ampresandian

[ampresandian]

My lit prof recently said that what makes a Greek tragedy a tragedy is that every character thinks they're right all the time (so they keep making bad choices, because they're sure they're right and it'll get where they want it to go if they just keep going)

And I think that connects here for me--Luke and Thalia and Annabeth are all sure that they're right, and they would just continue to make the right choices over and over, and it would drive them into the ground. Percy, though? He doesn't know if he's right. He's been second-guessing himself for his whole life. He's not sure when he trusts Annabeth (at first), or Thalia, or when he gives Luke the knife. He could be making the wrong choice, and he knows that, but he knows there isn't a "right" choice, no single thing that he can keep doing to get to the right ending. He takes risks, and trusts his friends, and accepts that he could be wrong.

And that stops it from being a tragedy.

I see a lot of posts about how Percy isn't the point of the story in pjo and the story is about the Thalia-Luke-Annabeth narrative and I do agree to a great extent but I do also think it needs to be said the reason why percy is the narrator and not one of them is because he is the cycle-breaker - without him it would have stayed a tragedy but because of him it changed. This is most obvious in how he rejects immortality and instead demands greater support for half-bloods, obviously, but also he trusted annabeth enough to give Luke the knife! he disliked the gods enough to understand Luke even if he didn't agree with his methods and I think that empathy is so so crucial actually! The T-L-A story is built like a mythological tragedy, Percy exists to break the cycle of the story, he's the hero that ends happily.

[ampresandian]

Funny scene idea for season 2:

Percy and Annabeth preparing for the 2nd Chariot race:

Annabeth: So since one of us needs to drive and one of us needs to fight I think I should drive. I understand the mechanics of the chariot better and you have more reach than me, which is better for the fighter.

Percy: Sounds good.

Percy: Wait…(realizes something) is this purely a tactical thing or do you just not trust me to drive after what happened at the Lotus Casino?

Annabeth:…………(walks away)

[ampresandian]

Not to argue with you, but I did go back and look at the last few chapters of The Lost Hero and yes Jason is starting to remember but he still doesn't have a lot of the specifics of his life back yet, whereas Percy by the end of his quest remembers his mother's phone number well enough to actually call her. Perhaps in the greater arc of the overall timeline, they have similar recovery times, but in terms of the actual memory recovered in the text, Percy has a whole lot more. Now, I don't know (yet) if Jason has significantly more of his memory back by the time they arrive at Camp Jupiter, but that's not the point I'm making, and also that's several months off from the end of his quest, so not comparable to Percy's experience as far as I'm concerned here since he has virtually zero memories before his three day quest starts.

But yes Jason isn't "left with nothing." It just feels a whole lot less significant than what Percy is left with.

My life is a nightmare but I'm putting off a phone call so here are some thoughts about Son of Neptune:

I missed Percy 🥺 Obviously he's got a lot of nostalgia and the jump into three totally different, new kids in TLH is jarring so the return to Percy is something I think you feel differently and are meant to feel differently, but man I felt it

This goes back to my TLH review but everything I like about Leo is present in Percy with none of the stuff I don't like basically and that's just what I noticed while I was reading.

I had definitely read at least part of this book before but I am pretty sure I didn't ever finish it bc the end was still new to me. Or it was so long ago I don't remember any of it. I'm really not sure.

I enjoyed Frank, for all his worrying and almost overly present anxiety. I think the idea of a "normal" kid in this world, where everyone else seems to really connect with their (dis)abilities was really interesting to think about and something I would be interested in exploring further

I loved Hazel. End of sentence.

I've mentioned this about other pjo stories before but I am fascinated by the timeline of this book (obviously the magic horse helps but still).

I'm trying so hard to remember other things about this book. I didn't love Ella. Percy was and is right to hate Ares/Mars (I just support him). I didn't feel much connection to the Roman camp/Romans??? I was a little confused by that bc it sort of fit but also now I just... don't care if they're involved/saved by the rest of the series. Like they just don't matter to me bc I don't feel that connection, and Percy starting to feel it was weird to me. But we'll give it to him, the boy is loyal

I cannot remember anything else I wanted to say about this book (this is what happens when you put things off kids). However, I, like Percy, am so excited for Annabeth to show up again, and to see all the characters meet one another.

Oh also totally wild that Percy basically got his whole memory back and Jason didn't but they started with totally different levels of remembering too? Like Percy couldn't remember any gods or that he was Greek or anything and Jason could, but now Percy just remembers his whole life and Jason's stuck with nothing? Maybe I don't really remember where we left Jason too though lol

Anyway I don't have the next book yet and honestly I'm half-drowning in my grad class + full time work just bc I am not used to the amount of time being alive is taking up right now, so while I really want to keep reading idk when it'll happen for me. I'll keep checking my local thrift stores for the next book and we'll see when the universe comes together for me.

[ampresandian]

Actually somewhere between this post and this one I started writing this scene (Annabeth, Thalia, and Luke arriving at CHB, I think as part of the project discussed in the post I linked) and it is sad and gore-y and dramatic but I never really wrote past the one scene (I should get back to it probably lol)

But like would anybody be interested in reading it?

The very first scene of pjo season 2 should be Annabeth, Luke, Grover, and Thalia fighting monsters on Half-Blood Hill and Thalia sacrificing herself and being turned into a tree to mirror the very last scene that should be Thalia appearing while Annabeth's on guard duty and telling Percy who she is

[ampresandian]

Hi bringing this back now that Thalia's casting has been announced (!!!!)

I mentioned in the original tags that I didn't envision Thalia to be black when writing this but obviously now she is which honestly is fantastic. And also it sort of makes me want the hair scene even more???? I still don't think Thalia would necessarily know how to braid it efficiently enough for like cross-country-monster-fighting, so maybe they do still do just like buns, but they match and they're like sisters and I want to see it.

Also never ever make me reread my own writing again and why and how did I post so much I took me forever to find this what the heck

A scene I want in Season 2 (I would place it in probably episode 3, covering chapters 8-10, which I would title "We Board the Princess Andromeda")

INT. HALFBLOOD HIDEOUT - EVENING. THALIA and YOUNG ANNABETH are inside the hideout. Three sleeping bags are set out and the girls are cleaning up a meal and reorganizing their belongings. YOUNG ANNABETH: (huffs) Annabeth is clearly frustrated, pulling a twig out of her hair as she tries to focus on her task. THALIA: Hey, Annie. Let me help. Thalia approaches, assisting Annabeth with the cleaning. Annabeth pulls something else out of her hair. YOUNG ANNABETH: I just wish it was gone! THALIA: Is your hair bothering you? YOUNG ANNABETH: I just can't keep it from getting tangled in everything. THALIA: Can I help? I'll pick the leaves out and then maybe we can tie it up better? Annabeth nods, sitting on the floor to give Thalia a better view. Thalia carefully removes leaves and twigs. YOUNG ANNABETH: When is Luke coming back? THALIA: He should be back soon, he just went to go see... if he could find more supplies. Thalia seems unsure, but Annabeth happily accepts the answer. YOUNG ANNABETH: I'm sure he will. Luke is very smart. Thalia nods thoughtfully, finishing removing debris from the younger girl's hair. THALIA: All done. Now, what should we do with it? YOUNG ANNABETH: (thoughtful) Well, my dad took me to get it braided once, and that stayed really well, but it took forever. And I don't know if you know how to do that. THALIA: I don't think so, kiddo. Sorry. I'll learn. YOUNG ANNABETH: Maybe you could just tie it back like yours? Thalia frowns, looking at the afro. THALIA: Not exactly like mine, but maybe... Can I try something? We can figure something else out if you don't like it. Annabeth nods, and Thalia gets to work separating her hair and pulling it into two buns on top of her head. THALIA (cont): I don't know if that'll help it get less tangled, but maybe we can try it? YOUNG ANNABETH: It'll be better. Thank you! Annabeth hugs Thalia.

[ampresandian]

OH ALSO I know people are really big fans of the SPQR tattoo but I hated it give Percy back his unbranded skin 0/10 not only is his prefrontal cortex not developed enough to make that decision nobody even gave him a chance to decide I was not a fan

My life is a nightmare but I'm putting off a phone call so here are some thoughts about Son of Neptune:

I missed Percy 🥺 Obviously he's got a lot of nostalgia and the jump into three totally different, new kids in TLH is jarring so the return to Percy is something I think you feel differently and are meant to feel differently, but man I felt it

This goes back to my TLH review but everything I like about Leo is present in Percy with none of the stuff I don't like basically and that's just what I noticed while I was reading.

I had definitely read at least part of this book before but I am pretty sure I didn't ever finish it bc the end was still new to me. Or it was so long ago I don't remember any of it. I'm really not sure.

I enjoyed Frank, for all his worrying and almost overly present anxiety. I think the idea of a "normal" kid in this world, where everyone else seems to really connect with their (dis)abilities was really interesting to think about and something I would be interested in exploring further

I loved Hazel. End of sentence.

I've mentioned this about other pjo stories before but I am fascinated by the timeline of this book (obviously the magic horse helps but still).

I'm trying so hard to remember other things about this book. I didn't love Ella. Percy was and is right to hate Ares/Mars (I just support him). I didn't feel much connection to the Roman camp/Romans??? I was a little confused by that bc it sort of fit but also now I just... don't care if they're involved/saved by the rest of the series. Like they just don't matter to me bc I don't feel that connection, and Percy starting to feel it was weird to me. But we'll give it to him, the boy is loyal

I cannot remember anything else I wanted to say about this book (this is what happens when you put things off kids). However, I, like Percy, am so excited for Annabeth to show up again, and to see all the characters meet one another.

Oh also totally wild that Percy basically got his whole memory back and Jason didn't but they started with totally different levels of remembering too? Like Percy couldn't remember any gods or that he was Greek or anything and Jason could, but now Percy just remembers his whole life and Jason's stuck with nothing? Maybe I don't really remember where we left Jason too though lol

Anyway I don't have the next book yet and honestly I'm half-drowning in my grad class + full time work just bc I am not used to the amount of time being alive is taking up right now, so while I really want to keep reading idk when it'll happen for me. I'll keep checking my local thrift stores for the next book and we'll see when the universe comes together for me.

[ampresandian]

My life is a nightmare but I'm putting off a phone call so here are some thoughts about Son of Neptune:

I missed Percy 🥺 Obviously he's got a lot of nostalgia and the jump into three totally different, new kids in TLH is jarring so the return to Percy is something I think you feel differently and are meant to feel differently, but man I felt it

This goes back to my TLH review but everything I like about Leo is present in Percy with none of the stuff I don't like basically and that's just what I noticed while I was reading.

I had definitely read at least part of this book before but I am pretty sure I didn't ever finish it bc the end was still new to me. Or it was so long ago I don't remember any of it. I'm really not sure.

I enjoyed Frank, for all his worrying and almost overly present anxiety. I think the idea of a "normal" kid in this world, where everyone else seems to really connect with their (dis)abilities was really interesting to think about and something I would be interested in exploring further

I loved Hazel. End of sentence.

I've mentioned this about other pjo stories before but I am fascinated by the timeline of this book (obviously the magic horse helps but still).

I'm trying so hard to remember other things about this book. I didn't love Ella. Percy was and is right to hate Ares/Mars (I just support him). I didn't feel much connection to the Roman camp/Romans??? I was a little confused by that bc it sort of fit but also now I just... don't care if they're involved/saved by the rest of the series. Like they just don't matter to me bc I don't feel that connection, and Percy starting to feel it was weird to me. But we'll give it to him, the boy is loyal

I cannot remember anything else I wanted to say about this book (this is what happens when you put things off kids). However, I, like Percy, am so excited for Annabeth to show up again, and to see all the characters meet one another.

Oh also totally wild that Percy basically got his whole memory back and Jason didn't but they started with totally different levels of remembering too? Like Percy couldn't remember any gods or that he was Greek or anything and Jason could, but now Percy just remembers his whole life and Jason's stuck with nothing? Maybe I don't really remember where we left Jason too though lol

Anyway I don't have the next book yet and honestly I'm half-drowning in my grad class + full time work just bc I am not used to the amount of time being alive is taking up right now, so while I really want to keep reading idk when it'll happen for me. I'll keep checking my local thrift stores for the next book and we'll see when the universe comes together for me.

[ampresandian]

Hi I'm back from Summer but I have a full-time job (kind of mostly) so I'm tired all the time but if you give me a few days I'll put together my thoughts on Son of Neptune (bc I finished it... a short while ago we'll go with that) but also you'll have to give me a hot minute to find Mark of Athena (and the time to read it though actually I don't think that'll be all that hard).

But key takeaway is I'm back and missing PJO/mythology so I'm back back

[ampresandian]

Poseidon: Look, I don't want Percy to die. You don't want Percy to die. Let's work together to make sure Percy doesn't die.

Annabeth: Fantastic plan, my lord, but have you ever fucking met Percy?

[ampresandian]

Hi yes listen I've mentioned working at summer camp before but I am actually back doing that this summer and it takes up literally everything in me so I do not have any time to have Other Thoughts and you'll have to excuse my absence. We'll be back to regularly scheduled programming in September or whenever I manage to finish SoN, whichever comes first (I have a very short break next week so we'll see if I make the time to read then lol)

In camp news, my cabin is full of mice and they were eating my shirts so I have a few things I have to throw away and have made very good friends with our property staff who set my mouse traps. Otherwise, I'm having a great time! Happy summer, everybody!

[ampresandian]

I would love to! I did talk about all of the three main characters shortly after I read it (here, under the keep reading), but we can definitely talk more about Leo.

Actually, I think that Leo is the most similar character in this book to Percy, particularly in the early books (tlt, som)--he has very similar sort of nihilism, insecurities, and that sort of feeling he needs to keep secrets while being all in on supporting his friends. I think by and large he also has the most similar humor to Percy, and I can absolutely see why Leo is a fan favorite.

I really appreciated the development of his relationship(s) with his dad and siblings happening so quickly, and the ways that his having to put on a confident front around others naturally led to them having a lot of confidence in him (I'm particularly thinking here of his cabinmates). I know that he's sure he'll fail or ruin everyone's lives, etc, but I think having those familial relationships with people who believe in him should do wonders for Leo himself, and I think they'd be harder to disappoint than he thinks. Obviously I don't know how much this particular line could be developed (given like the quest that the Heroes of Olympus undertake), but I think it's both something that could be really good for Leo and a beautiful expression of family and belonging in terms of camp/the distant relationship the Greek god figures have in Riordan's work.

I think that Leo was a very fun pov to read, maybe even the best out of the three of them, but I felt like his character development was a little odd--he had sort of a fractured sense of self, and I couldn't tell if that was because of him or if it was Rick, but I feel more like it was Rick than on purpose I guess. Leo is a very different expression of ADHD to Annabeth and Percy, which I think was interesting--more similar to the "stereotypical" ADHD kid, I guess? He was a lot more on the hyperactive side of things, at least, which I think was really important because he was still clearly intelligent, capable, and socially aware. The only place he wasn't really socially aware (and the place that his character fractured most for me) was in regards to girls that he found attractive, which read a little odd to me when he was so good with picking up on social cues in all the other situations and so insecure about himself in his internal monologue. But also I think it was an insight into how complex his insecurities are, and how magical his personality would be with confidence. I think that's all it would take, really, for all the ladies to luv Leo (in universe).

I also felt like Leo was super important, and I really enjoyed having him be so hands-on and creative. It felt like a big difference from Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, who had to be inventive in finding their solutions in different ways because of their different strengths. Leo, who is literally inventive, was a really interesting change in that he could solve problems through his skills and his active problem solving was integral to the success of the team and felt less "out of the box" than Percy "I'll just sacrifice myself" Jackson because it was an opportunity for him to help the team succeed rather than try to solve the problem himself. Not that Percy never worked with his quest-mates to try to solve problems, but that his plans were usually more physical and personally dangerous than Leo's little machines.

I feel like this is making less and less sense as I go on, so I'm going to stop here but I will continue thinking about this. Also, I'm going to start Son of Neptune tomorrow I think bc I'm currently missing PJO and I think it's time to actually get to that lol

Good (bad?) news for all of you I went to a second hand store recently and look what I found

So get ready for more Thoughts and Feelings, coming soon to a screen near you

[ampresandian]

What makes Leo such and OP character is that, not only can he build these big fucking complex machines, but that he builds them AS A STIM.

He’s just taking bits of things out of his pockets and fiddling with them, and he ends up absent-mindedly making some of the coolest tech ever, stuff that would take me (someone who knows fuck all about machines) probably years of hard work to build.

AS. A. STIM.

A reminder: He does this JUST TO KEEP HIS HANDS BUSY.

I can imagine him showing one of these off to his friends-

Leo: Hey guys look what I made just ‘cause I can’t sit still.

Jason: Leo… that’s a fucking time machine… And it’s functional… wtf??

Leo: Yeah I got bored.

Seriously guys, he’s a fucking genius. He’s a nebulous ball of autism, yes, but he’s a genius.

[ampresandian]

I was thinking that Luke being a son of Hermes makes him some kind of failed messenger. He couldn't spread the message of the gods' situation in the best way because he ended his life.

The message was good, but the way he tried to make it happen was not.

[ampresandian]

Hi yes little throw back to when I was funny but like the "God? Like... Jesus?" line probably went over people's heads a little bc the West is traditionally a Culturally Christian society but I was personally raised with very little knowledge of Christianity (we celebrated a secular Christmas and Easter but my parents opted for an a-religious upbringing for us, so I did not understand a lot of the history/mythology around like those holidays for a very long time, and I am still lost when it comes to many Christian things that other people take knowledge of for granted), and we should stop and think about it more. Because why would Percy know anything about Christianity???

If I was Sally Jackson, and I knew Greek gods existed to the point that I had sex and a baby with one of them, that baby is not being raised anywhere near other religions. But I also assume that raising them Hellenistic would be bad, given that once you know you're a half-blood the monsters can smell you better or whatever it is. So she can't raise Percy as Hellenistic, and she can't raise Percy as Christian or whatever, so I think she chooses agnosticism and secular holiday celebrations.

Which means that basically all of Percy's knowledge of Christianity/Jesus comes from kids at school talking about it. Think of the literal children you know, talking about God and going to church on Sunday and whatever on the playground. Percy knows nothing. He's heard Jesus is God and creates miracles and died and came back and killed everyone but loves everyone and it's all very confusing. Ask a literal child to explain God and Jesus to you.

You wouldn't want to be the Son of God if all you knew was from the playground.

[ampresandian]

The first meeting of Amethyst and Artemis.

Daughter of Poseidon: My name is Amethyst.

Artemis: *Vietnamese flashback* What do you think about becoming my huntress?

•••

Sally holding a shotgun with heavenly bronze bullets in her hands: Mr. D, what do you think of my daughter?

Dionysus looking at Sally like she's crazy: She's a pesky little sea child, the only thing I can think of is turning her into a dolphin and sending her straight to her father!

Artemis with a bow and arrow to the advantage: are you sure?

•••

Annabeth: Amethyst, how did you get the taxi driver to give us a free ride?

Amethyst: Daughter of Poseidon, This is a sea..

Annabeth with burning eyes: So you're a siren?

Amethyst: No Annabeth! I won't sing to you! Don't even ask!

I'm going to go ahead and share this--I can tell you've thought a lot about this character, and I hope you've considered writing some fanfiction in whatever form that naturally takes for you (all literature is good literature)

I do think we could maybe call it a "war flashback" or even a "Vietnam war flashback," just in service of respecting that Vietnamese is a culture which is more complex than a 20th century war.

I can imagine Amethyst and Annabeth being confused among the campers, given their similar-sounding names. I don't know if they get together in this imagining of the story, but I think that they would be just as close, and probably enjoy that their names are so similar.

[ampresandian]

The meaning of the name Amethyst Diana Jackson.

The amethyst gemstone symbolizes deep love, happiness, humility, sincerity and wealth.

In cases of naming her daughter, Sally aimed at the appointment of amethyst "deep love" and "happiness" - she is a deeply and fervently loving mother to her daughter who sincerely wants her daughter to be happy.

And the last things left from her parents were amethyst jewelry - her mother's ring and her father's earrings, Uncle Rich told her how her parents worked hard to buy each other jewelry and oh, quite by chance they chose amethysts.

When they died in a plane crash, the ring and earrings were brought in place of their bodies. Sally was forced to pawn the jewelry in order to keep the apartment and pay for hospice care for Uncle Rich.

And there are also ancient Greek myth about the appearance of amethyst, - Amethystos was a beautiful nymph and follower of the goddess Artemis, [which means she took care of her chastity] Dionysus fell passionately in love with her and persistently tried to woo her, the nymph, desperate from fear, prayed to her patroness, and Artemis turned her into a beautiful shining white crystal. Dionysus, terrified of the possible loss of his beloved, began to pour wine on these crystals to revive the nymph. The girl did not come to life, but the crystal acquired a magnificent purple hue and became even more radiant. Since then, amethyst has been the sacred stone of Dionysus, protecting against intoxication and insanity.

That is why Dionysus has a certain weakness for the daughter of Poseidon.

And yes, if Sally knew this myth, she definitely wouldn't have named her daughter that way.

I want you to know the best part of interactive media like this is getting to hear thought processes and responses I love hearing what people have to say. Thank you for sharing.

All I have to add is that I think Sally Jackson would fistfight the gods for everything they did in mythology and have done to her and others. And she'd be right.

[ampresandian]

She knows from early childhood that something is terribly wrong with her and the way people saw her. Mom calls her her son, the teacher rarely speaks good boy and Gabe with his "nasty boy".

She bites her lips, peeling the skin around her nails, she is not a boy, she is definitely not male and the name she is called definitely does not belong to her. She is five years old when she asks for a doll for her birthday and her mother understands. Sally Niamh Jackson accepts her daughter and gives her a name.

She's Amethyst Diana Jackson, she's a girl.

For the first time, the feeling of wrongness dissipates.

I'm assuming this is related to the "if Annabeth had joined the Hunters of Artemis with Thalia" post I made a couple weeks ago, but thank you for sending it to me even if it's not!

I don't have anything much to add here except I think you're absolutely right that Sally Jackson would accept her child no matter who they are or when they come to know that, and I love the idea of her being trusted to replace the name that didn't fit. I think it's interesting that she wouldn't pick another Greek mythology name, but I like Amethyst so maybe Sally just decided fuck the gods I'm naming her what I want and that's okay too.

I imagine you (and Sally) would expect Amethyst Diana to join the Hunters of Artemis--particularly given "Diana" being the Roman counterpart--and maybe she would, particularly if her friends were joining too. But I think I would imagine she wouldn't feel the need to. That with Sally and her friends accepting her, and finding a sense of belonging, she doesn't need validation by joining the immortal all-girls club, and if (as in ttc) Annabeth chose not to join, Amethyst wouldn't either. But I think she would appreciate the offer, and the assurance that it was a possibility for her.