#Athena: That's physically impossible

[backpackingspace]

Mmmm thinking about a time loop/time travel fic for the odyssey/epic

[wafflerageface]

Idk who needs to hear this but EPIC: the musical hot takes.

1. If the only source for Greek material you’ve consumed prior to this musical is Percy Jackson YOU LOSE THE RIGHT TO COMMENT ON THESE CHARACTERS. I’m so sick of seeing people commenting complete bonkers incorrect shit about characters that is literally only canon in the Percy Jackson series. For example. Calypso.

Calypso was not trapped on her island. Read the god damn myths. She literally only appears in the Odyssey. Ogygia is HER island. It’s kept concealed under HER spell. She’s considered by some to be a minor goddess and she’s a sea nymph. Ogygia is remote and the name was picked to give an air of being such a remote and primordial place. Other gods just don’t go there. That’s why she’s alone. She basically lives in the buttfuck of no where. She keeps Odysseus trapped because she falls in love and he doesn’t. In the myth it says Odysseus would go to the shore and weep by day and by night Calypso would weave and sing and enchant him, forcing him to spend his nights with her. It is very much implied she rapes him. 😐 Stop fucking defending her. In the EPIC version, Jorge has stated he did not write his specific Calypso to have assaulted Odysseus, but she still kept him trapped against his will. Stop fucking infantilising her. She’s not a child. She knows what a wife is. She knows what she’s doing is wrong. She’s a manipulator. She is not a victim.

2. Stop infantilising Polyphemus. This also goes back to some of the Percy Jackson shit. (I love these books but yall gotta grow up) He wasn’t a toddler (have no fucking idea where this came from) and he wasn’t bullied by other cyclopses. That’s just a Percy Jackson thing. Odysseus didn’t even kill the sheep. They found a cave full of provisions, Polyphemus came home, and instead of being a gracious host, he started eating Odysseus’ men and kept them prisoner for a few days. Odysseus gave him strong wine, said his name was Nobody, and blinded him while he slept. They escape the cave by tying themselves to the bellies of the sheep so Polyphemus wouldn’t feel them when they left. When the other cyclopses came to see what was wrong with Polyphemus and he said Nobody hurt him, they told him “pray about it”. So he did. That’s why Poseidon takes revenge.

3. For some reason I see a lot of people not giving Penelope the praise she deserves. For some reason she’s not considered smart and cunning like Odysseus, but just strong and militaristic because she’s Spartan, which is insane. Firstly, a lot of the common knowledge we get about Sparta was ancient propaganda from Athens (their counter part) because Spartan women were better treated and were allowed more rights than Greek women were. Spartan women didn’t go to war, they were simply allowed to roughhouse and develop their bodies the same way as men. They were well educated. Spartans believed strong women birthed strong men. Penelope was Spartan, so she was allowed to be physically fit, but her strengths were her cunning and intellect.

4. Penelope did not sit behind the axes. Let me say it again. PENELOPE DID NOT SIT BEHIND THE AXES. This is an intelligent woman. She set the challenge because she already suspected Odysseus had returned home and was setting a challenge that literally only he could complete. It was to sus out which one was her husband because Athena had disguised him so he could enter his own palace and spy on the suitors to understand what was going on. Penelope wouldn’t sit behind the axes waiting to die if someone actually managed to shoot the arrow. And the suitors aren’t stupid. They wouldn’t shoot anyway because that would kill the one lady they’ve been fighting to fuck for 20 years. Another example of her cunning intelligence is when she asks Odysseus to move the marriage bed. It was common in myths for Zeus to take the image of a woman’s husband and trick her into sleeping with him. So she set a task only her real husband would know was impossible. “Move the wedding bed.” If he tried, she would know he was an imposter. If he protested because it was impossible, then she would know it was really her husband standing before her.

5. Eurylochus hate is so frustrating. I get it, he opened the wind bag when they were practically home. I get frustrated with him too. Like homie you couldn’t wait 20 minutes?? But a lot of people seem to fail to see the point of Eurylochus in the story. He’s there to be human. He’s there to show real human flaws that we all struggle with. He opens the windbag because of curiosity and paranoia. He’s scared of Circe and fights for self preservation over saving the men. He feels guilt over opening the windbag and it eats him up until he confesses. Then he sees the one person who has been the guiding light for their crew seemingly sacrifice six men without explanation. That’s terrifying. He’s also angry because they went through so much and now their captain is just choosing to let people die so he can get home. When they reach the island of the sun cows, he’s hopeless, desperate, starving, and ready to give up. He kills the cow because either they get to eat and maybe survive a bit longer or at least they might die with a full stomach. Eurylochus is the most human one there having real human reactions to a situation that Odysseus is seemingly immune to reacting normally to.

6. Eurylochus and Polites did not have children. I don’t know where this came from. Polites is also a very minor character in the Odyssey. He’s mentioned twice as a dear friend and that’s it. We don’t even know at what point he died in the Odyssey either. Stop inventing shit that doesn’t exist.

EPIC: The Musical is a work of art. I love it. I was in the 1% of Spotify listeners last year and I’m hoping to end up in the #1 spot this year. I genuinely love this musical so much. But the amount of people making shit up without doing any bit of reading pisses me tf off. It’s literally so simple and easy to look up articles on mythology and learn all of this shit in a matter of minutes. Educate yourselves. Myths were invented as some of our first stories and were often used to teach lessons. It’s important to educate and understand the things you read, read deeper into the meanings of what you read, and know how to pick up on shit that’s inferred.

God I hate tiktok.

[aeithalian]

What even are the ancient laws?

I've been meaning to get around to this one for ages.

Anyways! Good question, guys! Answer: nobody fucking knows. Sure, we have good ideas. The laws are mentioned every now and then as a "oh, no little mortal child I can't help you - that's against the ancient laws. But hey! You can help me."

Let's be honest: the ancient laws, while there might be legitimate reasons for some of them, have transformed into yet another way that the gods hold themselves as the high and mighty overlords of the world, and keep their mortal offspring below them at all costs. But... why? Are the demigods really that dangerous to the gods? The answer: yes, but not to the gods - to Zeus.

Let's start from the beginning and list out everything we know about the laws. I did the hard work, you're welcome:

1. Gods cannot steal each others' symbols of power.

2. A god cannot initiate a fight with a mortal.

3. No direct interference - gods are not allowed to interfere in the lives and ongoings of mortals or monsters.

4. No more than 3 people are allowed on a quest.

5. Harming the sacred animals of a god is forbidden.

And that's it. Those are the only true mentions of the Ancient Laws in the entirety of the Riordanverse (at least, the Greco-Roman books).

And I think we all know what the most important one is. Direct Interference is the only one we see Zeus actively enforcing (or at least attempting to). But why is that? Well, stealing another god's symbol of power and initiating a battle with a mortal are physically impossible for gods, and the ban on harming a sacred animal is very commonly accepted already, as it's a guaranteed way to get your ass whooped. And the rule about having 3 on a quest isn't really something Zeus is going to spare the effort to enforce - starting a quest with more than 3 will typically guarantee that you come home with only 3, if at all.

But Direct Interference is the most interesting law, simply because it's the one that our demigod narrators are affected by the most, either in the ways their godly parents violate it, or refuse to do so.

There's plenty of instances where this law has had quite a bit of impact on the story and relationships. For example, Hermes used this law as a major reason why he could not help Luke or prevent him from raising Kronos. But let's be honest: besides Zeus himself, Hermes might be one of the only gods that actually obey this rule, despite the fact that he wants to break it. Just off the top of my head, I can name an instance in the series where every single Olympian at least toed the line of violating Direct Interference, except for maybe Demeter. And I'm not sure Dionysus counts, since he has contact with his half-blood children because of his position at CHB.

But there's something interesting even about the ways these gods break the law of Direct Interference. In most instances, these interactions with mortals happen when the god is in disguise, or through dreams. And, based on how little it seems like the gods get punished for breaking Direct Interference, we can only assume that Zeus is not aware of when gods talk to demigods via dreams. I mean, he's probably aware that it happens: Apollo, Poseidon, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hera, Ares (who occasionally follows the rule, but only as an excuse to not help a demigod out), Artemis (although she is subject to exceptions due to her domain), Dionysus, Athena (I think?), and Hades all do it at least once in the RRverse. I mean, you could also argue that dreams are a more indirect means if interference, but I can also see how that's an iffy argument at best.

So, what does this mean? If there is one thing I know about laws and rules in general is that people tend to break laws if the direct consequences of their own actions don't directly apply to them. Gods would probably respect the law of Direct Interference more if there was an immediate negative effect on themselves, aside from just the punishment.

Think of a law or a rule that people break all the time. Littering, for example. People do it all the time, even though it's bad. But why is it bad? A person who doesn't have a lot of forethought will drop a piece of trash and say 'hey, that doesn't affect me. The planet will suffer and this will be a pain in the ass to clean up, but I'm not the one cleaning it up, so why do I care?' If you don't care about the planet or other people cleaning up your trash, the only reason you have to not litter is that you're afraid of the punishment.

I think the attitude towards Direct Interference is similar. The only reason a god would obey is if they're afraid of the punishment, or if they respect Zeus enough to follow his laws (which, clearly, is not the norm in godly society). And even then, what is a punishment to an immortal being? The only way Zeus punishes gods that really matters to them is turning them mortal - and that's a very rare occurrence.

By that logic, we can assume that a violation of Direct Interference does not actually negatively affect gods all that much. To be honest, it doesn't negatively affect mortals either. Maybe monsters have the short end of the stick, but monsters didn't write the law of Direct Interference - Zeus did. So... why? Why does it exist?

My first thought was the Fates and prophecy - if gods can interact in mortal life without recourse, then it might fuck with the way the Fates operate. But gods have been interfering for the entirety of civilization. If they really had a the power to alter the future just by dipping a toe in mortal life, don't you think it would have been obvious? Even in the RRverse, there are plenty of instances, as I've mentioned, that gods have interfered in a quest, and said quest wasn't severely fucked over because of that interference. Take, for instance, Percy's quest to save Artemis - Apollo intervened, but where were the consequences of that? Where were the earth-shattering effects?

So what gives? Also, I'd argue that the gods would actually obey the law more if they knew it had such a negative effect on the proper functioning of the Fates, especially Apollo since that's his domain. So I'm going to say that's not the case.

So we're back to the first question: why does the law against Direct Interference exist if it has no effect on the gods or the Fates? In all references to the law against Direct Interference in the Riordanverse, never once is it explained why this law exists. Why would Zeus create it if violating it doesn't have some major world-ending effect? Gods are gods: what could make this law so important that it's the only one Zeus makes a true effort to enforce?

Well, it makes sense to me that Zeus would create the law if he's the one who has to bear the immediate consequences of it. Which raises the question: what are the immediate consequences? What reason could Zeus possibly have to separate half-blood children from their godly parents? HMmmmmmmMMMM.

Well, there's another interesting thing about the Ancient Laws: some of them don't apply to mortals. Mortals can steal a god's symbol of power, and mortals can initiate battles with gods. Imagine with me a scenario in which your enemy has an army that is not subject to the same laws you are. Gods are (as far as I know) physically incapable of stealing symbols of power and starting battles with mortals, but what does that matter if they have half-blood children that reach the power of minor gods, like Percy, who can do that for you?

It's a terrifying premise, if you're Zeus. And before you start telling me that I'm going down yet another far-fetched rabbit hole (listen - I always make sense in the end), we've seen Zeus go down this line of thought before, all the way back in The Lightning Thief. Remember???

Chiron said that the reason Zeus blamed Percy for stealing the Master Bolt was because the mines the Cyclopes used to forge the bolts is close to Poseidon's domain, and he thinks Poseidon has it out for him. Now, there's a theory running around the TOA fandom that gods can control how much power they hand off to their children (as seen with Apollo's children, who rarely inherit the power of prophecy, which we're willing to bet is something Apollo is controlling from behind the scenes), and if Zeus knew that Poseidon had had a child, it's possible Zeus thought Poseidon was trying to create a super-child just for the sake of overthrowing him. I'm willing to bet that one of his greatest fears is that an über-powerful child of one of his brothers would be used to steal his symbol of power and then overthrow him. He views demigod children like weapons that his enemies can use because they could be inherently dangerous to the standard structure of godly society. His main fear is somebody with the motivation of Luke having the power of Percy. And what do paranoid kings do when presented with the idea of their greatest fears? Make laws against them.

The only way Zeus could be sure that Poseidon would never intentionally have a child like Percy, then bring him under his wing just in time to start a rebellion against him is to ban that kind of interaction at all.

Counterpoint: you could also say that the law against Direct Interference was a way to protect the mortals against the gods who might harm them or do them dirty. Like getting women pregnant while in the form of a swan. Ahem ahem. Do you get my point, though? It's not like Zeus has any real reason to protect the mortals in this way, since he was one of the main perpetrators anyways, but it is a damn good excuse if he also wanted a reason to prevent a potential revolution led by demigods.

Now, if you'll bear with me for a little bit longer, there is one more interesting thing I'd like to point out: In the entirety of Trials of Apollo, Apollo (a god, obviously) only mentions following the Ancient Laws once. Unsurprisingly, at the time he's mentioning the law against Direct Interference, he's also violating it - when he kills Commodus to save lives, Rome, and for his own peace of mind. So, to me this basically means that Apollo doesn't give two single shits about following laws against Direct Interference.

Connect that with everything else we know about Apollo post-trials: he loves his kids, doesn't want to see them hurt, and is trying to distance himself from Zeus and godly society. Even pre-trials, he doesn't have any trouble admitting that Zeus makes his rules and laws difficult to follow - nobody is good enough in Zeus' eyes. I truly believe, if there's any person who, given the proper means and motivation to overthrow at least some aspects of the Direct Interference law, he would.

Just saying. Feel free to add on if anybody else has more thoughts!

[a masterlist of my other metas]

[aphroditelovesu]

Hi! I'd like to request an emoji prompt for yan!Athena x fem!reader with the 🦉 and 🎮 ones! I understand if not; I love your work!

Remember to take care of yourself and remind you that you're so important!!

[🦉] - ‘’You think you're smarter than me, don't you? But let me tell you something, you are not. And the death of your little friends is proof of that.’’

[🎮] - "Do you think you can beat me at my own game?"

❝tw: mention of murder and implied kidnapping.

❝author's note: thank you!! I hope you like it and remember to take care of yourself as well!!

You had never seen the goddess of wisdom so furious.

Athena had shown various emotions since she brought you to this place. A temple of hers. The most common emotions were: disappointment and exasperation.

But never a fury so great that it could tear the heavens apart if she were the goddess of the heavens.

You couldn't help but feel small in front of her. Athena was generally a figure of calm authority, a presence that inspired reverence and respect. Yet now she stood before you like a storm about to break, her gray eyes blazing with an intensity you had never seen.

"How could you?" Her voice resounded through the temple, echoing off the marble walls and making the flames of the torches tremble, "I trusted you. I gave you time, even if I didn't have to, and you betray me like this?"

You shivered at the fury in the words coming out of the goddess's mouth.

You opened your mouth to defend yourself, to say that it wasn't your fault, that all you wanted was to go back to your old life and not be with her, but no words came out when you opened your mouth. Athena took this as a mockery and it only made her angrier. You could have sworn you felt the marble floor of the temple shake.

Athena took a step forward, and you almost instinctively backed away. The force of her presence was overwhelming, "I gave you a chance to prove yourself, to show that you were worthy of my trust. And what did you do? You wasted that opportunity trying to leave me."

Panic started to take over you. Her every word was like a blade, cutting off any hope of mercy. You tried to find your voice, but the gravity of the situation and the intensity of Athena's gaze made it impossible. Your lips moved without making a sound, a useless reflection of your will to defend yourself.

"But I should have known better than to give you freedom, to allow you to roam free. I made a mistake in doing that and I will make it right." Athena's words made you shiver, the determination in the goddess's icy voice giving you goosebumps.

Athena approached closer, her footsteps echoing heavily through the temple. You felt your heart beat frantically, and your mind was in a whirlwind of fear and regret. The glow of the torches reflected in her eyes, which looked like two silver flames of pure fury.

"You may have forgotten, but I have not," Athena continued, her voice now lower but no less threatening, "I remember every broken oath, every broken promise. And your betrayal will be remembered."

You finally managed to force some words out, "I... I just wanted to go back to my life... I didn't want to betray you!"

That seemed like the wrong thing to say, as Athena's eyes narrowed and she stared at you, "Go back to the miserable life you had before me?" You waved, even though it wasn't necessary, "Do you realize how insulting this is to me?!"

You knew that Athena did not forgive offenses, no matter how small. She was very proud and very similar to her father in that regard.

Athena shook her head, "You think you're smarter than me, don't you?" You opened your mouth to respond but Athena silenced you by raising a finger, "But let me tell you something, you are not. And the death of your little friends is proof of that."

Those words hit you like a physical blow. The mention of your friends brought back a wave of pain and guilt that you had tried to suppress. Your knees gave out and you fell to the cold marble floor, feeling the weight of Athena's accusations.

"You killed them!" You screamed, your fists clenching as anger took over your body. Athena raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't kill them. You did." She shrugged, "When you chose to reject me, reject the life you could have with a goddess. Do you think you can beat me at my own game?"

You shook your head, your eyes filling with tears, trying to erase the image of your friends' lifeless bodies. This was all a sick game for the entertainment of a sadistic goddess. Athena could pretend that she cared about you, that she wanted the best for you, but at the end of it all, she wanted you as a prize to be shown off.

Athena knelt and lifted your face with her soft hands, "They were side effects. A means to a necessary end." She stroked your cheek tenderly, "And a lesson for you to understand that you should never try to surpass me. Ever."

You closed your eyes, your lips trembling as tears fell down your cheek. Athena kissed your forehead.

"To fail is human." She said finally, her voice implacable, "But learning from mistakes is what separates the fools from the wise. You are a fool but I will give you another chance."

You didn't say anything, just opened your eyes and looked into the gray eyes of the goddess of wisdom. Athena smiled.

"And I'll make sure you don't try to be a smartass again."

[theglassesgirl]

Thank you for your insightful tags @a-bottle-of-tyelenol !

And I hope you don’t mind me using this opportunity to mention Calypso because i refrained from doing so in my initial response, after having written a whole thing about her a few months ago, but I do understand it being a polarizing creative choice to make it ambiguous.

A brief (for me at least) analysis of Sexual Assault in terms of Calypso and its parallel to the suitors under the read more:

My thoughts on it on this specific subject compared to what I’ve talked about before are as follows and serves as a parallel to what Penelope went through on her own island while her husband was trapped in another;

To be fair, I don’t think it’s necessarily sexist of Jorge to have removed the assault aspect of Circe and Calypso (as some are saying in the OPs own post which…is a take, I guess)

I DO think it was absolutely a choice he made because he did not feel equipped to broach the subject that way and I’ll explain that a little bit, but he still absolutely understands the necessity of it throughout the musical and works to make HIS choice work for the overall arc - and well! Mind you! I think he succeeded even when he held back.

If we look at the source material, it’s certainly intriguing that the MAIN character of the story is a victim or assault by two different gods across the years, who essentially imprison and abuse him. Because of this, I feel it ADDS to the terror and fear by the time we the readers make it to Penelope and Telemachus’s POV in the poem. Because by that point, we have SEEN the antagonists “win” - Odysseus, like his family, has been a prisoner strip of any agency and options, and if HE has suffered sexual violence, it becomes a very real possibility for his WIFE to face

(in a lot of ways, we could also view Oddy killing the suitors be a sort of catharsis for him in that aspect, to be able to kill these violent men the way he couldn’t the goddesses who did all that do him, before they could hurt his wife and son)

Jorge’s musical is MUCH tamer, because he himself might be uncomfortable with depicting that subject matter as a physical action, but it still has a similar vibe.

We see Odysseus was able to respectfully reject Circe, but she still came onto him (albeit to kill him, but he had to account for all possibilities) so when he’s faced with Calypso, it’s VERY shocking and upsetting that he isn’t able to do the same with her.

The ambiguity of the seven years has caused so much discourse yet I argue, and trust me I’ve argued about it so much, that in some ways it’s exactly the ambiguity that Penelope and Telemachus faced.

We will never know what EXACTLY happened to Odysseus on that island, and we will never know what EXACTLY happened on Ithaca either.

As far as we do know, Antinous and who knows how many others feel very comfortable using sexually violent language to Penelope’s SON. She’s clearly put up a strong and unaffected front that Telemachus admires her for, but I’m sure it’s taken a heavy toll on her - the same her husband has faced, and that Athena has seen. And as far as we know, whatever calypso has done, given her words (like Antinous’), made Odysseus openly suicidal at least once!

While one spouse has to look strong, the other is visibly very weakened. This dynamic is missed when we don’t see both Penelope and Odysseus as complimentary partners, even after two decades of being apart!

But anyway. Having said this, Jorge’s version still provides a sense of urgency and plays on the audiences psychological need for Penelope to get a happy ending.

Because we’ve seen Odysseus successfully turn down one goddess, and we’ve seen him suffer under another without the privilege of knowing the depth of what he went through - for Penelope, its once again utterly inverted.

She CANNOT turn down any of the suitors successfully (hence the impossible task being her last ditch high stakes gambit, because SHE knows none of them can do it, but also doesn’t know how violently they will react to discovering that) and Antinous and the other suitors have completely cast aside pretense and are planning to assault her - no more ambiguity.

Where her husband has survived his own assaulters (though not unscathed) we are made very aware that Penelope’s situation is far more dire and her options much more limited. We are made to feel RUSHED, urged to see her helped (by Athena, her son and FINALLY her husband)

Jorge’s creative choice is still true to the integrity of this arc, Circe and Calypso still represent a parallel and an inversion to Penelope’s own plight.

Is it frustrating that not having a definitive answer to the boundaries Calypso pushed Odysseus - very much, I personally DO see her as someone who got physical based on much of her lyrics but I don’t mind people who don’t. As I have oft said, even without her “successfully” assaulting him, even if all she did was stand in front and look at him for seven years straight - it’s a violation of his autonomy and truamatizinggggg

but we’re not talking about her so much as how her role now fits/changed in the story. Mostly it hasn’t, is my point! If we really take a step back and follow the thread of this particular arc, it serves its purpose as well as when what Calypso did WAS explicit. Which again is why I feel Jorge made the creative choice to make the suitors intention MORE explicit.

For me, at least, it’s a careful balance that makes you LOOK at these two storylines and forces you to consider their similarities. We might not approve of the change, but unlike the heinous suggestion that the suitors should be innocent victims and Penelope be made their pal, Calypso’s role STILL works and fits the narrative.

Nevertheless, it’s perfectly fine if you still feel that way about it, because lord knows I’m constantly debating several aspects of Calypo’s character with other people across social medias lol and I’m sooo sorry this response went beyond the scope of your initial comments (please let me know if you’d rather untag you! 😭)

[baelpenrose]

elaborate

This is re: my saying that "Nico shouldn't have been gay, that's a better character arc for Jason."

Narrative vs. metanarrative is the simple version.

Edit because this keeps blowing up: Narrative is what's in text, Meta-narrative is the conversation the author is having with the audience. Rick uses the mortal side of character's lives to signpost their metanarrative, and the mythic side is usually 'pure' narrative. There are exceptions, but that's the general rule. To see this in a simple light: Percy. Mythic (narrative): He's a kid with near impossible expectations and near-limitless potential because he has to live up to the bloodline of a Big Three god and take on a prophecy, and no one gives him the respect of giving him the information to do this until near the end.

His METANARRATIVE becomes obvious when you look at his mortal life, where he is...an ADHD and Dylsexic kid who constantly under preforms in school because he is never given adequate support, but per some of the more recent releases, is actually extremely smart, if he can focus.

There's expectations he needs to live up to, but can't without something - or more accurately, someone - there to help him. AND there's also the way that being the child of a single parent and an abusive stepparent informs a lot of his issues with authority (something that, metanarratively, is there to speak to kids experiencing that) which are there in the text, but are also mirrored really nicely in Percy's relationships with the Gods as a concept. Now, look at Annabeth with this same lens. What do you see? Well...Narratively, (and the thing that the mythic side of the story calls attention to) she is a brilliant, daughter-of-athena, who wants to prove herself, but has had very little experience with the 'real world' that hasn't been horribly traumatic.

She knows what needs to be done, but frequently needs help doing it because at the level of threats she's going up against, she simply does not have the kind of raw power she needs to go eye-to-eye and win without backup or tricks most of the time. Now, (meta-narratively) mortal-side, her relationship with her parents is fuckawful. Like I know rick keeps going back and forth on how bad, exactly, or whether they got their shit together enough to matter later, but she ran away at 7, they made gestures at reconciling when she was 13, and her dad decided after knowing all of that to *not* relocate away from the Titan's seat of power where his daughter's presence was not so much flirting with death as much as sexually harassing the possibility of her own gruesome murder. She also has some physical attribute that causes people to dismiss her or consider her less than she is on sight, at least mortal-side, (Book!Annabeth is blonde, in books written when "dumb blonde' stereotypes actually had academic and professional impacts on hiring and grading for blonde girls, and Show!Annabeth is black in an era where misogynynoir only seems to be getting worse).

She wants to prove herself not just to Chiron, not just 'as a demigod' but as a capable persn, despite what the world (and her parents) might think. Her lower...gods I hate this but it works... 'power level' in terms of combat ability is also significant: she is a character whose experiences have taught her not to trust people, and in order to actually reach her goals, she has to rely on others. Now let's look at Jason and Nico Well, in Nico, we see an orphan kid whose been bounced around all over hell's (pun intended) half acre, from one not-actually-relative to the next, whose been more or less parented by an extremely parentifed sibling only two years older than him who leaves for another thing simply to be allowed to be her own person and be free of the crushing responsibility (side note: I have other thoughts about Bianca but this isn't the post for them), who then DIES.

Nico then spends a year on the run, hunted by every foul thing under the sun and below the ground, quite literally talking only to ghosts, going half insane, and also may well be the most powerful demigod in the series...who everyone is low-key afraid of because he's proven to be more than slightly troubled, unstable, and in the first series, prone to changing loyalties for his own reasons. Now, what this does have is a fuckton of mythic stuff that feels less like metaphor and more like continuation of what was already there for Nico as a mortal - like every other character. He's got a lot of potential, but everyone is afraid of him because he's the son of Hades (and also, metanarrative, because he's a foster kid and homeless and therefore 'troubled'). Chiron, who is supposed to be the reasonable adult, even lets Nico run away because, to quote a line that @shenanigansandtriumph quote at each other every time we need to mock authority figures being cartoonishly neglectful, "Nico needs to find his own, dark road." (No, really) - Nico is allowed to go through actual hell because everyone finds him uncomfortable to be around because of his bloodline (trauma). Like yes, you COULD do a narrative of him being gay within all that, (gods know, there are queer kids homeless or in foster care) but frankly, Rick Riordan has a...track record....of being less than optimal when he writes a character with more than one marginalization at a time, in that he'll generally write one to the exclusion of the other. I think Nico's narrative/metanarrative is stronger if it focuses on the trauma Nico has experienced as a homeless, orphaned kid, even if that gets played through the 'son of Hades' angle. Meanwhile. Jason. Narrative, he is the Son of Jupiter, king of the Gods. He has no mortal life at all, actually, except that he's been raised, his entire life, in the 12th Legion (it's only half a legion but w/e). This legion is a super-conformist, high-control group with extreme expectations of discipline, efficiency, minimal room for self-expression, etc. Jason has, due to his birth and his capability, risen to the top of the ranks very, very quickly - man killed a titan in a 1v1, for fuck's sake. He is perfect, and he needs to be perfect....except...he's...not. He actually hates being perfect. It is text that the conformity of New Rome is stifling to him and he actually prefers Camp Half Blood's more expressive aspects, the freedom he has with them, the way he breathes easier when he's with them, the way he feels he can be himself, but he's reluctant to admit it because going to camp Half-Blood is giving up the office that he's worked hard for, not that he necessarily wants the power (he never asked) but because he feels that it's his responsibility to hold Praetorship now that he has it to command the legion well and lead them and not leave Reyna to do it alone. hey what does that sound like to you? Because, to me...it sounds. Like a kid who grew up evangelical, was the 'perfect' choir boy, struggled to be, gave up a lot to be, and is now struggling with certain realizations that might break the dam. Plus, Jason as a character was super underutilized because I don't think Rick ever found a meta-narrative to ground Jason's story in despite this one being...pretty obvious.

[cynthiav06]

I loved the Vengeance saga, an absolute banger. Might be my second favorite after the Wisdom Saga, but here's the thing:

Odysseus wounding Poseidon or even being able to use his trident or trapping Poseidon amidst the storm is all extremely unlikely as in impossible even in the Epic canon.

Before everyone starts a riot, here's why.

Poseidon is a god. Not just any god either, one of the Elder Gods (as in first olympian gods). In fact before the Dark Ages of Greek, from at least Homeric Era to Classical Era, Poseidon was called Wanax or was at least heavily associated with him by the Myceneans and was the old King of the Gods according to them. But I digress.

Point is Poseidon is basically an Eldritch horror on legs while Odysseus, despite his brilliance and strength, is just a mortal, not even a demigod, a human. Albeit one blessed by the wisdom goddess.

Poseidon is a God of storms. And sure Epic might have some different connotations but apparently not cause Hermes himself quotes in track 2 of Vengeance saga Dangerous that no mortal can survive Poseidon's storm I.e he created it so he's the stormbringer confirmed. Plus, Odysseus himself does say that he will make Poseidon stop the storm.

That aside, Poseidon is literally the God of the Seas. No god, not even Zeus, can beat Poseidon in his own bloody domain. So Odysseus has no chance.

Even if Odysseus trapped him on land, Poseidon can create earthquakes with his trident, which is also prominent in his lore. So that's a no, no.

Sure, Odysseus could have made Poseidon drop his trident, but even if that happened in no scenario, would Odysseus be able to lift it. Poseidon's trident was forged by elder cyclops and is one of the three absolute weapons of power in Greek myths ( the other two being Zeus's bolt and Hades's Helm). These weapons were designed specifically for these gods and obey none other. Not to mention it weighs a lot, i.e., "only a god can lift it heavy."

In the impossible scenario that Odysseus lifts it(by some miracle or other), Poseidon could just summon it back to his hand.

For all those saying maybe Poseidon can't do close combat, he has fought titans. He has to all but breathe strongly in Odysseus's direction, and Odysseus will literally die, which is why Odysseus's survival is Odyssey is such a legendary feat.

It also beats the point of Odysseus's legends. Odysseus is the King of Ithaca, sure, but he's no demigod. He doesn't even have any special abilities aside from quick thought or the occasional godly assistance. He's basically a mortal that achieves things everybody, even demigods, failed at all through his wisdom, wit, and trickery. He is only human, but his mind is what makes him on par with the divine.

Odysseus resorting to physical fighting against a literal god goes against his very nature. Odysseus is the smartest Greek hero, a strategist, a manipulator, and he knows very well how to play to his strengths.

In the original works, Odysseus escapes Poseidon the second time due to intervention from both Athena and Ino. Ino is the goddess of protection, especially the protector of sailors. She gifts Odysseus with a veil of protection. And Athena pulls her usual strings.

This is Odysseus playing to his strengths. He has the situation in his favor, a plan as he has convinced these gods either with his past deeds or his unbreakable will to intercede on his behalf. By manipulation or sincerity, doesn't matter. He lies, manipulates, tricks, and thinks his way through, so he would never ever resort to a 1v1, that too physical with a god.

[Circe was a special case. He had the blessing of molly on his side due to him earning Hermes's favor. Through a plan]

I love Epic, I do, and I love Jay even more. He's phenomenal and Epic the musical is an absolute work of genius and I know he said he is taking inspiration from video games and anime which might lead to some divergences but this is a bit too big of a liberty from both the source material and the essence of Odysseus. Sure, it's enjoyable and badass, but it's a disservice to the original Odysseus in a way.

Just wanted to give my honest opinion cause I love Epic so much, especially with its imperfections.

[audreyscribes]

Ω PJO MISCELLANEOUS DEMIGOD HEADCANONS: 💀 THANATOS: GOD OF DEATH, PERSONIFICATION OF PEACEFUL DEATH 🦋

A/N: Heeeeeey everyone! Here is {Wave 2.0.} of Miscellaneous Demigod Headcanons. Had the strength to write some more gods and their demigods for the Misc. Demigod Headcanons and I decided to start off with the most requested god and demigod with a bang! (No seriously, I've been getting so many requests to do Thanatos that I caved just so I could free my ask box). Hope you all enjoy it and thanks for reading! MISCELLANEOUS DEMIGOD H/CS MASTERLIST LINK: [TUMBLR] || [AO3]

Welcome to the impossible births club like the Athena kids. Thanatos is considered a virgin god. I think it’s not because of chastity or abstaining, but because Thanatos is the god and personification of Death itself; so his interaction with mortals always ends in their passing. Not to mention, being a lieutenant to Hades, he’s usually very busy.  How you are born is up to theory but there are a few, limited, possible ways: a.) Just like Psyche and Eros where the former didn’t know Eros looked like, you do have a mortal parent that Thanatos fell in love with, but Thanatos remained invisible mostly when his eyes fell upon your mortal parent, keeping most of his deathly potency away. However, the whisper of death clings to you and your mortal parent. A curse of death for life and love. b.) You did the whole rebirth thing where you died as a baby or child, and Thanatos took pity on you. He fed you ambrosia and his godly essence with you, before you were allowed to bring back to life when appealing to Hades and Persephone, who allowed you to go back to the world of the living; however, you are a servant and denizen of the Underworld. C.) you were conceived when Thanatos fell in love with a mortal and when they crossed into the Underworld, they were finally to be seen together. However, when Thanatos was chained and the Doors of Death were forced to be kept open, your ‘mortal’ parent left the underworld searching for your godly father to free him. However, your parent was delayed in reaching Thanatos because with life now flowing, you were allowed to form and thus, you were born into the world of the living.

Regardless, you are one of your kind and if ever there are other children of Thanatos, well you’re in the same boat or one of the following listed above.

You have also inherited something from your godly father more than just the normal appearances (i.e. his golden-honey eyes, darker than black hair, his teakwood colour skin), you’ve also inherited his dark wings. Now before you get too excited, these wings do not grow along you in life. Your wings grow alongside you with death.

When you were first born into the world and drew your first breaths, you did not come with fledgling wings sprouting from your back. Your fledging wings sprouted from your back when you experienced death for the first time. Your wings started to sprout and show like tiny buds when you ignorantly crushed ants beneath your feet when you were a child and it was like being stabbed with a needle with your wings breaking through. You cry and the pain only gets worse as your wings grow and grow when you witness and are basked directly from (non-violent) death; whether you experienced death first hand or even hearing your classmate’s relative dying from cancer.

The pain and growth increases depending on the life; from the least to the death of bugs & insects to the worst & most growth with human life. Your wings were inherited from your godly father, the personification of Death. It is only natural that your wings will only grow and be a physical reminder of death itself. Whether your wings, feathered or like a butterfly, are a hue of blue, black, or purple can only be told with time and your journey in life alongside death. The weight of your parentage is constant on your shoulders and back.

 Whether or not you know you are a child of Thanatos from the get-go, you are not exempt from being claimed when you reach Camp. It is a quiet claim but a deafening one. A downturned torch where its glow was dim. Smoke and mist rose around you, and the patch of grass that had once blooming flowers began to wilt and turn brown. If you haven’t had your wings yet or your wings aren’t as prominent, with his claim, your wings grow just slightly, the hue of your wing shining beautifully slightly yet eerie looking.

If you arrived at Camp Half Blood, and whether or not you decide to stay at Camp Half Blood, you are temporarily assigned to the Hypnos Cabin; as much as Thanatos was seen together with his brother Hypnos. While traditionally, you would be assigned to the Hermes cabin, unfortunately you slept like the dead; figuratively and literally which freaked a lot of people. Around the children of Hypnos you fit in a lot better and Clovis advocated your stay with the approval and insistence of his father.

Being the child of Death itself, allows you much of the powers of a child of Hades or something very similar. You can use necromancy, summoning skeletons to your aid in battle and whatnot, but you can’t control death; just because you are the child of Death, doesn’t mean you are exempt from the same laws and limitations as a child of Hades or any mortal at all. You may not be able to shadow-travel, but if you don’t, you can turn yourself invisible much like your godly father. It’s a skill that requires practice, just as much shadow-travel, and how long you can keep it up will depend on you.

Another power of being a child of Death, is you can see someone’s life-essence. Think of it as an aura that radiates how much life they have and what they are. Very useful in telling who is a monster in disguise or seeing someone who is possessing someone who shouldn’t be possessing. On the other hand, there is the inevitable sense of mortality when you see their aura and time dim.

You carry the linger of death you go and those who pass you by, will feel the cold shivering breeze around you. Only a few are not fazed by it, but you mustn’t lose your control,

Being a child of Thanatos is a heavy burden but you must live because what is life without death?

“So that’s how I was born” you finished saying, telling to your present company of how you came to be and how you were a child of Thanatos. The eyes on you were nerve-wracking and your wings fluttered and jittered in unison with your emotions. 

You winced and whispered “sorry” when the tip of your wings almost grazed someone, not that used to having your wings out. It also didn’t help when Thanatos claimed you, they also got bigger so there were things to get used to. You didn’t like having your wings out in public, even around other demigods. Your wings were a constant reminder of your heritage and you wanted to keep it a secret, the truth of the wings where they appear when you’re around death, growing alongside with every life taken. 

“That’s a pretty loaded backstory” blurted out Frank finally and Hazel immediately elbowed him as he winced at his words and pain.

You could help let out a nervous laughter as you responded with,“It sort of is, yeah. In all honesty, I didn’t believe it myself until Hypnos told me in my sleep. Even then, I don’t think I’ll ever wrap my mind around it completely. Not to mention, that there were other demigods like me and there’s a camp of all things.”

“Well, don’t worry about that! We’ll help you get settled in and help you if you have any questions!” said Hazel and you gave a sheepish smile. The daughter of Pluto had arrived with Frank when you all made landfall in Camp Halfblood, Nico expressly relieved that his sister was with him. 

You met Nico first who looked at you and was out of his depth. It wasn’t only after you absorbed the death of a monster, did Nico tell you that Hades had told him about your existence and told him to find you, and in accordance take you to Camp. Which camp he didn’t specify but after some debate, it was better to take you to Camp Halfblood because your presence at Camp Jupiter wouldn’t be taken too well.

“Well…I guess the first thing to do is get you settled in” said Nico, rubbing the back of his neck. “We talked it over with Chiron and Mr. D and they said instead of staying at the Hermes cabin, it was best for you to stay at Cabin 13 with me until we get confirmation from Thanatos about what kind of Cabin he wants.” 

‘It was safer for everyone if you stayed at the Hades cabin just in case’ was left unsaid.

“In all honesty, I really thought I wouldn’t be allowed to stay here since well…” you gestured to yourself with a nervous gulp as Nico scoffed. 

“If they allow a son of Hades to stay, they’ll have to allow you. Besides, you’re a demigod like the rest of us so you have a place at Camp just like the rest of us” said Nico. 

“That’s right! If anyone gives you any trouble, don’t hesitate to let us know and we’ll be there right with you!” agreed Hazel as Frank nodded. 

You felt your chest warm up a bit as you all approached Cabin 13. Despite it’s dark exterior, you felt a certain pull to it as Nico and Hazel opened the door for you. 

“Once again, Welcome [first name, last name], child of Thanatos, servitor of the Underworld, to Cabin 13, the Hades Cabin.” 

[bekolxeram]

Long sigh......

I've heard that one of the most problematic bnf from the other side of the fandom claimed on Tiktok that Tommy wouldn't be part of the emergency landing rescue because "the controls (of a helicopter and a jet airliner) are different". I know I made a whole thing out of Tommy being a helicopter pilot instead of a fixed wing one. (I even made up a sunshiny airplane pilot ex boyfriend for Tommy, that was fun while it lasted) I have no idea how that bnf makes the logical leap that if Tommy isn't physically solo flying that plane, then he won't be involved at all. He's still a firefighter working with aircrafts at an airport. Unless the writers for some reason don't want Tommy to be in the episodes at all and pull the "not on duty" card, it would actually make less sense for him not to be there.

You know the drill. Don't read further if the discussion of Tommy not being able to fly everything bothers you. Block the tag #aviation realism if this whole topic doesn't interest you. I've hesitated a lot whether I should post my thoughts on this, but I guess this is the last chance to speculate, so here goes nothing. This is my specs for Tommy's involvement in the plane disaster.

First, I want to clarify something. I never said Tommy wasn't on the plane in 2x14. If by flying that plane, you mean actually taking the pilot seat, grabbing the yoke and executing risky low altitude maneuvers over mountainous terrain, no, I don't think Tommy can do it. The thing is, operating an aircraft that size requires a whole team, up to 5 in this case. I can totally imagine Tommy onboard sitting behind the pilots, helping out with navigation or precise drop coordination.

It's possible, even common to transition from flying rotary to fixed wing. JetBlue and Frontier both provide rotor transition programs to veterans, I've also seen a former Army Blackhawk pilot now flies the C-130 for the Coast Guard. Training ex-military pilots to become commercial airliner pilots has a higher success rate and takes less time than training a regular civilian. But you see the problem, none of them have been working as an active firefighter for the past 20 years.

Let's cut to the chase, I don't think Tommy will be landing that plane. In the original film, they decide transferring an Air Force pilot into the crippled 747 is the only option, because they think woman dumb Nancy can't handle it. Aviation technology has come a very long way since the 70s. This MythBusters episode from 2007 proves that not only is it possible for a complete novice to land a jet airliner by following verbal instructions, modern planes are so advanced that they can practically land themselves.

Sure, there probably will be some major damages to the systems needed for a normal landing (landing gear, flaps, brakes, thrust reversers) rendering an autoland impossible, because drama. But then you run into the problem of where the hell is the Air Force. Last season, the Coast Guard was busy rescuing other ships stranded at sea so some LAFD firefighters had to steal a helicopter to search for a cruise ship that didn't call for help. This time, a passenger airliner without its flight crew has a very real possibility of crashing in a densely populated urban area, the whole incident is also reported live on TV news, how can they explain the absence of the Air Force? Even assuming no commercial pilots in the area, including the ex-military ones are willing to do such a dangerous stunt and tether into the cockpit from outside, what's stopping the AIr Force pilots?

I don't think Tommy will be the one instructing Athena through the landing either. You run into basically the same problem. There are plenty of flight instructors of that exact model of aircraft out there better suited for the job. Flying a modern airliner, especially an Airbus, is more like flying a computer than an actual plane. You need someone with intimate knowledge of the plane's flight control systems in order to talk a non-pilot through operating it.

I know, I know, I'm being a killjoy right now, I'm worse than the Tommy haters and I should shut the fuck up, but even if we're going 100% realistic, referring to real life aviation incidents of this scale (Yes, I'm talking about JetBlue 292 again), Tommy is especially going to be part of the rescue.

Real!LAFD deployed a few helicopters in the JetBlue sideway nose gear incident to monitor the airfield and to help coordinate ground personnel/equipment, with a couple more standing by on the ground in case anyone on the plane needed emergency medevac.

I think the first officer might need a chopper ride if they want to save his femoral artery.

In the same incident, a local news copter also helped survey the landing gear issue from the outside. Tommy's helicopter can do that as well.

It's getting too long, but I have a few out-of-universe reasons for why Tommy will likely not play a super major part in this plane disaster arc, I'll just speed through them: Tommy's not a main character when screen time is already tight for the mains (I'd prefer to see him more in later Buck centric eps), he's already saved the day last season, I think production has blown all their budget on the airplane sets, the new trucks and the CGI bees already that they can't fit a helicopter in. (Let alone to replicate the original pilot transferal scene, it was a real stunt, they really got an AIr Force helicopter to dangle a stuntman in front of a flying 747. It was dangerous and hella expensive)

I actually hope Tommy would be working on the ground this time, I would kill to see him working with Buck and the 118, and not in the sky doing his own thing.

[nostalgiabug]

Billy Batson/Cap. M headcanons AKA something you didn't ask for but we are doing

Flossing Marvel jumpscare!

Billy is homeless by choice. Mostly due to being almost constantly adopted into bad families (boy just has the worst luck). Billy prefers to remain homeless out of the fear that at some point he won't be able to get away from an abusive family. And is absolutely terrified of cops because they tend to take one look at him and toss him in the system or call him a lost cause and try to send him to juvie. Billy does work for Wiz Radio mostly as a result of magical shenanigans i.e Wiz is run by the magical community of Fawcett City. Oh, Billy isn't a big fan of being Cap, I don't know how else to describe it as other than Uncanny Valley for the kid and the fear that he'll end up like Black Adam.

He and Freddy aren't even remotely related familially! Freddy is just some random kid his age that he became close friends with due to mutual loneliness and love of causing problems. Freddy's disability was a result of parental abuse were one of them broke his leg and it was just never properly handled so it just didn't set right. A teacher noticed this and had him placed into her protective custody until his parent was arrested and he had to be placed in foster care due to her inability to meet his needs. He currently lives with Victor and Rosa's family. The other family's backstory remains mostly the same.

Tawky Tawny is a fae trickster two pulled a prank on the wrong person (Titania) and as a result was cursed into the form of a stuffed tiger keychain. Currently he's Billy's familiar as a sort of parole/attempt to prove he's learned his lesson. He was a close friend of The Wizard for a few centuries and is teaching Billy the ins and outs of his inherited role as the Champion of Magic.

Magic lore

The Shazam acronym is as follows:

Sovereignty of Hera

Guidance of Hecate

Council of Athena

Power of Zeus

Fury of Ares

Momentum of Hermes

I always thought it was weird that Capt. Marvel got his power from multiple theological origins unlike Black Adam who was exclusively Egyptian. It was also weird that The Champion of Magic didn't have Hecate as one of his patrons, given her authority as the goddess of magic. I also like the idea the that Billy is beloved by the gods and has multiple blessings outside of the Champion. Like Artemis gave him an understanding of wild creatures and Dionysus making his mind harder to read. Billy is essentially a cryptid due to this, but with magic and a desire to start shit for the hell of it. I have this idea that each member of The Council of Wizards had their own champion and pantheon to draw from. Shazam obviously has the Greek pantheon, but the others had the Norse, Egyptian, Shinto, ect.

Capt. Marvel's duty is less about fighting bad guys and more along the lines of diplomacy, fixing what Black Adam caused. Helping magical communities to coexist and preventing magical threats that could potentially harm both the normal and mystic communities. Also the whole custodian of the Rock of Eternity thing. The Rock itself being a multiversal conduit for all magic does possess a limited form of sentience and will send members of the Shazamily to different realities for various reasons. The Rock tends to send them to those that aren't magically inclined often so a problem gets solved before they are able to return. It's next to impossible to open gates to The Rock in a reality that isn't magically inclined it becomes more difficult at best to return. The same it true for attempting to enter any other dimension i.e The Fae Wilds. I've always enjoyed the nuance of 'my job isn't to punch people, it's to help them.'

The Council of Wizards imposed rules on the Rock's interference;

1)The Rock is forbidden to speak.

2)The Rock is forbidden from taking physical form.

3)The Rock is forbidden to reveal any knowledge unknown to The Champion in any form.

4)The Rock is forbidden from most forms of physical interference (No moving doors)

This can only be rectified if the Council no longer holds control over the rock. Disbandment, forcible removal, or death without an heir.

Physical appearance HC

Billy has lichtenberg figure scars that are weirdly localized, the entire Shazamily does, Billy just has the most. The largest one is on his back starting from the nape of his neck and spreading out at his shoulder blades, he shares this scar with Mary. Freddy and Billy share a scar on Freddy's bum leg, this one going up from the foot to the knee. Darla's scar is on his right hand rising from the palm to the elbow. Pedro's is the left, it starts at the shoulder and ends midway to the hand. Eugene's is on the right leg starting at the mid thigh and ending at the achilles heel. The first scar Billy got is a circle around his heart that spreads across his chest like tree roots, it has no match.

The Champions all share variants of the same costume design (with one exception). Togas with pants, golden braces and boots. They still have the capes (I like those) and the togas match the color scheme with some extra personalization (sans Billy). Mary has the favor of Athena so her's is more armored than normal (and white). Freddy has Hermes so he has sandals instead of boots and his cape is smaller. Eugene is in full on spartan battle armor (Oops all Ares). Darla has a tiara and a longer skirt section. Pedro has the favor of Zeus so his outfit has streaks of charring similar to lightning. They all still have the thunder bolt thing in their chests it's just more obvious that it's a physical part of them.

Now on to my personal fav. Billy is transmasc. I don't know why but I like it. Additionally, Billy is pansexual and has had a lot of boyfriends and girlfriends none of them ended up being what he wanted, leading to a feeling of something being wrong with him. Freddy is gay but thought he was straight for the longest time. I'm just gonna preface this by saying Billy and Freddy being foster siblings is new and they used to just be friends and that is more interesting to me than just siblings. I don't have any strong feelings about the ship, it's fine, I think the potential of a close friendship developing into a close romantic relationship is much more interesting than enemies to lovers. So that's my standing.

Mary is lesbian, she just has the vibes. Darla is to baby to care. Pedro is a bi king. Eugene is the ace icon.

[user-without-a-cool-acronym]

YES. I've been waiting for someone to notice the Kai x Epic going on and it ended up being the whole fandom after a day or two. "When does a candle become a blaze, when does a man become a monster-" that line is PERFECT for Kai, and may I also mention:

Kai shipwrecked in land of monsters = island of Laestrygonians

Kai drowning in the sea = Poseidon drowning Odysseus. I almost expect to hear the tune of the wind bag start playing.

Kai with the headband = Polites energy. bro is cooked

(1) monster in specific that terrorized everybody? = Cyclops or bullet point 1 because it's still a giant, just not with one eye.

Kai, wanting to go home, needing to see them again = insert every lyric about that Ody sang + that really sad one from Mutiny

Kai, trying not to lose himself. We, the audience know the future in DRS1. We see a man who gets to make it home alive, BUT ITS NO LONGER YOU- except his first words are "what the heck, Lloyd?!" after the horrors. so it's still him.

Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves. We must do what it takes to survive. We are the same, you and I- = the dragon that says, "it's impossible to survive here without becoming a monster yourself." maybe it even happened to the last fire user. after everything Kai will need to do/or endure, how will he sleep at night? next to my friends.

Color scheme for the trailer is every Monster animatic ever.

At 0:22 in the trailer, we see this light, almost like a lure, and these tentacles with sharp teeth. = Scylla, who I've seen depicted with her main body giving off "light" in some animatics.

Still thinking of animatics, like how the giant knight resembles how people drew Hephaestus's "mechs?" or maybe it will play a role similar to Athena and Ares since we see Kai himself working in the forge. and the statue with spotlight eyes wakes up like Helios's statue, and the giant creature at 0:20 with the huge mouth is Charybdis but on land. Kai at the end with the sword, moving in for the attack has the same energy as Six Hundred Strike.

Kai is going to need to whip out Ody levels of outsmarting everyone and being resourceful with what's around him, and trying not to fall for traps. Like I've seen someone else say, the only way for Kai to become a monster is as himself, as just a man. unlike the other ninja who all changed physically in some way.

I swear, they are making this series for the EPIC fandom

also you are so right, the entire trailer gives vibes of „i don‘t think you seem to get it, i can‘t afford to die! Cause i will get back to my son. And i will get back to my wife!“ from 600 strike, especially the part underwater

also Daidan as Athena and Rusty as Hermes or the other way round fit so well, even with the series not yet out

[cosmic-ghost-hermit]

What is the best way for You to astral travel? pick a card

Hey homies! Please donate to my CashApp or interact with this post so I can do this full-time, thank you so much in advance for your support! The decks used to day are the Romance Lenormand, the Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot and the Necronomicon Tarot.

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(please pay for my queer quality of life)

Take what resonates and leave the rest behind but always be open to new experiences.

Also here are some basic Astral Realm Tips

mirror's there are portals to other places (go through at ur own risk)

eating any food there will effect your physical reality

ask your guides for protection over your soul and your body before traveling

ground urself before you travel

_________

PILE ONE

Astrology: Pisces, Aquarius, Gemini

Song: Femininomenon by Chappell Roan

Vibes: Indigo, green, lavender, white, pomegranates, reading, 99, unicorn, plumbagos, book marks, adventure time, X's, crossroads, armor, Hades, Hekate, Athena

Cards: Book, 10 of Swords, Judgement, 6 of Cups, 5 of Pentacles, Knight of Swords, Queen of Cups

Welcome, in pile one. The message I'm receiving first and foremost, is you can best Astral travel if you do it 'by-the-book'. There is a reason for this being so prominent. You have tried many times to astral travel and you believe it's impossible at this point. I'm here to tell you that you are capable. The only reason it has felt so impossible is because the most important step you need to take has been skipped unintentionally every time you have tried. You must ground yourself. Seems kind of counter intuitive but it's true.

Most likely, what has been happening is you have actually succeeded in your astral travel attempts. Being ungrounded can make it difficult to remember your adventures. Forgetting who you are can also make it harder to recall your experiences. Remember my friend, we are all a part of Spirit and when we travel in that way we are releasing our consciousness from our bodies and back into Spirit. Without being properly grounded we can lose ourselves in the experience until we return to our bodies.

I see you used to travel through the astral a lot as a kid. I also think you probably slept walked or had night terrors while you were astral traveling a lot as a child too. You have always been capable, my dear. You are extremely skilled in this area. Don't sell yourself short, dude.

Another trick you can do to succeed in your travels is to light a candle for your guides as an offering. They want to assist you but I feel you are the type of person who would rather ask for help than have someone take your freewill from you to assist you. Your guides know that and respect that about you. Which means only you can let go of your pride and ask for help. Also try and attempt traveling while sitting up instead of laying down. Good luck!!

__________

PILE TWO

Astrology: Scorpio, Libra, Cancer

Song: Starlight Brigade by TWRP and NSP

Vibes: Aquamarine, black, grey, brown, kayaking, sea horses, sparrows, seagulls , nests, swings, plantain, carrots, 22, 666, 639, directions, Hermes, Hekate, Hestia

Cards: Stork, Crossroads, 6 of Cups, Queen of Cups, 9 of Swords, 6 of Swords, Chariot

Hey pile two! Welcome to your reading. The main vibe I am getting from your cards is that there is some shadow work you gotta do before you are going to be able to freely Astral travel. I have a feeling you use escapism as a coping mechanism from your trauma. Which is why you have been barred from the Astral for a while. If you were to enter right now, unhealed. It would be hard for you to take part in everyday life in the same way. This is a very similar message to pile one actually but with more emphasis on the healing rather than just grounding. You really gotta figure out who you are, my dove.

Spirit does apologize for all the nightmares and all the pain you have been through. You didn't deserve it, dove. I see you have faced much violence in your few years on earth. It was scary and probably bloody or bruising. It isn't your fault. Everything you have faced isn't your fault. Unfortunately, it is your responsibility to make it right and lick your wounds. I wish it wasn't, dove. I wish someone could scoop you up and take away all the hurt you had to go through. You have to be the one to take that role. Cradle yourself in a blanket of safety and be there for yourself. That will be the best way you can begin to astral travel.

There is an interesting underlying focus of choice in your cards. It is as if you are choosing to continue the immense pain you have been through or to stop it in its tracks. Will you allow to cycle to continue or will you grab the wheel's fate and flip them in the opposite direction. Spirit and I know you will make the right choice. No matter which you decide. It is the right choice. Believe in yourself, dove.

__________

PILE THREE

Astrology: Leo, Aries, Sagittarius

Song: Devil's Train by The Lab Rats

Vibes: Orange, gold, brown, periwinkle, thistle, cherry blossom, open windows, thorns, 88, 5555, 1122, caduceus, red cloth, blue jay, pyramids, chains, lion, tattoos, Ares, Aphrodite, Eros, Eris

Cards: Whip, Birds, The Tower, Hanged Man, 2 of Cups, 8 of Pentacles, King of Wands

Welcome pile three to your reading. Oh boy yikes, this is a tough set of cards, my dear. I see you are struggling to venture into the Astral because there is mess that is in need of care in the physical. I think you might be in a really bad relationship with someone. This person is draining your spiritual power. For some of you it is romantic but it could also be familial. For a select few I think this might just be self destructive relationship with yourself. Letting this person treat you the way they do is killing you. The worst part of it is that I think you already know this. You have dedicated so much time and energy into this person that you can't bring yourself to leave. They drain your power and give nothing in return. You have convinced yourself you can't escape.

The cards are begging you to make a change in your physical reality. Once you remove the source of your anxiety and torment you will be free to use your power to do any spiritual thing you want to do. You have to rock the boat even if it is scary. You have to scream for help even if it will provoke someone. You have to make a mess of what they created. It would be so cathartic to wreck shit, babe. Just let yourself explode and watch as their tyrannical reign topples.

However, be sure you aren't exploring at people who do not deserve it. After all of the craziness is over you are going to need a support system to help you out. Please stop giving your power away so you can use it for yourself. Please let your suffering end by starting a new journey and break your current cycle. Please. Good luck, my dear. Have fun wrecking that horrible person's control of you. <3 Once you have dealt with your physical reality it'll be safe for you to venture into the Astral's unknown. Stay safe.

__________

PILE FOUR

Astrology: Taurus, Capricorn, Virgo

Song: Dead Inside by Younger Hunger

Vibes: Gray, forest green, off white, sky blue, moths, petunias, beakers, blackberries, scales, yellow teeth, 7777, 8, diamonds, moss agate, Nyx, Hypnos, Hades, Thanatos

Cards: Coffin, 7 of Pentacles, 6 of Pentacles, Hierophant, 7 of Wands, 10 of Cups, 3 of Wands

Hello and welcome, pile four. Now this is interesting. I see that you are intrigued by the idea of Astral travel but never really put in a lot of effort to attempt it. Maybe you put on a guided meditation for it but it didn't really go anywhere. You have done basic research but never really put everything you had into it. You are almost too grounded to astral travel. Unlike pile one and two you are very focused on reality. Anything outside of reality is fascinating to you but you are too logical to allow your mind to open to more mystical experiences.

These cards recommend that you find a professional to help you ease into it and teach your the techniques. I see you have plenty of resources to get the help you need to explore your spirituality. It will take some work to find the right professional and much more work for you to accept that there are things outside of our physical reality. Take as much time as you need, my dear. Don't overwhelm yourself with information that is difficult to process. If you open your mind too wide it can be extremely intense to accept everything you will learn. Go easy for a while to see if you like what you are getting into.

I can tell your friends might be into this kind of stuff or perhaps your family is. Don't feel peer pressured to believe anything if you don't want to. Just because of the people around you do this stuff, doesn't mean you have too, my dear. Faith is a very personal experience and it should be something you want to do for yourself, not for other people. If you are still interested in astral traveling after you have explored a bit, then you will know when the right time is. Happy hunting!

[infinitegalahad]

AMERICAN PROMETHEUS AND HIS ATHENA - CHAPTER ONE

Pairing: J. Robert Oppenheimer x Female Identifying! Reader Summary: In the fall of 1939, You are an incoming freshman at Berkeley. Despite your love for literature and the pressure of your parents, you begrudgingly enroll in a Physics course. There you meet J. Robert Oppenheimer; your professor turned into your best friend and most importantly, your lover. Word Count: 4.5k Warnings: Nothing major, minus the huge age gap. The reader is 18, and Oppenheimer is at least thirty. Everything is legal and consensual. If this bothers you, please do not read it; thank you! Notes: gonna be a long note, so strap in folks. so i have this tendency to get hyperfocused on a piece of media, get my little gremlin hands on any piece of media about it, devour said piece of media, and then poop out 5k+ words in under 24 hours due to my obsession. this happened two years ago with safin from no time to die, and let me just say that it goes to show that history is a sick cycle. not sick, I'm just literally insane. lol, anyways! here's some lore. last Sunday i saw oppenheimer and thought it was a masterpiece! i also love cillain murphy too, so that's a massive bonus. the next day, i bought american prometheus. i started reading it on tuesday, and finished it on Friday. if you haven't read it, please go read it. the book is impossible to put down, and a lot of characterization of robert and other characters come from the movie, but mainly the novel. this fic is heavily researched. this fic is also very dark too, and the content is...yeah. the age gap is very massive and while legal, very taboo, so please keep this in mind. there will be dark content in this story so be warned. trigger warnings will be in the beginning of every chapter. this is on my tumblr and ao3 as well. here is a playlist i made while writing this , if that does anything. my masterlist is also at work too; the new and updated version will be out next chapter. <a href="url">add yourself to the taglist if you are interested</a>. thanks for reading and i hope you enjoy.

There are people talking, and while they are close, their voices are nothing but mindless mutters.

Despite how much they had to drink, the buzz managed to slow their thoughts yet made them somewhat aware of their surroundings. If you tried, not like they really wanted to, you could point out every little detail around them–all small things, meaningless and unimportant, in the vast growing universe. 

The uneven vintage ski portrait on Hatomi’s side of the room, the dim light covered by the French literature nights on the window sill, the light of the moon in boxy shapes across the aged wooden door, your feet sticking out underneath the blanket and the cool air bringing goosebump to your toes, the heat of your flashlight against your cheek; it’s all so small. 

You’ve known Hatomi, your roommate at Berkeley, for the last week. A Japanese American from Davis, she’s a lover of literature like you, albeit you’re more into Russian and American literature than French. Both of you have concluded that you are different but are different enough to put those said differences aside to be friends. Hatomi, unlike you, is smiley and bright, the type to make a conversation not as awkward. She’s made many friends, some of whom are yours, and you’re thankful for her. In your orientation week at Berkeley, she’s helped you break out of your shell, and you’ve gone around campus and to parties to get out and meet people.

As thankful as you are for Haotmi, you are not very thankful about her bringing in some guy into the room without making it clear and having full-blow sex. Hatomi tries to keep her moans contained, but the slapping and grunts from the man beneath are not in any way contained or quiet. He’s as loud as possible, and you can identify him from one of the many parties you’ve been to, but all of them in your state become a gradual blur. 

There’s a visible outline of the two through your quilt. Hatomi’s on top, and said the man is on the bottom with messy hair. He’s got a hand on her hip, and she nudges forward, her body moving forward. It makes you feel even lonelier than you already feel, but it's not intentional, but it’s certainly a jab. Hatomi cries his name, an emphasis on the end of his name. 

You haphazardly try to catch his name, but end up forgetting it, the alcohol from earlier helping sing you to sleep. 

–

It soon became a cycle—the whole lot of it. 

You’d wake up at seven for your eight in the morning English class. Then you’d head to your philosophy class from nine-thirty to ten-thirty before heading to lunch at eleven. After that break, then comes your Greek class from twelve to one. Then it’s physics. 

It’s not that you don’t like physics. Actually, you love it—the concept is fascinating. The movement, gravity, and being a small thing in the grand scheme of the infinite universe is a topic you could dive into for hours on end. And not to mention, you have a burning hatred for the mathematics of it. You know you can do introductory algebra, but that’s where you draw the line. Calculus and all of that is too advanced. You can do it; at the bare minimum. 

Your class is not that big. It’s your smallest class with ten students, all intrigued by a fascinating professor. 

The first time you met him, he stood by the chalkboard with a huff of smoke following behind him. He wore a dark gray tweed suit and had thick, coarse hair which was wild, maintained with gel. He was tall but not towering and rather slender. With the bluest eyes you had ever seen, you knew that this man was a character; not to mention, he also looked intelligent. 

And that he was. 

Dr.Oppenheimer was the reason you started actually to love physics. Not like, love. He was not an easy teacher; he was complex but rewarding. He took the concept of physics and made it more interesting than it already was, adding another dimension to it that you didn’t think was possible. 

Instead of the class being a lecture, Oppenheimer discussed the fundamental forces and philosophy. He, like you, enjoyed how physics interacted with the classical world. With a cigarette in one hand and a piece of chalk in another, and in his velvety voice, Oppenheimer taught something along the lines of the cosmic universe or the quantum tunnel and would look to his students for their input, arguments, questions, or their voice to the topic. 

You know, or thought he knew, that you weren’t the best at physics, but could always add a philosophical or insight on how physics affects both in the modern and classical world. Sometimes in class, the two of you would dive into a conversation. Oppenheimer would give you a serious loo, staring directly at you with his bright blue eyes. You could have sworn they were the bluest eyes you had ever seen, in which you were. As you challenge you, Oppenehiemr would stare, blowing the occasional puff of smoke. You could see him smile, but maybe that was a part of your imagination. 

Physics was complicated, but not only did you enjoy the class for Oppenheimer, but you also look at Oppenheimer. You would not have said it initially, but he did come and was attractive to you. He looked serious, older, and cold; which all remained true, but he was also intelligent, and that was the most attractive thing to you. His intelligence made him overall even more handsome than he already was. With this new found elevation, you soon began to find everything he did attractive. It became a slight distraction, but it was enough to make you leave class with pink cheeks and smile to yourself all giddy. The fantastical thoughts of “what if” played in your mind, making going to sleep a little easier than it usually it. 

–

On Monday, Oppenheimer deemed that your class was heading into the “most brutal” and “nightmare-causing”  fundamental force of Physics; Quantum Mechanics. 

He also declared it was one of his favorite micro topics in Physics and, in his mind, “not too difficult if you truly look into it.”

 Everyone got a horrible gut feeling in their stomachs. 

Oppenheimer was blunt and did not sugarcoat, which was a fair warning to his class. Quantum Mechanics took everything that was horrible about Physics and made it increasingly worse. Wavefunctions, Eigenstates, Quantum Measurement, and all the new equations hit you like a frictional force. And it began to show on your assignments. 

Your normal average in the class was an A- (with Oppenheimer giving you an E for “exceptional effort”) hanging off the side of a cliff, but this new topic dragged your average down with massive magnetic force. Soon, your average became a B-. Homework assignments and reading responses leaned towards a B, while your test and quizzes averaged at failing or border failing. You felt relieved that one of your quizzes on Bra-Ket Notation came back as a C+. 

Oppenheimer was writing on the board, finishing a Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle equation on the board. He looked at the clock, knowing that class was going to end soon. Putting his chalk down and burning the small amount of his cigarette on the ashtray, he reached for a large stack of his papers. Most had red handwriting with circles, arrows, and question marks. A heavy wave of anxiety hit the class as a perpetual sigh raised. 

You could have sworn Oppenheimer stared directly at you. The vast blue eye started to haunt you, but you convinced yourself it was your mind playing tricks. You turned to one of your neighborhoods and sighed, shaking your head. 

“I understand you are all eager to receive back the recent test on the basic equations of Quantum Mechanics. I have taken my time grading each one and you will see why it looks like a long time,” Oppenheimer noted, with a tinge of dark comedy and sarcasm in his voice. He didn’t look up at the class as he walked around, gently putting each paper on the desk. Each paper he put down made a student who was having a good day a very not good day.

Between the heavy sighs and whispers between the students, you gulped as Oppenheimer passed your desk. He looked down for a split second and put your paper down. He pointed to the red writing right where you had written your name before moving on. Gathering yourself, you grabbed the test, and not your shock, was disappointed. 

Out of forty-five points, you had only gotten nine. It was a new low you had hit in the class. It seemed like it would keep getting lower. Everything was far from right, and he gave those points only because you tried by writing a passage by each equation explaining what you had tried to replicate, knowing it was very wrong. 

You skimmed the front, noticing the red writing on top. He wrote your name in cursive, and you would hear him say it, asking you to “please” meet him. 

And then the bell rang. People talked amongst themselves and gathered their things as they headed out of the classroom. You sat there and sighed, visibly upset. You weren’t going to cry, but you felt like it. You tried not to show it as you began to gather your books, covering the physics test, preparing to get up. 

“Y/n.”

You freeze and look up. Oppenheimer has been leaning on his desk, looking at you like a dashing Spectre. He puts his hands in his pockets and slowly begins to walk towards you. 

“Is this a good time to talk?”

Hearing the word talk made your stomach turn. You look up at him and clasp your hands together, nodding. You feel your left leg begin to shake. 

“Yes, Dr.Oppenheimer.”

Oppenheimer made his way over and stood beside you, leaning on the side of a desk, looking down at you. He took a quick glance at your shaking leg before looking back at you.

“You’re not in trouble.” 

You didn’t verbally acknowledge him, but you took a contained sigh and stopped shaking your thigh, paying full attention to the attractive older man. 

“I want to preface this conversation that you, Y/n, are one of this class’s most active and enjoyable students. Your participation and observation add onto the lesson, helping others around you, and even myself, learn more about Physics,” Oppenheimer said with high praise. He had a regalness to his soft voice. You felt your cheeks burn, containing your smile as you quietly thanked him. You watched his hands fidget inside of his pants pocket. 

“As talented and educated as you are in Academia, especially Physics, I notice you don’t do well on tests and exams. Everything else is excellent, and your effort is always there. However, with tests,” Oppenheimer moved his hand downwards, “It’s all negative. When I got your first test, I found it hard to believe it was your work. But then it all made sense.” 

“Now understand, Y/n, I am not mad or upset. I am worried. I can see there is an act of force, which is your anxiety. I do believe this is something we can work on–” Oppenheimer clearly explained. He saw your shoulders lower, relieve your tension had disappeared, “--Together, outside of the academic setting.”

“Like one-on-one?” You questioned. 

Oppenheimer nodded, “Yes, just the two of us. It would be an hour and a half to an hour, nothing more and nothing less.”

Hearing “just the two of us” made your mind go to wild places. You bit your tongue and squeezed your clasped hands together. You smiled, “Yes, of course. I think this would help a lot.”

“Now tell me, what is your availability? I understand you are busy.”

You shrugged your shoulders. You were busy but also could make time for a lot of spare time. 

“I can do any time work, preferably if you are okay with Friday afternoons,” You brainstormed, thinking about your schedule, “I know you teach a graduate class in the morning, and I have Greek at the same time.”

Oppenheimer furrowed his eyebrows, intensely studying your appearance.

“Friday afternoons?” He questioned, “Don’t you want to be with your friends and not have to worry about work? I understand your drive, Y/n, but I don’t want it to mix with your limited downtime. I hear you are an excellent student, and this is a very fixable grade. I rather you create a balance than an offset. 

While an average first-year would rather skip meeting with a Professor on Friday Afternoons, it didn’t bother you. Getting your grade up in Physis was very important. Education in your family was everything and meant a lot to you. Seeing a C with A’s and A-’s made you feel incomplete. You needed to feel complete. 

“Dr.Oppenheimer, thank you for your concern. I insist that Fridays work as well. Mondays through Tuesdays, I’m either studying or leading other study groups for my other classes. If you are worried about my social life, I can assure you that I do get out of the dorm and library with my friends,” You reassured the older man, “Besides, the whole party scene is really not my scene. I’ve seen enough parties at Berkeley to be okay with missing them. If Fridays don’t work, I will work with your time.”

“Fridays work well for me as they work well for you,” Dr.Oppenheimer concluded. He looked at the clock above his desk before looking at you, “How do Fridays at 5 pm sound?”

“Perfect timing, Dr.Oppenheimer. Shall we meet here?”

Oppenheimer rubbed his index and middle finger on the temple of his head, “Well if you are comfortable, I’d rather congregate at my house rather than the classroom since we will be out of the Academic Day.”

Taken aback by the bold move, your lips made a subtle “o” shape. You squeezed your hands together, contemplating. His house, where he slept, ate, and did other things that were not fit for the academic setting? This made your imagination run wild—the idea of being in his house, just you and him, fed into your fantasy. 

“My house is on Shasta Road. It’s right off the campus. It’s a short walk. However, if you are not comfortable, especially late at night walking home alone, then I can–” 

“Dr.Oppenheimer,” You insisted. He stopped speaking and looked at you, waiting for you to speak.

You stuttered, feeling the heat up your throat to your face, “It is okay. Friday at 5 pm at your house is perfect. The walk will help me clear my mind before tackling the equations.”

Oppenheimer studied your features for a second before coughing and putting his hands together, “So, it’s settled. We will meet tomorrow then. Thank you for your time, y/n.”

As Oppenheimer began to head back to his desk, you stood and gathered your books, ready to head to your Greek class. You could feel how hot your face was, but you couldn’t imagine how red and embarrassing you looked. 

“Thank you, Dr.Oppenheimer. 

Scurrying to leave the classroom in a flustered state, one of your books falls over. It makes a loud slamming noise into the ground. You’ve got a solid amount of books in your hand, varying in topic and weight. Turning around, you are about to awkwardly bend down to pick up the book, but Oppenheimer has beaten you to it. His presence scared you at first. He’s holding the ivory, aged book, examining the cover and back. You stand two inches away from him as you cradle your books, not wanting to say something to disrupt him. 

“Sentimental Education. Is this for class or pleasure?” Oppenheimer inquired. He looked back at you as he placed it on top of your books. He saw the one below, your Greek textbook, was sticking out and about to fall. He made sure to push it in to balance the books and make sure you didn't fall over. 

Not that you were complaining about falling over since he would have to catch you. You cursed at your wild imagination. 

You let out a long uhm before declaring it was for class. More specifically, your English class of The French Adventure: Word, Sound, and Image taught by Mr.Chevalier. But it was unimportant. It was a good book, albeit obscure. Oppenheimer probably thought you were some idiot for both failing a test and reading some silly book. He probably wondered why you were even in a physics class to begin with. 

“Do you like it?” He questioned. 

“Yes, a lot,” You expressed, “It’s the second book we’ve read, but so far my favorite. It was ahead of its time,” You go red, “And even for this time. I don’t know what I’m saying even, my parents made me read it in high school.”

Oppenheimer made a noise of approval, placing his hands on his hips, “Well, it shows that your parents wanted you to be well-rounded, and here you stand at one of the best public universities in the world. So I would say you do know what you are saying since I fully agree.” 

The compliment made you want to make some happy noise, but you bite your lip. You nodded your head and naked it, knowing it came out as a mumble. Everything you said felt super embarrassing. 

“Y/n, I understand you have class,” Oppenheimer cut to the point, “But if you ever want a book recommendation, come to me. I’ve been looking for someone who understands.”

“Understand?” You asked, dumbfounded. 

“Someone who both understands and enjoys art.”

“Oh,” is all you can manage to say. You smile and hold your books closer, “Well, I should-”

“You should-” Oppenheimer highlighted, hands on his hips, “I shouldn’t keep you.”

You wanted to protest that he should, but you didn’t. As you made your way to the door, you looked back. There he stood in his slender and regal form, hands on his hips. For a cold man who never looked happy, he did. You could have sworn his eyes had a spark to them that made them brighter. You felt brighter too. 

On your way out, he froze and looked at you again, and gave a small smile. 

You smiled back. 

–

It’s 4:50pm.

Your mother always said it was better to be very early than to be very late. Those words guided you through life, following you from home to high school to Berkeley. 

After class, you spent the hour getting ready. Taking a shower, you made sure to look your best with low effort. You didn’t want it to appear that you were trying to look good, even though you wore it. Putting on something very casual, you made sure to wear yourself nicely and even added a sweet touch of Chanel Coco perfume that your father had gotten for you in France for your high school Graduation. 

You walk up the hill and spot the house, recognizing the numbers on the mall box. The house is well sized and has the architecture of a craftsman. It’s hidden by numerous large plants and bushes, which you take a second to admire as you walk to the door. Eventually, you reach the door and hesitate to knock. Check your watch, it’s 5:52pm. If he’s busy, you can wait. 

There’s no point in knocking since you can hear the lock on the door unlock. As you put your hands behind your back, the door opens and it reveals Oppenheimer. He looks weirdly normal and this comforts you. He swaps his flannel suit jacket for a white oxford button up with dark slacks. The top button of the shirt is unbuttoned, and in one hand he has a cigarette, in which he is trying to successfully hide. 

“Dr.Oppenheimer,” You greeted with a small smile, squeezing your hands behind your back. 

You could swear you saw a small quirk at the side of Oppenheimer’s mouth. He stands to the side. 

“Y/n, welcome,” He greets. You quietly thank in as you walk in, standing to the side as you clutch onto your brown leather alligator bag with your textbook and notebook. 

“How was the walk?”

“Not bad. It’s nice outside. I’m sorry if I’m early, it’s a bad habit-”

“No need to apologize. It is a good habit. It will serve you well,” Oppenheimer praised once again as he led you into the kitchen. You hadn't been alone with him, let alone in his own house, but he was different. Around others, he was cold and calculated to a tee. But around you, something felt warm and strangely comforting. 

When walking to the kitchen, you catch a glimpse of his house. It feels rather empty, and in a way, very melancholic. 

The kitchen is simple and small. For a California one story however, the kitchen can fit more than two, maybe three. 

“Sit,” Oppenheimer subtly commands. It’s not an intentional command, but upon hearing this, you immediately sit down on the nearest chair. As you pull out your textbook and notebook with some pens and pencils, you can see Oppenheimer rummaging through the fridge and grabbing two glasses. 

“Do you drink?”

You're in the middle of opening your notebook. You look down and lick your lips. 

“Yes.”

He doesn’t respond and proceeds to make whatever drink he is making. You sit there and swing your legs back and forth, waiting in silence minus the shaking and pouring. 

“Speak to me,” Oppenheimer announces. You look at his back as he makes the drink. Once again, he’s slender, but yet strong and vibrant in his appearance, “Go to the first page of your test. Read the equation.” 

You feel lucky Oppenheimer’s turned since your cheeks, like yesterday, have gone to a light pink. 

Obeying his words that feel like a command that you are more than happy to accept, you grab your test and open to the first page to read the first question. 

“Consider a particle in a one-dimensional potential well of width of L and infinite potential barriers at its edges. The potential inside the well is given by V(x)=0 for 0<x<L0<x<L and V(x)=∞V(x)=∞ for x < 0 x<0 and x>Lx>L,” You read out, “The Hamiltonian operator for this system is H; where x is the mass of the particle. Find the allowed energy eigenvalues and corresponding eigenfunctions for this system.”

“A fundamental. Now, tell me your answer.” 

You get your pen and calculator out, placing it at your side. “I started with the Time-Independent Schrödinger Equation and substituted v(x) for the kinetic energy term. Then I tried to solve and it, uhm-”

Not only were the calculations for your test both difficult to answer and hard to process, but having Oppenheimer stand right behind you further proved to be a brain block. He was only an inch away from you as he had leaned to look at your paper, a hand on the back of your sheet which scraped your warm back. You had been so caught on the equation that you hadn't noticed he was an inch behind you, breathing down your neck. Thank god there had been a table since your legs began to shake; a combination of raw anxiety and pure adrenaline. 

You started to write the equation into your calculator, pressing down on each button. Scribbling away at your notebook, you felt his warm breath down your throat. Just as you wrote the solution, you felt him smell behind your ear and into your hair. You had sprayed some perfume there, which was a habit of yours. He leaned into, gentle and careful not to touch you, taking in the airy and smooth feminine scent. Not protesting, you finished your solution and let him bask, all while basking his cold yet comforting presence.

 “The corresponding eigenfunctions are: ∣ψn⟩= Asin⁡(nπxL)∣ψ n ⟩ =Asin( Lnπx ),” You gulped. You felt his warm presence move back, yet his hand remained on the chair. You pushed a piece of hair back, “I guess it’s not too different from my old answer. It’s right, it’s just-”

“The math piece of it,” Oppie pointed out, “Well, there was no issue here. With your calculator of course.”

“Yes,” You chuckled to yourself and looked at the big device. It really did help.

“Use it more,” Oppenheimer said, “Don’t be scared too. Math is not everyone’s strong suit; including mine.”

You smiled at him as he sat in the chair next to you. 

“I don’t know if you drank from our conversation earlier, but I made you a martini,” Oppenheimer said. You looked at it and picked up the drinking, examining the liquid. 

“Oh, thank you. I do, just the…better stuff,” You thanked with a small confession. You took a sip and let the strong liquid ooze down your throat. It was excellent, in which you proceeded to drink more. 

Oppenheimer leaned back in his chair and smiled to himself. He wanted to make sure you didn’t see that, but you did. 

For the next hour, the two of you talked about your test. Each question you read out, and he helped you with the math, but overall you were able to solve most of it. It wasn’t perfect, but it was progress. He seemed pleased, and you were as well.

Once you had finished going over the test, you sighed and leaned back leisurely from both Oppenheimer's presence Martini. 

“Well, thank you, Dr.Oppenheimer. This has been short, yet helpful.”

He crossed his arms as he also leaned back, “Of course, I’m pleased to hear.”

There was a silence before you looked at your watch and grabbed your books. 

“It’s 6pm. I’m sure you’ve got things to do, I should go-”

“I’ve only got dinner to make. Chicken, peas, and potatoes,” Oppenheimer said. He smoked another cigarette, which made you wonder how many he smoked a day. You focused on his chapped lips and the way they lightly held the cigarette, sucking in and dragging out ashen smoke. 

“Say, would you like to stay for dinner? There's plenty for two.”

The task made you blink a few times to make sure this wasn’t one of your fantastical thoughts late at night as a way to soothe you to bed. You opened your lips in an attempt to create a coherent response. 

“I can make you another Martini, even show you.”

You knew you were red, but it clearly to him did not matter. 

“Yes, I’d love-would be happy to stay for dinner, Dr.Oppenheimer.” You said, very flattered.

A slow exhale released a veil of smoky allure, as if the very air itself surrendered to Oppenheimer’s fiery elegance.

“If you are staying over for dinner from now on, please, call me Robert.” 

[blazinghotfoggynights]

I am so happy for episode 7x4. Why? It has already led to lines of communication about romantic and queer journeys that are not typical.

I see Team!Tuck and Team!Buddie have some members that are not happy with the other and think the other team is delusional or doesn't make sense. Only the members of that show's crew know what is going to happen. For all we know, Buck could meet a third party, fall in love, leave the 118, and go off to happily ever after.

(I so don't want that. But what can a girl do?)

I want to say that as someone who probably has just a teeny bit more of life experience than many people on here and other social media, no I am not sharing my age, I have seen, and experienced, a lot. Remember I mentioned lines of communication opening? They are open now because people are inspired and feel empowered to share their thoughts and experiences.

To Team!Tuck, yes, Team!Buddie is still quite a possibility. How? Did you know you can be so in love with someone you have no idea you are in love with them? Sounds crazy, right? But it can happen. It took many years for me to see that I was head over heels for my best friend. I never considered it. I never looked at him that way. We were just really close and besties.

It took someone asking me if I were stuck on a deserted island and could only have one person there with me, who I would choose. I said his name instead of my then boyfriend's name. I didn’t even think about it. It was reflexive.

The person was staring at me smiling and watching me as I realized what I’d said and then a montage of our friendship played in my mind.

“Oh my god.” That was me.

“Finally figured it out?” That was the other person.

When I thought about it, I compared men to him all the time. The qualities I was most attracted to in my partners up to that point were qualities they shared with him. But it was at that moment, many years into our friendship, that I realized that had been happening.

This leads me to Team!Buddie. Team!Tuck is valid and could very well be endgame. If the writers make Eddie a completely hetero man with no flexibility, Buddie will not happen. However, they have offered a character who is literally an amalgamation of Buck and Eddie as a possible love interest. It is funny to me, because when I look at the Tommy character I see the lovechild of Eddie Diaz and Evan Buckley. Buck picked a man who mirrors him physically but shares a lot with Eddie including military background, quick wit, snarkiness, the willingness to say screw the rules when needed, hobbies, etc.

If Buck knows with no uncertainty that Eddie is not, and will never be, an option, wouldn’t it make sense that a man who is so much like Eddie would catch Buck’s eye?

I will also say that it is not impossible for someone who truly believes they are 100% heterosexual their entire lives to realize one day that may not be the case. How do they realize it? They look at someone of the same sex and have an epiphany.

As a young one who was new to this world, I fell for the rhetoric that sexuality is static and does not change. You were either straight or gay. There was nothing else.

This older, wiser version of me knows the only things you can count on in life are change, surprise, and unpredictability. She is also grateful for those who worked hard to explain that sexuality is a spectrum and give those who never quite found a space a label that finally fit.

She is extremely grateful for the brave people who who have the courage to live out loud and raise their voices in pride so others know maybe one day they can do the same.

I will always have my fingers crossed for Buddie endgame. I’m talking big wedding, tears being shed, vows so sweet everyone requires insulin. You get the picture.

However, I also want to see the two characters who never have happiness or a partner who truly supports them find what Hen/Karen and Athena/Bobby have. If that is with other people, so be it.

One more time, I am going to say major respect for ABC and the show writers for flipping off that network that can go to hell and giving this arc life and to Oliver and Lou for doing what is bound to piss off a lot of people who won't be shy about vocalizing their narrowmindedness.

[cerseimikaelson]

Episode 2: Wakeup Call [AO3]

Athena wasn't just a morning person.

She was the morning person.

While the passage of time wasn't technically important to immortals, not even they could afford to entirely dismiss the importance of a structured routine.

Athena had that down to the T.

Wake up at dawn. Exercise. Bathe. Get ready. Eat protein and drink fluids. Check on the news. Read her to do list again to make sure she didn't forget to write anything down.

The goddess of wisdom loved the quiet atmosphere of the morning, particularly those rare times the palace wasn't filled with the sound of steps and shouts from her fellow deities. It was the best time to work peacefully, and Athena took advantage of it to the fullest.

Out of all the challenges Athena considered would come with having a roommate (even if said roommate was her wayward daughter) a clash of routines just hadn't occurred to her.

Her first mistake. 

There. Athena admitted it. 

Viola just. Wouldn't. Wake. Up. 

Athena was seriously starting to think the girl was physically incapable of getting up before 8AM. 

Even though such a thing was impossible.

Living with Viola was a test to her sanity. 

Now, the first time it had happened, Athena had honestly thought the girl was ill. What other reasons would a person have for staying in bed this late? 

When the clock had struck 10AM, Athena had walked into the girl's room. Not to check on her, mind you, but she supposed ensuring Viola was breathing and hadn't chocked or something fell under the whole "rebuilding the relationships between Olympus and Faerie" thing.

Or whatever the terms of the treaty that they still wouldn't let her read were. The audacity of some people.

The Fair Folk were serious about their contracts. Athena was almost impressed.

Back to the demon.

So imagine her surprise when Athena had walked in to find Viola sprawled on the four poster like a star fish, dead to the world and not even stirring when Athena had cleared her throat.

Thrice!!

Eventually, she had to resort to more drastic measures.

Apologies to the startled servants that her furious yelling might have unsettled a bit.

"Wow, wow, easy!" Ares had walked in just as Athena was preparing to refill the bucket of water. 

Viola, who looked like a drowned cat with strands of auburn hair plastered on her face, bristled.

"What are you doing here?" Athena asked disdainfully, mind still focused on the task at hand.

"You do realize they can hear you on the other side of Olympus, right?" Ares raised a brow. "Zeus sent me to make sure you weren't murdering the girl. Apparently the Fae will be less than pleased. Try not to start a war over a wakeup call, will ya?"

His shit eating grin told Athena he was enjoying this. 

Athena tossed the bucket at this head (he caught it) and stalked out of the room, ignoring the girl's furious protests about her wet nightclothes. 

Which brought us to today. Three full weeks after that mortifying incident.

Things were... gradually improving. 

The same way snails gradually moved.

Athena had woken up at 5AM as per usual, gone for a run because there was absolutely no one on the streets of Olympus except a trio of bleary-eyed partygoers that didn't even notice her, gone through three chapters of her book and eaten breakfast in the community hall of the pantheon.

Enough was enough.

With a determined set to her jaw, Athena dabbed her lips, straightened her posture and got up from the table. 

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Hermes asked Athena as she stalked past him. The messenger god was looking rather windswept already, as if he had spent several hours cloud hopping in his winged sandals- or just skipped his morning Starbucks.

"I have to go wake up my demon." Athena responded briskly without even bothering to slow down. 

Hermes, to his credit, didn't even blink. Then again, of all the animals in the cosmos he could have chosen as his pets, Hermes had chosen the talking, sentient, perpetually hungry snakes. He had seen some shit.

"Good luck with that." He didn't outright scoff, but it was a close thing. "Try to tone the yelling down this time, okay? We don't need the sentries thinking we're being attacked and raising another alarm."

No, they really didn't. It had taken forever for Athena to explain there was no need for evacuation, surrender or a strike back against whoever imaginary foe.

"I'll do my best."

"Don't pour another bucket of icy water on her either."

"Well, so far she's stayed true to her name. I might exorcise her."

If it got the demon child out of bed, Athena was willing to forgo the minor detail about it being a Christian technique. 

Gods above, her life was unravelling.

Predictably, when Athena got to her own private palace, it was silent as a tomb.

"Have you heard anything from the Lady Viola this morning?" Athena asked a servant who was dutifully dusting the bookshelves.

The nymph glanced at the clock and turned to her with a raised brow as if the question was utterly ridiculous.

"I am afraid not, my Lady." 

The nymph wasn't quite smiling, but her cornflower blue eyes twinkled with a hint of amusement.

"Of course not." Athena muttered under her breath. "Thank you, you may go back to work now." 

If the nymph put on a pair of earplugs as Athena was leaving the room, it was discreet enough that the goddess could pretend not to notice. 

Steeling herself, she gave an experimental knock on the girl's door, just in case she was awake and still getting dressed. 

No such luck.

Athena walked in. The room was pitch black and smelled faintly of the cookie dough aroma that seemed to follow the girl everywhere. Viola was buried underneath a veritable mountain of blankets, wrapped like a burrito or a homeless kitten.

Athena took a deep breath, preparing her vocal cords.

She should invest in a honk.

"Get your hide out of bed lazybones, it's already 9AM!" she shouted.

Viola reached blindly for the nearest pillow and threw it in the general direction of her voice. Athena avoided the projectile with ease. 

"Viola!" she barked. "Get up this instant!" 

The motionless lump on the bed then proceeded to tug the covers above a mass of tangled auburn hair. 

Athena felt her eye twitch. 

"You have duties and studies to attend to! If you think you can laze about in bed languishing the day away under my roof you are very much mistaken!" she shouted.

"Geez, you woke up today and chose violence, huh?" Viola's groggy voice reached her ears, still rough with sleep. 

Athena mentally counted to five.

"I have little time or patience for your theatrics. It's bad enough I have to waste precious time to get you out of bed every morning."

"Then go away and leave me be. Problem solved." Viola finally cracked a grey eye open, glaring at Athena.

"I don't think so. I expect you to adhere by my rules while staying under my roof."

Viola huffed at that grumbling something akin to "as if I want to be under your roof".

One, two, three, four, five.

"If you don't get up this instant-"

"Jesus Christ, don't get your feathers in a twist!" Viola shouted, rubbing her eyes and finally tossing the covers off her. "I am up, okay?" 

Athena watched with an unreadable expression as the girl attempted to collect herself. She didn't bother with a robe or slippers (if those feathery heeled things could even be called that) but made a beeline for the fancy coffee machine stashed in the corner of the room, jumping over a pile of clothes on the way.

"First item on the agenda is to clean up in here. You've turned this room into a battlefield." Athena wrinkled her nose.

"Your closets are fucking tiny. They only fit about half my stuff!" Viola protested as she punched buttons on the machine.

That actually made Athena pause.

The closet was the same size as the one she had in her own room, and Athena was pretty sure some of her own selves were empty despite putting all her garments in the same closet regardless of season.

"Are you serious?" she asked incredulously. "How many clothes do you own?"

Viola shook her head at her. 

"Not all of us are content to go out in 1730s fashion. When was the last time you went shopping?" 

Athena opened her mouth to deliver a scratching retort (something about at least not dressing like she belonged in a Moulin Rouge production) but it suddenly felt too loaded. 

Viola, evidently pleased that she had gotten the last word, (or so she thought) poured herself a generous cup of coffee, reaching for the packaged sugar.

At the fourth one, Athena raised an inquisitive eyebrow. 

The girl seemed to sense it. 

"Say something about my caffeine intake and I will test your immortality." she growled, hackles raised. 

The eyebrow went higher, but Athena wisely refrained from commenting. 

"Duly noted." she said drily. "How do you expect to be a productive member of this household if you can't set a manageable sleeping schedule?" 

"A: Who said I have to be productive? B: Some people are night owls." Viola cackled at the pun.

"A: I did. B: Hilarious." Athena said, unimpressed to a fault.

"Whatever, Feathers." Viola rolled her eyes. Athena's own (and they were bloody identical, damn it all to the Fields of Punishment) twitched again. This insolent child would be the reason she developed anger issues.

Viola took another sip of coffee that must have scalded her throat. 

"So, is there a particular reason you dragged me out of bed first thing in the morning? Have special tortures planned for me?"

"You're acting as though I am a slave driver." Athena rolled her own eyes at the dramatics. "Wash up, get dressed, then join me for training." 

Viola looked up at that.

"I am training with you?" 

"Did you think I was going to let you frolic about the entire year?" 

"Frolic." Viola mouthed to herself, then shook her head. "But you seriously want to train with me?" 

"What did I just say?" 

"No, I heard. What happens when I win?"

Athena actually laughed out loud at that.

"The Underworld freezes over. Because you won't win."

The girl's eyes flashed with a competitive glimmer Athena knew all too well. 

"You do realize I trained with the Court's knights back in Faerie, right? The elite squads that protect the royals. Those guys' whole brand is that they can kick anyone's ass." Viola said. 

"You do realize I am the goddess of wisdom, war tactics and strategical thinking, right?" Athena retorted in the same tone. 

"You can still go down." Viola looked definitely awake now. "As long as someone finds your weak spot."

"Even if that were the case, that someone won't be you."

Viola smirked, slow and devilish.

"Game on, Feathers." 

See you for next week's Episode 3: Period Cravings

Tagging so nobody gets left behind: @sarnai4, @firinniee, @greekmythstan, @rhmis-user-2020,

@i-ship-bullshit-2020, @mushroom-the-trauma, @saint-michael-the-archangel

[petalbcrnes]

Half blood : adhd + dyslexia most of them children with either have one of godly parent. Mother father

Camp half blood : camp for half blood.

Cabin 1 : Zeus

Two : Hera

Three : Posseidon

Four : Demeter

Five : ares

Six : Athena

7 : Apollo

8 : Artemis’s bit she is a virgin so she come toward some children and had the Artemis blessing that made the child a hunter of Artemis they are immortal until they get killed and they follow the godess everywhere.

9 : Hephaestus

10 : aphrodite « Claiming & Cabin

Claiming: When Aphrodite claims her children, a dove appears above the child's head and they receive a blessing of Aphrodite, which makes them more beautiful/handsome and puts them into stylish clothes. The blessing disappears somewhere between a day to a week after claiming.

Blessing: When given Aphrodite's Blessing, the child is changed getting rid of any flaws their body may have, and putting them in an outfit to really bring out their looks. This can last for a few days, while in some cases the imperfections may never come back.

Building: The cabin has a painted roof, with concrete pillars full of tiny beige pebbles and scallops, and a blue-and-white checkerboard deck with steps, and gray walls. There is a purple door, lace curtains and potted carnations by the window. On top of the door is a stone carved version of the painting "The Birth of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli.

Furniture: The inside of the cabin smells very heavily of perfume. The inner walls of the cabin are pastel green window trim. The curtains and beds are pastel blue and green. The campers have twin beds with pale blue sheets. Each bed has a blue dresser in between with drawers, a mirror, and makeup. Every camper has a chest with their name painted on it to store their belongings. Their personal bunk spaces are decorated with famous and attractive stars, and a few personal photos too. The cabin is always clean except for under the beds, which has chocolate wrappers, love notes, and other things under them. Powers:

Beauty Products Control: Children of Aphrodite have the ability to alter and control makeup, perfume, clothing, jewelry, and other beauty products (hairbrushes, combs, curlers, straighteners, etc). They are able to cause a mist made of perfume and/or cologne to blind and/or stop the attacks of their opponents.

Amokinesis: Children of Aphrodite have control over amokinesis, the ability to manipulate love and desire.

Love Curse: Children of Aphrodite can curse two people to love each other for a limited amount of time.

Emotional Influence/Control: Children of Aphrodite can influence the feelings of love. They can influence strong emotions such as hate, desire, and desperation. They can influence the thoughts of others so they would only think of the child. They can also curse someone so they will feel unloved, ugly, and the effects of a heartbreak.

Love Magic: Children of Aphrodite are naturally skilled in Love Magic.

Crush Sensor: Children of Aphrodite can tell when a person has a crush on someone that isn't being reciprocated.

Biokinesis: Children of Aphrodite can change their physical features like hair color, eye color, skin, ect.

Emotional Insight: Children of Aphrodite can read people's emotions, just by looking at them from close by or from a distance.

Clothing Manipulation: Children of Aphrodite can change their clothes at will.

Permanent Makeup: Children of Aphrodite have the ability to use Permanent Makeup on others, which can last for few days, weeks or even months. The makeup is impossible to remove in the time period that it lasts.

Zoolinguism: Children of Aphrodite can communicate with doves, geese, ducks, dolphins, and swans.

Children of Aphrodite can tap into the powers of any of the Erotes, as their mother is the mother of the Erotes. For example: charmspeak and functional wings as the Erotes can do so.

Love Aura: Some children of Aphrodite have a love aura around them at all times.

Charmspeak: Selected children of Aphrodite can have the power of Charmspeak, the ability to make people do whatever the user wants just by using the strength of their voice. However, those with a strong enough will, higher deities, and chaos deities are able to put up some resistance and/or are immune to its effects.

Some children of Aphrodite have enhanced battle abilities due to the fact Aphrodite was also a war goddess.

Enhanced Sight/Hearing: Some children of Aphrodite have enhanced senses of sight and/or hearing due Aphrodite’s associations with gossip.

Beauty: Children of Aphrodite radiate beauty. Making everything and anything look stunning on them.

Clothing Curse: Children of Aphrodite can curse a piece of jewelry or clothing.

Charmspeak Resistence: Children of Aphrodite have a higher resistance to charmspeak. They are able to know when it’s being used it but aren’t fully resistant to it.

Hallucikinesis: Powerful children of Aphrodite can create an illusion of a person’s greatest desire. Though it will drain the child.

True Intentions Knowledge: Powerful children of Aphrodite can know the true intentions of a person.» —from Google

YOU'RE SUCH AN ANGEL 🥹🥹🥹 thank you dear !! aphrodite's cabin sounds so interesting,,, you're convincing me to join lol