#thanks apollo XD

[tadpoles-and-daydreams]

Hi again, here's a different sort of ask to round out the reading requests! ☺️ I had (what I think is) an interesting thought rolling around in my head, and I thought that you might enjoy weighing in on it (no pressure to respond to this ask, of course), as you're someone who is likewise queer and polyamorous, but much, much more experienced with deity work. I'm just beginning to reconnect with someone who I've been loosely acquainted with for a while, and I'm aiming to grow a much deeper friendship with her (or maybe more! 🩷💜🩵) - AND I'm aware of who the major deities in her life have been (Apollo and Dionysus). I was considering whether it might be a fun and beneficial idea to connect a smidgen with her deities at the same time? I don't mean that I wish to begin working with them - I, as a beginner, have already adopted more deity friends than I should have - but would it be a good idea to introduce myself, have a friendly chat with them over a cup of tea, and announce my positive intentions towards one of their fave children? What's your opinion?

Heyo! Fucking adore this ask, you have no idea how needed an ask that WASN'T a reading request was needed lol. (Love the reading requests though!! Super excited for them, I just will need time to get through them!)

I fully understand "adopting more deity friends than you should have," my craft began with Persephone tbh and I had to just let go of the idea that a beginner can't do deity work and have recently had to make changes to the way I perceive deity work when it comes to how many I'm "allowed" to work with. That's just a side note, though-

HOLY SHIT I, for one, think you're a genius. That's such a green flag in my opinion, I think just having a chat with the deities she works with is a wonderful idea!! It vibes like getting the parent's blessing, letting them know you value their kid and want good things for her and such. I absolutely love using witchcraft as a love language of sorts, I literally just recently asked Apollo to go help out my partner's pet and he was happy to do so. My opinion is 100% go for it that sounds so fucking cool, friendship or romance it's seems to me like such a genuinely caring thing to do to specifically make the effort to reach out to her deities!

[my-name-is-apollo]

I feel like we HAD to have talked about this at some point, but thinking of Apollo ships, what are your thoughts on Apollo x my man Ares? ❤️- Odiko Ptino

@odiko-ptino you know what I have been thinking about them lately!! Mostly because I've been reading Record of Ragnarok and their dynamic in it is uhh interesting, so I couldn't help myself. Now here's what I found about them in the myths:

1. Ares, under Hera's orders, kept a watch on Leto to prevent her from giving birth on lands.

2. Apollo sent Heracles to kill Cycnus, a son of Ares, for murdering the pilgrims. Ares was in support of his son here but Heracles defeated him.

3. Hermes and Apollo made fun of the situation when Ares and Aphrodite got caught red handed.

4. Apollo defeated Ares in the boxing match of the Olympic games.

5. According to Homer, Hyginus and Nonnus, Apollo was involved in killing the Aloadae after they kidnapped Ares.

6. In the Iliad, Apollo asks Ares to go teach a lesson to Diomedes for trying to attack both him and Aphrodite and Ares obeys him.

7. Apollo intervened and stopped a fight between Athena and Ares.

8. In the Homeric hymn to Apollo, Ares is enjoying himself in Apollo's concert.

When read in that order, it does seem like they both start off as rivals and eventually form a friendship. I have to admit I hadn't considered shipping them till recently, but it has grown on me. When it comes to Apollo's ships, I'm usually slightly more interested in reading Apollo's POV (because I feel like he's usually the one with more complicated feelings) but this is one of the few ships where I'm more invested in the other person's POV because I think the feelings are actually more complicated for Ares.

On Apollo's end, he is more or less neutral towards Ares. I'm sure he can be a tease, and will get cocky about being Zeus' favorite son, but unlike Athena he is never hostile to Ares for the sake of being hostile. He goes against Ares when the situation calls for it, but that's about it. To be honest I feel like he, being the more rational one, would understand to some extent how Ares feels. But he would not bother much to really do anything about it up until some point because *gestures at the past* things being this way is mostly not his fault and Ares isn't too welcoming. Ares, on the other hand...Apollo is the one Ares that he should hate the most (besides Athena). He is the golden child, the most favored son who is constantly being adored and loved. So Ares thinks that he is his rival, and also that Apollo also must hate him the same amount. But, I also think he probably looks up to Apollo too in a convoluted way - like wishing he could be that while always being aware that he can never be that. One day he'll realise that Apollo doesn't hate and it will be such a mind blowing experience for him lol. Seeing the shift in his feelings towards the person he has a lot of complicated feelings for would be fascinating, and being loved by that person could be a cathartic experience for Ares.

And you know how Ares was also associated with civil order? Do you think that was perhaps due Apollo's influence (just like how he made Hermes the divine messenger and the god of flocks?) They both can also definitely bond over fatherhood!! That is probably one of my favourite things here lol. Aphrodite is also the common bestie (partner) here so it's gotta be be fun.

[characteroulette]

I made this while writing the apolluke proposal fic in a moment of weakness, so it’s now your problem as well

(the Professor 100% knows he’s just double checking)

LMAO I'M WHEEZING THIS IS SO FUNNY

The fact that it's Apollo and the Professor gives me so much joy you have no idea

[wolfbon3z]

Not forcing!!

(Image by ♡ Apollo ♡ on Pinterest)

Edit; forgot to include that I’m also xenogender and a xenopronoun user xD I hoard dog and wolf xenogenders and currently only go by pup/pups, though I don’t mind any other dog Xenos :3

Also guys ur blowing up my phone GAHHH thank you all so much 😭😭😭🫶🫶🫶

[navyinks]

my exhibition submission for NMA's "Evolving Canvases: Art of Transformation". I chose to depict the myth of Apollo and Daphne; the original pose is inspired by Oona & Gage Brown's pair figure skating, and revised by referencing Bernini's sculpture.

Artist notes, close ups and sketches below cut

I learned a lot about composition and silhouetting from this piece. Of course, human anatomy is still a huge challenge for me. I really have to stop trying to paint human anatomy from imagination, it's hubris i tell you x'D

look at my creepy little chuerbs lol xD i swear i used to be better at drawing babies x'D

thanks for reading!!

[svnny-days]

- ready to love | L. Castellan

━━━ ◦ ⋅🔱 i have a plan!

w.c: 451

a.n: just realized this is starting to seem like random pjo oc x reader but i PROMISE it's not. luke comes in soon i promise! (idk how many chapters this'll be so like... it'll be a fun suprise !) also i will write an apology w/ tears on how long this took to get out.

warnings: not proofread/edited (sorry!) also BI!LUKE

series masterlist || next part

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 

the struggle to find the right outfit for the bonfire tonight is a lot bigger than you thought it would be. the decision to wear a navy blue baby tee with baby blue stars on it was a no brainer, thanks to clarisse’s help, but you had struggled so hard to find the perfect bottoms and accessories. when that did finally come to you, there was barely any time left to have a moment to relax before the bonfire started. so you went off to the large fire pit and placed a blanket down for you to relax on.

as you busy yourself with enjoying the feel of the warmth of the fire and your eyes are preoccupied with the stars that hang in the sky, the blanket rustles and a dirty blonde haired boy sits himself next to you, “hello love.” oh gods, it’s him. your face flushes already and he’s only said two words. 

“hi callum,” is all you could muster out, feeling yourself grow butterflies in your stomach. 

the apollo demi-god gently grabs hold of your chin, bringing your face back down from its look at the sky. his light green eyes stare into yours as he smiles at you. gods, his smile is gorgeous. it's like aphrodite herself sculpted him. “you’re the only one with a blanket out here,” he whispers, not wanting to disturb the peace too much even though other campers around you are talking amongst themselves. 

you look around and almost frown at the realization that he’s right, “well, maybe… i can start a new trend.” 

“yeah? let me know how that goes,” he teases, “maybe we can put the blanket to good use later.” what was that supposed to mean? you shake your head and decide to not question him further. the two of you sit together on your soft blanket as the other apollo kids lead the bonfire.

sometime during the fire, you and the blonde boy had snuck off to a secluded area of the camp, to just talk. and well… that’s not how it’s going now. right now, the both of you have your lips locked together and your hands running underneath each other's shirts, touching the warm skin of each other's body. 

this would be a cute moment. it’s your first kiss, your first time making out with a person. it’s in the most gorgeous clearing in the forest, sat atop your soft blanket, the stars are shining bright, everything feels perfect. however, in the shadows of the tree line surrounding the clearing, there’s a certain curly headed brunette boy running away from his hidden spot and back towards the camp with his phone gripped tightly in his hand.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 

taglist: @toffytaste @fxiryeon @yourgirl-mila @qalijahbydior @appleofstrife @bubbly0 @blithecapricorn @x-moonz-xd @ahh-chickens @mxtokko @percyjacksonisamazhang @mariamsw0rld @kidkrowk @king4phrodite @kestisvrse @remuslupinsfavoritebook @yuminako @dancing-inasnowglobe @coconut-dreamz @thatpopculturenerd @luhvgalore

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

I saw a couple of posts here and on ao3 where you talked about how TOA Apollo has a stilted view of romantic relationships. Would you be comfortable explaining that, it got me really interested!

OKAY

SO

gonna be putting this under a cut for length

Apollo and relationships. Specifically, ToA Apollo and relationships.

let's see if I can formulate the thoughts into words.

Right off the bat, Apollo does have a hard time avoiding those red flags (hello, Commodus), so much so that he can see them...he just ignores them.

This already tells us that he doesn't have the healthiest view on relationships, or what specifically a healthy partner would be like.

In RRverse canon, these are all of his confirmed, canon relationships/love interests;

Hyacinthus

Commodus

Naomi

Darren

Latricia

Cyrene

Daphne

Sibyl

(I probably missed some asdfhjk)

Anyway, I've noticed that in canon, Apollo's relationships tend to fall into two categories; Sweet or Sour, we'll call them.

Now the majority on the list are Sweet! They are fulfilling relationships with no indication of any bitter feelings- Apollo is not shy about telling us about his love life, and certainly doesn't keep it from us when a relationship went south.

What I find interesting is that all three of the Sours can help pinpoint Apollo's more jaded/stilted view on romance.

Let's kick off with Daphne.

First things first, Apollo is quite literally forced to fall in love with her. Like. That has GOT to screw with a guy. What's more, is that when Apollo explains to us how Eros's arrows work;

What people do not understand: Eros’s arrows can’t summon emotion from nothing. They can only cultivate potential that is already there. Daphne and I could have been a perfect pair. She was my true love. She could have loved me back. Yet thanks to Eros, my love-o-meter was cranked to one hundred percent, while Daphne’s feelings turned to pure hate (which is, of course, only the flip side of love). Nothing is more tragic than loving someone to the depths of your soul and knowing they cannot and will not ever love you back. The stories say I chased her on a whim, that she was just another pretty dress. The stories are wrong. - The Hidden Oracle

There's an implication that he and Daphne may have actually been...friends. Or at the very least acquaintances.

It's never stated in canon when Daphne happened, and the mythology itself is weird about the timeline, but it certainly happened earlier in Apollo's life.

Imagine being forced to fall madly in love with someone you know and they are made to despise you.

The self-confidence definitely took a blow here.

What's more...

When she begged Gaea to turn her into a laurel tree in order to escape me, part of my heart hardened into bark as well.

Apollo tells us plainly that what happened with Daphne shook his views on romantic endeavors. Though, it didn't keep him from engaging in romance, either.

Now, back to Commodus real quick. We already covered the No Red Flag Bell with him, and honestly, I won't spend too much time here because I got a whole meta list waiting to dissect these two XD

But Sibyl reveals something else about Apollo and romance- sometimes, he sees it as transactional.

The story of Apollo and Sibyl does differ from the mythology of them- in mythology, Sibyl tricks Apollo into granting her a long life, and he kinda just shrugs and says 'okay, but you didn't ask for eternal youth either so...whoops?'

In ToA, Rick switches it up a bit by having Apollo grant Sibyl a long life after she jokes about it, and when she further rebuffs him, he curses her with no eternal youth.

Alas, I knew what I’d been thinking—that she was a pretty young woman I wanted to get with, despite the fact that she was my Sibyl. Then she’d outsmarted me, and being the bad loser that I was, I had cursed her. - The Tyrant's Tomb

I promised you life, not youth. You can have your centuries of existence. You will remain my Sibyl. I cannot take those things away, once given. But you will grow old. You will wither. You will not be able to die.

Yeah, it sounds like Apollo more or less curses her with no eternal youth here.

(Daily disclaimer that mythology Apollo's love life is actually very good and you should read up on it :3)

Back to the transactional thing-

"You cannot refuse payment." “Payment?” She balled her hands into fists. “You dare think of me as a transaction?” “I didn’t mean—Obviously, I wasn’t—”

Now, do I think Apollo sees all relationships as transactional? No. But let's consider the Olympian influence for a moment here.

Olympus in the RRverse is rather fucked, no doubt about it. The gods do not help without first being given something, and that permeates through their whole lifestyles.

Apollo's not being transactional because ✨misogyny✨. He's being transactional because that's what he's been raised to believe. If he gives something, he gets something back. That goes for all the gods, male and female and everything in between.

Bacchus helps the demigods in Mark of Athena because they paid tribute to him. Whenever a god extends aid, burnt offerings are made in thanks- which is probably part of the reason why Hera got angry with Annabeth when she refused to give her burnt offerings in The Battle of the Labyrinth after she helped her on her quest.

Apollo doesn't seem to be as picky as some (ie, The Titan's Curse, where he helps out to help out. You can argue he got his sister back in exchange but that's not really typical godly exchange lol), but it's clear that mindset has somewhat transferred over into relationships.

Now, I also want to talk about how Hyacinthus affected him- because let's be real, he was the one that affected him the most without outside interference (looking at you, Eros).

Apollo has told us time and again that Hyacinthus was one of, if not his greatest, love. His death really left a mark on him, and I am of the firm belief that it's that mark that made him wary of forming too close of a relationship with others- even when he tries to convince them and himself they are his One True Love™️, it falls flat inside his own head.

Because let's face it- that spot is occupied by Hyacinthus, and the hole he left in Apollo's heart.

This isn't to say Apollo loves his other lovers less- heck no! Love is one of his defining qualities. He has much love in him!

It's just that Hyacinthus had a particular impact on him, and how he views relationships.

*vibrates in Hyapollo multific* I have...my own personal ideas...on what that entails...

And we see how touch-and-go Apollo is with other lovers! As soon as Commodus becomes emperor, he's gone. And only comes back in disguise, never revealing himself until he kills him.

Naomi, Darren, and Latricia are all obviously loving relationships from what we can gather, but it's clear it was never long-term.

Cyrene, really, is where I'd argue he got the closest to a long-term relationship with a mortal-ish person, but even so, they aren't in a permanent long-term relationship either.

Hyacinthus, however? I can see he and Apollo maintaining an everlasting romance.

...Also because that is exactly what happens according to the Spartans and who are we to deny what the Spartans declared about their national hero?

The only other exceptions to this I can see are his relationships with the Muses and (hello, fellow Apricity shippers) Boreas.

But even so...the Muses give off like, 'married co-workers' vibes, if that makes sense, and Boreas is more or less a winter fling (fandom forgive me, you know I am a shipper🫡)

Anyway. Hope this rambling makes sense or at least provides a platform for someone to put coherent thoughts together lmao

In conclusion: sometimes Apollo is transactional in relationships because of the culture he was raised in, and he has commit issues because of just how hard Hyacinthus's death hit him :)

have fun pondering :3

[cyandreamz]

❁Pearl Fey and Trucy Wright hanging out❁

Today I finished this drawing and honestly, I love it so much! makes sense since I drew most of this with my left (main) hand (used right hand for a good chunk of the sketch to help maintain being somewhat ambidextrous) and, got to use an art medium I haven't used in almost a year, after buying some cheap alcohol markers (cheaper than sharpie's cheap) a few weeks ago.

(rest of post has minor spoilers for AA2-5, mostly AA4-5 but I do mention very minor spoilers for AA2-3)

I've been wanting to draw Pearl for a while, especially after seeing her in the DD DLC case (which is my fave case from DD) but than on the 18th I read this fanfic by Samioli and, it was so cute! It made me want to draw Pearl even more! To clarify this isn't fanart of the fic (idk if I ship Pearl and Trucy but I do see them as childhood bffs) but, I do hc Pearly as lesbian thanks to the fic and, I still wanted to recommend it cuz it's such an amazing fic and, it motivated me to draw Pearly hanging out with Trucy.

okay now back to talking about the drawing XD. I decided to re-design both girl's hair-do's and I'm very glad I did. I like Trucy's canon hair but as mentioned in this post I originally thought her official sprite had a bob, and now that I drew her with a bob I think I might continue doing so! Also I don't think she has an ahoge in canon but, I think it suits her so I will always give her one :3 (Edit, turns out she does have an ahoge and it's even cuter that the one I gave her so in future I will draw her with her canon ahoge)

As for Pearl, I dislike that her model in DD basically is just a taller version of her child sprites in AA2-3, so after making some thumbnails on a different page of hair-do ideas, I decided on a hairstyle that's similar to her canon hair-do but, more interesting imo, especially since I made the braids heart shaped on purpose cuz it references her love of romance (very on the nose, but being on the nose is kinda on brand for AA).

I also had a lot of fun designing these outfits for them both! Trucy's bag is of course a playing card and I picked 8 of diamonds cuz she has a diamond motif in canon and, was adopted by Phoenix when she was 8! Her jeans also have a two patches, one of her first daddy's hat/her hat when she was a child and a bunny, cuz that's magic related and cute lol. Also gave her a bracelet that kinda references Apollo but kinda doesn't, because it's on the wrong arm (didn't want it to crowd the hand holding pose!) and it's sliver because I didn't want to add yellow to the colour pallet :P

Pearl's outfit was loosely inspired by fairy-kei fashion as I feel like Pearl would enjoy Fairy-kei and Yumekawaii but not strictly follow a jfashion style. I also gave Pearl glasses. Not only make her look more unique compared to her canon child design but also, cuz AA doesn't have enough characters with glasses imo and I think they look super cute on her! I did consider giving her heart lenses but, I think that might be over doing the heart motif so I made them round instead :P

[worlds-oldest-teenager]

Lightning fast headcanons to fill the void in my soul from lack of Toa

I have been rushing a whole semesters worth of work in the past few weeks and it has drained me mind and body.

So here are some random hcs for toa.

Tristan McLean, Apollo and Aphrodite poly couple. Listen, Piper's singing is so influential and you know who else can do that? That's right, Apollo. He was involved somehow, I know it. Blaming him being excited by the idea of dating Tristan at the end of ToN on living for millenia and just forgetting who he dates sometimes.

Apollo and Meg have a little farm together <33. He raises the animals and she grows the crops. They use the money to help fund CHB + CJ + the waystation + safe houses for demigods cause they are that good.

Apollo + Meg piano lessons and they are absolutely horrific, sacriligeous monstrosities that involve tearing the piano to pieces, playing it in lava somehow and every lesson ends in tears (from Apollo ofc)

Oddly enough Meg is extremely good at piano but only because of a deep connection to the wood that makes her a complete prodigy and leaves Apollo bamboozled.

Apollo is a binge eater with no consequences and that isn't what made Zeus put him in a little chub body but it did help. I stand by that. idc that there is no proof.

Rachel and Apollo go on platonic little art dates together and do fun things like paint, sculpt and make peace with the horror of knowing what is to come

Apollo gives Thalia driving lessons AGAIN.

Apollo invites his kids to performances he's in and doesn't inform them what he looks like or who he'll be that night. The kids have a running bet each time.

And that is all for now. Thank you for reading XD

[turquoisemagpie]

Omg I love your takes on the gods it’s all so cool and intriguing I love how Artemis is just an animal because humans lost the need to hunt how Apollo is a true reflection of artists and creation Hermes and Dionysus are just cool in general I love love love how Hermes is pan in disguise drives me NUTS!!! I looooove Athena’s struggles and I just LOVE how they reflect reality

Thanks! I tried my best to summarise them as modern concepts more so that characters, and somehow that made them more convincing and human as characters. XD

It’s also a nice mix of deep diving into the origins and etymology of each god, with help from the fantastic work of Overly Sarcastic Production and a lot of mythology books. Finding all the nice little surprising facts about them are great to work into the character in some way.

[anotheroceanid]

'Percy's heart is completely taken', but I guess Jason may have a crush XD Poor guy, it'll be fun tho. I mean, how can anybody not being attracted to Mama Percy hehe.

I'm so excited, I can't wait to read the moment Percy'll realize that Apollo didn't have any other demigods since ✨THEM ✨

Actually, I'm so excited by many things to come. Girl, I guess I'm obsessed with your story 🥺

Having a crush for Percy is something people can’t avoid, I guess.

I mean, she will be smug about it. At least internally. One thing about Perpollo is that they match watch other’s freak.

🤣🤣🤣 Thanks!!!!

[finleyforevermore]

HELP DELILAH!!!

HELP APOLLO!!!

My contact information.

About me!

First picture/profile picture/avatar made with this!

Second picture/drawing made by my wonderful friend Korey (@sharkbaitju1ce)! Great artist and even greater friend, please check their stuff out! :D

Third picture/picrew by @/potato-lord-but-not!

Please, if you know my age through DMs or Discord, DO NOT POST IT OUTSIDE OF PRIVATE SPACES WITH ME. I WILL CONSIDER THIS AN ATTACK.

IF A HOSTILE/OFFENSIVE ANON CALLS ME THEIR FRIEND, I AM NOT!!!! IF AN ANON SENDS SELF-HARM PICTURES AND TAGS ME IN THE ASK, THAT IS NOT ME!!!!!

More under the cut, friends! Please be sure to peruse through all of the IMPORTANT LINKS! You may also take a look at all of my wonderful Tumblr family members, but the important links ESPECIALLY. Thank you! :)

Name: Finley, but you can call me Finn or Fin, too! Or really ANY nickname derivative of Finley! I ADORE nicknames, please feel free to give me some! :D

Birthday: January 8th!

♑ (Capricorn): The Ambitious Nature

Age: Minor

Interests: Animation, voice acting, musicals

MBTI: INFJ-T

Gender/Orientation: Cis male, sex-repulsed asexual

Musical genres I like: Musicals, Classical, Orchestral, Jazz, Lo-fi, Ambient, I dabble in rock sometimes 😅

Pronouns: He/him/his

Quote(s) that describe(s) my life:

"And all I really want is some justice! Ahhh!" - "All I Really Want" by Alanis Morrisette, from the album "Jagged Little Pill"

"I've earned the right to selfishly be all for one and one for me." - "Loser Geek Whatever" from "Be More Chill"

Favorite colors: Green and blue.

Favorite Book(s): "Good Dog" by Dan Gemeinhart, "Thanks a Lot, Universe" by Chad Lucas, "Ghost Boys" by Jewell Parker Rhodes, "Long Way Down" by Jason Reynolds, "Show Us Who You Are" by Elle McNicoll

Favorite Season: Fall/Autumn

Favorite musical(s): Wicked, Hadestown, and Come From Away

Favorite film: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Favorite band: Tally Hall

Favorite shows: Infinity Train, Bluey, Hilda

DNI:

Homophobic

Blogs with DNI Minors

Xenophobic

Racists

TERFS

Radfems

Anti-abortion

Antisemites

Anti-furries

Anti-therians

Zoophiles

Wilbur Soot defenders/supporters/fans

TERFS

You ship incest, pedophilia, real people, etc.

Anti-BLM/All Lives Matter

Porn bot

Do not stand with Palestine

MAP/NOMAP

Pro-facist

Sexist

Ableist

Islamophobes

Other stuff!:

Pall Weople and Hurricane Family enthusiast!

I have chromesthesia!

If my profile pic wasn't any indicator, I wear glasses!

I play the violin and sometimes the piano!

I give off platypus vibes according to my friends!

11 of my friends have called me a "ray of sunshine" so I guess it must be true XD

I like boots more than shoes.

I saw Wicked on 10/5/22!!! 💚💚💚

[characteroulette]

DIRECTOR'S CUT! give me the rundown on Lemon Boy!

Oh god uhh. That is three whole chapters lol it's gonna be a bit long oof

Okay so like. The concept started from this Cavetown Album (called Lemon Boy, fittingly) and me singing Lemon Boy to myself one day and going, "huh. Apollo and Snufkin both fit this song. I should do something with that." (I pretty easily spiraled into shipping the two help)

I wanna be ten feet tall!! I wanna grow big red horns!! I wanna eat fire and snow!! And scare everyone!!

Uhh yeah go listen to Ten Feet Tall it's a good song. Very Apollo vibes.

(I love to write to music, if you couldn't tell. Sprinkling in the motifs or imagery of them is like my fave thing to do it's so much fun.)

It is very important to me that you understand that Apollo's love language is to shove. This is my headcanon and I will go to the grave pushing this agenda. XD

The concept of Apollo tracking down one of his old foster caretakers was actually something I came up with while jamming out a different story with Tega. It was a nice little heartbreaking thing to include in Apollo's backstory and so I put it here. Shit's fucked, my boy, I'm sorry.

(Maple and Ginger were purely named for food. Also lesbian couple because idk I will also die on this hill that Apollo is gay and had a lot of gay in his life.)

I am pushing an Agenda and y'all will have to live with it. XD

But for real, I just like the concept of a young Snufkin, not really knowing any other way to console his friend, kissing him first and explaining it after. Snufkin and Apollo can understand each other in a way not a lot of the other kids around them could, so of course they'd also have a bit of a different relationship than those others.

This was also a good setup for the final chapter but it's really the entire reason I wrote this fic, I wanted this scene where Snufkin kisses Apollo and then Apollo pays it forward later in his life.

so uh I wrote the Clay chapter *after* finishing the first and last chapters!! I was originally just not gonna include a Clay segment (he was giving me too much trouble), but then I had a burst of inspiration and slammed it out so hey Clay gets to be in this lol.

Also furthering my Apollo will bite agenda. I love the idea of Apollo not actually getting bullied because he fought back, but getting ignored and avoided actually because, again, he fought back. I think it fits his character pretty well to have that in his background, considering how desperate he is for validation.

Clay is also weird to me. Like, he's such a blank slate for characterisation that I end up not knowing what to do with him half the time and that kinda makes him boring to me. He's only fun because *I* made him fun, which can be nice but like. The Ace Attorney roster is filled with too many good characters for him to stand out at all. Dual Destinies made Clay an important fixture in Apollo's backstory, though, so fuck me I guess.

Finally, Klavier chapter!! I got to start off with Apollo just buying the concert tickets Klavier sent, which as you know is my favourite little detail. Klavier sending these tickets is such an unhinged move but Apollo then buying them without a second thought is just as unhinged, these two are dumbasses and perfect for one another. XD

IT'S ME I'M STILL MAD ABOUT THIS. Phoenix goddamn Wright you cannot make Apollo present two (two!!) pieces of forged evidence and then never apologise for it!!! And then Spirit of Justice rolls around with Dhurke's whole deal and!!! Makes everything worse!!!

I have a whole ten or so rants about how AJ's ending is made worse actually by SoJ's inclusion (because how could Apollo be "too new" to law when he grew up with a literal disgraced defence attorney?? How could he have nothing to say on the poisoned system when he's known Dhurke and Khura'in's whole deal for all his life??? I'm upsetti I am so upsetti about this) but I'll save that for another time >T

I just really like this bit. Absolutely added this scene it does not exist in canon, but. I like Apollo's last line. Maybe one day you won't be such a coward, Klavier. Maybe one day you'll stop running from the truth.

And agh. The whole conversation scene in the lobby is just. Catharsis but not. I ended up playing the comfortable-but-also-not mood the two got stuck in, Apollo reaching out and Klavier dodging his advances (like the coward he is lol) until Klavier finally does accept that offer. I just like their dynamic, two men touched by ruin and reacting to it in vastly different ways. Klavier runs until he sees someone else in need and Apollo reaches out against all of his better instincts. They're my faves <3

*screaming from the rooftops* IT'S ABOUT TRUST!! IT'S ABOUT TRUSTING SOMEONE WHOM YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES NEVER THINK ABOUT TRUSTING!!! BUT YOU TRUST THEM ANYWAY!! AND THEY TRUST YOU IN RETURN!!! agh

I like the whole scene of them talking outside the car (and fun fact, I have an actual location in mind for them to be at; it's near the Conejo Boulders, which isn't LA whoops but is a view ingrained into my mind), but particularly this bit (of course) --

YEAH KISS!! it's a parallel (or rhyme??) to the one Snufkin gave him in the first chapter!! It's Apollo internalizing that lesson and paying it forward!! Yeah.

The end bit is funny specifically to me. Like yeah Apollo just spent a whole day making out and talking with Klavier and only when Klavier is like, taking care of him (making breakfast) does Apollo go "oh. Shit. I might desire this man romantically." Like lol amazing my fave. XD

ANYWAY YEAH LEMON BOY. I LIKE IT. At some point I'll finish the two sequel stories I've got in the works....

[heliads]

Hello, glad I can submit this request then, I barely find any Luke Castellan fics he needs more love 😭

Anyways, I just wanted to request something small like headcannons on what it would be like at the aftermath of the Battle of Manhattan if Luke didn't die, what would he be like and how the reader would help him overcome his trauma or problems ? Just pure fluff is what I'm trying to say ;_;

Sorry if that doesn't make any sense... Please let me know if you don't understand me XD

But thank you so much if you write this <3

i see that you have asked for headcanons but i am so delighted by this request that you get a full fic instead (ily)

masterlist

Luke Castellan is not sure what to do with the fact that he did not die. It would have made for a better ending, he thinks. It was the logical conclusion. He tried to make a better world, and when that failed, he could have been terminated along with that last dream. It is what most people would have decided was best.

Yet Luke opens his eyes– his eyes, not someone else’s, not that awful feeling of having his body belong to some being that was not even human, let alone not him– and he is alive. Luke is not sure yet whether this is good or bad. He’s not sure that anything in this world could remotely fit into those categories anymore.

He stares up at a blank ceiling above, which confuses him. Last time he checked, Luke was dying on the ruined floor of the gods’ throne room. There had still been a roof over his head, but Luke swore that he could see a sky of the deepest blue. Luke had felt himself fall into that wondrous lapis void, and then he had felt nothing at all.

That was supposed to be dying. It was more peaceful than most people would say he deserved, given all the hell Luke wreaked on the world by allying with Kronos. Luke’s supposed ending had certainly not been pretty:  a dagger in his hand, stabbed into the one place the immortal waters of the River Styx hadn’t protected him. Achilles’ curse had lifted, and Luke was free of the Titan that had been consuming his body whole.

Yet Luke is staring up at a room that is neither burned nor broken. At first, he wonders if this is what death is like, but he’s heard enough stories of the Underworld to know that it would never be this simplistic. No, this isn’t Death; Luke sits up slowly and manages to fight nausea long enough to realize that he’s back in Camp Half-Blood. Back home, his mind tells him, and Luke has to remind himself that’s not true anymore. He has no home. He has no people, he left them all a very long time ago.

A voice to his side makes Luke whip around.

“I’d sit down if I were you.”

Luke trains his eyes until they slowly, begrudgingly focus on an orange-shirted figure seated next to him. At last, he realizes he recognizes the guy. Will Solace, one of Apollo’s kids. He must have been in charge of bringing Luke back from the dead. 

Luke is baffled by the fact that Will is perched here and not Michael Yew, current head of the Apollo cabin, until it occurs to him that Michael is likely dead. That explains the hollows under Will’s eyes, at least, and the undercurrent of hate that Will only barely keeps at bay. Such strong emotions for a boy who’s usually so cheerful. Luke supposes he only has himself to blame for that.

Will may despise Luke all he wishes, but he’s still a doctor at heart. The blond gestures for Luke to lean back down. “If you rip out your stitches and make my work worthless, I’ll kill you myself.” Will says.

Luke arches a brow. “How do I know you won’t do that anyway?”

“I’m still debating,” Will replies pleasantly.

Someone laughs next to him. “Try to stay civil, Solace. Our time for killing is over.”

A camper takes a seat on Luke’s other side. After a few moments of recollection, his addled head realizes that he knows them. That’s Y/N L/N, they’ve been in the Hermes cabin for the longest time, not one of Luke’s half siblings on the godly side but yet another demigod gone unclaimed for years. They used to complain about that to him. He doubts they would repeat the same sentiments now.

Will groans. “Let me at least try to be intimidating, L/N. I only get to do it so often.”

Y/N cracks a grin, then turns to Luke. “I imagine you must have a lot of questions.”

Luke narrows his eyes at them. “Why aren’t I dead?”

Y/N does a superb job of ignoring Will’s clear sentiment that he’d like an answer to that as well, keeping their gaze firmly trained on Luke. “You tried to stop Kronos in the end. Chiron decided that, seeing as you did all that in an effort to protect unclaimed kids and demigods who were ignored by their godly parents, you deserved a second chance.”

“Does anyone other than Chiron actually believe that?” Luke asks pointedly.

Y/N shrugs. “Depends on what you do when you get out of here.”

Will jumps up. “That’s my cue to check on the rest of my suffering patients. You know, the ones that didn’t try to betray us.”

Y/N watches him go. “Ignore him. He’s–”

Luke cuts her off. “Mad that I tried to kill everyone here? I can’t blame him.”

“So you regret what you did?” Y/N questions slowly.

“I don’t regret trying to do something,” Luke says, “only that the gods weren’t as hurt as the demigods. I didn’t want to hurt us, just them. Olympus could use a good scare.”

Thunder rumbles overhead, loud and overbearing. Luke imagines it’s a warning to him:  he’s treading on thin ice by staying alive, he’d better not press his luck by insulting the gods anymore.

Y/N sighs, evidently thinking the same thing. “You wouldn’t be the only one to want the world to change.”

Luke glances over at them. Obviously, he hasn’t seen Y/N since he switched sides, but he had forgotten that they used to be friends. Good friends, too. It’s nice to have at least that back to normal.

“You haven’t been claimed in the last while, have you?” He asks, changing the subject away from more dangerous waters.

Y/N smiles. “Actually, I have. Percy made the gods swear to start claiming more of their kids. I found out about my parentage a few days ago.”

Luke nods solemnly, but doesn’t ask for further details. He made a point of prioritizing the demigod over their godly parent when he was recruiting for Kronos during the war, and he supposes that habit has stuck. It makes him wonder how many more traits of the enemy he won’t ever be able to shake.

“So when do I get out of here?”

Y/N folds their arms across their chest. “Depends on what you mean by getting out of here. You’ll get a clean bill of health within the next day or two, most likely. You won’t be leaving the camp for months, though, if ever.”

The implications of that don’t have to be spoken aloud. Luke messed up, obviously, and so he’ll be on house arrest until the end of time. If he can prove that he’s worth the effort of saving, maybe they’ll let him live his life, but until then he’ll be monitored around the clock.

It’s more than he expected, at any rate. Part of Luke thought that he’d be handed over to some sort of trial once he healed up, made to face his crimes and be overly punished accordingly. That way, the gods could point to him in the decades and centuries to come as proof of why half-bloods should never reach for more than they deserve.

But no, he’ll be living. That’s certainly something. Luke leans back slowly against his cot and ponders this. “Do I get a personal guard or something?”

Y/N lifts a shoulder. “Kind of. You get me. I’m supposed to follow you around and make sure you don’t try to escape.”

Luke snorts. “How’d you get stuck with that job?”

“I asked for it,” Y/N says coolly.

Luke is taken aback. “Why’d you do that?” He can’t imagine anyone in this camp actively trying to bond with him, let alone someone he knew as well as Y/N. Wouldn’t they hate him for betraying them?

They might be just as surprised about it as he is. “I’m not entirely sure. Guess I thought I was the only one who wouldn’t actively try to kill you in your sleep.”

They’re brutal about it, but it’s kind of nice. Honesty is the only sort of medicine that Luke feels like he can stomach right now. Mollycoddling and sugarcoating just serve to waste time.

He half expects Y/N to back out of it, but no, when Luke is declared medically sound and all but forced out of the hospital wing by swordpoint, they’re waiting for him by the door. Luke staggers out into the bright sunlight and looks around like he’s in a dream. The camp has changed since he last saw it. Cabins have sprung up like wildflowers and more are being constructed by the moment.

Y/N notices him staring and gestures towards the new buildings. “See, that’s your doing, even if no one wants to admit it. A ton of new kids have been claimed. Hermes cabin has never been so empty.”

Bitterness surges through Luke’s throat before he can stop it. “I thought that was Percy’s idea.”

Y/N shakes their head. “Percy only got the idea from you. You can make yourself a villain if you want, but you weren’t entirely heartless. You got my godly parent to claim me, and that’s worth a lot.”

Luke smiles to himself as they go. Y/N leads him to the door of their cabin. It’s still cavernously empty compared to the close quarters Luke remembers in Hermes, and he only notices one bunk with belongings on it.

“You’re the only one here?” He asks.

Y/N nods. “So far, at least. I’ve got you now, though. Just as a warning, I will be claiming cabin counselor privileges and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

Luke grins before he realizes it. The expression makes his scar ache, but he finds he doesn’t mind it quite so much as before. “I won’t fight you on that.”

He pulls himself onto the top bunk of one of the many empty rows and surveys his new domain. “Do you think it was worth it? Figuring out who your godly parent was just for them to leave you like this?”

After all, what a life. An empty cabin already collecting dust. It’s cold in here without bodies inside to warm it up. The walls are barren of personal touches. Y/N knows their heritage, yes, and is able to move out of a cabin that was never theirs, but this doesn’t seem like much of a blessing.

Y/N lingers by the foot of Luke’s bunk, and he gestures for them to climb up and join him. They do so in a heartbeat, and then they’re sitting opposite each other, gazes locked and breathing steady.

“It can be lonely,” they admit, “but it’s not so bad. You have hope that it won’t always be this way. Maybe someone will come. Maybe someone already has.”

Luke swallows harshly. “I missed you.”

He blurts it out, hardly aware of what he’s saying. He missed a hell of a lot. Y/N. Laughing at midnight, their whispered words covered up by the sounds of dozens of campers sleeping shoulder to shoulder. Training during the day, the clash of celestial bronze. Orange shirts burning like beacons against their backs. Being able to wear his beaded necklace without feeling like a traitor, even if that’s what he is and always will be.

Y/N leans forward. “I missed you too. I kept hearing about you, which is more than you got of me, but it didn’t feel right. I don’t know where the boy I knew is, if he even exists anymore, but I’d like to try and find him again.”

“I’d like to find him again too,” Luke whispers.

It is the dream of a broken boy bleeding out in the palace of the gods. At this moment, Luke isn’t entirely sure that he didn’t die there in the Olympian throne room. If someone told him that this is what dying is like, conjuring up a vision of what he wishes he could have most of all, Luke would have believed them.

In the end, Luke has no idea if this is real or not. All he can do is keep going, keep waking up each morning to see if he is still in the hazy aftermath of a second chance or finally locked down below in the Underworld. Luke always wanted to try for the Isles of the Blest anyway. Maybe this is just his second life, his second attempt at getting there.

He reaches out on impulse and takes Y/N’s hand. He can feel the blood pumping through their veins, the same certainty as being able to press his fingers against a locked door and know exactly how to break in. This is Luke’s next great trick, but he thinks he’d like to do it right.

“Alright, then,” Luke says at last, “Let’s try again.”

pjo taglist: @w1shes43

[navyinks]

“Death of Hyacinthus”

Out of jealousy, the west wind Zephyrus causes Apollo's discus to strike Hyacinthus and kill him. Apollo creates hyacinths from the prince's blood so that his soul lives on through the flowers.

For composition & characters, I took inspiration from Tiepolo’s “Death of Hyacinthus” and Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus.”

Follow-up piece from the Apollo/Hyacinthus I painted last year. Notes, process & closeups can be found below the cut

This is an experimental piece, where I wanted to make use of value, contrasting gradients, and shape to direct the composition.

Unfortunately, the drapery didn’t work out and I ended up having to get creative with enlarging Zephyrus’ wings and playing with the atmosphere & clouds behind him to get the same gestural movement within the painting. In hindsight, it was probably a good thing I didn’t paint the drapery, as it would have started getting repetitive with Apollo’s cape.

Also up to this point, everything was painted with an airbrush on one layer, because I wanted a good brushwork challenge. I think it should usually be the other way around, but my rendering is really poor on paper and even worse digitally lol;;

The soft airbrush step took about a week, and then I sat down for a day and put in the hard edges & finished rendering pretty quickly. I reckon it’s a pretty neat way to work lol

I have to thank Britt Snyder, who is awesome and gave me heaps of guidance for the composition in the initial stages, and in the final detailing. He introduced some really nice suggestions to the painting, which really makes the whole piece pop.

Zephyrus - neutral expression in the first few iterations, but this looks more interesting i reckon lol. I personally really liked the soft airbrush effect and the hard edge on the wing & felt pretty validated when Britt pointed it out too xD

Apollo and Hyacinthus - this is where I wanted the focal point to be. Transitioning from dark background -> light sun -> dark hair -> light skin -> dark features was a deliberate attempt to increase contrast in the area & draw the eye to it first. I think it was pretty successful?

Hyacinths growing out of the blood. I didn’t really want these to stand out too much.

ANYWAY thanks for reading, this is my first finished painting of 2023 and i’m pretty happy with it, DEFINITELY not perfect but with everything that’s happened this year? life is tough and bleak and i will take this small win xD

[khaire-traveler]

whenever i see Aphrodite in visions she is associated with fire. i don’t remember her having any specific association with it, but she always appears to me with some form of fire: (Magma, Flames, Warm glowing light.) this isn’t a very pressing or serious ask, just something i’m curious if you have thoughts on or not

Khaire, Nonny!

It's certainly not unusual for deities to present themselves atypically. I've heard of Apollo presenting himself to others with aspects of darkness, Dionysus presenting himself as extremely serious and stern, and Aphrodite presenting herself using a different appearance each time. Know that it's entirely normal for deities to change things up between worshippers; it's very common. c:

Regarding the fire association specifically, I also can't recall a specific historical connection, but I will say it strongly reminds me of Aphrodite's war aspect, as well as her connection to passion. Maybe these are aspects of hers that she'd like you to explore. There could be some kind of lesson she wants to teach you regarding passion (for life, for a career, for a significant other, etc.), assertiveness, inner strength, or ambition. It makes me think of the message "Fight for it because you deserve it," as in don't give up on something you're passionate about because you're worth the end result - your happiness is worth the end result. I obviously have no idea if this is what she's actually trying to convey; it's just the first thing I thought of. XD

I can definitely see making connections to her and fire, though, be it of your own accord or through visions she's given you. Although her origins tend to involve the ocean, I feel that love - in all its forms - has an element of fire to it. The secure warmth of hug shared, the roaring flames of a passionate kiss, the toasty comfort of good self-care - all of these things and more are all expressions of love. This is a perspective of Aphrodite that I'm honestly surprised isn't talked about more; I'm very glad you brought it up from your own experience, and it's extremely awesome that she brought it to your attention.

I wonder why she specifically chose to present herself in such a way. 🤔 I'd say it's uncommon enough for it to stick out. I actually don't think I've ever heard of someone describing an experience with Aphrodite relating to fire, but I'm sure it's happened before. I'd be shocked if no one else has either made their own connections like this or seen her present similarly. Maybe someone reading this can chime in with their own experiences! Regardless, I encourage you to look more into this. You could try divination, or whatever communication methods you use, to ask her if there's a specific reason that she presents herself this way. I'd be curious to know her answer if you're ever comfortable sharing it!

I will say that sometimes when a deity presents themselves in a form that is remarkably different than usual, it's because they have come with a specific purpose relating to the change. I had a friend (remaining anonymous) who is trans and struggled with comparing himself to "manlier" men. Apollo purposely presented to him with a more feminine appearance, usually looking extremely AFAB, to help him slowly move past his limiting expectations of himself. Essentially, "I'm still a man, right? So why wouldn't you be?" A very touching and beautiful story that makes a great example of how deities will sometimes use atypical presentations for a specific purpose. If she has a purpose for this, I hope you're able to figure it out soon!

Thank you for sharing your interesting vision! I definitely think this is a really cool and special experience to have with Aphrodite. I hope she brings plenty of warmth and comfort in your life. Take care. c: 🩷