#octavian answers

[ask-octavian-the-augur]

Theoretically are you flammable??

Oh some one go get mom she’s gonna set this dude on fire

And ruin this perfect entertainment??

You know what I refuse to baby sit her she’s 17

@four-chaos-kids

"No, I'm fireproof."

[bassguitarinablackt-shirt]

If you were a fruit youd be a mango

the fact that this is the second time ive been told this.....

[pineconepie]

This was an Octavian commission! It was meant to be only 500 words, but I got a little carried away ^^;

TW: Vampire feeding, blood, parental yandere

Usually, when Octavian would put you to bed, you didn't want to fight with him on it. After all, it seemed only respectful, given the fact he's so graciously welcomed you into his home without expecting any payment or favor in return. Sure, he can be a little odd at some times, but you figured that was simply part of his nature.

One night, however, you stare at the ceiling, unable to sleep. You're exhausted after a long day of work and moving about Octavian's large house as though it is your own, yet you cannot get your mind to settle down enough to rest.

You decide grabbing a quick snack from the kitchen couldn't hurt. Octavian had insisted that this house was yours to go wherever you please, as long as it isn't outside. So, it wouldn't matter too much if you were to eat something and head back to bed. You quietly open your bedroom door and walk down the stairs, careful not to trip.

The kitchen is dark and empty. You rummage through the cabinets, looking for some of the cookies Octavian had made for you not too long ago, when you hear a cry of pain.

It startles you. You jolt slightly, looking around. It didn't sound like Octavian, it sounded like someone outside...

Is someone hurt?

You leave the cookies on the counter and grab one of the nearby lanterns and a kitchen knife just in case, before quickly exiting the house. If someone's injured outside, it'd only be right to help them. Your heart hurts to think someone might be in a similar situation as you. And surely, with Octavian being such a kind person, would want you to help them too, right? You make your way through the dense brush behind the house, searching for any sign of movement or human life.

The wails become louder as you get deeper and deeper into the woods, eventually becoming clear enough for you to understand what they're saying.

"Please," cries a voice from somewhere far away. "Please... don't hurt me! I have money, take it! Just don't...!"

"Stop screaming already, you're giving me a headache..."

You freeze at hearing Octavian's familiarly calm tone.

In an opening between the trees, you see Octavian looming over someone. It takes you a second to process exactly what is going on. You first assume he's trying to help the man, that your eyes are surely just playing tricks on you.

Even if you've only known Octavian for a fairly small amount of time, you don't want to believe he'd ever hurt anyone.

Yet, his fangs sink further into the person's neck as the seconds pass. The two are completely unaware of your presence. Octavian's body completely hovers above them, drinking from their bleeding skin.

Their scream of pain dies in their throat.

Octavian pulls away a minute after they've stopped screaming, sighing deeply. "I forgot how much humans bleed..." he mumbles as he wipes at the blood now covering his face, only smearing it even more.

Without thinking, you take a step backwards, leaves crunching beneath your feet.

Octavian turns sharply. His eyes go wide at seeing you standing there with a horrified expression plastered across your features. For a split second, the two of you can do nothing except stare at each other silently. The chill air of night makes goosebumps rise up on your flesh.

"(Y/n)," he breathes out. He slowly stands, hands up in a display of peace. "Please, don't run. It's okay. There is no need to be afraid, I would never hurt you."

"You're a..." You feel a panic attack coming on. Your heart beats hard against your ribcage, lungs straining. "No. Stay back!"

"I know," Octavian says soothingly as he advances toward you. "I know it's all so much right now, but everything is alright." He wipes at his face again with his handkerchief, this time clearing off all traces of blood on his face. "I know you're scared, but think logically, love. If I wanted to hurt you, I've had several opportunities to do so, yes? Yet I never did. You are completely safe here. Safe and cared for..."

He opens his arms to invite you closer, beckoning you into a hug.

But you don't. You take slow steps back. You know you can't run; not only do you have nowhere to go, but even if you did escape, Octavian could catch you easily.

"How many?" you croak. "How many have you killed?"

Octavian hesitates. "Not many at all, I promise you. This... fellow, was a bad person. Harassing all the other townsfolk in the area, always getting drunk and causing trouble... And when I found him wandering too close to our home, well... I just couldn't stand the thought of him coming near you. I refuse another person to hurt anyone I love. Please understand."

Not really having many options, you mutter, "I'm... going back inside. Please don't talk to me." Your voice breaks halfway through.

Before he can reply, you spin around and rush back inside the house without looking back once.

...

As soon as you make it inside, you lock yourself in your room. With tears pricking at the corners of your eyes and adrenaline rushing through your veins, you throw yourself on your bed, burying your face in pillows and blankets as if they'll protect you from reality. You desperately try to steady your breathing while curling up into a ball.

You wish this is all a terrible nightmare. But then again, who could dream something this horrid?

Octavian had always been kind. At least, as far as you knew, he'd always acted as though he had your best interests in mind. To think he lied to you for so long...

The rest of the night, you're unable to fall asleep.

...

When you don't come out of your room the next day, Octavian is now beyond worried.

He knocks on your door. "(Y/n), dear, I brought you lunch... though I suppose it's technically dinner now." There's no response. It only causes his anxiety to grow further. "Love, if I could speak to you about yesterday, I'd like to clear things up..."

Still no answer.

"I'm coming in."

The door is locked, but he manages to unlock it himself. His powers have granted him with enough strength to open it despite the resistance, and though it causes some damage to the locking mechanism, that isn't what worries him most right now. Inside, you're sitting up on your bed, glaring out your window rather than at him.

Wordlessly, he sets down the plate of food on the bedside table for you. When he sees the dried tears on your cheeks, his heart breaks for you.

"What is that?" you ask suspiciously, towards the plate of food. Your voice is still hoarse.

"Just some sandwiches," Octavian replies softly.

"Are you gonna eat me?" you whisper.

Octavian shakes his head. "Oh, my love... my dearest sunshine, no. Of course not." He reaches out and gently places his hand upon yours, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Never in a million years. Never in eternity would I hurt you, understand? That will never change."

You reluctantly eat, and you have to admit, it's good. You feel tired after eating, but you suppose not having a day of sleep will also do that to you.

"You look exhausted," Octavian sighs. "You haven't slept a bit, have you?"

You shake your head, avoiding eye contact.

"Can I put you to bed?"

After a beat of hesitation, you give a small nod. He smiles gratefully, putting your plate back on the nightstand. With practiced ease, he tucks the blankets around you snugly. His fingers comb through your hair as he presses a kiss against your forehead.

And though you're still upset, the comfort makes you start to drift off regardless. A part of you feels safe. Even though Octavian had hurt someone, he hadn't hurt you. If he wanted to, he had more than enough opportunities to do so.

He hums a soft song. It's quiet, but soothing, coaxing your eyes shut. You nestle yourself closer to him.

"There's no need to be scared of anything, little one," Octavian coos. "I will not let harm come to you, as long as I live. Nothing could stop me from protecting you."

Exhaustion takes over, and you find yourself content in his embrace. For just a moment, you try not to think about everything that has happened. Just for this moment, you allow yourself to forget all the horrors you saw earlier, even if it means cuddling up to the vampire that caused them. You tell yourself you'll deal with everything tomorrow.

"Goodnight, sweetheart. Papa loves you so, so very much."

[cuppa-noodle]

Hi!!! I really like your fanart of octavian and rachel, its so yummy, could you elaborate on what this au is about though? It has two underrated characters and i love them so i definitely curious (no pressure)!

Lord idk how long this has been here-

Thank you, though!

So explanation: Prophetrio or Unspooling Fate, which is the proper name for the au, is a post-TOA au where instead of ascending to godhood after defeating python, Apollo is instead sent back in time and ends up dragging two people (Octavian & Rachel) with him!

They must then figure out what to do and what they can change whilst remaining vigilant and not being found out.

Chaos ensues because, whilst these three are the only ones who remember their timeline, grudges are not forgotten just yet.

Book 1 is currently being published - the scroll of Clio

[knightofthenewrepublic]

[everythingannoyingpjo]

Octavian: Final Thoughts

I don't actually think this is the last time we will discuss Octavian on this blog. However we've had a lot of good discussion about his character so I wanted to finalize my thoughts on the subject so that I have a reference I can look back on going forward.

Facts

Octavian is not 100% Evil:

Octavian is a child.

Octavian is a product of the culture he was raised in.

Octavian has reason to believe that the attack on New Rome was legitimate.

Octavian has reason to believe he is doing what the gods want.

Octavian is Definitely Guilty of:

Warmongering

Seeking power.

Being a jerk.

Octavian Might (Not) Have:

Killed Gwendolyn

Blackmailed Hazel

Prophetic Abilities

Been manipulated by Gaea

Intentionally allowed Bryce back into the military despite his questionable history.

Octavian's Narrative Function

An entrenched power for Percy, Hazel, and Frank to overcome. (But they already had the giants to overcome and didn't need a secondary antagonist.)

To make Hazel, Percy and Frank's quest more difficult. (His only opposition was in not giving them very much money and a crappy boat, but that could have happened whether Octavian was present or not.)

To make Reyna appear more sympathetic. (I feel like this could have been better handled a different way.)

To create a sense of urgency. (Again, there are other ways.)

Conclusions

Octavian Doesn't Make Sense

His actions, implied or directly stated, contradict his motives.

This could be because he's "complicated."

This could be because he's a plot device and Rick never intended him to be a "Real Character."

Octavian is Frustrating (Because)

He could have been "complicated."

Now I will never have the satisfaction of piecing his mysterious pieces together.

No one likes him.

I know how it feels to be unliked and the butt of everyone's joke. I don't like seeing people treated that way unless their truly irredeemable.

He doesn't make sense.

I can't even enjoy disliking him because he has no substance.

He serves no larger purpose.

The story would have been just as good as, or even better, without him.

Final Conclusion: Octavian is a poorly written character and an unecesarry plot device. We all cry for the villain he could have been. RIP.

[percabeth4life]

hi :3

Quick Question:

What's your opinion on Octavian from hoo

Octavian deserved better. He deserves a proper villain arc or a proper anti-hero arc or literally just being validated for some of the stuff he talked about.

Like canonically Jason disappeared after talking to Reyna, she was the last one to see him. And then she spends months refusing any replacement until they literally force it on her and running the legion on her own. I'm not surprised Octavian was sus of her or didn't trust her! Or that others doubted her!

I would kill for the implications to be explored and Percy to realize that while he likes Reyna well enough, actually that is kinda sus. There's no reason for him to immediately assume Jason's disappearance was connected to him, it was months ago! It would've led to some cool drama in him not knowing who to trust.

And Octavian wouldn't have needed to be so cartoon villain like come on, there was no reason for killing Gwyn or whatever her name is to our knowledge. It was just assumed as him for no real reason! Hes just "evil" so offed her. Doesn't fit.

[neentendo64]

Is there anything sweeter than grumpy old man octopus zoomies? 🥹🐙

[twobehonest]

In hoo Octavian thinks a lot of what gaias saying is Apollo, is something similar happening here or is it more different

Anyways 2 AM rant sorry if it doesn't make as much sense as I thought it did 💔and sorry if it doesn't line up with my last AU post Abt it 💀

I think in how I view my own AU of going in a certain direction of; I think no. He would be unaware that anyone is even there.

She'd likely be very careful in terms of having Octavian ever find out or think about someone influencing his thoughts that wasn't himself. Now if he thought it was Apollo telling him this stuff, it could get crazy complicated, especially even though Zeus closed off all the other Gods, they kinda just. Don't care, and do shit anyhow, so the chance of Apollo randomly pulling up, and Octavian getting confused because morals do not align with Apollo and Gaia is pretty plausible.

And of course, she's directly using him as a host until she can get stronger, so she wants to keep the lay low as much as possible. She wouldn't want to bring any attention that there even may be a chance at anyone speaking to him. No answers lead him to become more confused and frustrated, leading to him spending more time alone, and trying to read prophecies. The more he's ignored by the Gods, the more he doubts he'll ever get to reach them (amplified by Mars randomly coming down to bless Frank of all people), leading to him becoming resentful and listening more to himself than not. The perfect domino effect into Gaia's clutches.

This could build up into the point of a (oh look, the earring has a reason to exist!!!!!!) moment, and the probable direct reason they are able to defeat Gaia, now you can take this two different ways, like WoF, somebody finds out the Earring mayyyy have something deeper than just jewelry, and proceeds to destroy it to force Gaia to force all of her energy and attention and awake, because it was so abrupt and the main focus of her being destroyed in it, or y'know, have Octavian slowly realize that his thoughts aren't his thoughts anymore, find out the reason is Gaia and connect the dots that the earring he's been mysterious overprotective of and refused to take off for a lot of the time is the reason for it, and smashes it... Not knowing that would be the tipping point of when she awoke, but the important thing is, she wasn't at her strongest yet.

But this is my newest Octavian AU, so expect it to be rusty at best ig 😭 I have a bunch of joke ones I made with my friend AA as like an "what if this happened" scenario

Ig if anyone's interested I could talk about them one day

[usedtobethelegendcreator]

found this in an old doc lol

Wait. Wait was this about how I said I kinda liked Octavian from Heroes of Olympus??

[mrsoftthoughts]

I was thinking about Octavian and that make me wonder;

What would be the ethics and morals standards at camp Jupiter and New rome for two demigods Childs of the same godly parent dating??

Just, think about it, since that the gods dont have dna (a completely nonsense for me, but its the canon answer so im sticking to that for now) probably at camp half-blood the tabu of dating with your siblings is only because the camp,with cabins which divides the campers by their godly, parent set up a family dinamic between them you thinks of them as your siblings and that What make it weird i guess

But camp Jupiter doesn't do that, the cohorts are a buch of random demigods and legacies meant to be soldiers, not a family

and heading back to Octavian who is the one that lead me to that question due the fact that at the end of the day he is said to be an Apollo legacy, and only Apollo, Does that mean that Octavian family's just a bunch of Apollo descendants married between them?? Or camp Jupiter just chose to call you a legacy of only the god that's more important for you depending of your position at the legion (in the case of Octavian, as the augur, being Apollo )

Leet me know what are your thoughts about this, i need answers.

[ask-octavian-the-augur]

"Octavian, why does centorian Kahale call you babygirl?"

"Let's stop talking for a while."

[bassguitarinablackt-shirt]

salve amice

i just wanna say that your headcanon of bi4bi queerplatonic percabeth HAS MY HEART

also random who do you think my godly parent would be :>

thank you thank you !!! its one of my favorite hcs djskhdksjsjsj its soooooooo <3

also okay take this with a grain of salt but i feel like youd be an apollo kid?

[pineconepie]

Here's a 500 word commission finished! Still working on some other commissions, including two more Octavian commissions, so those will be posted in a few days, too! To everyone who's commissioned me, thank you for your patience!

Octavian hadn't intended to enjoy himself.

The trip was supposed to be simple: visit the tailor, order a few custom pieces, and return home without much fuss.

After all, he wants to get back to you as soon as possible. Never did he think, as a man who's been alive for hundreds of years, that one hour would feel like an eternity. But it does.

"Mr. Bauer! How're you doing? Been a few months since I last saw you," the tailor greets with a polite smile. She extends her hand and clasps it tightly around Octavian's wrist as a handshake. "You still look exactly the same. What are you, fifty-something? Gotta share your secret sometime!"

Octavian returns her smile with one of his own. "You flatter me," he hums, removing his glove. "I just came to get my clothing tailored, though I'm in bit of a rush. I hope you'll forgive me." He hands the woman the articles in question and she lays them across the counter, looking them over curiously. "I'll just be looking at the other clothing in the meantime."

He wanders towards the display cases, admiring all of the dresses and accessories displayed inside.

After a few minutes browsing, however, none seem suitable for you. None are cute enough.

The tailor calls over, catching Octavian's attention.

"These aren't your usual measurements. Finally not living alone anymore?" she asks.

He chuckles. "Those are for my child. I adopted them a few months ago," he replies cheerfully.

"Oh! Congratulations!"

"Yes, thank you. They're absolutely precious."

"That's so sweet of you! What's their name? How old are they?"

"(Y/n)," he answers fondly. "And they're practically still a baby." Maybe a lie, but in vampire years, it's technically the truth.

He doesn't find any fitting clothing for you, but he does find some of your happy and favorite colors, at least, for himself. He usually prefers darker shades of red, purple, or just black, but they remind him of you.

Even though he's come to trust you enough not to escape, he still wants to come across as friendly and non-threatening as possible.

His heart breaks whenever you flinch from him. Maybe if he wears the colors you like, you'll find him less intimidating. Perhaps that's a bit of a reach, but if there's a chance it'll make you feel safer, Octavian would do anything.

Besides, it isn't so bad wearing them. In fact, maybe he finds himself liking them more and more the longer he's around you. It's been decades since he allowed himself to indulge in things like that.

He checks his pocket watch and clicks his tongue. He should finish wrapping everything up.

"Deciding its time for a change from being dark and brooding?" she teases when he puts the new clothing on the counter. "Your new child must have given you a pep in your step. Normally I never see you smile this much. You must really love them." The tailor folds each piece meticulously, placing them in a box.

Yes. He loves you more than anything.

"How could I not?" he grins, paying with gold coins from his satchel. "They're my entire world." He gathers his newly bought things, and tips his hat. "Thank you very much, Ms. Crosby. When will my clothes be ready, you think?"

"Should be Sunday afternoon," she replies.

He nods. "Excellent. Have a wonderful day." With that, Octavian strides out of the shop with a slight bounce in his step.

[cuppa-noodle]

octavian and rachel in prophetrio but its just that song that goes "name a more iconic duo than a twink and a redhead"

Ive heard that damn audio-

I've been debating making a drawing based on it actually-

[navree]

How do you think Augustus felt about Livia?

It's a bit hard to parse out how the man felt about anyone, just because he controlled his image so tightly that nobody ever publicly saw anything he didn't want them to see, save for some very rare exceptions (ex: Augustus is recorded as having become publicly emotional three times in his entire public life, and two out of those three were very likely deliberate performances meant to engender a specific response, though one of them was definitely just spontaneous emotion). And with the added caveat that trying to ascribe feelings to historical figures can be very tough because those involve private thoughts that we are just not historically privy to, especially during the Antiquity where we're just missing so many records, I think it's fair to say that there was some kind of love there.

There's a lot of misconceptions around their relationship because Augustus and Livia just have very negative public reputations (Augustus just due to the popularity of Antony and Cleopatra as a couple, which means that most stories of this time are about them, slotting him into the role of antagonist or even outright villain in contrast to them as protagonists; Livia due to the popularity of stories like I, Claudius, which painted her as a scheming manipulator and burgeoned outward from there) that sees them both as people who didn't care about anyone, let alone possibly each other, and were in this relationship purely for opportunism and power. That's not to say that they didn't care about the power or opportunities the match would have afforded both of them, they clearly did; I've never bought into the legend that Octavian fell in love with Livia at first sight because nothing I've read about the guy, Mr. "hasten slowly" himself, shows someone who made snap judgments without thought. Octavian had prestige from his relationship to Caesar, and his family was influential in their Roman suburb, but he didn't have the patrician family roots that Livia did, and marrying her would have given him additional prestige to really solidify power. For Livia's part, her family was on the downward spiral after having repeatedly been on the wrong side in recent wars (her father fought for Brutus and Cassius, her first husband routinely was opposed to Augustus not just at Philippi but also during Fulvia's War and my beloved Siege of Perusia as well as siding with Sextus Pompey when he opposed Octavian), and allying herself instead with someone who was shoring up massive amounts of power and influence in his own right would have been hugely beneficial for her and her children. There was absolutely a calculus that went into this relationship and in figuring out what both parties could bring to the table to make the marriage viable against some not great optics, like Livia already being pregnant by her first husband and Octavian getting ready to break his alliance to Sextus by divorcing Scribonia (literally on the day she gave birth to Julia, my man you couldn't have waited a day?).

But I don't think that means that there wasn't any feeling there. For one, again, there were some bad optics involved as well as changes in alliances, and Livia definitely needed Octavian more than he needed her; he could have absolutely found some other patrician woman to boost up his pedigree by association rather than one from a family that had constantly opposed him. I wouldn't be shocked if there had been some emotion behind choosing Livia specifically, that when they met (sources say she was personally introduced to him before they decided to get married, so they had at least one chance for rapport) they formed a connection of some kind and an appreciation for each other. We also know that Octavian, as he grew in power and especially once things steadied in Rome and he got his name changed to Augustus, still relied on her as a source of advice and listened to her as a counselor, in spite of her gender and the extreme patriarchal nature of Rome. Augustus, when it comes to Livia's role as an advisor to him, actually had Livia occupying a space very similar to the one he had originally occupied for Julius Caesar: not just being an advisor and a trusted someone at their side, but also someone you could ask to intercede for you with The Great Man either on your behalf or on the behalf of someone you cared about. That Augustus allowed this at all shows a care for her, because he was big on the rigid societal structures and propriety of Ancient Rome, what with all his family laws and his strong stance on morality. But I do think the strongest indicator of love between them, since I do believe there was a love between them, is in the fact that they stayed married.

Livia and Augustus were married for 51 years, from 39 BC until he died in AD 14. And it is honestly wild that, in all that time, they never got divorced. Divorce in Ancient Roman times was exceptionally easy. Literally all was required was that one of the parties move out of the house and that's it, you're considered divorced legally and religiously in all ways that mattered. That's why, when you read about these people, you see how often they're just getting divorced right and left at the slightest provocation, Augustus included, divorcing Claudia and Scribonia with relative ease. But not Livia, even though the marriage wasn't doing the one thing most political marriages really need to be doing: bringing in children. Livia and Augustus never had any children, and only ever one pregnancy, which ended in a stillbirth. Given that Augustus specifically really needed an acceptable heir, as he was trying to build a hereditary autocracy that relied on power being passed down from father to son, rather than the semi-democracy Rome had at the time, this is a big deal. We know that Augustus struggled with heirs, mostly because everyone he ever wanted as an heir kept dying before him (which has to suck, just on a personal level, given that a lot of these were family members that he'd been close to and viewed as his own children, sorry man), and he probably would have very much liked to have a natural son to prepare to succeed him, rather than bouncing around. And given how quickly it became apparent that his marriage to Livia was not going to give him any children at all, let alone any sons, he could have easily divorced her with just a few words and found someone else, especially after he cemented his power following Actium and patrician prestige was no longer as important as his own personal presence. But he didn't do that. For a man who always thought ahead and always made decisions based on how they would advance the goals he felt he needed to have, irregardless of personal feeling (the existence of the Second Triumvirate is basically proof that Augustus, very quickly in his political career, developed a habit of shunting his own personal feelings to the side for the sake of doing what needed to be done), choosing to stay in a marriage that wasn't really offering him anything beyond the companionship of a woman he loved is very weird. It speaks to the amount and the depth of feeling there, that he decided to remove political calculation and opportunism from his thought process and decide to stay in a marriage that wasn't necessarily advantageous, because he wanted to, because he cared about and loved the person he was married to.

All in all, I think he cared about her, probably did love her, and even if there was some opportunism in the match, it seems to have been a marriage between two people who enjoyed being together and liked each other.