SoN trio just completely hit it off almost immediately and the way they mesh together so well for such a treat to read. The whole book is just all of them being iconic individually and then as a trio. The best book in HoO by a landslide no questions asked. Some parts of HoH come close but overall it's the best book, in terms of writing as well as character consistency.

6]The way Percy hates Spartus monsters, but when Frank is the one controlling them, he is okay with them after one assurance from Frank. Percy is also completely amazed when it beats the Laistrogonyans. My point being that even before Frank got his gift, Percy completely respected him and his judgement and was completely supportive of Frank's plans and his leadership.

There are so many subtle as well as obvious signs. Percy being proud of Frank for making centurion, worrying if Frank got hurt when he got his mural, being concerned for Frank's grandmother and consistently bolstering Frank's self-confidence. He makes sure Frank understands how much he and Hazel need Frank and appreciate his leadership. And the way Percy is so proud of being related to Frank.

"You singlehandedly took out three basilisks while I was sipping green tea and wheat germ. You held off an army of Laistrygonians so that our plane could take off in Vancouver. You saved my life by shooting down that gryphon. And you gave up the last charge on your magic spear to help some defenseless mortals. You are, hands down, the nicest child of the war god I've ever met… Maybe the only nice one."

-Percy to Frank, SoN, pg.348

Coming from Percy who hates war gods especially Ares/Mars enough for it to overpower Hera's memory curse, this is extremely high praise. The way Percy is absolutely ready to throw hands with death to protect Hazel and Frank is just so important to me.

Frank being absolutely in awe of Percy, and having full faith in Percy's power even when Percy doesn't have it and Percy mirroring this behavior back is my Roman Empire. They are both the most suicidal characters in the book. I don't think we talk about how often Frank thought of dying and Percy is almost always suicidal (since 12 years old) but the way they both make sure the other won't die on their watch...it's the best written relationship in the entirety of HoO and you won't tell me otherwise.

The way Frank and Hazel both look up to Percy, how Frank was absolutely against Percy gambling is life and the fact that he is so proud of Percy that Frank points out the way Percy beat his father Mars to Mar's face with just so much sass is like the only proof you need. My guy was ready to back Percy till the end no matter what.

7]Obviously there's a reason why only Hazel and Percy know about Frank's curse initially and the fact that Frank trusts Percy so naturally and explicitly. Percy asks him to turn into a dolphin for the sake of his plan? Frank turns into a dolphin, no hesitation. Frank looking to Percy for silent acknowledgement whenever he tries something new with his powers and the fact that we know Frank wants to make Percy proud is just so fucking gut wrenching. These two are absolutely the inseparable best friends and I will forever hate Rick for not doing them justice.

8]Frank has seen Percy at his low when he is panicking and suffocating in the aquarium when they are captured and how he immediately does what he can to comfort Percy. He doesn't judge Percy for being so shaken by the whole situation, he completely understands and is so fully on Percy's side. The whole of SoN at times Frank was the one more fixated on returning Percy's memories than Percy was. The absolute devastated state that Hazel and Frank are in after Percy falls into Tartarus and Frank focusing on what Percy would want them to do. No one is doing it like them in the whole pjo series.

9]Also the whole Percy being slightly jealous and so in awe of Frank's ability and Frank just gaping at him cause to him, his gift is nothing compared to Percy's and that whole conversation is so hilarious. Percy calling Frank beast yet again but this time to tease him about how on the nose he was and Frank being flattered and embarrassed and immediately shutting it down gives me life. It's one of my favorite interactions ever.

All in all, Frank and Percy have similar issues and the way they mirror each other's positive and encouraging behavior to dispel each other's insecurities and the innate protectiveness for each other and the fact that they are both so proud they are related. The peak of brotherhood. The best friendship in the pjoverse to me. You cannot get better than this. Not to mention they both care so much for Hazel and are so protective of her and the way Hazel looks upto Percy always and relies on Frank for support. The best trio that ever trioed (could only be beaten by Lockwood, George and Lucy from Lockwood and Co.). There's not enough acknowledgement for these guys and the fandom really is missing out on the awesomeness of Frank Zhang.

I hate Rick for butchering Frank's character development in HoH that way. Frank so absolutely deserved to be Praetor but it should have been on his own merit, not because the blessing of Mars changed him the way it did. It's shit writing and just an awful message to give in general. The way Rick is fucked up all these golden opportunities and character potentials. To me everything after HoH is mostly non-canon anyway.

#Frank and Percy are peak friendship and the fandom needs to recognize this asap #Frank and Percy mirror each other so obviously yet no one ever calls it out is insane #the instant brotherhood between the two is one of the highlights of SoN #Percy hazel frank the best trio in all of pjoverse #frank zhang #percy jackson #SoN supremacy #Frank and Percy are so underrated and I hate it

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