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this isn’t tyt related BUT

I am asking the great writer on advice of how to write a paragraph on explaining a characters appearance because i am STRUGGLING. it should be easy but the words are not wording 😭 any tips for this and just writing in general? (you’ve probably said this somewhere else but so sorry i didn’t see it)

ahhsdf first of all i am flattered that you think of me as a great writer 😭 but!! i do have a few tips!!

so first of all, the amount of detail that you put into a character's appearance really depends on perspective!! for example, i've definitely sometimes written entire paragraphs of, like, nico describing will - a subtle nod toward the fact that he's completely and utterly whipped for him. but then for another character, such as, like, reyna, i may do something simple like "a tall girl with her hair in a braid" (i can't remember the actual description i gave reyna lmao)

so, for a short description:

the simpler, the better. i think the most identifiable traits of a person is their hair (if we're talking about a regular human being, not an alien or animal or something, in which it would probably be whatever traits are not human - such as, say, a cat tail would be the most identifiable trait of catra from shera)

i usually just revert to the easiest method, which is just: hair color and style. if it's in a braid, or a ponytail; if it's short, or long; blonde, brown, pink, or anything else - then your reader already has a vague image of this.

also, it depends what kind of story/fic you're writing! if it's a solangelo fic, chances are, writing "blond guy" is literally all you need to write to make sure your audience knows you're talking about will. but if you're writing a fic in which there are several blond guys, then you'll probably want to go into slightly more detail (like, curly blond hair for will, and short blond hair for jason - even though for jason, i would say glasses would be the defining trait)

eyes are also good! or what they're wearing! just make sure that whatever description you're adding is something that either helps identify the character, or identify the character's personality. a baggy hoodie for nico. a flannel jacket for will. leather jackets, plain tee-shirts, ripped jeans, a mini skirt, flowy dresses, are all pieces of clothing that can make a statement about the character, specifically in au's- because we already know this character, but in this universe, what are they like?

adding on to that, a casual way to point out their clothing is to mention it in relation to the weather. i've done this so many times. like, will wearing a plain tee shirt and cargo shorts in freezing weather! or something like that. if it fits into your story

just remember that, most of the time, people's internal monologues aren't going super in depth about a person's appearance - if i meet someone new, i'd probably note smth like "oh, this guy has glasses and short dark hair. he's wearing a blue jacket" in my head, and nothing further than that

HOWEVER. this is where you get to share more about the person whose pov you're writing. say you're describing the love interest - it would be very likely for (and i'm just using nico and will as an example bc i write them the most) nico to go super in depth about will's freckles, and how blue his eyes are, and how there's a strand of blond curly hair caught in his eyelash, and how his jacket is loose over his shoulders but seems to fit just right, and the star wars tee-shirt that he's wearing is so ridiculous and yet he looks just incredible.

allow yourself to fully think in the perspective of the person you're writing. is the person detail-oriented? if so, they'd probably take more notice of people's appearance than someone who doesn't give a shit. is the person interested in fashion in the first place? then they may add notes about how this piece of clothing really brings out their eyes, or comment on how horrible the shoes match with the jacket.

but *most* of the time, it's something simple. i've gone into so much detail and a slight ramble here lmfaoSKDJF BUT- the MAIN thing i wanted to say was, if you're really in doubt, don't waste too much time on a character's appearance! find one/two identifiable traits, work it into their entry (he ran into a blond guy with a green flannel; she narrowed her eyes, trying to recognize the girl with bubblegum pink hair and a leather jacket; he could only see the back of his head, taking note of the shoulder-length dark hair and denim jacket)

in the end, physical appearance is one of the least important parts of a story - specifically in fics, when everyone already has an idea of how characters look and will likely already have hc's as to what kind of clothes they wear/what length their hair is. add what you like, but if you're worried about making it sound good, just remember that even if you don't add a physical description at all, once you say the character's name, probably everyone will already have a semi-accurate picture of the character in their head!

thank you for the ask :)

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After the Setting Sun

Fandom: Trials of Apollo Rating: Gen Genre: Fluff Characters: Chiron, Will, Nico, Merida and Robin (OCs) It was common knowledge that Apollo kids waned after sunset, but particularly young ones don't handle the waning too well. Chiron has seen it happen many times before. TOApril day 25 - Race Against Time, and credit to @stereden for getting my muses thinking about how Apollo kids' powers wane after dark.

In the glow of the campfire, Chiron smiled fondly – and with more than a little bit of amusement.  The cycle was so familiar to him after so many centuries that it was obvious what was coming, but to the children with their infinitely shorter lifespans and experience to match, it was going to come as a surprise, at least until Will begrudgingly recalled the last time it had happened.

The sun was setting, leaving the flickering flames of every colour and then some to take the lead on lighting up the demigods’ world the same way it did every night, especially in the summer when the camp was at its peak capacity, and with the setting sun came changes.

It was common knowledge amongst campers that Apollo’s children got more and more lethargic the further past sunset it got.  Of course, the older, experienced ones could force themselves into activity during the night if circumstances demanded it (it was a burden the head healers bore, and Chiron wished that sometimes there weren’t medical emergencies that needed more than his learned training to heal – Apollo had taught him everything there was to know, but some things could not be replicated no matter how much knowledge the practitioner held).  The younger ones, however, were another story entirely.

Most of Apollo’s children were older, when they arrived.  Apollo didn’t like to separate his children from their mortal parents until it was necessary, so most of cabin seven’s new arrivals were eleven or twelve, in the wake of the promise Percy had extracted from the gods.  Before that, some of them had been thirteen, or occasionally older.  Children of Apollo arriving earlier usually indicated that something was wrong, or otherwise out of the ordinary (not many of his children were abused, because Apollo had a good sense for danger when it came to children, if not for himself, but there were other reasons, like untimely deaths, that could force an earlier arrival).

The latest arrivals, a pair of twins from Scotland who would not be returning to their previous childhood home for the foreseeable future due to bad luck and parental paranoia – mostly but not exclusively on the behalf of their mortal parent – were the youngest new arrivals since Will, almost a decade before.  They weren’t as young as Will had been, or Lee, or even Michael, but they were still barely into double digits, and thus particularly susceptible to the presence of the sun in the sky, or lack thereof.

Chiron watched as their heads gradually fell together, using each other as an inadvertent and unplanned pillow as drowsiness set in.  Merida was slightly taller than her brother, and her head claimed the higher position (although this was no indication of their respective ages – both twins were tight-lipped over which of them was the elder, and it was so reminiscent of Apollo and Artemis’ constant squabble over who was the elder twin that Chiron could feel only fondness for their stubbornness).

It would not be long before they fell asleep entirely, and Chiron had seen too many young Apollo children fall completely asleep at the campfire and be subsequently impossible to stir until dawn to let Will face that fate.  For some demigods, it was useful – it hadn’t taken cabin seven long to intentionally wait for a young and constantly irate Michael to fall asleep before retiring for the night, back when he had been both young enough to be controlled by the sun’s position, and also fragile enough to lash out at any hand, no matter how genuinely helpful.  For most, it was preferable that they made it back to the cabin at least partially under their own steam.

Chiron made his way to where Will was basking in the gentle strains of music that Yan was serenading the campers with, leaning comfortably against Nico, who had his arms around him and his chin on top of his head.

“Good evening, Will,” he said, “Nico.”  The two young men acknowledged him with a smile – Will – and a nod – Nico.  “I don’t wish to interrupt your relaxation, but I fear that if you don’t act swiftly, you may have some young children to carry to bed.”  He tilted his head towards the half-asleep twins and Will followed his gaze.

The beginnings of confusion immediately cleared into clarity as Will noticed them.  If Chiron wasn’t mistaken (and he tended not to be, when it came to a demigod he had known for a decade), Apollo’s eldest son currently attending camp had been suddenly reminded of the various times he’d been carried, half asleep, back to the cabin and his bed by various older siblings.

Nico’s confusion didn’t clear up, but Chiron couldn’t say he was surprised by that; Nico had never been in camp with such young Apollo children before, and was well used to Will’s ability to stay up all night if he felt it necessary.  Still, he didn’t attempt to restrain Will when Merida and Robin’s head counsellor let out a soft groan that was more fondness than genuine complaint and hauled himself to his feet, although he did press a brief kiss to his boyfriend’s hair as Will moved.

“I’ll be back,” Will promised him, turning to give him a light kiss in return, before picking his way through the fading light to crouch behind the twins.  Chiron didn’t follow, choosing to remain with Nico as they watched him lightly nudge the pair into wakefulness again – for a given definition of the word – and offer them hands to pull themselves up with.

Even out of earshot, the twin’s reluctance to move was obvious, but Will was not a demigod to be out-stubborned easily, and a pair of ten year olds were never going to win against him.  In short order, he had both of them on their feet, each one pinned to his side by an arm around their shoulder, and was escorting them away from the campfire and back towards the cabins.

“Past their bedtime?” Nico asked.  Chiron glanced down at him to see his eyes focused on the trio as they walked away.

“I’m sure Will has some stories for you of his own campfires when he was their age and younger,” he said with a smile.  “Staying awake after their father’s chariot has stabled for the night is not an ability Apollo children tend to develop at birth.”

“Huh,” Nico responded, with the glimmer of a sharp smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.  “I think I would like to hear Will tell me those stories.  Maybe I’ll ask when he comes back.”

Chiron had no doubt that Will would tell him, nor that Nico would pounce on it as an excuse to drag Will to bed a little bit earlier – an endeavour that very few campers would disagree with.  Chiron certainly didn’t, and he suspected Apollo wouldn’t, either.

He said none of that to Nico, however, simply saying, “I’m sure you will enjoy the stories.”

And, well, if he stayed in earshot so that when Will finally came back, noticeably more tired himself but triumphant that he’d managed to get them into bed before they passed out for the night, he could hear Nico beginning to quiz Will, well.

Nico wasn’t the only one that enjoyed the stories.

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my favourite cringefail guy

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I finally got Hades for my birthday

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But never let me die without a struggle and without acclaim

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Look, I didn’t want to be a rizzler.

If you’re mewing to this because you think you might be one, my advice is: end your streak right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about their edgeing, try to live a beta life.

Being a rizzler, is skibidi, it’s lacking gyatt, most of the time, it gets you mogged in painful, nasty ways.

If you’re a gooner, reading this because you think it’s fiction, great. Read on. I envy you for being able to believe the rizz never left Ohio.

But if you recognize yourself in these pages - if you feel something mogging inside - stop edging immediately. You might be one of us. And once you know that, it’s only a matter of time before the opps sense it too, and they’ll come for you.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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What would you rather have, gay daughter or thot son?

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Prompt: Missed Target

This is beyond late, but it's my first time participating in toapril sooo 😭 (this is literally based on the first prompt, and I'm barely now doing it-)

If this seems unfinished, it's because it is!! This seems like a good place to end it for this prompt, but the next one is going to centered around another prompt!! (Also ik this is like vaguely following the prompt, but I promise the next part will be better 😭😭🙏🙏)

@toapril-official

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Every story he was told had a great hero, strong and king, yet always flawed, and it was those flaws that were their downfall. He thinks that those stories are only told to enforce fear into mortals, a clear message to never challenge a god's lest, you know the consequences.

But he wasn't a regular mortal, was he? It was evident in the way the nymphs looked him, both terrified and awed.

Besides, he wasn't stupid, hushed arguments between his father and father's sister left little to the imagination.

But then, if he wasn't a regular mortal, then what was he?

All these thoughts crammed in his mind made practicing ten times harder, not that he was any good anyways-

Nock. Draw. Loose.

The arrow was too fast for his eyes to comprehend, but he was certain he had that time. His posture was perfect, and his archers point has never been better-

Thwack!

His arrow was embedded in the boss of the target. No where near its intended target.

"Chiron-"

The frustrated scream ripped that through his throat had him sliding off his arm guard and throwing his bow across the grass.

"What's the point!?" Whipping his head towards his father, his eyes drank up the sight of his tied up gold hair and his stupidly perfect bow, all golden and shiny and just perfect.

And he hated it. He hated how perfect Apollo was, how he always managed to read Chiron like an open book.

"Oh, Chiron, everything will be okay. You just need more practice; you've only been at this for three weeks, my dear centaur."

His father was on his knees, something he always he whenever he wanted Chiron to listen. His eyes swarming with pity and Chiron hated it, he was so angry and the tears that welled up in his eyes only made him angrier.

"Don't call me that, I'm not a baby anymore."

The soft chuckle from his father partnered with the fond look in his eyes made Chiron's stomach curl, "No I suppose you're not but you are just eleven. You know, most normal eleven year old mortal boys go out and play in the sun, they don't spend hours practicing archery like you do."

"But I'm not a normal mortal boy, am I Lord Apollo!? For Hades' sake I'm not even your son!"

Chiron regretted it the moment the words left his lips but he already did it, he couldn't go back. He can't backpeddle now and he's just so angry.

But Apollo loves you, and you know it. You don't deserve the attention of an Olympian, you're a spoiled little foal that got too used to being pampered and now there's no turning back-

"Chiron?"

His father's voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he carefully opened his eyes. (When did he close them?)

Chiron couldn't stand the worried look etched on his father's face. Apollo prided himself in his youth and with his furrowed brows and the deep frown lines, he looked older than he ever let himself look.

He took a step back, then another, until his father's face was no longer close to his.

"Chiron? I'm not angry I promise you!" A soft sigh and father was no longer kneeling, "I'm sorry I never told you but, but I was scared- I was worried." Apollo's careful steps forward led to Chiron's careful steps backward and it was like they were dancing, maybe they always were, they've been dancing around this subject for a decade.

"I found you Chiron. You were just a few weeks old and I couldn't stand to leave you in the mercy of Echidna's children that lurk in the night." This, Chiron knew and father knows that so why is he repeating it?

Another sigh escaped his father, this one unsteady and tired, "You're Kronos's son, Chiron."

It felt like Lord Poseidon himself sent wave after wave to drown him. His knees buckled, but his father was there in an instant to cradle him on the grassy plain.

"I know this is hard Chiron but I promise you this has never, not ever changed the way I love you." Warm hand cupped his face and the blurry figure that was his father met his eyes. "You are my son. No one will ever change that."

Chiron wanted to believe him. He really, really did but the anger in his stomach raged on and his father's comforting words did nothing but smother them in guilt.

"No." With gentle hands, he pushed his father away, but the god wouldn't budge. "No!" Using his front legs, he kicked at Apollo's chest (ignoring the pained wheeze that came from his father), and with (much) effort, he brought himself to his feet.

"No! You lied to me. You were," Chiron licked his lips, the realization left his mouth dry. "You were scared of me! Did you just, did you just assume that I'd hurt you or Lady Artemis or- or Lady Persephone?! Just because of who my father is?!" Hot tears ran down his face, and he couldn't be bothered to wipe them. His pain brought Apollo pain, and that's all Chiron wanted.

"I hate you! I hate you! IhateyouIhateyouIhateyou-" choking in own tears and mucus, he turned around and ran. He ran straight into the dense forests surrounding their little clearing.

"Chiron! Chiron!" His father's voice was nothing but a whisper now.

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#apollo #chiron #toapril #trials of apollo #pjo hoo toa #toa #im so sorry this took so long #toapril creations

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really really random but while we are talking about talk ur talks characters having tiktok accounts there has been this one glee audio going around (it has like less than 400 videos i’m just an ex gleek) of rachel talking about having two gay dads and i just KNOW kayla would use that sound at some point. also i feel like i’m some way shape or form apollo is connected to glee. they probably covered on of his songs at some point or reference him during dialogue and that had nothing to do with the original ask but it’s just a thought i had while writing the thing about kayla😭

i’ve never watched glee but if there’s an audio abt having two dads you can BET that kayla’s used it. i feel like she’s the most comfortable about talking abt who her parents are and falling into the spotlight bc of it bc she chose fame in the first place, and she sees them as two completely separate things

as for an apollo song on glee, from what i’ve seen of it (like small clips on tt and stuff) that’s SO accurate it would definitely happen. and i feel like apollo would honestly be so proudJSKDJ so i love that😭😭

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This is a call to action for all the PJO girlies (gender neutral) that I know are sleeper agents on this webbed site

Go read Trials of Apollo. Go do it. Do it right now.

I know what you’re thinking. “Tbh I didn’t love Rick’s writing towards the end of Heroes of Olympus” “There’s no Percy so why bother” “All of the Argo II crew are kinda OOC” and listen my friends. You are so valid to have those opinions. I felt the same way after Blood of Olympus. But listen to me. Look at me.

Now that you have had some time away, you must give these books another try. For me. For Uncle Rick. For the demon baby grain spirit who is only able to say his own name (Peaches).

Do not worry friends, I do not expect you to read just based on my say-so - I also provide:

A list of reasons why you (yes you) should go read the Trials of Apollo series right now gogogo:

(Spoiler warning - all broad plot things that you learn early on, but I know some people (including me) avoid that shit at all costs)

All the chapters are titled in bad haiku. Ya know that one scene in Titan’s Curse where Apollo just starts reciting apropos of nothing? That’s every chapter title. They’re all so bad it’s amazing.

Apollo is so up his own ass about everything, and it’s so cool to experience the same world through the eyes of someone who is not used to being in amongst the chaos

Oh yeah the plot. That’s a reason to read it.

Okay so

Basically Zeus continues his streak of being a shitty shit parent and decides to blame like… every bad thing that has happened on Apollo, and punish him by turning him mortal and enslaving him to a demigod girl named Meg who is a garbage gremlin with a little demon baby guard named Peaches (see above)

And like the A plot is they gotta save the oracles from shitty old Romans who wanna take over the world (stop me if you’ve heard this one before)

But like the B plot is about what it means to discover that you’ve fucked up, you’ve made mistakes, you’ve hurt people, and you gotta fucking own up to that shit

But also

You do not deserve to be punished for every horrible thing that has ever happened because of you, or even around you, and when a parental or authority figure in your life tells you that, they are an abuser and they are wrong

And yet

It can be so hard to fully separate yourself from them. Because for so long, they were all you had.

But that’s okay, because when you start to learn that the people who were supposed to care for you and love you were not actually doing that, there are people around you who will love you, who will support you, who will pick you up and hold you close and make sure you know that you are okay

And they can’t fix you

But they can give you the safe space to fix yourself

hmm that was an essay about themes and metaphors BUT THATS WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT

also there’s a wikipedia arrow who only speaks in Elizabethan prose (in all caps)

OH ALSO ALSO you get to see Will and Nico being a CUTE AS FUCK couple in the first book. Nico smiles. Also makes skeletons grow out of the ground when people annoy him. Fuck I love this little gay death boy so much.

AND. You get to see so MANY of your old friends. And they still! Get! Plot! And! Character! Development!! Even though they are only there for a little bit

OH OH OH there are two old lesbians who run a halfway house for people who are tangled up in magic shit with nowhere else to go

Did I mention Peaches? I did. He’s my favorite.

OH ALSO. This is “unreliable narrator” executed SO FUCKING WELL. Like, all narrators are unreliable. But Apollo used to be a FUCKING GOD. He has not had to deal with the reality of death all that much. He’s used to people praising his name and bowing down at his feet. But that ain’t happening!! And he is Unhappy about that!! But it also lets there be such a clear juxtaposition between what Apollo believes about himself and about the world and what is really true, which is such a wonderful way to write about recovery from trauma.

Ahem

Anyway it’s just real good Uncle Rick continues to knock it out of the park but he just did something different and we (at least I) needed some space from OG PJO fan brain before I could appreciate how fucking awesome this series is.

OH OH OH and if you like audiobooks Robbie Daymond (hello CR mutuals - yes, this is the one who is our beloved Blue Boi who we (Orym) so desperately need returned) is the audiobook narrator and he is. So fucking good. Absolutely NAILS the dramatic-ass-inner-monologue of this dramatic ass ex-deity. Also nails all the other voices as well. 15/10 audiobook narration I’m lichrally gonna go listen to other books JUST cuz he reads them.

okay why the fuck are you still here. GO. GET THESE BOOKS. If your public library does Libby you can absolutely get them on there. GO FORTH.

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update to my popstar nico au!

rating: teen and up audiences chapters: 12/? words: 69,556 link to the original fic: talk your talk and go viral (i just need this love spiral) (34 ch, 145k words, complete) (pls read for context otherwise greatest of luxuries will be very confusing)

nico goes to therapy!

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the prophecy AND cassandra being song names on ttpd is just the most apollo thing ever i don’t even know how to explain it (also both of my favs from that extended version)

NO LITERALLY AND BOTH THE SONGS ARE LITERALLY ABOUT HIM TOO??? like holy SHIT taylor really said we’re gonna talk abt toa rn!!!

some of my favorite lyrics (most toa coded)

“so they filled my cell with snakes”

“you can mark my words that i said it first / in a morning warning no one heard”

“who do i have to speak to about if they can redo the prophecy?”

“oh, still i dream of him”

“And I sound like an infant / Feeling like the very last drops of an ink pen”

“I'm so afraid I sealed my fate / No sign of soulmates”

(and some specifically talk your talk apollo coded lyrics)

“don’t want money / just someone who wants my company”

“Cards on thе table / Mine play out like fools in a fablе”

“They say, "What doesn't kill you makes you aware" / What happens if it becomes who you are?”

“They knew, they knew, they knew the whole time / That I was onto somethin' / The family, the pure greed, the Christian chorus line / They all said nothin' / Blood's thick, but nothin' like a payroll / Bet they never spared a prayer for my soul”

the whole album is genuinely so apollo and toa coded…. especially the manuscript at the end too?? like him writing down all his stories / TRIALS in the books

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i love apollo bc he'll be like “yeah so here's an accurate description about how me and my friends are deadly injured and we're gonna die in like 2hrs i guess?” and 3 lines later he'll also be like “mortal firefighters are hot btw don't kill them💅🏻”

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THE NARRATOR WAS HOMER!!!! I REPEAT; THE NARRATOR WAS HOMER!!!!